Now that the hospitality industry can open its doors, staff need to be welcomed back too –
So how do you manage your team’s return to work?
Returning to work is a big step.
As owner or manager you’ve been living and breathing hotel life during lockdown to keep things going.
Furloughed waiting staff, receptionists and breakfast teams have been solely stuck in frantic home-schooling or may have hardly seen a soul face-to-face.
They’re making a big step change; relived to be back at work but work is not how they left it. From sneeze guards to temperature checks, from work bubbles to hot-spot cleaning, everyone will need guidance but also bags of reassurance.
They need to feel comfortable and safe before they can feel guest-ready.
Start off with a 1:1 but what should you cover?
• Reassurance:
Staff need to know that the hotel is back open for business and going in the right direction.
How comfortable does that individual feel on coming back to work? What is in place to make them feel safe as well as keeping customers safe?
Getting back to work after lockdown – is a guide published by Croner
• Role Specifics:
Each area – admin or operational – will have different guidelines now.
Despite your best efforts with staff newsletters there will be gaps in knowledge to get across. Manicures are now ok but not facials. Cleaning routines are focussed on door handles and lift buttons. How should a gym instructor give socially -distanced advice?
• Reality Check:
Let’s be honest – after a two-week annual holiday more than a few of us have forgotten a work password.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise if after two months the finer details of the coffee machine or the spa booking system are a bit hazy. And those details have changed anyway.
Identify training gaps and reassure staff that everyone is on a learning curve including you.
Most organisations and businesses are having to put up physical barriers of some sort or other to move forward.
In hospitality a confident team can be a significant advantage to still offer the human touch to make a guest welcome.
Listening to your team as they come back to work means you can identify how to move forward quickly and successfully.