Purpose This paper seeks to report on research investigating students' and industry's expectations and assumptions of the desired attributes of hospitality employees. Design/methodology/approach Views on a range of questions about the value of a hospitality degree are analysed, based on a survey of 74 hospitality managers and 137 students. Findings The divergence in views between students and industry was significant. Students thought knowledge and skills were important for new employees, but industry was far more interested in personality. To get promoted, students thought they would have to become good communicators, but industry was more interested in initiative. Industry's views suggest that managers value attitudinal attributes over skills, and are therefore prepared to help employees gain the skills needed for their roles. Research limitations/implications There were limited responses from hotel general managers (GMs). Their views on what graduates need to accomplish to reach the position of GM would have added value to this study, so further research focusing on GMs' views is recommended. Originality/value This paper analyses the beliefs of hospitality students and industry regarding the desired attributes of hospitality employees. Their expectations and assumptions are significantly different, and the gap is a cause for concern for educators and industry to address.
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