Hotels improve employee engagement and retention by listening to their team regularly and recognising good work, not just once a year. Alkimii supports this through Check Ins for scheduled feedback, Surveys for gathering insight, Moments for marking milestones, and Awards for recognising top performers. The Fota Collection recorded an 8% improvement in employee engagement year-on-year after implementing Alkimii.
Turnover in hospitality can be high. Some of that turnover can be attributed to the seasonal nature of hospitality, but if people feel heard and valued also plays a large role. An annual appraisal is too infrequent to catch problems before someone decides to leave. Improving engagement means creating regular, two-way contact and making recognition part of everyday work.
What Is the Link Between Engagement and Retention?
Engagement is the emotional commitment employees feel towards their work, and it is closely linked to retention because engaged employees are less likely to leave. In hospitality, morale also affects guest experience, so engagement influences both turnover and service quality.
The link is measurable. One hospitality group using Alkimii's Employee Engagement tools saw employee turnover fall by 14.4% over a year, comparing the same month before and after adoption. Regular feedback, recognition, and the sense of being listened to reduce the frustrations that push people out, which is why engagement tools sit at the centre of most hotel retention strategies.
How Can Hotels Listen to Their Team Regularly?
Hotels can listen regularly by replacing the annual survey with frequent, structured contact. With turnover rates as they are, a once-a-year check is too infrequent to catch concerns while they can still be addressed.
Alkimii supports regular listening in two ways:
- Check Ins for scheduled employee feedback, giving managers a structured way to listen and respond.
- Surveys for gathering team insight, customisable to the hotel's needs and accessible on mobile and desktop, with responses visualised for clear reading.
Frequent contact means issues surface early, while there is still time to act on them.
How Does Recognition Support Retention?
Recognition supports retention because acknowledging good work reinforces the behaviours and people a hotel wants to keep. It is one of the most cost-effective retention levers, but only when it actually reaches people.
Alkimii supports recognition through Awards for celebrating top performers, with customisable categories and a team voting process, and Moments for marking milestones such as work anniversaries and birthdays. Both run through the employee app, so recognition is visible and timely rather than forgotten.
What Results Can Hotels Expect?
Results vary by hotel, but engagement improvements are measurable and can be significant. The value comes from acting on what the team says, not simply collecting feedback.
The Fota Collection, a hospitality group using Alkimii across two properties, recorded an 8% improvement in employee engagement year-on-year after implementation. As their HR Director put it:
"Alkimii has enabled us to deliver a higher quality of service to our guests because we're spending more time with them. We have more time to improve the employee experience, which improves retention and the quality of service across the board."
How Do Engagement Tools Fit With the Rest of HR?
Engagement tools work best when they sit alongside the everyday basics that also affect retention: accurate pay, fair scheduling, and smooth onboarding. Recognition matters little if people are paid late or scheduled unfairly.
Alkimii brings engagement together with onboarding, rostering, leave, and pay preparation in one platform, so the parts of the employee experience that drive retention are handled in one place rather than across disconnected tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do hotels improve employee engagement?
Hotels improve engagement by listening to their team regularly and recognising good work, rather than relying on an annual appraisal. Alkimii supports this through Check Ins, Surveys, Moments, and Awards.
What is the link between engagement and retention?
Engagement is the emotional commitment employees feel towards their work, and engaged employees are less likely to leave. In hospitality, morale also affects guest experience, so engagement influences both turnover and service quality.
How does Alkimii help hotels gather employee feedback?
Alkimii provides Check Ins for scheduled employee feedback and Surveys for gathering insight. Surveys are customisable, accessible on mobile and desktop, and responses are visualised for clear reading.
How does Alkimii support employee recognition?
Alkimii offers Awards for celebrating top performers, with customisable categories and a team voting process, and Moments for marking milestones such as anniversaries and birthdays, both through the employee app.
What engagement results have hotels seen with Alkimii?
The Fota Collection, a hospitality group using Alkimii across two properties, recorded an 8% improvement in employee engagement year-on-year after implementation.
Engagement drives retention when hotels listen often and recognise good work consistently, and tools like Check Ins, Surveys, Moments, and Awards make both part of everyday operations rather than an annual event.
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People