The Hiring Secret Weapon To Promote Growth In Cleaning Companies
Welcome back to the Five Door Media Podcast blog, where we break down real-world strategies from real service business owners. In our latest episode, we sat down with Derek Hazelwood, entrepreneur and the driving force behind Raleigh Cleaning Company, Ricochet Business Solutions, and Hazelwood Insurance Group.
Derek knows how to lead under pressure, and he’s bringing that same intentionality to the hiring and retention game - a major challenge for most cleaning companies right now.
If you’ve been stuck in the hiring hamster wheel (think: constant job posts, flaky interviews, and high turnover), this episode is your reset button. Here are the biggest takeaways:
The Hiring Market Has Changed And It’s Not Going Back
Post-COVID, many cleaning businesses were hit with a wave of no-shows and applicant ghosting. According to Derek, that’s because the labor mindset shifted dramatically: people got used to staying home, getting stimulus checks, and avoiding hard labor. But that’s changing again.
Today’s applicants aren’t always unemployed: they’re employed and looking for better. Your job is to show them why you’re the better choice.
Generic Job Ads Are Dead
"You have to think like the applicant," Derek says. Instead of talking about pay rates and company stats, their job ads speak to what really matters: family time, stability, and dignity.
Example? One of their most effective ads says, "Never miss another baseball game or ballet recital." It’s not just a schedule, it’s a lifestyle. That kind of emotional targeting leads to quality applicants who already feel connected before the interview.
Pro tip: Derek recommends using psychometric job ads and predictive analytics to match roles to personalities and motivators.
Speed + Authenticity = Applicant Trust
According to Derek, most business owners lose great candidates in the process. They wait too long to respond. They don’t follow up. They sound robotic. "Time kills all deals," Derek explains.
Instead, his team responds instantly (and personally). And that starts before the interview. Applicants go through a 30-minute pre-recorded company presentation and culture video, then only the serious ones move forward. By the time Derek meets with them, they’ve invested 90+ minutes into the process and already feel like they know him.
Filtering Isn’t About Resumes Anymore
Derek doesn’t read resumes until five minutes before the Zoom interview. Why? Because their automated funnel (built through Ricochet Business Solutions) has already screened for character and fit.
The real interview? It starts with questions like, "What’s your favorite board game?" or "Tell me about your weekend." That’s how you spot servant-hearted, detail-oriented humans.
Retention Starts Before Day One
Here’s the kicker: retention isn’t a phase. It’s a mindset. Derek and his team treat new hires like team members from the start. With automated daily training, constant check-ins, and Slack access to leadership, new cleaners feel like they matter.
And it works: no callouts in 7+ weeks, and only four departures in the last year - all for positive reasons (like grad school or relocating).
Tech Isn’t the Enemy, But It Needs to Feel Human
From bots that misspell things on purpose to custom AI-generated videos, Derek blends automation with personality. It’s all designed to keep the human connection alive at scale.
"People want to feel seen and heard. Our tech is trained to do that."
Your Team Is Your Client
Derek’s mindset is simple but powerful: Your client isn’t just the homeowner. It’s the cleaner walking into their house.
When you lead like that, everything changes. Because better hiring doesn’t just build a team. It builds a business people want to be part of.
