I am the operator of a small hotel with a 35-seat restaurant and am constantly pulling my hair out with the lack of motivation in my staff. Also, why is the level of staff turnover so high in our industry?
The solutions
Carl May, CCM Hospitality Consultants
Both morale and retention issues can be solved with similar responses.
Staff morale is generated from the top down. Unfortunately, many managers need to take a step back and assess their attitude to their staff.
Always be available and portray a positive attitude. From the time of their induction, offer staff a programme of training and development.
The secret to staying ahead of staffing issues is through great communication.
Regular meetings may seem to be a time-waster, but if you advertise them well in advance and give staff an opportunity to place items of concern on the agenda, they will unearth some key problems. Take a genuine interest in your staff's questions and requests.
Take the bold step and let staff organise and chair their own meetings, maybe without you present. Get them to treat it as a professional opportunity and to present you with the minutes and points of concern.
Never make hollow promises. What may be a two-second "of course I will do that" to you is of huge importance to the individual member of staff. Keep notes of requests and give yourself a timescale to respond.
Once you have addressed the individual's problems, they will feel a respected member of the team, and this will reflect in their general attitude.
Never discipline or belittle staff in front of their workmates. This will only put up a wall between you and them.
If staff that have been with you for some time have operational issues, ask them how they would manage them.
In short, be available, be positive and listen, and develop and train your staff - the rewards to your business will be well worth it.
www.ccmhc.co.uk
Jane Sunley, managing director, learnpurple
Turnover is high because many employers fail to accommodate the needs of today's employees. Our research concluded that the top five things people need to stay with a company are:
- Communication. This is not just about being kept informed, it's about being consulted and having an ongoing two-way dialogue. Talk with your people, listen and act.
- Career path. Understand what people's aspirations are and then help them to achieve them. This is a challenge for the smaller business, where there might be "nowhere to go next". Understand people's ambitions and help them to take the next step in a managed way - even if they don't stay as long as you'd like, at least you'll have good service from them while they are there. They'll also recommend you to others as a great employer
- Development. We often hear employers asking "Why should I invest in training when they'll leave anyway?" This is an outmoded attitude. It's a fact that, if you develop your people, they will stay with you longer. This doesn't have to mean lots of expensive courses and time off the job - there are other ways to deliver learning. If you can, use your staff to develop each other.
- Leadership. People leave people, not companies. If you can inspire your people, you will keep them longer. Make working with you fun. Ask yourself, if I was one of them, would I want to be led by me?
- Values. Understand and respect what's important to them. Know what your business stands for and what's important to you. They need to match. For example, if someone wants work-life balance and you're not prepared to accommodate them, they're not going to stay.
It's a jobseekers' market, so if you need to make changes, start today.
David Battersby, Hospitality and Leisure Manpower
There is a direct relationship between a lack of staff motivation and high levels of staff turnover. A recent study into staff retention by the Best Practice Forum found that, while pay usually comes top of the list when attracting staff into a job, it falls to sixth place among reasons for leaving.
Top of the list when it comes to reasons for leaving is an absence of motivation caused by:
- Poor communications and a lack of supervision.
- No clear standards of performance or feedback.
- Long hours and unreasonable expectations.
- Little responsibility or team working.
- A lack of training and personal development.
People give their best to a company when employers give their best to them. Staff who work for successful hotels and restaurants will tell you that they are motivated to give their best when they are set clear standards of performance and given regular feedback on how well they are doing. Giving recognition can be as simple as saying "thank you" for a job well done.
Encouraging staff to give their opinions about their job, and about the business in general, gives them a sense of ownership, creates greater commitment and motivation, and builds a genuine team spirit. Difficult decisions can be made easier to implement if staff are involved in the process.
These examples of good practice, plus many more "tips for success", have been incorporated into the Best Practice Forum's Excellence Through People scheme. This gives you the chance to measure your employment practices against the best in the industry, pinpoint performance gaps and adopt smarter ways of working with your staff to drive up levels of motivation, performance and retention.
www.bestpracticeforum.org