Thesis on "Recruitment & Selection the Mss Hotel"

Thesis 6 pages (2184 words) Sources: 15 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Recruitment & Selection

The MSS Hotel is in the process of examining their recruitment, selection and placement processes. The company has an established process, but feels the current economic environment is a good opportunity to revisit the issue. This report will take the company through that process. The existing RSP procedure will be explained in detail. This will be followed by an analysis of weak points in the process. Suggestions will be made with respect to addressing these weak points.

The analysis will be conducted in the context of both academic and non-academic research. The view of industry writers will be taken into consideration with respect to best practices in RSP, and the learned analysis of academics will also contribute to the discussion. In order that this external data is useful, it will be assumed that the conditions in the labor market in general mirror those of the immediate region of MSS Hotel. There are also assumptions to be made with regard to the overall strategic aims and competitive strategy of MSS. It is expected that the hotel is seeking the best employees in their fields, in order to uphold the reputation of the parent company.

There are limitations to this approach, however. Industry consensus on best practices may simply be "normal practices," with the true best practices being proprietary to only a handful of firms. The assumptions with regards to the labor market may not hold true for MSS. Furthermore, the assumptions with regard to strategy may also be faulty.

2.2 Differences between MSS Hotel's RSP practices and industry best practices

The best practices of the hotel industry are guided by a certain set of desires on the part of hotel managers. In most markets, the hospitality industry is constrained by a shortage of quality personnel. Increasing employment in the service sector combined with a shrinking potential workforce has resulted in an increasingly competitive environment for hotel staff (Bonn & Forbringer, 2002). While the economic crisis may have alleviated the worker shortages, it has also weakened demand throughout the sector. Nevertheless, it is assumed that MSS has an opportunity to take advantage of the improvement in the talent pool when a position comes open, which will drive their hiring practices.

One best practice is that of employment branding. This practice, utilized by MGM Grand, sells the company to potential employees (Sullivan, 2006). The outcomes are that the company attracts better people, which increases productivity and reduces turnover. The present economic slowdown represents a unique opportunity for hotels to improve the quality of their workforce, particularly at the managerial level. MSS does not currently sell itself well; it is simply another hotel with an opening. This passive approach to recruitment fails to attract the best employees to MSS.

The current employee referral program is not congruent with best practices. This program is orphaned from the rest of the RSP program. The program exists, but it is not tied to specific openings and there are few guidelines governing the program. A best practice referral program has many features not present in the MSS plan. The best plans are proactive -- they encourage referrals and demand immediate follow-through on leads. The program should be included in the new hire orientation. There should be bonuses and they should be paid out quickly (Sullivan, 2008).

The internal recruitment process is in need of improvement. Best practices for internal recruiting go beyond the mere posting of internal positions. They are based around the concept of "best internal fit." An employee's performance, particularly at the managerial level, is directly related to overall firm performance (Huselid, 1995). The employee, therefore, must be in a position to which he or she is well-suited. The current internal hiring process relies on job postings. The best practice model relies as much on knowing the workforce, understanding the skills of the employees, and identifying candidates, including those who may not identify themselves. Internal candidates may be discouraged from applying because they feel that they will be judged solely on what they have done in the past, rather than what they are capable of or want to do, which has been a traditional if myopic RSP practice in the past (Kronos Inc., 2008). The best companies encourage employees to apply for internally posted positions on these bases rather than simply on the basis of past experience.

Lastly, the hotel's approach to the Internet's role in RSP is a decade or two behind the times. This aspect of RSP is rapidly evolving, but examinations of recent best practices reveal the weaknesses in MSS' strategy. The Internet is the default medium for the conduct of job searches (Bartram, 2002). Potential employees are web-savvy and no longer have qualms about posting employment information over the web (Harris, 2003). The hotel only uses one website, and only after the internal search fails. To get the best candidates, multiple sites should be used. The post must be timed for maximum views. The job title should often be re-written, as many job titles are not sufficiently attractive. The website job description must be detailed. The ad can link to the posting on the company's website -- something MSS should start doing -- but it must link directly to be effective (Russell, 2005).

2.3 There are several ways for MSS to improve its employment branding. The downturn is the perfect opportunity to improve the employment brand. The brand is affected by the way the company treats its people. Thus, if people need to be let go, the employer should ensure that the transition goes smoothly, as this will impact on the brand. The company needs to portray itself in both internal and external communications as an employer of choice. It must also take steps to protect its employees in the face economic downturn -- such efforts will be rewarded when the economy improves (Mbugua, 2009).

The employment referral program needs to be tied directly to the firm's recruiting strategy. This means placing more emphasis on the program and making it part of the new employee training program. A strategy should be developed to track and follow-through on referrals. Rewards should be high-profile, and received quickly (Sullivan, 2008). Employees who submit multiple referrals should receive escalating rewards. These tactics can be implemented at any time, even during the recession.

To improve the hotel's Internet recruiting strategy, the hotel should first broaden its search by developing relationships with multiple job search sites. The company should also post its jobs online. These are low-cost solutions that can be implemented at any time. Adjustments should also be made to the way that jobs are posted online. The seven day wait period after internal posting should be scrapped, replaced by posting at the most effective time to do so.

There are several improvements that can be made to the internal job search strategy. One internal step that can be undertaken is to invest more money in human resources, providing the department with the money needed to build a database of skills, competencies and career objectives for the employees. At present these -- at best -- will sit in a file unread. There is untapped potential and human resources should be able to perform a database search for keywords that could identify traits in employees. This can be used for management to seek out employees, not simply rely on the employees applying for the position. The internal job search strategy should also include an intranet or email component. This is useful because electronic means of job search are the most common today. In addition, the search can reach even those employees on vacation, as opposed to a note tacked to the lunch room wall for a week.

2.4 Over time, improved employment branding will help MSS attract higher caliber candidates. The company will enjoy a better reputation in the industry, which is especially important to attract managerial candidates. With higher quality candidates will come greater productivity, fewer customer complaints and lower turnover. At the core of this strategy is building trust, not just with your current employees but with potential future ones as well (EBO Editor, 2009, a) One disadvantage of this option is that further investment may be required for MSS to live up to the reputation it seeks to earn. In the recession, it may be difficult to provide severance or delay layoffs, for example.

The employee referral program should, ideally, tap the networks that employees have to attract more new employees. It should be tied directly into new postings, with communications to employees reminding them of the program when a position becomes available. Job descriptions are important here as well -- they help employees match the skills of their friends to the open positions (Engel, 1994). A disadvantage of this plan is that there may a conflict of interest or other negative outcomes when referral candidate are directly and visibly competing against internal candidates.

The Internet recruiting strategy should be improved by listing on multiple web sites. Special attention should be paid… READ MORE

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