The Impact of Work Life Balance on Job Satisfaction and Employee Retention of Operational Level Staff in the Hotel Industry

This research paper examines how work-life balance impacts job satisfaction and employee retention among operational level staff in the hotel industry. In the hotel industry, where staff members provide services to clients, maintaining high-quality and stable services is crucial for maintaining competitiveness. Effective employee retention is a key aspect of hotel human resource management, as it not only improves organizational performance but also reduces personnel costs. Achieving work-life balance poses significant challenges in the hotel industry, where work is demanding and often involves long hours and irregular schedules. Employees are a vital asset to hospitality organizations as they are central to the business's functioning and success. The lack of work-life balance can have a negative impact on performance, job satisfaction, turnover rates, health, organizational loyalty, and career longevity. Consequently, organizations prioritize work-life balance practices to maximize employee potential. This paper reviews existing literature, collects primary data through surveys and interviews, and employs statistical analysis to explore the relationship between work-life balance, job satisfaction, and employee retention. The study focuses on interns who have completed between half and one year of an internship at a tourist hotel and are about to graduate/complete their college. The findings of this study will assist hotel managers and human resource professionals in developing effective strategies to enhance work-life balance, improve job satisfaction, and increase employee retention rates among operational level staff. Retaining these employees within the organization can minimize training and recruitment costs, ultimately reducing the effort required to recruit new talent. The research results demonstrate that work-life balance, and job satisfaction have significant positive effects on employee retention. The study also emphasizes that a culture of work-life balance within the organization, rather than the mere availability of work-life balance practices, is the primary determinant of job satisfaction.