According to Deloitte’s Report “Hospitality 2015” the hospitality industry faces challenges in several issues. The management of talent in the industry is one challenging issue. From a general manager’s point of view, talent in the hospitality industry refers to a pool of inherently efficient and highly professional workers (Boella & Goss-Turner, 2013). As such, proper talent management and retention of quality staff should be a top priority for hotel managers. Talented supervisors, waiters, cleaners, security and chefs among others deliver quality and memorable services to clients and are the driving force behind all successful firms in the hospitality industry (Watson, Maxwell, & D’Annunzio-Green, 2009). An insightful hotel general manager must retain a talented workforce in order to ensure high customer loyalty and acquisition of a high market shares in a very competitive industry.
In order to maintain a talented workforce it is imperative that the following be done in the next six months. First of all, a human resource expert should be appointed and mandated with identification of talent within and beyond the confines of the business (Hughes & Rog, 2008). Secondly, employment terms and conditions should be reviewed. It is very important to secure long-term contracts say five-year, renewable contracts with employees who are competent and uniquely talented. Thirdly, the hotel’s management should review salaries. Employees identified as being highly competent should receive better remuneration. Such employees should also be taken for trainings in order to make them even better in their work. Boella and Goss-Turner, (2013) assert that it would also be advisable to hold talks with talented employees to identify the areas where they are most comfortable to serve within the business. These moves are likely to make the talented employees more comfortable and dedicated to their work thereby decimating their chances of leaving the business.
The plan to maintain a talented workforce shall be measured by the following. The general manager will evaluate employee turnover six months after the implementation of the action plan. He will also lead the finance department to compare the financial returns of the hotel six months into implementation of the action plan. By reviewing the number of employees who received a pay-rise and were eligible for further training and additional benefits, the hotel management will be in a position to tell whether it has a deficiency in talents. The number of people who choose to change their current work places and switch to others within the hotel should be gauged against deliverables such as number of meals properly prepared in case of chefs, reduction in security lapses for security personnel among other evaluation criteria.
References
Boella, M. & Goss-Turner S. (2013) Human Resource Management in the Hospitality Industry: A Guide to Best Practice. Routledge.
Hughes, J., C. & Rog, E (2008) "Talent management: A strategy for improving employee recruitment, retention and engagement within hospitality organizations". International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Emerald Group Publishing Limited 20: 7. 743-757
Watson, S., Maxwell, G. & D’Annunzio-Green (2009) What Does Talent Management Mean For The Hospitality And Tourism Industry? Key Challenges and Considerations. Retrieved 31 July 2013 from http://pc.parnu.ee/~htooman/EuroChrie/Welcome%20to%20EuroCHRIE%20Dubai%202008/papers/WHAT%20DOES%20TALENT%20MANAGEMENT%20MEAN%20FOR%20THE%20HOSPITALITY%20AND%20TOURISM%20INDUSTRY.pdf
