The Role of HRM in Hospitality
Jerpi (2016) discusses that there are many issues related to HR in the hospitality industry. These issues include management skills, company procedures and policies, and training. The author states that as far as management skills, that many within the industry are often promoted without receiving the necessary training to actually do their job. As such, there are managers within hotels and other hospitality related businesses who do not have the specific skills and/or training to deal with issues related to customer service. It appears as though human resources departments along with individual supervisors are recommending that people get promoted on the basis of having been a long-time employee and this is not a good metric for such practice. Regarding the company policies and procedures, there are many businesses within the industry, that simply do not follow the parameters that are set forth. This can range from not following proper protocol as it relates to health and safety to overall practice of how to handle consumer complaints. Businesses should have an extensive and thorough written procedure and/or policy that details how to tackle certain issues and problems that will undeniably arise within the industry (p.1). The training aspect is also another significant issue within the industry.
Both Lye (2007) and Jerpi (2016) write that the hospitality industry tends to have high turnover. One of the key reasons behind this is that there is a lack of training, or adequate training before individuals are put in their respective positions. Given the high turnover, this often leads to having to obtain staff from agencies in both the short and long term, who may not have a background in customer service nor any formal training in hospitality (2007; 2016). It is essential and crucial for the industry to assess and examine the ways in which it operates as it relates to understanding how to come up with solutions to the training problem it is facing.
Therith (2009) and Schroeder (2012) comment that HRM planning is necessary. With a continually growing industry, having a specific practice of planning and making the best decisions within a specific hotel or other hospitality related entity is fundamental to the continued survival of the industry. This is due in part to the growing demand that many around the world are having in terms of frequenting these organizations. Therith (2009) specifically argues that HRM plays a pivotal role in the satisfaction of employees and their overall performance and productivity. As a result of this, having a proper protocol for these individuals to follow is crucial because a certain level of resources is being put to effectively and efficiently making sure that the particular hotel is being represented adequately. The planning aspect also relates to the types of systems that are being used within the hospitality organization. One key concept is that of total quality management, which is that businesses need to use the capabilities and talents of both management and labor to the fullest extent that they can. This also means having the latest in technology such as systems and machinery, that allows the individuals to do their jobs effectively and efficiently - and consequently, improve the overall productivity and quality of meeting the needs of consumers.
Employee Relations in Hospitality
Lucas (2004) observes that the hospitality industry is a labor-intensive one. Particularly, the industry is dominated by businesses that are typically small or medium, and because of this there is a low level of employer organization and trade union affiliation. The working conditions within the industry are also observed to be very different than that of other industries. Mondaq (2009) contends that workplace relations are often shifting continually because of employment standards and overall practices within the industry. These practices include those related to negotiation, unionization, and various procedures related to both disciplinary actions and grievances. Some hospitality unions are active in attempting to work with the industry to create better workplace elements at each and every organization. As of 2009, it is said that there were two important changes that took place with respect to employees being dismissed unfairly. The first is stated as the following:
"the 100 employees’ exclusion has been removed and employers who employ less than 15 employees must comply with the Small Business Fiar Dismissal Code prior to dismissing an employee. [The second change is the following: that] the exclusion for dismissals based on operational requirements has changed, requiring an employer in a redundancy situation to follow consultation obligations in the relevant industrial instrument and to try to redeploy the employee elsewhere in the business, or the business of a related body corporate" (p.1).
The 100 employees’ exclusion is defined by Cornell University School of Law (n.d.) as a specific measure and law that relates to the employer needing to execute certain provisions within the policies and procedures that related to the how it conducts its business and the responsibilities that it has toward ensuring that certain tasks and duties are carried out (p.1). This can range from how certain individuals within the company receive affordable healthcare coverage to the paid time off.
Kamau & Waudo (2012) argue that due to the dynamic and complexity of the hospitality industry that there are challenges that it faces directly to that of employment and the enforcement of certain employment acts. Employment law encompasses a significant part of the industry because employers must thoroughly and comprehensively understand the laws and the ever-changing elements associated with them. This ensures that the proper practices are being follows and also allows for innovations and changes to be introduced. By each individual within the industry - particularly, HR professionals keeping up with the times, they can pass this information on to the necessary individuals and in turn, create a more synergistic environment in the hospitality organization and in effect, create better quality. One of the key factors that has caused the hospitality industry to be wobbly in the area of employment law is the limiting or rather unclear definition of how to properly develop and grow (p.56). The reasons for this vary, of course - but nevertheless, they exist. Therefore, by having proper mandates and enforcements of individuals within the industry to read and understand the laws and policies related to employment prior to actually being employed is becoming something that is very necessary.
Kamau & Waudo (2012) further write that employees should be taught certain laws when they are trained. These laws include those related to general service, competencies regarding decision making, management oriented models and general hospitality related education. Moreover, that hospitality organizations need to take the time to develop the training aspects of the particular positions that they offer. This creates competent employees in an industry that is ever-evolving. It also affords these entities an understanding of where they are lacking in terms of innovatively solving problems related to overall management of said organization, and contributing to the satisfaction of consumers. It also allows for a trustworthiness to be built between the entity and employees, because each individual can observe that the company wants to do the right thing as it relates to the law and procedure, as well as creating a good working relationship between themselves and the customer. There is also a belief that employees will be able to develop additional personal attributes such as foresight, creativity, the right attitude, confidence and general respect for others when they themselves are treated with such (p.57). It would seem then that much of the dynamic falls on the shoulders of the industry to correctly understand the laws and procedures related to employees, and in turn, put them into practice continually so that there are minimal issues. By employees also understanding the specific hospitality organization’s procedures and practices, this creates better morale as it relates to the overall environment. Employees are able to make suggestions, when necessary, while also learning more about how to navigate the industry in a manner that innovatively changes it when necessary.
Job Description
The following is a description for the job of hotel receptionist that the Lensbury Hotel needs.
According to Euspert (2015), the job of a hotel receptionist is considered to be both a challenging and exciting one. The receptionist is essentially the face of the hotel. As such, having an individual who is both friendly and enthusiastic at the front desk is essential. This ensures that the customers frequenting said hotel will feel welcome. The hotel receptionist should comply with the mission and vision of the hotel, through abiding with its values and making sure that they are displayed in attitude and behavior throughout their tenure at the hotel (p.1). A receptionist is an administrative employee who performs specific office related work at the front desk of a business. Typically, receptionists greet clients as well as answer telephone calls. The receptionist at a hotel, then, will perform duties related to the hotel. This includes cashiering, key control, messaging and guest registration and checks on credit. Some hotel receptionists will also set appointments, perform record keeping and other tasks related to the hotel, such as emailing and faxing. Moreover, the receptionist can potentially act as a security guard for the hotel when there is not one on duty in verifying the various people who frequent the hotel, and observing activities and suspicious people who may come. Most hotels require that the receptionist has some prior experience in an administrative capacity, which affords them an understanding of how to be both professional and courteous at all times. Most, if not all receptionists - especially ones at a hotel, will have a positive attitude, take initiative and have a well-groomed appearance (National Careers Service, 2016).
National Careers Service (2016) goes on to state that hotel receptionists are often required to have general education of some type (i.e. a high school diploma and/or degree) and that they should be aware of reservations systems and telephone switchboards. Some hotel receptionists are required to have experience in customer service as well (p.1). Regarding the Lensbury Hotel, since the organization is centered on providing exceptional customer service to its members and guests, the following person specification is required.
The main duties of the hotel receptionist at the Lensbury Hotel are:
booking rooms and other related events via phone, letter, fax, e-mail and/or face to face
completing the necessary procedures related to check-in and checkout
handing out keys and selecting rooms
preparing bills and taking payments from customers
passing on messages to guests, when applicable
accommodating special requests from guests
answering both general and complex questions regarding the amenities of hotel
handling complaints and problems in a professional manner
Desired skills are:
familiarity with accounts, payroll and returns on VAT (Euspert, 2015).
Knowledge of Microsoft Office or Lotus
Prior hospitality and/or customer service experience
Familiarity with health, safety and first aid (Euspert, 2015).
The expected salary for the hotel receptionist is between £17,000 to £20,000 DOE.
The question becomes, how does a company like The Lensbury Hotel ensure that they hire the right person for the receptionist job? Gusdorf (2008) considers that when it comes to the cost associated with both recruitment and selection, that there should be a considerable amount of planning involved. Companies need to consider the conditions of the labor market in which they operate in, to specifically assess the ways in which they can construct their job descriptions for quality applicants. Several laws should be taken into noteworthiness when hiring and these relate to employment acts, disabilities related acts and other aspects of a similar nature (2008). To this end, the hotel should take all of these into consideration and subsequently, have a few recruiters tackle the job posting process. Most hotels similar to this one have recruiters who scour through resumes in order to find the best candidate available.
Gusdorf (2008) argues that organizations should run advertisements both online through job boards like Indeed and Monster, as well as on their actual website. It is also beneficial for local newspapers and/or radio/television to have advertisements about the job. After there is a specific amount of applicants who are believed to be viable for the receptionist position - or any position for that matter - then the company needs to begin the interviewing process (2008). It can be reasoned that the selection process will be cumbersome in terms of finding the right candidate for the hotel receptionist position.
Holloway (n.d.), Oracle (n.d.), Stabilet (1997), and Mueller & Baum (2011) state that there is no definitive marker that reveals the best candidate for a particular position. It is essentially up to the interviewer and/or panel. There are obstacles that are encountered throughout the recruitment process. These include lack of a diverse candidate pool (either minority or otherwise); wanting someone to meet all of the criteria when there is a minimal amount of people applying for said position that have everything; believing that younger workers will outperform older workers; believing that more experienced candidates will perform better than entry level ones; improper talent databases.
One of the largest issues is the talent database. For the hotel, there is a need for a database given the size and reputation. As such, having a database means having an applicant tracking system. Applicant tracking systems can be quite problematic. Thus, the hotel will undoubtedly run into issues regarding finding the best possible candidate for the position - hotel receptionist. This is due to the system and how it screens for keywords in resumes rather than checking on the candidate as a whole. The hotel may want to consider having an email option for candidates, but this does not necessarily curtail the obstacle, because it means that HR has to enter the candidate information into the database manually - and there is often a small amount of time for this to occur.
Goodman (2012) writes that if organizations are going to use applicant tracking systems, then they need to ensure that each recruiter thoroughly understands the purpose of keywords - and how to actually use the systems. Moreover, there needs to be specifications about the type of files that are needed for the position (i.e. .doc, .pdf, etc.) (p.1). This will minimize the obstacles that are often encountered. Even still, with more and more companies using this type of recruitment technology in their request to find the best candidate, the hotel is likely to not only use this but also encounter its own share of issues in finding the best hotel receptionist.
Conclusion
This paper discussed the issues facing human resources departments within the hospitality industry. Specifically, this paper delved into a discussion on the relevance and importance of HR departments more closely understanding the laws and practices as it relates to hiring, and training employees. The paper also explored the topic of the ever-evolving role of HR in the hospitality industry, and the necessity of proper planning of training protocol to ensure that problems are minimized once individuals are put into the particular organization. The paper also detailed what a hotel receptionist does and the essential aspects that this individual should encompass for not only some hotels, but the Lensbury in particular. Through an extensive amount of research from both scholarly and career based websites, the paper articulated the best skillset that this individual should have in order for the hotel to be satisfied with the candidate that they select. The paper also detailed the problems that are often faced by organizations within the hospitality industry when they seek to hire the best candidates. These problems have included individuals who are not very knowledgeable about customer service enough to sufficiently and successfully handle problems. It has also included individuals who do not have any prior administrative expertise. Moreover, the paper also explained the obstacles that organizations meet in the recruitment process such as bad databases and applicant tracking systems. This has hindered the process substantially. The paper recommended how companies can best handle the issues that they face moving forward, especially given the demand from consumers in terms of frequenting places like the Lensbury.
There is tremendous belief that if the Lensbury Hotel adopts some of the suggestions that are put forth in this paper, that they will be able to effectively minimize the problems and issues that undoubtedly arise within the industry. The idea is that the hotel will hire the right receptionist, who will convey a positive attitude and behavior when dealing with other employees and customers – and who understands the laws and policies that they themselves are entitled to by working at the organization.
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