An exploration of hospitality workers’ perceptions of the correlation between employee motivation and turnover rates in the industry

Abstract

Purpose The turnover rates in the hospitality industry have been one of the highest among all industries, which can have a negative effect on company profit, employee stress levels and motivation. According to Robinson et al. (2014), high turnover rates further add additional costs for organizations, as recruitment and training can be an expensive process. Friebel (2017) states that many organizations have started implementing motivational techniques to attempt to minimize these rates. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of hospitality workers of employee motivation and how these motivational techniques can be used to reduce turnover rates in the hospitality industry. Methodology A quantitative online questionnaire was distributed among current and past hospitality workers, to understand what their perceptions on motivation are. Respondents were asked a number of questions regarding their experiences and views on motivation, as well as other factors that have been identified to have an effect on turnover rates by previous studies (Ricci and Milman 2002; DiPietro and Contly 2007; Acikgoz et al. 2016). Additionally, questions about previous reasons for leaving an employment were explored, along with reasons individuals have had to stay at their employment. Findings The findings of the study provided an insight on what motivational techniques hospitality workers have been offered within their workplace, alongside their opinions on what effects they had. The study also emphasizes the importance of managerial training and the environment that it might help create. The conclusions of the study could potentially help organization identify which motivational techniques would be best suited for them.