Personnel and training (human resources) department

The human resources departmentplays a vital role in a hotel’s efficient operation. The three functions of the human resources department are employee recruitment, benefits administration, and training. Hotels nowadays tend to put more effort into the training and development of their staff, and into revising their recruitment policies in order to retain their existing workforce. The director of human resources is also expected to be an expert on federal and state labour laws and to advise managers in other departments on these topics. The human resources department’s major challenge is in its interactions with other hotel departments. Although the human resources department recruits, interviews, and screens prospective employees, the final hiring decision is made by the department in which the potential employee will be working. The same is true of promotion and disciplinary decisions; the human resources department’s input is, in most cases, limited to advice and interpretation of legal questions. The human resources department’s effectiveness depends on its manager’s ability to form effective working relationships with managers of other departments.

General manager.

The main responsibilities of the general manager are:

· Participating in the formulation of hotel policies and strategies

· Implemenings hotel policies and strategies

· The overall performance of the hotel.

· Coordinating the work of all departments.

In addition to being in charge of overseeing all of the departments, the hotel’s general manager is responsible for defining and interpreting the policies established by top management. In addition to thorough understanding of each operating department in the hotel, the general manager must also be decisive, analytical, and skilled with both computers and people. He or she must be able to see the big picture and how all of the parts of the hotel fit into the overall organisation. In my view, the main characteristics that a good manager should have are leadership and organizational skills.

Training

The hotel industry is highly people oriented. Hotel’s reputation is easily made or destroyed by its level of customer service. Guests can forgive an occasional shortcoming if the level of service is exceptional. For this reason, it is essential that the hotel management provides training programs to assist their employees in addressing customers’ expectations. Customer service training helps ensure that guests’ expectations are exceeded. In a 5-star hotel, expectations are very high, and a trusting bond can be quickly established if the hotel employees are sensitive to guest needs.

The teaching and training new employees in front office operations is difficult. The front office is the first and usually the most vital impression of the hotel, that is why hotels are reluctant to allow inexperienced staff to train using real customers and real problems. The use of case studies instead of real-life experience is a useful and practical method in this situation.

Customer service training gives the employees the means to understand what is expected of them as representatives of the establishment and identifies what guests expect from their visit. Seeing the process from the guest’s point of view helps employees meet or exceed expectations. Training is a major influence on the success of an organisation. Staff are crucial, but expensive, resource. In order to sustain economic and effective performance it is important to optimize the contribution of employees to the aims and goals of the organisation.

Good managers must be good coaches who know how to encourage staff to raise their performance at work, improve their knowledge, and realize their full potential. Coaching is inherent in the whole management process and should not be confined simply to performance reviews and annual appraisals. As a manager, take an initiative by setting staff goals, by regularly encouraging staff to achieve higher standards, and by discussing any strengths or weaknesses. As the people being coached gain in confidence and performance, they will take on more responsibility for setting personal targets for improving at work.

Training serves three purposes: teaching, strengthening skills needed, and motivating staff as they become more competent.

teach         strengthen           motivate

Although hotels often attempt to employ fully qualified individuals who require little or no training, training is usually essential for new organisation members as well as for seasoned managers, who require improved skills to advance in the organisation. Employees at all levels: operative, technical, and managerial will require some training at one or more points in their careers.

On-the-job training is the method of learning the specifics of a job in the actual work environment. It is the most commonly used training program and I think the most effective, especially within hospitality business.