Hiring with Heart: A Multiple Case Study on Talent Acquisition and Cultural Fit in Boracay Island’s Hospitality Industry

Abstract

One of the assets of any company is the competitive workforce. Boracay Island hinges its economy in tourism, a service-oriented industry. This industry is dynamic and constantly evolving that demands agile workforce to remain competitive. This study explored the recruitment practices of fifteen (15) human resource officers in selected lodging establishments on Boracay Island. This research utilized multiple case study design. Yin’s six steps for data analysis were employed to analyze the descriptions of the key informants. The results revealed the following themes: Theme (1) strategic talent acquisition, theme (2) Streamlining hiring for efficiency, theme (3) Adapting to dynamic talent environments, theme (4) Structured agility as the foundation for resilient growth, and theme (5) Perceptions and purpose directly fuel employee drive and organizational triumph. While the results of talent acquisition in hotels revealed that: theme (1) Talent acquisition, precision and impact, theme (2) Efficient selection, unified decision, theme (3) Tourism, global shifts, local adapts, theme (4) Empowered HR, centralized vision, local impact, theme (5) Thriving workforce, satisfaction, image, engagement, and theme (6) HRM, people, process, performance. and the results of talent acquisition practices in mabuhay accommodations revealed that: theme (1) Modernizing talent: potential over tradition, theme (2) Traditional foundations, future-proofed workforce, theme (3) Traditional tourism's local resilience, theme (4) Agile hiring: empowering local decisions, and theme (5) The drive to be happy. The study will be beneficial to the individuals, hospitality industry, and the human resource practitioners to broaden their understanding in the recruitment of local manpower planning and development.