While financial performance drives success in hospitality and restaurant organizations, sustainable growth ultimately depends on managing a diverse workforce and aligning organizational, employee and customer priorities. By addressing social determinants of health with supportive policies, employers can reduce absenteeism, boost productivity and enhance employee wellbeing.
Especially in the hospitality and restaurant sectors — where managing compensation increases and profitability targets is a constant challenge — streamlined operations and clear communication are critical. Emphasizing the availability and value of resources like financial education, paid leave and accessible healthcare can resonate with a diverse workforce, fostering both employee satisfaction and high-quality service.
Key highlights
Our research found that the top priorities for hospitality and restaurant organizations include:
- Managing talent effectively by using flexible and competitive compensation strategies tailored to regional markets
- Offering a benefits package that addresses the most important needs of a diverse workforce, including healthcare benefits
- Fostering a sense of connection that improves the employee experience and can distinguish organizations as employers of choice
- Providing reliable wage increases to improve employee satisfaction — a possible trade-off is a budget reduction for financial wellbeing initiatives
As part of our Workforce Trends Report Series, Gallagher's Hospitality & Restaurant industry addendum highlights key findings and implications based on responses from 132 hospitality and restaurant organizations that participated in our 2024 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey.
Learn more about Gallagher hospitality and restaurant consulting by visiting ajg.com/hospitality-restaurant.
