Introduction
The tourism industry is an extremely challenging trade to operate since a lot of patience is required in operating a venture in this industry. The industry requires expertise and experience in running or operating a hotel. Human resources in the tourism and hospitality industry are trained on various skills that are meant to achieve high standards of service.
These skills are especially necessary for hotel managers who are required to have multiple skills in overseeing staff in the hotel industry. This essay is going to explore the establishment of a hotel in the Swan valley by a group of investors. The essay is going to analyze activities undertaken by an appointed general manager in developing the concept to be used in operating the hotel.
Project Analysis
Analysing the project entails a lot of activities including appraisal of the needs and activities needed in the successful implementation of the project. The project in this case investigates how the human resources are employed, the recruitment process, employee training and monitoring of employee performance. The hotel in this project case is a fine, fashionable hotel and golf resort in the Swan valley.
As the general manager, I am in charge of all departmental heads while, I report all operations of the hotel to the investors. The task of managing and organizing human resources entails recruitment, selection and induction/training, monitoring and evaluation of employees (Wagen, 2008). These tasks are critical in ensuring human resources work together as a team to achieve the goals and objectives set by the hotel owners.
Recruitment process
A hotel cannot function properly without staff or human resources and thus, recruitment of hotel employees is paramount. The recruitment process entails three major activities including identification of the recruitment needs, administering the recruitment and eventual selection of new employees. The information below shows how the recruitment processes will be carried out for hotel and golf resort.
Recruitment Needs Identification
The process of identifying the recruitment needs is very important since this outlines all common activities to be undertaken in a hotel. Recruitment process requires a plan that outlines the jobs to be filled during the different operational times in the hotel. For instance, in the high peak season, several employees will be recruited to help the hotel handle the increased visitor numbers.
The process of the short term recruitment requires analyzing all sections or departments whereby staffs are required within a short period. Operational changes needed in the short term recruitment are job analysis, remuneration analysis and job assessment.
The procedure for hiring short term employees starts with meeting with different departmental heads with the intention of finding out the jobs or tasks that require immediate employees (Dessler, 2004). After the analysis of the required jobs, the next task will be to list down and prepare vacancies for these positions to be filled. Interested candidates will be invited to fill out these positions while a hiring process is conducted.
In this situation, it would be preferable for the hotel to outsource the job of searching and hiring short term employees. The short terms employees will also enjoy some awards including meals, overtime pay and uniforms. However, the awards to be given to employees will be limited because they will not enjoy benefits such as insurance. Once employees have been awarded the jobs, they work for the short assigned period just like other employees.
Internal restructuring will be used in making sure that new employees will be trained on conducting their tasks in accordance the set out procedures (Robins, 2010). It is important for long term employees to be in charge of temporary employees due to their work experience and familiarity with the normal job or tasks.
Various tasks and positions are available in the hotel industry for the human resources. We are going to look into two different positions in the Swan hotel and golf resort. These positions are operations manager and Public Relations (PR) manager who are involved in managerial and supervisory roles in the company.
The operations manager is in charge of all activities in the hotel with the main task being that of overseeing all the other departments. The operations manager works closely with the human resource manager in drawing out plans for the hiring and termination of employees (Jones, 2004). He also ensures all tasks are carried out for the benefit of the organization and to ensure that organizational goals and objectives are easily met.
An organization is supposed to meet several requirements such as legal regulations and compliance issues. These jobs fall under the management performance issues that need to be looked into by the operations manager. Labor relations and the training of staff are also carried out by the human resources department. The training content of is usually prepared and assessed by the operations manager.
This is done to ensure that staffs are trained on activities in line with the organizational goals and strategy. Another important position in an organization is that of the PR manager who is in charge of fostering relations between employees, staff and outsiders (Wagen, 2008).
The main duties undertaken by the human resource manager is preparing newsletters of the hotel to be published, ensuring customer concerns and complaints are handled. He/she is also responsible for facilitating communication between different stakeholders in the hotel.
The image of the hotel to the outside world is very important and thus, the PR manager is responsible for ensuring that a good image of the hotel is portrayed to outsiders. This is done through advertisements, team building among employees and customer feedback as a strategy of improving service delivery.
Recruitment Administration
The process of administering the recruitment process involves advertising for vacant positions to be filled by prospective candidates vying for different positions in an organization. Advertising is a very important task that needs to undertaken during the recruitment process. Choosing the best advertising mode in the recruitment process is important in reaching out to the mass population of applicants ready to fill the vacant positions (Walker, 2005). Below are different advertising media used in the recruitment process?
The process of hiring an employee begins with the advertised of the vacant position in the appropriate media. Usually, a job vacancy application will contain the position to be filled and the necessary skills wanted for the vacant position. Below is sample advertisement for a job at the Swan hotel and golf resort:
Public Relations Officer (Job Advert)
The Public Relations Officer will be responsible for handling all communications and information concerning the Swan hotel and golf resort. She/he will work with other departmental heads in the definition of efficient processes and assess performance and quality of delivery.
Key tasks will include
- Understanding the needs of customers and employees and communicating this information to all stakeholders.
- Understanding the current informational needs of the hotel and re-engineering processes to maximize efficiency.
- Setting and measuring turnaround times.
- Participating in quality performance reviews.
Educational and Experience
- University degree in communications, PR or business related field.
- Specialized certification or higher diploma in Public Relations.
- At least 3 years experience in any customer service function, where developing informational process flows should be a key part of this role.
- Language proficiency in French, Italian or Spanish will be an added advantage.
After all the applications have been received from prospective candidates, the applications are forwarded to the relevant departments for appraisal. The process of processing applications looks into assessing the skills of the prospective employees with the focus being on job related knowledge or skills.
All applicants with the necessary skills or knowledge necessary in filling vacant positions will be considered (Woods, 2002). In the process of short listing, it is important for the selection panel to look into the authenticity of the educational certificates provided by the employment candidates. Another important task is validating the testimonials provided by the job candidates.
Validating the testimonials provided by various job candidates is vital in validating confidentiality of the prospective employees. After the assessment, a list of all shortlisted candidates will be prepared from all prospective applicants. All unsuccessful candidates will be informed of their attempt and be appealed to try their luck the next time. The shortlisted will be prepared for an interview process as the final part of the employee selection process (DuBrin, 2007).
Letters are usually drafted when an applicant is though with the interviewing process to either confirm or regret for the application of the vacant position. These letters are usually categorized into three sections with the first letter being a regret letter. A regret letter is used to inform the applicant that he/she did not meet the requirements of the advertised job.
The other letter is the acceptance letter which informs the applicant of his/her successful call up to a job interview at a date stated in the letter. The last letter is the offer letter whereby the successful applicant is informed of having passed the interview procedure (Dessler, 2004). An offer letter contains express terms to be accented to by the successful candidate.
Selection Process
Selection of employees is a crucial task that needs organizational management analysis to ensure that organizational goals and objectives are met. The selection procedure is mainly made up of the interviewing procedure whereby all shortlisted candidates are interviewed. Within the selection procedure, one of the most important tasks is to develop an interview matrix.
This procedure is comprised of conducting job analysis and recruitment interviews. The job analysis interview is the most important since it involves taking an applicant through several questions concerning the advertised job. For instance, the applicant is questioned on what the job duty entails to find out if he/she understands the purpose of the job.
The applicant is also interviewed based on his/her educational qualifications (Woods, 2002). Educational background is important in matching the skills learnt to the tasks required in undertaking the vacant job. On the other hand, recruitment interviews are conducted by the departmental head or the supervisor.
These staff questions the applicant on his/her understanding of the purpose of the applied position. During the interviewing process, it is important for performance reviews of the applicants to be questioned. Performance reviews are important in assessing the suitability of the applicant for the advertised position.
The most important document in the interview process is the interview questionnaire which is prepared for the advertised positions in any organization. The interview matrix is supposed to provide as much information as possible as it concerns the assessment of the new employee. During the process of preparing the interview, it is imperative to notify the candidates of the selection criteria used in appointing new employees (Mohrman, 2003).
This process involves notifying the candidates of the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes required for attainment of the advertised job. The selection criterion should contain scores that mark it the results score by the students are highly desirable or essential.
During the interview session, the interviewer should create a rapport with the candidate so that the candidate does not feel like he/she is being interrogated (Niehaus, 2001). The interviewer should also be willing and patient to listen to the job applicants. The whole purpose of the interview process is to acquire the best and qualified employees for the organization.
Once the interview process is over, a report is prepared to show all the successful candidates for the various vacant and advertised positions. The form is presented to the departmental heads, and the forms contain the following information:
- Personal information (Name, age and gender of the shortlisted candidates).
- Educational knowledge and skills of the shortlisted candidates.
- The positions applied by the shortlisted candidates.
- Reporting dates for the shortlisted candidates.
Employee Induction
Once new employees have been hired an employee induction procedure is a necessary human resource practice. Employee induction is conducted with the intention of creating harmony between new employees and the existing employees in the organization (Mohrman, 2003). The process of inducting a new employee into the organization includes introducing the employee to his workmates and in large organizations this exercise is conducted at the departmental level. The key pointer necessary for an induction include:
- Name and position of the new employee
- Job specification and the department the new employee will be assigned to
- Understanding of the company rules, policies and procedures.
- Understanding the company official timelines such as working days and working hours.
- Familiarization with the company’s goals and objectives.
- Official welcoming of the new employee to the company.
After the new employee reports for duty during the first day, it is important in the initial stage to conduct and induction training session for the new employees.
The induction training will be conducted to all new employees irrespective of departmental posting. Induction training in an organization focuses on employee familiarization with the company’s policies, goals and objectives. The first task in the induction training is to make introductions among new employees in the company (Jones, 2004). Then the employees will be taught on the history of the company, the company’s activities, mission, and objectives.
This important information formulates knowledge for new employees as they anticipate beginning on their new tasks. The induction training should contain content from all departmental heads of the company with each contributing a little information concerning their departments. Monitoring and Appraising employees
After the hiring of new employees, an organization needs to monitor and appraise employees based on several factors. Appraisal looks into the performance of employees on the job. There are several methods of conducting performance appraisals and these methods are tied to the objectives and goals of the organization.
Appraisal procedure should be flexible to employees and the organization. The procedure should facilitate communication between employees and their managers. Organizations usually face difficulty resulting from employee performance. As a result, an appraisal performance should highlight organizational problems and assist employees to improve their performance while finding ways for employees to met their personal goals (Woods, 2002).
An appraisal must seek to achieve better understanding between employees and the organizational heads. A manager should be fair and precise in assessing the employees’ capabilities while protecting employees from unfair or subjective working conditions or decisions.
A well written appraisal should address issues related to the job which is objective and addresses all problems honestly. An appraisal is usually written in three parts where by the appraisal is prepared, performed and reviewed. The process of appraising employees should be done in an open method where information is gathered with the full knowledge of all employees.
An appraisal is usually conducted once by employees since all information concerning employee performances are gathered by the necessary employees. Organizational stakeholders should also be aware of the appraisal procedure and both sides of the organization should be prepared.
An employee should complete the appraisal form before an appraisal interview is conducted. An appraisal looks into the performance of an employee since the last evaluation was conducted. An appraisal is not a simple exercise since it explores problems within the organization and how to find solutions to rectify problematic problems (Robins, 2010).
Communication is vital in the appraisal process and thus listening skills and patience are required to understand the situation. An appraisal procedure should come up with realistic and measureable goals that can be achieved by all employees. The end of the appraisal should leave all employees confident with clear goals to be attained before the next appraisal.
Organizational management should be in control of the appraisal procedure since they have the capability of influencing managerial change. The organizational managers benefit from the appraisal through improved relations and rapport between employees and management.
Management learns a lot about the organizational employees through an appraisal performance. Appraisals help in improving communication which directly improves on organizational performance. This is because employees get a chance to voice their concerns and get rewarded if their performance is exemplary. Appraisal also spurs creativity and assist in succession planning in the organization. On the other hand, employees’ spirits and morale is usually lifted by the appraisal procedure.
Appraisals help in uncovering potential problem areas that need solutions and this goes in a long way to solving the employee problems. An appraisal should address all the pertinent issues through thorough research with the involvement of all organizational stakeholders (Niehaus, 2001).
Scheduling an appraisal involves sending invitations to all employees and organizing a neutral venue such as the meeting room for the exercise. At the appraisal meeting, factual and well researched information should be provided with the intention of finding solutions. The questions to be fronted to the employees should either be open-ended, closed or probing. Open questions get the employee to talking whereas closed questions are meant for specific one word answers.
Probing questions are meant to find out more information from the employee unlike explanations which are meant for employee comments. Problems that will be unearthed during the appraisal procedure could be solved through training, mentoring, motivation and performance counselling. The last and final stage of the appraisal procedure is to record all information and scenario of the appraisal process (Jones, 2004).
Conclusion
Human resource management is an exigent activity to conduct in any industry or organization. Several activities have to be systematically checked and approved to achieve total co-ordination of the human resource. The general manager holds a very important position in any organization even in the hotel industry.
His/her position is central to the achievement of the goals and objectives of an organization. The general manager is the overall head of all human resources since he/she sets out a plan on how activities of an organization are going to be carried out.
References
Dessler, G., Griffiths, J. & Lloyd-Walker, B. (2004). Human Resource Management.2nd ed. Frenchs Forest: Pearson. Print.
DuBrin, A. J. (2007). Human relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills. 9th ed. New Jersey: Pearson. Print.
Jones, R. (2004). Managing Human Resource Systems. 2nd ed. French Forest: Pearson. Print.
Mohrman, S., Yee, A. & Neilson B. (2003). Creating a Strategic Human Resources Organization: An Assessment of Trends and New Directions. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Niehaus, R. (2001). Strategic HRM. Human Resource Planning, 18(1), 36-45.
Robins, S., Judge, T., Millett, B. & Michael, J. (2010). OB: The Essentials. Frenchs Forest: Pearson. Print.
Wagen, V. & Goonetilleke, L. (2008). Hospitality Management. Strategies and Operations. Frenchs Forest: Pearson. Print.
Walker, J. (2005). Integrating the Human Resource Function with the Business. Human Resource Planning, 17(1), 19.
Woods, R.H. (2002). Managing Hospitality Human Resources.3th ed. Lansing, MI: John Wiley and Sons. Print.