Behind every successful restaurant/hotel, it isn’t only about a stellar menu or a stunning ambience - actually, it’s the people running the show. In the ever-evolving hospitality industry, scaling your hospitality business isn’t only about opening new branches or expanding square feet. It is the team building that counts! Thus, this makes it very important for the hospitality businesses to understand and know when to bring in fresh talent, who to elevate into leadership/management, and how to part ways gracefully when it’s time for someone to leave. These are some of the most consequential decisions that can shape your hospitality operations - your brand culture, guest experience and bottom line. 

So, Foodism Connect is here to help you strike the right balance between team dynamics and the growth of the business. Let’s dive deep into the culture of hiring, firing and promoting in a hospitality business - 

Hire with Intention 

It is paramount for hospitality businesses to understand when to ‘hire’; there should be a proper intention behind it! Whether you are encountering - 

• Running short of staff - if the employees are consistently leaving due to an unsustainable working environment or lack of resources. This might lead to a shortage of staff, impacting overall work performance. 
• Drop in service quality - due to a shortage of staff, existing staff might get overburdened with work, and they might be expected to work beyond their capacity. This is a clear sign of burnout directly affecting the service quality. 
• Expansion plans on hold - opening an outlet in a new location or adding a new service, or expanding into a new market requires hiring additional staff. 
• Seasonal peaks - hospitality businesses often face a surge in demand, like during holidays or weekends. To ensure smooth operation and quality service during peak, hiring additional staff becomes necessary. 
• Increased customer complaints - a rise in negative feedback, like prolonged wait time, service issues or staffing is a clear indication that the business needs to hire more staff to enhance the overall customer experience. 

Part ways gracefully 

This is when hospitality businesses plan to fire staff after deciphering certain underlying reasons to do so! 

• Attitude issue or toxic impact on team morale
• Not meeting the performance metrics even after training and feedback
• Consistent negative behaviour 
• Cultural misalignment 

These are certain reasons when hospitality businesses think of firing staff. Employees who exhibit poor conduct or fail to meet performance standards may need to be let go. Because one bad team member can cost businesses more in morale, quality, and customer trust than you realise. When you plan to fire, fire with dignity! You must give a warning long before you plan to fire an employee, keep the process documented and take an exit interview to understand what was wrong and identify the scope of improvement. 

Elevate talent from within.

Signs that an employee is ready for more - 

• They naturally step into solving an issue without any authoritative support, showcasing their leadership potential. 
  • For example, if your property is having a surge of guests on short notice, then the person in charge, without waiting for any instructions, takes the initiative to arrange tables on the other side for walk-in guests. This signifies leadership qualities like working under pressure, multitasking, taking initiatives and problem solving, along with a guest-centric approach. 
• Such qualities exceeding the expectations of the management strengthen the urge to promote an employee. 
• You can have a one-to-one conversation with the employees to discuss their career goals, such discussions help to align ambition with opportunities. 
• You can upskill your employees internally, offer them training, mentorship and certification to prepare them for the next role they would be assigned after promotion. 

As you build your hospitality business, remember that scaling a business is not only about the business that grows in size but also in strength and purpose with clarity. So, focus on strategies along with spreadsheets! 

If you are looking for fresh talent, then download and register yourself with Foodism Connect now, build a portfolio and get started today.