Travelodge Case Study: Enhancing Employability Skills and Performance

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report analyzes employability skills in the travel and tourism sector.

EMPLOYABILITY SKILL IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM SECTOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction................................................................................................................................1
Task 1.........................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Develop a set of own responsibilities and performance objectives.................................2
1.2 Evaluate own effectiveness against defined objectives...................................................3
1.3 Make recommendations for improvement.......................................................................4
1.4 Review how motivational techniques can be used to improve quality of performance...5
Task 2.........................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Develop solutions to work-based problems.....................................................................7
2.2 Communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various levels................7
2.3 Identify effective time-management strategies in relation to the work-based experience
or in your role as a manager at Travelodge............................................................................8
Task 3.......................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Explain the roles people play in a team and how they can work together to achieve
shared goals..........................................................................................................................10
3.2 Analyse team dynamics..................................................................................................11
3.3 Suggest alternative ways to complete tasks and achieve team goals.............................12
Task 4.......................................................................................................................................13
4.1 Evaluate tools and methods for developing solutions to problems with reference to your
chosen organisation or Travelodge Hotel............................................................................13
4.2 Develop an appropriate strategy for resolving a particular problem of labour turnover
with reference to Travelodge Hotel......................................................................................13
4.3 Evaluate the potential impact on the business of implementing the strategy. You should
consider both financial and non-financial impacts on the business.....................................14
Conclusion................................................................................................................................16
References................................................................................................................................17

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Table for improvements...............................................................................................4

Introduction
Travelodge is a hotel industry that provides branded hospitality services to a large customer
base all over the UK. It is one of the largest hotel industries in terms of both employment and
the number of facilities. The current report will focus on the roles and responsibilities of a
manager in Travelodge, further, the effectiveness as per standard objectives will be
determined. The report will also highlight the various communication and motivational
techniques that would solve the various identified issues in the organization. Strategies of
time management and the role of tea dynamics will be executed. Lastly, the report will also
determine the solutions to work based problem.
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Task 1
1.1 Develop a set of own responsibilities and performance objectives
The manager of Travelodge performs multiple activities for the satisfaction of customers. I
need to handle my area of responsibilities and duties in an effective manner so that the
performance objectives can be achieved. The various areas of own responsibilities and
performance objectives are as follows:
Job responsibility:
As the manger at Travelodge, I have been assigned various responsibilities of planning
activities, delegating roles and responsibilities and monitoring performance so that the
objective of growth can be achieved. I am responsible for encouraging the staff to perform
their job roles through the optimum utilization of resources (McCauley et.al, 2015).
Mutual responsibility:
The manager plays an effective role in coordinating the efforts of various departments at
Travelodge such as restaurant, room service and lodging facilities. It is the mutual
understanding of roles that support in the alignment of various roles and attainment of
organizational objectives.
Self responsibility:
I aim at ensuring self development while in the organization through proper training and
development programs. I need to focus on enhancing my skills as a manager so that effective
services can be delivered to the employees for improved performance. The manager is
responsible for conducting effective communication and feedback collection among the
departments so that necessary change can be addressed.
Ensuring safety at workplace:
The manager must be aware of various laws and legislations in an organization so that the
employees can be protected in the workplace. The various acts such as employee safety and
security and payment of minimum wage and other acts must be implemented at Travelodge to
increase employee satisfaction. To ensure its proper application is my responsibility (Clarke,
2016).
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Customer satisfaction:
As a manager at Travelodge, my main objective is to provide a high level of customer
satisfaction through proper delegation of roles and responsibilities to staff members and
bringing innovation in services so that the customers feel attracted and satisfied.
1.2 Evaluate own effectiveness against defined objectives
I need to compare my actual performance with the standard objective of the organization so
that areas that require improvement can be optimized. This is possible with the following
methods:
Communication of objectives to staff:
The manager at Travelodge is responsible for bridging the gap between the top level
management and the line staff through proper communication of objectives and plans so that
the planned objective can be achieved (Quirke, 2017).
On the job training:
This is an effective method that the manager can adapt to increase the level of proficiency of
employees while at work. The ability and skill of employees need to be enhanced as per the
requirement for job role so that expected effectiveness can be achieved.
Team work:
Unity at Travelodge is essential as it ensures the utilization of various skills to gain the
desired level of outcome. I need to focus on inculcating a sense of team spirit among the
employees so that they work with harmony.
Measurement of work:
I need to focus on monitoring the activities of employees and measure their level of
productivity with the actual productivity that could be attained with the proper utilization of
skills.
Customer satisfaction:
The level of customer satisfaction and long term relation determines the effectiveness of
performance of employees in an organization. The main aim of manager at Travelodge is to
ensure that the guests are satisfied and turn back for future services.
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1.3 Make recommendations for improvement
I need to work upon various skills so that the customer services can be effectively delivered.
As a manager, I need to perform the roles and responsibilities in an effective manner to
ensure improvement in services.
Table 1: Table for improvements
NO. SKILLS CURRENT
REMARK
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS
1 Communication Average The current communication pattern at Travelodge is not
very effective. Necessary improvement needs to be made
in the horizontal communication pattern through adapting
effective methods such as regular interaction, formal
communication such as E-mails, notice and letters. I need
to work upon my communication skills through proper
methods of feedback collection (Lahap et.al, 2016).
2 Motivation Good I am a good motivator; various theories of motivation are
implemented in the organization to ensure the efficiency of
work and satisfaction of employees. I need to communicate
with the employees to understand their requirements so
that they can be provided with an optimum solution for the
same.
3 Training Very good The skills and abilities of an employee need to be updated
and groomed up as per the requirement of the job role.
Hence I need to provide proper training facilities for the
employees so that their skill and abilities are able to meet
the required standard at Travelodge. Currently, the
employees are provided proper facilities for training.
4 Personal
development
Average Every employee looks forward to personal development
and growth opportunities. It is vital to ensure the self
development of employees in the organization to increase
job satisfaction and lead to career enhancement.
1.4 Review how motivational techniques can be used to improve quality of performance
Motivational techniques refer to the various strategies and techniques of monetary and non
monetary incentives adapted by managers to increase job satisfaction and productivity at
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Travelodge. Satisfied and happy employees provide better services and welcome guest with a
pleasing personality. They align their personal goals with the goal of the organization. There
are various motivational techniques that can be adapted at Travelodge to increase the level of
satisfaction.
Employee participation:
The employees in an organization must be allowed to actively participate in the various
decisions of the organization, although the sole authority of decision making is kept in the
hands of the manager (Pereira-Moliner et.al, 2016). This makes employees feel like an
integral part of the organization and motivates them to share innovative ideas to enhance
work.
Flexible working practices:
The practice of flexible working supports the employees to maintain a balance between their
personal and professional life. Technological advancements have enabled the organizations to
enhance flexible working practices such as part time work from home and job sharing, this
increases employee retention and motivation.
Incentives, rewards and recognition:
The employees’ performance must be monitored so as to determine the success of
productivity. On the basis of the level of efficiency, the employees must be rewarded with
timely rewards and incentives in both monetary and non monetary form. This provides
satisfaction to the various needs of employees and is an effective source of motivation.
Career development plan:
The employees at Travelodge look forward to enhancing their personal and professional skills
so that future career growth can be achieved. This is possible through proper methods of
training activities and sessions. The employees’ competitiveness must be enhanced to provide
an optimum level of satisfaction and increase job commitment (Thomas et.al, 2017).
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Task 2
2.1 Develop solutions to work-based problems
Work based problem:
It was observed at Travelodge that the communication pattern between various departments is
not effective. This many times leads to a communication gap and loss of vital information to
be shared among all departments.
Solution:
I need to adapt proper methods of formal and informal communication in the organization
and establish a proper medium for the flow of information between departments such as
through E-mails, group meetings and letters to ensure proper delivery of exact information.
Communication is the backbone of Travelodge as they need to continuously interact with the
guests to analyze their requirements and provide them with satisfactory solutions to develop
long term relations. Both verbal and non verbal communication styles are effective in
improving the flow of information (Cunningham et.al, 2017).
Work based problem:
It was also identified that technological advancement has replaced the traditional methods of
keeping records and room service. The employees are not yet efficiently trained in using the
latest technology and find a problem in its easy use.
Solution:
Technology has made work easier and effective; hence it is vital to train employees about the
proper use of new methods so that they do not find it complex and frustrating. The experts
must be hired so as to guide employees about the proper use of the software. This will not
only provide the development of employees but also decrease the amount of work load and
fasten the speed of work. Proper skills need to be inculcated among the employees about the
use of advanced technology.
2.2 Communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various levels.
There are various styles of communication that can be adapted in an organization to provide
effective results and faster decision making. Communication is the main function of manager
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at Travelodge as it assists in aligning the activities of various departments such as restaurant,
reception, administration and booking. There are various directions of communication such
as upwards and downward and planning for effective methods and style of communication is
vital to organizational success.
Aggressive style of communication:
This style of communication is associated with speaking out loud so that their voice is clearly
heard. This is a rude method of communication and often leads to dissatisfaction among
employees. This method focuses on dominating and controlling behaviour by blaming and
threatening. Hence, it is generally not advisable to adapt this method in Travelodge (Niess
and Diefenbach, 2016).
Passive style:
This is a promising style of leadership that allows employee participation and empowerment
in the various activities and decisions of Travelodge. This style of communication does not
serve for long term solutions to problems. It resolves misunderstandings and avoids
confrontation. The disadvantage of this style is poor body posture and lack of truthfulness.
Assertive style of communication:
This is better than the above two types of communication as it offers a professional
communication pattern for global business growth such as in Travelodge. It allows the
participation of both manager and employees in formal communication so that set objectives
can be achieved in an innovative manner (Men, 2015). This pattern allows the sharing of own
ideas, feelings and desires for the betterment of oneself and the organization Travelodge.
2.3 Identify effective time-management strategies in relation to the work-based experience or
in your role as a manager at Travelodge.
The manager at Travelodge performs various multiple activities to fulfil the demands of the
guests. A schedule must be prepared for the activities so that tasks can be completed as per
the set deadline. There are various time management strategies that can be adopted to ensure
the achievement of targets on time.
Work prioritization:
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Long term goals in an organization can be achieved with appropriate methods of work
prioritization. I need to identify the most important task that needs to be achieved first and
line up the various tasks as per their importance. This is a good way of meeting essential
deadlines and minimizing stress. It also involves discarding the unimportant task so that
unnecessary clusters are not formed (Lee et.al, 2015). The essential E-mails must be clearly
marked and separated so that they are done on an urgent basis.
Delegation:
There are various roles and responsibilities that need to distributed after monitoring skills of
employees so that work load and pressure is minimized and the tasks are completed with
proper support of a specialist. Delegation is an appropriate time management strategy to
resolve issues of overburdening of work.
Refusal to unplanned activity:
The tasks that have short notice period and lacks planning must be avoided to save potential
time for other projects at Travelodge. For example, if an urgent conference is to be organized
which is unplanned, it must be refused as it would cause a drop of services for other guests
and increase the workload of staff.
Time management strategies support in reducing the problems of duplication of work and
unproductive behaviour due to stress. They support the effective achieving of targets as per
the set schedule and deadline.
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Task 3
3.1 Explain the roles people play in a team and how they can work together to achieve shared
goals
The team leaders are responsible for motivating and guiding their team to share and achieve
team goals. There are various motivational theories that can be used to increase the
dedication of employees towards the activities of the organization. The team members play
various roles to achieve success.
Leaders:
The team members act as leaders to encourage each other for the performance of activities.
They motivate the group and set guidelines for the proper achievement of targets. It is also
ensured in the organization that the goals are properly achieved with the proper utilization of
skills and abilities (Bolman and Deal, 2017).
Executors:
The role of executor is to implement the various plans and procedures as formulated through
team assistance. They support in effective execution of plan with the proper utilization of
resources and skills.
Monitors:
These are personnel that are responsible for monitoring the activities of team members so that
any deviations and loop holes can be identified, analyzed and corrected without wasting
much time so that there is no delay and ineffectiveness in plan execution.
Facilitators:
The role of the facilitator is to mange proper adaption to the various changes in the business
environment so that work related outcome can be achieved. It involves conducting proper
meetings, gatherings and group discussions among teams so that new ideas and changes can
be discussed.
Trainers:
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