“Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people.”
– Stephen R. Covey
For hospitality employers looking for the magic ingredient for motivating their teams, they can look no further than trust. Trust improves retention, productivity, and morale. Without it, employees will quickly leave, or worse, stick around and perform poorly. Yet multiple surveys recently show that more than a third of US employees generally distrust their employers. That number only increases for small businesses, like many restaurants and hotels, who do not have a dedicated HR department. Consider these strategies to build trust in your hospitality team:
Encourage Time-Off
Offering PTO to employees signals that you trust them to step away from work to care for themselves. However, a PEW Research Center survey shows that employees often leave PTO unused because they feel guilty about adding stress to teams or are worried it will impact their careers. Actively encourage workers to use up their vacation and sick days, as well as assist in creating plans for work coverage when employees are out. Creating a positive culture around taking time off shows employees that they can trust there will be no fall out from taking all their PTO available.
Use Transparency the Right Way
Transparency has been a hot-button topic lately, as more states create salary transparency laws. However, transparency only creates trust in a company if used consistently. Openly communicate business performance and future growth plans. Provide insight into how you make your decisions to give employees more trust in those decisions.
Get Employee Input
Have open channels of employee/employer communication, and ensure it flows both ways. Let employees give input into their schedule. Listen to suggestions for improvements. As uncomfortable as it may be, also listen to their feedback about management.
Maintain Consistent Company Values
It can be difficult for employees to trust a company without understanding its goals. For a small hospitality business, it may seem unnecessary to create a company mission or value statement. However, it is incredibly useful in building a common purpose. It creates clear expectations of how employees should conduct themselves and also gives employees a clear understanding of how leadership will act.
Consult with Hospitality Experts
Getting insights from hospitality talent acquisition experts signals to your team that you are committed to being a trustworthy employer. With over twenty-five years of experience, the recruiting team at Horizon Hospitality can create transparent and effective processes for company’s hiring, retention, and compensation strategies. Contact us to learn how.