The hospitality industry is always looking for ways to improve their customer experience and keep guests coming back to their brand time and time again. Yet, the industry as a whole faces a significant challenge when it comes to employee retention. While some businesses do not put time and effort into developing a staff retention plan, others are unsure of the best ways to go about it. Despite being one of the largest employers in the world, hospitality firms are struggling to keep hold of their employees.
Why do employees leave the hospitality industry?
There are numerous reasons why turnover rates are so high for the hospitality sector. Businesses should take the time to understand why employees are leaving their roles so that they know what they can do about it. Just a few reasons why people choose to leave the hospitality sector include:
- Work hours – These tend to be irregular schedules that can either be long 10-hour days or multiple short, 4-hour shifts that impact an individual’s day and life. In general, people favor consistency for a more scheduled and predictable workweek.
- High pressure – There’s no doubt that the hospitality sector is a high-pressure work environment. Many customers need to be seen and there may be issues to deal with. On top of that, there are COVID-19 regulations to adhere to, which tend to change week to week.
- Seasonality – Most hospitality work is highly seasonal and relies on part-time workers for success. This makes it difficult to find staff members to stay with it year-round.
How to improve staff retention in the hospitality sector
- Recognize good work
The hospitality sector demands a lot from employees, such as long hours, hard work, and irregular scheduling. Employees can quickly feel as if they aren’t valued when their hard work is ignored by their managers. If they don’t feel as if they are getting the recognition they deserve, they may simply look for work elsewhere. To prevent this, it’s essential to implement an employee recognition or reward scheme.
- Establish a strong company culture
Good company culture can help keep employees as they don’t want to leave the tight-knit team. Your company needs to be a fun place to work with a good team of people who are motivated, efficient, and productive. Establishing a good company culture helps to improve employee morale and encourages collaboration within your team.
- Provide ongoing training
If an employee feels as if they are not advancing their skills or learning something new, it’s possible they will feel unmotivated to continue with their work. That is why continuous training is so essential. It will show employees that you are willing to invest back into them to help them succeed in their roles.
- Leave room for growth
Hospitality jobs are often seen as temporary work for part-time employees, graduates, and students. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Create a more sustainable business model that encourages team members to work hard and grow into advanced positions within the company. By doing this, you’ll be creating careers rather than just jobs for the summer.
ABOUT RMS Insurance Brokerage, LLC
At RMS Insurance Brokerage, LLC, our expertly crafted policies are written specifically for the hospitality industry. We offer custom-tailored solutions to meet any venue’s specific needs. For more information, contact our knowledgeable experts today at (516) 742-8585.