Hospitality HR glossary
Short, plain-English definitions of the people terms that come up when you run teams across many sites. Each one links to the full explainer.
A
- Absenteeism
- Absenteeism is frequent absence from work without a valid reason. Why it hurts hospitality service and margins, and how to reduce it.
B
- Blended Learning
- Blended learning combines digital training methods with hands-on, in-person instruction. This provides the perfect combination of prep-work alone and hands-on training with others.
C
- Compliance Training
- Compliance training educates employees on laws, regulations, and policies they must follow to operate legally and safely. In hospitality, this includes food safety, alcohol service, harassment prevention, and health regulations that protect both guests and your business.
E
- Employee Engagement
- Employee engagement measures the emotional commitment and enthusiasm employees have toward their work and organization. Engaged hospitality workers deliver better guest experiences, stay longer, and consistently perform at higher levels than disengaged colleagues.
- Employee Experience (EX)
- Employee experience is every interaction an employee has with your business, from first contact to exit. What it means and how to improve it.
- Employee Lifecycle
- The employee lifecycle maps an employee's journey from attraction and recruitment to exit. What each stage means for hospitality employers.
- Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
- An employee value proposition is what you offer staff in return for their work. What an EVP is and how hospitality employers can build one.
O
- Onboarding
- Onboarding is the structured process of integrating new employees into your hospitality operation, covering everything from first-day orientation through the first 90 days. Effective onboarding accelerates productivity, improves retention, and ensures consistent service quality across your team.
P
- Preboarding
- Preboarding is the period between when a candidate accepts your job offer and their first day of work. In hospitality, effective preboarding keeps new hires engaged, reduces no-shows, and accelerates their readiness to deliver excellent guest service from day one.
R
- Recognition Programs
- Recognition programs are structured systems that acknowledge and reward employees for excellent performance, desired behaviors, and contributions to organizational success. In hospitality, effective recognition programs improve engagement, reduce turnover, and reinforce service excellence standards.
T
- Turnover Rate
- Turnover rate measures how many employees leave during a period, as a percentage. How to calculate it and what it means for hospitality teams.
W
- Workforce Planning
- Workforce planning means analysing your current workforce, forecasting future needs and closing the gaps. A guide for hospitality operators.
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