82% of Hospitality Companies Plan to Increase Spending on Deskless Tech
As hoteliers begin planning their 2019 budgets, they will be focusing in part on implementing technology that will help their deskless employees better communicate with management and each other. Eighty-two percent of hospitality companies plan to increase spending on deskless technology in 2019, according to a new deskless workforce report issued by Emergence Capital. “The Rise of the Deskless Workforce” shows that hotel companies will direct part of their spending to ensure they are connecting with employees in hopes of increasing productivity and keeping employees happy. With 98% of companies using mobile platforms such as phones and tablets to communicate with employees, according to the report, hoteliers lagging in engagement will risk losing employees to the competition or other industries.
“Technology is playing an important role in attracting and retaining employees,” said Connie Rheams, Beekeeper VP of Hospitality. “According to Deloitte, 43% percent of Millennials envision leaving their jobs within two years and only 28 percent seek to stay beyond five years. Gen Z has even less loyalty, with 61 percent saying they would leave within two years if given the choice. With unemployment at an all-time low – 4% across all industries as of June 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics – employee retention needs to be top of mind. An additional dollar per hour or free daily lunch is proving to be enough of an incentive for hourly employees to leave one hotel and move to the next. The best way to retain non-desk hotel employees is by communicating with them directly, in their own language, and through the mobile platforms they are most comfortable using. When workers are connected, it makes them feel part of the hotel family, thereby making it difficult to take a job elsewhere due to relationships forged.”
Workforce Communication Technology: A Must in 2019
The best way hoteliers can engage their deskless employees and get them to embrace a hotel’s culture is to connect them digitally to the organization. Linking employees across locations and departments in real time via mobile or desktop devices will keep each person wanting to learn more about the company … their department … VIP guests who may be arriving that day or that week … a new hire … an incentive contest … or even a new corporate policy. Digitizing the workforce will help companies improve internal communication and streamline business processes. It’s an ideal way to connect non-desk workers to company news, updates and protocols; share crisis communications messaging; onboard new hires; and motivate existing employees and share their achievements. In other words, it keeps employees connected to management and each other.
In the past year, Fortune 500 firms across the globe have adopted Beekeeper as their workforce communications platform. Named the Most Innovative Technology of 2018 by HTNG, the “People’s Choice” by HFTP, and ranked No. 59 on the SaaS 1000, Beekeeper has been busily increasing its user base this year by more than 500% and is currently being used in more than 137 countries worldwide.
Beekeeper is digitizing the non-desk workforce by connecting operational systems and communication channels within one secure, intuitive platform. The solution connects colleagues across locations and departments in real time via mobile or desktop devices and includes an intelligent analytics dashboard to help companies improve internal communication and streamline business processes. Secure, automated, and relevant information is readily distributed, searchable, and measurable in one central hub for an efficient digitized workflow.
Statistically Speaking: Employee Engagement Matters
● Companies with engaged employees outperform those without by 202% (Source: Gallup)
“Beekeeper is a powerful tool for driving and building a strong and informed company culture. It gives us a mobile means to operationally communicate with all associates across five locations in a new, innovative and authentic way. We’ve seen a well-over 90% adoption rate from among our associates.” -- Christopher Horn, Vice President of Operations for SIXTY Hotels
● Highly engaged business units achieve a 10% increase in customer ratings and a 20% increase in sales (Source: Gallup)
“Beekeeper improved our guest service scores, our TripAdvisor scores, and overall internal communications. It has revolutionized the way we talk. It’s the foundation of our culture and community, and it’s an integral part of our daily operations.” -- Jeff David, Managing Director, Watergate Hotel
● 98% of human resources professionals and 92% of employees surveyed said empathetic employers drive retention (Source: Businessolver)
“The Beekeeper employee app has definitely enhanced employee engagement. We would have seen much higher turnover if it weren’t for this tool. -- Jason Brown, Director of People Operations, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
● 92% of employees say showing empathy is an important way to advance employee retention (Source: Businessolver)
“We use Beekeeper to keep everyone informed about everything, whether we’re posting pictures of new slot machines or announcing employee events, awards or birthdays. It’s a fun, social way to get to know employees better. This is just one of many ways that Beekeeper is making everyone feel part of the Feather Falls family.” -- Human Resources Director Rhonda Turner, Feather Falls Casino, Lodge & Brewing Co.
● 80% of employees would work more hours and 60% would take a pay cut to work for a more empathetic employer (Source: Businessolver)
“After rolling out Beekeeper, we noticed an immediate change in our internal communications. It was incredible to see all the personalities that came alive on Beekeeper that we didn’t realize had existed before. Giving them a platform allowing them to have a voice has transformed our organization.” -- David Montero, Director of Operations, RHW Management
● 53% of HR professionals say employee engagement rises when onboarding is improved (Source: SilkRoad).
“Beekeeper is especially easy for onboarding new employees. It lets me create a new profile for each staff member, complete with their photo and personal information about their passions and special interests so other team members can quickly get to know them. In a sense, Beekeeper is a personal-broadcasting antenna.” -- Louie Shapiro, Director of People Operations, 1 Hotels Central Park
Here’s why deskless workforce technology is a smart investment:
● 80% of the world’s workforce are non-desk workers
● 84% of the workforce has a personal mobile device
● 75% of employees use their personal mobile devices to communicate with co-workers