Three HR Mistakes That Hold Small Hospitality Businesses Back — And How to Fix Them: Insights from 10 Years on the Front Line (by Sofia Sepetjian)
Having spent the last decade growing and working at my family’s bakeries, I have become all too accustomed to the best and worst aspects of the industry. I went from an 8-year-old employee sampling our fresh bread to draw in customers to the Front of House Manager who trains new staff, handles customer complaints, and keeps day-to-day operations running as smoothly as possible. While the bakery feels like home, it has also taught me that small hospitality businesses often underestimate one of the most critical functions of the workplace: human resources. Unlike large, structured hotels, small businesses treat HR as an afterthought until a problem forces change. Over the years, I’ve noticed three major mistakes in HR that hurt employee morale, retention, and performance- and I want to share what steps we took to fix them. Mistake #1: No Real Onboarding Training is a big part of employee success, and small businesses often treat it as a one-time event that is easily forgotten. New hires...