2. Human Resources Department
Human Resources Department:
the functional area in a hotel with the
responsibility to assist managers in
other departments with human
resources concerns including
recruitment, selection, orientation,
training, compensation, legal, safety
and health, and a wide range of
other specialized tasks.
3. Background
HR: short for “Human Resources.”
Line Department: hotel divisions that are in the
“chain of command” and are directly responsible
for revenues (such as front office and food and
beverage) or for property operations (such as
housekeeping and maintenance and
engineering).
Line Managers: managers who work in the line
(“chain of command”) departments within a
hotel.
4. Human Resource Priorities
Recruit, select, motivate, and retain staff
members
Orientation and supervisory training programs
Develop and communicate human resources
policies
Interpret, implement, and enforce the body of
laws and regulations
Maintain appropriate standards of work life
quality and ethical business policies and
practices
6. Human Resources Functions
Recruitment
-activities designed to attract
qualified applicants for the hotel’s
vacant management and non-management
positions.
7. Recruitment
Stereotype: a common perception (true or
untrue) about something. For example, a
specific hotel may be perceived within the
community as being an employer that is “kind” or
“unkind” to its employees.
Unemployment Rate: the number (usually
expressed as a percentage of the total
workforce) of employable persons who are out of
work and looking for jobs.
8. Recruitment
Internal Recruitment: tactics to
identify and attract staff members
who are currently employed at the
hotel for vacancies which represent
promotions or transfers to other
positions.
9. Recruitment
External Recruitment: tactics
designed to attract persons who are
not current hotel employees for
positions at a property.
Tactics include:
Internet job posting sites
Newspaper/media advertisements
Student job fairs
Recruiting at community
schools/colleges
“Help wanted” signs
www.hcareers.com
10. Recruitment
Job Description: a list of tasks that
an employee working in a specific
position must be able to effectively
perform.
11. Benefits of having a job description
• A new employee knows exactly what the job entails
and what to expect
• It acts as a vital part of orientation program
• It acts as a basic foundation to set standards of
performance against which the performance
appraisal is done.
• It is a legal document for any disputes arising out of
lack of role clarification
• It protects an employee from an unreasonable
superior who may like to over burden an employee
and exploit his presence on the job.
12. Human Resources Functions
Selection
-the process of evaluating job
applicants to determine those
most qualified for and likely to be
successful in vacant positions.
13. Selection
“Warm Body Syndrome”: an often-used but
ineffective selection tactic which involves hiring
(almost) anyone who applies for a vacant
position without regard to their qualifications for
the job.
Job Specification: a list of personal qualities
necessary for successful job performance.
14. Selection
Eligibility information can be
gathered by way of several
selection tactics:
– Application form
– Employment interview
– Employment tests
– Reference checks and
recommendations
– Physical exams and drug testing
15. Human Resources Functions
Orientation
-the process of providing
basic information about the
hotel, which must be known by
all of its employees.
16. Orientation
Goals of orientation :
• To reduce anxiety
• To improve morale and to
reduce turnover
• To provide consistency
• To develop realistic
expectations
17. Orientation
General topics to be covered:
Hotel overview, including mission statement,
emphasis on guest service and teamwork
Review of important policies and procedures
Detailed discussions of compensation and
benefits
Safety/accident prevention concerns
Employee/union relations
Physical facility including tour
Other topics of priority
18. Orientation
Induction
-the process of informing new
employees about matters related
to the department in which they
will work. It is a process that
follows the orientation process.
19. Human Resources Functions
Training
New and experienced workers
alike need training, including:
– Initial training
– Professional development
– Training to keep up with new and
revised procedures/technology
www.ei-ahla.org
20. Compensation
All financial and non-financial
rewards given to management
and non-management employees
in return for the work they do for
the hotel.
21. Compensation
• Salaries: pay calculated at a weekly,
monthly, or annual rate rather than at an
hourly rate.
• Wages: pay calculated on an hourly basis.
• Fringe Benefits: indirect financial
compensation
22. Compensation
Must be equitable as well as
being:
• Legal
• Fair/Balanced
• Cost-effective
• Reasonable (employees’ view)
23. Compensation
Fringe Benefits can include:
• Paid leave benefits
• Unpaid leave benefits
• Life insurance benefits
• Medical care benefits
• Dental care
• Retirement benefits
24. Legal Aspects of Human Resources
• Employee Selection
• Employer-Employee Relationships
• Other Workplace Laws
25. Employee Selection
Bona fide Occupational
Qualifications (BOQs):
qualifications to perform a job
which are judged reasonably
necessary to safely or
adequately perform all tasks
required by the job.
26. Employer-Employee Relationships
Employment Agreement: a document
specifying the terms of the relationship
between the employer and employee,
which indicates rights/obligations of both
parties.
27. Other Workplace Laws
Sexual Harassment
Family and Medical Leave Act
Compensation
Taxes
Employee Performance
(Performance appraisal)
Employment Records
28. Sexual Harassment
Zero Tolerance: the total absence of workplace
behavior that is objectionable from the
perspectives of discrimination or harassment.
29. Family and Medical Leave Act
Hotels that employ 50 or more staff
members are required to provide up to 12
weeks of leave (unpaid) to an employee if
the time is needed for the birth, adoption, or
foster care of a child.
Also applies to serious illness of an
employee or immediate family.
30. Compensation
Minimum Wage: the lowest
amount of compensation that an
employer may pay to an
employee.
Overtime: the number of hours
of work after which an employee
must receive a premium pay
31. Taxes and Tax Credits
Social Security: retirement benefits paid to primary
workers, survivor’s benefits and benefits for the retiree’s
spouse and children, and disability payments based
upon contributions paid by the retiree and his/her
employer(s).
Medicare: hospital and medical insurance received by
persons over 65 years of age who are eligible for Social
Security benefits.
Income Tax
32. Employee Performance
Employee Evaluation
(Performance Appraisal)
Discipline-Progressive discipline
• (to help employees to improve)
Termination
33. Employee Safety and Health
Safety Hazards: conditions in the workplace that
can cause immediate harm.
Examples include unsafe equipment, accidents
and the improper use of chemicals.
Health Hazards: aspects of the workplace that can
lead to a decline in an employee’s health.
Examples include stressful working conditions and
exposure to toxic chemicals.
34. Employee Safety and Health
Issues that affect
health/wellness of employees:
– Programs to help employees cope
with stress
– Concerns about violence in the
workplace
– Information about HIV
– Information relative to cumulative
trauma disorders
35. Human Resource Challenges
Strategies for reducing turnover
rates:
–Helping motivated
employees become more
proficient
–Providing professional
development opportunities
–Cultural diversity
–Quality improvement
