Please don't go: Gendered formal and informal tools for talent retention in hospitality from an organizational social capital approach

Abstract

Hospitality sector is currently facing a “war for talent” because of the exodus of professionals after the pandemic. The aim of this research is to identify the presence of gender-specific employment strategies for retaining talent within the hospitality sector, from an organizational social capital perspective. Thematic analysis was conducted based on 31 in-depth interviews with managers from different-sized hospitality organizations (15 men, 16 women). Results shows that employment practices tend to focus more on attracting talent rather than retaining it. The study emphasizes how sector characteristics, especially company size, play a crucial role in shaping both formal and informal talent retention tools, emphasizing the need for gender-specific tailoring. Additionally, gender differences in fragile trust and associability could contribute to the adoption of talent retention methods for female and male professionals. The originality of this study lies in its gender perspective, which has not always been considered in previous talent retention research.