The effects of COVID-19 and the Great Resignation are still being felt throughout the service industry. Short-staffed or not, the show must go on. Though high levels of turnover are standard in the industry, they should not be debilitating. We’ve rounded up our top 6 tips to mitigate turnover. It is possible to retain the talent you have while fostering an environment that is attractive to new hires. Let’s jump in!
Tip 1: Be Patient & Fair
There are many responsibilities to juggle as a manager. As a result, being consistent and empathetic can be challenging. It is vital to remember that things familiar or second nature to managers are often foreign concepts to new employees. Be patient, as some of your best employees might take longer to learn. Be fair. How you treat your employees directly impacts retention. Try your best to remove your personal preferences and manage from a brand standards perspective.
Tip 2: Effort Trumps Talent
There is a saying by Dave Weinbaum, “If you can’t excel with talent, triumph with effort.” Managers must be able to recognize continuous effort. These types of employees are valuable. Find small, yet meaningful ways to identify the efforts of your team. Finding each employee’s strengths will increase productivity. Keep in mind that some employees may not be suited for certain roles. Help your employees improve and find their place to shine.
Tip 3: Optimize Operations
There always seems to be a never ending list of tasks to complete during a shift. Prep work, stocking, cleaning, etc. Help your employees be more efficient by automating tasks when possible. You can also make sure processes are streamlined to avoid the same task being completed multiple times. Communication is key.
Tip 4: Flexibility
Job flexibility is so attractive to potential employees. Many remain at a job because their employer offers flexible work options. In our current job market, if a position stops offering a flexible schedule, there is no shortage of jobs elsewhere. You would rather be short-staffed for a few shifts than lose a valuable employee long term. Remember that the next time an employee is seeking an accommodation.
Tip 5: Train Right the First Time
Training should lead to confidence. As with learning any new skill, there will be bumps along the way. Avoid constant correction and keep in mind that employees have different learning styles. Try to accommodate when you can. Managers must be aware of who will be working each shift training the employees. You want to make sure that person is capable of leading the new hire to success. While there are many reasons an employee may leave the workplace, don’t let a lack of sufficient training be the culprit.
Tip 6: Motivate Your Team
Keep your team around by completing standard reviews and raises. This is one way to show team members that they are valued. After all, employees come to work to get paid. An excellent time to evaluate the employee’s goals with the company is during the review process. It will also give you a chance to assess if a promotion would be a good step. You are not promoting every employee to management level. However, many companies have roles like “team lead” that can show the employees value without moving them immediately to a management position. These accomplishments can lead to high satisfaction keeping your current team members around. And the ability to promote within is appealing to potential new hires.
