What makes a hotel an attractive employer: Generation Z vs. hotel HR professionals

To understand Generation Z in the context of ongoing hospitality workforce shifts, the study is a comparative analysis of what makes a hotel's attractiveness employer from the perspectives of employees themselves and that of hotel HR professionals. Based on data from four focus groups with final-year hotel management students in France and 27 semi-structured interviews with human resource directors in upscale and luxury European hotels, the study revealed many points of convergence. A closer examination shows that a more nuanced understanding on the part of the industry is required to respond to the needs of Generation Z as employees. The study is the first comparative assessment (industry vs. employee) of a hotel attractiveness as an employer given the generational workforce changes. To stand out in the competitive labour market, hotels must move beyond generic appeal and develop tailored strategies that address specific interpretations of attractiveness for Generation Z.