IS EMPLOYER BRANDING A CHALLENGE FOR HIGH-CONTACT SERVICE INDUSTRIES? INSIGHTS FROM THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR IN POLAND

High-contact service industries involve close and direct customer-employee interaction for a prolonged period; consequently they rely on the knowledge, skills and abilities of their staff. Growing recognition of the significance of this interaction for service organisations‘ performance has led to the need to increase efforts to attract and retain high-quality human recourses. Effectiveness of these efforts can be supported by applying employer branding practices. To develop a sound employer value proposition, company needs to examine internal employer brand image first. The purpose of the paper is twofold: first, to identify the hospitality industry‘s strengths and weaknesses in the context of employer branding, second, to investigate the differential effects of selected factors on perceived industry attractiveness as a workplace. The research was conducted on the group of 331 hospitality workers in Poland. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. The study revealed that the best perceived employer brand dimension was social value, the worst – economic value. There was a significant negative association between the willingness to recommend the sector as an employer to others and all of the employer brand dimensions under investigation, with job content yielding the strongest relationship. The analysis further showed that perceptions of rewards received in the workplace were higher for men, selfemployed or having indefinite contracts, occupying managerial positions, and working in micro entities and in accommodation services. Results of the investigation prove that it is a challenging task to position hospitality firms in the minds of potential employees as a great place to work. Organisations that try to attract human recourses by presenting an overly positive picture of their employment experience are likely to encourage unrealistic expectations in newcomers with subsequent disappointment and decreased job performance.