Managing Staff Turnover in Hotels

Hiring good people is just the start. Onboarding well is the key to keeping them. The truth about weak onboarding: ↳ It costs you 2-3x more in the long run ↳ Creates unnecessary imposter syndrome ↳ Breeds preventable mistakes ↳ Kills momentum before it starts What strong onboarding actually looks like: 1. Structured First 90 Days • Clear milestones and wins • Regular check-in rhythm • Progressive responsibility increase 2. Support System That Works • Dedicated mentor assignments • Cross-team introductions • "Stupid question" channels 3. Resources Ready Day 1 • Updated documentation • Tool access pre-configured • Team processes explained 4. Learning Built Into The Schedule • Protected learning blocks • Practice environments • Feedback loops Stop expecting people to "figure it out." Start investing in their success. The best companies know: A slow start beats a false start. What was your best (or worst) onboarding experience? ♻ Share if you believe in better onboarding

The "war for talent" continues, but many companies are stuck using the same hiring and retention strategies they've relied on for decades. These methods might keep employees a bit longer, but they still leave. Why? Because it's not just about perks or compensation—it's about the experience. A recent, thought-provoking Harvard Business Review article by Ethan Bernstein, Michael Horn and Bob Moesta suggests that employees crave meaningful work, to feel valued, trusted, and have room to grow. After studying job switchers for 15 years, they identified four key reasons for why employees leave: 1. Get out: They're in a toxic environment or feel stuck in a role that doesn’t align with their strengths. 2. Regain control: They need more flexibility or predictability in their work-life balance. 3. Regain alignment: They’re seeking a job where their skills and talents are fully utilized and appreciated. 4. Take the next step: They’re ready for growth and new responsibilities after reaching a milestone. So what can leaders do to create the experiences people actually need? Here are three specific strategies the article suggests: (a) Interview people early: Don't wait until employees are leaving. Have regular, meaningful conversations about their career goals and motivations. (b) Develop “shadow” job descriptions: Go beyond vague or outdated job descriptions—focus on the real day-to-day tasks and experiences that make the role fulfilling. (c) Collaborate with HR: Work with HR to design roles that align both the organization's needs and the employee's personal growth goals. By addressing these deeper factors, companies can reduce costly turnover and build workplaces where people thrive and want to stay. How is your organization aligning employee experience with retention strategies? #leadership #talentdevelopment #employeeexperience #retention #growth #workplaceculture https://lnkd.in/dJzU2aTm

"I don't even know why I am bothering to write this since no one will actually read it."   Those words screamed back at me as I stared at my computer screen, reading through each comment on our recent #employeeengagement survey, including, ironically, this comment.   At first I wanted to figure out who said it (impossible) and write to them - "I am reading your comment! See, you DO matter!"   But then I let the gravity of the comment sink into me.   What I realized in that moment was two important lessons about the #employeeexperience -   The first thing I learned is that people WANT to be heard. Desperately.    And if you give them a way to be heard they appreciate it and lean into it, EVEN IF they think no one will hear.    If you are at all considering ridding your organization of your employee survey (as I was at the time) consider this lesson, hard. Even if you do nothing, the simple act of listening is meaningful.    I'll add that if you don't give them a formal way to share their feedback, chances are far higher that employees will take those comments somewhere else, like social media and public comment boards. Because they want to be heard. By someone.   The second thing I learned is that I was doing a terrible job of showcasing how we monitored and acted on feedback. That was on me.    This person thought we did nothing with it to the point that no one would even read their comments. That realization hit me hard.    I had to do better, to showcase WHY we were asking, WHAT we heard, and HOW we were going to take action. Because while, yes, I said above that people want to be heard even if nothing is done about it, the more times nothing is done - or that they BELIEVE nothing is done, then eventually they WILL stop sharing, and we are back to them going out to a public forum instead.   In the end, my big takeaway from this was that employee surveys are a powerful tool for boosting the employee experience - when used correctly.   They provide a direct channel for employees to voice their thoughts and concerns, fostering a culture of transparency and trust.   AND, when we actively listen to what they have to say and respond to feedback, we show our employees that their voices MATTER.   So, I now think of these surveys as less about monitoring engagement - we can do that through other leading indicators and analytics - and more about employee listening and the power that has to transform our workplaces. #iamtalentcentric #humanresources #talentmanagement

Hospitality leaders, stop lying to yourselves. You keep saying culture matters, but when your employees walk into work, it is the same story every day. Burnout, no recognition, zero communication, high turnover, and then you blame it on a talent shortage. That is not a shortage, it is your culture pushing people out. People are leaving you because you are not giving them a reason to stay. And here is the reality you need to hear: if you do not change how you lead, you will lose your team, your reputation, and eventually your business. So how do you fix it? Not with slogans on the wall or HR-approved buzzwords, but with action. 1. Transparency every single day. Employees are not stupid. They know when you are hiding things. Share numbers, share goals, share challenges. If the hotel is struggling, tell them. If the cruise line is breaking records, celebrate it. When people feel trusted with information, they feel valued. 2. Stop with the fake recognition. A once-a-year plaque means nothing. Recognition has to be real time and personal. When a server handles a tough guest, acknowledge it in the moment. When a housekeeper goes above and beyond, make sure everyone knows. Public recognition creates pride, and pride builds culture. 3. Invest in growth. If you are not giving employees a path forward, they will find it elsewhere. Training should not be a one-off workshop. It should be consistent, measurable, and tied to promotions. People want to see a future. If you cannot show them one, they are gone. 4. Listen with intent. Most leaders do not actually listen. They nod their head, wait for their turn to speak, then dismiss ideas because they came from the front line. The best ideas in hospitality do not come from boardrooms, they come from people who face guests every single day. Create channels where employees can share ideas without fear of being ignored. 5. Lead by example. You cannot preach kindness and then blow up at staff behind closed doors. You cannot talk about teamwork while making decisions in isolation. Culture is not what you say, it is what you do. If you are late, disrespectful, or inconsistent, that spreads. If you are visible, humble, and fair, that spreads too. 6. Pay what the role deserves. Stop pretending culture can fix everything if you are not paying fairly. People will not feel valued if they cannot pay their bills. Payroll is not a cost to cut, it is an investment in retention. You lose more money rehiring and retraining than you ever save by underpaying. Here is the punchline. Culture is not soft. You can spend millions on marketing campaigns, but if your employees hate working for you, guests will feel it instantly. On the other hand, when your staff loves showing up every day, the energy is contagious. Guests notice, reviews reflect it, and revenue follows. Treat your people like they matter. Because in the end, they are the only thing standing between your brand and irrelevance.

Once someone gives notice, it’s already too late. They’ve mentally checked out long before they handed in that resignation. People don’t quit jobs—they quit poor leadership, toxic culture, and places where growth has stalled. Someone recently reached out to me on LI to say: “I just resigned from my job last week because the owner is just destroying the very thing he is trying to accomplish. He doesn't care about anyone but himself and blames everyone for all the company problems. .” That’s real at a lot of workplaces...and it sucks. You see, retention isn’t about scrambling to fill empty seats. It’s about getting curious: Why are people leaving in the first place? Here are the top reasons employees walk away: 1. They feel invisible. – When was the last time you truly acknowledged their efforts? 2. Growth has stalled. – No path forward? They’ll create one—somewhere else. 3. Feedback is broken. – Micromanaging isn't feedback. Neither is silence. 4. Culture feels toxic. – Gossip, burnout, and favoritism kill engagement fast. 5. Pay doesn’t reflect value. – People do notice when their efforts outweigh their paycheck. 6. Leaders don’t inspire. – Leadership isn’t about control. It’s about empowerment. 7. Work-life balance is a myth. – When “flexibility” means always being on call, people leave. And here’s what many organizations get wrong: → Exit interviews are too late. By then, the damage is done. → Perks don’t replace purpose. Free snacks won’t fix poor management or lack of appreciation. → Turnover is costly. It’s not just about money—it’s the loss of morale, momentum, and institutional knowledge. If you’re serious about retention, start by listening to the people still in the room. Be the reason they stay—not the reason they leave. What’s your take on this? I’d love to hear it. ♻️ Repost if this struck a chord. 🔔 Follow Sharon Grossman for more on how to build workplaces people want to be part of.

Creating Teams Where People Actually Speak Up Want your best team members to share their real thoughts? Most don't. The Four Seasons hotel chain discovered why. Every morning, managers share what went wrong yesterday. No blame. Just solutions. Their "Glitch Report" meetings transform errors into wins. As their CEO says, "What's important isn't the error. It's the recovery." Here's how to build this psychological safety on your team: 1. Make failure acceptable. Leaders must fail first. Your team watches what you do, not what you say. Admit your mistakes before asking others to share theirs. 2. Ensure that all voices are heard. Try the speaking chip method. Give everyone five chips. Each comment costs one chip. When you're out, you listen. Suddenly, your quietest team members become your most valuable. 3. Make feedback safe. Create consequence-free critique sessions. People hold back honest feedback when they fear being blamed if their suggestion causes problems. Set clear expectations. "Your job is to point out problems, my job is to decide what to fix." After the session, the project owner makes decisions independently, protecting both the feedback giver and the creative vision. Psychological safety isn't just a workplace luxury—it's the difference between a team that merely performs and one that consistently breaks through to excellence.

Your words shape the air people work in. I’ve been in enough rooms to know, it’s not the policies that make or break a culture. It’s the everyday language leaders use without thinking. One sentence. Said the wrong way. Can shut somebody down. And one sentence, said with intention? That’s the kind of thing people remember years later. Toxic vs. Empowering communication, with real alternatives that create trust, not fear: ❌ "This is how we’ve always done it, don’t question it." ✅ "If you have ideas to improve this, let me know." → Innovation thrives where curiosity is welcomed. ❌ "I don’t care how you feel; I need results." ✅ "Your well-being matters. What challenges are you facing?" → Results don’t come at the cost of people. Sustainable performance starts with empathy. ❌ "Why weren’t you available?" ✅ "I respect your time off. Let’s plan to connect during work hours." → Respecting boundaries builds a culture of trust. ❌ "I thought you would do a better job." ✅ "This is a great start. Here’s an idea to make it even better." → Feedback should lift, not crush. ❌ "You should know this by now." ✅ "What questions do you have?" → Curiosity should be encouraged, not punished. ❌ "I don’t pay you to think; just do as I tell you." ✅ "Your insights and perspectives matter." → Smart teams are built on shared thinking, not dictatorship. ❌ "I need to know exactly what you're working on at all times." ✅ "You decide how the work gets done-I trust you." → Micromanagement kills morale. Autonomy drives ownership. ❌ "I don’t have time for your excuses." ✅ "What’s causing setbacks? Let’s find a solution together." → Accountability without blame is the secret to real progress. ❌ "If you can’t handle the pressure, this might not be the job for you." ✅ "How can I support you?" → Strong leaders lift people up when they’re overwhelmed, not push them out. ❌ "You are lucky to have this job." ✅ "Your contributions make a real difference. Thank you." → Gratitude > threats. Always. If you’re leading people, even if it’s just one person check your language. That’s where the work starts. Start by listening to how you show up when things are messy, rushed, or tense. Because that’s what they remember. Every time. ♻️ Repost this if you believe leadership is built in the small moments. 🔔 Follow me Armers Moncure for communication that builds trust, not fear.

I once worked with a team that was, quite frankly, toxic. The same two team members routinely derailed meeting agendas. Eye-rolling was a primary form of communication. Side conversations overtook the official discussion. Most members had disengaged, emotionally checking out while physically present. Trust was nonexistent. This wasn't just unpleasant—it was preventing meaningful work from happening. The transformation began with a deceptively simple intervention: establishing clear community agreements. Not generic "respect each other" platitudes, but specific behavioral norms with concrete descriptions of what they looked like in practice. The team agreed to norms like "Listen to understand," "Speak your truth without blame or judgment," and "Be unattached to outcome." For each norm, we articulated exactly what it looked like in action, providing language and behaviors everyone could recognize. More importantly, we implemented structures to uphold these agreements. A "process observer" role was established, rotating among team members, with the explicit responsibility to name when norms were being upheld or broken during meetings. Initially, this felt awkward. When the process observer first said, "I notice we're interrupting each other, which doesn't align with our agreement to listen fully," the room went silent. But within weeks, team members began to self-regulate, sometimes even catching themselves mid-sentence. Trust didn't build overnight. It grew through consistent small actions that demonstrated reliability and integrity—keeping commitments, following through on tasks, acknowledging mistakes. Meeting time was protected and focused on meaningful work rather than administrative tasks that could be handled via email. The team began to practice active listening techniques, learning to paraphrase each other's ideas before responding. This simple practice dramatically shifted the quality of conversation. One team member later told me, "For the first time, I felt like people were actually trying to understand my perspective rather than waiting for their turn to speak." Six months later, the transformation was remarkable. The same team that once couldn't agree on a meeting agenda was collaboratively designing innovative approaches to their work. Conflicts still emerged, but they were about ideas rather than personalities, and they led to better solutions rather than deeper divisions. The lesson was clear: trust doesn't simply happen through team-building exercises or shared experiences. It must be intentionally cultivated through concrete practices, consistently upheld, and regularly reflected upon. Share one trust-building practice that's worked well in your team experience. P.S. If you’re a leader, I recommend checking out my free challenge: The Resilient Leader: 28 Days to Thrive in Uncertainty  https://lnkd.in/gxBnKQ8n

If you’re building a team of champions, you need to establish psychological safety.  If you want to create an environment of explosive growth, you must establish and foster psychological safety.  To build a culture of excellence, ensure your team feels secure sharing their thoughts and feelings—without fear of retaliation or judgment.  Here’s how to do it:  #𝟭 𝗕𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘. Encourage everyone to be real! Leaders should actively invite feedback and create structured opportunities for it—both to give and receive. Regular 1:1s and feedback loops help normalize this practice.  #𝟮 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗩𝗨𝗟𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬. Admit mistakes! When leaders acknowledge their own missteps and actively seek feedback, they create a safe space for others to do the same. Vulnerability fosters trust and continuous improvement. #𝟯 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗘. Instead of waiting for annual reviews, provide frequent, specific feedback. Recognize positive behaviors and offer constructive suggestions when improvements are needed. This helps employees see feedback as a tool for growth, not criticism. #𝟰 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞.  Nothing changes if nothing changes. Feedback loses its value if it isn’t acted upon. When employees see their input leads to real changes, they’ll be more engaged. Leaders should also close the loop by sharing how feedback was implemented.  #𝟱 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘 & 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞. Many people struggle with feedback because they lack the skills to deliver it effectively or interpret it constructively. Training your team ensures feedback remains respectful, actionable, and productive.  What are your best strategies for building psychological safety?  #psychologicalsafety #leadership #teammanagement #success #linkedin

I regularly work with leadership teams to help them be more effective with their team dynamics and/or culture. One topic that comes up frequently? Nearly every team I work with wants to be great at giving and receiving feedback. Here’s what I notice about teams that have great feedback cultures: When something goes wrong, they don’t have side conversations. Many times, we get in the habit of venting to one of our peers about something challenging going on within the team. Why is this harmful to team dynamics? When we don’t openly talk about challenges with the whole team, it creates invisible barriers for others on the team. If we don’t tell someone we’re frustrated about something, we don’t give them the opportunity to make a needed change. We vent to a peer, feel slightly better, then let it go. We don’t share it, so nothing changes. Inevitably, the pattern returns and we get frustrated again. We go back to venting. We seemingly let it go. But it builds our frustrations and deteriorates trust. Rinse and repeat this vicious cycle. Now that trust is low, we have a hard time opening any feedback. We build walls and the team starts to operate with less efficiency, transparency, and information. So how do we break this cycle? The healthiest and most effective teams have built-in places for open feedback. They regularly talk about challenges. They know that talking about challenges, even when it’s hard, builds trust in the long run instead of breaking it. Instead of going to people within the team to vent, they openly talk about the challenges with the whole team. They hold each other accountable to not having side conversations or meetings-after-the-meeting. Here are three ways to build in regular, safe spaces for feedback into your team operations: 1️⃣ Build in questions to your 1-on-1s to ask things like: “What is one thing I could be doing differently to support you right now?” 2️⃣ Put retro conversations into your team meetings. Regularly ask the team - “What should we be starting, stopping, or continuing right now?” (Google retroactive meeting templates to get more ideas on questions you can ask!) 3️⃣ Instead of focusing on how to GIVE feedback to people as a leader, focus on how you RECEIVE feedback. Do a leadership skill gap analysis. Write down: When someone shares something challenging with you, how do you currently react to feedback? Then write down: How do you want to react when someone gives you feedback? Where’s the gap and what’s one step you could take toward closing that gap? What do you think? What do you think the best teams do to create great feedback cultures?