Clean words and…. References and…

Clean words and their meanings

Sparkling clear, squeaky clean, bright white, streak free … all of them and more are phrases we use pretty much every day to describe the results we deliver for customers – and promise to our prospects. While everyone generally knows what they mean, they’re not defined or specific.

But when we’re describing biological results it’s a very different matter.

Their terms ranging across a spectrum from sterilizing, to disinfecting, to sanitizing and finally anti-microbial have very specific meanings. The problem comes when they’re used improperly, and the listener knows the difference. Do that and you’ve just lost credibility.

Sterilization is generally only accomplished at temperatures above 212F and under pressure. It kills all microbial life. Disinfection kills 100% of all the named disease causing (pathogen) bacteria on its label. Sanitizing kills 99.9% of the named pathogen. Antimicrobial control doesn’t kill pathogen – it simply prevents their growth.

Using these terms to describe what our sanitizers and disinfectants accomplish is important to communicate what we’re proposing to that long term care facility, foodservice customer, or health facility. And using them in keeping with their label instructions is crucial to delivering the outcome those terms that we used promised.

Next up: The math of sanitation.

References and…their value

 

In years past job references were pretty easily checked. But legal constraints have made that previously no brainer task more of a challenge. On the flip side, in the past personal references were largely ignored, or at least discounted. But given today’s challenges to getting good employment information, perhaps we should do the opposite.

The case against checking personal references has always been that if a person was willing to be used as a reference, they’re pretty unlikely to say anything but positives about that applicant. And while that is largely true, there is another side.

If we pose our call in terms of asking them to help us evaluate the applicant’s aptitude for the job, we might just get a more candid reply. And finally at the very end of the call ask that personal reference if there’s anything about the candidate that they think you might want to know. More than once that innocent query has delivered some surprising results – both positive and negative.

If you have them, taking time to follow up on those personal references might just be the key to either making the best hire ever or potentially avoiding the worst.