Working with people in teams

Chambermaid felt very overworked claiming there was not enough staff to deal with the size of the hotel. This was made worse by the fact that there was a high number of absenteeism and a high turnover of staff, which amounted to staff having to work even harder and faster to compensate. They felt unable to get through the work to a high standard as they were allocated very little time to complete each room. The Housekeeping departments’ staff room also gave them reason for complaint. They felt their room was dull and dreary compared with other rooms set aside for staff.
Uniforms were another grievance they had. They felt their uniform was not replaced on a regular basis and felt they looked drabby and washed out. The bar staff felt the quality of work was lacking and some staff were annoyed at starting their shift in an empty bar. They claimed that almost every time they came on shift they had to start and restock the bar, something that should be done by bar staff at the end of their shift. Another problem highlighted was that at busy times they were constantly running out of clean glasses because they were too busy to go out and collect the glasses in.
RELATIONSHIPS AND TYPE OF EMPLOYEE The Housekeeping department felt they were “looked down on” by other members of staff. I found that most staff working in this department was educated to a basic standard with no previous work experience or adequate training. They also felt relations were strained between them and the Head Housekeeper. They found communications very formal and the Head Housekeeper unapproachable to their welfare and concerns. They voiced annoyance that sometimes it could take days to track down the Head Housekeeper as she always seemed busy at other aspects of her position.

Also I observed that rarely did the Housekeeping staff mix with other departments within the hotel, unless it was work related. The commis chefs and kitchen porters complained about the way in which the chef in charge spoke to them. “A simple please or thank you would be nice” was the main concern. They also felt relationships were strained between them and Hotel Porters and Chambermaids as there was ill feeling that they did not have their overalls supplied by the hotel as the Hotel Porters and Chambermaids uniforms were supplied.
Commis chefs and kitchen porters felt relations strained with management as they were constantly expressing wished to obtain a formal qualification, but felt this was falling on deaf ears. PAY AND FINANCIAL INCENTITIVES Chambermaids, porters, laundry and cleaning staff complained about being paid the national minimum wage, but chambermaids and porters could boost their wages with tips. They believed that their wages should be a bonus on top of their wages and not a way to try and ensure they take home a reasonable pay at the end of the week. Kitchen staff were also in agreement of feeling underpaid.
This again was voiced by the restaurant and bar department who also believe that their tips only supplemented their weekly wage. From all departments interviewed staff were concerned over paying for their meals. They felt the hotel was ripping them off by charging them for their meals. TEAMS, LEADERSHIP AND ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Receptionists, during my research, complained about getting adequate for tea/toilet breaks. One even admitted to leaving a hotel porter manning the front desk to nip to the toilet. I found the restaurant and bar department severely lacked direction and leadership.
With no direct supervision or manager they found that distribution of duties uneven. It seemed to be the same people all the times working, with some preferring to do as little as possible. They felt with more leadership and a revamp of organisations structure in this department, duties would be distributed more fairly and the bad feeling within this department would be diminished. Various departments within the hotel felt some confusion as to their roles and responsibilities and I found this came from the varying management styles in use with the hotel.
Firstly I would recommend, for all workers on the National Minimum wage, to receive a pay increase. As low pay concerns are voiced throughout a wide range of staff I believe this would have beneficial results in motivating our staff and lifting their moral. As paying for meals was also highlighted I would recommend consultation between management and staff to come to an agreed pricing structure, which is acceptable to everyone’s pocket. A bonus system could also be put in place for chambermaids providing rooms were cleaned to the highest standards and benchmark targets were met.
Bonus systems for employees successfully attending and completing training courses could also be implemented. Fredrick Taylor and early century management consultant believed that the promise of higher wages would create and added incentive for workers to exceed an average level of work in some instances. TEAMWORKING, GOAL SETTING, PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAIKING The formation of work teams throughout the hotel would also benefit motivation. It would give employees a greater degree of control over their own work. They should as a team set their goals to be achieved.
By letting employees partake in the decisions of the group staff will get along with one another better and individuals within the group will have the support of the group. This should help in the problems of the same staff doing a majority of the work while other sit by and watch. JOB ENHANCEMENT As there is a separate staff room for the housekeeping staff I would recommend this room be redecorated with bright warm colours. Fredrick Herzberg’s hygiene theory concluded that the working environment played an important factor in moral and motivation.
The possibility of supplying kitchen porters with their overalls could be explored along with arranging Basic Food and Health courses and certificated courses such as 706/1 and 706/2 for interested members of staff. Suitably trained and qualified employees should be encouraged to apply for internal promotion where and when available. As the reception area is the first impression with customer it is important a good rapport is established with them. I would definitely recommend a revamp of the receptionists uniform.
An induction programme should be set up to train staff in the policies and procedures of our organisation. It is important that staff are aware of company goals and objectives, and co-operation between employees and management is of utmost importance. Staff at all times should be made aware of the changing needs of the organisation and not be left in the dark regarding any aspects of their employment. Also staff should be aware of the training opportunities available to them. I recommend also that staff be allowed to train in other aspects of the hotel to allow us to have a more multi-skilled workforce.
Another theorist Abraham Maslow Hierarchy of Needs suggests that there are 5 sets of goals which may be called basic needs. Main basic needs are physiological e. g. hunger, thirst, sleep, sex etc. When they are satisfied they are replaced by safety needs reflecting desire for protection against danger or deprivation. These in turn, when satisfied, are replaced by the need for love or belonging to, desire to belong to a group, to give and receive friendship. When these needs have been satisfied there is the esteem needs i. e. self-esteem and self-respect, and the need for recognition and appreciation.
Finally individuals have a need for self-actualisation or a desire for self-fulfilment, which is an urge by the individual for self-development, creativity and job satisfaction. To try and achieve these needs, management should be endeavouring to satisfy the individuals higher level need for esteem and self-fulfilment. With the different styles of management present within our organisation I recommend that all managers and supervisors attend a management-training course so we can adopt a single style of management, which will be consistent to all employees of our organisation.
Without our employees we have no opportunity to promote our hotel. It is important that our employees’ work happy and motivated along side each other. Employees must be able to air their grievances, but also important is they must be able to see action being taken in them. I would suggest that any training be on going and appraisals be put in place. Training files should be opened on all employees so training may be audited to track progress and benefits. It is vital that employees see management taken training seriously and lead by example. By continually monitoring our training it can tell us if we need to develop training further.
It can help us identify strength and weaknesses in our organisation. Also it will give us a basis for checking that company objectives are met, like reducing customer complaints and ultimately raising our organisations revenue. NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY Staff should be flexible and prepared to help out when required. We can achieve this by training our staff in a wide range of hotel duties. If chambermaids want to gain experience in reception duties they should be encouraged to. Management too need to be flexible so training in multi areas of the hotel can take place.