Better sustainability credentials and communication could hold the key for hospitality operators to attract staff, reduce turnover and increase retention, according to a report from food service technology provider Nutritics and hospitality data and insights consultancy CGA by NIQ.
The report, titled ‘Sustainability Matters: What teams want and how brands can win’, surveyed UK hospitality employees to understand their perspectives on sustainability issues. The report found:
- 94% hospitality professionals said living an environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle is important to them
- Half of those surveyed (50%) have accepted one job over another partly because the company was more sustainable
- 84% of hospitality professionals said they would be more likely to stay in their job for longer if their employer has and continues to create a positive environmental impact
- 94% of employees say that a company’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility is a significant factor when deciding where to work
- Recycling, reducing food waste and sustainable packaging emerged as the top priorities for 91% of those surveyed
- 85% want to work with sustainable suppliers, while 84% favour local or sustainably sourced ingredients
Stephen Nolan, chief executive of Nutritics, said: “Staff are crucial to any brand’s engagement on this urgent challenge. They are the people who will ultimately deliver sustainability strategies. They are also highly stimulated by environmental issues, and younger workers in particular are much more likely to be attracted to employers who share their concerns. As we show in this report, good sustainability practice can be a very powerful recruitment and retention tool.
“Two-way communication with teams on sustainability issues is important, but the businesses who can help educate them as well will be the ones who really notice a step-change in engagement, recruitment and retention.”
