What if the issue isn’t who you’re hiring, but what they’re walking into?

That was the pivotal question Greg Brouwer asked himself when he took the reins of West Michigan Janitorial, overseeing a team of more than 200 employees and facing turnover rates nearing 200%. Instead of defaulting to reactive hiring or higher pay, Greg chose a different path... one centred on building belonging, not just bandwidth.

“What if we focused less on finding more people,” Greg asked, “and more on becoming a place worth staying in?”

Greg’s approach reframed leadership from task oversight to culture stewardship. He didn’t just aim to run a more efficient cleaning company; he set out to create a values-driven workplace where dignity is the default, and retention is the byproduct of trust, structure, and care. Under his leadership, turnover has steadily declined below 85%, driven not by easier work but by a stronger culture.

In this powerful episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin sits down with Greg Brouwer, owner of West Michigan Janitorial, to unpack what it means to run a high-turnover business without a high-turnover mindset. They discuss the systems Greg’s team implemented to create stability, predictability, and trust, including an employee assistance fund, value-aligned hiring practices, and a structured onboarding experience that centers care and clarity. They also explore Greg’s long-term vision: a workplace where employees can connect their daily work to long-term dreams.

Whether you're grappling with retention or looking to future-proof your team, this conversation offers more than quick fixes. It’s a blueprint for building a company people don’t just work for; it’s about building a workplace people believe in.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Connect with Gregory Brouwer on LinkedIn
• Find out more about C12 Leadership
• West Michigan Janitorial
• Episode 172: Impact of Appreciation at Work with Dr. Paul White
• Team Retention Program
• Connect with Traci Austin on LinkedIn
• Elevated Talent Consulting