It’s time to give janitors a seat at the table — and real leadership opportunities that reflect their value. Too often, when we talk about leadership development, custodial staff are left out of the conversation. This isn’t because janitorial staff lack potential, but because of outdated perceptions about their roles. In reality, janitorial staff are not only essential workers, but untapped leaders in an advancing field. 

Research supports this shift in thinking—according to the Pew Research Center, one of the top reasons people leave their jobs is a lack of opportunities for advancement (63%), alongside low pay (63%) and feeling disrespected at work (57%). These findings highlight the urgent need to recognize and invest in the leadership potential of often-overlooked workers—not only to improve retention, but to build a stronger, more engaged workforce.

With an aging workforce — the median age of custodial employees is now 46, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) — it’s no surprise the cleaning industry is experiencing a growing labor shortage. This trend is pressuring organizations to quickly find effective ways to train, retain, and empower their janitorial teams. Investing in leadership pathways for janitorial staff is not just the right thing to do — it’s a strategic move that directly improves staff retention, performance, and overall operational quality.  

When custodial workers are given meaningful opportunities to lead, you empower the workforce and create a team that is a dedicated driver of efficiency, safety, and long-term success. It’s time to listen to their ideas, recognize their expertise, and build pathways for them to lead and grow.

Here are a few ways to get started:

Create Janitorial Advisory Committees

One of the most effective ways to encourage leadership and improve retention among janitorial staff is by creating structured opportunities for them to be heard. Forums allow custodial team members to influence operational decisions — positioning them as strategic partners. When staff see their input lead to real change, it reassures them of their value within the organization and deepens their connection to the team and their role. This feeling of ownership encourages leadership and as a result, engagement and loyalty increase, and organizations benefit from a more stable, motivated workforce.

Key Considerations:

• Start small and scale: Begin with one initial committee and set a consistent meeting schedule such as every quarter, month, or year. Be sure to document input and outcomes to ensure accountability.

• Set up a central channel for feedback: Create a clear, accessible space for janitorial staff to share insights and then communicate the changes made based on their input. Publicly recognize those whose feedback drives improvements as a way to build trust, reinforce their value, and deepen engagement. 

• Give committees real influence: Shift from top-down decisions by empowering staff to shape choices around tools, workflows, and support needs. When committee feedback directly informs operations, it fosters ownership and strengthens buy-in from the ground up.

Establishing these advisory committees is an inclusive approach that empowers staff to lead from within by giving them a voice in decisions that impact their daily work.

‍Offer Mentorship, Cross-Training Programs, and Career Path Programs

Creating leadership pathways doesn’t always require a new title — sometimes, it starts with the opportunity to guide and grow others. By implementing mentorship and cross-training programs, janitorial staff have the chance to expand their skillsets, share their expertise, and build the confidence that comes with leading peers. These programs turn everyday responsibilities into development opportunities that ultimately help employees grow within the organization while strengthening team performance.

Key Considerations:

• Formalize mentorship for new employees: Pairing seasoned staff with new hires encourages knowledge sharing, builds coaching skills, and creates natural leadership roles that nurture trust and accountability.

• Offer cross-training to cultivate adaptable leaders: Exposure to related areas like facility maintenance equips janitorial staff with a broader operational perspective — creating versatile leaders and problem-solvers who can navigate multiple aspects of the facility.

• Support learning with digital tools: Digital training platforms can enhance mentorship, streamline skill-building, and empower janitors to take ownership of their growth and that of their teammates.

By embedding mentorship and cross-training into your operations, you create a stronger, more connected workforce — one where janitorial staff feel valued, capable, and prepared to lead.

Build Recognition Programs

Too often, janitorial staff are only called upon when something goes wrong — not when things are running smoothly because of their hard work. It’s time to change that narrative. Structured recognition programs give custodians the visibility and appreciation they deserve, turning everyday excellence into celebrated leadership moments. When recognition is consistent, data-driven, and tied to real outcomes, it helps custodial teams feel seen as valued leaders. This builds pride and strengthens long-term retention by creating a workplace culture where janitors feel heard, respected, and essential to the organization’s success.

Key Considerations 

• Define your metrics and awards schedule: To ensure fairness, establish clear standards on how to be the top performer such as, best attendance, quantity of work completed, or quality ratings—and set how frequent they are awarded (monthly, quarterly, annual).

• Offer meaningful rewards and visibility: Keep recognition aligned with leadership growth: certificates, small bonuses, gift cards, a day off, plaques, or opportunities to lead short team training sessions all reinforce their influence among peers.

• Link recognition to career path advancement: Use performance data to identify leadership potential—promote top performers or involve them in the Janitorial Advisory Committees and tech-implementation teams.

Recognition programs are more than just rewards—they’re essential tools allowing you to create a culture where janitors feel valued, empowered, and motivated to grow with your organization.

Implementing New Cleaning Technologies

Technology is rapidly transforming the janitorial industry — and with it comes the opportunity to nurture leadership from within. By equipping custodial staff to take the lead on adopting and managing new tech, organizations not only improve operational efficiency but also create meaningful growth pathways for their teams. This approach recognizes janitorial workers as leaders in innovation and strengthens retention by showing employees they’re valued and essential to long-term success.

Key Considerations:

• Leadership opportunities arise when janitorial staff are trained to lead tech integration: Appointing team leads ensures frontline input, smooth adoption, and ongoing coordination to maintain high performance and operational efficiency.

• Retention and performance improve when staff feel empowered, valued, and equipped to lead: By actively driving the implementation and optimization of technology, employees become leaders with meaningful skills earned through action.

• Technologies to consider implementing: Digital work order systems, sensor-enabled supply tracking, and mobile inspection tools

By investing in both tools and the people who use them, you create a culture of innovation — and position your janitorial staff as proactive leaders of efficiency, safety, and quality.

Creating leadership opportunities for janitorial staff isn’t just a matter of equity — it’s a strategic move that strengthens your entire operation. When custodial team members are empowered to lead, whether through advisory committees, mentorship roles, recognition programs, or tech adoption, they become engaged partners in driving efficiency, safety, and long-term success. These initiatives don’t require massive overhauls — just intentional steps to listen, invest, and elevate the talent already within your teams. By shifting perceptions and creating clear pathways for growth, organizations can boost retention, improve performance, and build a workplace culture where janitorial staff feel valued, respected, and motivated to lead.