How to use technology to train Gen Z and prevent staff churn

These entry-level employees are already making their mark on the sector, bringing with them wholly new ideas of what a fulfilling and successful career in hospitality can look like. And although the hospitality sector has always dealt with relatively high rates of employee churn, Gen Z workers are sending these rates even higher as they enthusiastically switch jobs to find the one which best meets their needs.

But high staff churn is costly, resource-demanding and time-consuming for any employer. To retain your youngest team members, new, tech-mediated approaches and initiatives must be embraced that talk directly to their unique wants and needs – with training top of the list.

An appetite for training

Not only do members of Gen Z typically place a high value on workplace learning opportunities, but research shows that one of the most impactful ways to encourage new entrants to remain in the workforce is to offer on-the-job training and skill development. By creating accessible avenues for professional development and promotion, employees are encouraged to view hospitality as a fulfilling and life-long career, rather than a stop-gap role.

But delivering engaging and impactful on-the-job training for hospitality workers is an expensive and time-consuming process, much easier said than done…. Or is it?

Mentoring in the metaverse

Pairing young workers with sector veterans is an established and successful training strategy. The mentor-mentee relationship provides a channel for knowledge and inspiration to flow between generations, and a safe space for questions and concerns to be aired.

Hosting mentorship sessions online – via Zoom, for example – or on a VR platform, potentially in the metaverse, automatically gives young people access to a much wider pool of mentors, because barriers of geography are removed and time commitments are reduced. Gen-Z are already comfortable with digitally-mediated relationships, and sessions can be recorded and shared if necessary.

TikTok training

Teens in the UK spend an average of 100 minutes each day watching short, high-energy, attention-grabbing videos on TikTok.

LearnOnTikTok is already a hugely successful hashtag, with topics ranging from home maintenance to financial management. Going viral with your hospitality training content might be a tall order, but employers can seek to replicate the bite-sized, scrollable, fun video content that trends online, and then create their own content to host on their training apps or e-learning portals.

Virtual reality tech

Immersive simulations and virtual reality training tools are becoming increasingly popular with hospitality sector leaders and tech-savvy Gen-Z learners seeking on-demand access to realistic simulated environments where they can practice essential skills.

Typically, when training in VR, learners remotely access a virtual workplace scenario using a mobile or desktop device. They navigate the scenario independently, interacting with avatar customers and colleagues, identifying and managing risks, and engaging with multiple-choice questions.

They could, for example, rehearse taking a reservation from a customer, practice dealing with conflict between virtual colleagues, or learn how to communicate more clearly with their team.

The opportunities that new training tech has to offer hospitality sector employers and their Gen Z teams is hugely exciting. Employers should not be afraid to think big and experiment with solutions that their competitors haven't yet tried. Most importantly, to succeed with whichever tool or method is chosen, Gen-Z team members should be involved – and their opinions heard – at every stage of the training development process.

Dr Alex Young is the founder of Virti