A STUDY ON EMPLOYEE ATTRITION OF

THE OBEROI CECIL

Submitted To:

CHITKARA BUSINESS SCHOOL

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of degree
of Master of Business Administration.

Submitted By: Supervised By:

Shaolin Sehgal Dr. Navreet Kaur

(1920984512) Associate Professor

CHITKARA BUSINESS SCHOOL

CHITKARA UNIVERSITY
2019-2020

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 DECLARATION

I, “Shaolin Sehgal”, hereby declare that the work presented herein is genuine work
done originally by me and has not been published or submitted elsewhere. Any
literature, data or work done by others and cited in the report has been given due
acknowledgement and listed in the reference section.

Shaolin Sehgal

1920984512

Date: ______________

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“It is not possible to prepare a project without assistance and encouragement.”

On the very outset of this report, I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt
obligation towards all the persons who have helped me in this endeavor. Without their
active guidance, help, cooperation and encouragement, I would have not made my
headway in the project.

I am ineffably indebted to “Dr. Navreet Kaur” for conscientious guidance and

encouragement to accomplish this project. I extend my gratitude to Chitkara
University for giving me this opportunity.

I also acknowledge with a deep sense of reverence, my gratitude towards my parents

who have always supported me morally as well as economically.

At last but not the least gratitude goes to all of my friends who directly or indirectly
helped me to complete this project report. Any omission in this acknowledgement
does not mean lack of gratitude.

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The project work is based upon the Winter Internship Program which I had completed
in the month of December with one of the hotel chains of The Oberoi Group of Hotels
in Shimla. The name of the Hotel is The Oberoi Cecil. The hotel was established in
1884 by the British but was later purchased by one of its employees, Mohan Singh
Oberoi, who later founded the Oberoi Hotels group. I got an opportunity to work
closely with the Human Resource Department of the Oberoi Cecil as a Management
Trainee. The work which I did there was all related to the employees of the hotel like
maintaining their attendance record, average working hours of employees. Making the
employee ID cards and issuing them , filling of the documents of the new employees
and the Industrial trainees, scheduling the interview of the candidates with the HR
head , working on the rewards and recognition to be given to the employees
,calculating the attrition of the employees, understanding the reasons behind employee
attrition in the hotel industry, preparing the leave cards of the employees , updating
the news and Daily briefing Sheet for the employees which contained the figures
relating to occupancy of the hotel , arrival and departures of guests in the hotel
,conducting online tests for employees to know that how much they know about the
hotel , keeping the record of selected candidates from the campus placements ,
preparing list of interns eligible for stipend. The problem which I identified was the
employee attrition in the hotel. The attrition rate in the hotel was high. Employee
attrition is the reduction of staff by voluntary reasons. The reason which I could
identify for high employee attrition is because employees find better avenues &
opportunities in other organizations, (not necessarily hotels), the working hours of the
employees are longer as compared to normal working hours, less salary. Many people
join at levels of operational trainees, front and back office management, in kitchen or
service but not many stay back. They move abroad or industries like BPOs, Banking,
Call centers etc. to explore better opportunities. The solutions to minimize the
employee attrition could be by enhancing the training programs, reducing the working
hours of employees, providing a good working environment, amending the perks and
benefits for the employees, offering continuous promotions, good employee retention
activities. These are some of the solutions that can be used for minimizing the
problem of employee attrition in the hotel.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

1. Title Page 1
2. Declaration 2
3. Acknowledgement 3
4. Executive Summary 4
5. List of Figures 6
6. Introduction to Oberoi Cecil (Part-1) 7
7. Mission & Vision 8-9
8. Historical Background 10-12
9. Study Of functioning of various departments 13-16
10. SWOT Analysis 17
11. Market Competition 18
12. CSR 19
13. Hotels of the Oberoi Group 20-26
14. Members 27-28
15. Awards & Recognition 29
16. Part-2 30
17. Tasks Performed 31
18. Objectives & Limitations 32
19. Research Methodology 33
20. Data Collection 34
21. Employee Attrition 35
22. Data Analysis & Interpretation 36-39
23. Findings 40
24. Suggestions & Recommendations 41-43
25. Conclusion 44
26. References 45
27. Annexure 46

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 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURES PAGE NO. TITLE

1 12 The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla
2 13 The Oberoi, New Delhi
3 13 The Oberoi, Mumbai
4 13 The Oberoi, Bengaluru
5 14 The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata
6 14 The Oberoi, Gurgaon
7 14 Wildflower Hall, Shimla
8 15 The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur
9 15 The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
10 15 The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra
11 16 The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort,
Ranthambhore
12 16 The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort, New
Chandigarh
13 16 The Oberoi Vrinda, Luxury Kerala Cruiser,
Kerala
14 17 The Oberoi, Indonesia
15 17 The Oberoi, Mauritius
16 17 The Oberoi, Egypt
17 18 The Oberoi, UAE
18 19 The Oberoi, Saudi Arabia
19 19 The Oberoi, Morocco

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 PART -1

INTRODUCTION
TO
THE OBEROI CECIL

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 MISSION

Our guests

We are committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our guests through
unremitting dedication to perfection, in every aspect of service.

Our people

We are committed to the growth, development and welfare of our people, upon whom
we rely to make this happen.

Our distinctiveness

Together we shall continue the Oberoi tradition, of pioneering in the hospitality

industry, striving for unsurpassed excellence in high potential locations all the way
from the Middle East to the Asia Pacific.

Our shareholder

As a result, we will create extraordinary value for our shareholders.

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 VISION

We see an organization which aims at leadership in the hospitality industry by

understanding its guests; designing and delivering products and services which enable
it to exceed their expectations. We will always demonstrate care for our customers
through anticipation of their needs, attention to detail, distinctive excellence, warmth
and concern.

We see a lean and responsive organization where decision making is encouraged at

each level and which accepts change. It is committed and responsive to its guests and
their stakeholders.

We see a multi skilled workforce; which consists of team players who have pride of
ownership, translating organizational vision into reality.

We see an organization where people are nurtured through permanent learning and
skill improvement; and are respected, heard, and encouraged to do their best. The
Oberoi Group is recognized as a best practice for training and developing its people.

We see a diverse workforce which has been exposed to different cultures, problems,
situations and can use its experiences to enrich the local employees whether in India
or overseas.

We see the world dotted with hotels of The Oberoi Group in strategic commercial and
resort locations.

We see user-friendly technology enhancing value for our customers and helping our
personnel by making information more accessible.

We see an organization which is conscious of its role in the community, supporting

social needs and ensuring employment from within the local community.

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We see an organization which is committed to the environment, using natural
products and recycling items thus ensuring proper use of diminishing natural
resources.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

THE OBEROI CECIL, SHIMLA

The Cecil is a historic luxury hotel located in the hill station Shimla, India. The
Cecil's address is at Chaura Maidan. At an elevation of seven thousand feet, it sits at
the foothills of the Himalayas. with a stunning view of the mountains and valleys. The
hotel was established in 1884 by the British but was later purchased by one of its
employees, Mohan Singh Oberoi, who later founded the Oberoi Hotels group, which
presently owns and operates the property.

The Cecil had quite modest beginnings in 1883 as a one-storied house, the Tendril
Cottage with its famed inhabitant, Rudyard Kipling. It is claimed that Kipling
frequented the house where he wrote his novels, including Plain Tales from the Hills,
which was inspired by Shimla. According to an account, Kipling would book himself
into the cottage every summer for five consecutive years, making his from Lahore to
the British retreat. The author first set foot on The Cecil in the summer of 1883 when
he was just 17.

Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi came to Shimla while he was a jobless newlywed
to find work in the government. However, he was employed at The Cecil in 1922,
starting as a staff in the boiler room, tasked with weighing coal sacks for the hotel's
water heaters. He rose from the ranks until finally, he was able to acquire The Cecil as
a part of the acquisition of the Associated Hotels of India in 1944. Oberoi's
experiences, since he took every job possible at the hotel, helped him learn the
hospitality trade and understand what motivates various classes of hotel guests. Under
his ownership, The Cecil became the address that everyone wanted to be seen at and it
was able to establish its own legacy of luxury.

The hotel was closed in 1984 for extensive renovation and refurbishment and was
reopened in 1997. The renovation included a heated swimming pool, billiards rooms,

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and a children activity centre along with the customary amenities such as fine-dining
restaurants and luxurious rooms facing the Shimla Valley.

THE OBEROI GROUP

The Oberoi Group is a hotel group with its head office in Delhi. It was Founded in
1934, the company owns and operates 31 luxury hotels and two river cruise ships in
six countries, primarily under its Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Trident Hotels brands.

The foundations of the Oberoi Group date back to 1934 when Rai Bahadur Mohan
Singh Oberoi, the founder of the group, bought two properties: The Maidens in Delhi
and the Clarke's in Shimla. In the following years Oberoi, assisted by his two sons,
Tilak Raj Singh Oberoi and Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi (P.R.S. Oberoi), continued the
expansion of their group with properties both in India and abroad.

The Oberoi family is the majority shareholder in EIH Ltd with a 32.11% stake.
The Annual Turnover of the Oberoi Group of Hotels for the year 2018-19 was Rs.
1,133 crores.

The equity shares of the Company were first listed on the BSE in 1956. In 1965, we
built our first hotel, The Oberoi Intercontinental, now known as The Oberoi, New
Delhi, and in 1957, it started flight services business. On 9 September 1968, The
Associated Hotels of India Limited and Hotels (1938) Private Limited merged into the
Company pursuant to which the Company acquired five hotels including, The Oberoi
Grand in Kolkata, The Maidens Hotel in Delhi and The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla.

In 1973, the company commenced operations at the Oberoi Towers in Mumbai and
subsequently expanded their operations from the five-star deluxe segment to - Trident
branded hotels which were targeted at business and leisure customers seeking high-
quality service at more affordable prices. Between 1986 and 2009, they added nine
hotels branded Trident. In 1974, the Company established a printing press in Delhi
primarily to ensure supply of high-quality guest interactive stationery.

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In 1997, the company opened The Oberoi Rajvilas, the first premier leisure hotel
targeting the high - income international and domestic leisure traveler. Subsequently,
three more such hotels were opened, The Oberoi Vanyavilas and The Oberoi
Amarvilas in 2001 and The Oberoi Udayvilas in 2002 and also commenced operations
at the Wildflower Hall in Shimla in 2001.

In 2004, they entered into a strategic arrangement with Hilton for the international
marketing and handling of reservations of the "Trident" hotels. As part of this
arrangement, all the "Trident" hotels were re-branded as "Trident Hilton", and the
Oberoi Towers in Mumbai was re-branded as the Hilton Towers. In April 2008, this
alliance ended and the "Trident" Hilton hotels and the Hilton Towers hotel were
renamed "Trident" hotels.

In April 2005, Indus Hotels Corporation Limited, a 50% joint venture between The
Oberoi Group and the R. Raheja Group, merged with the associate company, EIH
Associated Hotels Limited, to achieve a balanced portfolio of business and leisure
properties by creating a single entity focused primarily on the five-star segment. The
merger resulted in the Company holding approximately 36% of the equity of EIH
Associated Hotels Limited. Effective 1 April 2006, The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla and the
Trident Bhubaneshwar were transferred to EIH Associated Hotels Limited.

In 2006, they acquired a 66.67% equity stake in Mercury Car Rentals Limited, a joint
venture with Avis Europe for car rental business. In June 2010, EIH International Ltd,
a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company completed an acquisition of
approximately 46% of the equity interest of Amex Investment Limited, in its
international hotels joint venture company EIH Holdings Ltd. Pursuant to this
acquisition, EIH Holdings Ltd is now a wholly owned subsidiary of EIH International
Ltd.

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 Fig. 1
STUDY OF FUNCTIONING OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS

The Departments of the Oberoi Cecil, Shimla are mainly divided into 2 broad
categories:

 OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENT:
 Front office.
 Food & Beverage service.
 Housekeeping.
 Food production (kitchen)
 Spa

 ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT / NON-OPERATIONAL

DEPARTMENT
 Maintenance department. (Engineering)
 Finance department.
 Human resource department.
 IT department.
 Security department.
 Purchase department & Stores.

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 FRONT OFFICE: The function of front office is to allot rooms to the guests
(check-in), to maintain the room records for reservation and allocation, to collect
the room charges and other miscellaneous charges for various services used by
guests during his/her stay at the Oberoi Cecil (at the time of departure of guests),
to take advance booking for rooms and to handle the phone calls of hotel.

 FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICES: The function of the food and beverage
services is to provide food & beverage facilities to the guest, to provide food &
beverage for groups, conferences, meetings, theme parties etc. There are different
sections in F&B Services. Those are:

 Restaurant
 Room Service department
 Banquet department
 Bar & lounge

 HOUSE KEEPING: The function of housekeeping is to take care of the cleanliness of

rooms, and the hotel building and its furniture and furnishings, to maintain the linen
room for maintenance of room linen, restaurant’s linen etc., to maintain guest laundry
facility for room guest, to maintain staff laundry facility for staff of hotel and provide
them with uniforms.

 KITCHEN: The function of the kitchen is to provide various type of dishes to the
guest as per the menu, to provide food for various buffet or banquet parties, to
provide food to the staff of the hotel & to prepare different type of dishes for
special occasion. Recently they prepared food for the Christmas Eve and the
GALA Dinner. There are different sections of kitchen also. Those are:
 Hot Kitchen: North Indian
 South Indian
 Tandoor section

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 Chinese or oriental kitchen
 Halwai or Indian sweet section
 Pantry or salad section: tea/coffee, juices, salads, breakfast items etc.
 Butchery or cold kitchen: for making different types of chicken, mutton, beef cuts
etc.
 Bakery and confectionary: for making cookies, cakes, pastries etc.

 MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT(ENGINEERING): The function of the

maintenance department is to maintain all the equipment’s placed inside or related
with the hotel, to be responsible for smooth supply of electricity, water, and
smooth function of air conditioning unit in summers and heaters in winters, to be
responsible for maintain the plants operating in hotel (boiler) and to maintain all
the furniture and fixtures of rooms and other area of the hotel.

 FINANCE DEPARTMENT: The function of the finance department is

preparation of budget and allocation of revenue and expenditure for various
department, maintain all account related books as accordance to the government
rules and regulations, liaising with Govt. offices for tax and revenue related
matters, collection of revenue from guests, companies etc., giving salaries to
employees, to keep check on the food & beverage cost, to keep check on the
purchase and sale of alcoholic beverages for the property and to keep the account
of revenue generated and expenditure under various heads for each department.

 HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT: The function of the HRD is

recruitment and selection of employees and trainees for hotel as per requirement,
training and development of employee, maintenance of attendance records, leave
records etc., maintenance of personal file for each employee with all details, for
the purpose of periodically appraisal and taking care of the students enrolled in
STEP.

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 IT DEPARTMENT: The function of the IT Department is maintenance of
various aspects of Internet and its related matters, maintenance of all computer
units hired or purchased by hotel and its relevant software.

 SECURITY DEPARTMENT: The main function of this department is to be

responsible for safety and security of guests of the hotel, to be responsible for
safety of employee, to keep check on theft cases of hotel, to cooperate with staff
for fire exit procedure, to keep record of received materials and dispatched
materials of or for the property and to keep check on unauthorized entry of people.

 PURCHASE DEPARTMENT & STORES: The main function of this

department is to purchase materials from the market as per requirement of various
department of the hotel, to purchase all types of equipment’s and materials for the
hotel, to liaison with different companies or vendor for supply of perishable or
non-perishable goods, to liaison with different dealers for provision of non-
vegetarian items (chicken, mutton, fish, beef, etc.) to store all the purchased items
properly as per basic rule (F.I.F.O.),to issue the material to the user department of
the hotel after making proper record and preparing the requisition.

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SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE OBEROI CECIL
SHIMLA

 STRENGTH

 Brand Image
 Perfect Experience of Indian Luxury Living in the Valley of
Shimla Hills
 Good Administration
 Good Communication
 Service Skills

 WEAKNESS

 Shortage of Staff
 Hotel Security
 High Employee Attrition
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  Location (close to political rally points)
 Monkey Menace

 OPPORTUNITIES

 Expansion of Hotel around Shimla.

 Adding on more rooms and facilities.
 Sight Seeing Services for guests.

 THREATS

 Competition from Radisson and Woodville Palace

 Political Disturbance

MARKET COMPETITION FOR OBEROI CECIL

Mainly there are two hotels in Shimla which stand as a competition for the Oberoi
Cecil. Those are:

 RADISSON JASS SHIMLA: It is a part of Radisson Group. Radisson is an

American international hotel chain of the Radisson Hotel Group based
in Minnesota. It is 111 old hotel chain.

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  WOODVILLE PALACE SHIMLA: Woodville’s past engulfs you from the
moment you walk into the reception and glance at Raja Rana Sir Bhagat
Chand's (Knight Commander of the Star of India) intimidating portrait. The
number of secrets and the untold tales in its furniture, decor and antiques may
never rise to the surface but what comes across is a vintage tradition that the
Royal family of Jubbal has upheld over the decades and across generations
going back a thousand years.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY POLICY

The CSR Policy of all the Oberoi Hotel Chains is same. The Company is engaged in a
number of community development and social service efforts as part of its corporate
social responsibility initiatives. It is the vision of the Company to take up “education
for the under-privileged children” as the cornerstone theme of its Corporate Social
Responsibility.

The Company’s CSR policy’s focus is on addressing the critical social, economic and
educational needs of the marginalized under-privileged children of the society. The
policy particularly direct its energies to orphan and homeless children and care for
their educational, nutritional, health and psychological development needs. The policy
also focuses on sanitation including contribution to the Swachh Bharat Kosh set up by
the Central Government for the promotion of sanitation and also contribution to the
Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

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The theme of “education for the underprivileged children” is in consonance with
clause (ii) of Schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013. This clause defines
“promoting education, including special education and employment enhancing
vocation skills especially among children, women, elderly and differently abled and
livelihood enhancement projects” as permissible CSR activity.

STRATEGIES

FINANCE: The sources of finance of the Oberoi Cecil is the guest bookings of
rooms, swimming pool, spa, restaurants, games, activity center, lounge, taxi services.
The Oberoi Group runs 3 hotels in Shimla: The Oberoi Cecil, Wildflower Hall and
Clarkes

HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT: The Oberoi Cecil does not have any
prescribed recruitment process. They do recruitment through internal references. They
do not advertise their vacancies.
Talking about the Rewards & Recognition the employee of year is selected and given
rewards like free stay in other hotels or movie tickets and shopping vouchers.

HOTELS OF THE OBEROI GROUP

 INDIA - OBEROI HOTELS & RESORTS

 The Oberoi, New Delhi

Fig. 2
 The Oberoi, Mumbai

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 Fig. 3
 The Oberoi, Bengaluru

Fig. 4

 The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata

Fig. 5

 The Oberoi, Gurgaon

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 Fig. 6

 The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla.

 Wildflower Hall, Shimla.

Fig.7

 The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur

Fig.8

 The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur

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 Fig.9

 The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra.

Fig. 10

 The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort, Ranthombhore.

Fig. 11

 The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort, New Chandigarh

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 Fig. 12

 The Oberoi Vrinda, Luxury Kerala Cruiser, Kerala

Fig. 13

 INDONESIA - OBEROI HOTELS & RESORTS

 The Oberoi Beach Resort, Bali

 The Oberoi Beach Resort, Lombok

Fig.14

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  MAURITIUS - OBEROI HOTELS & RESORTS

 The Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius

Fig.15

 EGYPT - OBEROI HOTELS & RESORTS

 The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh

 The Oberoi Zahra, Luxury Nile Cruiser
 The Oberoi Philae, Luxury Nile Cruiser

Fig.16

 UAE - OBEROI HOTELS & RESORTS

 The Oberoi, Dubai

 The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah

Fig.17

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  SAUDI ARABIA - OBEROI HOTELS & RESORTS

 The Oberoi, Madina

Fig.18

 MOROCCO - OBEROI HOTELS & RESORTS

 The Oberoi, Marrakech

Fig.19

 OTHER HOTELS

 Clarkes Hotel, Shimla, India

Fig.20

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 Maidens Hotel, Delhi, India

Fig.2

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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 1.) Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi
Executive Chairman

2.) Mr. S.S. Mukherji

Executive Vice Chairman

3.) Mr. Vikram Oberoi

Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer

4.) Mr. Arjun Oberoi

Managing Director – Development

5.) Mrs. Nita M. Ambani

Director

6.) Mr. Manoj Harjivandas Modi

Director

7.) Ms. Chandini Rajpal Singh (Shimla)

Head HR Manager

8.) Ritesh Singh Tajta

HR Supervisor

9.) Swati Parihar

Training & Development Officer

10.) Rahul Thakur

Assistant HR

11.) Rohit Sisodia

Supervisor – Finance

12.) Ms. Mami

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Supervisor – Housekeeping

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION TO OBEROI CECIL

SHIMLA

1.) Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Asia

2019
TripAdvisor,
Travelers’ Choice Awards
The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla

2.) Best Heritage Hotel: Grand

2017
Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India, National Tourism Award
The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla

3.) Best Heritage Hotel: Grand

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2016
Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India, National Tourism Award
The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla

4.) Best Heritage Hotel: Grand

2014
Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India, National Tourism Award
The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla

5.) Certificate of Excellence

2012
TripAdvisor
The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla

6.) Best Heritage Hotel in India

(Ranked 2nd)
2011
Travel + Leisure,
India & South Asia, India's Best Awards
The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla

PART -2

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 TASKS PERFORMED DURING THE INTERNSHIP

I got an opportunity to work as a management trainee with the HR Department of The

Oberoi Cecil, Shimla. I worked under close supervision with the HR Assistant and
HR training and development. The tasks which I performed are as under:

 Updating news on the notice board.

 Updating the Daily Briefing Sheet of the hotel for the employees.
 Maintaining attendance record of employees on MS Excel.
 Updating the average working hours of employees on MS Excel.

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 Preparing leave cards of employees to know how many leaves have they
availed which helps in preparing Salary Slip of employees.
 Preparing Employee ID Cards and issuing them to the employees.
 Conducting fun activities for employees.
 Scheduling of interviews of the candidates with the head of department.
 Preparing list of candidates selected through campus placements.
 Filling of the documents of industrial trainees, vocational trainees, patrolling
sheet, rejected candidates, employees.
 Getting the IT undertakings signed by the employees.
 Working on Rewards and Recognition to be given to the employees.
 Updating the area responsibility register of each department in the hotel.
 Introducing, show around of hotel to management trainees.
 Managing online tests which were conducted for employees by the HR
Assistant.
 Calculation of attrition for one month.

OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH

 To know about the employee retention.

 To know the reasons behind employee attrition in the Oberoi Cecil.

 To understand the impact of long working hours on the employee attrition.

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  To understand the overall rate of employee attrition in the hospitality industry.

LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH

 It was not easy to ask the employees about the employee attrition due to busy
work schedule.

 Some respondents were not serious about the questions being.

 Not more than 10 employees could be asked to respond to the questions.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is the process used to collect information and data using
scientific methods. The methodology may include publication research, interviews,
surveys and other research techniques, and could include both present and historical

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information. Research is an original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge
through objective and systematic method of finding solution to the problem of
research.

The research which I have done here is a qualitative research. Qualitative research is
defined as a market research method that focuses on obtaining data through open-
ended and conversational communication. the qualitative research methods allow for
in-depth and further probing and questioning of respondents based on the responses,
where the researcher tries to understand the respondent’s motivation and feelings.

The qualitative technique which has been used in the research work is an unstructured
interview. Conducting in-depth interviews is one of the most common qualitative
research methods. It is a personal interview that is carried out with one respondent at a
time. This is purely a conversational method and invites opportunities to get details in
depth from the respondent. These interviews have the least number of questions as
they lean more towards a normal conversation but with an underlying subject. There
are no guidelines for the researchers to follow and so, they can approach the
participants in any ethical manner to gain as much information as they possibly can
for their research topic.

DATA COLLECTION

Data collection is the systematic approach to gathering and measuring

information from a variety of sources to get a complete and accurate
picture of an area of interest. Data collection enables a person or
organization to answer relevant questions, evaluate outcomes and make

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predictions about future probabilities and trends. Accurate data collection
is essential to
maintaining the integrity of research.

TYPES OF DATA COLLECTION SOURCES:

A.) PRIMARY DATA SOURCE

B.) SECONDARY DATA SOURCE

A.) PRIMARY DATA SOURCE: Primary data is data that is collected by a

researcher from first-hand sources, using methods like surveys, interviews, or
experiments. It is collected with the research project in mind, directly from primary
sources.

B.) SECONDARY DATA SOURCE:  Secondary data is data gathered from studies,
surveys, or experiments that have been run by other people or for other research.

For this research work primary data and secondary data has been used. Primary
data by having face to face conversations with the respondents and Secondary
data gathered to data already collected by HR Department regarding the attrition
of employees.

EMPLOYEE ATTRITION AT THE OBEROI CECIL

Employee movement is an unavoidable aspect of doing business. People move from

one organization to another for opportunities which better suit to their skills. All of

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these are signs of healthy employment patterns and are not indicators that the
company has a problem with attrition. However, issues can sometimes manifest in the
workplace that cause the employees to leave for other reasons.

Employee attrition is the reduction of staff by voluntary or involuntary reasons. These

can be through natural means like retirement, or it can be through resignation,
termination of contract, or when a company decides to make a position redundant.

The Employee Attrition was found to be high in The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla. This was
the problem which I could identify while I was doing Internship with the HR
Department. While interaction with the HR department and the employees I came to
know this was a major problem in the hotel. The employees left the organization at a
faster and higher rate. Around 20 people left the organization during 2019 voluntarily
due to:
 Better opportunities & avenues in other organizations.
 Long working hours.
 Low pay packages.
 Opportunity to work abroad.
 Local reasons like tough living conditions & topography.

These were the main reasons for employee attrition in the hotel.

FORMULA:
Total number of separation cases / Average no. of employees *100

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Data analysis is the process of evaluating data using analytical and logical reasoning
to examine each component of the data provided. This form of analysis is just one of
the many steps that must be completed when conducting a research experiment. Data

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from various sources is gathered, reviewed, and then analyzed to form some sort of
finding or conclusion.

Data interpretation refers to the implementation of processes through which data is

reviewed for the purpose of arriving at an informed conclusion. The interpretation of
data assigns a meaning to the information analyzed and determines its signification
and implications.

The data analysis and interpretation are done as follows:

Q.1) What do you think is a major problem in your organization? Is it employee

absenteeism or the employee attrition?

Major Problem

10%

90%

Employee Absentism Employee Attrition

The above chart shows that for 10% employees, Employee Absenteeism is a major
problem in the organization and for 90% Employee Attrition is a problem in the
organization.

Q.2) Is employee Attrition a recognized HR Challenge or not?

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 Recognized HR Challenge

20%

80%

Yes No

The above chart shows that 20% respondents does not recognize employee attrition as
an HR Challenge and 80% respondents recognize employee attrition as an HR
Challenge.

Q.3) What do you think are the main reasons behind employee attrition in the hotel?

Main Reasons for Employee Attrition

10% 10%

20%

60%

Salary Better Opportunities

Working Hours Topography

The above chart shows that for 10% respondents Salary is the main reason behind
employee attrition ,20% respondents find better opportunities abroad to be a main
reason for employee attrition,60% respondents find long working hours to be a main
reason for employee attrition and for 10% respondents find topography to be the main
reason behind employee attrition in the hotel.

Q.4) What is the experience range of employees who leave the hotel?

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 Experience Range
10%

30%
60%

2-5 years 5-8 years 8-11 years

The above chart shows that 60% people who leave the organization are between 2-5
years’ experience range ,30% people are from 5-8 years’ experience range and rest 10
% are from 8-11 years of experience age.

Q.5) Do you think long working hours is one of the major reasons behind employee
attrition in the hotel?

Working Hours : Major Issue

40%

60%

Yes No

The above chart shows that 60% respondents find long working hours to be a major
issue behind employee attrition and 40% respondents find long working hours is not a
major issue behind the employee attrition in the hotel.

Q.6) Do you think work load is also a reason for employee attrition in the hotel?

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 Work Load:An Issue

36%

64%

Yes No

The above chart shows that work load is not a reason. For 36% it is a reason behind
employee attrition and for 64% it is not a reason for employee attrition.

Q.7) Will you leave the hotel if you get an opportunity to work abroad?

Employee Leaving Org. to work abroad

50% 50%

Leave Will Not Leave

The above chart shows that half of the people can leave the hotel if they get an
opportunity to work abroad and half will not leave the hotel if they get an opportunity
to work abroad due to some reasons.

FINDINGS RELATED TO EMPLOYEE ATTRITION

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 IN THE OBEROI CECIL

1.) Mismatch of job of the employees working in different departments due to

shortage of staff in the is one of the primary causes of employee attrition in the hotel.

2.) Lack of investment on the individual in terms of training and resources related to
the technical skills is also one of the primary causes.

3.) Improper communication with the employee and the head of department is also a
cause of employee attrition in the hotel.

4.) Better recognition or payment for the same job at different hotels at the same
position is also a primary cause of attrition in the hotel. People leave the hotel because
they get more pay perks at other hotels.

5.) Another Primary cause is the working hours of the employees. The working hours
are more than normal for an employee. The average working hour is 8 hours but the
employees have to work for 12-14 hours in a day.

6.) As hotels are open 24 hours a day, evening and weekend work is common.
Irregular and inconsistent scheduling increases work-related stress for employees and
they left the hotel voluntarily.

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 SUGGESTIONS & RECOMENDATIONS TO REDUCE
EMPLOYEE ATTRITION AT THE OBEROI CECIL

The workforce attrition occurs when the employees voluntarily retire or leave and are
not replaced cutting the overall workforce.

Numerous unfavorable impacts including overall poor company performance, low

employee morale, in worst of case more employee attrition is due to uncontrolled
employee attrition. The decrease in the workforce causes remaining employees to
work on the slack left behind- mostly performing the task they are not completely
trained to perform or are not the best suited. Which in turn leaves the staff feeling
unappreciated, underpaid and overworked which causes more attrition. Such
conditions could quickly go out of control and turn into the mass exit of employees,
disabling the ability of the company to perform at a high level. This is what was
observed in the Hotel. The other people who were not much trained had to work in all
the departments of the hotel whether front office or the back office due to lack of
staff.

Creating resolute plans for unforeseen events including managing the goals and
expectations in new roles and training of other employees can reduce the burden on
the remaining employees. Additionally, times of attrition would be diminished by
adopting more effective and faster recruiting solutions by the HR department which
could make things more manageable. The solutions which I would like to recommend
as per my own observations are:

1.) Fair compensation single-handedly will not guarantee the loyalty of the
employee, but offering salaries according to the level of work the employees
are doing can help retain the employees. The company can conduct reviews of
the salaries regularly for all the jobs like for the experienced staff, entry level
staff and supervisor level staff. The salary of the employees of the hotel can be
compared with the other hotels in the same category. If there is a lot of
difference then the company needs to consider making adjustments to assure
that this not becomes a reason for attrition in the hotel.

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2.) A good manager-employee relationship is crucial for the satisfaction and
retention of the worker. It should be ensured that the head of departments (HR,
Finance, Spa, Front office, Kitchen, Food & beverages) are able to maintain
good relations with their employees The HR can provide them with the
necessary training that is required to develop people management skills and
good supervisory.

3.) The HR department should make a formal job description for each position in
each and every department in the hotel and should ensure that the employee is
aware of what is expected from them on a daily basis, what type of decisions
they are allowed to make by themselves and to whom they need to report in
their particular department in which they are currently working in.

4.) It should be ensured on regular basis that employees are aware of what they
need to do to earn promotion. Their strong point and weakness should be
identified by conducting performance reviews regularly and then assisting
them in improving the areas that will lead them to seek promotion.

5.) Another solution could be that offer valuable rewards to employees who
perform well in their department. Retention packages should be designed to
raise the salaries of the employees.

6.) The attrition rate of the company should be measured monthly and hold
someone accountable for reducing it. When no one is held responsible when
employees leave, so nothing is done to encourage holding. The HR department
can be held accountable for it or the head of departments and supervisors.

7.) The employees should be asked for the reason behind leaving the organization
by the HR and they should be counselled if the matter is very petty for which
they are ready to leave the hotel.

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8.) The various head of departments should encourage participation of employees
even on the very first day of joining of the employee as a fresher, whether its
kitchen, spa, food and beverage, front office department. They should be
involved while making decisions related to the betterment of services for the
guests and ask them to assist and work for it.

9.) Technology should be used wherever possible rather than paperwork like
using e-machines for payments by guests, check in and check out of guests on
tablets, attendance of employees through biometric machines by Security
personnel rather than maintaining attendance registers.

10.) Performing good employee retention activities to release the work

stress of the employees, celebrating birthday of employees together, presenting
gifts on occasions.

11.) Reminding the Mission, dharma, golden rules and Vision of the hotel
time and again to the employees in meetings.

12.) Employees should be informed about each and every matter of their
particular department by the head of department whether it is a major or a
minor issue related to the guest services or the works they’ve been assigned.

13.) The employees should be given proper training when their departments
are changed. When an employee has to change department from front office to
kitchen, they should be informed timely and trained for at least one week.

14.) The working hours of the employees should be decreased. The people
should be given proper shifts to work.

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 CONCLUSION

The conclusion can be drawn that the hospitality sector is facing a problem of
employee attrition. Through this research I came to know that was is employee
attrition. Employee attrition is when the employees leave the organization on
voluntary basis because of reasons like low salary, better opportunities in other
organizations or abroad, long working hours in hotels. Some people even want to
change their career line after they actually come to know the working of Hotels
because of the fact that hotels remain open 24 hours and they have to work in
inconsistent shifts.

The project gave me an opportunity to interact with the people working in the
organization and understand the reasons behind the employee attrition and calculation
of the employee attrition in the hotel. So, employee attrition can become a problem
for the organization, not only in hospitality but others too if proper steps are not taken
to retain the employee of the organizations. Taking appropriate steps can definitely
minimize the employee attrition in the organization. It should be given close attention
by the HR of each and every organization.

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 REFERENCES

www.thehindubusinessline.com

en.wikipedia.org

www.oberoigroup.com

www.eihltd.com

www.slideshare.net

www.oberoihotels.com

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 ANNEXURE

Questions asked to employees of The Oberoi Cecil verbally. The question was asked
to ten employees.

Q.1) What do you think is a major problem in your organization? Is it employee

absenteeism or the employee attrition?

Q.2) Is employee Attrition a recognized HR Challenge or not?

Q.3) What do you think are the main reasons behind employee attrition in the hotel?

Q.4) What is the experience range of employees who leave the hotel?

Q.5) Do you think long working hours is one of the major reasons behind employee
attrition in the hotel?

Q.6) Do you think work load is also a reason for employee attrition in the hotel?

Q.7) Will you leave the hotel if you get an opportunity to work abroad?

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