Travelodge: Personal Skill Audit and Professional Development Plan

This report presents a personal skill audit and professional development plan specifically designed for Travelodge. It begins with an introduction to professional development plans and their benefits for various stakeholders, including employers, employees, and customers. Task 1 explores the advantages of ongoing professional development and identifies essential skills and competencies expected of employers within Travelodge, such as communication, analytical skills, flexibility, and leadership. Task 2 focuses on assessing the author's own skills, competencies, and abilities as a Travelodge manager, emphasizing leadership, time management, and conflict resolution. It also delves into the theories and concepts of personal and professional development, including behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist learning theories. Task 3 outlines a detailed development plan, specifying skills needed, reasons for their importance, development methods, and timeframes. Finally, Task 4 addresses a job interview simulation, analyzing strengths and weaknesses. The report concludes with a summary of findings and references.

PERSONAL SKILL
AUDIT AND
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
PLAN

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK1.............................................................................................................................................3
P1. Key benefits of on going professional development for different stakeholders within
Travelodge..............................................................................................................................3
P2. Professional employer skills and competencies in a Travelodge.....................................4
TASK2.............................................................................................................................................5
P3. Assessment of own skills, competencies and abilities as manager of Travelodge..........5
P4. Theories and concepts of personal and professional development..................................6
TASK3.............................................................................................................................................7
P5. Development plan............................................................................................................7
TASK4...........................................................................................................................................10
P6. Job interview for a suitable service industry role...........................................................10
P7. Key strength and weakness of applied interview...........................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFRENCE...................................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
A professional development plan is a plan which documents the objectives, necessary skills
and competency development and the goals which are required to be attained by the employees
at the workplace in order to assist continuous improvement and career development. This plan is
usually created by the managers who are closely working with the employees of the company.
They are the ways through which an individual working in the organization sets out goals,
strategies so that continuous learning and training programs can be enhanced (Hicks and et. al.,
2014). Organization undertaken in this report is Travelodge which was founded in 1985 and
deals in a hospitality industry. It serves products and services of hotel, accommodation,
restaurants, etc. This report will explain the benefits of professional development for different
stakeholders. It will identify and analyze the professional development employer expectations of
skills and competencies. It will provide assessment of own skills, competencies and the various
learning and development approaches. This will further design the professional development
plan and demonstrate a range of service industry and transferable skills for a job application.
TASK1
P1. Key benefits of on going professional development for different stakeholders within
Travelodge.
Professional development has become a prominent aspect in the present business scenario.
Due to dynamic nature of business environment and increasing competition has posed a greater
emphasis on the organisation to enhance regular development by rendering adequate training and
learning programs (Kelly and Cherkowski, 2015). Therefore, Travelodge will focus on
improving and enhancing the development programs which will provide various benefits from
different stakeholders and they are discussed below :
 Employers : They are the superior people working within the Travelodge. By learning the
importance of regular development in professional area, they will be able to build and
develop their leadership skills, which in turn will be very useful for providing training
and guiding people to accomplish business objectives.
 Employees : They are the people or staff that are working according to the mission and
vision of the business (Murdoch-Eaton and Sandars, 2014). As Travelodge is a
hospitality industry so it becomes very important for the organisation to provide

continuous training to the employees. By doing this, employees will be aware of the new
methods of working. For instance, they must have adequate knowledge and training about
working on the various technological equipments. They must be aware about the up
gradations in the food menu so that when customer questions them than they can easily
solve their queries. Thus, it is very crucial to train the employees and assure that each
employee is aware of all the relevant queries or problems which can be faced by the
customer and are easily be solved.
 Customers : They are most crucial elements of the industry and without them the business
cannot exist. They needs quality service and assurance that the hotel will provide them
with superior hospitality (Bayar, 2014). For this purpose, the staff and employees must
be trained enough that they will be aware of growing trends and facilities in the hotel
which can provide customer with extra ordinary services like swimming pool, spa, yoga,
meditation, music events, etc. This will not only satisfy the customer but will lead to
fulfilment of organisational goals and objectives. This will build long lasting relationship
between the customer and the Travelodge and insure that customer will return back.
P2. Professional employer skills and competencies in a Travelodge.
Skills and competencies are the required potential and abilities which are necessary for the
employer in accomplishing business goals and objectives in Travelodge. So there are various
skills and competencies that must be there in employer to attain business goals and they are
discussed below :
 Communication skills : These skills are important in the business so that messages and
relevant information can be communicated easily. Without this skill, the Travelodge will
not be able to clarify the mission and vision of the company and that will affect the
organisational goals and objectives (Prosek and Hurt, 2014). This helps in addressing the
people’s problems which are necessarily important so that there issues can be solved and
their remains a harmonious and friendly business environment.
 Analytical and research skill : These skills are concerned with conducting regular
research and investigation relating to the innovative technologies and services which are
offered by the competitors. It helps the Travelodge in making themselves modified and
provides customers with various latest technologies and facilities which will enhance
them and leads to effectively satisfying the customers.

 Flexibility : The employees and employer must of the Travelodge must own the
flexibility. It is because business environment is highly dynamic and changes in any
political, economic, legal, environmental, social or technologies will put pressure on the
company to adopt the changes so that business goals can be accomplished (Brody and
Hadar, 2015). So therefore, people must be flexible in nature and does not resist to the
changes.
 Decision making and problem solving skills : Being in a hospitality industry, various
people can face problems and the employer must behave patiently and calmly to solve
those problems. Apart from this, they must have effective decision making skills without
hesitation and decisions can be taken rapidly and quickly according to the need and
demand for the situations.
 Skills for planning and prioritising work : Employer or manager must have the
planning skills through which they can devise a strategic plan for the smooth operation
within the organisation. Apart from this, they must have the ability to decide which work
is more important and which work is least and accordingly has to prioritise the work.
 Leadership skills : These skills are concerned with the ability to influence the people
within the organisation. It is required so that the manager can guide and provide adequate
training to their subordinates. Travelodge manager must have effective leadership skills
so that people work towards the goals and objectives and leader will be able to clarify
them according to the vision of the company.
 Ethical in nature : There must be proper ethical code of conduct within the organisation.
For attaining success in the business era, use of fair and unfair practices at the workplace
is mandatory to monitor (Gamrat and et. al., 2014). Travelodge will make proper use of
legislations like discriminating act, minimum wage act, consumer protection act, etc. This
will motivate people within the workplace as they will feel comfortable in their work and
assurance of safety will be given to them which will motivate them to accomplish
business goals and objectives.

TASK2
P3. Assessment of own skills, competencies and abilities as manager of Travelodge.
Skills and abilities are very important in the business world because no business can survive
for longer duration without effective and efficient skills. As a manager of Travelodge I poses
various skills and competencies which will be advantageous for me not only in short run but in
long run as well (Forte and Flores, 2014). Evaluation of own skill is important so that effective
measurement and comparisons can be made with those skills that are preferred by the company.
As a manager of Travelodge I will motivate the staff and workers of the company so that
organisational performances can be improved by rendering higher level of satisfaction to their
customers. By improving performance in the Travelodge, it takes the responsibility of enhancing
the offering of the customers. The following is the assessment of own skill and competences in
Travelodge as manager of the company :
 Leadership skills: These skills are obligatory in running or leading the team members
towards the achievement of the business goals. With the help of proficient leadership
skills the paramount feasible outcome are accomplished within a preferred work
structure. My leadership skill is efficient in leading the team and maximizing the
performances of the team. I can convince the team members for working together and
enhancing them to learn the advantages of team spirit. As a manager of Travelodge the
leadership skills of mine will further include proper analyzing ability to work with
individuals who are having differences and ability to amplify the present motivational
factors among the team members.
 Time management: These skills are necessary in hotel services. Through this skill the
management can maintain the workforce within the desired time frame. I manage the
tasks by managing the time frame and provide efficiency within the given time.
 Conflict handling: As Travelodge is dealing in the service industry and serving
dissimilar clients where the hotel has to face diverse troubles and conflicts within the
working surroundings (Moss, Gibson and Dollarhide, 2014). Through proper conflict
handling or problem solving skills the manager can be able to solve the conflicts and
increase the customer satisfaction. Through logical skills I can handle the conflicts in
different situations. Considering the professional standards the skills are needed to be
enhanced by adding the ability of risk analysis.

P4. Theories and concepts of personal and professional development.
From past several years various theories have been developed to examine the process of
learning in the personal and professional development. Theses learning theories are basically the
an organized set of principles which determines the manner in which individual people acquire,
retain and recall knowledge. There are various types of learning theories and some are discussed
below :
 Behavioral learning theory : This theory describes and elaborates learning in context of
phenomenon of observation (Hildebrand, 2018). This application to learning is connected
on the consideration that learners proceeds in reaction to stimuli in their background. The
position of the learning means therefore is to provide appropriate and helpful stimuli so
that the learner responds to and gains the essential information or experience. Favourable
reaction inspires and reinforces accomplishment while unfavourable reaction and instant
alteration discourages the recurrence of a mistake or undesirable behaviour.
 Cognitive learning theory : This theory puts emphasis on attainment of knowledge and
skills, configuration of psychological makeup and dispensation of information and
beliefs. They are apprehensive with the position of the vigorous intelligence in handing
out learning opportunities and developing. The theorist of this theory assumes that
learning occurs through internal process of information. It pays a greater emphasis on
intellectual process rather than observable behaviour. For instance, manager of
Travelodge will use effective and efficient problem solving approaches.
 Constructivism : This theory is concerned with the assumptions that every individual
constructs their own perceptions regarding the world. This happens due to the individual
familiarity and inner acquaintance. It interpret and develop the significance of their
experiences (Olsen, 2015). They consider that learning is a process where individuals
creates information which are based on previous knowledge and experiences. Therefore,
this model is determined as a procedure of adjusting mental model to provide somewhere
to stay ground-breaking experiences.

TASK3
P5. Development plan.
Development plan is concerned with developing a strategic measurable goal which are
required to be accomplished by the individual, groups, community or organisation. This plan will
assesses and evaluates the performance and skills that individual lacks and helps in improving
the same and this development plan is discussed below:
Skill needed Why it is needed How it will be
developed
Time required for
developing the skill
Communication
skill
It is needed because it
helps in knowing
vision and mission of
the Travelodge. This
further helps people in
making them aware
the work which they
are requires to
perform. Apart from
this, no business can
work without
effective
communication.
I can develop this skill
by attending various
conferences and
debates. This will
maximise my
confidence as I will be
able to speak in front
of various people in
Travelodge. Apart
from this, I will
enhance the internal
communication
systems by making
telephones and e mail
connected.
I will need
approximately 2 to 3
months for
developing my
communication skill
so that I can speak
with fluency.
Analytical and
research skill
These skills are
important because
they can concerned
with solving various
problems that arises in
the business
organisation. This
skill incorporate a lot
This can be
accomplished by
continuously and
regularly identifying
and analysing the
marketing trends
through television,
news papers, internet,
I will need 2 to 3
months for
developing theses
skills.

of skills like attention
to detail, critical
thinking ability,
decision making and
researching skills in
order to analyse an
question or problem
and reach a solution.
Therefore, it will be
very advantageous
because innovative
products and services
will be developed in
the Travelodge with
the help of research
skills.
etc. in a hotel
industry. In hospitality
industry like
Travelodge, various
innovations are
increasingly
flourishing and I can
improve this skill by
developing my mental
structure for which i
will join yoga and
meditation classes so
that my mind will
remain calm and I will
be able think properly.
Motivation skills These skills are again
very crucial for the
effective operation of
the Travelodge. By
developing theses
skills, I will be able to
motivate my team and
other members of the
organisation to
accomplish business
goals effectively and
efficiently.
I will develop this
skill, by learning
various motivation
techniques that
influences people to
work towards
accomplishment of
business objectives.
For this I will learn
about various
legislations that are
made for protecting
the employees at the
workplace, customer
I will require 2
month for
developing skill.

laws for their
protection, etc.
Through this I will be
able to convince my
team members and
other people of
Travelodge as well to
work for the
attainment of business
goals and objectives.
TASK4
P6. Job interview for a suitable service industry role.
In this, a interview will be conducted and questions will be prepared that will be asked by
the interviewer to the candidate for the appropriate service industry role. Therefore, the below is
the job interview questions for a financial manager for the Travelodge :
Curriculum vitae
Name : ABC
Qualification : Financial cost accounting diploma, London University
Bachelor's degree in finance, London University
CFA, London University
Occupation : Working with PKF Experts from 2.5 years
Earlier worked at TESCO for 1 year
Experience : Auditing
Collection of financial data
Analysing and interpretation of data
Monitored new trends in technologies
Planned and implemented operational auditing
Documented auditing test and findings
Skills : Certified public accountant (CPA)

Microsoft excel expert
Knowledge of GAAP guidelines
Highly analytical
Independent worker
Record keeping
Contact : Phone number (M) : 9876543210
Email : [e-mail]
Interview Question
 What kind of financial reports does upper management need and why?
The upper management will require the various financial reports like income statement,
balance sheet, cash flow, etc. this is needed because to identify and analyze the
profitability for the business and identifying the net profit and loss for the company.
 What methods/metrics do you use to evaluate the organization’s progress?
The methods which can be used to evaluate the progress in the organization is concerned
with the measurement of financial viability, customer and employee satisfaction,
contribution to the society, etc.
 What are key elements to look at when evaluating the company’s investments?
The important elements which are to be taken into consideration while investing in the
companies resources like balance sheet, income statement and cash flow.
 Is a cash flow statement enough to tell whether a company is doing well?
No, but it gives the brief idea of the inflow and outflow of the funds and other financial
resources.
 How do you calculate and interpret ROI?
Return on investment is related to the measure of performance which is used to evaluate
the efficiency of an investment. It is calculated by the difference between the current
value of investment and cost of investment whole divided by cost of investment.
 What’s your experience with bench marking studies?
Bench marking is the act of identifying and implementing the better and best practices at
the workplace. I have experienced the informal and formal acts of bench marking which

has enhanced my learning skills and knowledge.
P7. Key strength and weakness of applied interview.
The applied interview was good and its key strength and weaknesses are discussed below :
Strength
 By conducting the interview, I was
able to select the right applicant
with required qualifications and
skills. And this is very crucial for
the Travelodge so that it does not
face any problem in the near future.
 This helped me in gathering various
information about the candidates not
only about their professional era but
also about their personal life like
Name, Address, Family details,
Phone number, etc. Therefore, an in
depth and thorough investigation
and analyses of the candidate have
been done to interpret that whether
the selected candidate is suitable or
not.
Weakness
 Though interview is a reliable
process of gathering true
information but in many cases, I
realised that applicants has missed
various important information which
are required to be mentioned in their
CV so that interview can go
smoothly, this has created a problem
in communicating effectively and
efficiently.
 Another weakness which I
personally realised was that there
was snap judgement. In this,
interviewer has various information
and asks several questions on the
basis of the same and then judges
the individual only on the basis of
answers given by them.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that personal and professional development
planning is obligatory for the individuals as well as the organisation in order to keep an eye on