The Role of Training of a Staff of a Small Hotel Business - Literature review Example

Training Proposal for a Small Hotel Business Introduction Small businesses are as important to an economy as large ventures. In the words of Hodgetts and Kuratko (2001), “small businesses are businesses that are independently owned and operated, are not dominant in their field, and usually do not engage in many new or innovative practices” (as cited in Sadler-Smith, Hampson, Chaston & Badger, 2003). Hence, entrepreneurs intend to grow and change. No organization, big or small can be oblivious to the training needs of its employees. Training is a crucial factor that can make or mar the prospects of a small business in particular. Following is the training proposal for a small hotel business. Some Key Elements There are certain factors that define the contours of the training proposal for the small business. When it comes to small businesses, they usually are off the radar of training. This is because courses usually reflect large businesses or industry needs. These courses may not focus on the needs of small businesses. According to Billett, Ehrich, Hernon-Tinning (2003), the pedagogic bases of such courses may not be suitable to them. The training can be specific to one group of employees engaged in a specific activity for example chefs and assistants in a kitchen or generally to all the employees involved. In such a case, customer-orientation and maximisation of profit are of paramount importance as all employees are steered towards overall organisational effectiveness. As Hoeckel (2008) purports, the costs could be direct like apprentice wages, salaries for training personnel, and indirect costs such as opportunity costs when work is foregone etc: and the perceived benefits need to be calculated in advance along with the costs to be incurred to find out whether the said programme can be justified. Training is not complete unless it is evaluated. After a reasonable amount of time after the programme, a ‘before-after’ analysis should be conducted to see whether employee efficiency has increased. Moreover, satisfaction of the employees in the post-training period should also increase. When this translates into more profits, we can say that the programme has created value and hence can be justified. Possible Challenges 1. Employer Reluctance When training programmes do not mirror the aspirations or requirements of small businesses, which most often is the case, many employers are reluctant to train their employees. There is the fear that employees may leave the organisation after undergoing training without any benefit whatsoever to the firm. Such aspects need to be addressed and the benefits accruing from the training should be spelt out at the outset. 2. Trainer’s Perception The trainer should discuss the needs of the business concerned well in advance. He/She should also study the specific requirements of every employee undergoing the training. If diverse skills are required, the expertise of trainers with domain knowledge should be called for. No training can be successful if the initiator is not clear about the requirements of his/her target audience. 3. Trainee’s Awareness It is advisable to make the employee a stakeholder in the training process. It is the trainee who has deep insights of the activity performed and can provide accurate information on the type of training required by him/her. In such a case, he/she feels responsible for the training undergone as the onus of the success of the programme falls equally on him/her. 4. Others In some cases, the situation may lapse back to the pre-training period. Hence, long distance support should be provided for a prolonged period or till such a time when the next training programme becomes necessary. Moreover, training interacts with other human resource factors like pay and other initiatives, and hence cannot be viewed in isolation (Cardon & Stevens, 2004). Training Strategy The agenda for training activities is spelt out in the beginning. The justification of each activity is provided. The Return on Investment from the training programme is explained thereafter. Training Activities 1. Pre-training Discussion Before commencing the training programme, a mandatory meeting with the owner or management is required. The nature of training required is discussed at this stage. The other stakeholders i.e. the persons undergoing training should also be involved at this stage. Only then will a correct picture about the training required emerge. Specific requirements of employees will have to be entertained separately. After considering all aspects, the cost can be determined and the go-ahead from the owner can be obtained. 2. General Training The general training should be imparted to all the employees. This should include the kitchen and general staff. Hence, this training should focus on aspects like tastes and preferences of customers. New culinary trends should be discussed for adoption by the hotel. Health concerns are significant among discerning customers. Hence, healthy alternatives and substitutes should be discussed for implementing in the menu. 3. Training for Kitchen Staff Culinary trends and innovative dishes could be discussed with the kitchen staff. Exotic cuisine and fusion foods with easily available ingredients could be taken up by an expert trainer chef. Cleanliness and hygiene standards should be discussed and means to achieve and maintain the same in the kitchen should be explained. New types of kitchen appliances which save time and electricity should also be explained. Ways to cater to rush hour orders should also be taken up. Sourcing out reliable and inexpensive suppliers should also be elaborated on by the trainers. 4. Training for Support Staff The ambience of the hotel attracts customers to it. Ways to change the interiors without incurring too much cost, utilizing the internal space creatively, highlighting vantage points, compartmentalizing the seating area appropriately should be discussed. Service with a smile should be the motto for the serving staff. Ways to deal with difficult customers, billing issues etc. should be dealt with. The staff should be encouraged to bring in take-away orders so that the pressure on the staff in general can be reduced, at the same time making it a profitable venture. 5. Feedback Trainers should elicit feedback at each stage in the programme. If possible the programme should merge with the routine activities of the hotel. It could be conducted when the staff is relatively free. The trainers can observe the activities of the hotel at first hand, which itself gives feedback on changes required to the training and the effect of the training on the employees. 6. Evaluation The trainers should evaluate the performance of the employees at appropriate intervals after the training. This should be documented for the purpose of a record and for future reference. The actual profit increase due to the programme should also be ascertained from the employer. 7. Support Till any further requirement of training, the trainers should give remote assistance to the employees of the hotel at regular intervals. This ensures that there is no retrogression of the condition of the employees to the pre-training period. A programme can be effective only if the effect of the training is sustained for a considerably long period of time. Return on Investment A windfall cannot be expected from merely training for the hotel business. The food industry is one where the demand is always on the rise. To be in the reckoning in the hotel business, two aspects are significant. Firstly, quality standards should be diligently maintained. Hygiene and cleanliness are mandatory. The quality and content of food is also required. Secondly, this quality should be highlighted by attracting customers. This requires an awareness of the tastes and trends in the food business. While the menu should be updated regularly, there is a need for customer awareness about the hotel and what it has to offer. The service offered along with good quality will lead to word of mouth publicity. However, all this requires concerted efforts on the part of all the stakeholders involved. More important than achieving the stated goal is maintaining the same thereafter. Complacency can cost dearly as customers could look for other avenues if the hotel fails to rise to their expectations. While the cost of training can be recovered by following the above strategy, it is up to the stakeholders to make use of resources and opportunities at their disposal to make the small business hotel a success. Conclusion When the benefits of training accrue to the organization, it should also be documented for future reference. One needs to perceive the benefits of training from the perspective of the stakeholders involved in the training process viz. the participants, the trainers and the organisation funding it. Hence, as Aguinis and Kraiger (2009) insist, the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of training should go hand in hand with the specific needs of each stakeholder in the training process. Only when organizations derive tangible benefits from training will they view the training process as generating value rather than as a cost centre. References Aguinis, H & Kraiger, K. (2009). Benefits of Training and Development for Individuals and Teams, Organizations, and Society. The Annual Review of Psychology. 60:451–74. Billett, S., Ehrich, L & Hernon-Tinning, B. (2003). Small business pedagogic practices. Journal of Vocational Education and Training. 55 (2): 149-167. Hoeckel, K. (2008). Costs and Benefits in Vocational Education and Training. OECD. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/41538706.pdf Cardon, M, S & Stevens, E. E. (2004). Managing human resources in small organisations: What do we know? Human Resource Management Review, 14: 295 – 323. Sadler-Smith, E., Hampson, Y., Chaston, I & Badger, B. (2003). Managerial Behaviour, Entrepreneurial Style and Small Firm Performance. Journal of Business Management, 41 (1): 47-67. Read More