General and Specific Instructions for Completing an Exam

Question 1: Performance Management and Appraisal in a Hotel Acquisition

General instructions:

Please use a WORD file to complete the exam. At the top of the first page, write your name and student number. You must upload your completed work to the submission link in Moodle. Late work is not accepted and will receive a ZERO grade. In uploading your work, you are acknowledging that this is your own work.

Specific instructions

This is an open book exam.
You must answer all the questions.

Question 1 should have a word count of approximately 600.
Questions 2 and 3 should have a word count of approximately 450 each. 

Question 1 (40 points):

You are a General Manager running a boutique hotel in Southern France. You are about to be acquired by a small, award-winning boutique hotel collection which is headquartered in London, U.K.  You have been asked for your input on how your own performance management and appraisal should be handled by headquarters. Currently, in the UK operations, appraisals take place on a yearly basis with the discussions between a manager and the employee held in October/November. No one else is involved in the process. Discussions focus on both goals and behaviours and overall performance is assessed using a 5-point Likert scale, with a rating of 3 meaning “meets expectations” (5 = outstanding, 1 = not acceptable). This assessment is used to make decisions on future training needs and salary increases. 

The new management really want to ensure that the performance management process is motivational and that you will feel supported and more engaged which is why they are asking for your input from the start. Provide your advice to headquarters on how you your performance management and appraisal should be conducted. Justify your choices.

Question 2 (30 points):

You are the owner of a chain of 8 restaurants operating in Switzerland, Austria and Southern Germany. Due to the pandemic you have lost many of your employees, but you are now experiencing a post-pandemic bounce-back thanks to your innovations in delivery service and meal kits/DIY options. Due to the success of these initiatives, you are continuing with them as your restaurant trade begins to take off once more. Since September 2021, the restaurants have all now re-opened in line with government guidelines.

You now need to urgently hire an Assistant General Manager (AGM) who would oversee the operations of the restaurant in Zurich, but would be required to travel to the other restaurants on a regular basis to train service personnel. You are looking for a sociable, enthusiastic and flexible individual who fits with your restaurant motto which aims to be “always your happy place”. The AGM role is key and so you wish to make sure you are acquiring the right talent.

Key steps in the current recruitment and selection process for senior positions are as follows:
Advertising the position on the restaurant’s own website, selected online job -search platforms and through LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
Receiving applications via online application forms which are automatically scanned.
Administering an online personality test.
Conducting first round video interviews with HR.
Conducing second round face to face interviews with General Manager.
Conducing final face to face interviews with you, the owner.
Checking previous employment reference (for the preferred candidate). Making an offer.

Please evaluate the strengths and potential weakness of the current process. Include in your answer any improvements or changes you would recommend and your justification for making the improvements or changes.

Question 3 (30 points):

Reflecting on what you have learned from this talent management module (including but not limited to: class discussion, Moodle content, case studies, class handouts) discuss how this will influence your own approach to engaging and retaining talent as a future manager in the hospitality industry.