The State of HR in the Hospitality Industry

 in Malaysia 

High Employee Turnover 

• • Frequent job-hopping due to low wages and long working hours 

  • Lack of loyalty caused by limited career progression 

  • Constant rehiring increases HR costs and disrupts service quality
    
    

Low Wage Structure

• Salaries often not competitive compared to other industries 

• Heavy reliance on service charge and tips instead of fixed income 

• Perception of hospitality as a “low-paying, low-status” career
  
  

Work-Life Imbalance

• Long shifts, night work, weekends, and public holidays

• Burnout is common, especially among frontline staff 

• Poor scheduling practices reduce employee morale
  
  

Skills Gap and Limited Training

• Inadequate investment in structured training and upskilling 

• Mismatch between academic qualifications and real job demands 

• Limited leadership and management development programs
  
  

Weak Employee Engagement

• Employees feel undervalued and unheard 

• Limited feedback systems and poor internal communication 

• Low motivation affects service excellence and guest satisfaction
  
  

Dependence on Foreign Labor

• High reliance on migrant workers due to local talent shortage 

• Language and cultural barriers affect service consistency 

• Policy changes on foreign labor create workforce instability
  
  

Poor Career Path Visibility

• Lack of clear promotion pathways 

• Employees do not see long-term growth in the industry 

• Talented workers leave for other sectors with better prospects
  
  

Inconsistent HR Practices

• HR policies vary widely across hotels and restaurants 

• Some establishments lack professional HR management 

• Inconsistent enforcement of labor standards