How to keep the frontlines festive this holiday season

Hotels and their staff always have a big job to do, providing guests with a convenient, seamless and memorable (for all the right reasons!) experience. That job can be challenging on a slow day. On a busy day during the holiday season, it can seem debilitatingly daunting. 

Much of the success or failure surrounding a guest’s experience will fall on the frontline workers and their managers. In fact, the pressure on these frontlines is so high that nearly two-thirds of managers say they feel overwhelmed leading up to this peak work season, according to Axonify’s 2024 seasonal hiring survey

“It’s common for frontline workers and managers to experience increased burnout leading up to and during peak seasons,” explained Carol Leaman, co-founder and CEO of Axonify. “But that doesn’t mean it should take away from their levels of engagement or motivation.”

Therein lies the challenge: handle these increased responsibilities, events and visitors with grace; and do so with a smile on your face.

Prepare For Chaos

Knowing that staffing demands will occur every holiday season like, well, clockwork, proactivity is the key to ensuring all runs smoothly. 

“We prepare for holiday staffing demands well in advance as our hotels often host a variety of holiday programming and fun pop-ups,” said Eric Gavin, president of operations at Makeready, a hospitality company that specializes in branding, design and operations. 

Sam Ioannidis, managing director of the Plaza Hotel in New York, adds that his property generally needs additional front desk, concierge and guest services staff during this period. 

“Having extra team members allows us to add that special touch—like being available to assist with holiday bookings, recommending festive activities or arranging special requests,” he said. “These efforts elevate the guest experience, making their visit to the Plaza not only memorable, but truly magical.”

This year, guests at the Plaza can expect a Christmas trees in every suite, a themed holiday afternoon tea in the Palm Court, dance performances in the lobby, interactions with Santa and more. “Our staff plays an integral role in executing these experiences, from setting up decorations to coordinating performances and ensuring that every detail is seamless,” Ioannidis continued.

For many hotels, hiring this extra staff typically falls to the frontline managers, Leaman added. This creates a catch-22 whereby these managers need to hire more people to reduce their load and stress during the holidays…but the responsibilities of hiring these individuals adds more to their already overflowing plates. 

Axonify’s survey noted 84 percent of these managers said they’re in charge of anticipating staffing needs, while 81 percent added they were also tasked with interviewing applicants and on-boarding new hires. The majority (59 percent) of frontline managers also said they’re hiring the same or more seasonal workers than they did last year.  

“It’s paramount for frontline hotel managers to be given adequate time to plan for their staffing needs and recruit the right workers,” Leaman said. “To help them through this busy and tiresome time of the year, hotel leaders must look for ways they can better support these managers.” 

This can include fostering a strong employee-to-manager community to make idea sharing easier, as well as offering additional well-being and mental health initiatives.

Motivating Factors

Part of keeping frontline managers and workers motivated is appealing to their sensibilities. 

“Keeping our team motivated is a top priority, especially during the holidays when the pace is more demanding,” Gavin said. 

One of Makeready’s goals is to ensure the company creates a celebratory environment for its individuals and teams, in addition to its guests. This is done through small, on-property celebrations, fun holiday meals, recognition for achievements and incentives for those who are willing to take on more of the load during the holidays. 

“Many of our team members are excited that this season brings increased activity and genuinely want to work during this busy time,” Gavin continued. “That said, we strive to balance time-off requests to allow everyone the opportunity to celebrate with their loved ones.” 

The company utilizes flexible shifts, rotating schedules and incentives to ensure a smooth and supportive holiday schedule for all. 

The Plaza takes a transparent approach to holiday shifts, posting the scheduling system well ahead of time and encouraging advanced communication for time-off requests. “This approach helps us honor both our employees' personal commitments and our commitment to delivering exceptional service during this busy season,” Ioannidis added.

He noted that many employees choose to celebrate with their families either before or after the peak holiday period. The Plaza also utilizes that time to celebrate and acknowledge its staff. 

“To keep spirits high, we host an internal holiday celebration, complete with our employee tree lighting ceremony, honoring our employees before our guests,” Ioannidis said. “Additionally, we organize a staff celebration in the early weeks of January to recognize everyone’s hard work and dedication during the season. These traditions not only foster a sense of camaraderie but also show our appreciation for the tremendous effort our team puts in to make the Plaza a beloved destination during the holidays.”

Companies demonstrating that they’re willing to put in extra effort can go a long way with frontline managers. Those surveyed by Axonify noted that they feel more engaged and connected with their holiday duties when they’re confident the added staff can do their jobs. More than half (55 percent) of the respondents wanted their companies to allow them to offer stronger training and upskilling initiatives to seasonal workers. 

“Continuous and relevant training ensures frontline workers feel prepared on the job, which can help reduce stress around handling certain responsibilities,” Leaman said. 

Makeready tries to mitigate the training problem by expanding part-time workers to full-time positions during the peak season. This strategy is especially helpful in the banquet and catering departments with all of the holiday parties and festivities, Gavin noted. The company also finds ways to keep its amenities active and relevant, thereby allowing its employees to not only continue working, but working in a familiar environment. The pool area at the Adolphus in Dallas, for example, will feature a winter takeover.

“This allows our pool team members to work throughout the holiday season rather than only seasonally,” Gavin said. “We take a strategic approach by activating areas of the hotel where team members are already in place. This approach helps us create memorable experiences without needing to bring in a large number of part-time staff, maintaining continuity in service quality and team camaraderie.”

Whether a lifeguard prefers to save Santa from a pack of five-year-olds or swimmers from the deep end of the pool, Gavin acknowledges his properties and activations can’t run seamlessly without them. 

“From dining in gondolas, winter greenhouses, holiday cocktail classes, holiday tea, breakfast with Santa, tree lightings, baking classes and more, our on-site employees are essential in bringing these experiences to life, delivering warm and personalized service at every event."