The Real Reason Your Staff Don’t Care

You’ve trained them. You’ve posted the rota. You might even give them free food on shift, and drinks after a busy service. But your staff still seem disengaged. They clock in, do the minimum, and peace out. Sound familiar? Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most hospitality teams don’t not care because they’re lazy, they don’t care because they’re disconnected.

No one’s told them the why.
Your staff know how to pour a great pint of Guinness, or greet guests with a smile. But do they know what your venue stands for? Hospitality is about more than just service; it's about creating experiences. If your team doesn’t understand the bigger picture, they’ll treat every shift as just another transaction.

Start by clearly communicating your mission. Is your venue about celebrating local produce? Sustainability? Creating a warm community hub? Redefining fine dining? Whatever it is, share it with your staff! Bring them in on the vision and the goal. Make it part of the onboarding. Talk about it in pre-shift (lol!) meetings. Your "why" should guide everything from menu choices to how you handle guest complaints, and you should be talking about it often! If you are feeling lost on how to get connected with the staff, get back to your why and go from there.

They’re treated like replaceable staff.
When your team feels like they're just there to fill a shift, they won’t take pride in the outcome. Hospitality is full of hidden talent: the bartender who is sick on the DJ decks, the waiter who has really great ideas on how to keep your venue trendy, the bookings manager who has a great eye for graphic design. Are you asking these questions, getting to know your staff and tapping into their specialities?

Give your team ownership, and we know it will create more buy-in from them. Let them suggest specials, help with social content, or co-create new experiences. It builds trust and pride in their work, which far outweighs an hourly rate. 

Feedback = loyalty.
Hospitality is high-stress, fast-paced, and rarely slow enough for real conversations. But if your only feedback is in-the-moment correction during service, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
At Preshift, we’re big believers in the saying: praise publicly, criticise privately. Recognise great work out loud and make it specific. A vague “good job” doesn’t go nearly as far as calling out exactly what someone did well. And when it comes to feedback, consistency is key. Teams thrive when they know where they stand.

It’s easy, especially in high-stress environments, to slip into the habit of shouting corrections in the moment. We’ve all been there. But a one-on-one chat with someone who’s made a mistake will always go further than calling them out across the bar. It builds trust, keeps morale intact, and shows your team you’ve got their back, even when things go wrong. And you look like a legend who keeps their cool during chaos.

Culture > vibes.
Pizza nights and staff parties are great. But if your staff are being overworked, under-appreciated, or kept in the dark about changes, the good vibes won't stick. Culture isn’t about perks, it’s about fairness, clarity, and community.

You hired every member of your team for a reason. You trust them to show up, run your service, and represent your business. That trust should go both ways.

Showing up for your staff starts with listening to them, really listening. No one knows the day-to-day reality of your venue better than the Bar Manager who’s been on the floor for two years, or the Supervisor who’s seen the same issue crop up over and over. When they say something isn’t working, needs fixing, or can improve, chances are they are probably right. Listen to them, or better yet, actively ask them!

Build a culture where staff feel seen and heard. Set expectations. Enforce boundaries. And check in regularly…not just when things go wrong. You want staff who show up with energy, not just bodies. That starts with leadership.

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