Retention Procedures in Jamie Olivers Restaurant - Essay Example

WORKING WITH AND LEADING PEOPLE Working with and Leading People Working with and Leading People LO Evaluation of the Recruitment, Selection, and Retention Procedures in Jamie Oliver’s Restaurant Jamie Oliver’s procedures Jamie Oliver uses unique methods to select, recruit and retain trainees. Instead of bringing in qualified people, he uses strategies such as tasting of food, conducting tests where the applicants had to talk about food, and cooking of fried Salmon as well as vegetables. The use of such strategies was integral in understanding the applicants better and evaluating their love for food. Unlike Jamie Oliver, I would use different procedures, taking into account various considerations in the selection process. The use of selection, recruitment, and retention Procedure The success of any business is dependent on the innovation, creativity, skills, and having a committed labour force. In that case, the retention, selection, as well as the recruitment process is imperative for every firm. In recruiting a new member, there is a need to have a different document, the firm must obey the statutory laws, and go beyond the sequential procedure of selecting (Bell 2012).The human resource department has the mandate to select the right people and prepare a document that details various rules as well as regulations. A Document to Select and Recruit The management of the restaurant needs to prepare a document detailing various aspects such as the approval of recruitment. The concerned departments who require a new worker then send a draft, which has a description of the position and the necessary education as well as skills that are required. Subsequently, the draft is approved and sent to the HR department. The selection as well as recruitment process commences after the management gives an approval with regard to the request. The approval should have an electronic copy that has the advertisement as well as the copy of the draft. In the document, there is also the description of the position for which the restaurant needs to recruit new trainees. This is imperative for every firm since it cannot change the position after the advertisement of the post. It is also to be understood that the post needs to be approved by the management and should include the responsibility of the new staff (Dessler 2011). After the position description there is the advertising section, which needs to be approved by the director. Through the advertisement, the firm will get the right candidates and can be done using various channels such as the use of print media, open advertisement, or electronic means. The advertisement will also include announcement on the vacancy, the required competencies, and payment among others. The HR department will need to obey the legal procedures of advertisement (Bell 2012). Impact of Regulatory, Legal, and Ethical Considerations In selecting an applicant, I would ensure that the process is fair and everyone is given an equal chance regardless of their religious or ethnic affiliations. There are various procedures that can be used in the selection process such as the use of interviews, evaluation of the application, and conducting of tests such as knowledge, aptitude, language, or practical tests. The applicant can also be selected based on prior experiences or the background information (Schmitt 2012, pp. 323-324). To ensure that a highly motivated trainee or employee is selected, the process should be conducted in accordance with the selection rules or policies of the restaurant and the human resource. It is also essential to identify the needs of the applicant to make sure that the goals or the objectives are in line with the needs of the firm. Moreover, consideration with regard to the law that is applicable to the country needs to be observed. For instance, since the restaurant operates in the United Kingdom, regulations and laws affecting the selection as well as the recruitment process should be observed. One of the best strategies of overcoming non-compliance is to incorporate particular compliances in the selection and the recruitment policy of the organization. In the UK, laws such as Sex Discrimination Act, Equality Act of 2010, Race Relations Act of 1976, and the Disability Discrimination Act require strict compliance when selecting employees to avoid discrimination. On the same note, both the old and the young citizens should be accorded similar benefits during the recruitment process. Therefore, issues such as religion, disability, colour, ethnicity, or race should not be regarded as determining factors during the selection process. On the same note, there should be gender balance to avoid discrimination of women and enhance equity (Curtis 2007, pp. 53-55). It is also to be understood that when the HR manager offers advertisement on a particular job, they should guarantee that it is not discriminatory on the basis of nationality, sex, and gender among other affiliations. The interviewing process must also be legal and should not pose questions that have a religious or ethnic connotation. They should also avoid using sexist comments and treat all candidates equally to avoid being biased. It is also imperative for the interviewing board to have a background check on whether the applicant has a legal permit to live and work in the UK as well as check for any criminal records that he or she might have (Dessler 2011). Taking part in the Selection Procedure After advertisement, the HR department should take part in the entire selection process by choosing a selection and recruitment panel that will decide on the right candidate. After the panel has received the candidate’s application, they should shortlist the applicant using methods such as IQ tests, having a written examination, or conducting practical tests among others. Subsequently, the HR department should arrange for an interview and ask relevant questions regarding their skills, experiences, and level of education. After that there is the appointment stage whereby the panel recommend for the candidates who satisfy the criteria for the job. This is the stage where the HR provides the final statement of appointment to the right applicants (Dessler, 2011). Evaluation of my Contribution in the Process of Selection I took part in preparing the necessary documentation that was needed to select the right candidates. I was also involved in the advertisement and selecting a panel to select the new staff for the restaurant. Finally, I played a role in short listing the candidates as well as interviewing them. LO 2: The Leadership Style presented and the Impact on the Trainees Leaders are people who lead as others follow while managers have subordinates who work for them. Managers follow a transactional or authoritarian style that is vested to them by the firm hence act as they are told whereas leaders use a transformational or charismatic style whereby they are meant to appeal people to follow their cause (Murray 2014). A successful organization needs to have solid managers as well as leaders to get their board or team to follow them and fulfil the set vision; hence, it is difficult to separate the theories of leadership and motivation. For a leader to fulfil his or her role, they need to know the right mechanisms to motivate the employees. The leadership theories are grouped into contingency, trait, behavioural, and power as well as influence groups. Under the trait theory, leaders have particular common attributes that they share; hence, the style of leadership often emerges from the shared characteristics. The influence and power theory is based on the tactics of authority that are used in order to fulfil the goals of a firm. There is also the behavioural theory where autocratic leaders make firm decisions without having to consult others whereas the democratic ones consider the inputs of the teams whenever they are making any decision. On the same note, the laissez- faire leaders are known to practice non-interference; hence, they allow the team to make their decisions. Finally, under contingency theory, a particular situation determines the kind of leadership that ought to be applied (Griffin 2009). Jamie Oliver has a transformational form of leadership whereby as a leader, he guides the people with values, meaning, and a higher purpose. He has integrity and sets an affirmative example for his followers, making sure to support, encourage, offer stimulating assignments, offer credit when necessary, inspire, set measurable goals, and helps his team to focus. He is also a democratic leader who provides participatory leadership. This is because he allows the team members to participate in making decisions. Among the different form of leadership, the democratic leadership is the most appropriate since employees are able to participate in making critical choices; hence, they are motivated. If a person follows an autocratic form of leadership, the employees are bound to be dissatisfied because they do not participate. There is also the paternalistic leadership, which is dissatisfactory because the workers do not have independence and all decisions are made by the manager. The laissez fair is also important since all workers are seen as decision makers. However, it creates conflict among the teams since managers do not contribute. In that case, it is sound to conclude that the transformational as well as the democratic approach is applicable in Oliver’s restaurant (Griffin 2009). The Abraham Maslow’s motivational theory helps managers and leaders to conceive the aspect of motivation among the employees. It includes the hierarchy of needs, which is classified into self esteem, safety, physiological, self actualisation, and social needs that ought to be fulfilled (Condrey 2010, p. 529). There are various methods in which the staff can be motivated in order to guarantee productivity and meet the goals of the firm. The restaurant should use the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to motivate its workers in order to meet the set objectives. Some of the ways in which they can be motivated to avoid being discouraged or giving up during their training is by treating them with respect and offering reasonable payment to those who are performing well; thus, guaranteeing security (Condrey 2010, pp. 529-531). Oliver does a remarkable job at motivating the trainees by offering credit to those who work as expected, paying for their transportation, and being hand on just as the trainees; hence, does not work as their superior but rather as a colleague. These are indeed effective strategies in guaranteeing high productivity, increased rate of retention, a positive image, and heightened growth. LO 3: Team working in Jamie Oliver’s Restaurant Working as a team is important in guaranteeing the success of a firm as was in the case of Oliver’s restaurant where he involved other members such as the project managers, builders, and accountants in making critical decisions. Consequently, such strategy guaranteed high productivity and increased rate of cooperation. According to Herzberg’s two- factor theory of motivation, there are specific factors in an organisation or a particular job that motivate teams to be productive. The theory explains some of the factors that the workers find dissatisfying and satisfying in an organisation, which are motivators and hygiene factors. When the hygiene factors are absent they lead to discontentment in the working place. Environmental factors such as poor ventilation, poor lighting, meagre working conditions, ineffective relationships, and low salaries leads to dissatisfaction. At Oliver’s restaurant, there was good hygiene since Oliver had cultivated a culture of respect whereby the trainees had to greet each other in the morning and bid each other goodbye. The working conditions were also effective since Oliver would support the team whenever they had a problem and motivated them to work harder. Herzberg claims that hygiene factors such as love, physiological, and safety needs are imperative in guaranteeing effective teams. When they are incorporated, they ensure productivity though they are not sufficient to satisfy the employees. On the other hand, the motivators such as recognition, achievement, advancement, and the possibility to have personal growth as well as responsibility are important in motivating the workers (Dartey-Baah 2011, pp. 1-3). In that case, the theory encourages leaders and managers to be open minded when considering the factors that motivate workers and ensure that the two strategies are incorporated in order to guarantee satisfaction. According to Herzberg, managers eliminate dissatisfaction by offering supportive supervision, creating a culture of dignity and respect, ensuring that the salaries are competitive, offering job security, fixing obstructive policies, and providing rational job status (Murugan 2007, pp. 304-305). Oliver had a winning strategy and in order to ensure that his trainees were motivated, he would offer them job security by praising and selecting those who qualified in the training and being supportive of their needs. He also recognised and offered credit to those who performed well; thus, gave them morale to increase their efforts. Having a strong team was beneficial to the restaurant as well as to the team members since they could depend on each other and share different skills. Teamwork also developed efficiency in the workplace and helped the members to finish their tasks on time. However, according to Karmakar (2014, pp. 221-223), leaders who do not advocate for teamwork are at a competitive disadvantage since activities are not finished on time and there is a likelihood of being overwhelmed or quitting. Therefore, collaboration is vital in reducing the workload, sharing responsibilities, reducing pressure, and contribution significant ideas. It also helped in improving employee relations in the restaurant since it provided a better prospect to bond with one another and learn from each other. Oliver did this by assigning projects to the trainees and by completing them, they felt valued. When people work together, they also learn to appreciate as well as respect each other. They also develop trust among other group members; hence, build on their satisfaction, and have a chance to grow professionally. Honey and Mumford developed a learning model, suggesting that there are four different types of learners. For instance, they argued that there are activists who liked to learn new challenges as well as experiences. There is also the reflector group that is introverted and prefer to observe, think, and examine issues before they act. They are methodical and before starting on an activity they have to be fully prepared. The pragmatist learners concentrate mostly on the practical details and prefer being given a model on how to carry out a particular activity in order to do it perfectly. They are the people who like to apply whatever they have learnt promptly and are effective as far as details are concerned. Finally, the theorist learners focus on comprehending on the reason why they are doing a particular activity; thus, are keen on asking and getting answers (Pritchard 2013, pp. 48-50). At Oliver’s restaurant, the team members had different learning styles to enhance performance. Oliver acted as a reflector since he solved problems whenever they cropped up. During the time that the team was under pressure to complete a food oriented activity, there were difficulties since others became agitated and Oliver had to think through the problem; hence, decided to stop the project. Having different learners is important in helping meet the goals of a firm. However, it can also be challenging since others are good at problem solving while others easily get bored when they repeat the same routine. This is the reason why there were breaches of discipline at Oliver’s restaurant, demotivation cases, and quitting of college. Oliver dealt with the situation by explaining to the other members on what went wrong and how future occurrences should be avoided. He also motivated them by being supportive to an extent of handling travelling expenses and according personal attention to each one of them. He also worked with them through the difficult activities, giving them an opportunity to ask relevant questions and air their grievances. This also shows the importance of communication when dealing with a large group and the relevance of having different people who have diverse abilities to guarantee growth (Karmakar 2014). Similarly, Belbin’s theory of team role proposes that an effective team ensures that it has members to cover nine major roles, which involves coordinators, plants, shapers, resource investigators, and evaluators. There are also the resource investigators, the implementers, team workers, specialists, and the complete finisher who gives attention to details and focuses on completing a task. Belbin claimed that since some of the roles are compatible, they can be fulfilled by one person, whereas those that are incompatible they should be carried out using different behavioural clusters. Consequently, having such a team entails ensuring that the members are knowledgeable in solving problems, have basic skills such as communication, and have the ability to resolve conflicts. It also guarantees mutual trust, group cohesiveness, open communication, shared leadership, respect of diversity, and immense accountability among others (Ruben 2013, pp. 41-43). LO 4: Factors involved in Assessing the Work Performance The Performance Management Pyramid Source: Kaplan Financial Knowledge Bank 2012. The above pyramid can be used in Oliver’s restaurant whereby at the top level is the mission or goal of the eatery and how the firm plans on achieving long term success. The vision of the restaurant is to develop trainees and make them competent to work in modern restaurants. The second level shows the achievement of the restaurant in terms of financial as well as market measures. In this case, the trainees who performed well became successful chefs and the restaurant became popular; hence, increasing its financial and market share. Due to its success, it was also able to develop franchises in other locations and its positive image contributed to the financial success. The third level is where the financial and marketing strategies that are set in the second level are linked to high productivity, consumer satisfaction, and flexibility. Oliver’s restaurant has been guided by the aforementioned forces in meeting its goals. Finally, the fourth level is monitored using indicators such as delivery of goals, and quality among others. In planning and assessing the development needs of the trainees, it is important to hold weekly meetings. This will help the trainees air their concerns, ask questions, and feel motivated to work hard and be part of the firm. The management is also supposed to evaluate how other rival restaurants such as Goya Tapas Bar and Restaurant conducts its activities. This will help in coming up with new training strategies to guarantee a competitive edge. It is also supposed to contact the college to review how the trainees are fairing and conduct a minimum of three meetings every month. This will give room for growth, share ideas, and ensure high retention. During the assessment, it is important to offer fair comments and ensure legal and ethical policies are complied with. For instance, the Equality Act of 2010 protects people from being discriminated against in their workplaces. Therefore, it is important to treat every trainee fairly regardless of their competence, disability, ability, gender, age, or ethnicity (Davies 2011, p. 134). Evaluation of the Success of the Assessment Process and Goals as well as Targets of Evaluation Monitoring of performance is important in the learning theory, mostly in cases where there are different types of learners as proposed by Honey and Mumford . The emotional, cognitive, prior experience, and environmental factors play a role in understanding how knowledge is gained as well as the means in which skills are retained (Albon & Jewels 2012). There are various ways in which Oliver’s restaurant monitored and measured the performance of their trainees. First, he allowed the applicants to give a lecture on food as they were being filmed. This was an ideal strategy in examining on whether or not they were enthusiastic about food or the career they were about to venture in. Second, the taste test was another strategy, which was appropriate since it allowed them to have a feel on the aroma as well as the texture of the food they had consumed. Consequently, Oliver would examine on whether they could express themselves as far as the sensory experience they had. It also gave him an opportunity to test their communication skills, which are important in dealing with consumers. Third, they were given an opportunity to observe then cook a meal. This was an important step in scrutinizing how best they were in observing and their ability to cook. Oliver was quite supportive of his trainees and this was important in developing competent skills among them. Consequently, those who qualified were able to open their restaurants and became chief chefs. According to Azulay (2012, p.106), there are three performance zones. There is the comfort zone whereby the members feel that they are performing their role. It is advantageous on the ground that the members feel contented but limits people from stretching further and being aware of their potentials. There is also the stretch or learning zone where the members leverage what they know; hence, are able to develop new skills and complete different activities. However, people at this level tend to be overly conscious on how they perform to avoid making mistakes. Finally, there is the panic zone, which is disastrous since it creates anxiety and confusion in case the employees are pushed too far. However, it can be beneficial in helping develop new skills and being competent. Therefore, the assessment criteria used is important in helping understand the three types of employees and their level of competency to avoid disappointments. Herzberg’s two factor theory posits that motivation factors such as offering security and recognising the best team players are significant in guaranteeing success in a firm. Consequently, monitoring of performance and giving credit where it was a due was also a great strategy of motivating the trainees, making them believe that they could also be successful just like Oliver. It is undoubtedly that Oliver offered the right training that was needed in order to work efficiently and effectively in today’s changing environment. The selected candidates needed an orientation training to learn the basic skills; hence, gave them security with regard to their future (Murugan 2007, pp. 304-305). Reference List Albon, R & Jewels, T, 2012, ‘Mutual Performance Monitoring: Elaborating the Development of a Team Learning Theory,’ Group Decision and Negotiation, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 149-164. 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