Percentage of students joining back hotel industry decreasing over the years: HVS Anarock Internship Study

New Delhi: Hospitality consultancy HVS Anarock has released the HVS Anarock Internship Study which reveals that 23% of the students are not keen to work in hotels and will look for alternate employment opportunities outside the sector, while 49% of the surveyed students by the company had a mixed or negative experience with the sector.

HVS Anarock said it conducted an anonymous online survey amongst hospitality students (who had completed their internships) from four leading institutes in India to understand their experience during their internships. The online survey was conducted in March 2020 and 338 participants responded to it, the company said.

According to HVS Anarock, the percentage of students joining back the hotel industry has been decreasing over the years. The company stated this is mainly because of a significant gap between the students as well as industry’s perception versus the reality.

The company said in the study that the profile and career aspirations of students have changed over the years and they are far more aware and better networked. "They are keen to get a more holistic orientation to the business and not mere skills training which is where the disconnect between the students and the industry is, as the industry has not fully evolved their internship programmes to meet these aspirations," HVS Anarock stated in the study.

As per the survey, 31% students found a disconnect between classroom learning and the practical experience while 19% students were not keen to work for the hotel after completion of the course.

52% of the respondents said they were given entry level work while 48% of the respondents said they were given entry level and supervisory work during the internship.

Being treated as cheap labour, longer work hours, lack of exposure in all departments, minimal interactions with heads, and unequal treatment and discrimination were some of the concerns of responding students.

HVS Anarock said it conducted interviews with the principals of institutes who participated in the survey to understand their perspective. As per the study, the principals feel only 50% students join the hotel sector post completing their course while the rest join other services sectors such as OTAs, airlines, luxury and standalone restaurant chains, retail and even e commerce.

HVS Anarock said internship needs to be seen as an important step towards growing the talent pool and increasing the supply of skilled professionals for the industry which has huge expansion plans. "All the stakeholders need to understand the necessity of growing the talent pool or else the hiring cost will increase exponentially putting a burden on the profitability of the hotels," the firm stated in the study.