VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – After a long, hard day’s work of cleaning houses, the professionals at Two Maids & A Mop start getting ready for the next day.
The work may not be easy, but they said they love their jobs and get regular bonuses.
“Randomly we draw someone’s token and they win the amount of money, it’s a percentage of what we earned,” said one of the employees.
Lee Sheridan, who owns Two Maids & A Mop on the Southside, said even with all the incentives, attractive compensation package and flexible work hours, he’s still having trouble hiring more staff.
“The unfortunate reality is, they apply, they don't show up for interviews,” he said. “[New hires] go through orientation, and then there are certain circumstances where they don't even show for the first day of work.”
Employers struggling to find workers has been an ongoing problem, and the hospitality industry has been hit hard.
Even as more people get vaccinated, Sheridan believes many are still afraid to work indoors. He also said the pandemic has pushed people to learn new skills outside of the hospitality industry and added the extra federal unemployment benefits have dried up the hiring pool.
He’s down 10 cleaners and needs to fill administrative and front-end positions.
“The staff that I currently have on board, they're hungry; they're anxious; they want to work, which is great but there's a burnout component that we will get to at a certain time,” said Sheridan.
As the state moves toward fully reopening on Friday, the growth of Sheridan’s well-established small business is stifled.
“We are turning down business,” he said. “We actually turned down a significant contract yesterday, because we don't want to stretch ourselves too thin. I don't want to over promise and under deliver.”
He’s now racing against the clock to fill spots before the summer season officially starts.
“We get a lot of calls,” said Sheridan. “There’s a high demand for our service for not only residences, but for short-term rentals, Airbnb’s, things like that as we come into the vacation season. We have a high demand, and just a low supply. We're booking out right now through the end of June.”
Despite the difficult circumstances, Sheridan is remaining optimistic. He said he’ll continue holding interviews and is planning to work with local businesses to hold a job fair and cast a wider net.
Related: Virginia Beach's Two Maids & A Mop sanitizes, sympathizes
