These employees work hard. Doing jobs others want no part of. They always show up. Rarely complain. But rarely speak up.
Often resistant of change. “Don’t teach me new things. Just let me do my job!
Extremely valuable. Most of us would fail if we only had highly motivated hard chargers.
Easy but dangerous to overlook these employees.
But what do you do after few years when they have maxed out salary. When we can hire less experienced, and often younger employees at lower salary?
These loyal employees often have excellent ideas and insight. But they rarely speak up. Frequently they are not aware of their value.
How do we pull their knowledge out?
When concentrating on cutting expenses, easy to look at these people as overpaid overhead.
They are really under-utilized resources.
Tips from Resort Director F&B
This topic came up last week. I was talking with resort F&B Director. I knew he had a number of these 10-15 year hourly veterans. I asked him how he justified them.
He re-educated them.
He explained he re-educated them about their jobs. They worked hard, but rarely participated. He explained to them that they were not carrying their weight. He needed more from them. He said he got blank stares.
F&B Director pointed out they were on the front line. Often the first to see if menu item was not popular. Or when meals were not finished. Or certain side dishes were left untouched. Which deserts were popular. They overheard guests talking about meals. What were they hearing? Did guests mention another restaurant they really liked?
“I need you to speak up. To bring these things up. Talk to your boss. Help me out here. You are at the top of your salary ranges. I’m getting pressure to cut expenses. I want to be able to explain how valuable you are to our team. Will you help me out?”
F&B Director indicated they had not thought of their jobs this way. They all agreed to help. All he was asking was to share what they saw and heard.
Next day one of them came to his Assistant Manager. He told him new menu item we were considering was just like another item we had tried. And dropped. Guests didn’t request item. We compared the two items. Employee read it right. We dropped the new item until we could make it different.
Another employee said the asparagus rarely got eaten. Employee heard guests say it was always cold.
Those two felt appreciated and talked to their peers. Soon others were participating.
These steady, valuable employees are still quiet. They need continual encouragement. They are demonstrating their worth to upper management. F&B Director is no longer worried about justifying their jobs.
F&B Director said he had lunch with FO Manager and Executive Housekeeper. Told them what he was doing. They were going to try it with their long-time employees.
All our employees can contribute in valuable ways. Some contribute naturally. Others need to be encouraged and asked to take on slightly different roles.
Good leaders always draw out more from each employee.
Would like to share stories on how you have solved this challenge. Send me what works for you. We will give credit to successes. Who knows may get you a raise or promotion. Email [email protected]
Tom Ferree is the founder of Ferree & Associates and SecureEmploy, organizations focused on helping companies find exceptional talent and helping professionals advance their careers. Since founding Ferree & Associates in 1977, Tom has worked extensively with hospitality companies, executives, and rising leaders across the industry. Through SecureEmploy, he shares practical career strategies, leadership insights, and real-world advice to help professionals grow their careers and help organizations build stronger teams.
