Is staff turnover a continuity-engaging problem too?
It is no secret that the hospitality industry has one of the highest levels of staff turnover. In the 2024 annual report, Deloitte stated that turnover in our industry reached 73.8%—a significant figure that continues to rise year over year.
Many strategies can be implemented to decrease this metric, and most of them will depend on the organizational culture, such as employee benefits, salaries, or career development opportunities.
However, even if we combine all of these approaches and independent hotels put in place an organized recognition system, employees won’t necessarily stay with the same company if there isn’t a continuous approach. So, can independent hotels introduce and sustain additional practices to reduce their turnover rate?
Although it is not a magic formula and there are different approaches, we would like to highlight one that often does not reach center stage: staff training. You may have doubts about it, but there are many ways to implement Learning & Development strategies without breaking the bank or needing an LMS (Learning Management System) to achieve it. Your goal is to transition into a culture that listens to pain points and delivers results using a learning component. Let us show you how.
Onboarding
When done correctly, it’s the door that ensures a long-lasting relationship with the company. In our industry, it comes in multiple ways—from official paperwork to having the right tools for the new housekeeper, to creating the PMS credentials for the receptionist before their first day, or scheduling 1:1 sessions with the heads of department.
The key here is to leave behind the old days of providing manuals and repetitive tasks, and move toward a more engaging introduction that includes the whole team over lunch, online resources, shadowing and buddy partners, as well as competitions and scavenger hunts to communicate the most important policies and processes while imprinting your culture’s distinctiveness.
Language Classes
Remote locations are idyllic for customers. On one hand, the peace and uniqueness they offer is the main attraction; on the other, the operational component tends to rely on an incredibly talented local workforce—who may not be as skilled in English or another secondary language.
This is where local partnerships with language schools, nearby universities, and independent organizations play a crucial role. By strengthening the relationship with the community, you can provide language classes to your staff, helping them build the confidence they need to interact naturally with your clients.
Online Reinforcement
Even if you perform repetitive tasks daily, reinforcement, new system features, or new trends will always be knocking on the door. Part of a retention strategy is to keep your team updated and motivated with new components.
This can be achieved in multiple ways—for example, SaaS platforms offering online training on a budget, or organizing frequent learning activities with interesting podcasts, free webinars, and videos available online discussing new trends or useful advice. Finally, a consultant who visits every 3 months can provide refreshers or introduce new processes for both frontline and backline staff.
Partners and Workshops
Training doesn’t have to cover only the basics of the job; it can also include different components that, combined, can become additional skills for your team.
Think about your F&B venues: a local spirit producer, a tea developer, or your honey supplier—they all have the facts, stories, and techniques to enrich the storytelling behind the product you are selling or offering in a dish or beverage. It’s about inviting your suppliers into your premises and strengthening the relationship, allowing them to showcase their product, your employees to gain lifelong knowledge, and, yes, even discover new ways to enhance sales.
Special Bootcamps
A practice more common in branded hotels than independent ones—though not impossible to implement. Nowadays, consulting firms such as ours focus on relevant topics in the industry. Imagine a 3-day bootcamp, either online or on-site, that covers financial, operational, and commercial components, with interactive dynamics, roleplays, real case scenarios, and hands-on learning activities. These can become an annual booster. Remember, not every cultural activity is only for fun—especially when combined with professional development.
Educational Bonus
A profitable business doesn’t happen overnight; sometimes, even reaching the break-even point can take quite some time. But think about the impact of retention. If you establish an educational fund as part of your expenses, your best-performing employees could receive a sum to help them achieve a formal education certificate—or even provide a starting fund for your youngest team members. You’re not funding an entire career—you’re encouraging them to be better.
We’re eager to hear which of these strategies you’ll be implementing as part of your retention program. At the end of the day, whether you implement all of them or just a few, remember that more than imparting knowledge at different levels, what you’re really doing is investing in someone for life.
Education is caring, education is forever—and doing it authentically, because you care about your staff, is sometimes more valuable than any year-end party.
You can add any elements, change their arrangement or event attach a normal layout to article layout. Changes made in attached layout will also be visible in article layouts.
Is staff turnover a continuity-engaging problem too?
It is no secret that the hospitality industry has one of the highest levels of staff turnover. In the 2024 annual report, Deloitte stated that turnover in our industry reached 73.8%—a significant figure that continues to rise year over year.
Many strategies can be implemented to decrease this metric, and most of them will depend on the organizational culture, such as employee benefits, salaries, or career development opportunities.
However, even if we combine all of these approaches and independent hotels put in place an organized recognition system, employees won’t necessarily stay with the same company if there isn’t a continuous approach. So, can independent hotels introduce and sustain additional practices to reduce their turnover rate?
Although it is not a magic formula and there are different approaches, we would like to highlight one that often does not reach center stage: staff training. You may have doubts about it, but there are many ways to implement Learning & Development strategies without breaking the bank or needing an LMS (Learning Management System) to achieve it. Your goal is to transition into a culture that listens to pain points and delivers results using a learning component. Let us show you how.
Onboarding
When done correctly, it’s the door that ensures a long-lasting relationship with the company. In our industry, it comes in multiple ways—from official paperwork to having the right tools for the new housekeeper, to creating the PMS credentials for the receptionist before their first day, or scheduling 1:1 sessions with the heads of department.
The key here is to leave behind the old days of providing manuals and repetitive tasks, and move toward a more engaging introduction that includes the whole team over lunch, online resources, shadowing and buddy partners, as well as competitions and scavenger hunts to communicate the most important policies and processes while imprinting your culture’s distinctiveness.
Language Classes
Remote locations are idyllic for customers. On one hand, the peace and uniqueness they offer is the main attraction; on the other, the operational component tends to rely on an incredibly talented local workforce—who may not be as skilled in English or another secondary language.
This is where local partnerships with language schools, nearby universities, and independent organizations play a crucial role. By strengthening the relationship with the community, you can provide language classes to your staff, helping them build the confidence they need to interact naturally with your clients.
Online Reinforcement
Even if you perform repetitive tasks daily, reinforcement, new system features, or new trends will always be knocking on the door. Part of a retention strategy is to keep your team updated and motivated with new components.
This can be achieved in multiple ways—for example, SaaS platforms offering online training on a budget, or organizing frequent learning activities with interesting podcasts, free webinars, and videos available online discussing new trends or useful advice. Finally, a consultant who visits every 3 months can provide refreshers or introduce new processes for both frontline and backline staff.
Partners and Workshops
Training doesn’t have to cover only the basics of the job; it can also include different components that, combined, can become additional skills for your team.
Think about your F&B venues: a local spirit producer, a tea developer, or your honey supplier—they all have the facts, stories, and techniques to enrich the storytelling behind the product you are selling or offering in a dish or beverage. It’s about inviting your suppliers into your premises and strengthening the relationship, allowing them to showcase their product, your employees to gain lifelong knowledge, and, yes, even discover new ways to enhance sales.
Special Bootcamps
A practice more common in branded hotels than independent ones—though not impossible to implement. Nowadays, consulting firms such as ours focus on relevant topics in the industry. Imagine a 3-day bootcamp, either online or on-site, that covers financial, operational, and commercial components, with interactive dynamics, roleplays, real case scenarios, and hands-on learning activities. These can become an annual booster. Remember, not every cultural activity is only for fun—especially when combined with professional development.
Educational Bonus
A profitable business doesn’t happen overnight; sometimes, even reaching the break-even point can take quite some time. But think about the impact of retention. If you establish an educational fund as part of your expenses, your best-performing employees could receive a sum to help them achieve a formal education certificate—or even provide a starting fund for your youngest team members. You’re not funding an entire career—you’re encouraging them to be better.
We’re eager to hear which of these strategies you’ll be implementing as part of your retention program. At the end of the day, whether you implement all of them or just a few, remember that more than imparting knowledge at different levels, what you’re really doing is investing in someone for life.
Education is caring, education is forever—and doing it authentically, because you care about your staff, is sometimes more valuable than any year-end party.
You can add any elements, change their arrangement or event attach a normal layout to article layout. Changes made in attached layout will also be visible in article layouts.
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