Personal and Professional Development Report for Travelodge HR Manager

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of personal and professional development within the context of a Travelodge HR manager's role. It explores the benefits of ongoing professional development for various stakeholders, including employees, employers, and customers. The report delves into the expectations of professional employers regarding skills and competencies, utilizing a SWOT analysis to assess the author's own abilities and areas for improvement. It examines various learning theories, such as Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and Cognitivism, and their application in personal and professional development. A development plan is proposed to enhance chosen skills, alongside a reflection on a job interview process, highlighting strengths and weaknesses. The report aims to provide a practical framework for enhancing skills, competencies, and overall career progression within the hospitality sector.

PERSONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................3
P 1 Key benefits of on-going professional development for different stakeholders in
Travelodge..............................................................................................................................3
P 2 Professional employer expectations of skills and competencies .....................................4
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................5
P 3 Own abilities, skills, and competences for the job...........................................................5
P 4 Range of learning theories and approaches used for personal and professional
development processes...........................................................................................................7
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................8
P 5 Development plan to enhance chosen skills and competencies ......................................8
LO 4 ..............................................................................................................................................11
P 6 Job interview..................................................................................................................11
P 7 Key strengths and weaknesses in the process of interview............................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Personal or professional development plans. The personal or professional development plan
(PDP) is a formal means by which an individual sets out the goals, strategies and outcomes of
learning and training. Plans will vary between individuals. This report covers issues such as
development of professionals, mock interview, audit and SWOT analysis of personal skills,
reflection on interview.
LO 1
P 1 Key benefits of on-going professional development for different stakeholders in Travelodge
Ongoing development which relates to professional development takes place when company can
reduce the gap which is affecting the productivity and skills of the gaps. Benefits of this aspect
are-
Employees-
The development in the company which is in process can help the company to improve
their skills, knowledge and behavior of the personnel of the company. Apart from this it also
helps the company to improve the level of productivity and increasing the efficiency in
operations of the company. If they are successful in enhancing the abilities and skills of the
employees of the company then their level of potential and capability of doing work will also
increase which will allow them to earn more money. This aspect support the employees of
Travelodge so that they can achieve growth in their career and the desired objectives. The
company can record their path of development so that they can make other people inspire and
learn from that. The process of development can keep them interested for the work and curious
about knowing new things which will result in generation of new and ideas with innovation
which will help in expanding the share of the market. (Korthagen, 2017. )
Employers-
It is also necessary for the employers of Travelodge to engage in the process of learning
and do it on a continuous basis as it will help them to increase their knowledge and look up to
opportunities which are new. It will also help them to explore new areas with a substantial
amount of knowledge. It will help them to create ideas which can help and benefit the people
who travel consistently and attract more people to ask for the services of Travelodge. With the

help of this process owners of the company can make their customers loyal to them. This process
makes them aware about the trends and conditions of the market so that they can implement the
measures which can help them to cope up with it. Productivity, profitability and capability of the
company will enhance with the help of these measures.
Customers-
The process of development in which the company is engaged can help them to make
strategies which can give benefits to their clients. For instance the process of professional
development will lead to learning which will help them to improve their skills and help them to
satisfy more customers as more of their queries and problem will be solved. Creating more and
satisfying more customers will increase the word of mouth in the market which will help the
company to increase their goodwill in the market.
P 2 Professional employer expectations of skills and competencies
There are many skills which are needed for the job and demanded by the employer at the
time of recruitment and selection.
Human Resource Manager-
At the time of recruitment for the suitable employees for the designation of manager of
HR. employer of Travelodge will be busy in checking and taking up the required tests so that
they can know the abilities and potential of the candidate.
Decision Making-
Travelodge must give the job of hiring people who takes decision on the basis of
attributes and skills of people instead of taking it on emotional basis. HR manager must have
abilities which can solve the problems of employees of the company in less time. In the situation
where risk is involved and all the responsibilities of employees is in the hands of HR then they
must take decisions which are appropriate for the company. (Mitina, 2017. )
Communication Skills-
Manager of HR must have the appropriate skills of communication so that he or she can
maintain a good relationship with the employees of the company. It will help the company to get
better results as employees of the company will work as a team and divide the work which they
have been assigned so that they work according to their area of expertise and complete the work
in an efficient manner.
Time Management Skills-

Manager of HR department must have the skills of managing time so that they can
complete the work before the deadline. Apart from this the goals and objectives of the company
can also be met before the expectations. For instance HR of the company must prioritise the
work according to its importance or the completion of time. Apart from this employees must get
the adequate amount of training so that they can be more efficient in completing the work and
complete it effectively. (Olsen, 2015. )
Presentation Skills-
Manager of HR must have substantial amount of skills regarding presentation. If the HR
manager possess these skills then the employees of the company will understand the depth of the
work and the changes and the strategies which would be require to complete the work. HR of
Travelodge must keep in mind that whenever they want to pass on any kind of information to the
employees they will need to use the language in a clear and concise way so that they can easily
understand and have no doubts about the task.
Training and development Skills-
HR that the company selects must have skills to train other people and develop the skills
of them. So that they can work up to their full potential and handle the tasks which requires huge
amount of skills alone without any guidance.
LO 2
P 3 Own abilities, skills, and competences for the job
Currently I am working as a manager of HR in Travelodge and I have the skills which are
required for the job. To describe mys skills, abilities and weakness I have used the model of
SWOT analysis so that both personal and professional skills I possess can be easily highlighted.
Apart from that I have also used the audit of traffic light so that I can assess my own skills.
Personal and Professional SWOT Analysis-
Strength-
After the analysis I have got to know that as a manager of HR I have evolved and now I
possess skills which are effective and I can train the employees of the company so that they can
complete the task. Apart from this I also have skills of empathy which allow me to analyse the
problems of the employees and solve them.
Weakness-

I have analysed that I need to improve my skills of communication so that I can talk
freely with others. I have also recognized that I am not able to manage the time in an effective
manner which create hurdles for employees in Travelodge. As a HR I must have skills to take
good decisions for the company but I lack somewhere in this field. (Lavery and Coffey, 2016.)
Opportunities-
I have the scope to improve all the skills where I lack and have the opportunity to
improve both my personal as well as professional skills. (Shuler and Keller-Dupree, 2015.)
Threats-
The biggest threat is that there are many skilled people out there who will be suitable for
my position so I need to work on improving my skills as all other people with skills are threat to
them.
Traffic light skill audit
Quality of work to improve Not confident 100% 100% confident
SELF AND TIME MANAGEMENT
With the help of analysis I have analysed that in order to complete the work on
time I need to improve my skills,
I go through trouble at the beginning stage.
I make sure that no work must be left or pending and if it is I make it complete.
To finish my work on time I have kept a diary with me.
I give priority to my work so that I can complete it before the deadline.
PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING

After the analysis I realized that I don't have substantial amount of skills and
that takes time to solve a problem of the team.
I am not able to give them different solutions to their problems.
I thing for the solutions critically so that I can find the solutions to the problem
and help to increase the effectiveness of work in the team.
I work on finding out solutions which are creative to the team. (Vetere and
Stratton, 2016. )
I try to engage in a conversation with my team of employees.
I have full knowledge of the expectation and demand of everyone in the
company.
LINGUAL COMMUNICATION
I listen to the problems of other people and discuss it with them so that I can
take effective measures to solve that action.
In the middle of the meeting I ask many questions to my team so that I can
communicate more with them and bring more creative ideas so that I can help to
increase the aspect of productivity in the company.
I take feedback from my employees on a regular basis when the meeting is
ended so that I can make the required changes in conducting the meetings.
I give presentation on both the basis that is verbally and written to my team so
that they can easily understand the concerned topic.
I take suggestions from the members of my team so that I can introduce my
strategies according to their suitability.

P 4 Range of learning theories and approaches used for personal and professional development
processes
Travelodge takes help of various theories of learning so that their employees can improve
their personal and professional skills. Learning theories are used such as-
Kolb Learning Theory-
This theory is also known as experiential learning. It is divided into four stages so that
skills of the employees can be improved.
Concrete Experience-
This aspect states that employees of the company learn from their past mistakes and
experiences so that they can know where they are lacking and make the appropriate changes. By
this it helps them to remove the gaps in their performance. On the top of that they will have the
power to face any kind of situation which is critical.
Reflective Observation-
They use the technique of special reflection so that they can overcome those mistakes
which they made in the past and expand their capacity of work so that they work on to increase
both their aspects that is personal and professional. (Hildebrand, 2018.)
Abstract Conceptualization-
This aspect of learning states that employees of Travelodge can engage themselves in the
process of formulating new ideas by remembering their old experiences. They can also modify
the thoughts and mould them into making them innovative and creative so that they can take out
solutions to their problems.
Active Experimentation-
This strategy of learning states that more and more experiments needs to be done in order
to come up with the changes and methods that are innovative. This will help Travelodge to
increase and obtain more share in the market. (Vangrieken and et.al., 2017.)
Cognitivism Theory-
Employees of the company can learn their skills and develop it so that they can be more
efficient in taking decisions. This learning also help to develop the emotions and process of
mental abilities so that decisions can be more logical. This will also help the company to change
the perception which will help them to change their working pattern and behaviour. It will help

the company to cope up with the changing needs of the market. By this employees generates
interest and curiosity so that they can learn more. (Ramia and et.al., 2016. )
Behaviourism Theory-
This theory of learning states that Travelodge makes the goals and objectives clear and
make them understand clearly to employees so that they can work accordingly. It will develop
both their personal as well as professional skills and they will work on the goals which are set by
the company which will reduce the time it will take to achieve it. (Grima-Farrell, 2015.)
LO 3
P 5 Development plan to enhance chosen skills and competencies
As a manager of HR I have recognized that there are some weakness which I need to
follow. That is why I have prepared a development plan for personal and professional abilities.
Development
objectives
Priority Activities which
are needed to be
undertaken
Resources Starting
date of
target
Finishing
date of
target
Criteria for
success
Communicat
ion
The
priority of
this
objective
was high.
To improve my
skills I had to gain
the confidence and
for that I started
engaging in
conversations with
many different
people. I started
doing debates with
people and
engages in
discussions so that
I can develop the
sense of being an
I needed a
platform so
that I can
perform the
debate in
front of a
large
audience. I
will watch
the tutorials
which are
uploaded
online and
practice it
15/08/17 15/12/17 The path to
success will be
when I will be
able to gain the
confidence and
speak in front of
people without
stammering as I
have stage fear
which stops me
to go on the
stage and say
anything.
(Velliaris and

effective
communicator.
after. Pierce, 2017.)
Management
of Time
Priority of
this
objective
is
moderate.
To improve my
skills which are
related to manage
the time as a HR
of Travelodge. I
started to set the
priority of the task
which needs to be
completed first.
Earlier I used to
take it on the basis
of easy and hard as
easy will take less
time and hard will
take more time.
But now I have
started to mark the
calendar and keep
a diary with me so
that I can
remember which
task needs my
focus on which
day. Apart from
this Travelodge
provides a training
for it which I have
signed up for
which will help me
The only
thing I will
need is
patience and
support from
my team so
that I can
focus on
improving it
as soon as I
can.
(Dorociak
and et.al.,
2017.)
05/07/17 25/10/17 The path to
reach the
success in this
aspect is to
complete the
work before
deadline and
reduce the time
at the stage of
production
process.

to improve more.
Presentation
Skills
The
priority of
these skills
are low.
In order to
improve my skills
of presentation in
both the forms that
is written and oral.
This will allow me
to clear the doubts
of team in a better
way.
I will learn
this aspect
from tutorials
posted on
websites.
Apart from
this I will
work on
achieving my
objectives
with a little
help from
public.
05/09/17 05/10/17 I will achieve
success in this
aspect by
presenting my
thoughts and
beliefs in a
better way to a
sum of people.
LO 4
P 6 Job interview
Mock Interview-
This type of interview is just a prep interview and it is used so that employees of the
company can train themselves before they go for an actual interview.
Interviewer- Describe yourself?
HR Manager- Currently I am working for Tesco at the post of assistant HR and now I believe
that I can work as a manager of the company and I have experience of 2 years in this industry.
Interviewer- What is the reason behind you choosing us and why do you want to work with us?
HR Manager- Your company is the leading brand in the market and I want to be a part of that
not just that I believe that I am eligible to work at your company.
Interviewer- Tell me your skills as a manager?
HR Manager- I have skills such as proper time management and never miss the deadline of the
work and I can train the employees of the company. (Dolga and et.al., 2015.)
Interviewer- Thanks have a nice day!
HR Manager- Welcome! I hope I will be selected and get a chance to work with you.

P 7 Key strengths and weaknesses in the process of interview
Strength-
I believe that me arriving on exact time would have make an good impression on the
interviewer and the past experiences I told him will be counted as my strength.
Weakness-
I was feeling nervous because of which I was not able to answer him eye to eye and at
some points I took a lot of time to answer a specific some questions which may have left a bad
impression in the eyes of the interviewer.
Challenges and Obstacles to overcome-
I faced many challenges and obstacles at the time of interview. For instance I didn't have
the confidence which I should have so I need to work on that. After that I should've told him
about more of my skills so I need to be fast and more expressive so that I can communicate
better in less time. (Davies, Curtin and Robson, 2017.)
Reflection-
The interview which I gave at Travelodge for the post of manager was average on the
basis of performance. I faced many challenges at the time of interview and without that it
could've been better. I was not confident but the person who took my interview made me
comfortable and it should have been me. But I am sure that if I made some mistakes some of the
abilities I have left a mark in the interview. As I am good in communicating and I answered all
of his questions apart from that I was respectful and I maintained courtesy at every level of the
interview. The past experience I told him was the most powerful weapon I had in the interview.
(Agafonova, Bryukhova and Kaigorodov, 2015. )
CONCLUSION
From the above studies it has been concluded that Travelodge is busy in developing the skills of
their employees on both the basis that is personal and professional. Company uses many theories
of learning so that they can train them and work hard to make their experience better. Company
has identified the skills as well as the potential of the workers.