Have you ever wondered how the attitude of employees can make or break the success of your hospitality business?
Research shows that while some employees are productive and lighten up the workplace with their energy, others struggle and can weigh themselves and others down with digital distractions or stress.
The solution?
It’s not firing your underachievers. It’s about nurturing each individual, understanding their challenges, and helping them become the best versions of themselves.
Why Does Your Team Feel Disengaged?
As a manager, your team’s performance is your responsibility.
But what’s causing some employees to disengage from their jobs?
A study from McKinsey suggests the biggest drivers are:
- Inadequate compensation
- Lack of meaningful work
- Lack of workplace flexibility
- Lack of career development and advancement
- Unreliable and unsupportive people at work
- Unsafe work environment
By addressing these six concerns, companies can save an estimated $56 million.
How to Re-Engage Your Hospitality Staff
Circling back to McKinsey, there are six types of employees.
Each one has unique challenges, and there are specific tactics you can use to re-engage and improve productivity.
The Quitters
Your Quitters are employees on their way to the door or already there. This group typically makes up 10% of the workforce and are your least satisfied group.
While it doesn’t mean they are all low performers (high-performing employees who feel undervalued can end up here), their attitude can affect their output and cement their decision to leave.
The Solution:
- Check your compensation packages and benefits are on par with the industry standard.
- Create career paths with meaningful changes to suit their goals.
The Disruptors
Your disruptors are exactly that.
This group disrupts the workforce with actively disengaged behavior and is likely demoralizing others.
Mckinsey estimates these people make up 11% of the workforce, and their behavior or loud or quiet quitting comes from feeling undervalued.
The Solution:
- Offer career development opportunities to re-engage disruptors.
- Find a way to create a high sense of purpose in their work.
- Check your compensation packages are on par with the average.
- Offer to shift roles or teams for a fresh start.
The Mildly Dissatisfied
This group of employees is about doing the bare minimum, making up 32% of the workforce. They have below-average performance levels and are neither satisfied nor actively disengaged.
But because the mildly dissatisfied make up such a large portion of your team, ignoring them means increasing potential disengagement, and the lack of productivity will increase your financial costs.
The Solution:
- Give these employees more autonomy and flexibility.
- Avoid micromanaging.
- Offer opportunities to develop their skills along with a fair salary.
The Double-Dippers
What’s a double-dipper? It’s a full-time employee who holds two or more jobs simultaneously and most of the time without your knowledge.
Making up 5% of the workforce, the double dippers can be good news or bad news for your productivity.
According to McKinsey, these works evenly fall between engaged and contributing and actively disengaged and disruptive.
The Solution:
- Improving compensation packages and benefits.
- Mapping career paths and role responsibilities.
The Committed
The Committed is a positive archetype and a high-value worker. These employees account for 38% of the workforce, are satisfied with their jobs, and usually go above and beyond.
To keep employees happy in this group, you’ll want to keep them motivated by meaningful work, flexibility, and a workplace environment with supportive coworkers open to collaboration.
The Thriving Stars
Your Thriving Stars make up 4% of your workforce and are rare employees who bring an abundance of value to the company.
They maintain a high level of performance, have meaning and purpose at work, impact the team’s productivity, and are drivers of innovation.
The biggest risk?
This group is prone to burnout.
To avoid losing your high-value employees, create a sustainable work environment by limiting the amount of work this group is involved in.
How to Re-Engage Your Team
Once you know which group each team member belongs to, your challenge lies in moving as many as possible from the disengaged groups to the committed and thriving stars.
Of course, that’s no easy feat, and not everyone will make it. Everyone has different factors that motivate them; some of them are out of your control.
But by focusing on creating a work environment that pays its employees a fair wage, offers career advancements, allows people to develop their skills, and keeps things fresh with changing responsibilities, you can increase your chances of creating value-adding employees.