Many people have spoken about the communication breakdowns that occur in hospitality. The truth is that it’s seldom just about miscommunication. It’s about disconnection—from purpose, from process, from each other. The details are also a sign: missed handoffs or shifts not covered, or even a newly hired employee working alone during their first weekend.
Collaboration has been pushed to the back burner in an effort to balance schedules and optimize labor costs. We assumed the tools we had—whiteboards, texts, sticky notes—were enough. However, the complexity of the front-line has outpaced these tools. We’re now asking our teams deliver exceptional customer service in a work environment that may not always support how they work.
What we have learned from listening
When we speak to operators, they don’t ask for another app or dashboard. They want to bridge the gap between intent and execution. They want to know that a shift is seen when it’s assigned. When a service request is made, it will be completed without delay. That when policies or expectations change, everyone gets the memo—and understands it.
They want visibility, but not noise. A system that works where they do—in the context of the day’s work, not outside of it. They want tech which respects their time and does not add to the number of platforms and logins.
Moving from Friction To Flow
We built our own Staff Collaboration framework Not as a standalone product, but rather as a connective tissue. It’s meant to live inside the workflows teams already use—shift swaps, service tickets, training—so communication happens in context, not in silos. The context is important.
Collaboration is not a “nice-to-have.” It is what allows the housekeeper to report a problem in a particular room to maintenance, without needing to log into a different system. It lets a manager publicly acknowledge a team member’s efforts without having to drag them into an office. It is what keeps a dispersed team on track during a weekend of high occupancy.
Consider one feature: embedded message within a switchover. Instead of walking down the hall or making a call, a team member can start a direct conversation with a colleague—about that shift, at that moment, with that context. Multiplying this change by dozens daily interactions within a property will result in real efficiency gains.
The New Way to Support Frontline Execution
Our belief is that the best tools are not only informative, but also empower. This means:
- Communication is seamless whether you are using a mobile shift application or a desktop terminal
- Knowledge and training should be embedded as soon as it is required, not after onboarding.
- Every team member should have a voice and every manager should be able to listen.
Giving time back is also part of it. When collaboration becomes a part of the system, management stops chasing answers. Instead, they start to lead. Teams will stop asking the same questions, and instead anticipate the next step. Here’s what the operational flow looks.
We’re seeing properties rethink their entire approach to team coordination—not because we introduced something shiny, but because the old ways stopped working. They knew that their teams deserved more.
Final Thoughts
As leaders, we’re not just solving for efficiency—we’re solving for trust. You can trust that when someone comes to work, they will be supported. When something goes wrong, you can flag it to fix it. That everyone, from the GM to the new hire, is part of the same operation—not working in parallel.
What? staff collaboration It’s about. It’s not just another platform but a new way of working together.
Unifocus’ goal is to build a world-class organization.
Unifocus
Unifocus is the most comprehensive labor and operations platform in the hospitality industry. It was designed to help hotel teams operate more efficiently, improve each shift, and act faster. Unifocus, with its core pillars of Workforce Management (WFM), Hotel Operations (HOO) and Communications (COM), connects planning and execution to feedback and feedback.
Find out more about www.unifocus.com
