An Analysis of HRM Practices and Training in the Service Industries

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) within the service industry, with a specific focus on the Hilton Hotel. It begins by defining HRM and its importance in the service sector, emphasizing the crucial role of human resources. The report delves into the job description and person specification for an HR manager at Hilton Hotel, outlining responsibilities and required qualifications. It then compares the employee selection processes of Hilton Hotel and Thomas Cook, highlighting the differences in their approaches. Furthermore, the report explores the contribution of training and development activities to the effective operation of Hilton Hotel, emphasizing their impact on employee productivity, service quality, profitability, employee motivation, and the overall working culture. It also identifies barriers and attitudes toward training within the hotel. Finally, it addresses the overall objectives of Hilton Hotel, such as providing high-quality customer service and increasing goodwill and market share, and how effective HRM practices contribute to achieving these goals. The report concludes by summarizing key findings and emphasizing the importance of HRM in the success of service-based organizations. This assignment is contributed by a student to be published on Desklib, a platform which provides all the necessary AI based study tools for students.

Human Resource
Management for Service
Industries

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................1
3.1 Job description and person specification for HR manager in Hilton Hotel...........................1
3.2 Comparing the selection process of different service industry’s businesses.........................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
4.1 Contribution of training and development activities to the effective operation of Hilton
Hotel............................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management (HRM) is an approach used by firms for the effective
management of most valuable assets of organisation i.e. people. The basic necessity of any
organisation operating in service industry is its human resources without whom to run business is
not possible (Boella, 2017). Present study is based on Hilton hotel, UK which is one of the
largest hotel brands across world. There will be discussion on job description and person
specification for the HR manager in Hilton Hotel. Also, selection processes used by Hilton and
British Airways will be compared. Contribution of training and development activities to the
effective operation of Hilton Hotel will be given as well.
TASK 1
Covered in PPT
TASK 2
3.1 Job description and person specification for HR manager in Hilton Hotel
JOB DESCRIPTION
Company – Hilton Hotel, London
Department – Human Resource
Position – HR Manager
Reporting To – Head of Department
Job Brief
Hotel is looking for an HR Manager to look after the personnel and their related matters in
organisation that starts from recruitment to providing compensation and training to staff with
assessing their performance.
To get best fit on this job role, experience in hospitality industry on some higher position of
HR is required with having knowledge regarding labour legislation especially with respect to
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flexible working hours.
Overall, you need to ensure that staff is engaged, motivated, well-trained and productive to
render high quality customer services.
Responsibilities
 To make recruitment plans for front-house and back-house personnel
 To give job ads regarding open roles using online and print media
 To screen and take interviews of candidates with their evaluation
 To provide job offers and employment contracts
 To provide salary with calculating payroll based on overtime, leaves and holidays
 To give benefits to retain employees
 To arrange and provide job related training sessions
 To keep a track on turnover rate and source of hire
 To ensure that staff complies with all laws and regulations of hotel industry
Requirements
 At least 5-7 year’s work experience as an HR Manager in some reputed hotel
 Hands-on experience in the hiring of all kinds of positions present in hotel
 Should have knowledge regarding all kinds of employment flexibilities
 Must be familiar with software related to payroll, resume database and ATS
 Degree of BSc in HR or in some other related field like organisational psychology
PERSON SPECIFICATION
HR Manager
Education
First degree in Business Administration or related fields from a nationally recognised
institution.
Desirable
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 A PG (post graduate) degree in HRM (human resource management) or any other
related fields or disciplines like employee relations, organisational behaviour, etc.,
relevant to the position of HR Manager.
 Membership in CIPD, SHRM, etc. received through professional experience from a
specialised human resource body which should be recognised at the national level.
Experience and knowledge
 At least 5 to 7 years in HRM with special reference to compensation and benefits and
contract administration
 Experience in hiring people at all kinds of positions in hotel
 Advisory experience; given to staff and managers in respect with hiring and selection
with contractual provisions
 Experience to work with diverse and cross cultural teams
 Should have practice to work under pressure and bringing changes with a flexible
approach
Desirable
 Experience of at least 1 year with an international organisation
 Knowledge of using electronic HR systems like online selection tools
Evaluating aim of recruitment and the techniques used in its process through different HR
theories
Resource Based Theory and Stakeholder or Collaborative Theory of HRM are those
approaches which justify the aim of recruitment as well as techniques used in it. The resource
based theory of HRM states that workforce is to be recruited with giving due consideration on
their strategic value as well as issues of workplace learning (Bratton and Gold, 2017). If Hilton
will use this theory, it has to consider its employees as a group of productive resources. Thus, at
the time of hiring people, it uses techniques like online and print job ads with an aim to recruit
the best suitable candidates who can render quality customer services and make firm able to gain
competitive advantage (Nieves and Quintana, 2018).
Another theory of HRM is Stakeholder or Collaborative Theory in which for the
recruitment, company uses appropriate communication methods like social media with an aim to
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approach highly skilled and capable candidates so that any organization like Hilton hotel could
establish effective cooperation as well as coordination at workplace. This theory focuses on all
stakeholders of company to achieve a common goal by making them work collaboratively for the
betterment of business (Baum, 2016).
3.2 Comparing the selection process of different service industry’s businesses
In Thomas Cook which is one of the leading travel and tourism organisations of UK
having highest customer base, it has been observed that in comparison to other firms like Hilton
hotel, company is using somewhat different selection process to select a candidate on some
vacant position. In case of hiring person on the position of HR manager, at first, company invites
candidates through giving advertisement via their official websites or other social media
(Hughes, 2018). After that, HR department of Thomas Cook does screening on the basis of
which candidate chosen are invited for the interview that is taken by top management. In the next
and last stage, the one being shortlisted by the higher authorities is being selected at the position
of HR manager.
On the other hand, in Hotel Hilton, people are invited for the vacant position like in
case of HR manager through giving job ads via online or print media. After that, in the next
phase, a written test is taken by the candidates based on their knowledge regarding department to
which they applied for (Mahal, 2018). Those who pass this test are shortlisted and referred for
the next step i.e. personal interview (PI) in which higher authorities test the candidates in terms
of their knowledge, skills and abilities. Finally, the one who is selected in this round is brief out
with all terms and conditions of Hilton hotel and if he/she gets satisfied with same, company
provides joining letter (Baum, 2016). So, it can be said that if both the organizations have their
own selection processes that are somewhat different from each other but, judges the candidates
through a systematic structure of steps.
TASK 3
4.1 Contribution of training and development activities to the effective operation of Hilton Hotel
In the present scenario, companies give due emphasis on training and development of
employees for making employees and business grow attain success for longer span of time. In
Hotel Hilton, seniors give direction and guidance to the staff so that set targets can be achieved
by them effectually. However, to gain excellent results, Hilton hotel is providing effective
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training and development sessions to employees which ultimately leads to enhance their
productivity and minimize the costs of company (Sheehan, Grant and Garavan, 2018). It can be
said that there is high contribution of training and development activities in the effective
operations of Hilton hotel. This can be justified by the below mentioned points:
 Increases productivity of employees: Hotel Hilton employs people who can perform
their roles and responsibilities efficiently. After providing training, they all become
capable enough to fulfil their long term goals and make company gain competitive
advantage over others. Further, this provides chance to employees to have future
development with lots of career opportunities (Baum, 2018).
 Leads to high quality of products and services: When employees are provided with
proper training and development sessions based on their roles and requirements that may
be on-the-job or off-the-job, their work gets improved which results in increasing the
quality of services that customers of Hilton hotel. Thus, it can be said that training
contributes in improving image of organisation in the eyes of public.
 Enhances profitability: Training and development of employees increases their existing
skills, knowledge and abilities with which they perform their allotted tasks in a better
way which leads to increase the profits of organisation (Qureshi, 2016).
 Motivates employees: As training enhances the skills, abilities and knowledge of
employees, they get highly motivated with which their performance gets improved.
Therefore, with increased proficiencies, quality work is done that contributes in effective
operations of hotel
 Improved working culture of the organisation: It can be said that training and
development programs prove to be highly helpful in promoting a positive work culture at
workplace with the help of which Hilton hotel establishes a learning culture that results in
running operations effectually (Nieves and Quintana, 2018).
Barriers and attitudes to training in Hilton hotel
 Employee resistance to change – Major barriers to training in Hilton hotel is resistance
of employees to change. Being in such a competitive industry, firm needs to keep on
bringing changes but, many a times, it happens that employees resist in accepting the
same for which training is to be provided (7 Barriers to Organisational Learning, 2017).
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 Disrespect of team success – Sometimes, employees show negative attitude towards
training because they are not happy with the team they are working for and so, they
disregard its success and are not willing to learn anything.
 Complexity – In the modern world, Hilton hotel to keep pace with changes occurring in
environment is using multiple systems and platforms for which training is given to
employees but sometimes, to learn the same becomes difficult for staff and so, they
become negative and disinterested (Hughes, 2018).
Overall objectives of Hilton hotel
 To provide high quality customer service – Major aim of Hilton hotel is to render high
quality services to customers so that they can be retained for longer span of time. For the
same, training and development of employees plays a significant role as they are human
resources only who are the front face of company.
 To increase goodwill and market share – Another objective of Hilton hotel is to increase
the goodwill as well as market share of company to gain a strong and competitive
position in market over other rivalry firms. For the same, employee’s training contributes
a lot as with enhanced proficiencies, they perform their tasks effectually which ultimately
leads to improve the quality of operations and services and so, reputation of hotel in the
eyes of customers increases (Qureshi, 2016).
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that without effective management of human
resources, to survive in such a dynamic and highly competitive market is not possible for Hilton
hotel being in hospitality industry. It has also been assessed that with the help of training and
development activities, operations in organisation can be effectually run as it increases the
existing skills, knowledge and abilities of employees which ultimately results in increased
productivity and profits of business.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Baum, T. ed., 2016. Human resource issues in international tourism. Elsevier.
Baum, T., 2018. Sustainable human resource management as a driver in tourism policy and
planning: a serious sin of omission?. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 26(6). pp.873-889.
Boella, M., 2017. Human resource management in the hotel and catering industry. Routledge.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Hughes, J.C., 2018. 2. The changing tourism and hospitality context: implications for human
resource management in an age of disruption and growth. Handbook of Human Resource
Management in the Tourism and Hospitality Industries. p.40.
Mahal, P.K., 2018. Organizational Factors Affecting Job Outcomes: An Empirical Study of
Hotel Industry. Journal of Applied Management-Jidnyasa. 10(1). pp.21-37.
Nieves, J. and Quintana, A., 2018. Human resource practices and innovation in the hotel
industry: The mediating role of human capital. Tourism and Hospitality Research. 18(1).
pp.72-83.
Sheehan, M., Grant, K. and Garavan, T., 2018. Strategic talent management: A macro and micro
analysis of current issues in hospitality and tourism. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism
Themes. 10(1). pp.28-41.
Online
7 Barriers to Organisational Learning. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://blog.walkme.com/98-walkme-employees-completed-self-evaluations-on-time/>.
Qureshi, H., 2016. Benefits of Training & Development in an Organization. [Online]. Available
through: <https://kashmirobserver.net/2016/opinions/benefits-training-development-
organization-3983>.
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