Is the key to success, which restaurateurs have to build after long months of closure, hidden in the way they view their employees? At a time when the hospitality industry is short of weapons and seeking recruitment, a US study highlights consumers’ desire to prefer and adopt brands that have social and ethical values.
At a time of “great layoffs” and the dissatisfaction of many workers with their professional lives, the significance of which they no longer understand since the start of the pandemic, the well-being of employees within companies is being considered as a new expectation among the consumer. As a customer, who hasn’t already been embarrassed by witnessing a boss reprimand a cashier, waiter, or waitress?
At the very least, the health crisis could have had the merit of making respect for employees a new social value. Because an American study, conducted by the international management platform Qualtrics, sheds light on the growing desire of consumers to grow along with the growth of a company that treats its employees correctly. A whopping 47% of respondents said they would only trust companies that take care of their employees.
This adds a new dimension to the buying act, which until now has been driven by opinion consultation (which remains a key criterion for 78% of Americans). An observation that can be applied to many sectors, from commerce to catering. The consequences can even be fatal for a company: 36% of those surveyed admit that they would stop spending money on brands that have no social value. And there’s clearly still a lot to do, as only 27% of the US population believes the companies they buy from are doing the right thing environmentally and socially.
In the hospitality industry, some and some bosses have already raised the subject with the spoon. At the Grands buffets de Narbonne, the 130 employees benefited from a wage increase of 30% on January 1, which amounts to an increase of between 250 and 900 euros. A choice that has an impact on the customers, with the price of the menu ranging from 42.90 euros to 47.90 euros.
This study was conducted on a sample of more than 2,000 Americans ages 18 and older, interviewed in the fourth quarter of 2021.
(ETX Daily Up)