Hospitality Sector and the Employee Turnover - Example

Business Writing Hospitality Sector and the Employee Turnover Introduction Hospitality sector business which is the most significant to contribute the economy of the country is facing the problem of high employee turnover. The turnover rate is highest among all service sector businesses like what contemporary researchers claim about hospitality (Protel, 2014). In Oman, this is the most significant problem where trained employees and managers are hard to find by employers. Employee retention is most important in this way for the stability of organizations. If employees do not retain, it is impossible to find the quality performance for the organization. Employees are like an asset for a hospitality organization. When they are gone they take away the knowledge and experience they earned from the organization (Boardman, 2010). Understanding the problem of employee turnover in the hospitality industry, this paper is presenting apprehensive solutions on employee retention and sustenance. Being the manager of a quick service restaurant, this report proposes solutions to my HRD (Human Resource Department) of what could possibly lead to employee retention in our organization. The need is to understand the extent and nature of the problem “employee retention” to find effective and keen solutions on it. Purpose The purpose of this proposal is to bring employee retention in our hospitality organization, which is most affected due to high employee turnover rate. The aim here is to identify causes and reasons of why employees fluctuate so earlier in the hospitality sector. Furthermore, strategies regarding employee retention are proposed and presented in this paper (Kysilka, 2013). Objectives • To determine the causes of high employee turnover rate in hospitality organization. • To identify reasons of what make employees switch so earlier in hospitality organization. • To determine the job satisfaction levels of hospitality employees. • To present apprehensive solutions for retaining employees in the hospitality. • To compose an effective employee retention plan and strategy. My Suggestion According to National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry contributes majorly each year to the US’s country economics. The major share is from the quick restaurant segment, which contributes from $ 50 to 100 billion revenues each year to the country. The need is to improve this service sector by means of identifying its core problems such as “high employee turnover rates”. The government is on to support the hospitality organizations for this problem. They are providing financial and both the managerial level of support to drag off the organizations from this challenge. My first suggestion to organization is to take all possible support coming from the Government. This will help our managers understand and deal with the problem more confidently and effectively (Swailes, 2010). Identifying the Core of the Problem The present statistics tell that quick service restaurants in Oman are almost 40% of the total food establishment. This percentage indicates that there are more than 2000 restaurants opened at each State of the country, which requires at-least 60 to 70 hourly working employees on a weekly basis. In this way, easy job positions are opened in the hospitality domain and, therefore, more places are available for switching for both employees and managers. This could be one possible reason of why employees switch so earlier in the hospitality sector. Employees switch when they find other good jobs, another good positions, which are suited to their interest and qualification. Good employment rate in the hospitality industry means good opportunity for switching. This is the problem and it needs to be addressed in this way by our Government and administration (Gonzalez, 2008). Factors related to high employee turnover in hospitality Heavy Workload Work burnout and stress are factors that force employees to switch. When employees are unwilling to work, and still they are given more work and more of the responsibility, they look for a chance to switch as this is the only way they find relief. High burden on employees is due to high workload, and this is one of the reasons that make employees switch so earlier in hospitality. There are many restaurants in Oman that throw burden on employees. Employers in the country get the most out of the hourly waged employees, and become the reason that employees decide to leave. High workload is one major cause of high employee turnover in hospitality, and It needs to be avoided or removed to slow down the turnover process. Unattractive Career Opportunities It is not that the hospitality organizations do not bring career or chance of growth for employees, but their chances are mostly unattractive to employees. Usually, employees join hospitality for small durations, which is a dilemma of the industry and needs to be notified. When employees’ expectations are unmet, and they see a non-existing career in the company, they decide to leave. This is common phenomenon that prevails not only in the hospitality, but also in other service industries. Just like in other sectors, employees should be given open chances of growth and promotion in hospitality. They should be given a chance for enhancing their skill and talent. This is how they will be comfortable and confident to stay in the industry and in the organization (Kusluvan, 2003). Lack of Support It has been seen in the hospitality sector that employees are not valued as they should be. They are treated just like workers are no given the chance to participate in company’s decision making. Supervisors are less concerned for building relationships with their subordinates and similarly subordinates are less interested to listen to their heads. A gap exists between employees and managers and a reason for employees that they depart (Schuler & Jackson, 2008). Normally, hospitality organizations give more importance to managers and seniors in the organization (Gonzalez, 2008). They sideline the employees who are running the root of the business. This is the most critical problem identified in the hospitality management, the main reason of why employees quit so frequently from the hospitality organization. Managers should be cooperative with their subordinates as this is the only way they can bring trust of their employees. When employees have confidence in their management, they are more willing to work, more willing to stay in the organization and take part in the company’s success. With mutual understanding between management and employees, stability can be brought in hospitality organization (Schuler & Jackson, 2008). The Survey The survey was conducted from three different hospitality organizations situated in Oman. A population of 50 employees from all different organizations was selected to perform the survey. Employees were asked on what made them switch so earlier, the reason of their fluctuation and high turnover rate in the hospitality sector (Kusluvan, 2003). Majority of the employees agreed that it was heavy workload and the unhealthy work environment that made them switch so earlier. They switch because they are not satisfied with the working conditions and the atmosphere they are dwelling in. They just work on temporary basis in restaurants and not for making a career or designation in hotels. The most important thing to note is the culture of the hotels, which is highly influenced with seniors and the managers’ biases. The survey finds out that all above factors that this is the most relevant and significant facto to cause high employee turnover in hospitality (Swailes, 2010). Employee Retention Plan The policy reform Identifying and understanding the above factors of high employee turnover, this section is presenting an employee retention plan and strategy (Kysilka, 2013). Initially, this report proposes a policy reform based on employee empowerment, a concept that genuinely works for employment growth and prosperity. When employees are empowered by giving them equal share and value, they are more willing to perform and deliver to the organization. Similarly, when they are empowered they bring out their best, which is all in favor for the organization. In this way, employees are asset for the organization; this should be understood to our managers. When they perform only then the organization is in position to perform. This is a natural intimating relationship of an employee with his or her organization (Gonzalez, 2008). Bringing a healthy work environment By promoting team dynamics, employee-manager participation, employee-manager coordination and understanding, we can create a healthy work environment at our place. A healthier work environment is the most important to retain employees (Protel, 2014). When employees exist in an environment, which encourages their work, their effort and contribution, they are nowhere to go from that environment. For this reason, a healthier work environment is necessary to bring employee retention. As a manager, this has to be kept at the top of priorities and strategy proposition accordingly (Kysilka, 2013). Employee growth and development Organizations, which prioritize employee training and development, are important among employees. Employees anticipate if organizations bring their growth programs on regular basis. Employee training is important for polishing and enhancing employees’ skill (Swailes, 2010). Training improves the tendency of an employee to stay at one place as effective training enables him to retain and sustain. Through this report, HR team is proposed to have the development programs that could possibly lead to employee retention and motivation. Training will enable our employees on skill and performance. If we are successful in bringing effective training programs, we can surely make our employees determined on work (Kusluvan, 2003). Employee satisfaction and performance An employee performance in a hospitality organization is significantly related to employee job satisfaction. If an employee is not satisfied, he will certainly not concentrate on the work and his performance will be affected. We need to focus on all those factors that could satisfy employees at our workplace. There are multiple factors that relate to employee satisfaction such as effective wage, flexible working hours, friendly atmosphere and employee value and recognition. It is often that employees quit from hoteling jobs as they do not find the value in it (Kusluvan, 2003). They work just to make the basic earning and consider it as a temporary job or a part time work to pursue. We have to change this perception by satisfying our employees at all the possible level. We have to bring policies that endorse employee job satisfaction and retention at the workplace (Kysilka, 2013). Reducing the workload In hospitality positions, care is not given to workers workload. In this, workers over perform at times and often stretch to burn out. We have to consider this factor by reducing the working hours of our employees. There is no need to exceed the work time, as this only increases the burden and employees are frustrated. Employee frustration kills and deteriorates employee skill and performance (Schuler & Jackson, 2008). Hence, flexible working hours are recommended to my HR team. By reducing the workload, our employees will be self-motivated. They will be more willing to perform and to deliver (Schuler & Jackson, 2008). References Boardman, T. (2010, August 4). Staff Turnover in Hospitality. Retrieved from www.insidebusiness360.com: http://www.insidebusiness360.com/index.php/staff-turnover-in-hospitality-10131/ Gonzalez, G. C. (2008). Facing Human Capital Challenges of the 21st Century. Pittsburgh: Rand Corporation. Kusluvan, S. (2003). Managing Employee Attitudes and Behaviors in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. New York: Nova Publishers. Kysilka, D. (2013). Employee Turnover in the Hospitality Industry. Tibiscus University of Timisoara. Protel. (2014). High employee fluctuation in the hospitality industry. Retrieved from http://www.protel.net/solution/protel-solutions/employee-fluctuation/ Schuler, R. S., & Jackson, S. E. (2008). Strategic HRM. New Delhi: Wiley India Pvt. Limited. Swailes, S. (2010). Voluntary Labour Turnover in the Omani Public Sector. Hull: Centre for Management and Organizational Learning. Read More