Tasks 1, 2, and 3
Introduction
The role assigned has been as a recently appointed Human Resource Manager trainee at a UKCBC Hotel and the task is to provide a proposed recruitment planning portfolio. The company is opening a 100-room full service hotel in West End in London with a bar and coffee shop to be used both internally and externally. The recruitment planning portfolio is meant to include the processes and procedures that will be involved in the organization’s human management.
Human resource management, in essence, is the management of human being’s relationships and development at work and is an incredibly challenging and dynamic facet of any company’s duties. These challenges are due to a number of factors including, but not limited to, the speed at which technology, employment legislation and price competitiveness is changing as well as the recent recessions and turbulent global economy. Several tools exist to assist human resource managers in their tasks including Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice and (Bratton and Gold) in addition to empirically-based studies to improve strategic management. More and more, academics as well as business men and women agree that traditional approaches to managing workers can no longer deliver successful and productive results in today’s competitive global market. Therefore, the need for best practices in human resource management is ever more imperative to help workers’ reach their full potential and produce behaviour and maintain healthy attitudes.
1.1 Analyse the role and purpose of human resource management in a selected service industry
The role and purpose of a human resource management at the UKCBC hotel would accomplish these objectives: manpower planning, job analysis and job description, determining wages and salaries, recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, training and development, employee welfare and motivation, addressing employees grievances, labour management relations, implementation of organizational policies, and dismissal. One of the most necessary changes is to restructure the organization away from the traditional hierarchical structure and towards a more “flat” structure in which each worker has autonomy and functions in a supportive work team. The role of the senior manager is crucial is human resource management as these individuals should support intangible aspects of the job including inspiring workers and implanting certain work ethic values, norms of behaviour, and help enlist a “corporate culture” (Bratton and Gold). In broader terms the role of human resource management can be abbreviated as “LEMMS”: legalities, employment, morale and mentoring, and strategy.
Legalities of human resource management in a hotel setting goes two ways: both the protection of employees from adverse practices as well as the protection of the organization from employee litigation. The role of human resource management in a hotel, or any organization at large, is inherently in conflict as it potentially represents both sides. Therefore, employees often join unions or choose their own lawyers when in contentious legal possessions. In recent years, the issue of sexual assault and discrimination in the workplace has become a hot topic for human resource management teams. Another example of a human resource legality is when managers schedule employees to work too many hours or too many days in a row, in which case the human resource managers would step in and facilitate the discussions to improve working conditions and communication between employer and employee, appropriately.
Employment concerns are perhaps the foremost issue of human resource managers. The human resource management department is responsible for recruiting employees that fit the post job description and vision or values of the company. In the UKCBC Hotel setting, this is of utmost importance as the hospitality and hotel industry is built on catering to people and serving guests expertly. Therefore, recruiting employees who are ready to serve are imperative for successful hotel operation. Additionally, the HR department is also responsible for delivering competitive wages to similar hotels and monitor the division the labor.
Although an underlying aspect of all people management, morale and mentoring can be an effective way of improving employee productivity and relations in the workplace. The HR department can be as little or as greatly involved in this process, but studies have shown that boosting employee morale greatly improves productivity and attitudes. This can be done through mentoring programs and providing recreational activities for the work force. Recognition for achievement and appreciation are some of inherent responses that human beings crave and therefore programs such as “employee of the week” and mentoring between staff and employee can be incredibly effective.
Lastly, all of these roles of the HR department fall into the category strategic planning. Strategy is a core necessity for HR departments as it provides a path with specific methods for the hotel to follow and specific outcomes to be realized. For example, the HR department must keep control and documentation of costs related to employment (such as wages and benefits) and mark progress to see where savings or extra expenditures can be made. Overall, it can be stated that the entire success of the hotel and organization of the hierarchal structure depends on human resource management and therefore a well-function HR team is imperative to ensure smooth business operation.
1.2 Justify a human resources plan based on an analysis of supply and demand for a selected service industry
How employees enjoy their workplace environment and get along with fellow employee greatly affects workforce planning, one of the roles of human resource management, in the hotel. Through the words of basic economic theory, the supply and demand of hospitality job opportunities is dependent on the employment environment: as workers are unhappy and decide to quit their jobs, the supply of positions will increase yet the external demand to work at the hotel will decrease. Conversely, if the hotel is lucratively successful and the employees work hard and develop passion and commitment for the organization and come to love what they are doing, the supply of available jobs at the hotel will decrease yet unemployed workers or job seekers outside the hotel will want to join the “family” of employees at the hotel. This attraction will draw in the highest caliber and most experienced potential employees, and the human resource management department will be known to have achieved success when these employees are drawn in.
Introduction
In many organizations, employee relations evolve over time to become strong bonds, which may resemble familial relationships. This is positive when everyone maintains healthy relationships and the company is able to flourish because of its workers’ positive spirits and general productivity. However, these familial-based relationships can also be unhealthy in an organizational context as they tend to cause conflict. This is especially of concern when new workers are recruited into the company who may feel excluded or alienated at first. In order to understand employee dynamics, a report is outlined below on employee relations and legislation within the employment relationship in UKCBC Hotel context. Furthermore, managing people at work always needs to be done at the “human level” and incorporate the economic and social contexts at which they live and and understanding their behavior and attitudes with sensitivity to these contexts, especially in light of the recent global recession, is fundamental in deriving contracts, writing employment practices, and creating standardized yet personal methods of termination (ie: how to fire someone). These features are not always replicated in employment legislation or the legalities of contracts or termination agreements. Therefore, the need to connect on a human level at the human resource management department is extremely important.
2.1 Assess the current state of employment relations in a selected service industry
Although contractual regulations and constraints imposed by legislation on termination are some of the most common and attention-grabbing features of employment legislation, there are other features that govern the state of employment relations in the hotel industry including unionization, collective bargaining, consultation and employee participation. For one, collective bargaining can be defined as “an institutional system of negotiation in which the making, interpretation and administration of rules, and the application of the statutory controls affecting the employment relationships, are decided within union-management negotiating committees” (Bratton and Gold). This can be a powerful tool for employees to have autonomy and exercise their rights regarding matters in the workplace that are important to them. Overall, the exercising of these mentioned practices can greatly affect employee relations and contribute to greater happiness of employees at the workplace and create a successful hotel business and pleasant work environment.
One way employees can get involved in their workplace and exercise their legal power is through unions. Unionization is an important resource for employees to participate in so that they may express their opinions or concerns safely while securing their jobs. The density of which employees are active in trade unions is representative of their level of engagement and care for their workplace. The measure of trade union density is quite simply, the percent of employees from the hotel who are members of a union. According to the Torrington and Hall, the trade union density in the U.K. is usually between 25 to 30% in a given year for the overall working population with higher numbers seen for women than men. There is also a distinct separation between age groups and union participation as a third of employees over the age of 35 are union members whereas less than a quarter of employees of the ages 25 to 34 are active in unions (Torrington, Hall 2009 p. 426).
2.2 Discuss how employment law affects the management of human resources in a selected service industry business
Employment law has a key role in the management of human resources in the hotel industry. The most important employment law is arguably that of grievance procedures and disciplinary or dismissal procedures; however legislation on sexual assault/harassment and discrimination in the workplace is gaining increasing traction in contemporary times as cultural and societal bounds are being broken to create a more inclusive and egalitarian society. Moreover, employment legislation such as the Employment Relations Act, contracts of employment, maternity and paternity rights are fundamental in influencing the management of human resources.
The Employment Relations Act took effect in the United Kingdom in 1999 as an act of the UK’s Parliament, which made significant changes to the UK labour law and general reception of employee rights. These rights outlined in the Act include but are not limited to formal recognition of collective bargaining in trade unions, leave for family and domestic reasons, disciplinary and grievance hearings, and other rights of individuals (Bach, 2005). These fundamental laws regarding employment have changed over time and mimic trends in society. For example, female empowerment in the workplace has been a hot topic in the past ten years with progressive female leave policy implemented across Europe, especially in Scandinavia. With enough support, these concepts will eventually be replicated in the UK’s legislation.
A novel legal concept introduced in 1971 which employees are susceptible to is that of unfair dismissal. Simply put, when an employee is released in circumstances that are unreasonable or the employer does not have a valid reasons for letting go the employee, the employee has rights to claim unfair dismissal through the help of his or her union representative and/or the human resource management specialists. To be clear, a fair dismissal is defined as behaviour of misconduct, under qualification or lacking needed capacities for the job, redundancy, retirement, or a legal reasons that prevents one from doing their job (for example, loss of drivers license if one is a truck driver or report of a DUI for an employee in which their image is important). Even with the clarity of wrong and and right types of dismissals, dismissals that are both wrongful and unfair due occur in the workplace. In these cases, the role of management of human resources is of utmost importance.
In addition to these legalities, there is a softer concept that is also relevant to employment known as the “psychological contract”. Torrington and Hall explain in the classic text Fundamentals of Human Resource Management: Managing People at Work that psychological contract, a concept that emerged towards the end of the twentieth century and has been in the works for over forty years, is the unwritten contract between the hotel and employee, which specifies each other’s expectations in their relationships in the workplace. In contemporary practices, it is becoming more and more common to write these expectations in a physical contract rather than having them be unspoken. One simple way to do this is to create an expectations matrix. Human resource management departments can host workshops between employers and employees where these expectations are voiced and written down so that they may be applied. Communicating expectations goes a long way in creating more respect between employee and employer and helping everyone work together towards the common goal of success and happiness.
Introduction
The task at hand assigned by the General Manager at the UKCBC Hotel, is to prepare a comprehensive list of job descriptions and personal specifications of the list of staff that was submitted through the proposed HRP. It has also been asked to prepare a comparison of various different selection techniques used by other organizations in the same industry and propose at least two of the most effective techniques that fits into the recruitment and selection process. In the recruitment and selection process, it is important to integrate the complex motivations and needs of individuals and find which of these aspects best suits the hotel. In Human resource management in a global context: a critical approach, it is noted that understanding HRM is necessary not only in terms of the macro environment but also the meso organizational and micro individual levels (Kramar and Syed, 2012). This distinguishing aspect between the organization and the individual is inherent in the employee selection process as fit and function are integral in finding the right employees for the job at UKCBC hotel as a whole.
3.1 Discuss a job description and person specifications for a selected service industry job
Hypothetical jobs available at the UKCBC hotel include, but are not limited to, hotel receptionist, banquet manager, waiter, cleaning staff, etc. There are additional positions possible through the hotel’s pool (lifeguards), restaurants (chefs, bartenders, busboys, servers, etc.) as well as employees such as masseuses who would work at the spa. The job descriptions for hotel receptionist and waiter for the UKCBC’s restaurant are listed below:
People who would be qualified candidates to be a hotel receptionist need to enjoy helping all kinds of people and have special aptitudes for patience, communication, and customer service. It is the hotel receptionist’s job to make guests feel welcome and at home at the hotel. Guest’s first impressions of the hotel are usually based on their encounter with the hotel receptionist, as that person is whom they deal with first. Likely candidates would also be excellent multi-taskers, always be friendly and professional, and have an ability to always stay calm, especially under pressure or when dealing with an upset client. It is preferred that the hotel receptionist has a good standard of general education with skills in English (definitely a plus if the candidate speaks multiple language such as French, Spanish, and Mandarin) and experience with computers (IT) and perhaps a little bit of math. Applicants who have previous experience in customer service or use of computerised reservations systems will standout.
The main duties of a hotel receptionist include: dealing with computerized bookings made over the phone, email, or letter, helping guests complete procedures upon arrival and departure, handing out keys, preparing bills and processing payments, managing special events and requests, acquainting guests with the local environment (ex: providing suggestions on things to do and places to eat), dealing with problems that arise. The hours of work could include evenings, overnights, or afternoon shifts during both the week and the weekend. Public holidays may be required for work; however you may be paid extra.
A waiter at the UKCBC hotel would work in a fast-paced environment. In a metaphorical sense, waiters serve as a bridge between customers and chefs; both greeting customers on arrival and providing them with quick and pleasant service before they leave. The main tasks for waiters or waitresses include: taking orders, welcoming clients, displaying menu cards, serving orders to clients, and processing payments. The necessary skills for waiters include being polite and friendly, an ability to multi-task, good memory and listening skills, ability to communicate clearly, being physically fit and able to balance trays and plates, knowledge of napkin folding and decorating table, ability to work under a high stress and fast paced environment, and love and appreciation for food and beverages. They will also be required to check patrons’ identification before they consume alcoholic beverages.
Although there are no academic qualification requirements for being a waiter or waitress, they should have basic math and communication skills. It is recommended to have a high school or tertiary education, at minimum. Waiters or waitresses earn minimum wage and therefore most of their earnings come from tips. They will want to work their hardest to please guests to earn as much money as they can.
3.2 Compare the selection process of different service industries businesses
The usual steps in the hiring process are 1) identify vacancy in positions at the hotel and evaluate the need to fill that position 2) develop a position description, such as those expressed above in section 3.1 3) develop a recruitment plan, using the steps outlined below and determine whether the position will be hired on a rolling basis or if decisions will be made after a certain deadline 4) select a search committee, which will probably include the sough position’s supervisor and other members from human resource management 5) post the position either physically or online, as appropriate to the position and implement the recruitment plan 6) begin receiving applications and develop a “short” list of desirable applicants 7) conduct interviews of short applicants 8) select the applicant for hire and make an offer 9) finalize recruitment and fill out necessary legal paperwork.
There are various different selection techniques that could suit the UKCBC hotel when hiring new employees. One of the approaches for hiring is the “targeted recruitment” method. In order to avoid recruiting “in a hurry” and finding a less than desirable employee under pressure, recruiters should be prepared and work hard to find the most qualified and promising applicant for the position. It is important to develop a clear picture of the ideal candidate. This image will inform how the recruitment process unfolds. Job descriptions and person specifications should be prepared for all of the job roles.
The way that the job is advertised is also important, as the best method of attraction should be sought. Targeted advertising includes where the position is advertised as well as how the requirements are worded. The incentives for application should be highly appealing. It is also necessary to include how working for UKCBC is different than working at other hotels and make explicit what sets the hotel apart from others.
References
Bach, S. Managing human resources. (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005) fourth edition [ISBN 9781405118514] Chapter 15 ‘Direct participation’.
Bratton, J. and J. Gold Human resource management: theory and practice. (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2012) fifth edition [ISBN 9780230580565].
Kramar, R. and J. Syed Human resource management in a global context.(Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2012) first edition [ISBN 9780230251533].
Torrington, D., L. Hall, S. Taylor and C. Atkinson Fundamentals of human resource management. (Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2009) first edition [ISBN 9780273713067].
Torrington, D., L. Hall, S. Taylor and C. Atkinson Human resource management. (Harlow: Financial Times, 2011) (ISBN 9780273756927] Chapter 7 ‘Recruitment’ and Chapter 8 ‘Selection methods and decisions’.
Workforce Planning Guide. Raleigh, NC: Office of State Personnel, 2008. Satic.com.au. Web.
