Contemporary HRM (Hospitality Management) Essay: Issues, Problems, And Solutions.

Describe about the Contemporary Human Resources Management (Hospitality Management)?

An organization can be best with its employees and the employees can be best from its HR department. It is the duty with the HR to look after its staffs and employees so that they do not falter in their jobs. This assignment takes us to the internal environment of Cosmopolitan hotel where the issues that the hotel is facing is due the negligence of the HR department(Armstrong and Armstrong).

We will first see the problems that are in the hotel for many days followed by the identification of the core problem of the hotel. The identification of the problem is done through the in-depth research of the case study. The problem lies within the organization and the supervisors. The key problem is lying with the department of human resource, which barely takes any interest in the company staffs (Chanda and Shen).

After the identification of the key problems comes the solution of the case study. Some explanation and elucidation of the case is laid down to resolve the hotel’s strategic approach to the HR planning. After this the recommendations on the case study as to how will change in the scenario and policies will help the professional environment of the hotel to grow.

Finally the implementation of the solutions and strategic HRM is given as to how the application of the solutions would take place, which is illustrated by a diagram.

To manage the human resource in the hospitality industry requires specialized skills because it comes with different challenges. This industry is formed with dissimilar roles and background,ubiquitous focus on different guests and an organogram that is different from the basic models that ids used in corporate.There are multiple problems in Cosmopolitan Hotel which making it difficult for them to outshine and creating more internal problems. Competition from the anticipated 5 five star hotel has taken a toll on the management of Cosmopolitan.

It has been seen that in spite of three skilled employees in the human resource department there are many employee and other issues(Chen).

Roger, the executive manager is reluctant to outline a strategic HR plan because he feels that the hotel only recruits informal staff. Strategic HR plan is necessary in any organization so as to recognize the current and future manpower needs of an organization to achieve its goals. It is a link between the entire strategic plan and the management. He thinks it is only his responsibility to guarantee the hotel’s future but an organization to work successfully would require all levels of the organization to work together(Harney and Monks).  In this the top management can easily address the junior and feedback can be generated from all the levels to make the hotel more successful. It is also seen that the human resource department is only busy with the recruitment process and training of the new joinees, they hardly focus on the existing staffs. There is no coordination between the employees and they do not work collaborating with each other. The employees along with skill development training should also be given behavioral training (Hatum).

Problem Identification

The staffing issues are also having an impact on the customers also. The culinary staff is difficult to employ and the new employees are not ready to work for long hours. There have been sexual assaults in the workplace which is an unwelcoming culture in the organization which has adverse impacts on the image of an organization. Another major problem of the hotel is that they recruit people by advertising among their staff and also taking students from the local schools, there is no proper talent management for hiring people. Thiscreates an issue in the workplace and also among the friends and families who are recruited through referrals. The HR department does not properly guide the employees and the staffs towards the individual and organizational goals. 

Apart from the above pointed problems, there is a significant problem with the human resource department of the hotel. The HR department of the same is assumed to be lethargic and only focused to their work. They do not concentrate on the employees and the staffs and put more emphasis on hiring and training them. They hardly involve themselves in managing the people. They do not productively use the manpower to achieve the business goals and also doesn’t take interest in the individual needs and goals(Kramar).

The job of a HR is to decipher the strategy of the business into action along with creating value. They are the voice of the employees who is an agent of change. Employee motivation is another factor that they should focus on because an organization is majorly consisting of people and they are the ones who will work to bring in sales and work to attain organizational goals. As seen in the case that the head chef criticized the second chef which made him walk-off in the middle of his shift, the HR did not intervene and tried to retain the employee(Küçükergin and DedeoÄŸlu). Here the employee relations come where the attitudes and behavior of the employees should be kept under control so that the organizational relationship does not get hampered. HR of an organization is faced with multiple issues in the workplace which are conflicting and unclear in nature that raises the question of morality and behavior standards. According to the a case study it is seen that a female housekeeping staff was sexually harassed in the workplace, the immediate job of the HR should have been to sack the employee or take strict steps against the one who is culprit, but nothing as such is mentioned in the case(Lee and Way).

The HR department should be aware that there is proper law in the HR policy of the company which protects the interests of the employees. Their duty is to be responsive of the particulars to lessen the hotel’s exposure to litigation and dispute. It is seen that the hotel recruits from the local schools and colleges for the casual staffs. They do not focus on the skills and knowledge of the person to be hired for a particular job, so there is not perfect talent management and the employees tend to leave the job. They should be motivated to stay in their job and should also be satisfied with their work, only then the performance of the employee as well as the hotel will enhance. The HR department should design a job is way that they can retain its employees(Minbaeva). The HR department should understand the work and then hire the candidates so that they perform well creating a balance between their capability and their work(N. McCool).

Identification Of Key Problems

When a position is vacant or a new job role is created it should be first seen that if it is job oriented or employee oriented. If the purpose of the job is explained than recruiting will be easy and effective, only then skilled or unskilled labor will be detected. The performance standards are enhanced. The duties and responsibilities should be equally distributed among the workers that they do not be under any impression of workload. Strategic HRM should be followed in order to tactfully manage the employees of the hotel. A proper HR plan is required to maintain the work standards in hospitality industry so as to increase the performance level which creates a good impact on the guests.

The HR team should uphold regular and open process of communication with the staffs and other employees. To retain the employees they should identify and also reward their performances so that they feel their jobs are well-monitored and they are wanted by the organization(Nieves and Segarra-Ciprés). According to the case study the second chef left due to the misbehavior of the head chef and thus was not the first time that an incident like this has happened. So during the selection of the employees the HR, apart from seeing the qualifications and skills of the candidates should also analyze the behavior and attitude of the person. Attitude of an       employee reflect in his job(Robbins). If his behavior is not good, his subordinates will not work under him properly. 

The past behavior and past records of the previous designation should be checked in order to maintain harmony in the workplace. Reference check of a candidate is very much necessary because a candidate may hide or manipulate his credentials so a third person referral for the candidate will imply if the his or she is hiding facts or not. In the case study we have seen that the housekeeping staff was abused by another staff, so in such case HR should take strict actions. The HR policy of the hotel should mention the code of conduct which every employee has to maintain in the workplace. If the guests or the prospective customers come to know about this the image of the hotel will be ruined thereby ruining the goodwill of Cosmopolitan Hotel. This will make the customers move to the next hotel which will soon open up. The HR should ensure that there is a professional requirement of safety and health and no discriminatory conduct of the employees. If this is not met then the HR should think it fit to dismiss the candidate on the grounds of misconduct(Scullion and Collings). It is seen in the case study that many young freshers are leaving the job and are not interested in working in the weekend. For this the HR should analyze their duties and responsibilities that is needed from the job (Shaikh). It is the duty of the HR while training is in process the employees should be explained a bout their job and the level of commitment that is needed from them while in job.

Solutions To The Problems

Some of the recommendations that can be given to the department of HR of Cosmopolitan is the following:

1. The HR department should analyze the external environment of the hotel to forecast the availability of prospective candidates so that they do not move to their competitors.

2. Even if the hotel employs casual staffs it should always chalk out a strategic HR plan to evaluate the manpower needs of the hotel.

3. The HR department should take out time from the recruitment process, to look after its staffs and cooperate with them to understand their problems and needs.

4. Besides paying the casual staff on the contractual basis the HR department should also think about payingthoseincentives and rewards for their outstandingperformance if any, so as to enhance their interest in the job and make them stick to it(Walsh and Taylor).

5. Roger should share his views about the hotel with its employees because an organization is made by the employees and the success of the hotel lies in their hands. The employees can also give feedback which may be fruitful for the hotel(Nieves and Segarra-Ciprés).

6. In spite of having work experience and skills, Andes have behavioral issues which are hampering the business of the hotel as staffs are leaving. So counseling by the HR department should be done to change the behavior at work and also traini9ng should be imparted to him so that he can cordially work his employees.

7. A hotel to stay competitive should have the best culinary department. The HR department should focus on the talent management part of the hotel so that only good talents in the culinary department are hired which will take the hotel ahead of its competitors(Minbaeva).

8. There should motivational meetings and gatherings for all the newly recruited freshers who are not able to relate to the job. It should be understood why they are not willing to stay. The supervisors as well as the HR should keep themselves available for the freshers so that they can come up and share their problems.

9. Staffing problems can be sorted out if the human resource department look into the manpower needs of the hotel and chalk out the necessary requirements of people in specific departments by cooperating with the department heads.  

10. The advertising for new employees should not be given to the existing employees rather it should be given in newspapers or local consultancies.

The assignment discloses the challenges that t6eh hotel is facing in framing and implementing a strategic approach to its hospitality management. This challenge majorly includes the enthusiasm and inclination of the HR department, as the strategic partner of the hotel. There is absence of well-defined HR linked labor scarcity, performance indicators and policies with relates to t5he employees and the staffs. This assignment targets the HR departments, Department Heads, Executive Manager and other heads to increase the professional practice of the hotel relating to the strategic human resource management(Wang and Ritchie).

It is known that turnover is expensive and it costs nearly four times the salary of an employee to replace another, which includes the process of recruitment, lost opportunities and lost productivity. It is approximately 48% that an organization experiences the regular issues with the retention of employees and 71.5% issues are faced to replace the staffs(Robbins).

There should be a proper retention planning for the employees. To implement a proper HR strategy the following must be kept in mind:

1. Training
2. Mentoring
3. Infuse a positive culture.
4. Practice of communication to build trustworthiness.
5. Demonstrate appreciation through compensation and benefits.
6. Provide professional and growth opportunities.
7. Create a work life balance
8. Encourage feedback

The diagram below illustrates the strategy to implement high level of performance in work system in the hotel.

Figure 1: Illustration of high performance in hotel

References

Armstrong, Michael, and Michael Armstrong.Armstrong's Handbook Of Strategic Human Resource Management. London: Kogan Page, 2011. Print.

Chanda, Ashok, and JieShen.HRM Strategic Integration And Organizational Performance. Los Angeles: Response Books, 2009. Print.

Chen, C.-J. 'Strategic Human Resource Practices And Innovation Performance: The Mediating Role Of Knowledge Management Capacity'. Strategic Direction 25.6 (2009): n. pag. Web.

Harney, Brian, and Kathy Monks.Strategic HRM. Dublin: Orpen Press, 2014. Print.

Hatum, Andrés. Next Generation Talent Management.Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print.

Kramar, Robin. 'Beyond Strategic Human Resource Management: Is Sustainable Human Resource Management The Next Approach?'.The International Journal of Human Resource Management 25.8 (2013): 1069-1089. Web.

Küçükergin, Kemal Gürkan, and Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu. 'The Importance Of Employee Hospitability And Perceived Price In The Hotel Industry'. Anatolia 25.2 (2013): 254-267. Web.

Lee, Chang, and Kelly Way. 'Individual Employment Characteristics Of Hotel Employees That Play A Role In Employee Satisfaction And Work Retention'. International Journal of Hospitality Management 29.3 (2010): 344-353. Web.

Minbaeva, Dana B. 'Strategic HRM In Building Micro-Foundations Of Organizational Knowledge-Based Performance'. Human Resource Management Review 23.4 (2013): 378-390. Web.

McCool, Barent. 'The Need To Be Prepared:Disaster Management In The Hospitality Industry'. J Bus Hotel Manage 01.02 (2012): n. pag. Web.

Nieves, Julia, and Mercedes Segarra-Ciprés. 'Management Innovation In The Hotel Industry'. Tourism Management 46 (2015): 51-58. Web.

Robbins, Steve L. 'Leading Industry Experts Answer Your Strategic HR Queries'. Strategic HR Review 8.2 (2009): n. pag. Web.

Scullion, Hugh, and David G Collings.Global Talent Management. New York: Routledge, 2011. Print.

Shaikh, M. R. 'The War For Talent: Strategies For Employee Retention In The BPO Industry'. Management and Labour Studies 32.3 (2007): 335-346. Web.

Walsh, K., and M. S. Taylor. 'Developing In-House Careers And Retaining Management Talent: What Hospitality Professionals Want From Their Jobs'. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 48.2 (2007): 163-182. Web.

Wang, Jie, and Brent W. Ritchie. 'A Theoretical Model For Strategic Crisis Planning: Factors Influencing Crisis Planning In The Hotel Industry'. International Journal of Tourism Policy 3.4 (2010): 297. Web.