Retention

Not only will well looked after staff tend to work harder, they will also be likely to want to stay with your hotel for longer.

“There is a strong correlation between staff retention and constructive livelihood, which in our case is offered through our accommodation,” says Wasl Hospitality general manager Abdulbasit Al-Hai.

“There have been numerous studies conducted on staff retention and the factors that attribute to staff motivation. In all cases, housing is one of the leading factors that affects an employee’s personal life.”

This is where the hospitality industry differs from most other businesses, where employees’ personal lives are not a big consideration; in hotels it is important that staff are kept happy as it is their attitude which so often keeps guests returning, and business coming in.

As housing, particularly when moving to and living in a new country, plays such a large part in the wellbeing of employees, it has become a deciding factor in the level of staff retention in hotels.

“I have come across housing that was not up to scratch.  The impact onto employee morale is high with very negative effects.  Bad housing is a key reason for high employee turnover and in some instances has resulted in illness,” states Salibi.

Employees, particularly those who have been trained and invested in by the company, are such a valuable resource that anything which affects staff retention must be a serious consideration for hoteliers, and staff housing is no exception.

Coral Deira, Dubai human resources and training manager Adline Batal, believes that staff housing can play a big role in encouraging employees to stay with a company.

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“If you give staff the right product and atmosphere to relax, it helps them to stay calm and focused. Also, it prevents any kind of attrition. We have a retention rate of nearly 70%, which is good compared to current industry standards,” she stresses.

Best Western director of operations Asia and the Middle East Ehtisham Waris says that housing also has an effect on how staff view their employers and their status within the company.

“Well-maintained staff housing is one of the key factors in keeping up the morale of the employees. It always makes a positive impact in day-to-day operation and helps to fight attrition. Employees feel that their efforts have been valued by the management if the standard of the accommodation is acceptable,” Waris argues.

This opinion is shared by Emaar Hospitality Group general manager accommodation Eddie Yago, who believes that accommodation will affect staff retention as well as performance at work.

“I believe if staff are comfortable with the accommodation, it reflects the way they perform at work. If your accommodation is positive you are thinking positively at work and you’re not thinking about why you want to leave,” Yago says.

Accommodation which is secure, well fitted out and pleasant with a community feel will of course affect the length of your stay, argues IHG’s Meyer.

“The quality of your accommodation is going to determine how long you stay, wherever you stay. What we try to do is make people feel at home as soon as possible. We introduce you to the person you will be sharing a room with on email before you arrive. When you arrive here we have a welcome basket and card for you, complimentary internet facilities so you can get online and talk to your family straight away,” he says.

Meyer believes these measures build a community feel, which makes the real difference to employee’ attitudes to their accommodation — and their company.