Research has recently shown that caterers, along with workers in the leisure and retail industry are the least satisfied in the working environment. As many as 6 million people are unsatisfied at work, and will most likely leave their jobs when the recent economic down turn improves, a study by SHL, a company that assesses peoples performance within the work place, has indicated.
This survey has indicated that as many as one in five feel very unsatisfied at work, with younger workers feeling the least satisfied of all workers. With as many as 1 in 4 feeling they were not in the correct line of work. This lack of satisfaction will have a huge impact on how the workers perform within the working environment, with lack of motivation, and productivity being major concerns.
Workers in the catering industry are known for low-paid and insecure jobs which will be a large factor as to why workers feel so unsatisfied with their jobs, whilst the hours worked are also very unsociable which has a large implication on the way the workers feel about their jobs. This is all down to workers not knowing their rights within the industry, such as breaks of roughly 15 minutes every 4 hours within a restaurant or hotel. This is not helped by the employees themselves; with staff turnover rates being so high, the employers feeling they must get the most of their employees, whilst at the same time trying to keep them satisfied.
As for my opinion, when I work in this environment, such as the kitchen of a restaurant or hotel, I feel very satisfied, especially when we get comments back such as ‘compliments to the chef’ and also seeing clear plates of food coming back. I feel very satisfied when working in these environments, knowing that paying customers are enjoying dishes you have prepared, cooked and sent out on your own. There is nothing better than to get a comment back from customers and seeing their empty plates coming back into the kitchen. Although, I recently worked in a kitchen where the head chef was far from happy with his line of work, and wished he did not enter the catering industry.
It is very important to feel satisfied in this line of work due to the huge pressures during a service. Everything must be perfect or customers will start to complain, as long as the customers are satisfied, the chef and front of house will stay satisfied, but as soon as the customers start to feel unsatisfied the staff will start to feel the same.
