From Burnout to Breakthrough: Hiring, Culture, and Building Teams that Stick
In this season of the Five Door Media podcast, we’re diving into the "people puzzle" - that tricky yet crucial combination of hiring, retention, and culture that determines whether a cleaning company survives or thrives. In our latest episode, we sat down with Cheryl Hajjar, founder of Sisters Who Scale and a total powerhouse in the world of cleaning business coaching. Cheryl brings the rare perspective of someone who’s been in the trenches, burned out and overwhelmed, and found her way to a scalable, profitable, and freedom-filled business.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from our conversation with Cheryl, and why every cleaning business owner should tune in.
Desperation Hiring Is the Fast Track to Burnout
According to Cheryl, one of the biggest mistakes owners make is waiting until they’re desperate to hire. That desperation leads to rushed decisions, minimal screening, and hiring just to "fill a schedule."
Cheryl shared her personal experience, explaining that she used to hire the first person who walked through the door. No pre-onboarding, no qualifications. If they could show up, she’d hire them.
What she learned (the hard way) is that personality fit matters just as much as reliability. Cheryl emphasizes that cleaning teams work closely, and mismatched personalities can create tension that ripples through the entire business. The lesson? Don’t wait until you’re drowning to build your team.
Job Ads Should Be Filters, Not Fliers
Cheryl also highlights a tactical misstep most cleaning companies make: vague job ads. People aren’t detailed enough. You have to say, “This is 20 hours a week. Monday through Friday. Must have a car. Must speak English and Spanish.” Be exact.
Being overly general in job descriptions just invites unqualified applicants. By clearly outlining expectations upfront, Cheryl says you actually do yourself and the candidate a favor. The right people will self-select in and the wrong ones won’t waste your time.
Confidence is a Hiring Strategy
A major mindset shift Cheryl coaches business owners through is building confidence. Many owners delay hiring because they feel they aren’t "ready," often believing they need perfect systems, documents, or a huge team first. That leads to analysis paralysis.
You’re better off saying, 'I'm going to throw out the ad and see what happens.' You learn as you go. Hiring, she says, isn’t about having it all figured out; it’s about learning fast, failing forward, and getting comfortable with uncertainty.
Culture Starts Online, Before the Interview
Cheryl breaks down something many cleaning business owners forget: your culture starts with your digital footprint. When a job seeker applies, they will Google you. They're going to check your website. Your Facebook. Your videos. So you have to look like a company someone wants to work for.
From staff uniforms to behind-the-scenes posts, Cheryl builds a brand that feels cohesive, upbeat, and professional. Her tip? Don’t just sell to clients, sell the job to potential team members too.
Toxicity Is Contagious (Cut It Early)
One of the more powerful metaphors Cheryl uses is the "moldy strawberry" analogy. One toxic employee can quietly infect your entire culture. She teaches owners to let toxic people go as soon as you can. That mold will spread if you let it.
This is especially important in industries like cleaning, where team members spend a lot of time together in small crews. One bad attitude can unravel months of progress.
Retention Comes from Feeling Valued
From beach parties to thoughtful morning meetings, Cheryl shows how culture isn’t built with pizza parties alone. It’s built when people feel truly seen, supported, and appreciated.
Pull people aside if you can tell something's off. Ask what's going on. Let them know I care. That goes way further than you think.
Retention, Cheryl says, isn’t about big paychecks. It’s about big empathy. When people feel respected and connected, they stay.
Systems Win, But Only If You Learn Through the Mess
Cheryl didn’t start with systems. She started by texting clients off Google Calendar and picking up her cleaners in parking lots. Over time, through trial and error, she built onboarding, team training, and multi-step interview processes that filter out the wrong fits and elevate the right ones.
She now teaches those systems through her coaching program, helping others skip years of costly mistakes.
"I made all the mistakes so my clients don't have to. Now I teach them what actually works."
Hiring Isn’t Just a Problem to Fix. It’s the Path to Freedom.
If you’re spinning your wheels on hiring, take a breath. Cheryl's advice is both strategic and encouraging. You don't need perfection to start. You need motion. Hiring isn't just about solving a staffing issue, it's how you create the kind of business that works without burning you out.
