Research Proposal: Food and Beverage Operations Staffing Challenges

This research proposal delves into the critical staffing challenges within food and beverage operations, focusing on recruitment, retention, and induction training. The report begins with an introduction to staffing and its importance, followed by a literature review exploring contemporary issues in hospitality, particularly concerning staffing problems. It examines various aspects of staffing, including recruitment processes, induction training, and retention strategies. The research identifies gaps in existing literature, such as the lack of information on resource allocation and effective solutions to staffing issues. The methodology includes a qualitative approach using questionnaires and interviews with employees from various restaurants. Data analysis involves content analysis to categorize and interpret responses, with the aim of understanding employee perspectives and identifying key staffing concerns. The proposal also addresses reliability, validity, and sensitivity concerns, ensuring the trustworthiness of the findings. The findings, discussion, recommendations and conclusion are provided to address the research questions on the resources used for staffing and training, and how to resolve staffing issues. A Gantt chart is also provided for the research timeline.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL
(LITERATURE REVIEW)
FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPERATIONS –STAFFING ISSUES IN RECRUITMENT
RETENTION AND INDUCTION TRAINING
(CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY)
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Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Literature review.........................................................................................................................................3
Understanding hospitality and its contemporary issues..........................................................................3
Food and beverages operations issues in hospitality..............................................................................4
Staffing issues in hospitality.....................................................................................................................4
Induction Training....................................................................................................................................4
Research Gap...........................................................................................................................................5
Research Question.......................................................................................................................................5
Research Methodology................................................................................................................................5
Research design.......................................................................................................................................5
Research analysis.....................................................................................................................................6
Findings...................................................................................................................................................6
Discussion................................................................................................................................................8
Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................8
Reference list...............................................................................................................................................8
Appendix...................................................................................................................................................10
Gantt chart................................................................................................................................................10
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Introduction
Staff recruitment refers to the hiring of workers, and their retention is managing and keeping
their jobs available for them at all times and this is key for the smooth operation of the business
as stated by Alonso,et al. (2009). There are several processes that are involved in recruitment
which include: identifying the hiring need, planning, searching, identifying suitable candidates,
recruitment of the most suitable candidate, screening of the candidate through phone calls,
undertaking of face to face interviews, offering of a chance of employment to the candidate,
hiring the candidate and looking for ways in which to retain the candidate which is also known
as on boarding of the candidate. There are many staffing issues which may be encountered
during these processes.
The sources of this research will include articles related to staffing retention and recruitment and
induction in the food and beverage industry over the last ten years, journals from the library and
internet searches from the worldwide web.
The report will cover challenges in this industry and their solutions as required. The limitations
of this research will include the fact that some of the challenges do not have logical or already
established solutions.
Literature review
Understanding hospitality and its contemporary issues
Understanding the power of data in staff management is the first step. Having the tools you need
to access it is the next. There are tons of affordable, simple-to-use technology options out there
as opinioned by Wang & Jing (2009). You just have to find the right fit for your business and
management style.
The important thing to remember is that data and the deeper insight that comes with it is not
meant to replace what you’re already doing right. Instead, data is great for telling you what you
could be doing better. It will let you test your gut instincts and give you lightning-fast feedback
on whether you’re managing your staff as effectively as you could be.
There are a lot of issues that affect the hospitality industry. Some of these issues include
expensive technology that is constantly changing, change in preferences and tastes of customers,
improving on the quality of food and service delivery when dealing with customers and staffing
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issues. These are the existing gaps in this research which may be hard to understand since we
mostly depend on the secondary source of data.
Food and beverages operations issues in hospitality
Staffing is the process whereby the best people are selected and put in a job where their talents
and skills can best be utilized for the benefit of the organization. This process is mainly done by
the management. It involves recruitment, selection and placement of employees. Employees are
seen as a vital asset to an organization.
Staffing issues in hospitality
There are many staffing issues that come up during recruitment, induction training and retention
of workers. These issues mostly come by due to poor communication between the workers,
supervisors and the managers. As mentioned by Boela (2017), managers may not know the
issues workers are undergoing such as poor working conditions, poor remuneration for work
done and overworking. Workers require good working conditions that will act as a source of
motivation for them which will enable the organization to retain them.
Other staffing issues occur when the management hires cheap labor, which is inappropriate, so as
to be able to save on costs incurred when hiring professionals. In the hotel and restaurant
industry, the most qualified should be employed and if not, this may lead to production of poor
quality services which will then be blamed on the staff. These staffing issues may occur where
there is absence of a customer focused human resource which leads to recruitment of employees
that are unable to work under the organizations rules and regulations, Kalargyrou and Woods
(2011).
Other staffing issues may include indiscipline. Indiscipline among the staff may lead to
termination of the employment by the managers, although, the manager should not force the
employee to resign. These indiscipline cases mostly occur when there is lack of close supervision
of the workers by management, which allows them to act as they please with no regard to the
organizations rules and objectives. Creation of a staff Rota will help manage indiscipline as the
staff will be matched with the availability of work in the organization as per their shift which
will leave little time for other activities that do not benefit the organization.
Induction Training
Training is whereby new employees are introduced into the working of the hotel and restaurant
industry. This may be done internally, especially in areas of customer care and service or
specialized persons may be brought in to assist in the training. This is very important. According
to Lashley (2009), the first rule of achieving successful ongoing quality service is maintaining
and enduring good customer contacts. This is done by recruiting and training quality staff by the
human resource which leads to strategic career development, J Sung et al, (2008).
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Training is done to ensure that the new employees are conversant with the organizations rules
and regulations and will work towards the set objectives. According to Armstrong-Stassen and
Ursel (2009), retention of workers is also very important in any organization and this is because
it creates loyalty of the workers to the organization which leads to quality production, hence
increased customer satisfaction and profits. Unfortunately, most industries do not take time to
implement effective training techniques especially the food and beverage industry, according to
Poulston,2008).
Companies that invest a lot of money in training and retention of workers, may in the long run
save a lot of money according to Poulston, (2008). This helps in employee turnover reduction
especially in the food and beverage industry and in changing the employee attitude in provision
of goods and services as it acts as a motivating factor. Money should be set aside to be used in
employee training for a duration of two weeks every three months. This promotes quality and
creates a sense of belonging among workers. It also instills the organizations aims and
objectives.
Provision of job resources to workers may help in employee retention. Most of these job
resources include good pay, support from management and other fellow employees and feedback
on their performance from the management. They help by allowing the employees to work
towards achieving their work goals. According to Poulston (2008), most managers do not bother
with the job resources which results to most of the employees quitting while others provide poor
quality services.
Research Gap
There are many gaps in this literature review. One of the gaps is it is very difficult for a
researcher to get primary data and is forced to rely on the already collected data which is
secondary data. The research gap seen from this research is lack of information on what to do
about the challenges faced during training retaining and recruitment of workers. Another gap
discovered is information on the resources set aside for recruitment and training of workers.
Research Question
1) What are the resources an organization uses and the approximate cost it incurs in
recruitment, retaining and induction training?
2) How can the above staffing issues be resolved in an amicable way during recruitment,
retention and induction training of employees?
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Research Methodology
Research design and data sources
The key factors that formed this study are the staffing issues encountered in recruitment,
retention and induction training in the hospitality industry. This study also focuses on problems
the employees may encounter in the hospitality industry. A quantitative approach was used in
this study. Several employees from different restaurants were asked if they would participate in
the intensive research and to be honest and open minded in the interviews. This method is very
effective as respondents are not forced to give answers according to the categories predetermined
by the researcher (Knox and Walsh 2005). Data was extracted directly from the employees
through the answering of questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires focused on specific
problems the workers may be undergoing such as working hours, relationship with the
management and working conditions. Each problem was set with a few lines where the
respondents could provide contextual information or examples to their answers. Respondents
were drawn from three to five star restaurants in different parts of the country. Face to face
interviews were also conducted to help in understanding of the staff’s attitude towards the
management and its policies on recruitment retention and training of employees, the best method
to use and the overall effect that this methods have in offering of food and beverage services in
the hotels and restaurants as opined by M Chand(2007). Each of the respondents was interviewed
individually. The interview lasted approximately 30 minutes and was done within the sampled
restaurants. This enabled me to see the staff in their day to day activities which helped to
strengthen the answers that they provided in their interviews which is in accordance to Chan and
Kuok (2011). There were five open ended questions that covered questions such as ‘unethical
practices encountered by managers and employees, management behavior with employees and
working conditions for employees and performance assessment and evaluation of the effect of
application of these three processes as opined by Nankervis, Compton and Baird, (2005), Boella,
(2017). There was an additional blank space at the end of the questionnaire where they could add
more information thus creating insight. Documents from management and human resource were
also reviewed to see how people were recruited and called for interviews, this helped to
overcome subjective data collected, Torres and Kline (2013). Responses from this section have
been used as the data for the study.
Sampling
Sampling method used was purposive sampling. This is whereby samples are chosen based on a
particular characteristic as shown by Dewhurst and Livesey (2007). Restaurants were chosen
based on their strategic position and size. There were a total of seven restaurants that were
sampled and used in the report and acted as pilot study. These restaurants were positioned
strategically with similar market positions. They were resort based establishments and standalone
restaurants and hotels. The study looked at the training strategies used in these restaurants, the
recruitment process used by individual restaurants and the methods that these particular
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restaurants used in retaining of employees. These restaurants were in different geographical areas
with some having a large market share and others catering for just a small market.
Data analysis
A content analysis method was used to analyze the data. This method enabled the qualitative
data to be grouped into themes. “Content analysis is a technique for gathering and analyzing the
content of a text” as opined by Neumann (2003) after getting the individual information, they
were compared and the results drawn. The data was sorted into categories and subcategories in
tables and graphs. According to Guilding and McManus (2014), Iterative sorting and resorting
was used to remove duplications until the most relevant responses remained. This was done so as
to incorporate both the managers and employees answers. From these tables, comments made on
staffing issues were extracted and used for presentation along with relevant manager’s comments
concerning the staffing issues. A background to the respondents is represented through the
quantitative data. All the sources were assessed and gone through.
Reliability, validity and sensitivity
Reliability was increased in this study through long-term study of the respondents which encouraged
them to show their real behaviors, perceptions and attitudes as trust was established between the two as
opined by Davidson, Timo and Wang (2010). This involvement enabled the researcher to observe the
respondents and capture a variety of contexts. Detailed note taking makes the collected data to be valid as
it increases the probability of a real phenomenon since the notes provide a detailed rigorous description of
a situation. The study used multiple sources and methods which enhanced cross comparison and validity
of the information. Validity of an answer provided by one respondent may be enhanced when another
respondent answers on those lines.
Findings
The majority of the respondents were young men and women who did not receive a lot of
income as most of them were just fresh from college and others were still students. Their
supervisors were older and more experienced as they have been in the industry for a long while.
From the research, it was discovered that recruitment process is very important in the food and
beverage industry. One should have the appropriate knowledge of human resource so as to be
able to recruit. When good employees are recruited, there will be increase in customer
satisfaction due to quality delivery of food and beverages, Alonso et al. (2009). Employees to be
recruited should possess good interpersonal and communication skills that will promote
interactions with the other staff members and the customers. They should also be good in
teamwork. From the interviews and questionnaires, it was discovered that most of the hotels and
restaurants have a strict policy on recruitment and almost all employees had to undergo an
interview before being accepted as part of the staff of that particular establishment. As opined by
Taylor and Finley (2010), certain professional qualifications were looked at during the
recruitment process to ensure that those being employed are qualified.
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Staff training was also discovered to be very important because it helps in improving of quality
service, leads to improved professionalism, it maintains the standards of the staff and ensures
standards of the organization are maintained by increasing the staff experience. Training of staff
is important to the organization since it ensures employees adhere to the objectives of the
organization and are motivated enough to work towards achieving them. From the interviews it
was discovered that hotels and restaurants that conduct staff training provide more quality
services and their customers are happy with their services. It was discovered that there were
various methods used in training such as diligent interviewing process, employing based on the
hourly wage, formal or informal training, use of manuals in training. The organizational staff and
resources determined the extent and frequency of training of employees.
It was also discovered that most of these hotels and restaurants were able to retain the stuff by
offering incentives such as health insurance and yearly monthly income. This acts as a
motivating factor for the staff thus preventing them from moving from the organization. Creation
of a conducive and friendly working environment by providing amenities such as washrooms
and water that promotes team work for the employees gives them a sense of belonging for the
organization thus making them provide quality products according to Alonso et al. (2009)
From the samples used, we found out that recruitment, retention and training of stuff is very
important in the hotel or restaurant industry. Proper recruitment leads to development of a work
force. Staff are viewed as assets in the organization as they are the ones that usually interact with
customers. Due to this, they should be properly selected, evaluated and recruited since they are
seen as internal customers,Hurrell et.al (2010). Recruitment practices are also important because
it: helps in provision of useful data on how current practices can be improved, enables all
candidates to go through a process that ensures all their current skills and potentials are
evaluated, enables recruits divulge information they have on the firm and what they will bring to
the table and the impact that that particular employee will have on the organization. Good
recruitment of workers will lead to major profits for the organization in that there will be
increased productivity, improved morale among the workers, reduced disputes which saves on
time, improved commitment and better time management.
In staff induction training, new employees are provided with the organizations overview. From
the research it is seen that during training, employees are introduced to their supervisors and
colleagues, new uniforms are handed to them and any vital information that they require in
settling in as opined by Hurrell & scholarios (2011) most of the training is done internally, but
others may be conducted by use of specialist agencies that receive external accreditation. Each
organization has set standards and principles that should be adhered by all staff hence requiring
training. Training content depends on the needs of the organization, J Sung et al (2008). A
normal training process consists of these steps: identifying the needs, assessment of the needs,
developing objectives of the training, developing plan of the training, conduct training and
effective training evaluation, Lashley (2008).
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Discussion
This study set out to identify staffing issues in recruitment, retention and induction training in the
food and beverage service providing hotels and restaurants. From this study many lessons have
been drawn such as, dissatisfaction with working places has led to the loss of many workers
within the hotels which was evidenced by poor communication between workers and
supervisors. Other lessons learnt were that induction training was very important as it helped
enforce the organizations policies and objectives. Another lesson was that management was not
aware of problems faced by its staff which showed the poor relationship between them. This has
led to unfair dismissals and shortages in staffing and high staff turnover. There are many
practical steps that the hospitality employers can take such as implementation of proper
recruitment and training within the organization by employing qualified human resource who
will be able to learn of employee’s grievances and problems and thereby deal with them in an
effective way which may lead to retention of workers. Another practical step is ensuring constant
training of employees that will enable them be at per with the existing competition. Workers may
also be motivated by offering incentives such as full pay leaves and family day out. This creates
a feeling of belonging which may help in retention of employees. Additional research should be
done on new recruitment methods and the most effective methods of training for employees for
maximum output.
Recommendations
I would recommend that the managers set up human resource offices. These offices are used as places
where the managers and employees can air their grievances and suitable methods can be found to solve
them. Proper training methods should be employed to ensure employees can compete favorably as opined
by Ajzen (1991). Incentives should be provided to workers which will ensure retention thus reducing
turnover (Kotler et al,2006).
Conclusion
Improved training of staff will reduce issues such as theft, few staffing and poor food hygiene.
Training may reduce unnecessary costs associated with disputes and managerial problems.
Senior staff should look and access the work done by newly recruited workers so as to correct
them in case of mistakes done. These new workers need to be trained more so that they may be
consistent with the aims and objectives of the organization and not be involved in other funny
businesses, Torres et.al (2013). This will benefit the restaurant by increasing the profits made.
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Reference list
Ajzen,L (1991), “The theory of planned behavior,” organizational behavior and human decision
processes, Vol 50 No.2,pp.179-211
Alonso, A. D., & O’Neill, M. A. (2009).Staffing issues among small hospitality businesses: A
college town case.International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(4), 573-578.
Chan, S. H., & Kuok, O. M. (2011). A study of human resources recruitment, selection, and
retention issues in the hospitality and tourism industry in Macau. Journal of Human Resources in
Hospitality & Tourism, 10(4), 421-441.
CG Davidson, M., McPhail, R., & Barry, S. (2011). Hospitality HRM: past, present and the
future. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 23(4), 498-516.
Dewhurst, H., Dewhurst, P., &Livesey, R. (2007). Tourism and hospitality SME training needs
and provision: A sub-regional analysis. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 7(2), 131-143
E.N Torres, S Kline (2013)..From customer satisfaction to customer delight: Creating a new
standard of service for the hotel industry- International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Guilding, C., Lamminmaki, D., & McManus, L. (2014). Staff turnover costs: In search of
accountability. International Jour.nal
J Sung, A Raddon, D Ashton (2008). From The Business Benefits of Training in the Food and
Drink Manufacturing Industry- academia.edu
J Poulston, (2008). Hospitality workplace problems and poor training: a close
relationship. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 20(4), 412-427.
Kalargyrou, V., & Woods, R. H. (2011).Wanted: training competencies for the twenty-first
century. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 23(3), 361-376.
Knox, A., & Walsh, J. (2005).Organisational flexibility and HRM in the hotel industry: evidence
from Australia. Human Resource Management Journal, 15(1), 57-75
Kotler, P,Bowen. J.T and Makens,J.C,(2006), marketing for hospitality and tourism, 4th ed,
Prentice-hall, Upper saddle river, NJ.
Lashley, C. (2009). Hospitality retail management.Routledge.
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M Boella, (2017) Human resource management in the hotel and caterin
- emeraldinsight.com
MCG Davidson, N Timo, Y Wang.(2010). How much does a labour turnover cost? A case study
of Australian four-and-five-s g industry.
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Indian hotel industry- Employee Relations, tar hotels. International Journal of Contemporary
Hospitality Management- emeraldinsight.com
SA Hurrell, D Scholarios(2011). ). Recruitment and selection practices, person-brand fit and soft
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Appendix
Gantt chart
Research steps Week1 Week2 Week3 Week4 Week5
Introduction of
topic
Research aim
and objectives
Research
question and
analysis
Literature
review
Selection of
research
methods
Collection of
data
Data
interpretation
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and analysis
Conclusion and
discussion
Research paper
submission.
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