Course: Human Resource Management

ASSIGNMENT:

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS GIVEN AT THE END OF THE CASE STUDY BELOW

THE HOTEL PARIS CASE The New Training Program (when compared to similar companies) some changes were The Hotel Paris's competitive strategy is "To use superior guest in order. Most other service companies provided at least service to diferentiate the Hotel Paris properties, and to 40 hours of training per employee per year, while the Hotel thereby increase the length of stayand return rate of guests, and Paris offered, on average, no more than 5 or 6 hours. Similar thus boost revenues and profitability." HR manager Lisa Cruz firms offered at least 40 hours of training per new employee, must now formulate functional policies and activities that while the Hotel Paris offered, at most, 10. Even the appar- support this competitive strategy by eliciting the required ently "good" metrics comparisons simply masked poor employee behaviors and competencies. results. For example, whereas most service firms spend As she reviewed her company's training processes, Lisa about 8% of their payrolls on training, the Hotel Paris spent had reasons to be concerned. For one thing, the Hotel Paris less than 1%. The problem, of course, was that the Hotel relied almost exclusively on informal on-the-job training. Paris's training was nonexistent. Given this and the common New security guards attended a l-week program offered by a sense links between (1) employee training and (2) employee law enforcement agency, but all other new hires, from assis- performance, the CFO gave his go-ahead for Lisa and her tant manager to housekeeping crew, learned the rudiments team to design a comprehensive package of training pro- of their jobs from their colleagues and their supervisors, on grams for all Hotel Paris employees. the job. Lisa noted that the drawbacks of this informality were evident when she compared the Hotel Paris's perform- Questions ance on various training metrics with those of other hotels 1. Based on what you read in this chapter, what do you suggest and service firms. For example, in terms of number of hours Lisa and her team do first with respect to training? Why? training per employee per year, number of hours training for 2. Have Lisa and the CFO sufficiently investigated whether new employees, cost per trainee hour, and percent of payroll training is really called for? Why? What would you suggest? spent on training, the Hotel Paris was far from the norm 3. Based on what you read in this chapter and what you when benchmarked against similar firms. may access via the Web, develop a detailed training Indeed, as Lisa and the CFO reviewed the measures of program for one of these hotel positions: security guard, the Hotel Paris's current training efforts, it was clear that housekeeper, or valet/door person