TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS

SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Week 12

Human Resources
“Getting The Right People For The Job”
Presented by Stuart Gow
 Learning Outcomes

On completion of this week you will have

an appreciation of:
1. The main steps in recruiting &
interviewing employees.
2. How to write a job description.
3. Possible problems when hiring
contractors instead of employees.
4. What is required to assess training
needs & select delivery methods.
5. The role of human resource policies.
6. How to manage turnover.
 Key Terms

• Affirmative action • Temporary employee

• Casual employee • Unfair dismissal
• Constructive dismissal • Unfair selection
• Employee • Unlawful termination
• Equal opportunity • Wrongful dismissal
• Independent contractor • Compliance or non-compliance
• Part-time employee • Loading
• Performance appraisal • Pro-rata
• Performance management • Award
• Probation • Minimum Wages
• Redundancy • When Ordinary Hours Can Be Worked
• Resignation • Penalty Rates For Weekends, Evenings And
• Retrenchment Public Holidays
• Sexual discrimination • Overtime Rates
• Sexual harassment • Loadings For Shiftworkers
• Summary dismissal • Allowances
• Suspension • Leave
 Reading

• Chapter 9 of textbook
• pp. 131-140

• Patterson, C. (2007)
The Business of Ecotourism (3rd ed.)
Oxford: Trafford Publishing.
 Additional Readings

• Collins, A.B. (2007). Human Resources: A Hidden Advantage?

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 19/1.
78-84.
• Jameson, S.M. (2000). Recruitment & Training in Small Firms. Journal
of European Industrial Training, 24/1. 43-49.
• Moutinho Chapter 6 of text – Human resource issues in travel & tourism
(pp.169-185).
• Nickson, D., Warhurst, D. & Dutton, E. (2006). The Importance of
Attitude & Appearance in the Service Encounter in Retail & Hospitality.
Managing Service Quality, 15/2. 195-208.
• Peters, M. (2005). Entrepreneurial Skills in Leadership & Human
Resource Management Evaluated by Apprentices in Small Tourism
Businesses. Education & Training, 47 8/9. 575-591.
• Pollitt, D. (2008. Training Re-energises Call-centre Staff at First Choice
Holidays. Human Resource Management International Digest, 16/1.
• Nolan, C. (2002). Human Resource Development in the Irish Hotel
Industry: The Case of the Small Firm. Journal of European Industrial
Training, 26/2/3/4. 88-99.
Available on Moodle
 YouTube Videos

• Managing & Developing People in Hospitality

Industry Part I - HRM & hospitality industry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmbXQ7QnZCk
• Managing & Developing People in Hospitality
Industry Part 2 - Recruitment & Selection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGBuLJmApZg
• Managing & Developing People in Hospitality
Industry Part 3 - Human Resource Development
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_CzHMzeL6Q
• Managing & Developing People in Hospitality
Industry 4 // Human resources policies & functions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpHNSyKqG4E
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Learning Outcome 1

THE MAIN STEPS IN RECRUITING &

INTERVIEWING EMPLOYEES
 Getting The Right People For The
Job

• Determine who you

need
• Where Do You Recruit?
• Conduct interviews
• Consider using contract
help
 Who Do You Need?

• Identify tasks to be
performed by new hires
• Group all tasks that
require similar skills
• Prepare a job
description
• Identify which
requirements are “must
haves
 Where Do You Recruit?

• Locally or international?
• Can be difficult to find
qualified employees in
remote areas or developing
countries
• Look for opportunities to
hire local people where
possible
• Consider long-term solutions
in training local people to
required standards
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Learning Outcome 1

INTERVIEWING PROCESS
 Pre-interview

• Do reference checks
• Verify qualifications
• Prepare standard
interview questions
• Select interview panel
 Do Reference Checks

• Take time to check

candidates’ references
• Ask questions that do
not violate employment
or disability laws
• Assess the person
providing the reference
 Verify Qualifications

• Contact licensing
agency to verify licenses
& standing of member
• Request transcripts of
degrees or diplomas
• May help reduce legal
risk of your company if
accidents occur
 During Interview

• Use standard interview

questions
• Assess personal
attributes
• Include a skills test
• Include a peer interview
 Use Standard Interview Questions

• Provides a basis upon which

to compare candidates’
background & training
• Requires the use of the same
questions for each interview
• Answers are numerically
scored
• Avoid questions prohibited by
law
• Focus on whether person can
do job outlined in job
description
Include Behaviour Interview
Questions
• Based on premise that the
best predictor of future
behaviour is past
behaviour
• Ask people how they have
handled situations in the
past
• Gets away from
theoretical questions that
may not reflect how
someone HAS behaved
 Include a Skills Test

• Provide an opportunity
during the interview to
demonstrate ACTUAL
technical or
interpretation skills
– Cooks = in kitchen
– Front of house = deal with
a guest
• Allows you to assess
personal attributes such
as friendliness
Include Peer Interviews

• Have department staff

members participate in
the interview process
• Can ease acceptance of
person into group later
• Should ensure it follows
interviewing standards
of objectivity, fairness &
adherence to legislative
requirements
 Avoid interview errors

• Where few candidates

exist, resist temptation to
hire someone who does
not meet basic needs
• Avoid snap judgements
• Be sensitive to cultural
differences in body
language
• Hire people who can
compliment your strengths
& weaknesses
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Learning Outcome 2

HOW TO WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION

 Job description

• Point out holes in your

organization
• Tasks no one gets around to
– e.g. prospecting corporate
customers for incentive tours
• "Holes" = missed revenue
opportunities
• Identifying tasks that are
not being completed
– assess the value of adding, or
not adding, a new employee.
 Job descriptions

• identify employees
whose skills do not
match their job
• ID mismatch between
employee and job
• May need to change
their task set or hire
another person who has
a different skill set
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Learning Outcome 3

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WHEN HIRING

CONTRACTORS INSTEAD OF EMPLOYEES
 What is contract help?

• Where you do not need

full-time staff consider
using contract staff
• Removes some of the
administrative burden
• examples
– catering
– transport/driver
– interpreters
Be sure they are up to your
standards

• Ensure that good

contractor relationship
exists
• Contract help must
meet your standards for
customer service &
safety management
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Learning Outcome 4

WHAT IS REQUIRED TO ASSESS TRAINING

NEEDS & SELECT DELIVERY METHODS
 Training needs

• Required to bridge skill

gaps
• Involves the transfer of
specific skills &
behaviours
• Is not the solution for
all performance
deficiencies
Developing training programmes

Learning Objectives & Training Method

Systematic Evaluation of
TrainingDevelopment
Needs Analysis
Training
 Training Needs Analysis

What IS the problem?

• Undelivered messages from
the front desk
• Wrong drink served from the
bar
• Disputed charges with guest
folio
• Wireless internet, no signal
• Food poisoning

Establish the cause of the problem

Tracey & Tews (1995)

May 16, 2008 TS208 OIH 30

 Systematic evaluation of training:
The 4 Criteria
Knowledge Acquisition
Reaction to training Post training status?
Value? Knowledge level
Benefit? Values
Correct use of resources

Improvement in
Change in performance
organisational results
Standards
Happy customers
Attitude
Increased market share
Skills
Cost savings
 Common Ecotourism Training
Needs
• Natural history (nature)
• Culture
• Ecotourism principles
• Code of ethics
• Customer service
• Leadership & conflict
resolution skills
• Equipment operation
• Safety & survival skills
• First aid
• Business skills
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Learning Outcome 5

THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE

POLICIES
 HR policies

• serve as a resource for
dealing with various
situations that occur in the
workplace
• they encourage managers
to treat employees fairly &
consistently.
• provide managers with the
framework to manage
staff
 HR policies

Specific policies on
• hiring
• termination (firing!)
• performance
evaluation
• disciplinary action
 Other areas covered

• Sick leave
• Rates of pay
• Uniforms & dress codes
• Education,
reimbursement &
payments
• Benefits
• Work hours
• Safety
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Learning Outcome 6

HOW TO MANAGE TURNOVER

 Staff turnover

• Turnover rate is the
percentage of employees in
a workforce that leave during
a certain period of time
• Companies and industries as
a whole measure their
turnover rate during a year

Tourism industry has HIGH

turnover on average
Ways to minimise turnover

• hire the right people

• offer competitive pay
and benefits
• give praise
• show the career path
• allow flexible work
schedules
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Week : 29 April – 3 May 2019

TUTORIALS WEEK 12
 Tutorials

• Recap of your Business

plans so far….
• Check what
Plans
section you have
NOT done yet!
• EEEK!
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Stuart Gow
gow_s@usp.fj.ac
 TS309 – TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SEMESTER 1 - 2019

Week 12

Human Resources
“Getting The Right People For The Job”
Presented by Stuart Gow