Every now and then a student writes a paper that makes you stop and really think about a topic. Rebecca Gordon, a 4th year Hospitality and Tourism student at the University of Guelph has written such a paper. Her work entitled “Should I Stay or Should I Go? Why are Young Managers Leaving the Restaurant Industry” addresses the age-old issue of retention in the restaurant industry.
Rebecca consults the academic research on the topic and goes beyond by conducting her own interviews with several hospitality program graduates that have recently left the industry. Some of the findings are expected while others come as a surprise. Predictable issues such as stress, burnout and compensation come up while others are more surprising such as ‘the generation gap’ and ‘increased expectations of customers”.
The paper not only summarizes Rebecca’s findings but also puts forth some ideas for solutions including the idea of a compressed work schedule. The paper is a must read for anyone working for a restaurant company at the unit management level or higher. To read Rebecca’s work in its entirety click on the following link:
University of Guelph Sustainable Restaurant Project 