How do we attract and retain valuable people in our team?

How do we attract and retain valuable people in our team?

Editorial by Aminta Georgescu, Head of Talent Agency at winsed.swiss

Romania’s hospitality industry is navigating a tense moment in 2025. While the hotel sector in major cities showed modest growth in the first half of the year, the market overall is facing stagnation or even decline. Fiscal pressures, inflation, reduced domestic consumption, and a drop in international tourism are all putting strain on the industry’s stability.

In this context, the biggest challenge remains the workforce: attracting people and keeping them.

Currently, the hospitality sector is dealing with a workforce shortage of around 20–25%, and during peak periods, such as the summer season on the coast or in mountain resorts, the gap can reach up to 50%. This issue has been amplified by the migration of many Romanian professionals in the field to other countries. While companies have tried to fill the gap with workers from abroad, the immigration process—often taking 6 to 12 months—is slow and burdensome.

According to OECD data, Romania’s employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 was just 63% in 2023, below the OECD average of around 70%.

Beyond the talent gap, the hospitality market is under increasing pressure from recent tax changes, inflation, higher VAT rates, and the continued drop in international visitors.

One of the biggest concerns we hear across the industry is this: How do we attract and retain valuable team members?
How can we build healthy, attractive work environments that help us retain our people?

Here are a few strategies I believe are essential.

1. Employer branding is not optional

No matter the industry-retail, pharma, or hospitality-employer branding is a key factor for success.

Building a strong employer brand makes all the difference. From recruitment campaigns, we’ve seen firsthand how companies with well-defined branding attract more qualified candidates than those with no visibility. Even a startup can receive more applications with solid marketing than a large, well-known brand that has stopped promoting itself.

You can offer the best working conditions-but if you don’t know how to position yourself on the market, you risk staying invisible.

How to build a strong employer brand

• Tell your story. Don’t just be “another hotel” or “just another restaurant.” What’s your mission? What values do you stand for? Show how you give back to the community or support sustainability. People want to work for something bigger than just a paycheck.
• Use social media wisely. Open the door to your business “behind the scenes.” Highlight your team, internal events, joyful moments, and employee success stories. A positive and motivating atmosphere is magnetic to candidates.
• Employee reviews matter. Encourage your team to leave honest reviews on platforms like Glassdoor or industry-specific sites. Just as you check candidate references, they research you before applying. The internet can be your biggest asset—or your biggest liability.
• Turn your employees into ambassadors. The best advertisement is a recommendation from someone already on your team. Launch a referral program with clear benefits—for example, a bonus for every successful hire who stays at least 3 months.

2. Build a culture of trust and respect

• Respect and recognition. Every team member deserves respect. A simple “thank you” or “great job” goes a long way—and it should come from all levels, from management to supervisors.
• Ongoing, constructive feedback. Don’t wait for the annual review. Offer timely, positive, and useful feedback. Just as important—ask for feedback and actually listen, whether it’s through suggestion boxes or one-on-one conversations.
• Diversity and inclusion. Create a space where everyone feels welcome, appreciated, and free to be themselves.

3. Offer competitive and transparent compensation

Hospitality in Romania still lags behind when it comes to salaries and benefits. We often hear complaints about staffing shortages—yet many businesses are still not ready to offer fair, competitive compensation.

One key challenge is salary transparency, which will become increasingly critical—especially with the upcoming EU directive on pay transparency. I know how hard it is for employers to publish salary ranges—I see it all the time with clients. Still, imagine how helpful it would be to know what your competitors are really offering.

• Review salaries regularly. Ensure your compensation stays competitive and reward exceptional performance through raises or bonuses.
• Customize your benefits. Ask your employees what they truly value. Maybe they’d rather have a gym membership than another standard perk. Listen, and adjust accordingly.
• Offer meaningful perks: private health insurance, private pension plans, meal vouchers, gift cards, discount programs. Don’t forget things like gym passes, family discounts, or local partnerships—they go a long way.

4. Invest in career growth and skills

• Promote continuous learning. Encourage employees to attend courses, certifications (e.g., sommelier, barista, hotel manager), or workshops. Well-trained employees bring more than just financial returns—they also elevate your employer brand and market position. Over time, you’ll fill roles internally without high recruitment costs.
• Offer tailored training. From digital skills to finance, soft skills to operational know-how—provide training that fits each employee’s profile. Never throw new hires into customer-facing roles without preparation. Structured onboarding builds confidence and loyalty.
• Create a clear internal promotion path. Before you post a job externally, look inside your organization. Announce new opportunities internally first—employees will feel valued and motivated to grow.

5. Develop leaders, not bosses

• Coaching for managers. One of the main reasons people leave—especially Gen Z—is the work environment and their direct supervisors. Train your managers to lead, not just manage. Provide coaching, whether internal or external. The result? Better retention and a healthier work culture.
• Invest in everyone. Offer quality training tailored to each role. Everyone wants to learn—but many don’t get the chance due to poor managerial support.
• Expose your teams to leaders who listen and support. A true leader knows their team, avoids unnecessary pressure, and doesn’t micromanage. They guide, support, and grow their people. In Romania, we’re still used to top-down leadership—but that approach is no longer sustainable.

If you want to survive as an employer in the new era, adaptability is your best strategy.

6. Prioritize wellbeing

We all know how tough hospitality can be—long hours, emotional labor, pressure. That’s exactly why employee wellbeing can’t be ignored.

• Work-life balance. Respect working hours. Avoid last-minute schedule changes or excessive overtime. Make sure your team can take time off.
• Prevent burnout. Recognize the signs of chronic stress. Ensure your staffing levels are adequate for the workload.
• Offer mental health support. Consider giving employees access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to help them deal with stress or personal issues.

In conclusion

Attraction is about promise. Retention is about delivering on that promise.

If we want a healthy, sustainable hospitality industry, we need action—not just analysis. Employers who succeed at attracting and retaining great people are those who invest in training, build respectful workplaces, and stay in tune with market realities.

At winsed.swiss, we partner with businesses that want to build their hospitality operations on solid ground. We offer integrated solutions—from concept to implementation, from recruitment to training, from consulting to full hotel management.

Want to attract and retain great people?
Start with structure, culture, and the right support.

Let’s talk – we know how to help:
aminta.georgescu@winsed.swiss