Essay on Attracting and Retaining Staff: HR Challenges in Hospitality

This essay examines the significant challenges faced by the Human Resource (HR) department within the hospitality industry, particularly in attracting and retaining staff. It highlights the importance of HRM in ensuring each employee contributes to the company's mission and defines their roles effectively. The essay identifies key challenges such as managing knowledge workers, technological advancements, the competence of HR managers, organizational change, and leadership development. It emphasizes the critical role of human capital in HR practices, including the need for educated and skilled workers, lifelong learning opportunities, and addressing the shortage of HR experts. Furthermore, the essay explores factors like compensation management, benefits evaluation, staffing strategies, training and development, performance assessment, and employee relations, particularly in unionized environments. The essay also delves into the difficulties in managing the demand for knowledge workforces, including hiring and retaining technical proficiency, addressing the schooling level of the labor force, and adapting to the rise in the aging labor force. The research underscores the need for hospitality companies to adapt their HR practices to meet the evolving demands of the industry and ensure effective management of their human resources. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers.

Running head: CHALLENGES TO THE HR IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 1
Challenges to the Human Resource Department in the Hospitality Industry
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CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 2
CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Importance of HRM in organizations
Every staff has to personally contribute and again cooperatively to accomplish
companies’ mission. At the lowest stage, they must take part even in contributing towards
achieving the objective of the company. It is the responsibility of the HR to make sure things
are done the right way. In that case, the human resource must define the role of each
employee to help the smooth operation of the firm.
INTRODUCTION
In the midst of converting itself into a knowledge-based economy, the hospitality
industry believes that constructing a knowledge-based labour force is vital, particularly in the
hospitality sector. This is because hospitality accounts for one-third of the GDP and more
than 80 per cent of most nations' trades, and donates considerably towards the economic
growth of most nations.
As an effect of training and development of human resources in the hospitality sector
is dynamic in formulating a proficient and capable workforce with the skill to meet present
and future challenges by offering them with technical skills as well as critical intellectual
aptitudes. This is because the hospitality companies believe that investment in human capital
is crucial to the success of the company's economic growth. Though, notwithstanding the
support, inducements and creativities implemented for HR, the fact remains that glitches or
challenges to the operational management of HR can arise.
A practical indication from other developed and developing companies has
acknowledged significant challenges to the management of HR. Nevertheless, there is an
incomplete empirical suggestion of challenges in managing HR in most hospitality
companies. Consequently, the objective of this research is to scrutinize challenges to the

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 3
effective management of HR activities, mostly in hospitality firms. It is anticipated that the
results of this study will give HR experts a clear appreciation of the numerous challenges to
the effective management of HR. Henceforth, pertinent and applicable policies and measures
can be advanced and applied for the effective management of human resources.
Human resource training and improvement in hospitality firms is a serious feature of
the progress of a knowledge-workforce in the industry. The objective of this learning is to
scrutinize challenges to the operational management activities in hospitality firms such as
tourism industry (Henry, Butcher, Browne, Hinds & Jayawardena, 2004). In order to realize
these objectives, in-depth discussions were directed with HR management employees'
preparation and improvement, employing a purposive or critical sampling performance.
The research discovered major challenges to the effective organization. These
comprise of a shortage of intellectual experts to manage undertakings, coping with the
response for informed workers and nurturing learning and advance in the workplace. It is
hoped that the results of this research will provide HR experts with a clear understanding and
consciousness of the numerous encounters in managing effective training and growth. Hence,
pertinent and appropriate strategies and actions can be advanced and executed for an effective
HR management.
Main challenges faced by HR in Hospitality
The major challenges faced by the Human Resource in the Hospitality Industry are:
Managing Knowledge Workers
Managing Technological Challenges
Competence of HR Managers
Managing Change
Developing Leadership

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 4
A range of challenges are faced by hospitality establishments and HR authorities in
administration and executing effective HR, mainly in the climate of globalization, and the
new industrial revolution starts with the status of human capital in HR practice, their teaching
and technical preparation, and also their communication and language abilities (Mitchell,
1997). Human resources' learning and inspiration are also labelled as significant features of
effective HR practices. Nonetheless, their insufficiencies in assisting the effectiveness of HR
position a challenge to the growth, organization and operation of effective HR in hospitality
organizations. Additionally, the staff's changing demographics are also seen to have an
influence on HR practices, alongside the organization's HR approaches and investments in
HR (Zopiatis & Constanti, 2007).
Pertinent Factors HR NEED to Consider in Hospitality Industry
Human Capital in HR Practice
The dominant factor in HR is the human resources or the human capital in an
organization. They are seen as the motivating force for the accomplishment of most
hospitality organizations as a result of their abilities, aptitudes, information and knowledge.
Furthermore, it has been recommended that for the hospitality organizations to participate
effectively in a global economy, it is vital to hire satisfactorily educated and skilled workers
and offer them with lifelong education (Hayes & Ninemeier, 2009).
Nevertheless, these are some of the difficulties faced by companies and organizations
and seen as a limitation to the effective organization, preparation and growth of human
resources in global economies. In the explicit context of HR authorities, the literature has
shown that there is a lack of HR experts who are accomplished and knowledgeable systems
thinkers, and who have the capability to be able to cope with the vast and specialized function
of HR across organizations. For example, it was stated through previous research that the

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 5
absence of HR specialists in the hospitality industry in most countries is a key hurdle to the
success of HR efforts. It has been claimed that difficulties also arise due to an absence of
understanding and acceptance of HR on the part of administrators (Mathai, 2016).
Actually, some critics have claimed that HR authorities do have an essential role, as
they own know-how in learning and in developing others to become specialists. Numerous
small to mid-size hospitality corporations like hotels have become gradually aware of how an
operational human resource leadership that can subsidize the accomplishment of the
business's bottom line.
The following facts discuss how an operative HR leader and HR function can aid a
Tourism company's bottom line, including mounting a positive and appealing work
surrounding the company (Hayes & Ninemeier, 2009).
Recompense management
Reward expense is characteristically the second largest business disbursement next to
raw materials or purchased goods. Contending with the challenge for talent on the foundation
of remunerations alone is no longer cost-effective, and HR leadership must regulate the right
combination of base pay, adaptable pay and benefits that motivate and preserves high
performers, and supporting the salary program as well as inducement programs to
performance markers for the Business, teams and personalities.
Welfares evaluation and management
Managing and guiding the snowballing costs of employee benefits while balancing
the needs of the employees has converted into a very delicate issue, particularly with
reference to health insurance. There are intricate problems to respond, such as whether to
offer various benefit alternatives, how funding for the strategies should be divided between
company and employee donations, and how much of the subsidy plan management should be
run internally.

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 6
Staffing/talent gaining in the Hospitality Industry
Declining responsiveness in the hospitality industry among the younger age group is
partly due to the opinion that hospitality is not as cutting edge as other businesses. The
necessity to balance a long-lasting "core" full-time workforce with short-term workforces
necessary to meet periodic or sporadic spikes in demand also makes hospitality jobs look less
safe to most young people. These are industry-wide tests and it will take a creative, well-
connected, convincing HR leadership to give your corporation an advantage (Sobaih, 2018).
The skill to effectively recruit talent at all heights of the hospitality business in a cost-
effective and timely means is critical.
Preparation and progress
The grade to which employees are engaged that is rightly committed to an
administration's success against doing a job has a direct influence on profitability. HR
leadership must be able effectively to succeed in all areas of preparation and improvement,
whether through mentoring, contracting for off-the-shelf platforms and study options, hiring
outside advisers, or leveraging train-the-trainer packages offered by contractors.
Performance assessment and organization
HR can plan and device the formal employee evaluation programs within the
company or use external professionals to support with the progression to ensure that the
procedure and tools are aligned with the establishment's aims and draw upon present best
practices. In adding HR can provide line administrators with the provision and talents they
need to effectively employ in these procedures so the business can realize the anticipated
results.
Employee and labour relations

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 7
HR management in worker and labour affairs is particularly significant in hospitality
companies. If the business is non-union, it usually takes much time and works to sustain this
status. If unionized, employment consultations and on-going affairs with the union have a
fundamental effect on most hospitality companies' financials as countless budget objects are
items for the compromise including benefits, quality, layoff provisions have a major impact
on the business (Karve & Dias, 2016). Company administration ought to assess how well
their HR utility is equipped to deal with such situations.
Managing the Demand for Knowledge Workforces
While the most hospitality companies HR policies have been campaigning for
employers and organizations to furnish employees with the expertise and knowledge to
become knowledge labour force, the HR practitioners in these hospitality businesses are
faced with the task of handling the demand for informed and proficient workers (Net, 2018).
Three crucial factors will be deliberated to define the challenge faced by HR practitioners in
coping with the demand for knowledge workforces:
1) Employing and retaining technical proficiency and a capable labour force;
The first crucial factor relays the issue hiring and preservation of technical expertise and a
proficient staff (Siguaw & Smith, 2010).
Corporations and HR practitioners are faced with challenges in employing official
expertise and capable, informed employees, notwithstanding the fact that numerous technical
and professional institutes have been established by the most Governments to back vocational
and hospitality training. The contracting of skilled, qualified and knowledgeable workforces
is progressively more difficult in the competitive hospitality industry, but at the same time,
developing and holding these workers raises the challenges facing companies and HR
practitioners (Rehman & Mubashar, 2017).
2) The schooling level of the labour force;

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 8
The burden for knowledge workers is not only connected with individual talents and
competencies but also with the instruction levels of workers. It has been specified that current
members of the labour force in the hospitality firms typically have a minimum qualification
of and some have no credentials or are illiterate, predominantly in the case of employees'
hospitality production workers (Chand, 2010).
These workers or hospitality hands are sometimes promoted regardless of education
levels. Nevertheless, the low schooling level of these promoted supervisory staff is
problematic to the HR. Without a doubt, difficulties with language and communication
frequently emerge during teaching, mostly in communicating with instructors and mentors, as
well as in communication and communiqué with organization employees (Mejia & Torres,
2018). The Hospitality firms and/or the private sector emphasize the use of English for
formal communication and correspondence, but with the prevailing personnel having been
principally educated.
This is corroborated by most studies, who contend that with the robust emphasis on
the most local languages by the uneducated workers, English language abilities are failing
very rapidly. As such, satisfactory factory floor literacy skills are significant basics for
employee participation in HR activities Organizations with comparatively large numbers of
workers with low elementary skills and learning may find it hard to get workers' full
contribution and participation in training. Furthermore, it has been established that workers
with relatively higher levels of learning are sought after in the workforce, mostly in the
hospitality industry, and modern employers are hiring workers with at least a diploma and
University schooling with required computer literateness (Jayawardena, 2002).
The rise in the ageing labour force
Thirdly, it was stated that a majority of older members of the labour force are testified
to represent the big chunk of the labour force, commonly baptized ‘baby boomers' in the

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 9
contemporary literature. Undeniably, it was discovered that the senior employees are not
capable to cope with the escalation in the dependence on computers and fast technological
development, and thus developing them to convert knowledge labours may pose a challenge
or somewhat a waste of resources.
Largely, the above results suggest that HR practitioners are challenged with the task
of employing, teaching, reequipping, holding and developing workers to become knowledge
labours. Still, difficulties with the ageing labour force and their places within the corporation
pose a major test in developing them to become knowledge employees, principally with
regard to their levels of learning (PR, 2014). Following this notion, the literature has
established that matters of changing demographics in the labour force, such as learning
levels, connected with communication, linguistic and the ageing labour force, are working
against companies and HR practitioners in many hospitality organizations.
Nurturing Knowledge and Development in the Works
It has been evidently indicated that HR actions are designed to change a person's
behaviour and outlooks towards their job and business, but HR practitioners are challenged
with problems linking employees' behaviour and outlook ("Problems Faced by HR in the
Hospitality Sector", 2018). Firstly, it was established that top executive, senior bosses' and
line supervisors' have uncooperative behaviour towards HR which had a noteworthy effect on
the efficiency of HR.
Secondly, workers' negative attitudes can be harmful and challenging since
behavioural variations, performance development and organizational effectiveness may be
affecting HR practitioners in the hospitality firms.
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS
In overall, the challenges confronted by companies and hospitality organizations in
the effective management of HR varied from concerns about the lack of intelligent HR

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 10
specialists to coping with the request for knowledge-workers and nurturing learning and
improvement in the factory. The essential and principal challenge is the lack of
knowledgeable HR specialists in hospitality firms, and this suggests that companies viewed
HR as a function subordinate to other departments and perhaps reflected it as being of lesser
significance. This inference could lead to the unsuccessful application of HR actions and
increase vagueness and let down in effectively managing as a whole.
As well as the major task existing by the lack of HR experts, HR practitioners are
presently being met with the challenge of managing with the demand for knowledge-workers,
with issues concerning employing, teaching and retaining of an accomplished and capable
labour force ("Problems Faced by HR in the Hospitality Sector", 2018). The ageing
employees and their places within the corporation also pose a major challenge in terms of
developing elder workforces to become knowledge labours, mainly with regard to their levels
of schooling.
Nevertheless, the issue of "how HR practitioners cope with an aged staff, to develop
educated and expert labours to attain knowledge-worker status" necessitates further
investigation (2018). Additionally, the lack of guarantee towards teaching can be seen
through most hospitality organizations, from top administration to lower level employees.
The top executive and decision-making level staffs are found to be obstinate towards HR
efforts, whereas lower level workers lack the assurance to contribute in preparation and
expansion activities (Madera et al., 2017). This suggests that workers may have entrenched
pessimistic outlooks towards teaching and be basically unaffected by the change.
Of course, the occurrence of change is frequently repelled, as it needs persons to take
aboard new education and accept new skills and skills. In point of fact, companies and HR
practitioners in these hospitality companies are seen to be challenged with the singular
employee-negotiated personality of education rather than the resources essential to upkeep

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 11
such education. Certainly, these extents in education are said to be a significant alteration
with detail to fostering education and growth in the hospitality industry.

CHALLENGES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 12
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