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If people problems are taking over, there ARE ways to address the issue. First, understand the changing landscape, then take action. Read on to find out how.
The world has changed...
In the 1990s, things were very simple. No internet, no mobile phones, pay packets came in brown envelopes, and people did what they were told. Paper-based, cash heavy, and endless audit trails. The power sat with the manager – customers got what they were given.
In the 2000s, things were still relatively simple. Social media, apps, and tech were all in their infancy. Managers lived and died by 32-point customer journeys and mystery shoppers. Power still sat with the organisation and the manager.
Now we are in the 2020s and technology has changed everything. It’s not what you give me, it’s how you make me feel. It’s experience, not service. Instagram-ready menus. Personal recommendations. On-demand TV, food, and even work. The power balance has shifted to the customer and the employee.
On top of that, we moved into the 4th Industrial Age in 2015. The world is digital, cloud-based, personalised, flexible, and person-centric. It’s now our job as leaders to engage our teams and customers, not the other way round.
Who are we engaging?
Ten years ago, there were 4.8 people for every job. Today, there is 1 person per vacancy[1], and those that you get through the door might not be the best candidate for the job.
It’s time to stop talking about recruitment and start talking retention.
In 7 years’ time (2030), almost 70% of workers will be under 48 (Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha). Only 30% will be Baby Boomers or Gen X.
Our responsibility is to set them up for success. Empowering and enabling them so we all thrive, not just survive.
What can we do to thrive?
- 1
You probably have a recruitment team, but what about a retention team?
Companies like Sky TV and British Gas recognise the value of keeping people rather than replacing them and have retention specialists to hold on to them. A whole team might be too much, but how about investing a Retention Champion in every venue, whose job it is to support the team, build relationships, and stop people walking out the door?
- 2
Are you training people or helping them learn?
To manage the increase in national living wages this April, it’s reported that a business turning over £20k will need to generate an additional £2k revenue to stand still. How will you do this?
How about unlocking untapped revenue in your people?
Train them on company time to do things how you want you to do them. Technical skills, processes, and company basics. Then allow them to learn.
Harvard Business Review reported that 55% of teams learn from each other[3]. Our teams will learn in their own time if we give them the digital tools and knowledge sharing platforms to do so. And they’ll do it unpaid if you teach them what they want to learn.
Imagine the eager kitchen porter desperate to get on the chef line but you’ve no time to teach them? Imagine they can access menu training in their own time and come ready to show you how hungry they are to progress? Now imagine they do that on the day three chefs call in sick?…
- 3
There's no such thing as common sense!
If you’re getting frustrated with Gen Z for not having ‘common sense’, stop!
What might seem obvious to you – clearing glasses on your way past, for example – is not obvious to them. You need to set them up for success by being explicit in your instructions.
Try it and see. Tell them what you want, and how you want it doing, and they will do it.
- 4
When was the last critical thinking course you did, if ever?
The explosion in data requires critical thinking skills many don’t possess. It isn’t taught, yet we expect managers to interrogate data, join the dots, and come up with solutions. We need to equip them with the ability not just to identify outcomes but spot opportunities and drive improvement.
- 5
Competitive advantage is not just a concept.
Most of us know what it is in principle, but what about in practice? In simple terms, you need an edge to succeed, and it needs to be razor sharp to stand out. And every single person who works for you needs to understand what it is. Otherwise, how can they deliver it? Individual clarity on why your guests should come back to you time and again means setting your team – and your bottom line – up for success.
Drive performance through your people and you will make sure your business is future-fit not past perfect.
If you want help leading your team to success, our Summer 2023 Transition Development Programme is now open for bookings, and we’re offering -10% to UKHospitality members! Take a look and register your interest here.