Finding top talent hospitality sector demand seen at 600 1 000 gms in five years

Finding top talent hospitality sector demand seen at 600 1 000 gms in five years

New Delhi: On days, even the early bird can have a tough hunt. Ask Atul Dangayach. Managing director of the eponymous group, he has kickstarted an earlier-than-usual search for two general managers to run his upcoming properties in Bengaluru.

‘It's getting harder to find the right general managers, especially for large luxury assets,’ said Dangayach. The group owns properties run by chains such as Marriott International, Accor and Radisson Hotel Group. It will launch Hilton's first Waldorf Astoria hotel in India as well as a Raffles hotel in Goa.

‘The industry has grown so rapidly and traveller preferences are so evolved now-talent has not been able to catch up,’ he said. ‘It's also a tough and demanding role, and not everyone's cut out for it.’

Industry insiders said rapid expansion by hotel chains over the next five years is likely to create demand for 600-1,000 new general managers, or heads of hotels.

Dilip Puri, founder and chairman of the Indian School of Hospitality, refers to it as the GM conundrum.

More Attrition

‘The dearth of general managers is likely to be felt across segments,’ said Puri, who works with chains such as The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts and Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts in Sri Lanka on training general managers. ‘Considering changes in technology and consumer behaviour, brands are sometimes promoting candidates for failure, as many are not equipped with the required skill sets.’

Puri said five years ago, it was business, or the lack there of because of Covid-19, that kept hoteliers up at night. ‘Now it's about having the right leaders and the right people,’ he said.

Natwar Nagar, founder of The Job Plus that works on skilling hospitality candidates, pegs the requirement at about 1,000 over the next five years. ‘Attrition has also gone up,’ he said, adding that there have been lateral movements in hospitality as well as to other sectors, such as real estate, and commercial facility management.

Two senior general managers from Marriott shifted to full portfolio roles this year. The company declined to comment on their replacements and the potential demand for new talent.

Another cluster general manager at a luxury chain has moved to a real estate major's hospitality division. Multiple former general managers now hold CXO-level roles at real estate firms, while a former general manager is the India head of an international airline.

Need to Nurture

The Indian hospitality sector is on the brink of a decisive general manager deficit, especially across luxury, upper-upscale and upscale segments, said Neha Garg, founder director of Red Kite Consulting. ‘We estimate 660-800 general managers will be required across all branded segments over the next five years,’ she said. ‘Within luxury and upper-upscale segments, demand could exceed 100 new general managers, which does not include succession or replacement demand.’

Garg said the leadership gap is fueled by two converging shifts: A massive supply surge, and a strategic talent gap. As per Lodging Econometrics, as of quarter one 2025, India leads Asia-Pacific in hotel development: Around 693 projects and 88,884 rooms are in the pipeline. As per JLL, in quarter one 2025, India recorded 79 new hotel signings, adding 9,478 keys, the highest in the region. ‘What India is building at scale, it risks undermining in leadership. The industry is moving at full throttle on expansion but the general manager pipeline hasn't caught up in quality, strategy, or readiness,’ said Garg.

If the industry does not proactively nurture talent, there could be a shortfall in the coming years, especially in fast-growing segments and emerging markets, said Nikhil Sharma, managing director and chief operating officer, South Asia, at Radisson Hotel Group. Radisson is targeting approximately 90 new hotels in the next three to five years. That means it will need about 90 new general managers to lead these properties.

‘We anticipated this demand and have been strengthening our talent pipeline to ensure we have capable GMs ready as new hotels come online,’ said Sharma. ‘We also see promising trends that mitigate the risk of shortages. Many hospitality professionals are choosing to return from big cities to their hometowns. This reverse migration means skilled team members are increasingly available in smaller markets, which helps us staff new hotels in those locations with people who understand the local context. With foresight and training we can prevent a talent crunch from becoming an issue,’ he added.

Zubin Saxena, senior vice-president and regional head, South Asia, for Hilton, said talent is going to be the single largest priority for hotel chains. ‘The industry is likely to double its operating hotel supply in the coming years, and as an industry, we need more qualified general managers to manage and run our hotels and deliver world class quality,’ he said. ‘I think the industry will have to be open to inducting talent from various services sectors,’ he added. Saxena said Hilton follows a 'multi-faceted' approach in India, while focusing on various aspects of training and development, strategic hiring and succession planning. ‘We run a lot of programmes leading to career advancement opportunities,’ he added.

Accor will need about 50-60 new general managers over the next three years, pending the speed of property launches and brand transformations, said Vineet Mishra, vice-president, operations, for India and South Asia at the chain.

‘While the existing talent is strong, a potential shortfall could definitely surface in future years particularly within tier II-III cities, where operational difficulty accompanies an ever growing expectation for adherence to brand standards,’ he added. Mishra, who was previously the complex general manager for Pullman and Novotel hotels at New Delhi's Aerocity, said finding suitable general manager talent presents challenges related not only to skill and experience, but perhaps more importantly to mindset.

‘General managers these days are expected to function as more than mere operational experts- they have to function as adaptable business strategists, besides being digitally savvy, culturally knowledgeable and deeply in tune with the mission and ideals of the brand,’ he said. ‘Furthermore, talent mobility, specifically when it comes to emerging locations, continues to create concern,’ he added.