Keeping Hospitality Employees Motivated

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by Alex A. Kecskes

It's no secret that the worsening economy has weakened morale in the hospitality workplace. Many workers say they are likely to quit when the economy does regain its momentum.

A recent CareerBuilder.com survey revealed that 37 percent of hospitality workers found it difficult to stay motivated, and 26 percent felt no loyalty toward their current employer. Contributing factors included above average stress, heavier workloads, and a poor work/life balance. Nearly one third of hospitality workers felt neighboring departments were being favored with bigger salaries, more scheduling flexibility, greater recognition from supervisors and more advancement opportunities.

If you're a supervisor or team leader, there are things you can do to boost moral and reduce turnover. A sampling of just a few action items:

Balance the Workload. If you had to let workers go with the remaining employees taking up most of the work, it might be time to review work schedules and, if necessary, to balance things out a bit. Working one two employees to death can affect morale, which can quickly spread to other employees and departments. Talk to your staff to get some feedback and do some brainstorming to even out the workload.

Provide More Coaching & Mentoring. If you're suddenly asking your staff to do more, make sure they know exactly what's being asked of them. Offer added coaching and mentoring. Motivate and enroll them in the idea that every one of them is indispensable.

Cross-train Your Staff. Make every employee as versatile as possible. Teach them new skill sets. Employees who feel put upon for doing extra work will appreciate the fact that you're making them more valuable to the company.

For an added perspective, check out this video, Keeping Employees Motivated During a Recession

For more information on hospitality jobs, check out:
http://www.hospitalityjobsite.com/

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.
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