For 2.5 years, Bahar has been putting her heart and soul into Cleaning Masters. As a ‘butterfly’ – a flexible cleaning worker – at Cleaning Masters she is the right hand of her supervisor Lieve and ensures that clients throughout Limburg have a perfectly maintained workplace. Whether it’s offices, stores, schools or warehouses, Bahar never turns her hand to anything.
Flexible
What Bahar appreciates most about her job? “The variety. In the past, I used to do different jobs. I worked in a warehouse and in a kitchen, in a store and even at the market. I also cleaned for another company. In all those jobs, I worked in one fixed place but I found that boring. And when it gets boring, I get bored.”
“I often work alone, but never feel alone”
As a butterfly at Cleaning Masters, that is not the case. Every week she gets a schedule and she makes sure that all tasks are done carefully. “I see a lot of different people and visit a variety of locations. That makes the work exciting and challenging. No two days are the same,” she says enthusiastically.
Bahar sees that variety as a big advantage. “As a single mother, it is important that I can balance work and private life. Thanks to Cleaning Masters I manage to do that. I can fill my hours flexibly and the company takes my situation into account.”
Guidance and follow-up
Not only this makes her feel good about herself at Cleaning Masters. It’s also the support she feels, first and foremost from her supervisor Lieve. “Good supervision and follow-up make a big difference. As a cleaner, you often work alone, but you should never feel alone. The follow-up you get determines whether you feel good in your job. At Cleaning Masters we are never alone.”
“At Cleaning Masters, you get follow-up and appreciation. That motivates.”
“My supervisor Lieve knows my situation and supports me. That’s a world of difference. At a previous employer I only got a phone call when there were complaints, but here you get follow-up and appreciation. That motivates me.”
Positive attitude
And yet there are traits that help her be a good “butterfly. “You have to be social, flexible and have a positive attitude. A smile can make all the difference to the customer as well as to your colleagues. You may be in a bad mood in the morning, but you don’t have to stay that way all day,” Bahar laughs.
That attitude helps her when, as a butterfly, she supports new colleagues in their start-up. “A butterfly’s job is not just cleaning. We also assist people who are new or who need help. If someone drops out, a replacement has to be made and then I make sure that person is properly inducted.”
Supporting new colleagues
Her Turkish background sometimes helps her with that: “Many people who come in don’t always speak Dutch very well yet. Sometimes I explain something in Turkish, so they understand it better. Or else I explain it with gestures and do it for them. Anyway, I never leave before I am sure that the other person has understood it well. You have to if you want to deliver quality.”
Proud of her job as a butterfly at Cleaning Masters
That her work is appreciated is evidenced by clients’ reactions. “When someone drops out, they often say, ‘Just send Bahar, she’ll be fine!’ That’s the best compliment I can get.”
At Cleaning Masters, Bahar is right at home. “Here I feel appreciated and supported. That makes me enjoy going to work every day.”
