Operators and employees alike seem to be unable to look at this subject objectively.  Emotions all too often surface closing minds to any realistic consideration of the actual facts and thus causing gridlock.  This gridlock must be eliminated before the hospitality industry can ever expect to make any substantive progress on successfully managing its turnover dilemma.

 

In reality both the employer and the employees have the same motives in creating an outstanding, mutually beneficial turnover management program.  Both will achieve their most desired objectives.  The employers will obtain a superior work force, reduce their labor costs (fewer total hours needed to provide outstanding service) realize less waste, all but eliminate inefficiency, and create outstanding guest service and increase guest counts and sales.  The employer will spend substantially less time replacing no- shows and recruiting.  Management will have substantially more time to focus other critical priorities.  All of this will translate into greater profits.

 

The employees will obtain a truly caring employer, better training, improved skills, more participation in decisions effecting their job, better pay, better benefits, more flexibility in scheduling and a coordinated (mutually beneficial) personal career development program.  All of this, for the employee, will translate into more (current) job security, higher level of income, far greater personal professionalism, tremendously improved career opportunities and increased long term security.

 

Indeed, everyone wins when they all get on the same page.  Even the guests win.  They discover another; “favorite place to go, eat, stay and enjoy.  They will realize an increased level of trust in these progressive hospitality providers.  They will show their appreciation through their spending habits.

 

Benefits that will help employers acquire and keep outstanding employees:

ü    Eighty-percent employer paid health insurance

ü  Flexibility in scheduling

ü  Job sharing

ü  Outstanding training programs

ü  Honest, open, timely and through communications between management and hourly staff

ü  A well documented company career path with specific consistent eligibility requirements

ü  A clear well documented wage range policy (including all entry level jobs through third level management positions and/or specialty skilled jobs)

ü  A documented vacation policy that can not be manipulated by supervisors intentionally cutting days/hours and/or regularly scheduled shifts.  Policies and procedures that are employee motivators as opposed to de-motivators like cutting hours and/or shifts to avoid an employee’s paid vacation

ü  A clear, consistently administered employee promotion (career path) program 

ü  Substantive employee recognition programs

ü  Education assistance and career development programs

ü  Respect and involvement in company work related decision making

ü  A true, good faith, non- retaliatory, conflict resolution process

ü  Employer community involvement and support (philanthropic programs see “can the industry survive the shrinking labor pool” HospitalityIndustryResources.Info site)

ü  Competitive wage policies consistently administered

ü  Performance based incentive programs

ü  Paid time out for company approved community volunteer activities  

 

A very recent, credable, in depth hospitality industry survey has shown these points all to be of great importance to career oriented hospitality workers.  (see “can the industry survive the shrinking labor pool” review on the HospitalityIndustryResources.Info web site).  

 

The points outlined above proved to be of critical importance in all segments of the industry.   The survey shows the actual, turnover, impact numbers as they were measured for several of the points.   HospitalityIndustryResources.Info contributors are in the process of attempting to get permission to reprint the actual results from several extremely aggressive employers who are industry leaders in the area of turnover management. 

 

In  the third part of this three part series we will attempt to share several of the most interesting success stories from industry leaders that are willing to be identified.  We will provide a generic summary (anonymously) of studies done by leaders who request autonomy.

 

If you have a success story you would be willing to share with the industry please contact us at marsconsul@aol.com.  Or visit www. HospitalityIndustryResources.info and submit your story.