Aligning expectations with real-world experiences: a talent management study on the restaurant industry in Finland

Abstract

PurposeSkilled workers are crucial for an organization’s success, and managing, retaining and attracting them is vital in long-term. This study aims to explore talent management practices in the Finnish restaurant industry and to align workers' expectations with the real-world experiences of their work to reduce turnover and enhance job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a mixed methods approach, including a survey and interviews with workers and managers to gain insights into their expectations and experiences of work. The study considers themes for designing and implementing effective talent management procedures.FindingsThis study highlights the importance of employees' experiences of their work conditions, leveraging positive emotions and fair utilization of temporary agency work (TAW). Understanding the different work preferences of generational cohorts and addressing the challenges associated with owner disengagement and TAW can also contribute to attracting and retaining talent in the restaurant industry.Originality/valueSkilled workers have often been portrayed as targets that need to be managed, with insufficient consideration given to their preferences, needs and expectations. With the findings of this study, companies can establish mutual understanding with their employees and attract diverse talent.

The influence of talent management practices on talents’ intention to stay: an empirical study from China

“…Consequently, this motivates talents to stay to contribute to the organization (Chami-Malaeba and Garavan, 2013). In summary, talent management practices provide a conducive work environment through measures such as attraction, deployment, development, and motivation, to retain high-performance and high-potential individuals needed to achieve organizational goals (Cajander and Reiman, 2024). Given that several papers have explored the relationship between talent management practices and intention to stay (Luna-Arocas and Danvila-del-Valle, 2022;Narayanan et al, 2018), this study proposes the following hypothesis: H1.…”

“…These social exchange dynamics ignite enthusiasm and vitality among talents, directing their attention to their current roles rather than actively pursuing new job opportunities (Harari et al, 2017;Ye et al, 2017). Considering that talent management practices contribute to aligning talents' ideals and expectations, and perceived overqualification is an important antecedent to talents' intention to stay (Cajander and Reiman, 2024;Chen et al, 2021), the following hypothesis is proposed: H2. Talent management practices indirectly and positively affect talents' intention to stay by reducing perceived overqualification.…”

“…First, organizations invest more in high-performing and high-potential talents by implementing talent management practices such as extensive training programs and empowerment (Khoreva et al, 2017). Talents interpret these talent strategies as a clear indication of the organization's appreciation for their contribution (De Boeck et al, 2017;Son et al, 2018), thereby establishing a strong psychological contract with the organizations that fosters deep trust and dependency (Cajander and Reiman, 2024;Luna-Arocas and Danviladel-Valle, 2022). The more an organization considers its talents, the higher the affective commitment of the talents (Luna-Arocas et al, 2020).…”

“…Talents, representing the essential 20%, are distinguished by their high-performance and high-potential attributes (Bhatia and Baruah, 2020), possessing strategic value for the organization (Chami-Malaeba and Garavan, 2013). Given that talents are relatively scarce and difficult to replace, how to enhance talents’ intention to stay has become a focus of organizational management practices (Cajander and Reiman, 2024).…”