Selecting hotel staff: why best practice does not always work

Abstract

This paper considers the nature of 'best practice' recruitment and selection in the hotel sector. Data from a sample of Scottish hotels indicates a reliance on informal methods, particularly in smaller hotels. In larger and chain hotels, structured procedures, including references, application forms and panel interviews, are evident, but here too, these methods seem inadequate for dealing with recruitment and quality problems especially in meeting temporary staffing needs. Case study evidence contrasts two alternative strategies: a successful holistic strategy based on management of social processes important for selection, and a more conventional bureaucratic strategy. Each strategy depends on a complex interrelationship between business and labour market considerations, the ownership and management structure of the hotel, and the tenure and experience of those responsible for selection. This evidence indicates that, for the hotel industry, the holistic strategy is an alternative to conventional notions of 'best practice' recommended in the HRM literature.

Women in Hotel Management and Leadership: Diamond or Glass?

“…Thus, studies have focused on competencies required by hotel managers, and many different lists of required competencies are developed (i.e., Christou & Eaton, 2000;Ladkin & Riley, 1996). Lockyer and Scholarios (2004) identified several personality characteristics in the services industry that are common with those identified in the hospitality industry and included characteristics such as courtesy, consideration, tact, perceptiveness, and good communication skills. In their study, Sehanovic, Zougj, Krizoman, and Bojanic-Glavica (2000), comparing male and female managers, suggested that women showed very good performance on organizational, financial, and management knowledge, manner with people, and knowledge of the economy.…”

How Employee Selection Decisions are Made in Practice

“…Although not opposed to testing, the social process approach claims that selection tools that do not have a high proven validity and reliability can be judged favourably due to their usability in establishing a psychological contract between candidate and organization (Anderson, 1992;de Wolff, 1993;Herriot, 1992;Lockyer & Scholarios, 2004;Schuler, 1993). Instead of treating interpersonal dynamics as interfering elements, the social process approach puts these dynamics at the forefront and explores the relationship between individual and organization (Herriot, 1993).…”

“The People Make the Brand”

“…In Fontainebleau, the official selection process was more formal and, on paper, consistent with 'best practice' recommendations for hotels, for example, using structured competencybased approaches and multiple interviews (Lockyer and Scholarios 2004). This approach was not explicitly aligned with the brand, however.…”

“…Contrary to 'best practice' prescriptions, informal recruitment and selection practices can still be strategically aligned with service business environments (Lockyer and Scholarios 2004), as demonstrated in Oxygen. In more formal service environments, it may be the case that selection methods reflecting formal brand values are more beneficial than Oxygen's more informal approach.…”