Day in the life of a Cleaning Supervisor

In our latest day in the life feature Mostafa discusses enjoying a challenge, the impact of workplace culture and road racing in Morocco…

I grew up in Morocco with eight brothers, so I learnt from an early age how to be self-sufficient. After arriving in the UK I studied for a diploma in hotel management, working in catering for a London hotel chain from starting as an apprentice up to the role of Manager. While this was a great experience, I didn’t realise at the time how the default approach to management there was ‘micro-management’.

I’ve had many different roles in the past. I worked as an interpreter and I ran a Moroccan restaurant in North Wales (my passion for food and cooking remains strong to this day!). 

But when I was offered the role of Cleaning Supervisor at Squared, I quickly noticed how different work could be. The culture shift from my experience in catering was quickly noticeable, driven from the most senior team members across the organisation. The values of the organisation, the culture and the style of management embraced by team members, was liberating. The sense of complete respect and lack of arrogance or entitlement, no matter your role in the organisation, was almost immediately and creates real loyalty to the organisation. 

Then there is the organisations approach to flexible working. With a young family, being able to work flexibly was a game changer for me. Not constantly worrying about your hours and being able to focus on what needs to get done is not just more relaxed, I believe it makes me more productive. 

When I started at Squared, I was the only team member in the cleaning team. Today I work as a supervisor leading a team of over half a dozen cleaners. I help co-ordinate the team to deliver our services not only for Squared but also some external clients as well. You never know what’s going to happen next, what you might encounter or if a new empty job might suddenly come up that requires immediate action. 

My focus tends to be on cleaning empty properties ready for them to be let out. Every day that a property is empty costs the organisation money and delays a new customer from a safe place to live, so speed is of the essence. As someone who has always liked a challenge, I’m not intimidated by messiness or dirty homes. I find it hugely satisfying leaving a property clean and ready for the next customer to move in, especially when I’m able to do this quickly as I know it makes a difference. 

Working for a non-profit organisation, with the vision of inspiring lives in our community, gave me a real sense of purpose. I know if I’m mopping floors, cleaning the carpet or cleaning an empty room, that home will be going to someone who really needs it. That’s not only rewarding but it’s also highly motivating for me and the team. 

I make use of opportunities when I can to use interactions with our customers to educate and help them become more self-sufficient. It’s not always just about cleaning a home, it’s about providing the best possible service for our customers both now and for their future.   

My role as a Cleaning Supervisor is one built on trust. I’m very conscious that my approach needs to be in line with our values and ethos as an organisation too. My approach has always been to trust my team to get the job done, as that builds responsibility and ownership for the wider team. Given that my team can often be lone working and given what we do, we take health and safety very seriously, so knowing which sites my team members are at any one time is very important. 

Outside of Squared I’ve always been quite active, though often that comes in the form of taking my kids to play football. I often find myself refereeing matches and I am intending to soon begin coaching my sons team as well. Unfortunately we can’t agree on which team to support, with my Manchester City often now at odds with his beloved Arsenal! 

I’ve also always had an affinity for cycling. When I was 18 in Morrocco, I would compete in road races as part of a cycling club. I always preferred the long distances races to cycling in the velodrome, I see it as more of a challenge. I suppose that rather sums me up as a person!