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5 strategies to improve the work environment in your hotel

A positive work environment plays a critical role in the success of any organization, and hotels are no exception. In the highly demanding and dynamic environment of hotel operations, maintaining a motivated and engaged workforce is crucial to achieving high levels of productivity and providing excellent guest service.

From niikiis we tell you in this article how to improve the working environment of your hotel with the 5 definitive strategies.

What is the work environment?

The work climate consists of the psychological, organizational and human environment in which work relationships are developed and a specific work environment is created, which helps to motivate workers or, on the contrary, demotivate them in their performance

It is often heard that the work climate depends on the attitude of the workers, but the reality is that it is more related to the strategies applied by the hotel's operations, human resources and policies.

What characterizes a good work environment?

There are several fundamental elements that contribute to creating an organizational culture that promotes a good work environment:

  • Positive Management/Leadership: In an industry such as hospitality, positive leadership should focus on the well-being and development of your team in order for the job to be done successfully. This type of leadership seeks to inspire the team to reach their full potential and contribute positively to guests and customers. Positive leaders are able to foster an environment of trust, collaboration and growth in their teams.
  • Assertive communication: Assertive communication is a social skill characterized by clearly and directly expressing one's thoughts, feelings and needs without attacking or being attacked. This form of communication promotes mutual respect, understanding and peaceful conflict resolution.
  • Compensation systems: In the hotel industry, it can be applied through policies and practices designed to reward the team for their performance and contribution to the operation. These systems may include salaries, benefits, bonuses, incentives, among others, and aim to attract, retain and motivate workers to achieve the hotel's objectives.
  • Emotional wage: Emotional wage is a concept that refers to the non-financial benefits that a hotel provides to its employees with the objective of improving their quality of work life and promoting a good working environment. An example of emotional wage in the hotel context could be the implementation of recognition and reward programs. The hotel could establish a recognition system that celebrates outstanding employee achievements and efforts. This could include awards, recognition certificates, special events or even professional growth opportunities, such as training or promotions.
  • Healthy interpersonal relationships: Healthy interpersonal relationships are characterized by mutual respect, empathy, effective communication and peaceful conflict resolution, a very important aspect when working in front of the public. These relationships foster an environment of trust, collaboration and growth, which contributes to a satisfying and successful personal and professional life in the hotels that apply it.
  • Self-realization: It is a process of personal growth in which goals are achieved and a person's potential is developed, essential if you want to avoid staff turnover, one of the biggest labor problems in the hotel sector.

The importance of a good working environment and staff turnover in a hotel

One of the reasons why a person chooses one job or another is the balance between work and personal life, as well as a good working environment.

If a position does not meet these expectations, it is understandable that workers will eventually develop a sense of emotional and physical exhaustion that leads them to want to change jobs or even quit.

The importance of a good work environment is to improve the employees' sense of accomplishment so that they feel satisfied with their work life. As soon as they feel that their work life is not satisfactory enough, they will look for other opportunities.

General objectives of a good working environment in a hotel

  • Promote effective communication and interpersonal relationships within the operation through tools such as niikiis that improve internal hotel communication.
  • Fostering trust and confidence in work teams
  • Awaken interest and commitment to the hotel's objectives.
  • Raising employee satisfaction through recognition and sense of belonging
  • Use the work climate survey as a tool to evaluate the quality of the work environment.
  • Reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity in daily hotel tasks

Benefits of a good working environment in a hotel

More and more hotels are betting on improving the work environment of their teams to improve their operations and results. A good working environment can have several benefits for your hotel, among them:

  • Higher job satisfaction: Workers who are in a pleasant environment, with friendly colleagues and a positive work atmosphere, tend to be more satisfied with their work and perform their public-facing job better.
  • Stress reduction: A work environment that promotes the emotional and physical well-being of workers can help reduce stress and improve mental health.
  • Increased motivation: When a team feels valued and appreciated in their work, their level of motivation and commitment to the hotel increases, which in turn can contribute to the achievement of overall objectives.
  • Improved performance: A positive work environment can have a direct impact on employee performance, as they are more motivated and committed to the hotel.
  • Reduced absenteeism: A positive work environment can reduce absenteeism among team members, as they have fewer reasons to miss work due to stress or job dissatisfaction.
  • Improved work environment: It is evident that, in the hotel industry, when the team gets along well and works in harmony, the work environment becomes more pleasant and productive in all aspects.
  • Reducing the cost of staff turnover: A good working environment can reduce staff turnover, a very common problem in hotels, which in turn reduces the costs associated with hiring and training new workers.

Investing in human capital, improving the work environment and human resources management translates into economic and operational benefits for hotels. Staff turnover is costly in terms of resources and time, so the use of software such as niikiis is essential to reduce it.

niikiis can help you develop effective strategies to improve the well-being of human capital, the work environment and the organizational culture, which can lead to better results for the operation and the hotel.

What kind of work environment is there in your hotel?

Participatory and inclusive

When we talk about a participative and inclusive work environment, we mean that diversity is more than welcome. What do we mean by diversity? Well, it is everything related to gender, sexual preferences, ethnic groups, cultures, religions, languages, physical abilities, among other aspects. 

Recognizing and valuing diversity in the workplace implies respecting the dignity of the entire team, as well as their right to have different opinions and ways of life. It also implies proposing more inclusive and welcoming alternatives to collaborate and complete projects successfully, taking into account this diversity.

One of the properties of this work environment is that workers feel appreciated and recognized for those qualities that make them unique. 

Advisory

In a consultative work environment, communication is the key. Relationships are not based on hierarchy, rank or position, but on the valuation of experience and proposals to solve any problems, not only in the work environment, but also in terms of internal problems or misunderstandings.

Although it is common to have minor disagreements and coexistence problems in a formal work environment such as a hotel, a work culture designed to foster dialogue and communication significantly improves the work environment.

Paternalistic

This type of work climate is the sum of a restrictive work culture and a leadership style obsessed with control over the work of the team. Even so, it does not reach the extreme of authoritarian leadership.

What defines this type of environment very well is that workers cannot perform their work without being monitored by a supervisor/boss. This supervisor, as he/she watches over them, will make comments such as "Keep it up" or "I wouldn't do this like this". Thus, this type of work environment prevents workers from developing their true potential and limits them to constantly lead the way. 

This type of climate tends to occur in highly structured operations. It may be curious, but bureaucracy and processes can cause there to be more concern with how workers perform their tasks than with the results they are delivering. 

Communication is weak and conflicts between team members are not resolved due to lack of dialogue and understanding. In short, this work environment limits the potential of workers and hinders effective problem solving.

Authoritarian

This type of work environment is characterized by being hierarchical or vertical, and important decisions are made exclusively by management without considering the opinions or proposals of the rest of the team members.

The authoritarian work environment implies a more rigorous and controlled environment. For example, the different areas of the organization do not have full autonomy to make decisions in specific situations and cannot exercise their creativity or make changes without following the parameters established by top management.

In this type of work environment, communication is also very limited. All processes and actions to be carried out are already established and cannot be modified by the teams from different areas, which results in a linear work without questioning or suggestions for improvement.

The 5 definitive strategies to improve the work environment in your hotel

1. Communicate effectively

Communication is key to a good working relationship. Make sure workers have clear channels of communication with their supervisors and colleagues. It is important to encourage open and honest dialogue and to listen to team members' opinions and concerns. Regular meetings, whether individual or team meetings, are a good way to keep everyone informed and engaged.

2. Offers development opportunities

The team wants to feel valued and appreciated in their daily work. Providing training and professional development opportunities can help employees feel that they are advancing their careers and contributing to the success of the operation. In addition, a well-trained and motivated workforce can drive innovation and growth for the hotel.

3. Encourages teamwork

Teamwork is an excellent way to improve morale and engagement. Encouraging collaboration and teamwork can help employees feel more connected and engaged in their work. In addition, it can drive innovation and creativity, which can be beneficial to the operation.

4. Provides a safe working environment

A safe and healthy work environment is critical to improving the work climate. It is necessary to encourage healthy practices at work, such as taking regular breaks, eating healthy food and exercising.

5. Celebrate achievements and recognize a job well done

It is important to recognize and reward a job well done. Celebrating achievements and goals reached can help workers feel valued and appreciated. Rewards can be in the form of financial incentives, days off, and additional training, for example.

Nowadays, people's priorities have changed, and more and more people are looking to work in hotels with a good working environment. How to apply all these strategies successfully? niikiis is the key to achieve it, your all-in-one hotel software .

Request a free demo and monitor your hotel's work environment, connect your team and much more!

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