Why It’s So Important to Empower Employees
Empowerment is one of the critical concepts for all managers to keep in mind when handling employees. When you empower employees, you enable them to do their jobs at a high level, and they will take the reins on their position and drive the business forward. This is much different than an employee who is simply going through the motions, doesn’t entirely understand what they are trying to accomplish, and is just checking off the boxes to complete a shift.
Employee empowerment is a powerful asset for your organization. There is a sense of ownership that comes with empowerment, and employees who feel this way are more likely to be creative and proactive, and to deliver outstanding customer service. This is particularly important in hospitality where so many of your employees are in customer-facing positions.
Empowerment Opportunities for Hospitality Industry Employees
Successful managers are always looking for opportunities to empower employees and provide a boost to the confidence they bring to the job. Sometimes, these opportunities are small and subtle, while on other occasions they are bigger events.
One example of a bigger event that leads to a sense of empowerment is engaging employees in decision-making in various areas. Rather than just making management decisions unilaterally and then relaying those choices to the team, finding ways to take input from employees on big decisions will help them feel included and valued.
On the subtle side, empowerment can come from something as simple as just verbally commending an employee for making a good decision and serving customers properly. This might be after the employee had to be creative to solve a customer problem on their own without input from management. Hearing supportive words will only give them encouragement to deal with future challenges in a similar manner.
Where Does Compliance Training Fit in Hotel Management?
It’s easy to fall into the category of only using compliance training as a means to an end for certification. Your employees have to hold certain certifications based on state regulations, so you find training courses that meet the requirements and move on. However, compliance training should be seen as far more than an obligation. Rather, it is an opportunity to move your teams forward and ultimately deliver better service to your customers.
Quality compliance training should cover a wide range of topics that will be applicable to workers in the hospitality industry. Subjects can include food handling, alcohol service, health and safety, customer privacy, and more. Receiving instruction on these topics is empowering because it directly leads to better performance on the job. With recent training on such important topics, employees will be able to make confident decisions as they go through each shift, knowing they are making the right choices for both their customers and their employers.
Practical Ways to Implement Training Programs for Your Team
Implementing training successfully starts with identifying the needs that your organization has for such training. For example, pulling from the Responsible Training catalog, it may be that all of your restaurant employees need to go through the Food Handler Training course, while some also need to complete the Alcohol Server Training course. As a manager, getting organized on tracking who needs to complete which training and when – even with a simple spreadsheet – will make your life much easier.
Once you know what is required, the next step is to present the training to your employees in a convenient and approachable manner. Again, this is made easier with Responsible Training. We offer courses that are compatible across many devices, are written at an 8th-grade level, and present the material in a clear and direct manner. If your employees have been frustrated in the past by the complicated or inconvenient training experience, Responsible Training will feel like a whole new world.
Prepare Hospitality Employees to Reach Their Potential
Everyone wins when your team of employees in a hospitality business is properly trained and ready to thrive. Those employees as individuals will feel more confident in their duties and will be ready to face each shift with a great attitude. As a manager, you will know that your team is compliant and able to make decisions on the go that satisfy customers and are in the best interests of the business. Explore our Course Catalog today or contact us directly to learn more.
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