Professional Identity and Practice

This report discusses the key benefits of ongoing professional development for various stakeholders in an organization. It also investigates professional employer expectations for competencies and skills in the organization. The report further evaluates current skills and competencies for specific job roles and explores different learning approaches and development theories. Additionally, it includes a personal development plan and discusses a range of service industry and transferable skills for job applications.

PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY
AND PRACTICE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
Key benefits of ongoing professional development for various stakeholders in an organization
.....................................................................................................................................................3
Investigation of professional employer expectations for competencies and skills in the
organization.................................................................................................................................4
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................4
Evaluation of current skills and competencies for specific job role............................................4
Different learning approaches and development theories...........................................................7
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................8
Personal Development Plan.........................................................................................................8
LO4................................................................................................................................................10
Range of service industry and transferable skill for job application.........................................10
CV..............................................................................................................................................10
Job specification.......................................................................................................................11
Interview processes and preparation..........................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Professional development is defined as enhancing the skills and capabilities of employees
part of the organisation. This report is based on the case study of Royal Lancaster Hotel in
respect to its professional development campaigns. This report will project different professional
development practices use in hotel. Initially in the report key benefits attached with professional
development will project. Benefits of the professional development plan for both employer and
employee will also project in this report. How the professional development plan allows
company to work on the skills of employees and different skills like hard skill, soft skill and
business skills are projected that will improve from professional development plan. Different
learning theories will also monitor that can be used to enhance the abilities of employees from
professional development plan. A precise PDP will also design to conduct the professional
development of employees part of the organisation. At the end of the project different aspects
related to employees getting jobs will be analysed.
MAIN BODY
LO1
Key benefits of ongoing professional development for various stakeholders in an organization
Ongoing Professional development refers as a process of developing, documenting and
maintaining professional skills. These skills can gain through training and courses. Ongoing
professional development delivers various benefits to the stakeholders of Royal Lancaster Hotel
London. It helps to enhance the skills and knowledge which organization needs to deliver
professional services to clients, customers and community (Allen, Brownstein and Rosenthal,
2018). One of the stakeholders of the organization is employees. Ongoing professional
development can makes employees satisfy as they become highly productive. They Ongoing
professional development is crucial for employee’s career progression in Royal Lancaster Hotel
London. It is necessary from overall development perspective of the employees. Offering
employees with training programs in Lancaster Hotel London will help them to prepare for
achieve positions of higher responsibilities. The collective knowledge of the team members in
the hotel will also get increased. It will help them to gain expertise and they can become all
rounder.
The customers and clients will receive better services in hotel through continuous
professional development. They will also receive better services from the restaurant waiters as

they go through customer service learning during their professional development training. It also
benefits the other stakeholders of Royal Lancaster Hotel London. Professionally developed
workforce can be able to meet both the internal and domestic demand that will eventually help
the government to generate higher revenues.
Investigation of professional employer expectations for competencies and skills in the
organization
A professional employer expects different professional and personal skills. These skills include
soft skills, communication skills, etc. Communication skills are required for maintaining proper
communication between the customer and employees. In the Royal Lancaster London Hotel
dress code must be properly followed by each and every employee as this also comes under
personal skill set. Self-confidence is also required in each and every employee; this will help
them in performing assigned tasks properly and with effectiveness. There is also requirement of
some personal skills such as creativity and self-confidence (Cisterna and Gotwals, 2018). Also
personal characteristics such as uniqueness and softness to talk are also required in handling
different types of customers from different regions and culture.
Customer service skills are also required for understanding and meeting needs and expectations
of customers. This skill will be helpful in understanding and solving problems of customers with
effectiveness and efficiency. Creative thinking is also essential for growth and development of
the Royal Lancaster London Hotel, the creative thinking of employees can be used of beneficial
in the terms of savings time, money and efforts. Also the creative skills can be used in some
specific conditions such any programme, organized parties, etc. Hard skills are required for
appropriate accounting of cash that is being received of paid; also soft skills are required to feed
proper data in computer of all the customers Time management skill is also important for
managing and handling e different customers at the same time. Time management will also be
helpful if in certain condition number of employees is not sufficient or not as per requirement.
LO 2
Evaluation of current skills and competencies for specific job role
The evaluation of the current skills that need to be developed must be in accordance with the job
role that I desire i.e. I intend to become the hospitality manager in the Royal Lancaster Hotel,
London and hence there are certain skills and qualities that I need to possess.

There must be adequate integration of the hard as well as soft skills where the soft skills are the
ones that cannot be specifically measured such as team integration, communication, leadership,
problem- solving etc. but the hard skills that are required are teachable and measurable and can
be developed in order to better integrate the development of skills such as etiquettes,
Communication, listening etc. (Calleja, 2018).
Strengths
The major strengths that can be
attributed are:
 The time management skills are well
developed in me where I can engage
in multiple number of tasks at the
same time.
 Additionally my customer retention
ability is also very well developed
that helps me in the better
management of the overall customer
satisfaction.
Weaknesses
The weakness that I have identified in
myself are:
 I am not very good at the ability of
problem solving and critical decision
making where different decisions need
to be taken and implemented as
quickly as possible.
 The another major weakness that I
possess is that I also lack in the ICT
skills and the overall work related
might get hampered due to this.
Opportunities
The different opportunities that are
available to me are:
 I can work on the increase in the
overall creativity regarding the
different tasks that are to be
completed.
 I can also engage in the further
honing of the communication skills
that I possess collectively.
Threats
The major threats that I can face are:
 Due to my lack of effective decision
making skills, I can face the threat of
overall redundancy and exclusion.
 There is also the major threat of
removal from the industry if the
creativity and innovation is not linked
back to the overall completion of
duties.
A completion of the skill audit helps in better evaluation of the different skills that are possessed
and for this Brunel Skill Audit method can be used:
Communication and customer satisfaction:

PARTICULARS NO NOT SURE YES
I can adequately engage in the communication with customers
and others.
I am able to increase the customer satisfaction due to improved
communication tactics.
I can adequately deter the potential conflicts and problems that
might arise.
I can create positive discussions due to good communication.
Problem solving and decision making:
PARTICULARS NO NOT SURE YES
I am usually able to develop the main as well as alternative
solutions to the problems quickly.
I can address the complex and critical tasks.
I am able to work collectively with the other employees as well
so that the problem can be addressed exhaustively.
I can develop correct solutions in a timely manner.
Creativity and Innovation:
PARTICULARS NO NOT SURE YES
I am able to successfully develop new and creative ideas.
I can easily develop a unique solution to different situations and
problems that might arise.
I can implement the ideas that I have developed successfully.
I am able to identify and develop relatively new trends.

Therefore, in this manner the different skills can be developed and integrated in me so that I can
complete my future duties in a better manner.
Different learning approaches and development theories
Professional development required a number of aspects through which the learning theories need
to be analysed and further the current job roles and development can be improved further
(Fleming and Daw, 2017). In order to develop the role of hospitality manager better in the Royal
Lancaster Hotel, following learning theories can be integrated:
Behavioural Approach to learning: The HR managers in the Lancaster Hotel can use this
approach where the learners can respond to the different stimuli that they receive regarding the
environment in which they are working. the employees are able to adequately gain knowledge
related to the different situations that can arise and the manner in which they have to react thus
benefitting them overall in the better development of the personal skills that are required. This
will also assist in better development of the career prospects for the different individuals working
at the hotel.
Cognitive Learning theory: The cognitive learning theory further helps in better development of
the different thinking manner and procedures that collectively improve the overall thinking
(Illeris, 2018). There are a variety of internal as well as external factors that foster and motivate
the individual employees to develop better learning. The HR manager helps the employees in
engaging in a retrospective thinking and hence the new solutions are developed more efficiently.
The personal skills are also enhanced and the professional growth quickens due to increased
professional growth.
Social Learning theory: The social learning theory is the one where the employees are able to
learn either directly or indirectly through the process of observing the other people that are
working collectively. This is the best manner of professional development and can be done by
engaging in interactive communications and discussion sessions and the replicating such skills
learned (Murphy, 2016).
Apart from this there are development theories as well which can be further developed in
following manner:
Personal Development Approach: The different personal development approaches helps the
individual themselves in adopting the development approaches i.e. they are encouraged to know
themselves and the HR at the Lancaster hotel also motivates them to develop a more effective

management style. The development and implementation of the positive psychology is also
encouraged amongst the individuals so that maturity and self-awareness can be developed
(Pritchard, 2017).
Professional Development Approach: The professional development approach helps in the
better development using the professional methods and approaches that can be developed for
instance the presentation and the feedback can be focused upon and developed by the members
collectively i.e. the HR of the organisation on their own level helps in the better development of
the easier but comprehensive approaches towards the professional development and completion
of different tasks that have been assigned to them.
LO 3
Personal Development Plan
The personal development plan can be prepared in accordance with the smart targets and
objectives that have been set and the different goals can be developed in the form of skills in the
following manner:
Current Skills and
Competencies used
in personal and
professional plan
Goals Personal /
Professional
Development Plan
ACTIVITY (Use
SMART targets)
Indicate how you
have monitored your
progress,
underpinning
learning and
development theory
Evaluate the
effectiveness of
your personal
development plan
ICT skills The short term goal has
been developed in the
form of relevant ICT skill
development. The goal is
to learn the basic skills
that are necessary for the
relevant data that is to be
exchanged accordingly
and engage in the
formation of the better
networks and tools
The managers need to
monitor the progress
using the personal
development
approach as this is
something that can be
developed using their
own abilities.
The improvement
and inculcation of
the ICT skills will
help in the better
performance and
increased
productivity where
the personal
development can be
encouraged.

(Waters and Craske,
2016). This will be
attained within a time
period of 3 months.
Problem Solving
and decision making
This has been categorised
as a medium term goal
where the overall
emphasis would be on the
increased problem
solving ability and
decision making
collectively. This will
help in improving the
credibility and also can
make an individual more
resourceful or better. The
time taken would be
approximately 6 to 7
months.
The Connectivism
learning theory can be
used here under
which the managers
are motivated to
develop the required
skills and the
knowledge or
techniques that are
necessary in the
development of better
environment and
increase productivity
collectively.
The implementation
of this method will
help the individuals
in addressing the
overall problems
that might incur in
an organisation in a
better manner
(Fleming and Daw,
2017). The different
activities will help in
enhancing the
solving and
organising skills in a
better manner.
Creativity and
innovation
This is the long term
goal and will require an
estimated time period of
1 year. The achievement
of this tactic will help in
ensuring that the
redundancy in an
individual does not arise
and they are able to
develop innovative
solutions that are very
difficult to imitate but the
The use of cognitive
theory can be
encouraged here
where innovation can
be fostered only when
the overall self-
thinking and
understanding is more
comparatively
(Langford, 2018). Use
of this theory will
help in better
This is the best
method of
integrating creativity
and innovation as
this will directly
help in increased
productivity and
hence revenue
generation as well.
The integration of
the creativity and
innovation aspect

revenue generation is
comparatively higher for
such skills.
achievement of the
goals and also
increase the inherent
value of the employee
as well as
organisation.
will help in better
achievement of the
overall objectives.
LO4
Range of service industry and transferable skill for job application
CV
Name: Harris Jhonson
Address: 32 Street, near cyber city, USA.
Email:
Contact Number: 8765878210
Education:
 MBA in human resource management from Oxford Business School.
 Graduation in Hospitality Management.
Work Experience:
 15 months internship at Hilton Hotel.
 4 Year experience in Lancaster Hotel, London as a HR Assistant.
Skills:
 Communication skill
 ITC Skill
 Research Skill
 Listening Skill
 Language
 Delegation skill
 Critical ability
 Reasoning skill
Characteristics and tactics

 Sound mind
 Positive thinker
 Positive Attitude
 Guiding ability
 Critical thinker
Career Objectives
I want to contribute in an elite hospitality organisation with the best of my ability and
skills. I wish to have a career where I can express my creative thinking and business skills to
achieve the best objectives for the organisation.
Job specification
Royal Lancaster Hotel
Job Role: Human Resource Manager Executive
Description
Human resource manager executive needs to manage all different human resource
requirements of the organisation.
Experience
 Minimum 3 year as an HR.
Education
 Bachelor’s degree in HRM.
 Post graduate diploma in HRM
Interview processes and preparation
Interview process at Royal Lancaster Hotel is very precise. Human resource management
at the Royal Lancaster Hotel are looking for experienced professional who can take forwards the
legacy of hotel. They prefer diversify skills and capabilities in the candidate as the employees in
hotel must be able to cater the best hospitality services to maintain the brand value of company.
They also analysis about different skills and characteristics trait in candidate during the interview
such as time management, speech and many other capabilities that can allow employee to impart
the best customer experience at the hotel. The interview is segregated into three stages such as
aptitude test, group discussion and final interview round. At the first round of general aptitude

test they assess general aptitude intelligence of the candidate present in interview. The second
stage of the interview round is group discussion round. This is the round in the interview in
which human resource management looks up the speaking and presentation skills of the
candidate. In case of hospitality sector it becomes necessary that employees of hotel must be
good enough with the presentation skill (van Oort and et.al., 2019). This round tests other factors
like knowledge about different tourist destination across the world and various other factors gets
to assess in this stage. The final round is call as personal interview round. In the final interview
round panel assess the different skills and capabilities of employees in regards to cater the best
customer services at the hotel. All these rounds allow company to get the best potential talent for
all the different hospitality services company has been associated with. All the skills allow
company to analysis the skills and capabilities of candidate based on the requirements of the
designated positional role in hotel. It becomes important for the organisation to have a skilful
employee at different designated position in organisation. Company follow all this process just to
assess the capabilities of employees in the best way possible. HRM try to recruit the best
possible talents in these HRM approaches.
Strengths and weaknesses of Interview process
Strengths: The interview process was divided into multiple stages like aptitude test, group
discussion round and final interview round. Due to the different stages involve in interview
process it can be stated that interviewer gets to assess all different skills and potentials of the
candidates witnessed the interview. Multiple stages play crucial role as they allow assessing the
candidate based on the needs and demands of the designated position role in company.
Weakness: The internal politics of company is also involved in the interview process. This could
somehow restrict the advantages of the interview process in doing at different levels. Many times
even the interview process at precise level do not get the best potential talent available in
interview to get selected due to many mental and emotional reasons which somehow could not
get to address.
CONCLUSION
Professional development plan is a process involves enhancing capabilities and potentials
of employee’s part of the organisation. This report has projected precise information in respect to
different soft skills, hard skills and business skills. All the different skill traits allow employees

to achieve the best level of career objectives. Skills are among the basic needs to have a effective
career goals and objectives. This report has also projected the benefits of professional
development for both employer and employees. Employer gets the more productive operation
functions. Employees are capable to achieve the best level of work efficiencies from the
professional development plan. Professional development activities conducted in organisation
allows company to achieve the best level of work efficiencies. This shines the brand value of
company as employees feels capable to enhance the skills and capabilities. PDP supports
company to achieve the benefits of the professional development plan of organisation. Interviews
are conducted at organisation can be precisely done in different stages like aptitude test, group
discussion round and personal interview round. All these stages involve in interview allows
copany to assess the skills and capabilities of employees as per the requirements of the
designated positional role in organisation.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Allen, C.G., Brownstein, J.N. and Rosenthal, E.L., 2018. Building a framework for community
health worker skills proficiency assessment to support ongoing professional
development. The Journal of ambulatory care management. 41(4).pp.298-307.
Calleja, J., 2018. Teacher Participation in Continuing Professional Development: Motivating
Factors and Programme Effectiveness.
Cisterna, D. and Gotwals, A.W., 2018. Enactment of ongoing formative assessment: Challenges
and opportunities for professional development and practice. Journal of Science Teacher
Education. 29(3).pp.200-222.
Fleming, S.M. and Daw, N.D., 2017. Self-evaluation of decision-making: A general Bayesian
framework for metacognitive computation. Psychological review. 124(1). p.91.
Illeris, K. ed., 2018. Contemporary theories of learning: learning theorists... in their own words.
Routledge
Langford, P.E., 2018. Approaches to the development of moral reasoning. Psychology Press.
Murphy, J.F., 2016. Professional standards for educational leaders: The empirical, moral, and
experiential foundations. Corwin Press.
Pritchard, A., 2017. Ways of learning: Learning theories for the classroom. Routledge.
van Oort, P. J. and et.al., 2019. Participation of Parents of Hospitalized Children in Medical
Rounds: A Qualitative Study on Contributory Factors. Journal of pediatric nursing. 46.
pp.e44-e51.
Waters, A.M. and Craske, M.G., 2016. Towards a cognitive-learning formulation of youth
anxiety: A narrative review of theory and evidence and implications for
treatment. Clinical Psychology Review. 50. pp.50-66.
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