
Employer branding in the hospitality sector
The number of tourists visiting Sweden has increased significantly after the pandemic and the hospitality industry in the north has broken records. However, companies in the hospitality industry are struggling with the challenge of finding labor as many employees chose to change industries during the crisis. Particularly in inland and sparsely populated municipalities, there is talk of a lack of skills and difficulties in recruitment, which is not made any easier by the fact that it often involves seasonal employment. Can employer branding help them? And can the unique and fantastic aspects of northern Sweden be jointly highlighted as part of the employer offer?
Can cooperation on the employer brand lift the hospitality industry in the north?
In this project, researchers at Luleå University of Technology examine how actors in the hospitality industry look at what the industry can offer current and potential employees, and how the attractiveness of the place can be part of this.
Both employers and employees in the hospitality industry in Norrbotten and Västerbotten have been interviewed, as well as municipalities and organizations that work with the hospitality industry in various ways. Analysis of the interviews is ongoing, but the preliminary results indicate that the most important thing to attract staff may not be to appear unique, but rather to be a decent employer who offers good working conditions and staff care. In terms of salary, it is difficult to compete with industry; instead, softer values such as meetings with people, joy and development are highlighted. One of the interviewees expresses that it is important "to create a community and have a culture where you want to stay". Employees who speak well of their workplace are the best marketing, it's the same as with tourist destinations."
The place where companies operate is an integral part of what they offer as employers, but conversely, the hospitality industry is also important for the surrounding community and its residents. As one interviewee said: "As an industry we contribute to quality of life, you may move for work but you stay to live." The results of the interviews show that many in southern Sweden still have a rather stereotypical and outdated image of northern Sweden, but that this may be changing now with the green transition. Internationally, there is often a generally positive image of Sweden and there are opportunities to recruit employees from other countries.
Maria Ek Styvén, Professor of Marketing at Luleå University of Technology:
– What many people highlight in the interviews is, for example, nature and the different seasons with all the experiences and variety it entails, but also the people who live here and the development that takes place. There are also advantages such as being close to work, relatively low housing prices, and that it is very safe and easy to live here - a high quality of life. These are some of the things you can communicate as part of your offer as an employer and as an industry. There are also examples of how companies can cooperate to recruit and retain employees, such as sharing a position between two companies, forming temporary worker pools, or companies that have different peak seasons sharing staff.
The project builds on previous projects in employer branding and skills development that the research team has worked on.
Want to know more about the research or get in touch with the team?
Contact:
- Maria Ek Styvén, Professor and Head of Subject
Updated: