Employee retention in the hospitality industry

The hospitality industry is one of the U. K’s largest sectors. It’s common knowledge the hospitality industry has a high employee turnover and recruitment is a challenge for many businesses.

According to official data, the hospitality industry has an employee turnover rate of 70%, double that of the U.K average. Furthermore, a YouGov survey outlined that 42% of hospitality staff leave their jobs within the first thirty days. In a customer facing industry such as hospitality, having low employee retention rates can make it very challenging to meet customers’ expectations, it also effects an organisations profitability when they’re continually having to find, hire, and train new employees.

Although employee turnover in the industry is high, it doesn’t need to continue to be the norm. In this article we will outline some of the causes of employee turnover and why staff retention is such a problem for the hospitality industry. We will also advise on strategies that can help retain staff.

What are the reasons for high employee turnover? Often the case is that an employee is unsuitable for the role, something that may not become apparent until after they have been hired. Even in a happy positive workplace and the best of training, some people are unable to cope with the pace and workload of a hospitality business.

It’s well known that when most people are out visiting restaurants, cafes, bars, and hotels, hospitality staff are expected to work. Hospitality staff are expected to start work early and finish late, and are usually required to work weekends and holidays, because of this, even the most committed employees may find the lifestyle undesirable. Working hours tend to be longer than in other sectors and breaks aren’t always guaranteed. This can cause employees to become over tired, which can have a negative effect on their quality of work. Added to that, there is usually a lack of flexibility with working hours. It isn’t unusual for managers to make last minute changes to staff rotas, which can be an added stress and worry for staff. In a business that operates with a small number of staff, an employee may find it difficult to request time off without feeling guilty that their absence will have a negative impact on the business and other staff members.

Although it has improved over the years, the hospitality industry is known for its toxic work environment. A toxic work environment can cause stress, anxiety, and a bad atmosphere in the workplace, which is a major contributor to staff leaving the industry. Even today, there still exists a culture of fear, bullying, abuse, and poor leadership . There is some level of irony here; how are staff supposed to provide good cheerful hospitality when they’re being subjected to poor treatment? It will usually lead to staff not caring about their job role or position. With no uncertainty, customer service will be affected if staff are no longer feeling engaged with their role. Employees who work in toxic environments experience detrimental effects on their emotional and physical wellbeing.

Now that we have covered some of the main causes of high employee turnover, we will outline some effective strategies business owners and managers can implement to reduce staff turnover.

Retaining employees begins before hiring starts. By clearly defining the job role, a business can ensure that it’s attracting the right candidates for the business. It’s important for owners and managers to take the time to detail what the business requires from candidates. This will result in a more suitable pool of applicants. Hiring the right candidate means, finding a person with the most suited skill set and personality, and who best fits into the job role and the organisations culture. When conducting interviews, make sure the right questions are asked. Take the time to craft job-specific interview questions. When a business finds itself understaffed, operators may be inclined to rush the interview and hiring process. We recommend operators take their time when going through the recruitment process to ensure that the best possible candidate has been chosen to fill the position. This will decrease the need to have to advertise the same position further down the line.

Once a candidate has been selected, focus on properly integrating the employee into the company culture; this can be part of an induction day. An employee is less likely to leave a business if they feel like they are part of a professional team setup. Openly welcome a new recruit into the business and have existing team members interact with them. Introduce the new employee to the relevant managers and supervisors so they have a clear understanding of the organisational structure, and who to reach to when help and guidance is needed. When a candidate excepts a position, establish any rules and regulations that are followed in the business. Make it clear to prospective employees what is expected of them before they start their new role.

Offer relevant training as soon as possible, regardless of their past experience. Make sure the new recruit learns the practices and procedures he or she should follow relevant to their job. Give plenty of opportunity for questions, and except mistakes will be made. If an employee feels as though they are unable to freely ask questions or make some mistakes, they are more likely to feel unnecessarily stressed.

Although it can be tempting to reduce costs by underpaying employees or paying them the market rate, staff are more likely leave an employer if the pay is poor. Business operators need to offer staff a competitive rate of pay. Good pay is a sign to employees that an employer respects and values their work. Employers that offer good rates of pay usually have lower rates of staff turnover. People work to live and should be able to afford to.

Employees perform better and more efficiently in their roles if they feel secure, valued, and supported by their employers. Taking the time to ask about an employees welfare or putting their mind at ease over any concerns they might have can contribute to an employee’s happiness in the workplace.

Reward employees for a job well done. A thank you at the end of their shift can go a long way to making a staff member feel appreciated. The occasional drink at the end of a shift can also create a feeling of good will and gratitude. Give praise when praise is deserved, this will boost employee’s morale. It’s important to recognise an employee’s contribution. In addition to good rates of pay, consider employee benefits, especially for those employees who have served for a specific length of time. Pay raises and bonusses, paid time off, staff discounts, profit sharing, maternity and paternity leave, free food and drink when on shift. To have a good hospitality business, an employer must have the best talent in order to get that, an employer also has to offer more than just a basic wage or salary.

Being part of a happy and healthy work environment can be very beneficial to a person’s phycological and emotional wellbeing. There is a common misconception that all jobs and workplaces have levels of stress and that it increases productivity, however studies show that this is not the case, and that stress is counterproductive. Employers should go out of their way to create and maintain a culture of mutual respect and support. Promoting open communication and having a zero tolerance for bullying and gossiping will protect employee welfare; this will increase productivity and decrease staff turnover.

According to a YouGov survey, 3% of people entered the hospitality industry for the career prospects it offered, and 35% are leaving because of the lack of them. It isn’t unusual for young people to enter the hospitality industry and do well, but many leave to further their careers due to the minimal growth and career advancement opportunities available to them. As an employer, regardless of the size of a business, it’s important to offer careers not jobs, and create a culture of continuous learning and development. Hospitality businesses that offer good employee training programs increase employee engagement and retention. If employees feel they are not fully supported and trained to do their job, they are more likely to leave an employer. Training in customer interaction, new skills, and new systems and procedures can help employees feel more confident in their performance. Employers can provide in-house training or enrol employees on relevant short courses or management training. Providing training and development to staff shows that employers are interested in their development and growth.

The hospitality industry needs to and can improve its reputation as being an undesirable industry to work in. Hospitality businesses need to establish a positive work culture and show commitment to training; it’s the best strategy of retaining employees and reducing staff turnover.

For more help and guidance please contact us at enquiries@create-hospitality.co.uk.

The hospitality industry needs to be more radical in it's approach to climate change

COP26 is now just a faint memory in the distant past, will COP27 prove to be more productive or will it be another failure and squandered opportunity by world governments to commit to slashing emissions and creating a greener planet. We are experiencing record heat, fires, storms, floods, draughts and rising sea levels, it’s time the hospitality industry to be more radical in its approach to tackling climate change.

Our natural environment is often the destination the hospitality industry offers its guests, and it is where much of the produce in our restaurants comes from. It's ironic that the hospitality industry is playing a huge part in destroying the very thing it relies upon the most, our natural environment.

The way in which we produce and consume food and overnight stays in paid accommodation and restaurants and take aways is contributing to the environmental disaster our planet is facing.

From local neighbourhood take aways to multinational fast-food brands, budget hotels to high end boutique hotels, they are all large consumers of food, plastic, water and energy, as a result are directly or indirectly responsible for polluting the environment. As an industry it’s time we addressed the part we play in the climate crisis that the U.N and 97 percent of climate scientists say is man-made.

Hospitality has fallen behind other industries when it comes to sustainability and environmental issues. As an industry that relies heavily on our natural world, we must be more radical in our approach to sustainability and the health of our planet.

In this article we are looking at some of the areas of our industry that impact on our natural environment, and the steps we can take as managers and business owners to tackle the environmental impact our industry has on our fragile earth.

Food waste: It has been estimated that if food waste was a country, it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases after the U.S.A and China. Food waste isn’t only a humanitarian concern, it is also an environmental one. When we waste food, we also waste the energy and water it takes to grow or rear, harvest, transport and package our food. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation, 30 percent of food is wasted globally across the supply chain. According to WRAP, U.K. hospitality is responsible for 451,100 tonnes of food waste annually.   

We have outlined a number of actions your hospitality business can take to prevent or at least limit food waste. 

• Monitor the areas the food waste is generated, e.g., preparation, spoiled food, customers plates

• Keep storage areas (dry store, fridges and freezers) clean, tidy and in meticulous order. This allows staff to clearly identify what is in stock and stock levels, which makes stock ordering easier and more efficient

• Rotate produce by placing the newest products at the back of the shelf so that the oldest stock is automatically used first

• Organise stock items of the same type in the same area. For example, group and place tinned apples together in one area. This way staff can easily identify what does and doesn’t need to be ordered

• Arrange for food waste to be collected for anaerobic digestion which is used to produce biogas and biofertiliser

Single use plastic: A disposable plastic fork from a takeaway, a mini shampoo bottle from a hotel room, a plastic water bottle from the corner shop; individually, each item seems harmless but, these items are ubiquitous and quickly and easily thrown away without much thought. Our obsession with single use plastic is having a devastating impact on our natural environment.

In the U.K we generate around 5 million tonnes of plastic each year, but despite the war on plastic, we recycle just 45% of plastic in the U.K. More than half of our plastic waste the government claims is being recycled ends up in U.K and foreign landfill or burned, which in itself creates greenhouse gases. According to Green Peace, the U.K produces more plastic waste per person than almost any other country in the world. It’s time we prioritised reduction and reuse over recycling.

Here are some tips and suggestions on ways of hospitality businesses reducing the use of single use plastics.

• Review each area of operation (housekeeping and guest rooms, back of house and office). Make a list of single use plastic items and consider if they are vital to your operation, and how you can eliminate their use or replace them.

  
  Hotel rooms and house keeping

• Consider using refillable bottles or dispensers for bathroom amenities. Today there are plenty of free alternatives to plastic bathroom amenities, such as: Bamboo combs and toothbrushes, bamboo cotton buds

• Review the use of disposable room items such as milk and hot drinks portions

• Use refillable bottles for cleaning products. Alternatively, try to reduce the use of cleaning chemicals

  
  Food and beverage operations

• Replace single-serving condiment packs with small reusable ramekins or dishes

• Use biodegradable cutlery and food boxes for take away foods

• Buy ingredients and cleaning products in bulk, this reduces the amount of packaging and reduces costs

• Demand that your suppliers don’t pack and deliver produce and stock using single use plastic

• Invest in hard wearing reusable food storage containers

• Decrease the amount of clingfilm your establishment uses

• Avoid vacuum packing food for storage or cooking sous vide

Recycle where plastic waste is unavoidable. Educate staff of the benefits of recycling.

Water consumption: Water shortages are a global problem, as managers and business owners we must do more to address water wastage for moral and commercial reasons. Although it may seem that here in the U.K we have a lot of water, it shouldn't be taken for granted. We are now using almost double the amount of water we were sixty years ago.

It's easy to dismiss simple initiatives to save or reduce water in hospitality establishments, but simple can be very effective. Simple measures such as prepping food in a bowl of water rather than under a running tap or ensuring washing up sinks aren't filled with more water than necessary.

Here are some easy ways to reduce water consumption.

• Fix leaking pipes and taps as soon as possible

• When fitting or replacing a dishwasher, upgrade your dishwasher to energy and water efficient model. Energy and water efficient dishwashers can save up to 10% reduction in energy and water usage.

• When fitting replacing ice machines, upgrade or instal air-cooled ice machines

• Make employees aware of your organisation’s commitment to water reduction and encourage staff to get involved with their own suggestions for water reduction

• When replacing or fitting toilets, instal low-flow toilets

• Instal aerators in shower heads and taps

• Properties with swimming pools should consider if their pool management systems are efficient. Cover pools when not in use to avoid evaporation

Gas and electricity consumption: The hospitality industry consumes huge amounts of energy each year- around 20,910GWh - enough to power 1.2 million homes. Reports suggest 4,300 GWh a year can be saved across the hospitality industry by investing in energy efficiency measures and improving operational practices. Energy costs are rising at an alarming rate for commercial properties as well as domestic. Here are a few simple steps to reduce energy consumption.

Heating and hot water

According to data from the Department of Environment, nearly 70 per cent of a hotel’s energy consumption goes towards heating and hot water.

• Keep boilers serviced and pipes insulated (A regularly serviced boiler could cost 5 percent less per year to run and will be less likely to breakdown). Insulating boilers and hot water tanks, pipes and valves will pay back the costs in just a few months and will continue to save money year after year.

• Poor heating control is the most common cause of energy inefficiency

Lighting

According to literature published by the European Commission, lighting accounts for 15 to 45 percent of electricity consumption in small hotels and restaurants. When reviewing or upgrading your needs, consider the following.

• Optimise the use of natural light

• Optimising colour schemes for walls and furnishings can make a significant difference to the amount of lighting required

• Installing light management control systems can be a large energy saver where lighting use is intermittent. Consider installing timers and sensors for corridors, toilets and other areas with intermittent traffic.

• When replacing older lamps, consider replacing them with newer technology

Most of our suggestions are easy to implement and implementing some is better than none. Although a costly investment, technologies such as solar panels, ground source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting systems and CHP can also help reduce the carbon footprint of a hospitality business. We will be discussing the environmental and financial benefits of these in a future article.

A few things that were missed from the article above, but are of equal importance are as follows:

1. When replacing electrics and electrical appliances, avoid disposing the item or items in the general waste. Larger electrical appliances can be removed and taken away by the company supplying you with the new appliance. Smaller electrical item such as light fittings and sockets can be disposed of at a local recycling centre.

2. Responsible procurement - Source hotel products, kitchen produce, building materials and other goods from businesses that share the same values a your business and that have limited environmental impact. Start with areas of high spend to make ensure you tackle big impact areas first.

Sustainability in the hospitality industry

Sustainability is a word used by many companies as a part of their brand definition, and it's a word often used by P.R and marketing companies in an effort to boost their clients brand image.

Unfortunately, a large number of these companies are spending more time and money pretending to be sustainable, rather than being sustainable. This is called greenwashing, a term coined by the American environmentalist Jay Westerveld.

We are publishing a series of blogs, where we will be discussing the environmental impact of the hospitality industry, and how as an industry we can mitigate the negative impact the industry has on the environment.

In this blog we are writing about the use of single use plastic and how we can reduce or eliminate it’s use.

Plastic products are easy to clean and are none porous, therefore hygienic; plastic is also cheap and durable. Unfortunately, the use and dependency of single use plastic comes at a very high cost to our planet.

So, what's the problem with single use plastic? It's estimated the five million tonnes of plastic is used in the U.K each year. As most of us know, most plastic doesn’t decompose in a hurry and ends up in landfill or littering the natural environment; the same natural environment that many hospitality businesses depend on. Yes it’s true, that a lot of our plastic is recycled, but the process still uses water and energy. There is also evidence proving that much of the U.K's plastic waste we assume is being recycled, ends up in Malaysian and Indonesian landfills.

What can we do to reduce or eliminate the use of single use plastic? Here are four ways restaurants and food businesses can reduce their plastic usage.

• Use eco-friendly alternatives to take away disposables such as take away food containers, straws, cutlery, coffee cups and napkins.

• Don't serve drinks in plastic bottles. Instead use glass bottles or cans, both of which are 100% recyclable.

• Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk is usually more economical, and it also reduces the amount of waste an establishment produces. Here is an example; buy a 1 litre container of English Mustard for £8.50 rather than purchasing four 250g

  containers for £10.00.

• Instead of using condiments that are served in plastic bottles or sachets, use glass bottles that can be cleaned and refilled. This will save money in the long run, and it’s also a more tasteful way to present your condiments.

• Use stainless steel containers for mise en place. Although the initial outlay is much greater, it’s a one time investment that will pay off over the long term.

We have put together a plastic audit sheet that can used to list all the single use plastic products used by your business, and what action can be taken to eliminate it’s use. This can be downloaded by following the link below.

Plastic audit sheet

Implementing just a few of our tips on plastic reduction can make a difference on the impact our industry has on the environment. Using less plastic in your restaurant or food business is better for our fragile environment and can boost your organisations image with consumers, and can potentially boost profits.

If you run a hospitality business and would like to talk to us about how we can help your business reduce or eliminate it’s dependency on single use plastic email us at enquiries@create-hospitality.co.uk .

Here are a few suppliers you may want to have a look at

enviropack

vegware

belu water

Trends we hope stay and grow

The restaurant and hospitality industry is fast moving and has an ever changing landscape. Trends come and go, some are good and some are silly gimmicks that need to be forgotten.

We have picked out some industry trends that we hope stay and grow.

Wines from Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia. These countries represent uniqueness and high quality for a reasonable price. Here are a few names to look out for; Zorah / Armenia, Kozlovic / Croatia, Ktima Gerovassiliov / Greece.

Sophisticated children’s menus. Taking your children out for lunch or dinner? Forget chicken nuggets and French fries. Whilst dishes like burgers and fries aren’t going away any time soon, children’s pallets, just like their parents pallets, have become more sophisticated over the years, in addition to this, parents are more conscientious about what they’re feeding their children. Good job too. Surprisingly J.D Wetherspoons children’s menus are amongst the best in the U.K.

Sustainability. Numerous scientific studies have highlighted the impact our diets have on the environment. The restaurant industry is slowly starting to take notice. Here we list some of the U.K restaurants that are committed to sustainability and seasonality; The Pig, Pensford, 2016 sustainable restaurant of the year winner “Poco” Bristol, and The Ginger Peanut.

Hyper regional cuisine or hyper local are real buzz words at the moment, and fit well with the sustainable restaurant ethos. The benefits of hyper regional food are as follows: locally grown ingredients travel less miles and they reach the consumer quicker, therefore creating a smaller carbon footprint and the produce is more likely to be fresher and more nutritious. The downside to hyper regional cuisine is the expense of the ingredients, but great quality produce comes at a cost.

Ethics, values and sustainability in the hospitality industry

Ethics, values and sustainability have become a priority for many businesses around the world and although there has been a shift in attitudes in recent years the hospitality industry is still lagging behind when it comes to social and environmental responsibility especially small operations and businesses starting out, often putting profits ahead staff welfare and the environment . Can making social and environmental responsibility a part of your business model increase profits and sales in the long term?

In this blog we will be outlining how implementing strong values and promoting healthy business ethics can increase sales and profits and help build a sustainable and lasting hospitality business.

Responsibility to staff

Building a strong and dedicated team can be a challenging task. Employers that demonstrate loyalty by actively offering staff a healthy work life balance and flexible working hours; especially for those staff that have children or other family commitments will create a healthy and happy working environment. Rewarding staff for good work and loyal service is also very important. Paying staff a fair wage demonstrates an employers commitment to social responsibility.  Supporting staff with personal issues is also very important, a breakdown in a relationship, a bereavement or sickness for example. 

Happy staff who feel valued and looked after create a good atmosphere on the floor and are more likely to go that extra step to ensure customers are happy and that a business is running smoothly.  Happy staff are likely to recommend a good employer which will reflect well on a business.  

Environmental responsibility 

Following sustainable practices such as recycling, conserving energy and water, keeping wastage to a minimum, and using local suppliers can have a three prong effect; operating costs will fall, the impact on the environment will be less harmful and the positive publicity can enhance the reputation of a hospitality business.  

Ways to make a restaurant business more sustainable

• Cook whats in season and produced locally. This will reduce a food and drink operations carbon footprint and support local farmers and producers, which in turn helps support local economies 
• Choose your suppliers carefully; where possible use responsible suppliers that follow sustainable practices 
• Grow your own produce and where possible compost organic waste
• Purchase energy efficient kitchen and bar equipment, water efficient glasswashers and dishwashers, energy efficient light bulbs. Although the initial outlay is greater, savings will be made further down the line as the price of utility bills will fall
• Use renewable energy sources 
• Use meat and dairy from farms that use environmentally friendly farming methods
• Use fish that are taken from sustainable stocks
• Introduce biodynamic, carbon neutral and organic wines to your list
• Go paperless where possible

The hospitality industry has a responsibility to the  environment and to the staff that work hard to make it function. Implementing just a few sustainable and ethical business practices can make a big difference to the environment and can create a happier and healthier work place for its work force. If you have found this post useful please feel free to leave an opinion and share.         

menu design

Designing a well-engineered menu is an important part of any food and drink operation. A well-designed menu can increase sales for any restaurant. 

Here are some of most common menu design mistakes we see.

Too many menu items. 

Having too many menu items can be overwhelming for diners, making it difficult for them to scan the menu, which leads to diners taking longer to order. Large menus also lack focus and can create confusion around the identity of a restaurant. The other problems with having too large a menu are as follows; 1 The need for more stock which will create more wastage, this will have a negative impact on a restaurants profits. 2 Labour costs will be higher because a restaurant will need more kitchen staff doing more hours which will result in higher wage bills. 3 It takes longer to produce food when you have less multiple orders of the same items being made at the same time; it also takes longer for front of house staff to input menu items into an EPOS system, meaning a restaurant will not be able to serve as many diners in that given period of time. 

Poor design and layout. 

Restaurant menus should be clear and readable. Using the wrong font style, colour and having long descriptions can make it difficult for diners to scan a menu, and can also give the impression a restaurant lacks style and sophistication. Use short, concise and accurate descriptions.  

Some restaurant operators worry too much about being everything to all people, this doesn't work in the long run. Smaller menus are more efficient and more profitable!

A restaurant menu is a reflection of a brands identity and it's values. If menus are worn and stained, a restaurant will appear to be cheap, dirty and old and will give a negative first impression. Always make sure menus are in excellent condition. 

Another blog on menu design will be posted in the future.