Addressing HRM Challenges: A Case Study of Hilton Hotels and Resorts

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) issues within the hospitality industry, using Hilton Hotels and Resorts as a primary case study. It delves into contemporary challenges such as recruitment and selection difficulties, high employee turnover, the need for effective training and development programs, and the impact of inexperienced managers. The report also explores emerging trends in HRM, including employee engagement, performance appraisals, continuous feedback mechanisms, and the importance of work-life balance. Furthermore, it examines job descriptions and person specifications for roles like hotel supervisors, and it outlines approaches to performance management and people development. Finally, the report presents training materials designed to enhance HRM practices, offering practical insights and strategies for addressing the identified challenges and optimizing workforce management within the hospitality sector.

Issues in Human
Resource Management

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1 & LO2......................................................................................................................................3
Contemporary issues and emerging trends in HRM and reflection.......................................3
LO3..................................................................................................................................................6
Job description and person specification................................................................................6
LO4..................................................................................................................................................9
Approaches to performance management and people development......................................9
LO5................................................................................................................................................12
Training material for practices on training and development..............................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is related to the process of managing employees in an
organisation so that their skills and talents can be utilised efficiently in achieving company goal
and objectives. It involves all the processes like recruitment, selection, remuneration,
performance management, training and development, motivation etc. of employees so that they
can be encouraged to use their knowledge and skills in achieving company’s objectives. HR
managers also help in directing, monitoring, controlling, delegation of roles and responsibilities
among employees etc. so that they can perform their tasks in an efficient manner and complete
them within deadlines. This also help the companies in providing high quality goods and services
to customers so that their experiences can be maximised. In this report Hilton hotels and Resorts
is taken which is a global hotel chain giving highly luxurious facilities to its customers and is an
international brand. The headquarters of this hotel chain is located in Virginia, US and has its
locations in 85 countries with 215,623 rooms that help in enhancing the experiences of
customers. In this report the contemporary issues and emerging trends related with HRM in
hospitality industry will be discussed along with the approaches that can be used for performance
management and people development will also be discussed. Further the policies and practices
which can be used to develop required skills in HR manager will also be discussed.
LO1 & LO2
Contemporary issues and emerging trends in HRM and reflection
Hotel industry is related top hospitality where services related to accommodation, food
and beverage, travel and tourism are given to customers so that they can have a satisfactory
experience. It is therefore important that the employees in the companies related to this industry
are able to provide high quality services to the customers that can create high value for their
money. HRM in the hospitality industry is responsible in utilising the workforce in an efficient
manner so that high quality of services can be given to customers that can help in building brand
reputation of the company in market thereby increasing the sales and profit of company.
However in the contemporary the contemporary market where the customer demands keep on
changing and the competition is also increasing there are certain issues that are faced by HRM.
These issues affect the ability of HRM of company in managing the workforce which affect the

performance of company and the talents of worker is not fully utilised. Following are certain
contemporary issues which are being faced by HRM in hospitality industry:
 Recruitment and selection: The HRM in hospitality industry find it difficult to find the
employees with right set of skills and talents who can give high quality of service to
customers and have the right amount of knowledge and talent related to managing
customers. Also with the increasing employee turnover it becomes difficult for the HRM
to frequently conduct recruitment to select the best possible employees for the company.
It is also difficult in selecting better employees as it is hard to judge from mere interview
that are used in recruiting candidates that they will be able to deal with customer and
provide high quality of services to them (Viitala, Kultalahti and Kanga, 2017)
 Training and development: As the turnover in this industry is more there tend to be
frequent recruitments and the fresh candidates need to be trained which required high
expenditure to the company. It is also difficult to train employees belonging to different
backgrounds and experiences together thereby posing another issue for HRM.
 Employee turnover: The is an increase in the employee turnover in the hospitality
industry which affect the reputation of company and also this affects the recruitment
process as the candidates having high skills and talents do not get attracted to the
company. Also this affect the confidence of employees of company which influence their
performance and it becomes difficult for HRM in boosting their performance that can
help in increasing company sales (Ceric, 2017).
 Inexperienced managers: Many times the HR managers are inexperienced and do not
have the required skills to manage the employees in company which affect their
performance. This in turn affects the productivity of company and the customers cannot
be given best quality of services.
 Company policies and procedures: In the hospitality industry which is related in dealing
with the customers directly it is very important that the employees selected are properly
screened and documented which can help in providing safe and secure services to
customers. It is therefore a challenge for HRM to accurately and properly document
about the employees and follows all the legal policies and procedures in company.
 Safety problems: It is the duty of HRM to provide safe and secure working environment
for the employees so that they can use their complete potential in achieving company

goals. Thus it is also a challenge for HRM to ensure safety of all its employees and
customers.
 Theft: As the hotels and restaurants have large supply of food, high end equipments and
also the customers carry cash and other valuables which increase the chances of theft. It
is thus a challenge for HRM to take care of the security in company and prevent thefts.
As the hospitality businesses are evolving the trends in managing human resources in the
companies are also changing which can help in utilising the talents of employees effectively and
enhancing their performance. Some of these trends are listed below:
 Employee engagement: This is related with the practice of involving employees of
company in decision making so that their morale can be boosted and they can feel that
they are valued in company. It is important that HRM use such policies and strategies that
can help in increasing employee engagement so that job satisfaction in employees can
increase which can help in reducing the employee turnover in company and also help in
making better decisions (Stavrou-Costea and Papalexandris, 2016).
 Performance appraisals: It is important that employees are given appraisals based on
their performance which can help them in improving their performance and also the
service quality provided to customers can also increase.
 Continuous feedbacks; It is also a trend by which employees are given continuous
feedbacks on their performance so that they can know about how well they are able to
perform their work. It also helps them in knowing about their weak areas so that
improvement can be made which can help in improving their performance.
 Work-life balance; it means that the employees must be given flexible working hours
facility so that they can work as per their convenience which help in improving their
performance and also managing a proper balance between work and life. This help in
increasing the performance of employees so that high quality services can be given to
customers (Budhwar and Mellahi, 2018).
While working in Hilton hotel as the HR manager i faced several issues while managing the
workforce in company so that their actions and activities could help in increasing the customer
satisfaction. In the hotel industry it is very important that customers feel comfortable, safe and
secure in their room and also enjoy the high class facilities which are available in Hilton hotel
like pool, high class restaurant service, spa, gym facility etc. so that they can have luxurious

experience during their stay. This can also help in creating high value for them which is
important in increasing the brand image of hotel so that more number of customers can b
attracted and company sales can increase. Employees play an important role in achieving the
goals of a company and so it is important that the HRM of company effectively manages and
monitors them to gain highest advantage of their skills. The problems which i faced as a HR
manager was to train and develop the employees, resolve conflicts between them, enhance their
performance, motivation and aligning their personal goals with the goals of company etc. The
issues created tension and pressure for me so that the staff can be efficiently managed which can
help in improving their work performance (Weller and Gerhart, 2018). Also as there are
developments in trends in market on dealing with employees like employee engagement,
performance appraisal, maintaining equality and diversity in company, giving them continuous
feedback, managing their work life balance etc. i had to form policies so that the changing
demands of employees in market can be efficiently fulfilled. I used policies like training and
development programs, created a participative culture, performance appraisals so that the
employees can be kept motivated and their performance can improve. This helped in creating an
efficient workforce at Hilton which also helped in building a string brand image of company that
help in attracting customers and also talented candidates apply for job roles in the company.
LO3
Job description and person specification
One of the min functions of HRM is to recruit employees for the company having required
skills, knowledge, experience, talents etc. so that they can perform their roles and duties in an
efficient manner which can help the company in achieving its goals and objectives on time. As
hospitality industry is related with giving services to the customers and dealing directly with the
customers so that they can be provided with safe and secure services it is important that
employees having effective people managing skills are selected in hospitality industry. It is
important that the HRM of company recognises the need for employees in the company and also
determine the number of employees that will be required to achieve company goals. Further it is
important that the skills and talents that are required to fulfil a job vacancy are also identified by
HRM in an efficient manner so that candidates having those specific skills can be selected who
will help in performing their roles and responsibilities in an efficient manner. They will also

understand better the demand of their job role and make improvement in their performance and
work efficiency so that high quality results are achieved (Sparrow, 2016).
In order to recruit employees in company in Hilton which is a luxurious hotel industry that
provides high quality service to their customers it is important that the job description and person
specification are formed appropriately. This will help in attracting the candidates with right set of
skills and talents at the right time, for right post so that the effectiveness of company can increase
and high quality services can be given to customers. Hilton hotels and resorts is an international
chain of branded full service hotels that give highly luxurious and 5 star experience to its
customers. The company has its headquarters in Virginia, US and has its branches in 85
countries having 586 hotels focusing both on business and leisure travellers by enriching their
experience through high quality service. There is a requirement of hotel supervisor in Hilton, UK
for which it is important that an appropriate job description and person specification is formed
which can help in attracting the right number of people having the desired skills so that the post
of hotel supervisor can be handled in an efficient manner. It will also help the company in
outlining the specific type of skills which are being looked for in the candidates so that people
having the required knowledge, experience and skills apply for the job making the procedure of
recruitment less complex and quick (Riccucci, 2017).
Hotel supervisor: The hotel supervisors are people who supervise front desk operations like
guest check-in, guest check-out, maintaining room inventory, make bookings over phone calls,
addressing the room service needs of customers by sending them the right attendant for their
requirement, supervising the staff at hotel and delegation of tasks among them. Thus they help in
managing the tasks in hotel so that all the duties are performed efficiently and on time.
Job specification: It is a document which states the characteristics which are required in an
employee so that the job role can be efficiently fulfilled. It is thus important that the HRM of
company analyses the job role so that the requirements which are to be fulfilled along with the
skills which can help in meeting these requirements can be identified (de Ridder and et. al.,
2016). This will also help in making clear to the candidates what is required in the hotel so that
only eligible candidates can be attracted to apply for job in company. A job description which is
designed for the role of hotel supervisor in Hilton hotel is given below:

Hotel supervisor job description
Job title: Hotel supervisor
Company: Hilton hotels and resorts
Reports to: General manager, operations
Prepared date: April, 2020
Job purpose: The hotel supervisor oversees all the activities which are carried out in the hotel
and supervise the work performance of all the staff members and ensure that they provide high
quality service to customers. The person is also responsible for checking-in and out the guests,
making their bookings, sending attendants to them for fulfilling their needs and performing all
the other functions that can help the hotel in achieving its objectives.
Qualifications:
 .
Essential duties:
 Delegation of tasks among staff members and supervising their work performance.
 Meeting the customer requirements instantly so that high quality of service can be given
to them.
 Communicating with guests and employees so that an effective communication can take
place and their needs and wants can be fulfilled.
 Remain calm and alert and also take care of the safety and security of staff members,
customers and the hotel premises.
 Be able to see that all the inventory, foods and beverages, linen, equipments etc. are
sufficient in number and also in a good working condition.
Person specification: It is a document which describes about all the skills, attributes,
qualifications, experiences, knowledge etc. which a candidate must possess before applying for a
job role in the company so that job role can be effectively performed.

Person Specification
 Post: Hotel supervisor
 Department: Operations department
 Key: This shows what is required as an evidence:
 (A): Application form, (I): Interview, (R): Role
Attributes Essential Desirable
 Qualification &
Experience
 Master’s degree in
hotel management
from a recognised
university.
 Experience of working
as a hotel supervisor in
a renowned hotel for at
least 2 years.
 Must have a certificate
regarding effective
communication skills
from a recognised
institute
Good experience of working in
the management field so that
the hotel activities can be
effectively supervised.
 Skills or knowledge  Effective
communication
skills in both written and
verbal.
 Ability to understand
the needs of employees
and customers in an
efficient manner.
LO4
Approaches to performance management and people development
Performance management are related to the activities which help in managing the
performance of workers so that they can help in achieving company objectives on time. It is an
important role of HRM of a company to manage the performance of employees so that high

quality of services can be given to customers that can help in enhancing their work performance.
Following are the approaches of performance management that are followed in 5 star hotels:
 Performance appraisal: It is related with remunerating employees based on their
performance that can help in motivating the employees to improve their performance so
that they can be compensated accordingly. This help in making their performance better
and providing efficient servicers to customers so that customer experience can be
maximised. It is an effective tool to performance management which also help in
improving the brand image of company in market through effective performance
(Sparrow and Otaye-Ebede, 2017).
 Effective communication: Through this approach the communication in company is
made effective by the use of communication tools and channels that help in delivering
and sharing information and messages quickly and without damaging the meaning of
these messages. Effective communication help in making the performance of employees
better as they can understand the information and act accordingly so that the objectives
are efficiently achieved.
 360 degree feedback: In this method the employees receive feedbacks from managers,
peers, customers, subordinates etc. which help them in knowing about their weak areas
where improvements can be made. This help in making them better at their work so that
they can efficiently achieve company objectives on time and providing high quality
services to the customers (Dickmann, Brewster and Sparrow, 2016).
Apart from managing the performance in company so that work efficiency can increase it is
also important that the talent and skills of employees are effectively developed so that they can
meet the changing requirements of customers and help in achieving company goals on time. This
also help in increasing their job satisfaction as they become more capable of performing tasks in
an efficient manner by the development programs help in company thereby increasing employee
retention in company and also increasing their work performance. Following are the approaches
that help in developing employees in 5 star hotels:
 Training and development programs: It is important that the employees are given
training regularly so that they can develop their skills and talents that can help them in
finishing their work in better manner. Training and development programs help in

meeting the requirements of the customers in an effective manner by developing the
employees so that they can deal better with customer needs and wants.
 Mentoring or coaching: It is important that the employees of company are effectively
mentored or given coaching on how they can perform their work which can help in
boosting their confidence and also improve their performance so that they can efficiently
deal with the requirements of job in an efficient manner (Yadav and Yadav, 2017).
 Giving learning opportunities: The employees must also be provided with learning
opportunities that can help them in developing themselves which is important in building
their confidence. They also become more job satisfied as they can deal with the situations
in company in a better manner.
Performance management approaches that are followed in 4 star hotels:
 Performance tests and observations: The performance of employees in these hotels are
observed and tested against set standards of performance so that a comparison of
employee performance can be made and they can be trained on improving their
performance.
 Ranking method: The employees are ranked based on their performance so that a healthy
competition can be developed among employees which can help them in making their
performance better (Ayentimi and Brown, 2018).
 Psychological appraisals: Appraisals are given based on the psychology of mangers
which motivates employees to improve their performance so that they too can be
appraised.
People development approaches followed in 4 star hotels: On the job training: In this employees are trained while they are on their job so that they
can learn how they have to perform their tasks and develop eventually. Job rotation: Rotation in between various job roles in company can help in the overall
development of employees. Mentoring: The managers of company mentor the employees so that their skills can be
developed while they are performing their jobs.
The approaches that can be followed by Hilton hotel which is a 5 star hotel are the same as
followed in all the other 5 star hotels so that the company can achieve its goals and objectives in
an efficient manner.

LO5
Training material for practices on training and development
For a new HR manger in Hilton it is important that they can learn about the practices that are
followed in company regarding recruitment and selection, talent management, training and
development etc. so that they can perform their roles in an efficient manner. Following is a
training material for the new HR manager on training and development of employees in
company so that they can effectively perform their work:
 Benchmark against the competition: It is important to set benchmarks against the
competition so that it can be known that how employees are to be trained and developed
in the company so that a competitive advantage can be gained in market. This can be
done by conducting market surveys and analysis so that the position of company and its
competitors can be known and the amount of improvement to be made can be known
(Mone, London and Mone, 2018).
 Survey the employees: The efficiency and performance of employees is to be surveyed so
that the amount of improvements to be made can be known so that they can be trained
and developed efficiently which can help in increasing their work performance. It will
also help in knowing about the current position of employees and the output they are able
to produce. Also it can help in determining the goals that is to be achieved by training and
developing essential skills in them so that they can be made better in their performance.
 Align training with management’s operating goals: It is important that training that is
given to the employees must be able to build efficiency of workers so that they can work
towards achieving company goals. It is important that the goals of training are aligned
with the company goals so that they can positively help company in gaining a
competitive edge in market. Management always have operating goals like better
performance, productivity, quality, customer experience etc. which must be used in
training and development so that the employees can be developed in a way that they can
achieve management goals. It will also help in ensuring that the employees are
knowledgeable and highly focused on standards and customer satisfaction (Kallio and et.
Al., 2016).
 Run it like a business: This means that the training and development program must be
strategically implemented in company so that the objectives of these practices can be

efficiently achieved. The objectives that are to be achieved must be clearly defined along
with the deliverables. SWOT analysis can also be conducted in order to understand the
areas of weakness which need to be improved so that effective training approach can be
selected. A realistic budget can also be designed so that the program can be effectively
implemented in company.
 Weave it into company’s culture; It is important that the training and development
practices must be implemented in company so that they can be applied life-long and help
in increasing the employee satisfaction by improving their talents, knowledge and skills.
The management must also be able to apply this in the company like involving the
trained employees in making decision that can help in increasing the importance of these
practices. Employee engagement must be increased so that employees can take part in the
company activities that can help in making the company results better (Eaidgah and et.
al., 2016).
 Keep innovating: The practices of training and development must be innovated and new
ideas must be used in making them better so that the changing market conditions and
employee needs can be fulfilled in an efficient manner. It also help in using technology
advancement in the company thereby improving the performance of employees so that
they can perform their tasks in a better.
 Measure results: After the success of company it is important that results are documents
that can help in taking references in future so that training and development practices can
be efficiently applied by successive HR managers. This can help the company in
achieving its objectives in an efficient manner and always gaining competitive edge in
market.
CONCLUSION
From this report it can be concluded that HRM plays an important role in the company as
it help in managing, monitoring, directing the employees so that they can perform their work in
an efficient manner. They face certain problems in managing people that can be eliminated by
using effective practices and policies so that the performance of employees can be enhanced. The
HRM of company also help in ensuring customer satisfaction thereby improving the brand image
of company and increasing company profits.

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