Attracting the best hospitality staff
You’ve heard the saying “a crowd draws a crowd” right? Well, the same is said for staffing. The best staff draw the best staff.
Attracting the best hospitality staff for your business is crucial for success in the competitive hospitality, tourism and event management sectors in Australia. A strong team of dedicated, skilled, and motivated employees can really help improve customer satisfaction and significantly increase revenue. However, finding and retaining such a talented workforce can be a challenge, especially in the Australian hospitality industry where there is generally a high turnover rate.
With extensive experience in the hospitality and event management industries in Australia, I have put together 7 top tips for attracting an amazing team of motivated and dedicated team members to your business.
1. Offer competitive pay
A great way to attract your next top team is to offer competitive pay and benefits. In my experience, hospitality staff list pay and benefits as one of the most important reasons for selecting one employer over another. Generally speaking, they are a young workforce, often fresh out of school, paying for uni, travelling the world or simply out for some fun. So yeah, pay is important. It’s also a great idea to offer a few perks such as personal and/or family discounts on your venue services or sister venues.
2. Create a positive work culture
Another key strategy for attracting amazing hospitality staff is to create and develop a positive work culture. Hospitality staff are often more likely to stay with a company that has a positive, supportive work culture, where they feel valued and respected. This can be achieved by fostering a sense of community among employees, providing opportunities for social interaction, and promoting open communication. What a great way to attract and maintain staff from diverse cultures.
3. Offer development programs
After years of working withing the hospitality industry, I have noticed that great staff are motivated by the opportunity to progress in the workplace. Providing opportunities for growth and development through cross training or leadership and management training is a very effective way to attract and retain your next potential superstar.
4. Build a killer reputation
Being known as a great place to work and further develop a career is another powerful draw card for attracting the best hospitality employees. Build that killer reputation as the employer of choice by treating your employees well, investing in their development, and providing a safe and comfortable work environment. Remember, hospitality workers, especially those in tourist regions often socialise together…. and talk! When I worked in hospitality in Sydney and in coastal Qld, we all knew where the best places were to work.
5. Cast a wider recruitment net
Think outside the box when recruiting. Sure, there are great hospitality employment platforms to advertise on, but why not consider other options such as a dedicated ‘opportunities’ page on your website, a social media campaign or let the LinkedIn community know you are recruiting. You’ll be sure to reach a wide audience.
6. Referral programs
Why not encourage your best talent to refer friends and family to open positions? This method works well if the referrals are made by high-performing staff that represent your business’ core values. It’s a great way to help reduce costs of recruitment and increase the chances of finding a qualified and motivated candidate.
7. Employment flexibility
Why not offer flexible work arrangements? I remember being able to swap shifts from time to time in my previous hospitality employment. It worked really well! As long as it’s a win-win situation and is appropriate within the employers’ conditions, offering a flexible working conditions is another great way to attract great workers. Depending on the role, other flexible options can include part-time, flexible hours and remote working opportunities.
Working with what you have
What if you simply don’t have access to, or the options to implement all of the above? Well, why not work with what you have and train your team to be the best they can be?
Training staff in the basics is generally something most venues cover such as pouring drinks, taking orders, clearing tables, serving food but in order to help your staff grow and develop you need to work one-on-one with your staff on their one-percenters. The challenge facing most venues is they are already understaffed and there is not the capacity for the more in-depth training. This is where Strong Events team can assist you.
With years of experience we can work with members of your staff to fine tune the areas that need improving or can assist to elevate your business to the next level, to stand out from your competitors with the ultimate goal of increasing your revenue. We tailor the training to your venue and staff needs.
Some of the one-percenters that Strong Events works with your team on:
- Teaching staff “eyes up” focusing on the client.
- The key to multi-tasking traits that ensure high level of service without compromising standards and safety.
- De-escalation and negotiation with unhappy or challenging customers.
- Maximising the booking timeslots without impacting the kitchen.
- Upselling in a friendly casual manner that increases revenue without the hard sell.
- Setting standards that create a fun and enjoyable working environment.
- Spotting the detail.
- Mastering the pass.
This is just a glimpse of our hospitality training services. Get in touch now, let’s discuss how we can assist with staff training and retention.