How to Improve Employee Engagement in the Hospitability Business by Developing the Employer Brand During the Covid-19 Pandemic – An Action Research Case Study From the UK

Abstract

Employee engagement is an important topic especially in the hospitability business because the turnover rate in this business is typically very high. It would help in tackling the challenge of keeping the talent inside the organisation, attracting new talent, saving in recruitment costs, and preventing disruptions in customer service. Through an employer branding strategy, important objectives can be set for an organisation as an employer which all affect the image of the employer in the eyes of current and potential employees. The research was done as an action research case study. It focused on studying the reasons for the high turnover rates in the restaurant business, how better engage employees with establishing a new employer brand and correcting actions to decrease the turnover rate. The study was carried by utilizing exit interviews of leaving employees to discover the challenges in a case company, which operates in the UK.