Exploring employee retention practices in the Portuguese hospitality industry

The recent developments in the hospitality industry and the overall economy following the recent pandemic, demonstrate a need for a new examination of how job seekers perceive hospitality jobs. The hospitality industry plays a major role in the Portuguese economy, contributing greatly to employability in Portugal. This study seeks to characterise talent retention in hotel units located in the Greater Porto region, one of Portugal’s main tourist regions. Based on a qualitative methodology, using an exploratory study, 10 semi-structured interviews were carried out involving human resources management professionals. The results suggest that professional factors are the determining factors in talent retention, specifically job satisfaction, organisational commitment, leadership and the work environment. This study provides some ideas for retention practices, centred on the perspective of human resources managers, on how to maintain the professional satisfaction of teams and reinforce their desire to continue in the hotel industry. This paper also includes the theoretical and practical implications of the findings as well as outlines the limitations and further research.