Hotel Employee Engagement During the Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Approach

Abstract

Many hotel organizations were helping their employees remain engaged in the workplace during the pandemic. From the perspective of social exchange theory, the antecedents and outcome of this engagement were explored in two studies. A qualitative interview investigation of U.K. hotel employee engagement as reported by Senior Managers ( n = 9) was carried out in Study 1 from which a theoretical model to investigate the antecedents and outcome of this engagement was developed, and tested with U.K. hotel employees ( n = 163) in Study 2, with both studies conducted sequentially during the pandemic. Study 1 found that the emergence of new methods and styles of communication, the provision of and increased access to training, and employees’ adaptation to changes positively facilitated employee engagement through the pandemic. Results of Study 2 suggested that employee resilience, perceived communication quality, and workplace health and safety training are positively related to employee engagement, which in turn improves employee performance. This research enhances the theoretical understanding of the personal factor (i.e., employee resilience) and situational factors (i.e., perceived communication quality, and workplace health and safety training) that help enhance employee engagement and ultimately improve performance. The practical implications of the study propose means of effective communication with employees, mechanisms to bolster employee resilience and proactive health and safety training and reinduction of employees ahead of their return to work with guests during times of extreme turbulence.