New findings show COVID-19 has forced one in four (25%) to think about a career change, with the same number planning on acting on this and looking for a new job in the new year.

The research*, found that this job restlessness is even higher amongst the younger generations, with a third (33%) of 18-34 year olds saying they are planning a fresh start  in the new year compared to a quarter (24%) of 35-55s.

1. Make sure your employees know they have a future with you
The arrival of COVID-19 has meant that many people, with good reason or otherwise, may be questioning their job stability. Whilst there is of course much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, opportunity exists for it to instigate innovation and change. It’s important that as an employer, you communicate what you are doing as a company to learn from the pandemic and how you are responding to changes in customer needs. In doing so, you are building confidence in your team that the company is well-prepared to weather these storms, and you also give your team a chance to grow, learn and innovate. As an example, we at Point A have recently been looking into how we can adapt our offering to suit the needs of the changing business traveller, by considering offering more meeting spaces and discount memberships for returning business guests. With the advent of a new type of traveller, we need to look to become a new type of hotel.

2. Engage your team to find out what they want or need from you
Wellness programs and employee incentives are all well and good if what you are offering is of interest to your team, but you might be missing the mark if you don’t ask.

After the pandemic brought our industry to a close back in March, we turned to our team members to share their ideas for morale-boosting activities the company could offer. These ended up ranging from a Dragon’s Den-style competition where team members were encouraged to think up ideas for the company’s future (as wacky or conventional as they like) – to book clubs, quizzes and virtual meetups.

Because these ideas came from the team members themselves, this fostered a sense of understanding and care, so it didn’t feel like we were rolling out activities without taking the time to listen.

3. Recognise your team member’s contributions
With a second national lockdown underway, and it being 10 months since the country first shut down, it’s not unexpected that some team member’s motivations at work may start to wane. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to recognise success. Peer to peer nomination is also really important so that colleagues have their say in who deserves to be recognised – this often brings to light examples of amazing behaviours that wouldn’t have been seen by senior leadership.

At Point A, our employee of the month celebrations and quarterly and annual awards ceremonies are now run online with gifts shipped out to our teams on site and at home. We have also treated those who dial in to takeaway vouchers to enjoy whilst they tune in. And for our annual awards ceremony, we will be inviting our teams to be joined by their loved ones whilst they dial in.

4. Offer real, professional support
There is no doubt COVID-19 has affected everyone, however the impact has not been equal across the board. There has never been a more pressing time for employers to recognise that supporting their teams goes beyond paying their paycheck. It is not enough to give lip service to employee wellbeing without follow-through actions.

We worked with industry body Hospitality Action – the UK’s leading charity for hospitality workers – to give our teams access to professional, confidential support relating to finance, legal, relationships, wellbeing and more.

The above steps are just a few key ways to ensure your teams feel like valued and supported members of the company they work for.

During such a turbulent time, businesses need to consider both the light-hearted and the serious support options at their disposal, to keep employees happy and engaged.

*research by Point A Hotels