What "hidden factors" ensure the happiness of hotel employees?

Laurent A. Voivenel gave his lesson on how to keep hotel personnel content in the contemporary workplace at a discussion at The Hotel Show 2023.

The senior vice presidents of Swiss-Belhotel International's operations and development, EMEA & India, and group human resources & talent development discussed the "hidden factors" that affect employee satisfaction and engagement at work.

The significance of developing a culture that businesses can be proud to promote was one of the presentation's main points from Voivenel. He emphasized: "Hotels can dramatically raise staff morale and satisfaction by creating an atmosphere that promotes open communication, teamwork, and mutual respect. Employees are able to maintain a good work-life balance while at work because to workplace flexibility like job sharing.

He also emphasized the need of communication that is open and transparent. Regarding the hidden variables that affect employee happiness and engagement, Voivenel used the Iceberg Model as an example and emphasized the need of addressing both overt and covert elements.

In the same way as the visible tip of an iceberg reflects the apparent aspects of the workplace, such as benefits and incentives, it is crucial to go deeper to find the hidden aspects, such as communication, trust, and growth prospects.

According to him, regular and honest communication with staff members creates not just trust but also engagement and a feeling of belonging. An efficient approach to performance management is to set SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) and use analytics to monitor progress.

Regarding motivation, Laurent A. Voivenel

He admitted that incentives and benefits might help to keep workers motivated. Hotels may show their gratitude for the effort and devotion of their workers by providing alluring bonuses and prizes. Additionally, Voivenel emphasized the value of offering permanent positions and hours that are guaranteed in order to improve employment security and stability and raise employee satisfaction.

He also advocated for the introduction of fresh channels and ways for hiring employees, as well as for giving team members the freedom and confidence they need to carry out their duties. "By embracing innovative approaches to talent acquisition and management, businesses can tap into a diverse pool of candidates and leverage the strengths of their workforce to drive success," the SVP said.