'A Baker’s Dozen' of Strategies for Hotel Human Resource Managers & Directors

Sep 04, 09 | 1:58 am

By Dr. John Hogan CHE CHA MHS    

With the ongoing turbulence facing our industry and global economies, the responsibility to find the time to "think" has become even more critical. The regrettable propensity for knee jerk responses is evident if one watches the daily rise and fall of global stock market prices, as companies and industries are substantially devalued for reasons that have little to do with the actual company's quality or performance.

On a localized basis, as much as we want improved processes and product, we need to remember to maintain the foundations of our successes and not accept the negativity of the naysayers.

"Quality begins on the inside... and then works its way out."
Bob Moawad (1941-2007) Founder and Former Chairman of Edge Learning Institute

This column addresses the very core of all hotels.  Without the proper planning and implementation of staffing and service, a hospitality business that interacts with guests 24 hours a day for 365 days a year has little chance for ongoing success.

Over the years, this responsibility has had a number of names: personnel, people, staffing, workforce development and human resources.  Smaller hotels may not always have staff dedicated only to this activity, but this responsibility remains the same regardless of hotel or staff size.

Today's hospitality HR Management team must be straightforward communicators and able to work under pressure because there always seem to be crises.  Those crises might be anything from technology breaches to staffing shortages to accusations that need research, but thriving in a multiple priority environment is often a requirement

The primary role of the HR Management team is to lead and support senior management and department heads in all aspects of recruitment, orientation, training and development, employment issues, staff relations, and organizational development.   The HR Management team must constantly communicate with all levels of staff to guide the hotel's commitment to service.  At times, this means making the most of staff strengths and developing staff and at other times researching and examining issues or situations carefully.

"A Baker's Dozen" of Strategies for
Hotel Human Resource Managers & Directors
Administration, Planning, Training and Development

1. Sets all recruiting and employment activities for both management and hourly positions on a timely basis. This includes organized and structured processes for recruiting, interviewing, hiring and the retention of qualified associates.  There should be current and detailed Job Descriptions and specifications for all positions to make certain that everyone's expectations are understood.

2. Coordinates or provides organized orientation or on-boarding for ALL new staff at the earliest opportunity and preferably before any guest contact.  This support of the investment in "human capital" of the hospitality business is essential, as the cost of turnover has been a historical nightmare to many hotels. This initial contact allows the HR Management team to function as a strategic partner to the General Manager and/or owner, and establishes the value of day-to-day HR management oversight throughout the hotel.

3. Administers the salary policies and programs. This includes preparing or overseeing payroll, benefits enrollment and billing.  HR leadership should also review and recommend to ownership or management potential new programs based on evolving needs in the workforce or the market.  

4. Oversees all associate insurance programs and annually recommends new programs and related costs.  Unfortunately, not all hospitality businesses offer health or other insurance to their staff but there are potential options. National, state/provincial or other hospitality associations and some major brands do offer some types of insurance options and these should be evaluated semi-annually.

5. Directs and coordinates performance evaluations for hourly and non-exempt associates. This is an incredibly sensitive topic at every hospitality business and HR must have a well-organized system to keep this communication process effective and equitable.  HR should also review and recommend salary ranges adjustments to ownership or management as needed every 12 to 18 months, via local wage surveys.  

6. Stays abreast of all national and state/provincial laws and keeps management advised of changes affecting associates and operations. The responsibility to ensure compliance with all national and state/provincial laws as well as local regulations and court rulings that may pertain to HR also rests with this function.

7. Provides counsel and assistance to all management personnel in regards to associate problems dealing with supervision and administration. Specific training for this should be maintained regularly, as there may be liability issues involved.  Counsel is a very sensitive topic and must include following hotel and/or company termination procedures

8. Acts as the primary communication center of any changes or new requirements in hotel or company policy and procedures as appropriate.

9. Directs and administers associates' reward and recognition program. This might include an annual associate attitude survey, which should be reviewed by ownership and corporate management.

10. Prepares annual budget forecasts for the Human Resource department.  This is especially important relating to benefits and training expenses.

11. Oversees the safety program and Workers' Compensation Benefits.

12. Maintains all hotel personnel records and HR files ensure confidentiality,

13. Coordinates management development and associate training.   This might include preparing with department heads a list of top talent within the hotel and introducing talent development plans.  Specific training on systems and area-specific protocols, however, should remain the responsibility of the department head, and training programs may include brand-specific and/or local focused training.

The effectiveness of today's hospitality HR Management team is substantially dependent on a good relationship with all department heads. They must be self-motivated, with an intrinsic desire to see others succeed. They must be able to recognize potential in others and assist in their development. Finally, they must be able to either do it themselves or lead a small team to focus on the desired results and changes needed for continuous improvement.

How well do you do compare at your hotel?

Feel free to share an idea for a column at johnjhogan@yahoo.com anytime or contact customized workshops, speaking engagements or me regarding consulting. 

Autographed copies of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD - a COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES can be obtained from THE ROOMS CHRONICLE www.roomschronicle.com and other industry sources.

All rights reserved by John Hogan and this column may be included in an upcoming book on hotel management. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication

Autographed copies of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD - a COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES can be obtained from THE ROOMS CHRONICLE www.roomschronicle.com and other industry sources.

All rights reserved by John Hogan and this column may be included in an upcoming book on hotel management. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication


About the Author

http://www.linkedin.com/in/drjohnhoganchache

John Hogan, a career hotelier and educator, is frequently invited to participate at franchise meetings, management company and hospitality association industry events. He is a successful senior executive with a record of accomplishment in leading hospitality industry organizations at multiple levels, with demonstrated competencies as a strong leader, relationship builder, problem solver and mentor.

Expertise and Research Interest

• Sales Management and training
• Turn-around and revenue management
• Professional Development & Customer Service
• Hospitality Leadership and Executive Education
• Making Cultural Diversity Real
• Accreditation & Developing Academic Hospitality programs

Service to the Industry and Hospitality Education includes working with the Educational Institute Certification Commission of the AH&LA, the Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute, the AH&LA Multicultural Advisory Council, the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration, the Commission for Accreditation on Hospitality Management Programs, the AH&LA and AAHOA Education and Training Committees, the Council of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Educators (CHRIE), the International Hotel Show and the Certified Hotel Owner program for the Asian American Hotel Owners' Association.

He writes weekly columns for a number of global online services (hotel online.com, eHotelier, 4 Hotels, Hotel Resource, etc) and has published more than 400 articles & columns on the hotel industry. He co-authored (with Howard Feiertag, CHA CMP) LESSONS FROM THE FIELD - a COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES, which is available from info@smartbizzonline.com, ROOMS CHRONICLE www.roomschronicle.com and other industry sources. He resides in Phoenix, Arizona and expects to publish in 2009 his 2nd book based on his dissertation - The Top 100 People of All Time Who Most Dramatically Affected the Hotel Industry.

Hogan's professional experience includes over 35 years in hotel operations, food & beverage, sales & marketing, training, management development and asset management on both a single and multi-property basis, including service as Senior Vice President of Operations in a specialty hotel brand for six years.

He holds a number of industry certifications (CHA, CHE, MHS, ACI) and is a past recipient of the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Pearson Award for Excellence in Lodging Journalism, as well as operational and marketing awards from international brands. He has served as President of both city and state hotel associations.

John's background includes teaching college level courses as an adjunct professor at three different colleges and universities over a 20-year period, while managing with Sheraton, Hilton, Omni and independent hotels. He was the principal in an independent training & consulting group for more than 12 years serving associations, management groups, convention & visitors' bureaus, academic institutions and as an expert witness. He joined Best Western International in spring of 2000, where over the next 8 years he created and developed a blended learning system as the Director of Education & Cultural Diversity for the world's largest hotel chain.

He has served on several industry boards that deal with education and/or cultural diversity and as brand liaison to the NAACP and the Asian American Hotel Owners' Association with his long-term involvement in the Certified Hotel Owner program. He has conducted an estimated 3,200 workshops and classes in his career. He conducts mystery-shopping reviews of quality in operations and marketing, including repositioning of hotels.