The difference between a hotel with few guests and a bad reputation and a popular hotel known for its accommodations usually comes down to one major factor: your staff.

More than anything else, your staff has the power to make or break your customer’s experience. A friendly welcome, a well-cleaned room, and a few extra touches will make almost any guest happy—all of which depend on your staff, which is why investing in their happiness is essential.

However, decades of research show that money is far from the only (or even the most effective) incentive you can use. Giving your employees growth opportunities, recognition, and fun challenges will be much more impactful.

1. Increased responsibility 

Enjoyment, or like the work they do, is the number one reason employees say they’re going to stay at their current job.

On the flip side, feeling that they’re “stuck” and do not have enough opportunities to grow or develop is the primary reason they give for finding a new position.

Believe it or not, this finding is great news for you as an employer. It means that the members of your staff crave new tasks and increased autonomy. They want to progress in their careers—so challenge them!

We recommend looking at the people on your team who are performing their existing responsibilities really well and asking, “What skills or projects would you be interested in expanding into?” (To make sure that their workload stays balanced, you might need to redistribute some of the tasks they’re less excited about to a more junior employee.)

2. Recognition

Letting your employees know you appreciate their work goes a long way. If you’re only speaking up when you need to correct their behavior, you’ll definitely hurt your team’s morale.

The simplest form of recognition is simply saying, “Hey, I noticed you did X—that was great, thank you.”

However, we encourage you to implement multiple recognition programs. For example, you could start a peer recognition contest: Each month, every team nominates a stellar coworker. 

Alternatively (or in addition), consider mentioning stand-out employees at your weekly team meeting or in your employee newsletter. This form of peer recognition also works for you as the manager, as employees will aspire to be mentioned for their excellent work in the future. 

One of the most gratifying ways to recognize employees is in front of your boss. Next time someone really goes above and behind, introduce them to your manager by saying, “I’d like you to meet (name). (Name) is an excellent employee; in fact…”

3. Contests

Competitions are a fantastic way to make everyday work a little more engaging for your team members. If you work in a hotel restaurant or bar, hold a contest for “most bottles of wine sold” or “highest number of appetizers ordered.” (These kinds of contests help sales, too!) Have other members of your staff compete in teams for “most punctual” or “least absenteeism.” For the employees that interact directly with guests, have contests to see who can receive the most positive reviews.

For a contest that everyone can participate in, ask employees to post photos of the hotel on social media with a designated hashtag. The most creative or fun post receives a prize.

Get creative with your team! Your staff wants to work hard and love their jobs; make it easy for them with a simple acknowledgment or fun encouragement.