Let us be real, people aren’t sticking around in jobs where they feel disrespected. The hospitality industry has essentially trained workers to expect long hours, extremely stressful shifts, and managers who only appear when something goes wrong.
To the average employee, a slightly better schedule or a few extra dollars elsewhere may seem completely worth the jump, regardless of how much fun a place claims to be. That’s why restaurants and hotels keep losing staff and then calling it “a hiring problem,” which just traps them in a cycle of endless recruiting and training.
To actually stop that, you have to understand what really draws good people in and makes them stay, and there are a couple of things that make the most considerable difference, as explained next.
Your Job Post Is Either Selling or Scaring People
The first step, even before conducting interviews, is to refine your job listing. Seriously, most of them sound like a warning.
“Must thrive in a fast-paced environment” usually means understaffed. “Must be flexible” usually means your days off aren’t real. “Looking for a rockstar” usually means you want someone to do two jobs for one paycheck. People know these lines. They’ve lived them.
Be clear. Put the pay range. Mention the typical schedule. Say whether tips are pooled. Explain what a normal shift looks like. If you offer staff meals, parking, or guaranteed hours, be sure to mention it.
The First Week Is Where You Win or Lose Them
Most hospitality businesses lose good hires in the first month. However, the reason is usually simple: the new person arrives, and nobody really trains them. They’re thrown into the rush, expected to “figure it out,” and then get corrected with attitude when they make a mistake.
Create a real onboarding plan. Pair new hires with your best trainer, not the first available one. Provide them with a checklist outlining what they should learn each day. Explain your standards clearly. Check in after each shift and ask what they’re confused about. Small support early prevents big problems later.
Have a look at your turnover timeline. If people keep leaving after two weeks, your onboarding is the leak.
Scheduling Is Where Respect Gets Tested
Nothing burns out hospitality workers faster than chaotic scheduling. Last-minute changes. Get your schedule the night before. Being guilt-tripped for requesting time off. Never being able to plan your life.
Top staff will not tolerate that forever. They’ll quietly start applying elsewhere and leave the moment they get a better offer.
Post schedules at least two weeks out. Avoid clopens whenever possible. Honour time-off requests unless it’s truly impossible. Make shift swaps easy. If you need flexibility from your team, you have to give some back. You can have great food, a beautiful space, and decent pay. If the manager running the floor is toxic, none of it matters.
Most people don’t quit jobs. They quit managers. The ones who play favourites, who panic in a rush, who talk down to staff, who disappear until something goes wrong. These managers create turnover like clockwork.
Train your managers like you train your staff. Being a great bartender doesn’t automatically make someone a great supervisor. Leadership is a skill. Teach them how to give feedback without embarrassing people. Teach them how to de-escalate conflict. Teach them how to run a shift without turning it into a stress festival for everyone.
Recognition Is Cheap and Way More Powerful Than People Think
While big bonuses may seem like the only motivator, don’t be swayed into ignoring the small things. Resist the temptation to think praise doesn’t matter because “they’re just doing their job.”
People want to feel seen. Especially in hospitality, where the work is physical, emotional, and constantly judged. A simple “you handled that table perfectly” or “thank you for staying calm during that rush” goes a long way.
Make recognition part of the culture. Shout-outs during pre-shift. A quick message after a hard weekend. Small rewards that actually mean something. When people feel appreciated, they don’t start looking.