One of the biggest issues most General Managers in the hospitality sector today face is employee retention. The hospitality sector has one of the highest employee turnover rates compared to other industries. We couldn’t help but wonder how the work environment may be a contributing factor to employee motivation and retention. Everyone wants to work in a pleasant clean work environment. Imagine a situation where the front end, customer-facing side of an institution is perfectly clean, fully stocked with hygiene solutions; and then at the back, the staff have to make do with cramped facilities that are not clean, well maintained and do not meet their basic hygiene needs.   So what can management do? Implementing Hygiene Safety Policies That Demonstrate Care Effective Managers & Executives in the hospitality sector must be able to demonstrate empathy towards the needs and well-being of their employees. In a  2018 survey by Essity, showed that over 87% of workers linked on-the-job happiness with a clean and pleasant workspace, and 90% of respondents in the survey also indicated that they felt more motivated when employers offered quality cleaning and sanitation products. It’s safe to say that the numbers could have only gone higher since the pandemic.  General Managers need to focus on creating a  hygiene culture, where employees do not feel second or less important than customers, especially when it comes to their health and safety.This starts by listening to staff needs: Conduct staff satisfaction surveys including questions surrounding hygiene and the status of staff facilities such as washrooms, break rooms, surveys; Create simple but effective reward systems that spotlight employees who effectively implement company hygiene safety protocols and contribute positively to painting the business as hygiene leaders; Conduct hygiene safety workshops with the assistance of cleanliness partners like Kim-Fay Professional, aimed at ensuring that all members of staff are adequately equipped with health safety and hygiene guidelines. Encourage open and honest feedback so that staff feel they are able to share their concerns, and they feel listened to.   Building Employee Pride & Productivity Through Positive Brand Association Hospitality workers are only second to healthcare workers when it comes to how much they value their hygiene. No one want’s to continue working in a place that doesn’t take cleaning seriously, least of all hotels and restaurants; Unhygienic workspaces are one of those management cues that silently but boldly scream ‘lack of care and neglect. (3 out 4 employees believe poor office hygiene shows that the employer doesn’t care about them). Simple things like hesitation in restocking or resupplying employee-only areas with hygiene products, delays or unattentiveness in cleaning the staff spaces and disparity in quality of hygiene products can negatively impact morale and therefore have the knock on effect of impacting a customers experience Employees of the world’s leading hotel and restaurant chains pride themselves in having the good fortune to build their careers in these facilities, and the image of these institutions is a direct reflection of their professional expertise. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that 93% of employees who find themselves in clean work environments are happier and more satisfied and are 12% more productive and less likely to leave!   Innovative business leaders in the hospitality sector can take this new season of recovery to:  Involve employees in brand image and hygiene-related conversations and decisions by conducting simple surveys on how clean they think your institution is and what areas can be improved for both employees and customers. If needed, these surveys can be anonymous. Ensuring employee-only areas are fitted with basic and quality hygiene products Include hygiene guidelines and notices in all public spaces as well as employee-only areas Investing In Smart, Sustainable & Economical Hygiene Solutions  The current state of the economy means that hospitality executives are under more pressure than ever to make smarter spending decisions and justify all their ROIs. With the support of hygiene partners like Kim-Fay Professional, the burden of these decisions has been made incredibly easier. Hospitality executives can comfortably make economical hygiene investments that elevate the look and feel of their hospitality brands, protect their customers and staff, promote sustainable consumption, and improve their overall performance as a company. With over 2,500 B2B brands under our care it is no surprise that the Kim-Fay Professional brand has become synonymous with hygiene and hospitality excellence.  Interested in setting up your hotel, restaurant or travel business as a hygiene leader? Reach out to us at +254709892000 or via our e-mail; customercare@kimfay.com.