'What are we going to do? We’re understaffed and summer is right around the corner', I bet you've either said this, heard it, or thought about it at least once while working in the hospitality industry.

I know this industry has a way of making things happen regardless of the staffing issues, but it shouldn’t be that way.

I’d like to share some hospitality staffing problems and solutions that could help this industry be even more successful.

"Why Do My Employees Leave?”

There might be a million reasons why people decide to leave their jobs, but there are 3 that resonate the most with me. And I know we can't control everything around us, but we can always improve our work environment.

Having a Strong Company Culture

Let’s start with the basics, what exactly is a company's culture? It’s the sum of all your formal and informal systems of behaviors and values. This is what sets the kind of experience your customers and employees have at the workplace.

I like to describe it as the way people feel about the work they do. It’s that simple.

I’ve always thought that in every kind of business, the most important resource is people. I know we’re getting pretty technologically advanced, but no robot is going to replace a human heart.

And I mean that people who feel connected to their workplace, work with their hearts. They convey their love for their job not only to their customers but to their coworkers.

A company’s culture makes people feel like they are a part of something. Like they belong somewhere.

And that’s why this is one of the reasons why people leave. You wouldn’t stay in a relationship where you don’t feel heard, reciprocated, or appreciated right? Well, the same thing happens in the workplace.

Not Having a Clear Vision or Leadership

Having a good leader is one of the most important things while being part of a company. They are the closest example we have of how to become great at what we do.

Think about it, ever since we were kids we’ve always had someone to look up to. We want to feel guided, safe, and heard.

I once worked with a General Hotel Manager who knew how to make the best cappuccinos. She would roll up her sleeves and run the pass at the restaurant when needed. She knew the names of all the employees, and she knew how to fix any issue that could come up. She would greet every guest with a smile. She would sit down and have family meal with the staff. She would flip tables at brunch, and all this while wearing high heels. Impressive right?

She was in charge of running the entire place, yet she knew how to do the smallest tasks in every department. She didn't tell us how to do something, she showed us the way.

I hope you also thought of someone while reading this because, for me, she became the perfect example of a great leader. Even today, years later, I still think of her as someone to look up to.

This is why learning how to be a leader is so important. You're someone that people look up to, and with that comes power. Use it well.

Feeling “Burned Out” or Overworked

I know, we’ve all been there. Days where the hours don’t feel enough to do all you have to do. Nights that become sunrises, or mornings where you feel like you didn’t sleep at all.

I get that this might be somehow “normal” while working in this industry, but it becomes unhealthy and unmotivating in the long run.

An employee should never reach a point where they feel they’re overworked and not compensated for it.

Nobody wants to feel like a robot. Like the time, effort, and enthusiasm that they put into their work is being taken for granted.

We should go to work every day because our job is important and it's being valued.

Every job matters, and without one another, no company would be able to succeed.

Remember, an employee is not only "someone who works for you or with you". An employee is a human, a friend, a family member. Someone who has dreams and goals to fulfill too.

Hospitality does not only mean making all your customers feel welcome, and appreciated. It means making your employees and associates feel that too.

Make them proud to be a part of your team and I promise, they might stick around longer than you think.

Maria Navarro. Content Marketing Specialist for the Hospitality Industry. Combining my passion for writing with my love for this industry. Hoping to reach more people with my writing and convey the true meaning of this industry.

www.mariawriting.com