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Retaining Hospitality Talent: The Power Of Career Progression

by Tanya January 24, 2025

With Brexit, the pandemic and prevailing economic challenges, the hospitality industry has had it tough in recent years.

For hospitality employers, career progression offers a powerful solution. By investing in your team’s growth, you’re not just helping individuals flourish, you’re fostering loyalty, improving productivity, and securing the long-term success of your business. Here’s why career progression matters, how to implement it effectively, and the obstacles you might encounter along the way.

Learn about the perks your staff would love, then rollout a successful programme.

Benefits of progression for employee engagement

Imagine you’re working in a role where you feel stuck. There’s no chance of climbing the ladder, no opportunity to gain skills and no recognition for your hard work. Would you start looking for a new job? Probably.

To avoid employees resigning, you can encourage them to stick around and strive for more by giving them clear paths to advance. The opportunity to learn and grow professionally boosts morale. You’ll also foster a culture of ambition where more people want to perform better, whether serving customers or improving your operations.

Progression benefits for your business

Investing in development isn’t just good for wellbeing; it helps your bottom line.

Firstly, high staff turnover is expensive. Developing a strong existing team is more efficient, both in terms of cost and service.

Motivated teams are also more productive, leading to increased customer satisfaction and repeat business.

A reputation as a good employer can also attract top talent, giving you a competitive edge in a volatile market.

Succession planning is easier too, as you create a pool of talented individuals ready to step into more senior roles when needed.

Ultimately, all these benefits contribute to healthier financials for your hospitality accountants to report on.

How to create and manage opportunities

Get started by mapping out potential career paths within your organisation, from entry-level positions to management roles.

Clearly define the skills and experience required for each position to help people understand what they need to learn to progress.

Next, offer access to training courses and mentoring to help them develop the skills you’re looking for. You can use performance reviews to discuss their career goals and provide constructive feedback.

Finally, make sure the criteria for promotion are obvious and objective, and recognise and reward achievement appropriately.

Like anything worth doing, you might face some battles along the way. Perhaps you lack the budget for extensive training programmes, for example. Consider online courses and mentoring schemes as cost-effective alternatives.

Alternatively, there may be limited opportunities for promotion in a small company. Focus on developing your staff’s skills within their current roles, and offer lateral moves where relevant to broaden their experience.

There are signs of green shoots for the UK hospitality market, with PwC predicting that inbound tourism will strengthen. By supporting your team to grow professionally, you’ll make sure everyone is pulling in the right direction.

Summary

There are signs of recovery in the UK hospitality market, with experts predicting a resurgence in inbound tourism and customer demand. By investing in your team’s growth now, you’ll be better equipped to handle this revival with a skilled, motivated workforce.

Career progression isn’t just about climbing the corporate ladder—it’s about creating a culture of learning, recognition, and shared success. In a challenging industry like hospitality, it’s the key to retaining top talent, improving service quality, and future-proofing your business.

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Tanya

The first Millennial blogger in the UK. Twitter @_luckyattitude

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