How to Increase Employee Retention in Hospitality?

One in six hospitality occupations is vacant, and the industry is still struggling to fill job vacancies. Moreover, the number of available jobs in contrast to the number of applicants is worrying to industry professionals. So, the question is how to attract staff and boost employee retention? Keep reading and you might just find out.

Hospitality Staff Turnover

The issue of people coming to work in hospitality to make quick money is not new. However, unsociable hours, minimum wage and no career prospects, on top of dealing with rude customers, have been the reasons for high employee turnover. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit put extra strain on business owners to find the right staff. So, what can the hospitality industry focus on to fix the staff turnover problem?

Boosting Employee Retention in Hospitality

The urgency to keep employees is now more important than ever. According to Lightspeed's 2021 Global State of Hospitality Industry Report, 34% of respondents tried increasing pay and benefits to solve the employee retention and staffing problems.

However, this alone won't fix it. So, what else would help in staff retention? Well, apart from more government funding to boost wages (47%), automating staff tasks like order and inventory taking and more compassion from diners would be helpful.

Sadly, due to growing supply and food costs, many businesses weren't able to offer higher wages. So, what can be done to get more people involved in the industry and convince them to stay?

Tips on Maximising Employee Retention

• More control over work and shift patterns

What people want is to be treated with respect and know that their employee understands the need for stability. Working flexible hours is great for juggling home life, childcare and other responsibilities. However, the key here is to allow for more control over the shift patterns. Respect your employees' personal lives and responsibilities outside of work.

• Guaranteed hours

Speaking of more stability, offer your employees fixed hours. This will help your staff to feel more secure and allow them to focus on the work itself rather than trying to get as many shifts as possible. Remember quality and quantity don't always go hand in hand.

• Better pay and benefits

This is an obvious one but worth reminding. Offering higher wages and investing in high-quality employees will shift not only the business itself but also how it's perceived. During lockdown, people have really started to pay attention to how employees were treated by their companies. Moreover, they will be more likely to support your business if you show you care for your staff.

Further, reward your staff for the hard work they do. We can all see now that without them, there will be no business. In the end, you won't go anywhere in a car with no wheels.

• Better career prospects

Last but not least, offer your employees development opportunities. It means continual training, promotion within the company, supporting your staff's education and skill development. Show them that there's room for growth and success.

Many hospitality professionals started with part-time roles which later turned into their lives' careers. Of course, not everyone's made for it but you'd be surprised to see how exciting and rewarding hospitality is.

Hospitality and Staffing Issues

Employee retention and staffing issues are complex and can't be covered in one blog post. Nevertheless, I hope you can take these few points and spend some time thinking about them. Meaby you can bring them up in your next staff meeting? Listen to your employees and communicate what you can or cannot change at this point as an employer.

Now that many hospitality employers focus on employee retention, there are plenty of job opportunities to choose from. So, if you're ready to start your journey in an exciting world of hospitality, now's your time to shine!