Sustainability drives staff retention, study finds

New research shows that sustainability is emerging as a critical factor in employee retention. Over three-quarters of hospitality staff (76%)—and 88% of those in management positions—say they are more likely to stay in a job for longer if their employer makes a positive environmental impact. With operators under pressure to make cost savings, better environmental practices could help significantly reduce recruitment costs.

The report from leading foodservice technology provider, Nutritics and hospitality data and insights consultancy CGA by NIQ, Sustainability Matters: Why your teams take it seriously, surveyed UK hospitality employees to understand attitudes towards sustainability within the sector and found that employers’ poor environmental practice has a significant impact on their ability to retain and attract talent.

The insight reveals that sustainability is increasingly important to staff in both their personal and professional lives, with 91% saying that living sustainably is important to them and if they feel their employer is not delivering on this, they are willing to take action. More than two in five (43%) would consider resigning from a job due to a company’s lack of sustainability initiatives, with 19% saying they have already done so, almost a third of whom are in management positions.

How can employers work with teams to become more sustainable?

When asked which areas staff would like to see their employer focus on to reduce its environmental impact, the following came out top:

1. Reducing food waste (45%)
2. Reducing packaging/single-use plastic (44%)
3. Improving recycling (39%)
4 (=). Focusing on seasonal menus (33%)
4 (=). Using green energy (33%)

Stephen Nolan, CEO of Nutritics, comments: “Hospitality staff are telling us that sustainability isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ anymore – it’s a fundamental part of what they look for in an employer. Workers are aligning their career decisions with their personal values and, for many, sustainability reflects the integrity and long-term vision of a business. If those values aren’t in place, they’re willing to seek employment elsewhere. Given the competition and the high cost of recruitment, this is a real opportunity for operators to capitalise on an issue that matters so much to current and potential employees.”

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