The best hospitality retention strategies focus on the first 90 days, when turnover is highest, and centre on engagement: clear communication, two-way feedback through surveys, regular check-ins, celebrating milestones, and making everyday admin easy and even enjoyable. Around 30% of hospitality workers leave within 90 days, but those who stay past that point are far more likely to remain long term.
The hospitality industry is facing a crisis. Even before the double-whammy of Covid and Brexit hit, employee retention was a critical issue. The hospitality industry already had high turnover rates compared to other sectors. And now, in the post-pandemic, post-Brexit landscape, the challenges have only intensified.
Hospitality turnover remains high despite rising pay, with around 30% of workers leaving in the first 90 days, nearly double the rate of other industries. Staff turnover remains high, despite rising rates of pay. It’s estimated that around 30% of hospitality workers leave in the first 90 days on the job. This is nearly double the average rate for other industries. It’s an expensive game for businesses. High turnover rates cause extra costs in recruitment and training, along with a big drop in productivity.
Staff expectations are shifting, with the gig economy driving demand for flexibility and the post-Brexit workforce continuing to evolve. Staff now have new expectations, with the gig economy making its presence felt. Candidates from all generations are demanding greater flexibility in their working patterns, and with roles in the hospitality industry ideally suited for gig working, it’s a trend that can’t be ignored. And, in our post-Brexit economy, the make-up of the hospitality workforce continues to evolve. Official figures reveal the number of EU workers in the industry has fallen by 26%.
The most effective way to combat turnover is employee engagement through clear communication, especially across the crucial first 90 days. The best way to combat high turnover rates is through clear communication and employee engagement strategies. Because, the good news is that although 30% of employees may leave in the first three months, the figures start to improve after that period. If you can keep employees longer than 90 days, they’re 50% more likely to stay put.
Employee engagement poses an extra challenge in hospitality - because your people are always on the go. While it’s relatively easy to connect with desk-based staff, an on-the-move workforce is a different matter. That’s where Alkimii People comes to the rescue. It provides the tools to enable your staff to do their job, all within one shared platform. The mobile app means everything can be done on the move. It’s seamless, it’s instant, and it’s the digital solution you’ve been looking for.
Five strategies keep staff engaged through the crucial first months: communication, feedback, check-ins, recognition, and making everyday tasks easy.
Communication is vital. Clear, consistent communication helps to keep teams connected and working together as one. If your employees have visibility of each other’s schedules, tasks and priorities, they’re more likely to operate as an effective team. And sharing handover over notes is an essential element of every shift-based team.
But that’s easier said than done. Employee communication is no simple task in the hospitality industry. The hospitality industry often operates around the clock, and shift work and scheduling can get in the way of the best communication plans. Add a fast-paced environment, a dispersed workforce, language barriers and high staff turnover, and you have quite a challenge.
Alkimii helps you stay in touch effortlessly. At the same time, it ensures you keep on the right side of GDPR regulations. Unlike messaging apps such as WhatsApp, employees won’t be able to see each other’s contact details, and leavers will automatically be removed. The hospitality workforce management software makes it simple to do everything from saying good morning to sharing important, business-critical information. And it’s all delivered on employees’ smartphones, so you know you’ll always be making contact.
Messaging and newsfeeds with comments and reactions are built into Alkimii People, making it easy and entertaining for your staff to stay connected. Whether you’re sharing calendar dates, delivering documents, or just saying hi, everything is in one place, wherever you are. It’s designed to be quick, frictionless, and enjoyable to use.
Communication is a two-way street. You need to listen as well as talk. An open, two-way dialogue between team leaders and employees ensures your staff feel heard and appreciated. Workers will quickly become demotivated without the opportunity to speak out and be heard.
With turnover rates the way they are, an annual staff survey just won’t cut it. You need regular contact to ensure you listen to and act on concerns before it’s too late. A feedback channel is one of the key tools for employee engagement. It will ensure you know what your employees are really thinking and allow you to keep on top of rumours or discontent.
Alkimii Surveys is a brand-new addition to the platform, and it’s a game-changer for users. The software now has an in-built survey module that allows you to collect feedback and turn insights into action. You can choose to make your surveys anonymous or transparent, but whichever option you choose, it will help you find out what matters to your team. Your surveys can be fully bespoke to your unique needs. And, there are no limits to the number of surveys you can conduct.
Armed with the feedback from Alkimii surveys, you’ll be better placed to improve retention by taking action on the key issues. And it will help you improve your eNPS. Employee net promoter score (eNPS) is a metric that assesses employees’ job satisfaction by measuring their readiness to recommend their company to others. In our beta test, eNPS scores climbed from 62% to 81%. That’s the power of listening.
You'll need to check in regularly to ensure your employees last those crucial 90 days. Your new employees will be facing a whole new set of challenges than the ones they’ve been used to. But you won’t find out about them unless you ask.
Employee well-being is a buzzword at the moment and for good reason. Communication plays a big role in addressing employee well-being. It’s key to schedule regular check-ins, 1-2-1 sessions, and formal appraisals to allow employees to voice concerns, share challenges, and seek support. When employees feel heard and supported, their well-being improves. And that leads to the holy grail of employee retention in the hospitality industry.
Scheduled appraisals and job chats will ensure your employees feel seen and appreciated. And, regular
But how often is ‘regular’? Every three months is the magic number. A check-in every three months will keep teams focused.
Alkimii check-ins make it easy to keep on top of this vital activity. The platform allows you to schedule everything for that magic three-month mark. Now you can automate job chats, 6-monthly and annual appraisals, along with personal check-ins when needed. The secret is to keep talking.
There used to be an idea that a job was just a job, and your personal life was not part of the deal. Not anymore. Having good friends at work leads to new levels of creativity and productivity; as an employer, you can help that happen. Birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions mean a lot to people. So why not celebrate them?
Few things are as effective as a public thank you. Public criticism tends to trigger a defensive reaction, but public praise is a huge positive. The openness of the praise tends to lend more weight to the comment. Plus, it encourages others to emulate whatever was great. So, if you make time to celebrate the successes, it’s likely that more will follow in their wake.
Alkimii Moments is a new addition to the Alkimii People suite, and it will ensure you never miss an important moment again. It will log employee birthdays, making sure everyone is remembered on their special day. It also logs work anniversaries. Often overlooked by employers, remembering this date makes people feel extra appreciated.
It will log all your key company events, making sure every important occasion is kept front of mind. It will also help you celebrate your team's successes, and show compassion when needed. You’ll find this simple element brings your team together better than any ‘team-building’ activity. Take the time to enjoy the lighter moments, and you’ll be rewarded with a positive company culture.
It’s well-known that fun and positive work environments lead to increased morale, enthusiasm, and job satisfaction. And, as hospitality settings so often rely heavily on teamwork, it’s even more important to make work fun. It creates that all-important sense of camaraderie and encourages staff to work together more effectively. Plus, the happier your employees are, the happier your customers will be. Engaged employees provide exceptional customer service - they go the extra mile, they care about guest needs, and they offer that elusive personal touch.
But it can’t all be fun, games and positive team spirit. Not when there’s the essential day-to-day work to be done. There’s the onboarding process to be completed, paperwork that needs to be logged, the clocking-in and clocking-out, the rosters, the scheduling…
With the right software in place, the boring stuff can be fun. Hospitality people management software can allow people to do all the dull stuff on their favourite bit of kit - their smartphones. Alkimii People lets staff do everything from onboarding to checking their rosters, clocking in and requesting time off on their mobile devices.
Alkimii even makes clocking in fun. Fast and secure facial recognition allows staff to clock in with selfies using their smartphones. Your people can clock in, take breaks and clock out, on the go. Alkimii makes all the necessary stuff quick and easy, so you and your people can focus on what matters – your guests.
What are the best employee retention strategies in hospitality?
Keeping staff informed through clear communication, gathering two-way feedback via surveys, scheduling regular check-ins, celebrating milestones, and making everyday admin easy, all focused on the crucial first 90 days.
Why are the first 90 days important for retention?
Around 30% of hospitality workers leave within their first 90 days, but those who stay beyond that point are roughly 50% more likely to remain, making early engagement critical.
How does communication improve retention?
Clear, consistent communication keeps shift-based teams connected and working as one, while two-way feedback ensures staff feel heard and lets managers address concerns before they escalate.
How often should you hold check-ins with staff?
Every three months is an effective cadence, keeping teams focused and giving new employees a regular chance to voice concerns and seek support during their first months.
How does recognition help retain staff?
Celebrating birthdays, work anniversaries, and successes, especially with public praise, makes staff feel appreciated and builds a positive culture that encourages people to stay.
Alkimii People puts all your HR requirements in one digital place. It’s a shared platform that provides all the tools your people need to do their jobs effectively, and it keeps them engaged at the same time. It makes your people happy by letting them do everything on their smartphones, and makes interaction easier, seamless, and 100% paperless. And it reduces the time you and your managers spend on people admin. Freeing you up to do the things that matter, like training, forecasting and analysis, and reducing employee turnover.
Find out more at www.alkimii.com/alkimii-people
Retention in hospitality is won in the first 90 days through engagement: communication, feedback, check-ins, recognition, and making everyday tasks easy keep staff for the long haul.