Analyzing HRM Issues, Trends, and Policies: Best Western Hotels Report

This report delves into the contemporary issues and emerging trends within Human Resource Management (HRM), specifically focusing on the hospitality industry and using Best Western Hotels and Resorts as a case study. The report addresses critical challenges such as employee attrition, the importance of training and development, employee satisfaction and morale, talent acquisition, and the impact of company culture and ethics. It also examines the role of technology, health and well-being, and new staff roles in shaping the hospitality landscape. Furthermore, the report provides a detailed job description and person specification for an Event Manager within the hospitality sector. It also synthesizes the process of performance management, and critically analyzes and revises existing HR policies and practices. The analysis covers various aspects of HRM, from strategic approaches to operational challenges, offering insights into how organizations can adapt to evolving industry demands and improve their HRM strategies.

Issues in Human Resource
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAINBODY....................................................................................................................................1
1.Contemporary issues and emerging trends associated with Human Resource Management. .1
2. Job description and a person specification for Event Manager...............................................5
3. Synthesise and conceptualise the process of Performance Management within the
hospitality industry:.....................................................................................................................7
4.Critically analyse and revise two existing HR policies and practices from your organisation
...................................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management relates with strategic approach to manage the people in
relation to enhance their skills and knowledge towards particular goals and objectives(Armstrong
and Taylor, 2020) . Human resource management works on the principle of providing with best
candidates who will fit into the requirements of an organisation. This management design with a
motive to build the employees performances regarding their career development. HR manager
needs to take care in relation to adopt the healthy workforce environment by making employees
happy, stay retain and be more productive towards their organisational goals. Issues in human
resource management defines with retention as many people thinks that human resource only
having a task of recruitment and selection, but they have to work on retention of their employees
as well. Issue related with workforce training and development as this tasks needs to be done in
most effective manner, human resource manager deals with large number of employees in
making their current performance better. Below report is based on Best western hotels and
resorts brand having their headquarter in phoenix, Arizona, US. They are operating their hotels
and resorts chain in worldwide. This industry relates with hotels, they operates in approx 4700
hotels worldwide. The report consists of the topic contemporary issues and emerging trends
relates with human resource management, job description and personal specification, process of
performance management and critically analysis the HR policies and practises.
MAINBODY
1.Contemporary issues and emerging trends associated with Human Resource Management
According to the view point of Betterworks, human resource management have to undergo
through various contemporary issues. Which are arising during the course of human resource
activities in managing and enhancing the performances of employees in relation to their
organisational goals and objectives (Awalluddin and Maznorbalia, 2019). The hospitality
industry are having lots of tasks and activities which are relatively considered with skills and
expertise of employees that will be take care by the human resource manager in relation to
provide with better performance (8 of the Biggest Challenges for HR in 2019). Better works
provides with five challenges or issues facing by the hospitality industry, Enterprise which
constantly put efforts in overcome through these challenges. So here are some of the issues
which happens in hospitality industry is that:
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 Attrition: This process doesn't discriminate in enterprise and industries. As this policies
of the company are harmful and disruptive and having the aspect of being costly in both
resources and efforts. In relation to the hospitality industry, turnover and issues related
with low retention rates are arising since employees are considered with face of brands
and they directly interact with the customers itself. Considering with following statistics
in relation to the turnover rates in hospitality space, these are when turnover rates in 2016
was 72.9% in hospitality, this was the second topped year in relation to the turnover. In
2017 it was roughly 15%. so hospitality attrition risen every year form 2010.
 Training and development: Insufficient training and development will play an important
role in high rates of attrition. Through low retention rates organisation do not have
choices regarding their employees in relation to adopt the under-trained and low prepared
employees, they have to placed them in critical positions without having with related
skills and knowledge(Banfield, Kay and Royles, 2018).
 Satisfaction and morale: Employees who are working in hospitality industry do not get
incentives will be less motivated and unsatisfied will leads to directly impact their
customers handling. As in hospitality industry quality are priority, bur due to shortage of
incentives they will not present their best to the customer.
 Talent acquisition: A high turnover rate requires steady growth in relation to fill the new
talents for the available required positions. The hospitality industry are facing problems
in recruiting the capable candidates with appropriate skills, problems like shortage of
skills, consistently high turnover and ability of retaining employees with having good
skills.
 Culture and related ethics: Unhealthy culture and unethical practises of business will
going to damage the branding of the hospitality industry as they are more depends upon
their effective interaction with their customers through proper quality services. HR must
takes this situation seriously by dealing in ethical related issues and harassment in this
industry (Boella and Goss-Turner, 2019).
As per the view point of Dana Severson (Problems Faced by HR in the Hospitality Sector,
2021), hospitality industry relates with employees issues and those working who are working in
human resource are quite left with responsibility of fixing them. So here are some of the issues
during operations in hospitality industry is that:
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 Turnover: This issue is relatively a problem in the hospitality sector. As per the survey
by bureau of labour statistics, hospitality and leisure had relates with highest turnover
rates having an average of 4.8% and 5.5% from February to June 2013.
 Recruitment: By having high turnover rates, recruiting is another problem facing by HR
in the hospitality industry. Find a suitable candidate with having skills for the position of
entry level had becomes an issue; basically this is a problem of pre-employment
assessments.
 Training: When the growth rate of retention is low, organisation tends to put new recruits
in the company relates with hospitality industry without providing them with suitable
learning related to the particular job.
 Morale: Executives in the hospitality industry more focus on recruitment and employees
retention, HR also mention morale in the organisation, by having with low morale it
impact the organisation on their service standards, which will affect the reputation of a
hotel, restaurants. This low morale will be happen through stress, few rewards, unskilled
colleagues and lack of training in the organisation (Chams and García-Blandón, 2019).
 Shrinkage: Loss of goods involves with issues for many restaurants, hotels. Issues
related with unreported wastage, thefts and misuse such as providing with drinks to
friends and unnecessary offers, here the loss is also attribute to both transaction and
inventory. Misuse of the hotel property are having with most common issue which arises
during their operations itself. Organisation in relation to hospitality industry needs to take
care about these issues.
According to the view point of Susan Jacobs, there are lots of trending approaches which
impact the organisation related to hospitality industry is that companies needs to define strategies
which is based on demographic group' s personality having with habits and traits (Top 10 Trends
Impacting the Hospitality Industry, 2021). They travel a lot relates with early adopters of
technology. Hotels will adopt the strategy of catering the millennial those who are having the age
group of 18-35. Hotels will maintain their values through satisfying the needs of the customers
by that they will go to promote their businesses on social media channels. Organisation will
going to attend these trends through the process of customers experience and records
(Chelladurai, and Kerwin, 2018). Technological explosion as large majority of guests relates in
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hospitality are self-sufficient, tech using travellers those who are comfortably using the
application and mobile website for the particular hospital industry. In the context of best western
As they are more emphasis on the quality services aspects to meet the needs of the guests.
So they have to take more concern on the technological approaches which deals in providing
with conference centres for having with high quality of tech equipment and operates in
knowledgeable support staff. By focus on health and well-being, guests today are taking
responsibility of their health; hotels are responding with quality equipped fitness centres, pools.
Travellers are having the demand and expecting innovative wellness options. Hotels and resorts
have to provide with healthy food options, air – purification, space for yoga and facilities related
to gym and other medical facilities services. New roles for staffs in hospitality services are one
of the emerging trends in the hospitality organisation, many of the Travellers demands
technology relates to human being. They prefer the system of check-in through digitally and by
the assistance of robotics services.
As per the view point of Sarah came, in any hospitality industry recruiting the right
talents for hospitality services are the main focus of hotel industry as they are seeking for those
talents who are willing to do best through modernised format of working in today's world,
attracting the right talents is quite important for the hospitality business (5 Keys to Successful
Hospitality Leadership, 2021). With so many demands in the hotel industry tends to show the
large operations value regarding their guests in the hotels, positive and excellent quest
experiences in this industry are completely based on the staff attitude and their aptitude. From
the point of check-in to check-out, guest will going to evaluate each service quality of particular
industry as staff have to interact with guest in more effective manner so as to attain the
objectives of the organisation in relation to the hospitality industry (Collings, Wood and
Szamosi, 2018).
According to the study, it will be more benefited and advantageous for hospitality industry
owners and managers by encouraging their employees and staffs through offerings to them by
giving targets on particularly assigned guests as per their capabilities and experiences to attend
them in more effective manner. These are basic trends which are follows by the hospitality
industry in large manner in their operations.
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2. Job description and a person specification for Event Manager
The two different activities that is processed as per people resourcing within human
resource management are job description and personal specification. In this the selected
managerial role within hospitality industry is majorly used to design a sample as Event Manager
for both job and personal specification. Job description involves with written narrative which
describes the general tasks and job related information in relation to duties and responsibilities of
a particular job profile.
DESCRIPTION OF JOB
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job title: Event manager
Department: Event management
Job summary- Event manager will plan the activities through effective planning ideas from start
to finish according to basic requirement, having the skills of attaining their target audience and
objectives. They should be more creative in relation to come up with suggestions to enhance
event's success. They are well trained on preparing the budget according to the level of event
handling.
Responsibilities and Duties:
 Handling invoices and budgeting of particular event.
 Brainstorming and implementing the plans related with specific event.
 Handling and managing the logistics.
 Update of senior management.
 Manage brands and communicate well.
 Generates event management feedback surveys.
 Handles the post event reports.
 Obtain permits.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
A person specification describes the type of person who will going to meet the requirement of
job through having their appropriate skills and capabilities to do their job satisfactorily. This
document relates with person educations and their qualification, abilities related with relevant
training and personal stand out qualities(Cooke, 2018). The specification should be derived from
job description and will develop as foundation for recruitment process. In the context of Best
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western they requires the person with specific abilities and qualification level which will help
them in next selection process is that:
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Job Title: Event manager
Department: Position in management
Attributes Essentials Desirable
Core
Competenci
es
Effective team management qualities and
knowledge with excellent communication
skills.
Effectively manages the working function
of event, having with management of
multi platforms and activities.
Problem solving abilities and
management capabilities, excellent
communication and budgeting skills.
Ability of dealing in effective
decision making.
Education,
qualification
and skills
Requires diploma of event management
Problem solving and critical thinking
abilities
Have basic knowledge about different
event related activities
Budget and negotiating skills
Individual must have bachelors
degree in Event management from a
well recognised university
Experience Approx 2 years of experience required
with having the experience in
accommodation in relation to planning
and forecast functions.
Professional personality, experience
with having proper qualification.
Knowledge Strategies related with innovative and
creative mindset, having market
knowledge in hospitality and events
(Huemann, Keegan and Turner, 2018).
Application related with event
management.
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3. Synthesise and conceptualise the process of Performance Management within the hospitality
industry:
Performance management is also referred as corporate management that is use to managers
in order to monitor and evaluate working efficiency of workers. It is used by business to create
and develop suitable performance along with development of sustained abilities with this quality
as well as working proficiency is enhanced as both effectively and efficiently. It assists the
business to ensure about working so that standardised outcome and target is perceived with better
attentiveness. It is also be used as communication process in which manager and workers both
get worked collectively towards planning, monitoring, directing, controlling and reviewing
working objective in continuous manner.
In the context of Best western international, they owns best western hotels and resorts
branding and having with approx 4700 hotels worldwide with franchise with its corporate
headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, US. This industry relates with hotels and area of serving is
worldwide with their hotels and resorts. Numbers of employees working in this hospitality
industry is approx 1300. This hotel brands works on the principle of providing with best quality
services to their guests through enhancing their experiences by taking feedbacks and go through
by responses. Here are the process of performance management which are engaged in enhancing
and assisting in minimizing the staff turnover, identify training needs (Jiang and Messersmith,
2018).
The performance management is based on ensuring the set of activities and relates with
output meeting with an organisation goals and objective effectively and efficiently. Performance
management deals in determining the performance of the organisation for a department and
manages the processes relates to particular tasks. In the context of hospitality industry like Best
western they have to work on the basis of determining the performances of their staffs on regular
basis by evaluating the activities and guest handling through guest experiences and interaction
basis of an employee working in this hotel brand. They have to make sure about the quality
check both for their employees and quests. It is basically a comparison of employees actual
performance and behaviours with having desired performance and behaviours and rewards.
The process of performance management which relates with hospitality industry like Best
Western to help them in minimizing the turnover of staff, identifying the training and needs
program is that:
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 Select or getting the right people: In organisation process by attains the best talents by
HR recruiter through their hiring process will result in best performances by their
employees who are getting selected by them. Recruitment procedure will be effectively
attain by the HR on the basis of specific required capabilities and skills in the
organisation. So the first phase will be to recruit the best experiences candidates by which
organisation do not need to spend much time on working them in relation to train and
provides with learning. Here the HR professional will make sure about the candidates
performances and experiences in past hotels(Kamoche, 2019).
 Setting Expectation: Once a process of recruitment and selection is done and that
candidate becomes an employees, the next process is to provide them with proper
guidance and orientation value to hem by explain them properly about their job role. And
how that candidate will be fit into their organisation culture. In the context of Best
western they will provide the person with appropriate guests, values, benefits,
expectations and rules for their successful performance. The more employees will
understand what organisation actually required and what how to meet the expectation of
the employees will going to be more effective for the hospitality industry like Best
Western.
 Performance Coaching: In the context of hospitality industry like Best Western due to
their international handling in dealing with large guests. After completion of two phases
of the performance management to develop and generates high performers, organisation
needs to have pre-existing mechanisms in relation to periodically review the performers .
In addition to semi-annual and annual performance related evaluation, the employers of
hospitality will use the checklists, inspections related reports, guest service related feedbacks and
surveys,. These feedbacks will going to identify and assist the employers in relation to improve
the performance issues what ever happen in the organisation.
 Getting rid of poor performers: If all the processes in making the hospitality industry
more capable were not up to the mark as employees and staffs are not performing as per
the expectation. Then the last resort is to transition of poor performers through evaluating
their actual performances. Effective termination of employees will relate to eliminate
poor performers, this will directly sets an example for other employees working in this
hospitality industry to work according to meet the expectations in relation to attain the
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targets and will provides with effectiveness to the organisation. In context of hotel brand
like Best Western , when dealing with performance based terminations, employers should
attains with proper discipline. They will starts with constructive coaching, if that will not
work in improving the employee's performance, then they will go through the screening
of employees by conversation writing in subsequent(Kavanagh and Johnson, 2020).
The importance of performance management in assisting the organisation to minimize the
staff turnover and other values is that hospitality industry like Best Western they have to
implement the performance management in that way so to directs in enhancing the employees
motivation to work aggressively towards their working activities in interacting and handling the
customers or visitors in hotels. Importance of having proper performance management is it
provides with better future for their industry is that by consistently monitoring and managing the
workplace performance, HR managers and executives can get to know about what situation will
they face in future weather it will be positive or not through evaluation of performances of their
current situation of employees operations. By adopting effective performance management, it
will assist in create the development and training strategies. In relation to the hospitality the
major issue arises when employees does not know how to perform in certain processes correctly.
The performance appraisal is used by business in terms of undertaking of informal basis
with this workers get appraised on the basis of skills, knowledge, experience and working
prospect so that it induced positive impact over working attentiveness. In this Best western hotels
and resorts and its management followed certain path for performance appraisal and it is as
explained below as:
Defining objectives of appraisal: It is an initial stage that is used by the management in
order to define certain purpose of appraisal with this more of employees get motivated in
controlled manner.
Defining appraisal norms: It is a basis in which standard objective get developed so as to
improvise performance and with this all the performance of employee get managed and
controlled with adequateness.
Designing appraisal programme: In this adequate methodology get processed with
support of programme completion with this organised change is implemented as per concern of
employee working.
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Appraisal feedback: In this higher authority take feedback from all about the staff and
their subordinates through which requirement of employee get cleared.
Post appraisal actions: It is an action that is taken by management to clarify the among of
appraisal that is provided to the employee so that working proficiency and its effectiveness get
developed in progressive manner.
There are different performance tool used by management in order to provide adequate return
of employee performance and it is as explained below as:
One-on-one performance check-ins: It is used by hospitality organisation to process regular
discussion about to improvise suitable relationship in between employees and managers. It is
used by four start hotel so as to boost the productivity and to build strong employee engagement
working efficiency is developed in progressive manner. It provide option of personal
development as with this workers get enhanced their working performance as with this long term
sustainability is perceived with attentiveness.
The 5As Approach to Goal Setting: It is a tool that is used by hospitality to attain higher
profit by goal setting in which collaborative, complex and rapid based outcome get processed.
The 5 A approach include assessable under which gaol is measured with clarity, aspirational is
based on encouragement and development of workers, aligned through which employee felt
more comfort situation to advance productivity, accountable with this objective get shared to all
workers and agile under which achievable goal is regularly viewed to develop relevant outcome.
It is personalised with people development option as during goal setting performance of workers
get advance that induce positive impact over the working standards as with this proficiency
among completion of task also get increases.
To process performance appraisal adequate performance management tool is used in which
management maintain accurate record of all the workers about their punctuality, working,
accomplishment of goal, behaviour and attributes towards others. In support of this supportive
outcome is developed over advanced mode as business achieve its objective and employee get
adequate return of it.
Performance management provides with clarity in organisation, its denotes with common
problem of what exactly the employee role entails, they are unsure about the job role. Through
the standard of performance management, they will ensure the employees about the particular
job role what they have to do and how they are really doing. Lack of understanding relates with
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