Andrea Taboada

Human Resources Exam

1. Imagine yourself as the HR manager of a tourism and hospitality company such as a

hotel or restaurant. Your task is to develop the "key and bottleneck functions" for this
specific company.

Note: Make sure to define the strategic priority of your chosen company before
developing the key and bottleneck functions.

Strategic priorities are performance benchmarks amid the turbulence of the travel and
hospitality industry. In the case of a high-end hotel, these include excellent guests’ experiences
and successful operations . As an HR Manager, distinguishing between core functions and
bottlenecks is vital to linking human resources with the company’s strategic objectives.

Key Functions:

1) Visitor Experience: Provide unparalleled service and at the same time every worker is
educated and empowered to ensure every visitor experience exceeds expectations.
2) Individuals Acquisition and Retention: Attracts, selects, and retains premium workers
that are motivated by the organization’s goals and enures each person contributes to
meeting anticipated creativity.
3) Operational Efficiency: Reduces procedures and smoothes procedures to cut visitor
waiting periods, excellent service delivery, and improve teamwork.
4) Performance Management: Contains performance evaluation; reward systems for high
performance initiative; and appraisals that provide constructive input for workplace
renovation.
5) Continuous Learning and Development: programs are to be part of their constant
training and support opportunities to acquire professional skills, such as interaction and
EQ.

Bottleneck functions:

1) Staffing Shortages: Reducing the impact of understaffing by developing flexible staffing

techniques and programs for cross-training assigned well in advance of seasonal
oscillations in demand.
2) Service Recovery : Creating protocols and enabling front-line staff to handle guest
complaints and recover from service deficiencies rapidly and efficiently, therefore turning
negative experiences into favorable ones.
3) Technology Integration : Pioneering technology to better serve customers while also
making sure it seamlessly integrates with the current system and that employees receive
the necessary training and support.
 4) Cultural Alignment : Introducing a holistic organizational culture, where no employee is
Conducting business divisions or functions that are not aligned with the company’s
principles and do not aim to achieve an optimum result.
5) Sustainability Initiatives: Implement ecology-friendly methodologies in ordinary
operations; coach personnel about the benefits of environmentally responsible
hospitality processes.

To identify these important tasks and bottleneck areas, the HR manager may solve difficulties
and seize opportunities to achieve organizational performance .

2. As the HR manager, develop a "job description" for a chosen position within the hotel
industry.

Note: Ensure to include both the requirements (critical incidents) and attractive aspects
(magic moments) in your job description

Position: Front Desk Receptionist.

Description:

Open position to be part of a multicultural and professional team in a prestigious hotel in

London. We are looking for an optimist and adaptable individual who will bring value to the
team. If you're passionate for customer service and you consider yourself a problem solver this
job is for you! The lucky candidate can expect to have up to 2 weeks of holidays per semester
and a competitive salary, we'd cover transportation and meals during the shift (Magic Moments).
The candidate will be provided with ongoing training and workshops for team bonding and self
improvement.

Responsibilities:

Check guests in and out quickly, ensuring proper reservations and payment processing.

Quickly answer guest inquiries and requests including information about hotel facilities,
attractions near the hotel, and any alternatives for meals:

Efficiently conduct phone calls and manage emails, referring them to each department or staff
member:

Book reservations and provide transportation and any other special requests;

Ensure guest interaction with all departments in the building is seamless to address any
potential issues that arise with staying guests.

Requirements:

High school diploma or the equivalent; a bachelor’s degree in hotel management is a plus.
(Critical Incident)
Prior work experience in customer service or front-desk positions, ideally in a high-end hotel
environment.

Exceptional language and social abilities, allowing you to interact with visitors and coworkers of
all backgrounds.

Must have excellent organizational and decision-making abilities and be prepared to address
visitor grievances in a professional manner.

Proficiency in computer systems and hotel management programs; experience with new
applications is a plus

Must be willing to work varied shifts as necessary, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

3. How can an HR manager leverage and apply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in their role?

The model is highly informative in terms of comprehending employee motivation and generating
effective HR policies. On the most fundamental level, HR managers may address the
physiological needs of employees by satisfying their food, shelter, and other basic necessities
using fair compensation policies, accessible healthcare offerings, and secured working
conditions. Simultaneously, the social needs of employees may be satisfied by obtaining a
sense of group identity and community through team-building exercises and workplace
protocols. The self-esteem requirements of employee needs are satisfied by acknowledging and
rewarding and ensuring a feeling of achievement and validation within the organization.
Employees’ self-actualization requirements are met by providing development opportunities, job
enhancement, and significant growth potential.

4. When selecting candidates what is worse: false negative or false positive? Please
argue.

The impact of both false negatives and false positives is immense; however, false positives
have a more deleterious effect on agency performance and culture. The lack of necessary
abilities or fit for the agency can disrupt team dynamics, decrease productivity, and depress
morale. Onboarding, employing, and training new employees is a significant investment, which
makes the cost of false positives significantly higher. While false negatives may result in lost
opportunities to recruit fantastic individuals, they can generally be reversed by future recruiting
and keeping a full pipeline. This circumstance does not have the same immediate impact on a
firm’s performance and culture as false positives. In the terms of candidate selection, false
positives pose a higher risk and should be reduced by rigorous screening, evaluation, and
reference checks to guarantee alignment with the organization's values, requirements, and
strategic objectives.

5. What is stereotyping? Please give a specific example.

Stereotyping involves judging people based on characteristics, such as race, gender, age, or
ethnicity, instead of assessing them as individuals. An example of stereotyping in the workplace
is assuming that older workers lack technological aptness or are resistant to new technologies.
As a result, senior employees may be overlooked for projects that necessitate familiarity with
technology and inventive problem-solving and may even be dismissed by or shunned from
young colleagues.

6. Briefly explain one learning theory and describe how HR managers can utilize this
theory.

The Social Learning Theory, developed by Albert Bandura, is appropriate for use by HR
managers. The theory is maintained by learning from their observations of others and then
replicating their conduct, attitudes, and values. HR managers may support an organizational
culture of continuous learning and mutual knowledge sharing using this concept. For illustration,
they might develop a mentorship program that allows the staff to learn from senior employees
while simultaneously developing new skills through hands-on training and support. When they
participate in team-based projects and cross-functional teamwork, employees can see and
adopt varied experiences at the workplace simultaneously or at the same time. An atmosphere
of social learning may be developed by HR directors that will help in knowledge transmission,
competency growth, and innovation, which may support organizational growth and
development.