Mr. Ferrara

Human Resources, Recruitment & Training

Hotel Worker Recognition: How to Keep Your Employees Engaged

By Jason Ferrara, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, CareerBuilder

Keeping employees engaged in most circumstances is a challenge, but in the current economy it has become even more difficult. Engaged employees feel a positive connection to and care about the future of the company they work for. When times are good, many employers go to great lengths, and sometimes to great expense, to reward and recognize their employees to keep them motivated and satisfied. But when occupancy rates decline and margins shrink, employers often discontinue employee rewards, reduce employee benefits and eliminate incentives. This can lead to increased employee turnover and disengaged employees, and in turn, can negatively impact customer service levels and put even more pressure on profitability.

The challenge of building and keeping a highly motivated workforce doesn't go away in a recession. While employers may think that workers would be less inclined to quit their jobs when jobs are scarce, they may find that the recession has actually triggered employees’ desire to look elsewhere. That’s because employees become disengaged and disheartened by cost-cutting measures implemented by their employers. Layoffs, furloughs, postponed merit increases and other actions can put employees into a tailspin. A June 2010 survey by CareerBuilder of more than 200 hospitality workers found that 34 percent of respondents said the recession has caused them to want to change jobs.

Workers cite several reasons for wanting to change jobs, including:

• The climate in my work environment has changed – 20 percent
• I’m overworked – 14 percent
• I’m under a great deal of stress – 11 percent
• My pay was cut – 9 percent
• I’m feeling resentment over seeing co-workers laid off – 5 percent

It’s a normal response for employees who feel insecure and fear they may be laid off to want to look elsewhere for a job or a company that, on the surface, may seem more stable and secure. What’s discouraging is that many of those who may be looking to change jobs could be your best employees. Rather than feeling a sense of gratitude for having kept their jobs, they may instead feel the need to find a new line of work before they find themselves in the unemployment line. In fact, when these same hospitality workers were asked about the likelihood that they would change jobs in the next 12 months, 35 percent said they were likely, which represented the highest response across all industries surveyed.

So what can you do to combat this need to leave and re-engage employees? First, you need to understand what they are feeling and what they hope to gain with a job change. Then, you can begin to develop a plan of action that will help quell those reactions and restore employees’ commitment to your company and its success. Of those surveyed who were looking for or planning to look for a new job, 68 percent said they desired higher compensation.(1) Overcoming that challenge, especially when revenue and profits are down, may seem unlikely. Keep in mind, however, that money isn’t the only motivational tool at your disposal. Many studies have found that non-monetary compensation can also be a positive motivator. Depending upon your property, you could offer employees free or discounted use of hotel facilities like access to gym and exercise equipment during non-peak days or hours; use of certain spa services (steam room, Jacuzzi, aromatherapy sessions); free or discounted coffee, beverages and snacks or special priced meals; or use of vacant meeting rooms for their book club, church or volunteer organizations. While these privileges won’t put cash in their pockets, they could help employees save money or provide other upsides.

The next highest ranked reasons surveyed hospitality workers gave for looking for a job were “desire to further my career” (50 percent) and “dissatisfaction with the work environment” (47 percent). These are two factors that you can also address without a huge cash outlay. Some of the primary factors that help engage employees include creating an environment of trust and integrity, where managers communicate openly and honestly with employees and keep their promises and commitments in creating a stimulating work environment, and enabling positive interactions among co-workers and their managers. Managers play a key role in employee satisfaction. Helping them become better communicators and leading by example to increase communication from senior management on down can greatly enhance the work environment.

Engaged employees also find their work interesting, challenging and mentally stimulating. They want to understand how what they do contributes to the company’s success. In fact, “dissatisfaction with the organization” (29 percent) and “lack of interesting work” (25 percent) were two other reasons workers gave in planning to look for a new job. Providing opportunities to recognize employees as important and valued members of your workforce can be an extremely powerful motivator. Consider developing ways to publicly recognize employees when they provide excellent customer service, do a superior job or go above and beyond. This type of recognition can range from a simple verbal or written accolade, to implementing an employee of the month or peer recognition program.

Thirty-five percent of surveyed workers cited a “desire to pursue a different career” as a main reason for looking for or planning look for a job. You can also demonstrate your long-term interest in employees’ careers by conducting or increasing the frequency of career-related discussions. Mapping out career paths and developing succession plans can help facilitate meaningful discussions with employees and can also strengthen your organization. While workloads may have been increased as a result of staff cuts, offering employees opportunities to take on stretch assignments can be immensely satisfying and quench their thirst for something new. It allows them to build new skills, can make their regular jobs more interesting and may create opportunities to advance within your own organization. As employees take on new responsibilities, consider providing them a title change or creating pathways for inter-department transfers.

One of the many measures used in employee engagement surveys is an assessment of employees’ access to and participation in training and development. Offering employees opportunities to participate in training, even if conducted in-house by your existing staff, can go a long way in strengthening their commitment to your organization and helping them feel they are furthering their career without leaving the company.

Another factor that survey respondents cited for wanting to look for another job was “work/life imbalance” (35 percent). Offering employees flex hours, job sharing, rotating schedules and other options can help address this concern. Many companies have taken a closer look at their sick-leave and paid-time-off policies to allow workers greater flexibility in using allotted days off.

How do these suggestions align with what employers are really doing to retain and engage employees? CareerBuilder asked more than 120 hospitality employers this question in June 2010. Here’s how they responded:

• Providing flexible work schedules – 49 percent
• Offering more employee recognition – 39 percent
• Investing in training and development – 32 percent
• Providing regular communication from senior management – 31 percent
• Providing salary increases – 20 percent
• Developing succession plans – 17 percent
• Mapping out career paths – 14 percent
• Providing title changes – 12 percent
• Other – 20 percent

There is a strong correlation between engaged employees, satisfied customers and successful companies. Taking some of these steps to foster employee engagement and commitment to your organization can help reduce employee turnover, loss of productivity and service breakdowns – even in a tough economy.

References

(1) Totals exceed 100 percent as respondents could choose more than one option for the main reasons they were looking or planned to look for a new job.

Jason Ferrara leads the development of strategic marketing for the Corporate Marketing team at CareerBuilder.com, the nation's largest online job site with over 22 million unique visitors each month and over 1.5 million jobs. Focused on the recruitment needs of employers, Ferrara is responsible for business-to-business strategy including communications, advertising, promotions, e-commerce management, customer lifecycle and loyalty, and sales support. Prior to joining the company, Ferrara worked as Director, Online Marketing for SPSS, Inc. He holds a MBA from Kellogg School of Management. Mr. Ferrara can be contacted at 773-353-2601 or jason.ferrara@careerbuilder.com Extended Bio...

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