Employees are the most important part of running a business. Unfortunately, many businesses continue to have problems finding or keeping their employees. In fact, the turnover rate is an issue in numerous industries, with one of these being the hotel industry. There are ways to help prevent employee turnover within your hotel. Here are some tips on how.
Uncontrollable Factors in Employee Turnover
When it comes to employee turnover rate, there are some factors that are not in the hotel's control. One such factor is the turnover of teenagers and college adults. Many employees in this age group are working for the summer and will quit once school starts back up. This can be beneficial because hotels often need seasonal help during the summer. Additionally, teenagers and adolescents tend to change jobs frequently when they first join the workforce. This type of turnover should not raise alarm. However, methods to help retain these workers for a future career should be considered.
Adjusting Hours and Pay
Two of the biggest factors that can affect turnover rates in a hotel are hours and pay. Many hotels pay their staff the bare minimum in attempts to save money. But, this can cost them great employees. Staff who are unable to get by on what they are making will be looking for other opportunities. Hotels should consider increasing their starting pay or offering raises after a certain amount of time. This will make great workers more likely to remain with the business.
As far as hours, this can go both ways. Too many hours can create a disgruntled employee that may look for another job. Employees who are not worked enough will look for other opportunities with more hours. The bottom line is that hotels should value good employees and be willing to compensate them appropriately.
Offering a Chance for Advancement
A large reason for an employee to leave a business is if they see no room to advance up the ranks. When an employee has been with a hotel for quite some time, they should have the potential to advance to a higher position. If they feel they are stuck in an entry-level position, they will want to find somewhere else that will value their hard work. Hotels should always be on the lookout for valuable employees that could do more for the business if promoted to a higher position.
Implementing a Proper Hiring and Leaving Strategy
Hotels often neglect the place where they can find valuable insight into their turnover rate, which would be the exiting of employees. When it comes to employees leaving, few hotels conduct exit interviews to find out their reasoning. An exit interview can provide valuable data regarding various business operations. They could discover that employees are dissatisfied with their hours or pay, hotel management is not performing properly, or other problematic factors. Whatever the case, the hotel will have data that allows them to make the proper adjustments. This data can be used in the hiring process and with current employees to keep them with the business and to prevent employee turnover.
Rewarding Hard-Working Employees Prevents High Employee Turnover
A key factor in preventing employee turnover in hotels and many other industries is rewarding good performance. An employee that is working hard and producing should be recognized and rewarded. It does not always have to be a massive celebration but could be as simple as giving them an extra day off or praising them for a job well done. If there is a certain week where statistics are very high, then a bigger celebration for the staff may be appropriate. This incentivizes employees to work for something and see that hotel management is appreciating what they do. Consider having more than just "housekeeping appreciation week." For example, why not recognize a department once a month for a day that all departments are rewarded for their performance while building camaraderie across the hotel?
