Age and Educational Diversification of Hotel Employees and Its Impact on Turnover

Abstract

This paper examines the increasing turnover in the hotel industry, which has a negative influence on the quality of services provided, as well as customer satisfaction. Hotel managers are forced to hire new employees in order to secure smooth hotel operations as well as replace those employees who have left for their competitors. Newly hired employees need to be instructed and trained, which has a negative influence on hotel costs. We assume that both an employee’s age and the level of education determines the quality of their performance at work, as well as their personal stability, thus having an influence on business sustainability. This paper analyzes the age and education diversification of employees in four-star and five-star hotels in Slovakia, and its impact on employee turnover. The research was undertaken in 2019, with a research sample comprising 1085 individuals employed in selected chain and independent hotels. We examined the opinions of employees from different ages and education levels about their retention and changes of employment. Statistical testing confirmed the relation between turnover and the educational level of the employees. However, the correlation between turnover and age was rejected. We analyze the different perceptions of retention and job change of employees from different age groups. The revelation of the causes as to why employees might leave a hotel could help managers change their philosophy and the processes of human resources management in favor of developing a sustainable company.

Mind the gap: a critical reflection on hotel employee turnover

“…higher turnover for frontline staff than for supervisors and managers). Other past studies have also found a negative correlation between education and turnover intentions (Vetráková et al , 2019) and staff turnover is higher for males than for females (Datta, 2020). Both Datta (2020) and Vetráková et al (2019) report that differences are not related to age.…”

“…High staff turnover contributes to serious issues in lodging establishments such as low-quality customer service and higher recruitment and training costs. Lower service quality directly affects customer satisfaction (Vetráková et al , 2019). Lockyer (2007) observes that “staff turnover seems to contribute to a reduction in service quality and a sense of burnout, particularly for front-line supervisors who are constantly involved in “fire-fighting” when their departments are staffed with inexperienced employees” (p. 88).…”

A network analysis of cross-occupational skill transferability for the hospitality industry

“…Much attention has been paid to soft skills and their importance for various careers (Keevy, 2016; Viswanathan, 2009; Anthony and Garner, 2016; Pulko and Parikh, 2003; Tsey et al , 2018; Yadin, 2012; Ritter et al , 2018; Sasirekha and Jayalakshmi, 2016; Freitas and Routledge, 2013; Ibrahim et al , 2017; Vetráková et al , 2019). Vetráková et al (2019) find out that, when evaluating job candidates, leaders in the hotel industry rank soft skills much higher than other skills taught on the job, which confirms the importance of soft skills to both employers and employment assistance agencies. Soft skills can be classified into five areas: personal effectiveness, relationship and service skills, impact and influence skills, achievement skills and cognitive skills (Snell et al , 2016).…”

“…Despite skill gaps, some service employees do not consider training and skill development essential to their future work life (Pew Research Center, 2016). Over half of service workers have no post-secondary education (Vetráková et al , 2019; Fitzpayne et al , 2017). Almost 90% of low-skill workers have no more than a high school diploma (Bergson-Shilcock, 2017, p. 11).…”

Hotelería y trabajo informal en el sector turismo: una reflexión en tiempos de Covid-19

“…En esta incertidumbre que ha traído la pandemia (Covid-19) se puede constatar que la innovación es relevante para el logro de los objetivos organizacionales (Vetráková et al, 2019), y probablemente será la clave para la recuperación del turismo y de la industria hotelera en particular (Chen, 2011). Dadas las restricciones y la inseguridad que ha traído la pandemia, es necesario mejorar y/o crear nuevos servicios, e innovar en la logística y en las políticas de gestión para enfrentar fuertes competencias (Napierała et al, 2020).…”