Abstract
Hotel employability of hospitality graduates from private academic institutions
Global competitiveness has put pressure on graduates across all industries to remain competitive, competent and future-ready. As a result, employers worldwide have placed a great deal of responsibility on Institutions of Higher Learning higher academic institutions to ensure that graduates possess the correct employability. In particular, the hotel industry has been facing difficulties in finding and retaining employees with the correct employability to fill positions in their hotels. Private academic institutions offer niche qualifications and pride themselves in meeting industry standards due to their specialised courses. However, graduates find it hard to secure, retain and build sustainable careers in the hotel industry because they possess inadequate employability attributes. If hospitality graduates do not possess the basic knowledge, skills, and competencies required in the hotel industry, graduate employability is at risk. The purpose of the study is to determine the employability attributes required by hotel managers, the factors that contribute towards the employability of hospitality graduates and whether hotel managers are satisfied with the future-readiness of graduates from private academic institutions.
A qualitative research approach utilising the semi-structured interviews research design technique was used amongst a sample of hotel line managers in four and five-star hotels in Pretoria, Gauteng. Hotel managers from four and five star hotels were interviewed. An interview guide was utilised to direct the interaction and gather manager's knowledge and insight regarding graduate employability. The researcher obtained ethical clearance from the STH Ethics Committee to conduct the research (Ethical clearance code 2019STH090). The study's findings suggest that hotel managers require eight knowledge sub-domains, seven sub-domains and a wide range of competencies from hospitality graduates from private academic institutions. More emphasis was placed on the competencies, mostly soft skills that include passion, personality, and attitude. Hotel managers indicated that knowledge and hard skills could be learned on the job.
iv
However soft skills are harder to learn, if an employee has the wrong attitude or no passion for the industry, it would be hard for them to cope and contribute effectively in the industry. Furthermore the participants of this study indicated that they were satisfied with the following employability attributes from hospitality management graduates, personalities, entrepreneurship, team work, technological ability, appearance and attitude. Private hospitality academic institutions have well equipped graduates with these employability attributes. However, the participants of the study highlighted that they were dissatisfied with the following employability attributes and characteristics possessed by hospitality management graduates: lack of confidence, basic housekeeping skills; work-readiness; instant gratification; people skills; communication skills; self-esteem; attitude; computer literacy; professionalism CV writing skills; learning; product knowledge; apathy; etiquette; operational vocabulary; corporate language, communication: writing skills, customer experience, value and contribution, team work and people skills. These hotel managers expressed that most of these attributes would worsen because of online learning as hospitality graduates did not interact with guests and other people.
Furthermore, the findings of this study present that the employability of hospitality management is contingent upon factors which include: (1) the roles and responsibilities of hotel managers; (2) the roles and responsibilities of private hospitality academic institutions; (3) the employability attributes required by hotel managers; (4) hospitality management graduates; (5) the future readiness of hospitality management graduates; and (6) human resources management in the hotel industry. Significant differences existed regarding hotel managers' perceptions regarding the future readiness of hospitality graduates. Through the reflections from the findings, suggestions are made that can assist private academic institutions, hotel managers, hospitality management graduates, students and future researchers, particularly now in this time of globalisation, the knowledge economy and the rise of technological advancements. The dissertation contributes to the literature on graduate employability and private academic institutions within the hospitality domain.