HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES AND WORKERS EMPLOYABILITY IN HOTEL INDUSTRY AT PALAWAN PROVINCE AND QUEZON CITY PHILIPPINES, AND KUALA LUMPUR WITH KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA

Abstract

This paper provides an insight on the human resource practices and workers‟ employability in hotel in the Philippines and Malaysia. Turnover rate was reported being relatively high in the hotel industry of Malaysia, and employee retention is a major concern amongst the hoteliers in Malaysia especially the absence of local workforce with less willingness and not attracted to work in the hotel industry. This paper in general seeks to clarify and explain the different human resource practices in employing workers and their employability sampled. The objective of the paper is to clarify the human resource practices that are practiced in the organization in recruiting local and foreign workers, and its relations to the employability of the foreign workers. The sampling size involved more than six hotels in Kota Kinabalu, four hotels in Kuala Lumpur, and three hotels in Palawan, and one hotel in Quezon City. The selected locations are based on the locations that the researchers have travelled and stayed in. Respondents involved are employees working in the hotels, with minimum six (6) months working experience in the hotel, and also involved or/and knowing the human resource procedures in recruitment and selection. The findings from these four (4) locations suggested that locality plays an important role in engaging and retaining employees, and foreign workers are capable to socially adjust and are fast-learners. Local workers are also able to absorb the working environment with foreign workers and benefitting from it, rather than having promotion dis-opportunity. The study concluded that succession planning and promotion opportunity with career advancement are highly recommended to retain employees in hotel industry