Course of Study

1. Course of Study 8. Managing Human Resources Recruiting Selecting Hiring Staff Scheduling Staff Motivation

2. Managing Human Resource Recruiting: It is the process of seeking and screening qualified applicants to fill open positions The process involves announcing or advertising job vacancies through proper sources and interviewing and evaluating applicants to determine the best person on the job It can be done both from internal sources or external sources

3. Internal Recruiting Internal Recruiting: It involves the transfer or promotion of current employees It helps to boost employee morale and productivity Employees tend to show loyalty to hotels that provide opportunities to increase their skills, knowledge, status and income

4. Internal Recruiting It includes: Cross-Training, Succession Planning, Posting Job Openings, Paying for Performance, Maintaining a Call-Back List, etc.

5. External Recruiting External Recruiting: Individuals may also be recruited from outside the hotel New employees can contribute innovative ideas, unique perspectives, and ideas for creative ways of doing things

6. External Recruiting It may involve: Advertising, Networking, Temporary Employment Agencies, Employee Referral Programs, Tax Credit, Workers with Disabilities, etc.

7. Selecting Selecting: It should always involve the HOD from the concerned department Depending upon the policy the HOD may directly hire an applicant or may recommend the top management Since front office involves a high degree of guest contact, managers usually seek following personality traits in applicants:

8. Selecting Good Language as it helps in good communication Mathematical ability will help to understand front office accounting and transaction processing Computer and Typing Skills are especially useful for record-keeping Besides, other traits like congeniality, flexibility, professional attitude, self-motivation and a well-groomed appearance are also given due consideration

9. Selecting An effective front office selection process usually focuses on a set of skills, attitudes and personal qualities A candidate for reservation or telephone may be interviewed by asking a few questions over the telephone in order to check the voice and the presentation over the telephone Proper selection of employees will help ensure that the hotel’s image and values are upheld in all guest contacts

10. Selection Tools Selection Tools: The two most important Selection Tools used are: Job Descriptions and Job Specifications

11. Selection Tools Job Description: It lists all the tasks and related information that make up a work position Itoutlines the reporting relationships, responsibilities, working conditions, equipment and material used, etc. It is helpful in recruiting and selection as it clearly state the duties required for a particular job

12. Selection Tools Job Specification: It lists and describes the personal qualities, skills, traits, educational background and experience a person needs to successfully perform the task outlined by a job description Descriptions of personal qualities must be relevant to each individual property’s needs

13. Evaluating Applicants Evaluating Applicants: FOM evaluates applicants by reviewing: Completed application Form, Checking applicant references and Interviewing selected applicants HRD may screen applicants on the basis of F.O. Job Descriptions and Job Specifications

14. Interviewing Interviewing: It helps in creating mutual impression Usually HRD conducts the preliminaries and after that the Interview panel including the concerned HOD conducts the main, in-depth, interview and decides whom to hire The interviewer should be thoroughly familiar with the job and its duties, benefits, wage scale, and other important factors

15. Interviewing The interviewer should be a positive role model and a skillful communicator Focusing on the applicant shows a sincere interest Preferably conduct the interview in the actual work area No telephone calls or other interruptions should be allowed during the interview

16. Interview Process The interview process has at least five objectives: To establish a basis for a working relationship To collect enough accurate information to make an informal hiring decision To provide enough information to help the applicant make a decision To promote the company and the work position to the preferred applicant To create goodwill between the hotel and the applicant

17. Hiring When an employer extends an offer to a prospective guest, hiring period starts It involves making all the necessary arrangements to prepare the recruit and current employees for a successful relationship and processing personnel records An applicants may have to pass through series of interviews before being hired or Job Offer. It would be wise to inform them that more than one visit may be required

18. Hiring Job Offer involves three steps: Extending the offer Negotiating the offer Completing the offer

19. Hiring Extending the offer includes job title, job requirements, starting salary, etc. It is always in the form of carefully worded document to avoid any misunderstandings. It should not be delayed deliberately Negotiating the offer includes considering the applicant’s background and expectations as discussed in the interview. Management should negotiate a job offer only when it is reasonably certain the offer will be accepted

20. Hiring Completing the offer includes signing the written job offer by the candidate as evidence of his or her agreement with the terms of the offer. Successful candidate should be assured that their decision is correct. Then the orientation of the recruit is planned and executed

21. Hiring Orientation: It should include information about: The hotel The benefits The working conditions The job The front office team The rules and regulations The building

22. Hiring Orientation: It should include information about: The hotel (history, reputation, key personnel, future plans, company policies) The benefits (wages, Insurance, discounts, vacations, paid holidays) The working conditions (schedules of training, work, break, meal periods, OT, safety, security, log books, bulletin board, etc.)

23. Hiring The job (performance standard and the task the job entails) The front office team (introduction to fellow employees, reporting structure, responsibilities of each employee) The rules and regulations (smoking, entry &exit, disciplinary action, parking area, etc.) The working conditions (layout, employee entrance, locker room, dining room, uniform room, front desk, recreation areas, library, meeting rooms, guestrooms, emergency exit points, etc.)

24. Staff Scheduling Schedule refers to a plan that lists all the work that one has to do and when one must do It can be extremely complex, especially when FO staff are trained to perform only specific tasks Employee scheduling affects payroll costs, employee productivity and morale Cross-training helps in performing FO tasks with fewer staff.

25. Staff Scheduling Cross-training provides expanded job knowledge and Skill It makes employee confident and improves their morale The employees start to love their job and have fun working

26. Staff Scheduling Alternative Scheduling Techniques: It varies from a typical 9am to 5 pm workday. Variations include: Part-time scheduling Flextime scheduling Compressed schedules Job sharing

27. Staff Scheduling Part-time scheduling: It includes students, new/young parents, retirees, etc. it provides extra flexibility in scheduling and reduces labor cost Flextime scheduling: It allows employees to vary the time they begin and end their shifts.

28. Staff Scheduling Compressed schedules: it offers employees the opportunity to work the equivalent to a standard workweek in fewer than the usual number of days, e.g. 40 hour workweek into four 10 hours days Job sharing: It is a combined efforts of two or more part-time employees fulfill the duties and responsibilities. It helps to lessen turnover and absenteeism and helps increase staff morale

29. Self Motivation Motivation means the art of stimulating an employee’s interest in a particular job, project or subject to the extent that s/he is challenged to be continuously attentive, observant, concerned and committed Motivation is the result of satisfying human needs associated with personal worth, value and belonging An FOM can motivate FO staff in a number of ways. They are:

30. Self Motivation An FOM can motivate FO staff in a number of ways. They are: Training Cross-Training Recognition Communication Incentive programs Performance Appraisal

31. Self Motivation Training: It decreases frustration and increases efficiency, educates staff about performance expectations Cross-Training: Teaching an employee job functions other than hired for. Such employees are valuable and flexible Recognition: Guest, managerial and peer recognition are strong staff motivators Communication Keeping employees informed about front office operations helps produce positive results

32. Self Motivation Incentive programs Excellent employees deserve special appreciation. It should challenge the staff and create a spirit of friendly competition Performance Appraisal It is an interaction between the staff and management from time to time