Job Satisfaction Factors in the Greek Hotel Industry, in the Post-COVID Years. The Significance of Knowledge

In the post-COVID years, the growth of tourism in Greece was rapid. This growth created a strong demand for employees, especially in the hotel industry, which could not be met. In 2022, the year following the pandemic, 60,200 jobs, based on the organization charts of hotels in Greece, were not occupied due to shortage of staff. This paper presents the results of a research that aimed to discover the factors that lead to job satisfaction, of the hotel personnel in Greece. In this context, based on the literature, many factors were examined, which contribute to job satisfaction such as working conditions, salary, company policy and administrative style, completion through work, relations with colleagues, and other factors. Emphasis was placed on the link between the level of knowledge and experience of staff and the job satisfaction. The level of satisfaction was also related with other factors such as position of responsibility, seasonality of the job, the training provided, but also the level of quality of the hotel’s services. The research was pilot and intended to indicate the directions and fields for a larger future research on the specific questions. The survey was conducted in spring 2023 and the results showed that the lowest degree of Job satisfaction was the salary in relation to the work offered, but also the opportunities given for promotion or advancement in the company. The satisfaction level for these factors was lower among the female employees. The best level of job satisfaction was for the social environment, such as relationships with colleagues and supervisor. Also, the research showed that there is a strong relationship between the quality of the hotel and the level of employee satisfaction. In any case, hotels in Greece should improve their working conditions and policy towards employees in order to increase the level of job satisfaction of employees, especially those who are in the lower positions and assistant employees.