As part of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s 2022 Top Women in Travel & Hospitality report, we asked the honorees what their strategy is for attracting and retaining female talent — a particularly relevant topic in the age of the Great Resignation. Here are answers from just some off the honorees who are currently achieving positive change when it comes to women representation in the industry, particularly at a leadership level:

“A staggering 57 percent of the hospitality labor loss resulting from the pandemic was women. The pandemic forced women to take on tremendous familial obligations and put unthinkable strain on the female workforce. I believe a fundamental shift in how we structure work is essential as we focus on retaining and attracting more female talent. This is why the concept of “returnship” is so important to me. We must be more thoughtful in how we structure our work to allow women to bring their whole selves to work, all while balancing the other parts of their lives — whether that’s motherhood, daughterhood or whatever else it might be. While this isn’t a female-specific issue, it is a more acute issue for women. Women took the brunt of the responsibilities through COVID and many are still carrying those responsibilities today. Until our society is able to bridge all of the familial needs that we have in today’s environment, we must be more open to thinking differently about our work.” — Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Best Western® Hotels & Resorts

“Be purposeful about it. I think many companies and leaders pay a lot of lip service to diversity and improving the gender gap. I’ve made it a priority of mine so that other women can accomplish what they want to and deserve to accomplish. I’ve surrounded myself with people who feel the same way, many of them men. We’ve walked the talk and significantly improved gender balance within Celebrity, both ship and shore. Our bridge teams are at 30 percent women. Seven years ago, when I was appointed to this position, we were at 3 percent. The maritime industry is at 2 percent. I’m tremendously proud of this accomplishment, and we’re a better and more successful brand because of our focus on improving the gender gap in this very male-dominated industry.” — Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises

“Representation is key, of course. I think the first step is to pay particular attention to the women already within the organization and find real ways of providing them with a career path and opportunities to shine and develop. That will pay short- and longer-term dividends as they grow within the company, and can then hopefully serve as real proof points in the marketplace.  Female candidates will notice if there are women with meaty roles within the organization.” — Nancy Mammana, Chief Marketing Officer, NYC & Company

“I believe a multifaceted approach is required and that it needs to start with the hiring process. I’m proud that Expedia Group is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We’ve innovated our talent attraction and hiring process by driving inclusivity and removing bias and discrimination from the process. One small but powerful example is mandated mixed-gender interviewing for candidate slates and interviewing teams. Two of the most effective ways to retain talent are mentorship and communities. As mentioned, mentoring is near and dear to me because I’ve benefited from it throughout my career.

“Now, I never decline an opportunity to mentor another woman. I am who I am because of the support I received — it helped me find my voice, build confidence and grow in my career. Communities are also vital. At Expedia Group, we call them Inclusion Business Groups, safe spaces offering support and communities focused on creating a sense of belonging. Our Women at Expedia Learning & Leading (WELL) IBG strives to empower and support women to develop and grow into leadership roles through professional development, personal empowerment, and strategic initiatives.” — Rathi Murthy, Chief Technology Officer and President, Expedia Services, Expedia Group

“Companies need to create a culture of listening and valuing the women in their organization.  This includes standing up an employee resource group (ERG) focused on providing tools to help women in the workplace. This is something I’ve been actively involved in throughout my career, including today at Amtrak where I lead the Notch 8: Women of Amtrak group. I believe groups like this provide professional development, networking, and mentoring opportunities across the enterprise. These groups can also do a lot to promote engagement and partnership with male allies. Programs that focus on unconscious bias training, family and wellness resources, technical training that really help build partnerships and engagement across the company. Over the last couple of years, as the country has managed through the pandemic, it has become clear that our employees, particularly women, really benefit from flexible work arrangements. Not only can they benefit, but I think we’ve learned that there’s a lot that leadership can do to make adjustments that make it easier to retain and attract talent.” — Tracie Winbigler, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Amtrak

“One thing I love about Priceline is the value we place on diversity. Having different backgrounds and voices represented, including female voices, makes us a stronger company. Not only does it improve our culture, but it also makes us a better travel solution. Reflecting our diverse set of customers in our employee base makes us better equipped to understand our customers’ needs and design products to satisfy those needs. We also foster community and growth by offering career development programs, including a specific program for our female employees, Women Impacting Priceline. One thing I love about this program is that some of the activities are open to people of all genders. It’s so important for our male colleagues to understand and appreciate the perspective female employees bring to the equation. Additionally, our corporate culture is one where we place tremendous value on diversity of thought. It’s an environment where all employees, regardless of gender, have a seat at the table. That respect and opportunity for upward mobility, combined with career development programs and benefits that help employees balance their career and personal lives, are critical to both attracting and retaining top female talent.” — Brigit Zimmerman, Chief Commercial Officer, Priceline.com

To hear more from these women leaders (as well as other honorees) on additional important topics, download the report, 2022 Top Women in Travel & Hospitality.