Managing Productivity through People - Starwood Hotel & Resort - Case Study Example

STARWOOD HOTEL & RESORT HR POLICY ANALYSIS Prepared by (Student’s Name) Professor’s Name University Name Course Date Executive Summary The paper has successfully identified a set of human resource policies that define how operations and productivity can be achieved. Some of the most elaborated human resource policies of this organisation include; compensation; talent management and recruitment; conflict of interest; confidentiality; technological use; as well as efficient training and development for its existing employee and associates-base. It has been noted that the organisation has made stringent efforts to elaborate on most of its HR policies especially compensation perks in a bid to improve on its current productivity and stability position. In essence, the firm has ensured to provide world-class service through its associates in order to gain a substantial competitive advantage over others within the overall ever-changing hospitality industry as a whole. It is suggested that the organisation can make necessary improvements on its recruitment of talent and management process that should be defined even further to provide guidance on such matters as probation; orientation; as well as employment of relatives. Currently, there are no clear guidelines in regards to these policies. The vacation policy should also be improved to include leaves and especially ones related to time-off to vote as well as parental and adoption leaves that should be incorporated within the paid-off vacation that is currently in place. Table of Contents Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………2 A. Introduction….…………………………………………………………………………..4 B. Starwood Hotel & Resort HR Policies & Leadership Structure…..………………..4 C. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………8 D. Recommendations……………………………………………………………………..9 References List………………………………………………………………………………..10 A. Introduction In the current global operating environment, there are a good number of competing brands, shorter company and product life cycles as well as distinctive business models that has continued to make this environment even more complex and challenging for that matter (Hoque, 1999). The global industry is no exception to this hurdle especially since there has been extensive economic downturn that has continued to affect company growth and development. As a result of this dynamic operational environment, hospitality-based companies have ensured to come up with stringent human resource policies and leadership styles for the purpose of attaining and sustaining a competitive advantage over possible rivals (Robert, 2004). It is important to comprehend that effective and efficient HR polices and leadership structures within an organisation foster improved productivity and stability of employees (Khandekar & Sharma, 2005). The focus of this paper is provide a discussion on the immediate HR policies and leadership models being practiced in Starwood Hotels & Resort and thereafter, formulate imminent suggestions as to how they can improve on their already policies especially in how they relate to their employees. B. Starwood Hotel & Resort HR Policies & Leadership Structure Starwood is represented in more than 100 countries across the globe and possess more than 1,300 hotels (Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, 2005). The facility is committed to deliver top notch guest-experiences to most millions of travellers within any given operational year through its business portfolio that consists of 9 popular brands. The facility conducts its operations with the help of associates that are guaranteed a career development that is both challenging and rewarding for that matter. In fact, to ensure that this philosophy is upheld at all times, the facility has developed an environment that promotes constant learning. The associated are always encouraged to embrace their best-in-class training initiatives and thereby pursue exciting chances the world over for purposes of catapulting their career path even much further. It is noted that the underlying human resources at the facility is indeed a distinctive functionality that ensures to avail a strategic form of leadership framework and path on all aspects related to its existing associates (Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, 2005). The objective of this philosophy rests with impacting the organisations overall business performance to the better. Notably, the distinctive HR policies and leadership direction at the facility relates to the following items; First, in regards to training and development, Starwood ensures to allow a world-class training and development initiative that focuses on supporting associates differences across all generations; cultures and geographical representation. In consequence, through its objective of always seeking to provide exceptional service and personal feeling on their every relation with guests, Starwood has resorted to availing unparallel level of experience for the current associates especially since they represent the brand everyday and everywhere. In fact, the firm has committed to developing a workforce that sits above the industry averages hence perceived to be a trusted resource to most of the guests and a driver of exceptional business outcomes. To make sure that it provides effective and efficient training and development initiative that will improve business performance, the company focuses on its top notch recruiting efforts on only the best and the brightest recruits. Under this human resource policy, the firm promotes an open dialogue and sharing platform and, also foster extensive leadership discussions as well as engagement in surveys to all aspects of business notions that will trigger improvements. Secondly, the company’s policies on compensation and benefits indicate that the employees are allowed to enjoy a perk that is inclusive of health insurance, 401K and PTO for all of its employees (Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, 2005). The item is also inclusive of a vocation benefit for which employees are allowed and is payable. The policy further indicates that positions that fall within a similar impact and scope are integrated together into a single group and salary ranges in accordance with the overall job classification system. This is set to ensure that principalities of pay equity are adhered to at all times. Individual workers’ compensation perks are formulated and set within a distinct job salary range and it is mostly related to their job performances and competency. Salary is offered based on such important aspects as skills; knowledge and experiences in regards to job requirements as well as expected degree of personal performance. It is important to understand that effective compensation policies forms a primary component of employment and is indeed one of the most crucial human resource management policies (Robert, 2004). Conventionally, compensation involves such popular items as employment wages, however; in the modern workplace considerations, overall compensation should include both cash and non-cash compensation packages. The facility ensures to provide employees with compensation that matches up their skills and the underlying market rates meaning that it is offered competitively. The policy does not however; present possible duration of salary improvements and adjustments. Third, the company’s policy on talent acquisition and recruitment provides that the underlying human resource leaders are accountable for activities related to management of the entire recruitment process at any given moment in time. To make sure that the talent selection and recruitment is done to the best of its ability, the company ensures to partner with leadership teams in order to successfully formulate and support the overall hotel’s strategy that is focused on hiring only the best talent and foster its associates in providing world-class assistance to the guests at hand (Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, 2005). Starwood’s recruitment and talent management policy provides specific attributes that relates to both internal and external model of recruitment. It also involves details that should be included within a job posting offered at any given moment. Most notably, it certainly covers for all information needed in the course of employment offers, interviews and approaches. Consequently, in relation to human resource policy related to technological use; it is ascertained that Starwood reserves the right to terminate employees’ access to their usage at given moment in time. Personal use of company’s technology resources amongst employees is only permitted whenever it is ascertained that the use cannot interfere with overall firm’s business or employee’s duties; whether there is availability of these technology resources and, also whether the manner of transmittal are legal, ethical and in good nature. In regards to confidentiality, the organisation ascertains that all of its associates should review and ensure to adhere to the existing Global Privacy Policies, which relates to Guest Data and Global Information Securities Policies (Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, 2005). Sharing of pertinent information to external parties is only allowed whenever immediate approval is sought from the Office of the General Counsel. Of particular interest to note, the policy notes that all confidential files should be secured in a more appropriate manner and should always be cleared from place of work whenever it is not in use. The human resource policy related to conflict of interest defines it as occurring whenever personal interests interfere or in any given way with the company’s existing ones. It calls for all employees and associates to work with Starwood’s interests given that business decisions should be made to the best of interest of the organisation as opposed to being motivated by personal interests of even gains (Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, 2005). Compliance with this policy notes that workers should not enter into any form of transactions with family members or competitors; not create a commitment that would later affect the level of judgment or even capacity to solely act on organisation’s immediate interests; C. Conclusion From the discussion above, it can be seen that the paper has successfully evaluated Starwood Hotel & Resort facility’s human resource policies and leadership directions. It has been successfully put forward that the organisation has successfully provided human resources policies that relate to compensation; talent management and recruitment; conflict of interest; confidentiality; technological use; as well as efficient training and development for its existing employee and associates-base. The paper has noted that the human resource department at Starwood Hotel & Resort provides leadership direction to all matters related to workers’ way of conduct and relations. D. Recommendations Going through the human resource policies of the organisation has made me realise that they cannot survive the higher level of competition within the current operational environment. To gain a significant mileage in terms of competitive advantage within the ever-changing hospitality industry, organisations are called to formulate and implement human resource policies that match with market expectations. Taking a close look at Starwood’s HR policies and leadership, I think the company has done enough and to the best of its ability to come up with unique policies. In fact, the organisation’s compensation policy cannot be unmatched. However, I suggest that the recruitment of talent and management process should be defined even further to provide guidance on such matters as probation; orientation; as well as employment of relatives. Currently, there are no clear guidelines in regards to these policies. The vacation policy should also be improved to include leaves and especially ones related to time off to vote as well as parental and adoption leaves that will be incorporated within the paid-off vacation that is currently in place. References List Hoque, K. 1999, ‘New approaches to HRM in the UK hotel industry’, Human Resource Management Journal, vol.9, no.2: pp.64–76. Khandekar, A. & Sharma, A. 2005. Managing human resource capabilities for sustainable competitive advantage: An empirical analysis from Indian global organisations. Journal of Education + Training, vol.47, no. (8/9); pp. 628-639 Robert, J. 2004 "Towards a better understanding of service excellence", Managing Service Quality, vol. 14, no. 2/3, pp.129 – 133 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. 2005. Worldwide Code of Conduct and Business Ethics. pp.1-56. Retrieved on October 8, 2016 from http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/NYS/HOT/governance/code1205.pdf Read More