Course: Z1748 – Services Information System

Year : 2017

Human Resources Management

Session # 11
 Objectives
• Explain the importance of job descriptions
• Give an example of how productivity
standards are determined
• Name and describe the employment-related
laws
• Discuss how to select, recruit, and orient
employees
• Identify methods of employee appraisal and
compensation
• Describe motivation theories and industry
practice
 Human Resources
Management
• Human Resources Leadership Issues
• The Importance of Human Resources
• Human Resources Planning
• Employment Law
• Recruitment
• Selection
• Orientation
 Human Resources

• Training and Development

• Performance Appraisal
• Employee Development
• Compensation
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Benefits
• Employee Retention
• Harassment
• Coaching and Counseling
• Trends
 Human Resources
Leadership and Issues
• Human resources is frequently cited as a
company’s most valuable asset
• Finding, retaining, and developing employees has
become challenging:
– Changing Demographics: In the U.S., the
birth rate has slowed, the American population
is aging, and more women and minorities are
entering the hospitality workforce
– Turnover: There are fewer job applicants who
are often not qualified and when they are,
frequently do not stay long
– Legal Issues: Legislation and the enforcement
of laws relating to the workplace have
increased in recent years
 Importance of
Human Resources
• Leadership in human resources is important because
the hospitality experience is intangible
– What makes the difference is service and
professionalism
• Human resources is about attracting, selecting,
orienting, training, coaching, counseling, disciplining,
mentoring, developing, evaluating performance,
supporting, and retaining employees
– Other functions include: Creating job descriptions,
developing job specifications, managing payroll and
benefits, handling grievances, financial
management, community involvement, and
ensuring conformance to federal, state, and
provincial legislation
Figure 16–1 The Human Resources
Division of a Midsize
Hospitality Company
 Human Resources
Planning
• A continuous process by which hospitality
companies identify future needs and how they can
be met
• It also includes the development of future
supervisors and managers
 Human Resources

• Task Analysis: To examine every task of

each employee to determine the best way of
doing the particular task and its potential
outcome on the guest experience
• Job description: A detailed description of
the activities and outcomes expected of the
person performing a specific job
 Human Resources

• Job Specification: Specifies the qualities

and knowledge the person will need to do the
job
• Productivity Standards: Measuring or
timing how long it takes to do a given task
 Laws

• Civil Rights Act of 1964:

– Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin
• Equal Employment Opportunity Title VII of the Civil Rights Act:
– Enforces equal employment opportunity for all persons
seeking employment
• Equal Pay Act of 1963:
– Requires women and men performing equal jobs to receive
equal pay
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967:
– Prohibits employers from discriminating against an
employee because of age when older than 40
• Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986:
– Makes it illegal to hire undocumented employees
 Laws

• Americans with Disabilities Act:

– Forbids discrimination against people with disabilities in
employment and the workplace
• Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938:
– Established the minimum wage and the maximum number
of workweek hours
• Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978:
– Provides various protections for pregnant women under the
law
• Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988:
– Allows drug testing of all applicants
• Family & Medical Leave Act of 1993:
– Requires employers to grant up to twelve weeks unpaid
leave for birth, adoption, or care for an ill spouse, parent, or
child, or for medical treatment
 Recruitment
• Finding the most suitable employee for an available
position
• Figure 16-5: Recruitment & Selection Process:
 Recruitment

• Structured interview: An interview in which

questions are prepared in advance and the
interviewer only asks the questions listed on the
interview sheet
• Unstructured interview: General questions are
prepared before the interview, and interviewers ask
additional questions in response to the candidate’s
answers to questions
• Semistructured interview: A combination of the
structured and unstructured interviews; a prepared
list of questions is asked of all candidates followed by
other questions that arise from the prepared
questions
 Selection

• Selecting the best-qualified—not necessarily the

most qualified—candidate for the available position
• Part of selection might involve tests to ensure that
candidates possess the requisite interpersonal skills
or knowledge to do the job
• Some companies require new employees to take a
drug-screening test
• Assuming the reference and background checks are
positive, a formal offer is sometimes made in writing
to the prospective employee
 Orientation

• A way to introduce new employees to the company

and the specifics of the workplace and associates
• Employees learn details about the corporation’s
history, policies, procedures, compensation, and
benefits
• Safety and fire prevention are also introduced, as
well as the property’s service philosophy
 Training and Development

• An ongoing activity conducted by a training

department, a training manager, line management,
or specially trained individuals within each
department
• The first step in establishing a training program is to
identify the training needs and then set training
objectives
 Training and Development

• There are 5 main types of employee training:

– Apprentice training is specially designed to teach participants
the correct way to do a particular task—this often follows the
“tell me, show me, do it” routine
– Simulation training simulates the actual workplace
– Certification training enables individuals to gain corporate or
professional certification by attaining passing scores on
practical or theoretical tests
– Corporate-required training includes the many workshops
and seminars on topics such as safety, workplace values,
ethics, etc.
– On-the-job training helps maintain standards by having
managers, supervisors, trainers, or fellow employees coach
individuals in the most effective way to do the required work
 Performance Appraisal

• To compare an employee’s actual performance to pre-

established standards as described in the job
description
• 3 common distortions in performance appraisals
include:
– Recent behavior influence
– The halo effect
– Like-me syndrome
 Employee Development

• A natural progression from appraisal

• The employee and supervisor make a
development plan to outline the development
activity and indicate when the development will
take place
• Development is usually used for non-technical
training, such as effective communications, team
building, motivation, and leadership
 Compensation

• The compensation package includes wages, salaries,

benefits, and incentives
• Compensation and benefits can amount to 30-45% of
sales—making them the highest cost factors in the
hospitality industry
• Exempt employees are not paid overtime because
they are performing managerial supervisory duties a
minimum of 60% of their work time
• Nonexempt employees are paid overtime for any
hours worked beyond the 35 or 40 hour workweek,
dependent on state laws and union contracts
 Employee Assistance
Programs
• Offers confidential and professional counseling and
referral services to employees
• Employees may request help (assistance) in
confidence—without losing their jobs
• The emphasis of most EAPs is on prevention and on
intervening before a crisis stage is reached
• Typically, EAP programs assist employees with drug-
and alcohol-related problems and personal finance,
marital, career and job, and legal issues
 Benefits
• Law mandates some benefits: Social Security,
workers’ compensation, and unemployment
compensation
• Other benefits are offered by employers as a part of
the total compensation package
– Pension, health, optical, and dental are the most
frequent plans offered
• Some companies offer employee stock ownership
plans (ESOPs)
– The employer puts money (the amount is based on
the employee’s contribution to the company and its
profits) into an account for the employee, where the
contributions grow until the employee retires or
leaves the company
 Employee Retention

• Opposite of employee turnover!

• The hospitality industry has high turnover—
ranging from a low of 30% to more than 100%
• If management provides good leadership, is
fair and equitable, creates trust, and has a
hospitality spirit, there is an increased
likelihood of good retention
• There are several retention strategies: Team
building, self directed teams, TQM,
empowerment, and a good benefits plan
 Harassment

• The workplace must be kept free from all forms of

harassment, including those based on sex, race,
religious choice, ethnic background, and age
• Harassment cases can be very costly to defend, and
jury awards have reached the millions of dollars
 Coaching

• One of the best methods of coaching is to set up a

mentoring program for all employees
– Mentors advise employees on job, professional,
and career-related topics
• Coaches establish goals with the employees and help
make action plans for the employees to reach the
goals
– Coaches support and encourage their employees
to reach their goals by constantly monitoring their
performance and offering advice to help if needed
 Counseling

• Counseling is used when employees are

performing below the standards expected
of them and when the results of their work
are not acceptable
 Trends

• There is a critical labor shortage problem

• There is an increased focus on employee retention
• There is increased use of flextime
• Food and beverage management positions are difficult
to fill
• There are fewer people in the labor pool with basic
reading, writing, and math skills
• Legal issues in hospitality employment are of
increasing concern to hospitality operators as more
lawsuits are brought against them
• Training has become more important as hospitality
corporations strive to gain a competitive advantage by
offering outstanding guest service
 REFERENCE

• John Walker. (2012). Introduction to

Hospitality. 06. Prentice Hall. ISBN: 978-
0132814652.