What causes staff to disengage (and what you can do to win them back)
Are you able to say your staff is 100% engaged and totally driven to give all to the job at hand?
Of course not.
Staff disengagement goes hand in hand with the bar and restaurant business. It creates sub-par customer experiences and leads to reduced profitability.
Want an easy way to re-energize your team and your week? Hosting regular entertainment like Last Call Bar Pros’ Trivia Nights gives your staff something to look forward to—alongside your guests.
The harsh fact is that the root cause of staff disengagement can be traced right back to your management.
What causes staff disengagement?
Staff Feel Devalued
This can be caused by several things:
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not being recognized or acknowledged for a job well done, or ignored
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feeling under-challenged or that they are working below their capabilities
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being unfairly treated or denied a request for leave, additional flexibility, etc.
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not being listened to/responded to or asked for their input
Consider weaving recognition into your weekly events. With Last Call Bar Pros, you can highlight your staff’s involvement—shouting out bartenders, servers, and regulars who make the night great. When staff feel part of the fun, they show up with energy that guests notice.
Staff Do Not Trust Their Manager
Disengaged staff who lose trust in their manager spend more time wondering what truths their managers are trying to hold back from them or questioning their manager’s honesty than taking care of their assigned responsibilities.
Managers can lose staff’s trust by saying one thing and doing another. If you promise something to an employee, they expect you to follow through.
Keeping your word and being consistent is the best way to keep employees’ trust.
Micromanaging or over-controlling how tasks are completed is also important. If your staff feels like you don’t trust or believe in their capabilities, they may reciprocate and not trust you. Trust is a two-way street, and you must be willing to give trust to gain it.
Pro tip: Empowering your team with ownership over something fun—like running the mic at your weekly Feud night or helping with trivia prizes—builds confidence and shows trust in action.
Disconnect
Staff become disengaged when they don’t have a good connection with their manager.
For many employees, their boss is one of the most important people in their work-life.
As a result, positive, supportive relationships between employees and their managers play a critical role in engaging staff.
Want to bring back that sense of community? Music Bingo and other interactive games create shared experiences that help staff and guests connect beyond the typical service dynamic.
The Solution
Your management team can often reverse staff disengagement—or head it off—by:
Connecting better
Developing trust by making it a priority
Valuing staff
The end result is a better-performing operation, more engaged employees, and a more positive environment for your customers and staff.
And if you want a simple way to build that culture of energy and consistency, partner with Last Call Bar Pros—our weekly event system helps bars keep staff motivated, guests engaged, and profits rising.