Hilton and Marriott Take on the Hotel Talent Crisis
Photo Credit: The front desk reception area at the Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C. hotel. Hilton
Skift Take
Hotels with high turnover struggle to maintain service standards and face high recruitment costs. Hilton and Marriott are among the companies taking steps to address the challenge.
Hilton and Marriott have been addressing staff retention at a time when the entire travel sector is tackling talent development as an operational challenge.
Hilton topped Great Place to Work's 2025 World's Best Workplaces list, released last week, with Marriott coming in fifth place. No other hotel or travel company came in the top 25 out of 23,000 companies worldwide that paid to participate.
High turnover drives up costs and makes it harder for hotels to deliver consistent guest experiences. Skift Research noted in its recent State of Talent in Travel 2025 (free) report that the problem intensified after the pandemic, when workers questioned whether hospitality jobs offered viable careers or just vulnerable employment.
Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta told Skift he tries to emphasize the impact workers have. "If you feel like you're part of something bigger, you will give differential effort, which will translate into a better experience for customers," he
