The Importance of Soft Skills in Compassionate Crime Scene Clean Up: John Bidwell, Supervisor at Aftermath

The Importance of Soft Skills in Compassionate Crime Scene Clean Up: John Bidwell, Supervisor at Aftermath

Do you often feel that your soft skills are overlooked? There are a select number of professions where soft skills such as compassion, respect and integrity are critical to the performance of the job. The crime scene clean up business is one perfect example.

Academics and executives agree that communication, compassion and creative problem solving are crucial to employees’ success. John Bidwell, a supervisor for Aftermath Services, a trauma cleaning and biohazard removal company, specifically seeks out soft skills when interviewing potential hires.

What Soft Skills Serve Aftermath Customers Best?

Managers in typical office environments are beginning to recognize the importance of soft skills. However, not all jobs are created equal, and managers who work in industries that deal with grief and trauma situations must put a greater emphasis on a potential hire’s soft skills. Emotional intelligence is highlighted as a necessary skill in industries like victim advocacy, funeral services and biohazard cleanup.

Emotional intelligence ties into a person’s social skills, including social awareness, compassion and appropriate interactions. All necessary, according to Bidwell, in the crime scene clean up business and also the focus of his hiring strategy.

“I look for honest people with integrity because I want my team to be made up of people who have a strong desire to help others above themselves,” said Bidwell. “It’s important for members of our team to have a larger picture of the world besides oneself. I want people who understand the importance of making a compassionate connection with a customer, not because it’s part of the job but because we all need compassion in tough situations.”

Because a career in crime scene clean up means being on-call, employees must be willing to sometimes sacrifice time with their family and even a normal sleep schedule. They understand that working around the clock to help a family recover from a traumatic situation is part of the job and they are able to put their needs second.

“We hire people who are willing to sacrifice days at a time away from their home and family – sometimes with little to no sleep because they understand that while we may get tired and want to be home there is a family that has been traumatized that needs us more.”