This webinar from go2HR, in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division, focuses on practical strategies for building psychological safety within tourism and hospitality teams. The session emphasizes immediately implementable techniques to address challenges like high turnover and seasonal staffing, aiming to improve employee well-being and ultimately drive guest satisfaction and retention.
Psychological Safety Defined: Psychological safety is about creating a work environment where mistakes are addressed without punishment or belittlement, fostering open communication and idea-sharing. It directly impacts key performance metrics like turnover and guest satisfaction.
Pre-Boarding Communication: Strong first impressions begin before day one. Sending a welcome email and text message a week and a day before the start date respectively, containing practical information and personal connection points, reduces new employee anxiety and sets positive expectations.
First-Week Check-ins: The "5-minute manager check-in" framework, involving daily brief conversations focusing on specific aspects of the onboarding experience, helps build rapport, gather feedback, and identify areas for improvement.
Departmental Connections: Mapping out cross-departmental connections helps identify critical relationships and potential hand-off points for service improvement. Structured introductions and shadowing opportunities facilitate collaboration and reduce service failures.
Seasonal Staff Strategies: Strategies for managing seasonal staff include returning champion programs (recognizing returning employees), 15-minute mentor matches (pairing new hires with experienced employees for short, focused sessions), and end-of-season transition strategies to encourage return in future seasons.
Measurement & Tracking: Integrating measurement into existing processes, using simple methods like daily one-question check-ins or tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), provides real-time feedback for ongoing improvement. A 30-day quick start plan helps prioritize and implement changes gradually.
