Building Employee Loyalty in Fast-Paced Service Industry

Some industries are more prone to high turnover – but that doesn’t mean employee loyalty isn’t important. The truth is that employee loyalty plays a vital role in the success of most service-focused organizations, and retaining talented employees is crucial for a stable workforce that can deliver exceptional customer service. If that sounds like the goal of your company, then you don’t want to settle for disruptive high turnover. 

In this article, we explore effective strategies for fostering employee loyalty among hospitality staff and other companies with fast-paced service roles. These methods will help business leaders to engage and motivate team members who work in high-pressure settings. Ultimately, you need to give your staff the right tools to handle demanding and stressful environments to build employee loyalty – and you can learn how to do so if you keep reading. 

Why Employee Loyalty Matters in the Service Industry

Employee loyalty is paramount in fast-paced settings – in some ways, it’s even more important in high-turnover industries than in other workplaces. In fact, studies show that worker turnover can really hurt customer service. 

In the hospitality industry, it’s not uncommon to see turnover rates that are over 80%, almost double the national average in the US. Despite the challenge, retaining employees is a top priority for managers because of the positive business outcomes that come from strong employee loyalty. 

  • Consistent customer experience: Loyal employees are more likely to deliver consistent, exceptional customer service. Their familiarity with the organization and its processes enables them to provide a higher level of service, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. If they are employed longer, they are more likely to recognize “regulars” and offer superior service and friendliness. 
  • Reduced turnover costs: High employee turnover can be expensive for organizations in terms of recruitment, training, and productivity loss. By increasing employee loyalty, organizations can minimize turnover rates and save valuable resources.
  • Enhanced employee engagement: Loyal employees are more engaged and committed to their work. They tend to go the extra mile, take pride in their roles, and actively contribute to the organization’s success.
  • Positive organizational culture: If you’ve ever worked in an environment with a poor culture, you know how low morale can be. Employee loyalty fosters a positive organizational culture, where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated. This positive culture attracts and retains top talent, creating a competitive advantage for the organization.

Generally speaking, organizations that have high degrees of employee loyalty will also enjoy more operational efficiency and stronger customer satisfaction. For these reasons, long-term employee retention strategies need to be on every hospitality business leader’s radar. 

4 Effective Ways to Foster More Employee Loyalty

If you’re reading this and thinking “Sounds great, but how can I actually increase employee loyalty?”, you’re not alone. It’s one thing to understand how much employee loyalty matters – but it’s another altogether to make true engagement a reality. 

These are proven strategies that experts count on to increase employee loyalty and reduce turnover – even in fast-paced and pressure-filled roles. 

  1. Empower employees – It’s essential to empower your team to do their best work and make great decisions. Fortunately, today’s technology can do a lot of that for business leaders. For example, you can enable employees with a user-friendly and intuitive platform that offers support through onboarding, scheduling, and more. Managers can share important news and targeted communications so that staff have all of the information they need to remain in the loop at all times. 
  2. Proactively engage with staff – In a fast-paced environment, it can be difficult to connect with employees on an individual basis. However, it’s essential that you do. This is another area where the proper tech stack can help. For instance, our workforce management platform allows you to stay in touch by automatically triggering communications. Is the employee late for a shift? The platform will automatically send a call to action to make sure everything is ok. Our communications platform Engage also sends conversational messages, such as “How was your first day?” These efforts, along with proactive energy on your manager’s part, can go a long way in boosting employee engagement. 
  3. Promote a better work-life balance – Show your staff that you care about their lives outside of work. According to frontline workers in the industry, “when I work” is their number one priority when it comes to workplace flexibility. Look for ways to allow employees to have more control over their schedule, which can promote better balance. Harri allows employees to easily check schedules, swap shifts, and generally have more control over how their days go without constantly shuffling things with their manager. 
  4. Foster an inclusive culture – Creating a positive work environment is essential in fast-paced service roles. Employees who feel supported and respected are more likely to stay loyal to their organization.  Encourage open communication, and teamwork, and provide opportunities for collaboration. Hire managers whothat are approachable and supportive, ensuring employees feel comfortable discussing any concerns or challenges they may face. By fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment, employees will feel a sense of belonging and loyalty towards the organization. Attract the right talent by leveraging Harri to enhance visibility, expand job advertising, and source the most capable employees. 

Tools and Technology to Support Your Team

One of the best things you can do to encourage employee loyalty is to make your team’s job less hectic. Look for ways to make the daily tasks of customer service easier for your staff.

Mobile Workforce App

A mobile workforce management app is a great place to start. Harri’s mobile workforce management app serves hospitality industry personnel, connecting them with their workplace supervisors and allowing them to manage their workload. Digital, app-centric collaboration facilitates communication and collaboration between managers and employees with efficiency and ease. From a manager’s perspective, mobile apps are essential for effective scheduling, maintaining compliance with labor laws and gauging productivity. The app also helps to empower employees with access to weekly scheduling, shift change requests, and updates from management – all of which helps to streamline their work and make their job easier. 

Request a demo today to learn more about the platform designed to help your business build, manage, and develop your team, all from a single platform. 

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