Human Resource in the Hospitality Industry - Essay Example

Human Resource in Hospitality Industry Course Name and Code Institution Name Departments Name Students Name Student Number Instructors Name 1 October 2008 In the hospitality industry there are different opportunities that are available and requires different workforce. The satisfaction of diverse work force is also crucial in the success of the organization. Consequently, there are challenges that are faced by the hospitality human resource management that ranges from competition to workforce diversity which influences turnover of employees. However, there are strategies that have been developed that can assist the stability of the workforce and reduce turnover of the employees. Currently, there is a high demand for workers which results to strong competition. Many industries have better benefits that compete with the hospitality industry. With the increase in competition the tourism industry should be resilient, adaptable, and agile and customer focused so that they can succeed. Therefore, to suite the above the HR should be partners and mentors to the employees. However, in most hospitality industry this lacks. The benefits that are offered by other companies utilize the weaknesses that are in the hospitality business to ‘pull’ good workers from these sectors. This is a great challenge for the hospitality sector due to the hyper competitive nature of organizations and shortage of skilled employment market (Cohen and Aveli 757). HR faces difficulties in recruiting new workers because of experience and job requirements. Certain sectors in the hotel industry require certain minimum qualifications. The new employee may lack some of these requirements (Clammer 330). In most cases second language and computer literacy are important in recruiting the new employees. The HR department is faced with difficulties in selecting the better employees. Remunerations and job satisfaction is a crucial issue in ensuring the stability of an employee. The payments that other organizations offers will tend to destabilize the workers and think of moving out. Payments, advances, bonus and other benefits count a lot in deciding the way that the employees will adapt and become comfortable with the industry. This then leads to job satisfaction where the internal environment of the hotel will determine the level at which a worker will be satisfied (Lam, Ada, and Jimmy 220). If a worker is not satisfied and beliefs that there is a better market outside, there are a higher chance that the employee will down their tools and move. Company policies also determine how employees are employed and how the organization is run. Usually, in the tourism industry there are the peak time and off-peak time. The peak time tends to employee additional employees while the off peak fires or lays down some of the employees. Conscious mind of employees is not stable since they belief that they can loose their jobs when the off peak season begins (Clammer 324). This counts a lot in ensuring how the employee will work. HR management has to make measures that ensure that these kinds of workers are assured their security of tenure. There are other situations where the employers have no control. Issues such as family commitments and education are not within the HR management control. There are circumstances that may force the employee to change and look for greener pastures due to relocation of the family. However, there are means that can be employed by the employer in ensuring that the employee doesn’t move. Initiatives such as accommodation will give the relocating employee chance of not resigning but will have a higher chance to continue with the employment (Bache 17). Workplace diversity in the work place is crucial. Diversities in the work place may include sexual orientations, income, marital status and physical qualities goes a long way in deciding the future of the employee in the organization. In most hospitality industry there are employees from different cultures, ethnicity and lifestyle. HR is faced with challenges that they will employ in ensuring that the workers can work together without any discrimination or discomfort caused by other workers. Additionally, the guests in the hotel may be racial and may affect the ethnicity of the employees. The remarks that are directed to the employees depending on their cultures, disability and orientation means a lot to employees and forms an important role in the stability of the employ (Lam et al. 119). There are some strategies that are in place that are used to decrease the newcomers’ turn over intentions. Training the new employees goes a long way in increasing the time that the employee will be working in the hospitality industry. The training will enable the new employees on realistic expectations of the new job requirements, the type of environment that they are exposed to and the applicable social norms (Bramwell 56). Additionally, the training will enable the new employees to be competent in their new duties. This will shield them on shocks that they will be exposed in the environment. The interaction that is exchanged between the trainers and the newcomers or counseling programs will establish, modify and reinforce the new comers job expectations. Moreover, for those employees that are in the organization requires further training that will suite their sectors or job requirements. This will make the employees to be confident and hence motivated. This will increase the time that they will work in that specific organization. Additionally, the employees and mostly the new employees should be subjected to the required norms. The human resource managers should extend their support and motivation to the newcomers so as to decrease their turnover. Mentors play an important role in shaping the employee into the responsibilities that they are supposed to fulfill. The mentors or those people who are close to the employees such as family members, hotel managers and close friends goes a long way in motivating the works and are ensured that they are satisfied and are committed to their responsibilities (Bindloss 1870). Normative aspect builds the work relationship and association in ensuring the commitment of the employee. In a situation that there is a good relationship between the employees and important people in their life, the employees’ environment will be harmonious and conflict free. This means that the employees will feel that they are responsible and needed which will make them committed to the required assignments. Generally, this means that when hotel managers maximizes the subjective norms and understands the requirements of an employee, ensures that that the manager can easily provide support and encouragement when necessary. Therefore, the manager should be people-oriented and are supposed to help the employees during their early stages in developing the socialization aspect. Mentoring should be developed by the hotel through departmental training that is dedicated in guiding the new employee. The training should span from the first day in the organization until the time that the employee is technically and confident enough to fulfill their duties. This means that the mentors or coordinators should be conversant with the job description of the new employee. Employees should be compensated so that they appreciate their presence and contribution to the organization. Compensation can come in different ways; bonuses and rewards that will increase the employees’ concentration to their duties. Additionally, compensation can come in terms of growth and jobs rotational. Promotion should be given to the right employees at a time that it will be appreciated by an employee. Alternatively, the employees may be rotated between different designed jobs (Clammer 330). This will enable the employees to learn more and ideas during changing the job. Furthermore, the employees should be empowered and given the opportunity of deciding how they will work. This motivates them and will be interested with the work. Empowerment should come with trust and appreciation to any development that will result to the creativity and innovativeness of the employees (Eberle 68). Workplace diversity forms the greatest challenge in the tourism industry. The success of any company dependents on the ability in managing a diverse body of talent that brings perspectives and views to their sectors, and innovative ideas. In a diverse work place such as the hospitality industry due to diverse cultural backgrounds, ages and lifestyles, and genders the mangers are supposed to change from an ethnocentric view – our way is the best, to a culturally relative perspective e.g. taking the best variety of ways. This should go hand in hand in shifting the philosophy into an ingrained managerial framework that the manger employs in organizing, planning, controlling and leading the organizational resources (Bass 78). Additionally, the HR managers should organize the diverse pool of talents strategically to enable the organization to succeed (Bass 79). The management should analyze how diverse workforce can develop new markets and obtain the organization goals by harnessing the potential of workplace diversity. This means that a diverse work force is an asset that should be maintained. Many challenges are exposed to the human resource management that the management should take care of. Competition is the moist common challenge that is faced by the human resource management because of the complexity of businesses. They have to embrace certain professional ethics and consideration so as to enable in retaining the employees reducing the chances that the employs takes the policies of the company to their competitors. Works Cited Bass A. Collins. “Human Resources: A Hidden Advantage.” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 19.1 (2007): 78 – 84. Bache, Alex. “Human Resource Management in Hospitality Industry.” Journal of Sociology 15.2 (2007): 16 – 20. Bindloss, Mathew. “Introduction to hospitality policies”. American Behavioural Scientist 51 (2008): 1867 – 1901 Bramble, Thomas. “Another world is possible: A study of participants in Thailand”. Journal of Sociology 42 (2008): 287 – 309 Bramwell, Benson. Culture and Society in Hospitality Industry. Jakarta: Prentice Hall of Jakarta, 1999. Clammer, Peter. “Public Service Broadcasting as an Infrastructure of Translation in the Age of Cultural Diversity: Lessons for Europe from SBS Australia.” Convergence 14.2 (2003): 323- 333 Cohen, Eric & Aveli, N. “Food in Tourism: Attraction and Impediment.” Annals of tourism Research 31.4 (2006): 755 – 778. Cohen, Eliot. “Development in Human Resource Management.” Annals of Tourism Research 34.3, (2007): 690 – 708. Eberle, James. “Globalization and Impacts of Tourism in Thailand” Annals of Quantitative Research 17.3, (2006): 66 – 70. Lam Terry, Ada Lo, and Jimmy Chan. “New Employees Turnover Intentions and Organizational Commitment in the Hong Kong Industry.” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 26 (2002): 217-233. Read More