Is the OBSESSION with Proving Productivity Killing Passion in the Hospitality Industry?

So perhaps I am about to open a can of worms here, but this is a question which has been on my mind for a long time; and whilst I was formulating Kando Hospitality and stoking and refuelling my fire for our awesome industry, it felt like the right time to put pen to paper, so to speak and raise the question.  Is it just me who thinks this, from a very idealistic viewpoint?!

For the longest of time, I have always spoken of hospitality being a feeling; some people are born with it, some are inspired by it, everyone will be touched by it at some point.  BUT, in the intuitive world of hospitality, is the obsession with measuring everything, in some cases, actually having an adverse effect, and in fact dampening the passion of those who work in it?

As always, my clear caveats! 

1. I am not villainising data.  Data is proving invaluable for people teams to have a real commercial voice in the board rooms and moving the dial more than we’ve ever seen it.

2. Of course, businesses need to be efficient and effective in order to achieve the financial success they’re aiming for; and in order to create profitable businesses which in turn create great places to work.

OK so where is the line then? 

Well, we’re definitely in an age where “productivity” is equated with success and a number culture is reigning supreme.  So many cases where the numbers look good, but the ‘vibe’ on the ground is broken, with people burning out with sheer exhaustion and simply falling out of love with this industry. 

It’s fine-tuning productivity down to the half hour… planning rotas so that you can generate as much money as possible with as few costs (ahem…people) as possible. 

It’s businesses gearing up end of year results or for sale and taking a guillotine to the head count to make the numbers look more attractive.

An industry friend of mine has been up for redundancy three times in less than 2 years!    How are they meant to feel secure in their role and with that in mind, how are they going to give their best knowing their head may be on the chopping block because of …. numbers! 

The last 5 years have been tumultuous and more than ever people need to feel safe and secure and that is the overwhelming message I’m getting from almost everyone I’m speaking to. 

Is there an unrealistic BUSINESS expectation, coming from the top (or more so the investment vehicles who have been promised attractive ROIs).  The boom of post bank recession – 2013/14/15 where there was more opening and buzz and everyone was APPARENTLY thriving – has that lead to an almost entirely unviable anticipation of a quick buck in our industry? 

The rise of digital and AI, kiosks and its all about pace and productivity, squeezing every last penny out of every possible transaction… and the meteoric rise in competition.

No argument here, spreadsheets and data are typically easy to understand, and data doesn’t lie - but how to you monetise and measure something as intangible as how your engine feels – your people… yet people teams up and down the country try to measure that too – for the right reasons!

Einstein famously said:

"Not everything that can be counted counts,

and

Not everything that counts can be counted."

Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with the industry?  Can you measure that?  No, probably not – its personal. 

For me, I was about 17, maybe 18 – I worked as a waitress at a little indi restaurant in Zimbabwe called Café Med, for a guy called Lou.  One Thursday evening, the whole Zim cricket team walked in, with their wives and partners – a group of about 25; and I got the gig!  I spent the whole evening serving them – and to be honest, probably fairly badly by ‘measured standards’, making sure they were all looked after, and having the best time.  The bill was enormous, obviously. And by the end of it, well went clubbing afterwards (and I earned more in a tip than about a week’s wages!!) and I absolutely 100% fell in love with how much FUN working in hospitality could be; and connecting with your guests!

Fast forward a few months and I moved to the UK, turning down a commis chef role in a 4* 2 rosette hotel restaurant, to become a bar associate for JD Wetherspoon!  Why?  Because it sounded MUCH more fun and a bunch of my mates worked there!   

Some amazing folks in our industry are harnessing it for the right reasons – but I can’t help feeling that there’s a growing concern that too much focus on SOME of these numbers might be overshadowing the joy and fulfilment that makes hospitality so special.

Does measuring productivity always drive performance?  Or is much of it driving a culture of stress and pressure where the teams are feeling like they’re on a hamster wheel – a constant race to hit numbers, achieve metrics, tighten controls rather than the passion and creativity that fuel exceptional service. 

And how much of this is contributing to burnout being a HUGE and growing pandemic industry?

The joy of serving others—an essential part of hospitality—might be replaced with a more mechanical approach.  A bit like an overworked amazon driver at Christmas who gets paid per package and they end up lobbing them over the fence!

Hospitality is all about people. It thrives on connections, empathy, and the ability to understand and respond to guests’ needs.

People fall in love with this industry for so many reasons… they want to make a difference and create special moments for guests, find connection, be with people. If their work becomes just about meeting numerical targets, then what’s the point in the long and unsociable hours? 

A bit of a rant-y blog by my standards, but I’d be really keen to chat to people about their views on this. 

Kx