Conclusions
Talent, in the context of hospitality and tourism work is, as we have seen, a somewhat problematic concept. It, therefore, follows that managing a defuse interpretation of talent is also challenging and cannot be viewed as the relatively simple process that can apply within large, hierarchical and homogeneous organisations. Talent management with the complex, weak labour market prevalent within most hospitality and tourism organisations, needs to focus on inclusiveness and an open-minded approach to training and development which provides opportunities for all staff to participate and enhance their skills and knowledge sets. It is as much about talent identification and acknowledgement as it is about talent management.
In practical management terms, this analysis leads us to a number of important conclusions:
. The features of a weak labour market mean that many hospitality and tourism organisations find it difficult to compete for talent, as conventionally interpreted, in the open labour market. Exceptions are within large, multinational organisations but, as a general rule, managers in hospitality and tourism need to adopt creative approaches to their talent identification and acknowledgement.
. Managers need to interpret talent in inclusive terms, ensuring that they view the total workforce in terms of their potential to take on additional responsibility and be promoted within their department and the wider organisation.
. Training and development are key to the underpinning of talent management in hospitality and tourism organisations but the investment in training must be inclusive of all staff and not selectively focused at executive levels.