Hospitality industry faces growing pressure over burnout and changing expectations
More than half of frontline hospitality managers surveyed say their company doesn’t offer training to help well-being, engagement or motivation.
As the hospitality industry continues to change, workers are facing significant challenges like burnout, lower tips, and rising guest expectations, according to a report from Axonify on August 22nd. Frontline managers are feeling the strain with concerns around understaffing and outdated training methods, which are negatively impacting employee motivation and engagement.
In a survey of 500 U.S. hospitality frontline managers, nearly half (47%) reported experiencing burnout, while 68% noted that their team members have expressed the same. Alarmingly, 64% confirmed that employees have left their roles specifically due to burnout.
Key contributors to burnout include high stress levels, staffing shortages, long hours, unpredictable guest behavior, and a lack of stress management support. Declining tips have driven some workers to leave their shifts early, express frustration online, or even quit altogether.
Despite these challenges, over half (54%) of frontline managers said their companies are not providing sufficient mental health or well-being training. Additionally, 38% reported feeling unprepared for certain work situations due to inadequate training, and 19% indicated that their company’s training programs fail to foster engagement or motivation among employees.
According to meQuilibrium, improving mental health and well-being resources could be a game changer, especially since frontline workers are more prone to anxiety and depression than their peers in other industries. Despite being 30% less likely to seek professional help, two-thirds of frontline workers are more likely to suffer from depression, and a third are more likely to experience anxiety.
Other forms of training could also benefit frontline workers such as highlighting the importance of site-specific training, accurate on-the-job instruction, and consistent training reinforcement as key drivers of better performance and higher employee engagement.
Cross-training and robust professional development programs have also been shown to boost employee retention and motivation.
As these changes continue, it’s important to address the challenges being faced by improving training and support which will be crucial for the well-being of both employees and managers alike.