Bring on 2020: How to build a company culture for the next decade
At this year’s Propel/BII People and Training Conference, Rob highlighted some of the key findings from the CODE 2019 Happiness in Hospitality report, which we were pleased to sponsor for the second year running. The eye-opening report examines diversity, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, and hopes to be a useful tool - for employers and employees - to serve as a catalyst for positive change.
Hospitality is the third-largest private-sector employer in the UK, employing a staggering 3.2 million people. As CODE’s 30 under 30 list shows, the industry is truly meritocratic and should be more widely recognised as a fantastic provider of opportunities and careers. But to progress and flourish, your people need to be happy in their working environment.
Flight Club offer great benefits an genuinely care about their staff
As soon as the London Eye lights up with fireworks we’ll be in a new decade. This time next year, we’ll be saying goodbye to 2020 with 50% of our workforce made up of millennials. By 2030, this will rise to 75%. Why does this matter? Well, research points to a significant generational disconnect between millennials and their older ‘baby boomer’ colleagues. Unlike baby boomers, millennials are said to be less loyal to their employers, to crave more out of their work, and to want - in some small but significant way - to change the world.
Cultural and societal shifts - a sense of heightened environmental responsibility, a surge in mental health awareness, even the decline of clubbing and the rise, in response to this, of Low Abv and 0% alcoholic alternatives - have all had an impact on the millennial mentality. When we look at it like that, this generational disconnect makes sense. But if it’s not explored tactically and approached appropriately, it has the potential to cause communication and retention issues within businesses and organisations. And so, with 57% of the millennial workforce expected to move jobs within two years, one of the big challenges for the next decade will be attracting and retaining millennial workers.
According to CODE, the attitudes towards, and awareness of, mental health - and whether there’s a workplace policy for it - has improved since last year. The dialogue around mental health - particularly that of younger generations - has been more animated than ever before, and this has also informed workplace attitudes towards it. This year’s survey reveals that 33% were aware of a workplace mental health policy compared to 21% in 2018. In fact, seven of the Yapster team are now Mental Health first aid trainers, and there are already some great examples of companies in our industry upping their game in this area. Our customers Mowgli and Bartlett Mitchell have both appointed wellness officers, and Stonegate is putting more than 1000 colleagues through mental health training.
When we think of mental health, we often think of wellness. As a movement, “wellness” is said to have originated in the 1960s when companies such as Boeing launched anti-smoking campaigns. Yet nowadays we can’t help but associate it with gyms and healthy food, yoga and mindfulness. While these are important aspects of the wellness culture, the term “wellness” is, in fact, a very helpful framework that we can look at holistically. In a recent article based on the findings of the American Psychological Association, wellness in the workplace can be determined through five key elements.
1. WORK/LIFE BALANCE
Sounds simple right? But how many of us check our work email under the dinner table, or pop a meeting into our diary in case we forget to do it in the morning? A lot of us it seems because according to CODE, 74% of respondents said they’d move abroad if that meant profiting from a healthier work/life balance. To prevent such drastic measures, hospitality companies are offering their employees a variety of work/life balance initiatives, namely flexible working which came is as one of the Top 5 desired workplace benefits across the board.
Another trending initiative is job sharing. A study conducted last year revealed that the number of people working part-time in higher income jobs has risen more than 10% in the last year, to around 900,000. Splitting big roles across more than one person is said to reduce work related anxiety and stress. It’s an emerging trend and will no doubt become an increasingly popular - and more appealing - way for senior staff to strike that much needed balance.
2. HEALTH & SAFETY
It’s not difficult to see the connection between health and wellness. But in many workplaces, HR departments approach them as two separate efforts. While Health & Safety is about compliance, wellness is typically voluntary and can extend out of work and into an employee’s personal life. But in truth, both have a direct impact on productivity.
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine refers to Health & Safety as ‘health protection’ and wellness as ‘health promotion’, a helpful lens through which to view these aligned efforts. Take late shifts for example. Are there ways to ensure employee safety when traveling home late at night? Last year, Union Hospitality in Scotland campaigned for Late Shift workers to get a taxi allowance. Perhaps this is something your organisation could consider doing, too.
3. EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH
There’s a preconception about hospitality roles - that they’re “just for the interim”, “easy”, “don’t pay well”, and “offer no career development”. That’s why retention rates in the industry have historically been low. But offering employees the potential for growth and development - whether that’s in the form of promotions or mentorship schemes - is key to retaining them. According to CODE, 75% of managers feel they fulfill the role of mentor, but only a quarter (26%) of millennials agree. Having weekly meetings and an ‘open door’ policy can help to improve these numbers.
‘Opportunities for promotion’ was a Top 5-factor influencing workplace happiness. So, consider clear promotion pathways, training programmes, and supportive management as ways to motivate your staff and incentivise them to progress their career within your organisation.
4. EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
Leaders can be so focussed on the end result that they ignore the value of praise. But in the same way that letting your employees know that there’s scope for progression, letting them know that you appreciate their efforts is also vital to instilling a culture of wellbeing.
Hospitality organisations are often vast and multi-cultural, and geographically dispersed teams makes maintaining communication challenging. That was one of the issues we sought to overcome with Yapster. By enabling staff to engage with each other on a broader level, leaders found they’d inadvertently created a platform for employee recognition.
So, whether it’s with a thumbs up emoji, a high-five, or a voucher, tell your staff that you’re aware of what they’re doing, and you’re proud of them. Positive affirmation goes further than you think.
5. EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT
Ultimately, people gravitate towards the company of people they like and the surroundings they enjoy. According to CODE, the number 1 employee benefit for junior staff is ‘team trips’.It’s up to hospitality leaders to facilitate working environments that encourage team bonding. After work drinks, away days, even staff meetings - they can all be fun if underpinned by a culture that values employee wellness.
For millennials, doing something for a good cause is also high on their workplace wish list. Fun runs for charities, cake sales or donating a meal for a meal - as in the case of Dishoom - are all great ways for your staff to get stuck in to the company culture while at the same time contributing to a worthy cause.
So, what’s the key to building a company culture? Number one is quite simply to embrace the millennial generation. Respect their values - even if they differ from those you hold - and don’t underestimate them. They can open you up to new ways of thinking, and with the right support and mentoring, can steer a company in exciting directions. It’s a leader’s job to create a culture that millennials want to work in, and to be a leader they’re proud to work for. And so with all that said, bring on 2020!
Lara Businaro
