Analysis: New research finds invisible barriers and inter-brand mobility between hotel groups are barriers to hospitality careers
By Ronan Carbery, UCC and Stefan Jooss, University of Queensland
Ireland’s hospitality industry faces critical talent challenges. With 40,000 workers having left the industry since the pandemic, the sector struggles to attract and retain skilled professionals. In some respects, this is not new, with thousands of unfilled jobs in the industry reported both twenty years and a decade ago. The hotel industry has an image problem due to perceptions of limited career progression, unsociable hours and comparatively low pay. Career progression – or its perceived absence – ranks among the top reasons workers leave the industry.
The Irish hotel landscape mirrors global consolidation trends, with dominant groups like Dalata (Clayton, Maldron), Tifco (Clontarf Castle, Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport), and MHL Collection (InterContinental, Powerscourt) developing distinct brand portfolios across different market segments. This raises important questions about hotel careers. Will a manager’s career trajectory differ based on whether they trained with Clayton versus Leonardo properties? Can experience at a four-star Maldron translate to opportunities at The Shelbourne or Adare Manor?
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Drawing on interviews with 45 hotel general managers (GMs) across 16 countries, our research reveals a phenomenon we call “inter-brand mobility”, movement between brands either across organisations or within one larger umbrella organisation. Despite structural transformations making such transitions theoretically easier, persistent perceptual barriers limit talent flow. “How can a four-star manager be a five-star manager?” one GM asked rhetorically.
The luxury glass ceiling
Despite operational similarities between hotel categories, we identified four significant barriers creating what might be termed a ‘luxury glass ceiling’ for career progression. First, industry perceptions create substantial constraints. “Guys who are in the luxury arena can sometimes be snobbish about colleagues who work in the four-star business”, one GM told us.
These perceptions become embedded in hiring practices. “If you have not had any five-star experience early on in your CV, it is very difficult without taking a step back in your career to get into a five-star”, another GM explained.
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Second, uncertainty around cultural fit permeates career decisions. One GM compared the transition to retail: “H&M is different from Burberry, right? We are doing things a bit differently.” This feeds the belief that five-star hotels require a different mindset that must be absorbed gradually.
“Particularly in a management role, you need to be carrying that culture and you need to be that culture, so it is hard to make that transition”, explained another GM. Many interviewees suggested that even experienced four-star GMs would need to accept a downward move to enter the luxury segment.
Third, hotel owners exert significant influence on hiring decisions. “Owners, when they spent $500 million to build a luxury hotel, they want GMs with luxury experience”, one participant explained. This risk aversion creates a closed ecosystem where luxury experience is required to gain luxury experience.
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Fourth, perceived gaps in specialised knowledge create additional hurdles. “There is an element of that niche experience because you have worked in that environment for so long”, one GM reflected. “If I walk into the Dorchester tomorrow, could I run the place as well as their five-star GM? From a service level there would be things that I have just not seen and am not aware of”.
Early choices define career paths
Surprisingly, early career decisions can shape trajectories for decades. “It is very easy in the hotel industry, based on maybe your first two-three years of actual work experience, to get pigeonholed into a particular sector almost for the rest of your career,” one GM told us.
This creates a high-stakes decision point for early-career professionals who must choose hotel categories before fully understanding the long-term implications. “If you work in a three- and four-star hotel, it is nearly impossible to become a GM in a five-star hotel”, stated one GM starkly.
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Despite these barriers, our research identified important enablers of career mobility. The multi-brand systems of large hotel groups create structured mobility opportunities. “I look at Marriott overall and the multiple brands. I have seen people go from a Renaissance or an Autograph into a Ritz Carlton role”, one GM told us. These internal pathways provide important career development opportunities and retention benefits.
Our research also revealed evolving attitudes toward inter-brand mobility, with increasing recognition that personality, adaptability and core hospitality skills may be more important than specific brand experience. “Not that stars will not matter at all, but I think they may matter less. Attitude is going to become more and more important because there is a serious shortage in the labour market”, one GM observed.
Implications for Irish hospitality
For Ireland’s hospitality industry, these findings have particular relevance at a time when limited career mobility is worsening talent gaps. By addressing artificial barriers between hotel categories, hospitality businesses could access wider talent pools, create more diverse leadership pipelines, and improve retention by offering greater advancement opportunities across brands.
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For hospitality students, we argue that they should approach their initial positions strategically, recognising how early choices might shape long-term options. Meanwhile, hotel organisations should critically examine hiring criteria and develop more structured cross-category development pathways.
The traditional prestige hierarchy in hotels has proven remarkably resilient despite massive structural change in ownership and branding. However, the industry’s chronic talent challenges are forcing a reconsideration of these long-held perceptions. Breaking down some of these invisible barriers to career progression is critical for a more inclusive and sustainable hospitality workforce.
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Dr Ronan Carbery is Professor of Human Resource Management at Cork University Business School at University College Cork. Dr Stefan Jooss is Senior Lecturer at the Business School at the University of Queensland.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
