The Great Resignation 2021 has been an eye-opener for hospitality businesses across the globe, acting as a catalyst for leaders to reflect on workplace culture and environment. The past year and recent months have shown that Americans continue to leave their jobs in droves, with the hospitality industry particularly hard hit.

With a surge in employees handing in their notice, it’s time to look at how businesses can better meet the needs of their workers. Recent research by SafetyCulture, conducted with YouGov, reveals that 67 percent of frontline workers do not feel heard on topics that matter to them the most*. If frontline workers don’t feel empowered to speak up — whether it’s speaking up about working conditions, day-to-day procedures, broken appliances, etc. — well, this is a problem. Hospitality leaders need to be arming their teams with the right tools to allow them to add value and be heard. 

Ready to boost communication in your workplace while making it a safer environment for everyone? Here’s how to get started:

1. A safe space comes first. 

Make your workplace a safe space. Research suggests a relationship between fear of retaliation and under-reporting, meaning that frontline workers are far less likely to come forward about issues if they fear job loss as a result*. Moreover, hospitality frontline workers are challenged to work in fast-paced and adrenaline-packed environments every day. They’re under the pump physically and mentally. Therefore, create a culture of positivity rather than fear. To truly foster a speak-up culture, you need to be firm about preventing retaliation.

2. Show action.

One of the biggest reasons why employees don’t report issues is because they believe management won’t act on it. Not taking action could look like downplaying the issue or ignoring it entirely — and if your people don’t trust you to take action, then they won’t bother to speak up. Hospitality thrives on energy, teamwork and trust. Ensuring your team understands there are robust compliance, safety and legal policies in place — and that their report will be addressed — is the best way to encourage action.

To showcase true commitment to action, make reporting easy to navigate for staff. Show teams that you’re in their corner by digitizing processes to fight the pain of paperwork. 

3. Reward your people.

Speaking up isn’t easy. A myriad of factors can contribute to a lack of a speak-up culture, from fear to lack of confidence. Inadequate safety processes or subpar customer experiences can have outsized implications when poorly handled. Instead, hospitality staff should feel empowered to speak up and act. They will feel more compelled to do so if they’re rewarded for it. It could be a physical award, vouchers, discounts, etc. It could even be as simple as public praise or acknowledgment for wanting to raise the game. Get creative and find what will make your team be more vocal.

To learn more about the frontline experience and how to empower your teams, download SafetyCulture’s Feedback from the Field research report.

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,950 adults (861 U.S., 554 Australia, 535 U.K.). Fieldwork was undertaken between August 27, 2021 – Sept. 9, 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of U.S., U.K. and AU frontline workers (aged 18+).