By Kirstie Addis
I hate the term ‘employee’ it’s reductive. I prefer the term ‘staff’ which highlights the collective nature of people working together. In truth, I favour the term ‘people’ as there is much less power and hierarchal association. For the purposes of this article you’ll find me flip-flopping between ‘staff’ and ‘people.’
Staff are crucial to any business. Irrespective of industry, they are a businesses’ greatest asset. The hospitality sector is no exception to this rule. In the UK the service sector dominates the economy: It contributes 81% of GDP, and it employs 2.53 million people.
Hospitality at its core is an incredibly human industry. Staff are a literal and figurative body. Staff function as vital bloodwork who provide the beat, pulse and lifeforce of day to day activity. Without the people behind your business, it would be unable to fulfil its most basic operations. Further, without people the hospitality industry as a whole couldn’t trade. This would have significant ramifications for the UK economy. It’s simple, and there’s no matrix involved here: You must value your staff. Without people’s skills, abilities, knowledge, experience and expertise trade is impossible.
There’s a person and process behind the martini you sip. There’s a person and process behind the bacon sandwich you inhale too. Be it bar, café, restaurant, or nightclub, what you consume has been prepared by someone. Further, how it is served to you depends on someone. You choose to spend your money here because of the environment: The lighting is right, the fire is warm, the music is great.
This doesn’t happen by chance, none of this can be controlled by a machine. Someone is making active decisions to respond to the mood and tempo of the moment. A bartender is hurrying though 50 checks to ensure your coffee is served to you on time. The chef is frantic and repeatedly dings the service bell so your spaghetti isn’t served cold. People are integral to all aspects and processes of the hospitality industry.
Tutelage has been passed down through generations. Lessons have been learned through borrowed books. Recipes have travelled enormous distances worldwide. They fill stomachs, and break down cultural barriers. The production line depends on all members of the staff body. From: Chefs, kitchen porters, bartenders, barbacks, Maitre D’s and waiting staff. Each job depends upon the other. Further, each job role is as important as the other. The martini you have been served by your bartender, would not be possible without the bar back polishing the glass. The bacon sandwich you’re scoffing is not possible without the polished plate it sits upon.
Pay should be fair and there shouldn’t be disparate pay gaps between positions. All employers should be asking the questions: How do I retain staff? How do I keep staff happy? How do I motivate? How can I instil loyalty? These questions are significant, and they need to be asked. This is due to the transitory nature of the hospitality industry.
For example, it is commonplace for bartenders to hop from bar to bar. It is common to climb the ranks from bar to the on trade. People don’t tend to stick around too long in our industry. They want to gather as much experience as possible, and they want to learn in a multitude of environments.
The pandemic has brought a lot of change to hospitality. The most positive, and long overdue, is how employers have responded to ‘hospitality burn out.’ Pre-pandemic I worked a 60 hour week on my feet. This wasn’t draconian torture, it was the opposite, and it was commonplace. This schedule was expected of a full time hospitality job.
Post pandemic the 40 hour week is now considered a standard. We are reading more and more of businesses operating a 4-day working week schedule too. When staff are not exhausted, you get the best from them: You get the best for your business. Shift patterns need to run at more convenient times. Closing a shift, and opening up the following day should be a thing of the past. Mid shifts with no designated finish time should not operate, as it makes it impossible for people to plan their day. If these efforts are put into practice, it can only lead to job satisfaction and retention. It allows for a harmonious work/ life balance.
Adequate training is a massive factor in job retention. The hospitality industry is in dire need of more standardised training across the board. However, this requires support, time and organisation. Brands and suppliers have a responsibility to their customers here because they have more resources to provide formalised training compared to independent businesses. There has been a dearth of training post pandemic, as business owners try to negotiate a new business landscape.
A big pressure facing the industry is a lack of staff. Compared to employment statistics in 2022, vacancies in the hospitality sector have risen by 40%. Brexit has played a massive part here too, with European nationals returning to their home countries to work. This is particularly significant with regards to countries like France and Italy.
These countries regard hospitality as an academic vocation. In contrast with the UK, their universities offer courses with a more specific focus on food and beverage. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that training is not the sole responsibility of the employer. It should be a responsibility shared by the staff body in general. Ultimately it is a responsibility of management, because it needs to be maintained and evaluated on both a long term and day to day basis.
Ultimately, I believe that two factors are the most pivotal in retaining staff: Fair pay and compassionate care. Paying fairly, and appropriately, is the most critical. This is now recognised nationwide as the National Living Wage is set to rise to £10.48 in April 2023. This has risen significantly compared to £8.72 in pre pandemic 2020. Tips are an important issue too. Staff should have access to 100% of their tips. They should not be retained by employers. Tips should be distributed daily, and not withheld. Further, tips deserve to be distributed fairly and equally amongst all staff regardless of position.
Employers have a duty of care to their staff. Proactive gestures to staff wellbeing never go unnoticed. Popular Glasgow institutions SWG3 and Kelvingrove Café make financial contributions towards staff transport, namely taxi fares home. Not only is this a decisive protective measure, it is a clear gesture to the people working at these venues that their safety and welfare is important.
You can’t put a price on knowing that your boss does care. You also can’t put a price on spending your tips on a Martini at the end of your shift, instead of a taxi home either. PS- HERE’S HOPING YOUR CUSTOMERS REMEMBER TO TIP THEIR WAITER!
