Cleaning and Maintenance Management (CMM), an ISSA brand, debuted the first episode of CMM Frontline—a series of podcasts covering supervisors and employees who work on the front lines of the cleaning industry.

With a new episode produced monthly, the series, which will be available on CMM’s website, focuses on front-line cleaners and managers in diverse locations, such as retirement communities, airports, entertainment venues, university buildings, and many more. CMM Frontline will examine the daily responsibilities and challenges front-line personel experience in their jobs and organizations, providing valauable insight, knowledge, and useful tips that are easy to implement for facility managers and cleaning professionals who may be facing similar challenges.

“CMM is a go-to resources for cleaning industry professionals who are in charge of managing and training front-line employees,” says CMM Managing Editor Kelly Zimmerman. “But rarely do we have the opportunity to interview those front-line employees to gain their perspective on what it’s like for them as they fulfil their day-to-day responsibilities.”

 The first interview, available at cmmonline.com/frontline, follows an employee who works at a Pennslyvania retirement community and is responsible for cleaning 20 apartments as well as maintaining the health center and laundry room. The employee was hand selected by a member of IEHA, a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, to showcase its members’ top-level employees.

Going forward, IEHA members will continue to help with interviewee selection from a variety of facility types; additionally, front-line workers, supervisors, and leaders from other segments of the industry, such as contract cleaning companies, nonprofits, certification entities, and more, will be interviewed. This diverse range of interviewees will help the podcast contribute to CMM’s mission of representing the entire cleaning industry.

“The launch of this podcast series will allow supervisors to learn from front-line employees who are doing exemplary work in the field,” Zimmerman says. “It has the potential to serve as an asset and a resource for both supervisors and the cleaning staff on their teams. Launching this podcast series also provides an opportunity for CMM and ISSA to elevate the cleaning industry and the role it plays in keeping our communities healthy and safe.”

Additionally, industry organization IEHA is approving continuing education units (CEUs) for individuals who listen to the full half-hour podcast. Moving forward, listeners will need to complete a short-quiz following each podcast to claim the one-half CEU.

“These podcasts push the industry in a positive direction by telling the stories of individuals on the front lines keeping the environments they service clean and safe every day,” says IEHA Executive Director Michael Patterson. “It’s important that we recognize and applaud the work of these individuals and continue to share and learn from their accomplishments.”
CMM Frontline is just another way that CMM is constantly improving its value for its audience of building service contractors, in-home cleaning professionals, and facility managers. Listeners wishing to stay connected and follow new episode releases can follow CMM Frontline on Soundcloud or  Twitter.