Improve Staff Satisfaction in Hotels

Imagine you still don’t know which shift you’ll be working tomorrow. You need to arrange for someone to pick your child up from school, but the work rota hasn’t been announced yet. Yet when you arrive at work the next morning, you’re expected to greet guests with a smile. Staff satisfaction in the hotel industry is shaped by such everyday moments. A decision that may seem minor at a management meeting can determine how the whole week unfolds for an employee.

In the hospitality industry, we pay close attention to how guests feel. Was the welcome warm? Was their room ready on time? Were their requests dealt with promptly? It is also worth paying the same attention to our staff’s day. How did they start their shift? Where did they encounter difficulties whilst carrying out their duties? Who was there to support them when they needed help? To understand how the service is delivered, we need to know the answers to these questions as well.

When discussing employee satisfaction, it is essential to address the issue of pay openly. Timely payment of salaries, ensuring that pay is commensurate with responsibilities, and ensuring that pay differences are based on clear and understandable reasons are key issues that need to be considered. The impact of a motivational event organised whilst employees are worrying about how they will make ends meet may be limited.

It is also important to consider how staff time is managed alongside pay. Sharing the shift rota in advance, assessing leave requests against consistent criteria, and explaining the reasons for last-minute changes are concrete improvements that could be implemented at the hotel. Of course, there will be unexpected peaks in workload. However, if the rota is constantly changing at the last minute, the planning process needs to be reviewed. Taking into account that staff have responsibilities outside of work is part of day-to-day management.

The issue of fairness also arises in the allocation of work. For example, assigning the same number of rooms to everyone in housekeeping may seem fair at first glance. However, the workload for a family room where guests are checking out may not be the same as that for a room requiring only a brief daily clean. In addition to the number of rooms, the condition of the room, the tasks to be carried out and the estimated time required must also be taken into account. Similarly, having the same number of tables in a restaurant does not necessarily mean that each section will have the same level of footfall. A manager who can explain the rationale behind the distribution will be able to provide more concrete answers to staff queries regarding fairness.

Then there are the minor hiccups that make a person’s job unnecessarily difficult. A trolley prepared with missing supplies, equipment that is moved to a different location every shift… Each of these may seem insignificant on its own. However, for an employee who has to deal with the same problem every day, the issue becomes a major one. A useful question for a manager seeking to improve staff satisfaction is: ‘What causes you the most trouble every day whilst doing your job?’ The answer given may sometimes require a direct purchasing or maintenance decision.

It is important for a manager to demonstrate their support through their day-to-day behaviour.

Let us imagine a difficult interaction with a guest at reception. The member of staff followed the procedure, but the issue could not be resolved. At that moment, the manager’s involvement in the interaction—understanding the situation and sharing responsibility for finding a solution—provides tangible support. Subsequently, if necessary, a one-to-one discussion is held with the staff member to assess where things went wrong. However, one must take into account the potential impact that a stern reprimand delivered in front of the guest could have, both on the employee and on the continuity of the service.

It is not necessary to wait for a major survey period to listen to staff. You can discuss workload, communication within the team and unresolved issues in short, regular meetings. In this context, the follow-up to the meeting is just as important as the meeting itself. If an issue regarding the staff service’s opening hours is raised, it must be clear who will look into it and when a response will be provided. If a solution is not immediately possible, the reason for this must be explained. If a suggestion is simply ignored, it leaves the employee with little incentive to speak up next time.

We could also be a little more thoughtful when it comes to showing appreciation. Saying ‘Well done’ is a good start. Add a sentence to show that you’ve noticed the work they’ve done. A comment such as ‘I noticed you took the time today to explain the ordering system to our new colleague—thank you’ clearly conveys which contribution is valued. It is particularly important to make the efforts of teams who do not have direct contact with guests visible. The laundry, technical services and dishwashing facilities are also integral to the hotel’s day-to-day success.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is whether staff can envisage a future for themselves at the hotel. It is not realistic to promise everyone a promotion in the short term. However, it is possible to explain which skills are required to prepare for the next role. What processes does a front-office staff member need to learn in order to prepare for a shift supervisor role? Is there someone who can provide training, and a date set for assessing their progress? Rather than simply saying ‘develop yourself’, working together to map out this path gives the employee a clear direction to follow.

To determine whether all of this is effective, it is useful to analyse staff satisfaction surveys, reasons for leaving, and recurring themes in daily discussions together. Whilst the hotel’s overall average may appear positive, there may be a serious issue within a single department. When analysing the data by department and period, it is also important to protect staff privacy. Furthermore, do not attribute every change in satisfaction to a single initiative; take into account factors such as seasonal peaks, team size and changes in management.

It is not enough to leave the responsibility for this work solely to Human Resources. Human Resources can collect feedback, analyse the data and monitor improvements. However, an employee’s day is shaped by the decisions of departmental managers, their relationships with colleagues and the conditions provided by the organisation. It is therefore important for the managing director to regularly include employee-related matters on the agenda and to monitor the implementation of the decisions taken.

You don’t need to try and change the whole system all at once to get started. Talk to your team and choose a recurring problem that makes day-to-day work difficult. Identify the person responsible for the solution and set a deadline. Then, check in with staff to ask whether the change you’ve made has made their work easier. When a member of staff on the next shift sees that the problem they previously raised has been resolved, they will have had a tangible experience of management listening to them.

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