Employees at hotel and other hospitality locations are the heart of their organisations, representing company values and mission to deliver the best possible guest experience consistently. But hospitality industry trends coming out of a very disruptive period show a worrying shortage of labour, with workers having time and financial support during lockdown to consider other options when it comes to their careers and their futures.
Making sure that hospitality work is rewarding, and that environments are supportive is more important than ever before to the future of the industry. How does advanced hotel technology help to address this vital concern? How must systems and processes in hotels and resorts best support hospitality workers day to day, help to identify how to reward their hard work, and retain their talent? Here are some examples to consider.
Technology connects the guest experience – and enhances the employee experience, too
There have been plenty of stories on how hotel technology helps to empower guests to manage their own journeys. Mobile solutions integrated with property management as connected to reservations management, restaurant point of sale, and others allow them to access services that give shape and meaning to their experiences with hospitality locations. The other side of that of course is how these connected systems affect the way that hospitality staff manage their own workdays which in turn delivers significant benefits to organisations.
A big factor to this is easier and less stressful time management. As technology solutions take on more of the operational mechanics of the guest journey, hospitality workers can be more focused on other tasks; general cleanliness, back-office tasks, events prep, inventory, communications with vendors, receiving supply orders, and more. When workers can accomplish these tasks efficiently and with fewer interruptions, this adds to a greater sense of accomplishment of a job well done. It also helps to promote an atmosphere of calmness, comfort, and welcome that benefits everyone.
Hotel technology that adds flexibility and removes the pressure
When workers have what they need to do their jobs well wherever they happen to be, that dynamic adds flexibility, a greater sense of freedom, and less friction as they complete tasks. And when staff have better accessibility to information, that increases the quality of guest interactions. Hotel technology solutions that support these principles play an integral part in making work meaningful and more effective.
Tablet-based point of sale to serve guests appetisers or drinks in hotel restaurants waiting areas or poolside from the hotel bar add to this level of fluidity. Housekeeping modules connected to PMS and accessible on staff mobile devices help workers stay connected to their task lists. Amenities reservations software manages timelines, accurate wait times, and timely availability notifications while staff concentrate on more personal interactions with guests. When the technology does more of the heavy lifting, that means less worker stress and more meaningful work all around.
Data-driven systems that identify and reward good work
For anyone to enjoy their job, there must be some sense that the work they do has positive impact. They must know how the value of their work is measured and have a sense that when they put in effort beyond the minimum, they will be rewarded in the same manner. The best way to accomplish this is to rely on real data that connects all your teams and all your locations together in a single ecosystem.
Cloud technology is an important component to this, allowing your organisation to identify the high performers across all brand locations and in single ones as well. From there, you can more easily match performance with rewards ranging from monthly bonuses, to management training opportunities, to job promotions. When your systems help you to express investment in your people and prompts rewards for good work, that’s one of the important factors that will help hospitality workers stay in the industry and continue to help your organisation flourish.
Pursuing the next steps
Investing in the right hotel technology solutions in support of helping staff excel is part of a solid strategy retain talent. The hospitality industry must contend with a range of other factors that affect that outcome, and no single hotel technology solution will be the sole answer to address the issue. But a baseline for success starts with making sure that technology takes on the burden to enable workers enjoy their work while generating efficiency, goodwill, and repeat business for your organisation while they do it.
What are the next steps in investing in the right solutions? A big part of that goes hand in hand with collaborating with the right technology partners. Whether you’re assessing an existing one or looking for a new source of external expertise, it can be a daunting task. So how do you begin that journey?
If you have questions, ICCG has answers. Schedule a complimentary consultation.