New research into what actually drives skill development and performance at work.
New data from a national study of US Hospitality and QSR workers has uncovered an unexpected pattern in workforce motivation: 41% of all workers in the sector would choose better training over a 5% pay rise – a figure that jumps to 54% among 25–34s, revealing a previously hidden leadership pipeline ready for development.
While pay remains important across the industry, younger and early-career workers show a striking appetite for skill development.
“It is a surprisingly high number of people who would choose better training over a pay rise. But the data shows why: confidence is a more powerful motivator than cash. For career building workers – including new managers and aspiring leaders – confidence, competence and progression matter more than short-term financial gain.” Trond Aas CEO, Attensi
Hospitality employees are clear about what motivates them to train and improve skill.
Confidence has a direct impact on frontline performance, predicting:
The findings reveal an urgent need for operators across Hospitality and QSR to rethink their training strategies:
All survey figures are drawn from Attensi’s Motivation and Skill Mastery in the Workplace 2026 study. The study surveyed n=505 employed U.S. adults aged 18 and over working in the hospitality industry, fielded online in spring 2026 via an online panel, with quotas applied on age, gender and U.S. Census region for broad national representation. It comprised 67 questions across 21 topic areas, combining Likert-scale agreement batteries, forced-choice tradeoff questions and multi-select behavioral inventories. Agreement figures combine “strongly agree” and “agree” responses; percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number; sub-group bases below n=50 should be read as directional rather than statistically generalizable.
