How to Improve Employee Performance at Your Workplace

Keeping your hotel fully staffed goes beyond maintaining schedules – it also helps ensure guest satisfaction and consistent revenue. When turnover is high, consistency in service suffers, morale plummets and recruiting and training costs soar. Employee retention helps you keep people who know your system and area, which is essential to delivering the excellent experience your guests expect.

You can hold onto your staff by creating a workplace where your team feels valued, supported, and empowered to do their jobs.

In this post, we’ll explore actionable strategies hotel managers can implement to reduce hotel turnover and foster a more engaged and stable workforce.

How to Reduce Hotel Staff Turnover

Hotels face unique staffing challenges, considering that you need people who are able to maintain calm while dealing with customer-facing roles or staff during odd hours.

Let’s look at some of the ways you can reduce hotel staff turnover!

Implement Proper Training for Front Desk Staff

Front desk employees are the face of your hotel, and while you want to hire people who have some skills with customer management, you want to provide proper training as to your systems and specific clientele needs. Teaching new hires upfront demonstrates the strength of your organization and lets them be confident in their employer.

Onboarding and training sessions equip your team with the skills and knowledge they need to manage check-ins confidently, resolve guest complaints, and use booking systems efficiently. Empowered staff are less likely to burn out and more likely to stick around.

Foster Open Communication

Open communication is the backbone of a healthy work environment. An open-door policy allows employees to share feedback and discuss challenges, helping you build mutual trust and support. This two-way communication encourages collaboration and ensures that staff feel valued and respected.

Consider using anonymous feedback tools for employees who may not feel comfortable voicing concerns directly.

Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits

Pay matters—a lot, especially in competitive industries like hotels. Regularly reviewing salaries to ensure they are competitive within the industry is critical for retaining your best workers. However, great benefits can elevate your offering even more. Health insurance, paid time off, employee discounts on hotel services, and wellness programs show that you care about your team, not just their output.

Show Staff You Have Their Backs

The hospitality industry isn’t without its challenges. Complaints, unreasonable guest requests, and stressful situations are part of the job. Make it clear to your staff that you’re in their corner and trust their decisions.

Knowing that management has their back gives employees the confidence they need to handle tough situations without fear of undue blame so they can focus on providing a great environment for other guests. Help them learn by debriefing after challenging guest interactions and reaffirm your support.

Promote Work-Life Balance

Long shifts, overtime, and unpredictable schedules can quickly lead to burnout. Offering flexibility where possible, adhering to agreed-upon hours, and creating schedules in advance will allow your staff to balance work with their personal lives.

Rested employees are more engaged, productive, and less likely to quit, so be mindful of the hours you schedule for staff and don’t overburden them with difficult shifts. Explore rotating schedules or the option for staff to trade shifts to better accommodate individual needs.

Recognize and Reward Achievements

Show appreciation for your team’s hard work through a formal recognition program, incentives, or even a simple “thank you” during team meetings. Milestone celebrations, such as work anniversaries or awarding “Employee of the Month,” can go a long way toward reinforcing a positive culture.

You could also offer tangible rewards, such as gift cards, additional time off, or public recognition, to make the acknowledgment even more impactful.

Invest in Career Development Opportunities

Developing clear career pathways, offering promotions from within, and creating mentorship programs show your investment in your employees' growth. By giving them a reason to see your hotel as a long-term opportunity, you encourage loyalty and reduce turnover.

Doing so lets you reward your loyal employees and prepare them for positions where they need to fill in as acting managers or take over altogether. Partner with local hospitality schools to offer upskilling workshops or certifications to your staff.

Create a Positive Workplace Culture

A strong workplace culture fosters camaraderie, teamwork, and a shared sense of purpose. Focus on inclusivity, swiftly address workplace conflicts, and create opportunities for team-building activities. When employees feel they’re part of a positive, supportive community, they’re much more likely to stay.

Enhance Workplace Safety and Comfort

Little things can make a big difference. Ensure your hotel provides a clean, safe, and comfortable environment. Ergonomic tools, appropriate uniforms, and well-kept equipment can improve day-to-day experiences for employees.

Regularly conduct workplace evaluations and ask employees for suggestions on how to improve their working conditions.

Streamline Your HR

Strong HR support is essential to reducing hotel turnover. From streamlining hiring processes to providing ongoing support for current staff, HR enables managers to focus on leading their teams and fostering a positive environment.

Partnering with an experienced HR provider can also significantly reduce the administrative burden of managing staff by removing the internal need to conduct payroll or benefits administration.

Partner With TBM to Streamline Your HR Process

At TBM, we’ve been helping hotels improve their HR practices since 1993. We handle the complexities of human resources so you can focus on supporting your team and delivering exceptional guest experiences.

Our team specializes in optimizing HR processes, from recruitment and onboarding to employee performance tracking and retention strategies. We understand the unique challenges hotels face and are here to provide tailored solutions.

Reach out to TBM today to learn how we can help reduce hotel turnover today.