Hotel employees have one of the most demanding jobs in the world.
Whenever they have to deal with hotel guests, they have to stay professional, keep a smile on their face, and do their best to satisfy each customer’s demand or request within a given timeframe.
Because of the constant pressure hotel workers are in, they tend to lose the motivation to work quite easily, especially when they are exposed to cranky or demanding guests on a daily basis.
When this happens, they will start looking for another job at a different hotel and, soon enough, will tender their resignation.
Although lack of motivation is one of the most common reasons why many workers leave their job, it is a top driving factor for people who hop from one job to another in the hospitality sector.
This is evident in various studies conducted regarding employee turnover rates in the hospitality industry. In the US, for instance, the latest study shows that the turnover rate in the hospitality sector has already reached 70 percent.
Continuously losing skilled, qualified, and trained employees, though, is only part of a bigger problem if you own or manage a hotel.
Even if your disheartened workers do not leave, they will start performing at a poor level which can then affect the hotel guest experience, the level of repeat patronage and, ultimately, corporate reputation and profitability.
Keeping Your Employees Happy and Productive
Since happy employees are more productive, it is important that you implement the right strategies to keep them inspired and loyal to your hotel.
Here are some tips that will help you achieve this goal:
1. Create a fun working environment
Hotel work is fast-paced. This is especially true during peak season. But no matter how busy or slow business is, you have to find a way to bring some fun into the workplace.
Giving your hotel staff enjoyable experiences doesn’t mean throwing parties every weekend. There are simple and less expensive ways of getting your employees to have fun while they are working. These include introducing games that can be played in the workplace such as the Email Game, Beach Ball Toss, and the Human Knot.
These games are fun and, at the same time, efficiently promote camaraderie and teamwork. They are also great opportunities for the whole team to bond and establish friendly and warm relationships.
2. Recognize and reward achievements
All employees want their efforts and accomplishments recognized, so make it a point to do this regularly.
Let your workers share their experiences regarding satisfying the difficult requests of some guests during meetings. You can also share the story yourself verbally or through emails and the company newsletter. Your employees will be proud to be recognized in front of their peers and management, and this will work to boost employee morale.
You can even go a step higher and reward hard-working and deserving employees. If you don’t have a big budget for additional incentives, keep in mind that rewards don’t always have to be monetized. Some additional time off, a free massage at the spa or a free family dinner at a hotel restaurants will work great, too.
3. Provide learning opportunities
All employees have the constant desire to learn. When your employees get the chance to update their skills and learn new ones, they will know that you are interested in their potential and their future career growth.
Aside from investing in training programs and letting your workers join conferences and workshops, turn your hotel into a classroom. Provide one-on-one coaching, mentoring, and quarterly performance evaluations. All of these will give your staff the learning opportunities they are looking for.
4. Talk to your employees about their future
Investing in different learning opportunities for your staff is a good start in motivating them. Discussing what you have in store for them in the future will inspire them even more.
Whenever you are mentoring or having a talk with your employees about their performance review, discuss their possible career paths and what may be in store for them.
Explain to them what it would take for them to get promoted and how they can thrive financially, professionally, and personally if they stay and continue to work hard in your hotel.
5. Cultivate a culture of accountability
Finally, the right amount of support and recognition are important pillars of a successful work environment. However, accountability is also another crucial factor.
To promote intrinsic motivation in your staff, make sure everyone is clear about their individual objectives, and that they know the company goals by heart. If a guest gives an employee some negative feedback, share this and make sure he or she understands the impact. Provide suggestions on how he or she can improve next time as well.
Keep in mind that meeting team expectations can boost employee motivation and determination to perform well since they are aware their performance affects their co-workers as well.
If you are worried about the level of motivation of your employees now, start following these strategies.
By starting early, you will have better chances of making and keeping your workers happy and productive, and encouraging them to stay loyal.
AUTHOR BIO
Daulet Zhumagulov is the Founder and CEO at WeHoteliers, a specialized online hospitality portal in the GCC region where prospective and experienced talents can explore career opportunities and be discovered by the top employers of the industry. The company’s mission is to provide an efficient and modern platform that will focus on the needs and interests of hospitality professionals.