Employee stress is a significant issue in the hospitality industry. It is costly for employers …and employees alike. The two most common stressors are interpersonal tensions at work and work overloads. Work stress can be a particular problem in customer-oriented fields because employees often experience conflicting demands of the company, supervisors, and customers, and these conflicts create dissonance for employees (Ruyter, Wetzels, & Feinberg, 2001).
Research has shown a negative correlation between job stress and quality guest service delivery, that is, less stressed employees provide better customer service than more stressed ones (Varca, 1999).
Stress is generated in work place
Stress is a way our body responds to certain situation which has an overwhelming amount of pressure. Our body releases certain chemicals during such situations which enable us to get out of a dangerous physical threat if the stress is caused by a physical entity. However when stress is caused due to emotional pressure then it disables our brain to think clearly and we feel like running away from that stressful situation.
Hospitality industry employees have to deal with a tremendous amount of emotional stress from time to time as this sector is an people oriented industry. Research proves that there is a negative impact of job stress on the quality of guest service delivery. That is all the more reason to ensure that companies go the extra mile to assist their teams deal with stressful situations at work.
With the advent of social media and technology the hospitality industry on one hand has gained a best friend but also on the other hand gained its worst enemy. At workplace there is always this expectation to be constantly tracking the social media reputation whilst managing guests or customer expectation on the shop floor.
A Strategy to deal with Stress
A well organized strategy to combat the stress at the workplace for employees indeed goes a long way in creating not only healthy professional relationships within the teams but also helps in dealing with the pressures at home.
The concept of mental health program is fairly new for Indian companies although the West has already been proactive in identifying the importance of the same for many years now. Especially in hotel industry about a decade ago or so, seldom were any such wellness programs for the employees that could assist them deal with the day to day stress at workplace . With more exposure over a period of time the leadership of reputed companies has gradually accepted the importance of stress management and wellness programs at workplace.
According to another recent study, the wellness industry in India is estimated to rise and touch INR 500 billion. The wellness program alone is going to claim almost 25% of the market and it is expected that the growth of the particular segment will be almost 30% every year.(source: https://www.franchiseindia.com/wellness/Corporate-Wellness-Programs-in-India.9371).
This is great news for the corporate sector as many such companies are customizing these wellness programs for the employees especially in hotel sector. The programs are aimed to enhance the lifestyle of the employees and create a sustainable impact on them. These programs aim at providing routine checkups, workout sessions and also hire professional consultants to provide a structured assessment and guidance to the employees throughout the process.
Individualization is important for success of such programs. From health coaching to weight management, diet consultation to workout instructions, every aspect related to good health is included. Yoga has also taken a center stage in the last couple of years. Many hotel companies not only organize yoga sessions for their guests but also periodical interventions for their employees. The benefits of yoga are already renowned and companies in hospitality sector have embraced this ideology to be included in the wellness programs for their employees too.
Here are 5 ways in which companies can assist their employees, especially in hospitality industry, combat stress at workplace:
Drive an open & transparent culture
problematic interpersonal relationships at work can cause a great deal of stress. The companies must drive a culture of openness and transparency which helps in building trust within the teams. An environment in which expectations are clearly laid out and communicates clear goals and objectives for each employee can help build a culture of Trust within various teams.
Periodical Health Check up Camps
Many good companies invest in yearly or quarterly health check up camps . The aim of such camps is to customize expert consultations for each employee and also create a sense of belongingness . Examples of such camps are – dental checkups, blood pressure checkups, weight management counselling and general consultations.
Wellness Education
From time to time , it is imperative to organize sessions wherein experts from various industries could also visit the premises and interact with employees . For example – Q&R sessions related to Diabetes and its awareness, Heart health related discussions , organic diets , childcare counselling for new parents etc . are just some of the forums that can be planned & organized
Happiness Quotient
Organize weekly activities or fortnightly activities to keep the employees engaged . Tea time activities in cafeteria is one example . Sometimes it also fun to organize tea time activities at a different venue , especially in large open spaces . It can break the monotony of the regular working day
Learning at Workplace
No matter how experienced or how inexperienced an employee is , the thirst for learning new skills is always one of the biggest motivators at work place. It is critical for leaders to identify and create such opportunities where employees are given a chance to learn new skills or knowledge which breaks the monotony of their routine work. Job rotations are a great example of such approach.
This not only keeps the employee engaged but also results in more competent people with a better capacity to manage various kinds of stressful situations at work place. Apart for job rotations , the other forms of learning opportunities are mentoring associates one-on –one , cross exposures in ancillary areas and also empowering the associates to be able to take individual decisions on the shop floor. All of this , however, requires a thorough training need analysis as one approach would no fit all , however , when done correctly , it makes the associates competent and also happier and they walk the extra mile willingly and whole heartedly.