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.