Are you an Operations or HR Manager at a hotel? Don't fall into the trap of overlooking employee well-being technology! Employee well-being technology includes various tools and services designed to improve employees' physical and mental health and make their daily working lives more manageable.
In today's digital world, hotels that don’t adopt new technologies risk being left behind in the recruitment and retention race because they fail to deliver a satisfying guest experience due to dissatisfied shift workers.
Why do hotels risk being left behind if they don’t adopt employee well-being technology?
Firstly, health and safety concerns:
The hospitality industry is associated with long working hours, high-stress levels, and physical exertion. But post-pandemic, mental health concerns have become even more critical. Hotels that don't prioritise employee well-being risk losing their workforce to competitors who do.
Hotel industry leaders can position themselves as forward-thinking employers by investing in technology for employee well-being. This commitment to health and safety demonstrates a dedication to attracting and retaining top talent - an essential success factor.
Secondly, retention and recruitment:
An imperfect storm of post-pandemic and post-Brexit factors has hit hospitality.
Wages aside, a tight job market means shift workers looking for work can be more choosey and may move to jobs where they expect to be more appreciated.
According to our 2022 State of Shift Work Report, one of the biggest frustrations for shift workers includes unpredictable schedules and chaotic working environments. These conditions make it difficult for them to stay put - especially when there's low pay or no benefits, in addition to lacklustre career prospects on offer from employers.
Tackling this problem requires managers who combine empathy with tech to create what we at Deputy call a “liquid workforce.”
Managing the employment lifecycle of a shift worker at your hotel requires tasks that can quickly add up and become administrative burdens.
Luckily there is more technology than ever before to make meeting the needs of shift workers easier while creating a meaningful impact on their wellness and overall job satisfaction. Learn why you should invest in tech-driven solutions for your shift workers' well-being now!
The Benefits of Employee Well-being Tech
1. Increased agility
Using employee wellbeing technology to provide flexibility and autonomy to workers and operational managers can give a business the agility it needs to react to today’s difficult employee market.
2. Increased Productivity and Efficiency
Combining person-centric technology, individual capability and a supportive leadership environment and culture can also enable higher productivity and autonomy.
Employee well-being technology can help increase productivity and efficiency by reducing absenteeism and turnover rates. Employees who feel supported and valued are more likely to be engaged and motivated, leading to better performance and productivity. Additionally, well-being technology can help reduce the workload on employees by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic activities.
3. Attract and Retain Top Talent
Besides improved productivity, employee well-being technology can help hotels attract and retain top talent. In today’s competitive job market, employees seek more than just a paycheck. They want to work for companies that value their health and well-being and provide them with the tools they need to succeed.
According to our most recent State of Shift Work report
41% of hospitality workers will feel more motivated to stay in a business with a focus on employee wellbeing
37% desire a culture of trust, openness and compassion
36% want schedule flexibility
By adopting employee well-being technology, hotels can show that they care about their employees and are committed to creating a positive work environment.
4. Improved Employee Morale
Employees are more likely to feel satisfied with their job and more committed to the company when they believe their employer is invested in their wellbeing. This can lead to lower turnover rates and a more positive workplace culture.
5. Stay Ahead of the Curve
In our Deputy Checks In series Robin Sheppard, Co-founder and President of Bespoke Hotels, and Andrew Mosley, Managing Director for both the Grand Hotel Brighton and Richmond Hill Hotel, shared their experience of how technology helps improve both the employee and guest experience. Investing in the right technology keeps their hotels forward-thinking and ahead of their competitors. Organisations can thrive in a competitive landscape by actively embracing well-being technology, ensuring maximum growth and productivity.
Challenges Hotels Face in Implementing Employee Well-being Technology
The main challenge Atlas Hotels (the biggest IHG Hotels & Resorts franchisee of Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Europe) dealt with when implementing Deputy was shifting the mindset of managers tied to Excel spreadsheets for managing their teams.
"Our key challenge was change management. Getting longer-standing employees used to a digital system required a lot of patience, a mix of carrot and stick, and lots of positive reinforcement. We also trialled the new system in several hotels before launching it across all our hotels. This helped us generate word of mouth and create digital champions," says Sub Iyer, Head of Operations-South at Atlas Hotels.
And it was worth it. The results have been impressive.
Automating time-consuming processes and reducing friction
Moving away from paper rotas and Excel spreadsheets.
Auto-approval of timesheets - “This has changed our hotel managers' lives and saved them hours,” says David.
Auto calculation of critical pay conditions - “The system automatically allocates pay conditions to staff - so night pay, Boxing Day, Christmas Day and other special holidays are automatically calculated. Before Deputy, managers were relying on Excel and human memory to allocate these,” explains David
Payroll control and submission - “Before Deputy payroll processing and submission took 3 hours, and now it takes 30 minutes. Deputy’s taken away all the noise of admin work. Managers can now spend time with their team and guests, and not in front of the computer all day,” says Sub.
Better informed business decisions
Visibility of labour costs - “We have a weekly and daily overview of labour costs,” said David.
Reporting/analytics - “For each hotel, I can get a full suite of data such as the number of holidays taken, sickness requested and the cost of those hours,” says Sub.
Smart scheduling to create flexible business and employee-friendly rotas - “Deputy can learn from previous shift patterns and create bespoke scheduling rules that allow staff to have better work-life balance, e.g. the system knows not to schedule an employee in who hasn’t had a weekend off in 4 weeks,” says David Drummond, Cluster Operations Manager at Atlas Hotels.
Improved communication
Improved communication - “We’re very excited about the News Feed feature and use it daily. Historically, a lot of our teams were on WhatsApp groups. News Feed has replaced this and streamlined communication allowing us to share news and updates. You can allow comments or turn it off, and you get automatic read alerts to show the updates have been read,” shares Sub.
By effectively implementing and embracing innovative solutions, hoteliers can create a more supportive work environment - not just resulting in happier employees but also contributing to the industry's overall success. Wellbeing technology can create a more positive, engaged and healthier work culture in hotels, ultimately benefiting employee satisfaction and guest experience.
“Before Deputy, the recurring complaints in our Employee Engagement Survey were around a lack of work-life balance. We can’t control the external labour market conditions we’re all facing, but we can control doing everything we can to make our existing employees happy. And I’m pleased to say that since implementing Deputy, those complaints have reduced to 5 comments from 766 employees,” says Sub.
Getting Started
Scheduling tools like Deputy are increasingly used to facilitate efficient and fair rostering, allowing your staff to swap shifts, request time off, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. They also help hotels monitor employee working hours, ensuring that rest periods and breaks are taken regularly, thus reducing stress and burnout. A good tool will also include mood monitoring and communication channels to help bridge the communication gap between staff and management - giving employees a voice, receiving feedback, and creating a receptive environment for them to thrive.
Hotels that don’t adopt employee well-being technology risk being left behind in today’s competitive employment environment. By investing in tools and services that improve their employees' physical and mental health, hotels can improve productivity, attract and retain top talent, improve employee morale and stay ahead of industry trends. In short, employee well-being technology is no longer a luxury - it’s necessary for any hotel that wants to thrive in the 21st century.
