It briefly considers the contribution being made by those activities within HR classified as ‘Resourcing’ activities. These are recruitment and selection, manpower planning and performance management. The report then specifically focuses on release, and provides well considered estimations of financial improvements, in order to support the findings and recommendationsThe final part examines the possible advantages and disadvantages of a ‘value added’ HR function. In addition, it considers the impact of this policy on employees, as well as Hilton as an organisation. Also, it will include a set of recommendations
To put the report in a business context, here is a pri?? cis of the Hilton business. Hilton Hotels are just one part of a much larger organisation called Hilton Group Plc. The group’s largest division is the hotel division; the Ladbrokes Group acquired Hilton International in 1987 for i?? 645 million in a move that at the time was reported the deal of the decade. Hilton Hotels are situated in key business areas, city centres and airport locations; they provide a high standard of accommodation and outstanding hospitality to their customers. The Hilton Brighton Metropole occupies a prime position on the town’s seafront.
This elegant Victorian hotel has 335 rooms and the largest conference/banqueting facility on the South Coast. 2004 sees the hotel undergoing a i?? 1Million refurbishment. Hilton’s HR Mission Statement is ‘provide an environment where talent is highly valued, actively sought out and encouraged to develop’. This is an ideal shared by Michael Armstrong, author of A Handbook of Human Resource Management, who states that “the role of the HR function is to enable the organisation to achieve its objectives by taking initiatives and providing guidance and support on all matters relating to its employees.
” Armstrong explains that “the basic aim is to ensure that management deals effectively with everything concerning the employment and development of people and the relationships that exist between management and the workforce. “1 This report will evaluate the current contribution being made by the HR department at the Hilton Brighton Metropole with specific reference to the area of resourcing. It will ask the important questions “How do we add value? ” and “How strategic is HR?
” together with providing an assessment of how well we live the Hilton mission statement. The first part of this report will examine resourcing in particular, paying specific attention to the area of release. 5. 0 Findings For the purpose of this report the research focuses specifically on the areas of Recruitment and Selection, Manpower Planning, Performance Management and Release. Michael Armstrong defines Employee Resourcing as “ensuring that the organisation: (a) obtains and retains the human capital it needs, and (b) employs this capital productively.
It is also about those aspects of employment practice that are concerned with welcoming people to the organisation and, if there is no alternative, releasing them. “2 This report will now look at how well Hilton attracts new employees into the business, manages their performance, how it releases them and where improvements could be made. An ideal scenario for Recruitment and Selection would be an efficient organisation and fair recruitment practices yielding sufficient numbers of suitable candidates, enabling them to select a sufficient number of high-calibre employees.
To obtain a better understanding of how strategic the role of HR is within Hilton, questionnaires were issued to key senior personnel. The feedback suggests that HR is significantly involved. HR is represented on the Board of Directors and each hotel operates a ‘4D’ Structure (Directors of HR, Finance, Revenue and Operations). On the next Level, HR management then contributes to the creation of the Business Plan and is responsible for key drivers and objectives on this plan.
On a national level, initiatives such as Exchange (employee forum), ROAD (succession planning toolkit), TBS (technical and behavioural skills training), Induction and Esprit have all been generated to drive success through people. Esprit is the benefits package and encompasses all that typifies Hilton’s approach to colleagues. It is the vehicle to further personal and career development needs. To assess these initiatives, a further HR initiative, Viewpoint (staff survey), is used as a tool to provide metrics, gather information and write assessment reports.
At a regional level, some long-term strategies are being developed and others implemented, to improve colleague performance. Working groups are currently looking at improving performance through the Guest Satisfaction Tracking Survey and the policy “Ready, Steady, Manage” looks at the long-term benefit of developing HOD’s. Success on a local level is decided by the individual General Manager and HR Manager. In an interview with Peter Hales, General Manager, he comments: – “My personal view is that training and motivating colleagues is the foundation of any success in business.
The strategy behind improving this is a mixture of national, regional and personal initiatives to follow a balanced path. ” At the employee level of the organisation, HR is also represented on the hotel ‘Balanced Scorecard’ which is the measurement tool of a hotel’s success. These findings very much mirror a recent survey from the CIPD5. The survey looks at the tougher demands being placed on HR, and how the function is undergoing a major transformation that will involve taking on a more strategic role within the business.
It indicates that HR activities are heavily business-driven and already strongly aligned with business needs. Business strategy and the views of senior management are seen as key drivers of change. The survey goes on to comment that there has been a shift in aspiration within HR, from a function concerned with reactive HR (fire-fighting) to one focused on adding business value. At Hilton, the HR department has had to develop the HR Evaluation to enable it to work closer to the HOD’s and to develop a more strategic alliance with them.
