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I think it’s fair to say that the hospitality industry is one of the most dynamic, competitive, and thrilling industries around. Now I may be biased having previously worked in hospitality for so long, but recently I’ve noticed that never has another industry had to gratify such a tremendous variety of people. They’re the ones we rely on for a place to eat, somewhere to catch up with a friend or a place for us to pop down to for our Friday after work drinks.
Whilst to industry outsiders, it may seem that hospitality workers merely put together fancy dishes, pour wine, and provide a nice setting, they in fact do much more than just serve us day-time workers that 5 o’clock beer or wine we have been longing for all day!
Over the next three weeks I will be breaking down for you, six hurdles commonly faced by managers within the hospitality industry and why we ought to appreciate them for it. To all the industry managers out there, I’ve also provided some suggestions on how you may be able to overcome these onerous hurdles.
HURDLE NUMBER ONE: HIRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Employee turnover is notoriously high within the hospitality business. Some may say it’s the seasonal nature of the industry, or the poor compensation packages employees’ receive comparative to other industries. As a result of the appeal that the hospitality industry has to potential employees of all ages, you are in turn faced with a very broad pool of individuals to choose from. I think it’s safe to say that all of us, at least once in our lives have thought about how “cool” or “fun” it would be to work in a bar or to make cocktails.
So whilst some employees have a strong desire to make it their long term career and dream of working their way up to a managerial role of some sort – some simply use hospitality jobs as a way to pay the bills, usually whilst they are studying or at university. It’s hard for these people to fully commit and develop a real passion for their jobs when they know it’s not where they want to be long term. An employee’s passion too is a critical element in running a successful hospitality business. It’s a constant battle for managers to get a solid number of employees to commit to a job for more than just a few months. Finding the right balance between the career focused ones, and those who can only commit part time is hard, and it takes a lot of active top-down encouragement from managers to instil a sense of commitment within potential and current employees.
Solution: When hiring new staff, place an emphasis on the opportunities for internal promotion within the business. Staff appreciate knowing that their hard work will pay off and that there are incentives in place where they can be rewarded for their efforts. Quite often you will find people aren’t just after “the big bucks.” They want to know that there’s room to move up the occupational ladder. If you make the concept of internal promotion central to your hiring and management processes, whilst encouraging on the job training and upskilling exercises, this encourages employees to want to play a real part in your business. Looking forward, it also gives them something to aspire to.
Make sure you check back soon for our next blog post, where I’ll be talking about and providing solutions for Hurdle Number Two – Customer Loyalty.