Sustainability policies are driving staff retention for hospitality operators

New research shows that sustainability is emerging as a critical factor in employee retention, with over three quarters of hospitality staff (76%) – and 88% of those in management positions – saying they are more likely to stay in a job for longer if their employer makes a positive environmental impact.

The data was published in a report from foodservice technology provider Nutritics and hospitality data and insights consultancy CGA by NIQ, called ‘Sustainability Matters: Why your teams take it seriously’. This 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. 91% say actively living a sustainable life 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 – with almost a third of those in management roles.

Jonny Lockett, sustainability consultant to Pizza Pilgrims, said that sustainability needs to be embedded in strategy and it’s vital to get teams onside. “If you can show that we’re working towards a singular goal, conversations become a lot easier,” he said. “At Pizza Pilgrims we’ve made sustainability the fourth strategic pillar, so now it’s challenged at board level and put on the management key performance indicators, as part of our efforts to maintain our B Corp status. We’ve developed a purpose alongside this, which helps to align all our teams behind this shared goal."

Holly Letch, head of sustainability, JKS Restaurants said: “There are some highly impactful decisions we make which aren’t very visible to teams unless we shout about them. But there are also initiatives that aren’t very impactful but highly visible, like combatting clingfilm, and usually these actions do a better job at engaging everybody. It’s important to create space for both types of initiatives if we want to deliver impact and bring everyone along on the journey.”

Of the research itself, Stephen Nolan, CEO of Nutritics, said: “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.”

In addition to identifying employee attitudes, the report also provides operators with potential answers and solutions on how they can work with teams to tackle sustainability together.

When asked which areas staff would like to see their employer focus on to reduce its environmental impact, the top answers were reducing food waste (45%), reducing packaging/single use plastic (44%) Improving recycling (39%), focusing on seasonal menus (33%) and using green energy (33%).

Nutritics’ sustainability lead Dr Laura Kirwan concluded: “There is a real opportunity for operators to engage their staff and work together to help make hospitality more sustainable. Staff, in particular young workers, are highly stimulated by environmental issues and are therefore more likely to be loyal and attracted to a company, which shares these values. By investing in sustainable practices which matter to staff and involving them in this journey, operators can not only boost retention and keep their teams motivated but accelerate meaningful change.”

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