How to Solve Hotel Staff Shortages and Keep Teams Motivated

Staffing issues are one of the main issues in the hospitality industry, and there are no quick or easy fixes for this problem. As hoteliers worldwide struggle to meet the rising guest demands despite reduced staff, it’s time to unveil some surprising truths about staff motivation. Keep reading to get some inspiring insights about hotel staff shortages and discover what approach works best for hiring and keeping hotel staff motivated.

What Caused Hotel Staff Shortages?

The 2022 AHLA survey found that 97% of hotels experienced staffing shortages, with almost half experiencing severe ones. Many people didn’t come back to work in hospitality after the lockdowns ended. Some opted for more rewarding jobs in retail or chose online jobs. The common denominator was clear: seeking a better work-life balance. To work less, travel more, and prioritize free time. The next logical question is: how can the hotels make that happen?

4 Ways to Solve Staff Shortages and Improve Hiring

Here are four ways to reduce staff shortages and increase the loyalty of your employees. Innovative hoteliers such as Ruby Group already employ many of these, and the feedback has been great, especially regarding flexibility. A lesson here is to adapt to the needs of your staff instead of making them adapt to your profit targets. It shows your employees that you care about their well-being, so their loyalty comes naturally. Profit is quick to follow.

1. Offer Flexible Work Hours

Hotel roles are constantly evolving, which requires hotels to adapt their staffing models. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in housekeeping, with the rise of serviced apartments, automation, and opt-in housekeeping redefining the job role.

To give their staff a sense of security, Ruby Group introduced a 35-hour working week on the same salary, which translates to a 12-20% salary increase and more free time. They are entirely flexible when it comes to organizing – some housekeepers spend five days per week working seven hours, while others combine hours differently throughout the week.

From the hotel’s perspective, a flexible approach provides a competitive edge, as they can schedule team members according to business needs and eliminate idle time.

2. Introduce Benefit Packages and Career Plans

Boosting wages is a simple enough solution. However, it will quickly cut into your hotel’s revenue streams without affecting staff retention. How come? The truth is that hotels can’t pay their way out of a labor shortage without improving work-life balance and offering training and career development, too.

Start by offering a shorter work week with flexible hours and then introduce a benefits package: profit sharing, allowances for public transportation, fitness passes, language courses, etc. Reach your staff and ask them what else they’d need to improve their motivation and well-being.

Walk the talk and become a better employer who can address staff shortages by staying human. Not only will this help you keep your exceptional employees, but it will also attract new top talent.

3. (Re) Train your Staff to Minimize Turnover

Another way to reduce staff shortages is by implementing performance management through a good hotel operations platform. This will help you identify where your staff excels and where they could use additional training sessions. Experienced managers can take it a step further by recognizing the potential for retraining team members so that they can fulfill multiple roles and advance in their careers.

Take housekeeping, for example. There is an overwhelming list of things to do for new trainees. Save precious time and money by introducing digital checklists that will help them onboard quicker and guide them in completing their tasks correctly. New housekeepers will know precisely what to do in each room and be able to tick off tasks as they go, raising their chances of passing inspection.

4. Leverage Great Hotel Tech for Automation

Technology spells operational efficiency. Automate and digitalize internal processes and guest experience wherever possible. The possibilities are endless: housekeeping management software, contactless check-in and check-out, AI chatbots, QR codes on menus, restaurant eCommerce, and hotel robots – streamlining your operations will enable you to do more with the same or reduced team.

Combined with an agile PMS, technology automates or eliminates tedious tasks, such as repeated room inspections. It also lets you monitor the performance of every team member to provide support when needed. When tracking staff’s performance, look for the potential to improve instead of focusing on mistakes and punishment. A supportive approach builds trust and motivation, helping you retain staff for much longer.

This is especially important in housekeeping, where there is little to no interaction with staff. Housekeeping data is complex and reliant on many factors (property type, guests, time…), so it would be a mistake to assess your housekeepers’ performance just on the room’s cleanliness. Instead, a good hotel operations platform will help you understand data and the people who work for you. That is the future of retaining excellent hotel staff.

Many hotels are still focused on profits and see their staff as tools that help them achieve business goals. Sustainable success will only be possible by shifting that mindset to be more human-centric. Prioritizing staff is a considerable investment, but it pays back sooner than expected for forward-thinking hotels considering mid and long-term business goals.