Objective: A hospitality client with hotels across the country wanted to measure satisfaction, loyalty and unmet needs as well as obtain feedback from hundreds of employees at a number of hotel properties using primary research. The survey included all departments: front desk, operations, sales, banquet, administrative and housekeeping. The research effort was aimed to identify areas where the client met or exceeded employee expectations and where efforts can be targeted for improvements. The employee satisfaction scores were also benchmarked against industry norms or average scores for all hospitality entities across the country.

Approach: RMS recommended using a paper survey methodology to obtain the desired information from employees. This research modality allowed the client to extend an invitation to all of its employees to supply input. It was cost-effective and served as a means to inform all employees of the client’s commitment to obtaining feedback from all employees. Once the employee satisfaction survey was finalized, the client was responsible for distributing the surveys on site, collecting the sealed responses and returning them to RMS for data entry and detailed analysis and reporting. RMS staff consulted with the client to create effective employee communications, design a customized survey instrument and address the findings analytical needs. A total of 386 survey completes were received for this study representing a response rate of approximately 97 percent.

Results: Here are a few key findings from the employee satisfaction survey case study –

• Using regression analysis, RMS was able to identify three key drivers to overall satisfaction of employees. The first predictive factor was ‘the organization showing a genuine interest in employees,’ followed by ‘available opportunities for advancement’ and ’employees feeling proud to work at the organization.’ If the client could succeed at improving those three individual factors, overall employee satisfaction scores would rise.
• Employee satisfaction scores between hotel properties varied greatly. Some hotels received employee satisfaction scores of 100 percent and 90 percent satisfied while others fell as low as 56 percent and 53 percent. This identified for the client which hotels incurred the lowest scores and as a result, the greatest opportunity for improvement.
• Combining the scores of all of the hotel properties, the client’s aggregate scores outperformed the industry norm scores on all questions in the survey. Some areas such as ‘effective leadership from the hotel’s general manager’ outperformed the industry norm by 30-plus percentage points. Therefore, as a whole, with regard to employee satisfaction scores, the client’s hotels performed better than average to other hotels in the industry.
• RMS also provided the client with detailed recommendations and action items to improve employee satisfaction scores at the hotels.

Are you interested in doing an employee satisfaction survey or do you work in the hospitality industry and want to commission a similar project? Contact our Business Development Director, Sandy Baker at SandyB@RMSresults.com or by calling (315) 635-9802.