Post by John Reale

One of my favourite scenes in 300 is when King Leonidas stands with just 300 Spartans against a Persian army that vastly outnumbers them. At one point, he points out that while the Persians have enormous numbers, many are simply slaves forced into battle, whereas every Spartan beside him is a highly trained warrior who chose to be there. The lesson? A small team of engaged, well-trained people will often outperform a much larger group that lacks commitment, ownership and purpose. It’s a question we get asked regularly: “How can Realcorp achieve the same, or better, outcomes with fewer cleaning hours than some competitors?” Because we don’t measure productivity by headcount or promised hours. We focus on employing, training and retaining people who actually want to be part of the team. Many contractors promise more hours, but those hours are often delivered through subcontracting models, high turnover and workers with little connection to the business. More hours don’t automatically mean better outcomes. Just because an army is bigger doesn’t mean it’s stronger.