Chapter 4

Human Resources
 The Role of Human Resources
Line Managers HR Specialists
Making final employee Helping line managers
selection decision with HR-related duties:
HR Is
Providing department- – Employee selection
Both a Line
specific orientation – Orientation
and Staff
Initiating ongoing training Function – Training
– Evaluation
Supervision activities – Compensation
(e.g., performance appraisal)

GM must define authority boundaries between

line managers and staff managers.
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 The Role of Human Resources (cont.)
How HR personnel assist in hotel’s overall operation:

Implementing policies to effectively recruit, select, motivate, and retain

the most qualified management and nonmanagement staff

Developing and delivering orientation, safety, security, supervisory,

and some department-specific training programs

Developing and communicating HR policies that are equitable and fair

to all employees while protecting the rights of the hotel

Interpreting, implementing, and enforcing the ever-increasing body of

laws and regulations

Helping to maintain appropriate standards of work-life quality and

ethical business policies and practices
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 Staffing the Human Resources Department
Job Descriptions
A list of tasks that an
employee in a specific
position must be able to
perform effectively
Statements about duties,
responsibilities, working
conditions, and specific
job activities
Example: HR director
(recruitment, selection,
evaluation, promotion)
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Job Specifications
A list of personal qualities
necessary for successful
performance of the tasks
required by the job description
Statements about knowledge;
Two
skills; education; physical and
Staffing personal characteristics
Tools
Example: HR director
(considerable knowledge of
principles and practices of
HR management)
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 Legal Aspects of Human Resources:
Employee Selection
Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications (BOQs):
Qualifications to perform a job that are judged reasonably
necessary to safely or adequately perform all tasks within that job.

Legitimate BOQs
Education or certification requirements
Language skills
Previous experience
Minimum age (for jobs such as waitress or bartender)
Physical attributes (amounts able to be lifted, carried, etc.)
Licensing
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Legal Aspects of Human Resources:
Employee Selection (cont.)
Tools to screen employee applicants:
Only provide info directly relating to the job
Employment Demographic info, employment history, educational
Applications background, criminal history, employment status, references,
drug testing

Interviews Race, religion, and physical traits should not be asked

Age may be asked only for the purpose of legal requirements

Follow strict state guidelines and requirements for pre-

Testing employment drug testing

Obtain applicant’s permission in writing for background and

Other reference checks

Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education

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Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Legal Aspects of Human Resources:
Employee Selection (cont.)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
Employers cannot discriminate against employees on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Americans with Prohibits discrimination against job
Disabilities Act (1990) candidates with disabilities
Age Discrimination in
Protects individuals age 40 and older
Employment Act (1967)
Immigration Reform &
Prohibits hiring illegal immigrants
Control Act (1987)
Protects young workers from
Fair Labor Standards Act
employment interfering with education
(1938)
or that is detrimental to health
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Legal Aspects of Human Resources:
Employment Relationships
“At-Will” Employment Employment Agreement

Employers can hire or Document specifying

terminate any employees the terms of the
with or without cause at employer-employee work
any time relationship
Employees can elect to Indicates rights and
work for the employer obligations of both
or terminate the work parties
relationship anytime

Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education

Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
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 Legal Aspects of Human Resources:
The Law in the Workplace
Sexual Harassment
One cannot ask favors of a subordinate in exchange for employment
benefits; neither can one punish an employee if an offer is rejected.
A GM should follow strict zero tolerance policy and procedures
– Issuing of appropriate policies
– Conducting applicable workshops
– Developing procedures to obtain relief
– Developing written protocols for reporting
– Investigating and resolving incidents and grievances

Family and Medical Leave (1993)

Hotels (employing 50 or more staff) should provide up to 12 weeks of
(unpaid) leave to an employee for a birth, adoption of a child, or serious
illness of an immediate family member.
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
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Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Legal Aspects of Human Resources:
The Law in the Workplace (cont.)
Compensation
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime work
rates, and equal pay regardless of gender.
Employee Performance
Employee evaluation (assuring work performance [nothing else] forms the basis
for employee evaluations)
Discipline (effectively communicating and consistently enforcing workplace
rules and policies)
Termination (preventing unacceptable termination of employees)
Unemployment Issues
Unemployment insurance (allowing temporary financial benefits to employees
who have lost jobs)
Unemployment claim (asserting the worker is eligible for unemployment
benefits)
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Legal Aspects of Human Resources:
The Law in the Workplace (cont.)
Employment Records
Selected employee records should be maintained.
Examples of record keeping:
– Department of Labor records (e.g., employee’s name, address, gender, job
title, work schedule, hourly rate, regular and overtime earnings, wage
deductions, and payday dates)
– Any deductions from wages for meals, uniforms, or lodging
– Amount of tips reported (for tipped employees)
– Covered leave and amount of leave for eligible employees
(Family and Medical Leave Act)
– Employment eligibility verification (Immigration Reform and Control Act)
– Personnel matters and benefit plans (Age Discrimination and
Employment Act)
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action: Recruitment
Internal Recruiting External Recruiting

Focusing on internal Hiring from outside

applicants for vacant sources
positions Newspaper and other
“Promotion from within” media advertisements,
Alerting friends and job fairs, executive
Recruitment search firms, recruiting
relatives of current
Methods at schools, “help wanted”
employees
Recruitment is not solely signs
the job of HR department Attracting external
Current staff can impact candidates
hotel’s turnover rate
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action: Selection
Selection:
Evaluating job applicants to determine those more qualified
(or potentially more qualified) for positions.

Selection Devices

Preliminary screening (reviewing application)

Employment interviews
Employment tests
Reference checks
Drug tests

Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education

Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action: Orientation
Orientation:
Providing basic information about the hotel that should be known by all of its
employees.

Goals Contents
Reducing anxiety Hotel overview
(mission statement)
Improving morale Guest service/relations training
Reducing turnover Emphasis on teamwork
Providing consistency Policies and procedures,
Developing realistic including handbook
Compensation and benefits
expectations
Guest safety and security
Employee and union relations
Property tour
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action: Training
Training is absolutely critical to the hotel’s success!
Improve knowledge or skills of staff

New employees and experienced staff need training

Ongoing professional development can motivate staff and
help employees’ advancement opportunities
Implement “train the trainer” program
Group Training Individualized Training
Effective when several (or more) One-to-one training method
staff must learn the same thing
Use of a role-play (e.g., upselling Mainly responsible for
training for front desk agents) individualized line departments
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action:
Performance Evaluation

Determine where staff can improve performance

Assess eligibility for pay raises and promotions
Goals
Improve morale
Assure legal compliance

Develop policies & procedures for property-wide system

HR
Communicate these policies & procedures to all staff
Dept.
Roles Address and resolve employee concerns as they arise
File performance evaluation results in employee records

Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education

Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action:
Performance Evaluation (cont.)
Steps of Performance Appraisal System

Performance standards are established for each position

Policies (e.g., frequency of rating) are established

Data is gathered about employee performance

Raters must evaluate performance

Discuss performance evaluation with employees

Evaluation information is filed

Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action: Compensation
Compensation:
All financial and nonfinancial rewards given to managers and
nonmanagement staff members in return for their work.

Direct financial compensation Indirect financial compensation

– Salary/wages – Benefits (health insurance, paid
vacations, etc.)

Effective compensation programs should be:

Legal, fair, balanced, cost-effective, and viewed as reasonable by staff

Establish pay for specific positions based on:

What other employers attempting to attract the same applicants pay
What employees working on different jobs in the hotel are paid
What other employees working on same jobs within the hotel are paid
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action:
Employee Safety and Health
Work-Related Accidents and Illnesses

Work to Be Done Working Conditions

(e.g., cooks using knives) (e.g., greasy floors in kitchen)

HR staff assistance for health-related activities:

Developing and selecting programs to help employees cope with stress

Developing procedures applicable to workplace violence

Communicating updated info about HIV in the workplace

Providing information about cumulative trauma disorders

Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Human Resources in Action:
Workforce and Work Quality Improvement

T
Professional Development E
C
H Improving
Cultural Diversity N Work
I
Q Quality
Continuous Quality U
Improvement E
S
Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed. ©2007 Pearson Education
Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458