If you manage a hotel, restaurant, or spa, you’ve probably heard it (or said it in a moment of frustration): “Young people just don’t want to work anymore.”
I don’t buy that. What I see is something more specific: a growing number of young candidates who don’t feel pulled by work the way previous generations did. Not laziness—more like flatness. And psychology has a word that helps explain that state: anhedonia.
What anhedonia really means (and why it matters at work)
Anhedonia is typically described as a reduced ability to feel pleasure or interest in things that used to feel rewarding. It’s a core symptom in depression, but it can also show up in subclinical ways: people functioning day-to-day, yet feeling emotionally “muted.”
Here’s the key point for employers: anhedonia isn’t only about “not enjoying life.” Research links it to lower reward motivation, meaning people are less likely to invest effort today for a reward tomorrow. In lab settings using effort/reward tasks, higher anhedonia is associated with choosing the low-effort, low-reward option more often.
Other work suggests that motivational difficulties (including anhedonia) connect with changes in effort-based decision-making, how people weigh “Is this worth it?” in real time.
If that sounds abstract, translate it to a hospitality shift: high effort, high pressure, unpredictable reward.
Hospitality: a perfect storm of effort, stress, and uncertain payoff
Hospitality has always required stamina and emotional labor. But the deal has become harder to justify:
- Pay that doesn’t feel proportional,
- Schedules that disrupt sleep and social life,
- Customer intensity,
- and career paths that aren’t always visible on day one.
A 2024 government report on hospitality/tourism employment (New Zealand) found that workers under 25 reported higher burnout and higher turnover intention (45.2% vs 29.5% for ages 35–44), alongside lower satisfaction and wage pressure.
Academic reviews of hospitality working conditions also highlight chronic issues like income instability, underemployment, work pressure, and constrained mobility—factors that damage wellbeing and make retention/recruitment harder.
And we know from hotel employee research that stress → burnout → turnover intention is a reliable pathway.
Now add anhedonia to the picture. If a young worker’s reward system is already running “low battery,” hospitality can feel like: “Why would I give everything… for this?”
A quick real-world example
Imagine Sara, 22, starting front desk. Her first week:
- Roster changes twice.
- A guest shouts about a refund she can’t authorize.
- She solves a problem brilliantly… and nobody notices.
- Her manager only speaks to her when something is wrong.
Even without clinical depression, that environment trains the brain to expect: effort ≠ reward.
And if someone is experiencing anhedonia, the gap feels even bigger. Studies show that motivational traits like “action orientation” can buffer reward pursuit under certain conditions. But when anhedonia is higher, that buffering effect weakens.
So the question becomes: how do we make hospitality feel rewarding again: fast, clearly, and consistently?
What to do: redesign the “reward architecture” of hospitality work
This is not about turning managers into therapists. It’s about operational design.
1) Make effort-to-reward visible within 24 hours Don’t wait for annual reviews. Use daily micro-recognition:
- “Guest mentioned your name” screenshots shared to the team,
- end-of-shift shout-outs tied to specific behaviors,
- a simple “wins board” in the back office.
2) Reduce reward uncertainty (especially schedules) If you want commitment, offer predictability:
- publish rosters earlier,
- limit last-minute changes,
- standardize shift swaps,
- protect two consecutive rest days where possible.
For a brain struggling to anticipate pleasure, predictability is relief.
3) Turn progress into a ladder, not a fog Gen Z hospitality research points to what engages them: flexibility, open communication, growth opportunities, tech integration, and teamwork. Map a 90-day development path: skills, modules, small promotions, cross-training badges. Make advancement feel real, not mythical.
4) Give purpose a front-row seat (not a poster on the wall) CSR and person–organization fit influence Gen Z’s attraction to hospitality employers. Show the “why” in practical terms: local sourcing, community projects, sustainability actions. Then, involve staff in decisions, not just execution.
Recapping:
Hospitality doesn’t have a “youth problem.” It has a reward-design problem and anhedonia helps explain why the old model now fails faster.
If we want young people to commit, we must create workplaces where the human brain can feel the payoff: clear feedback, stable conditions, visible growth, and real meaning.
Because when someone feels “meh,” they don’t need a motivational speech. They need a job where effort reliably leads to something worth feeling.
Do reach out: https://torreshospitalityconsulting.com/ Thanks!
