With the current state of the hospitality market in BC, keeping your team happy and motivated should be high on your priority list! It has never more difficult to find qualified professionals to work in your business. Studies show that employees are happier when they are appreciated for their work, and recognized for their contributions, making them less likely to leave for another job.
Employee retention aside, giving praise to your team can also boost productivity and engagement with your brand. A simple thank you can go a long way, and here are 7 other techniques that help with employee satisfaction and retention.
- Get to know your team, personally
Learn and understand what motivated each individual employee. Recognition can and will look different for different team members.
- Give your team the tools they need
This one can feel very basic, but nothing frustrates a team more than a broom that doesn’t work, or missing a pair of much needed tongs. Make is easy to be a team member, and when they ask for something…. Try your best to give it to them!
- Celebrate and know your team’s milestones
Recognizing and remembering important dates to your team is a simple way to show appreciation and celebrate. Set up a calendar and notifications for birthdays, anniversaries (work and personal) and important milestone dates like graduations, citizenship events, etc…. to commenurate special days for your team and team members. You can also offer small gifts like an extra discount for your products, free lunch, or even something inexpensive but fun, like gift certificates to their favorite local business as a way to celebrate and go above and beyond
- Praise in public
Celebrations and praise should happen in public, if your employees enjoy the spotlight that is. Recognizing accomplishments during a team meeting or on social media, will not only benefit the individual but show the team what accomplishments and hard work get recognized (so that they hopefully repeat that behavior too!)
- Let them create a comfortable environment
If possible let them watch their favorite shows in the background (out of customer view) or play tunes that they enjoy and keep them upbeat.
- Offer flexible scheduling
If possible give your team a flexible schedule that meets their needs. Accept their important dates and time off, and have them working their ideal times/days. Give them the option to trade shifts and update their availability regularly
- Be specific with feedback
The more specific the better when giving feedback. Instead of saying, ‘Great job!’ thank them specifically for exactly what they did well. This way your team can and will recreate what types of behavior drive recognition. It’s the most straightforward way to reward good behavior and make sure your employees know exactly where to direct their efforts.
Overall, we have listed 7 ways to engage with and to recognize your team to increase employee engagement and decrease turnover. Retention is the key to keeping well-trained team members, driving stability in your business (and results) and ensuring your labor costs remain as low as possible (with less training and development.) In a tough hiring market, focusing on developing your team is the best and most cost-effective way to build your business. Want to learn more about how our hospitality experts work to help build you a high-performing, engaged team? Email us today at Morgan@hospitalityconsulting.co