The hospitality sector survives on world-class service, but behind the scenes, human resource management (HRM) undergoes challenging issues that can make or break a hotel's success story. Marriott International, a hospitality industry giant, is no different. From labor market shifts after Brexit to diversity management and training inefficiencies, the organization has to keep evolving its HR approaches to retain its competitive advantage.
Labor Market Challenges: Brexit and Beyond
One of the biggest HR challenges facing Marriott comes from the changing labor landscape in the UK post-Brexit. The hotel industry has long been dependent on EU migrant staff, but immigration policy tightening has created personnel shortages. Marriott, which had been advantaged in the past by a continuous influx of EU nationals, now must deal with keeping employees stable. On top of this, changing customer preferences—such as requiring vegetarian and specialty options on the menu—mean employing skilled staff that are now increasingly difficult to hire.
Adding to this is high turnover among employees, a long-standing challenge in the hospitality industry. Replacing workers—advertising, training, and lost productivity—weighs heavily on operations. To address this, Marriott has put money into improved workforce planning and retention techniques, but the problem continues.
Recruitment and Selection: Getting the Right Person
Recruiting the best and brightest is half the challenge; confirming they fit Marriott's service standards is the other obstacle. The recruitment process of the company should be both timely and comprehensive to prevent expensive misfits. Managerial interviews that are not well prepared can intimidate high-caliber applicants, harming the employer reputation. In addition, long hiring processes may lose talent to competitors.
To counter this, Marriott has perfected its interview processes and optimized hiring schedules. The company also focuses on retaining employees, as it realizes that talented employees who are valued are less likely to quit.
Diversity and Inclusion: A Competitive Advantage
Marriott is a multicultural operating company, and hence diversity management is essential. Equal opportunity policies may guarantee compliance with anti-discrimination legislation, but inclusivity demands creating an environment where diverse views are encouraged. Research indicates that diverse teams improve creativity and customer satisfaction—two of the most important drivers in hospitality.
But there are still challenges, including unconscious bias in recruitment and ensuring fair career progression. Marriott tackles this by having inclusive leadership training and mentoring programs, to build a culture where all employees feel empowered.
Training and Development: Bridging the Skills Gap
Good training schemes are essential for perpetuating service superiority, but Marriott encounters setbacks in the form of prohibitive expenses, resistance from employees, and logistical limitations. Employees also see training as an interruption instead of a chance, and scheduling constraints deter them.
To increase participation, Marriott has added e-learning platforms and customized programs that address employees' individual needs. By linking training to career development, the company also creates a culture of on-going improvement.
Organizational Culture: The Glue That Holds It All Together
Marriott's source of strength is a robust organizational culture, but keeping it in place across geographical locations is no easy task. Misalignment in culture can cause communication failure and decreased synergy. To mitigate this, Marriott encourages cross-cultural teaming through team-building activities and candid feedback mechanisms.
The Role of the Hotel Assistant Manager: A Case Study
One of the key roles at Marriott is the Hotel Assistant Manager, overseeing staff management, inventory management, and customer service excellence. Performance appraisal techniques—rating scales, management by objectives (MBO), and 360-degree feedback—assist in measuring managerial effectiveness. Success factors are communication skills, decision-making, and teamwork, all necessary to ensure operational efficiency.
Conclusion: HR as a Strategic Partner
Marriott's success in overcoming such HR challenges decides its long-term viability. With adjusting recruitment methods, building diversity, maximizing training, and enhancing organizational culture, the company can remain an employer of choice in a high-competition sector. As the hospitality environment changes, so does HRM—reversing hindrances into growth opportunities. u'd like to learn more, visit DeskLib's website and learn more about this subject with our AI researcher tool.
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