Human Resource Management roles are vitally important in the world of hospitality because they involve managing people – and people are this industry’s biggest asset. Being able to measure, motivate and manage staff from all walks of life must be a priority for any hospitality establishment, and it takes a very special kind of hospitality manager to work in Human Resources. 

 

The key functions of an HR Manager

An HR Manager should be someone who staff can turn to when they have worries, grievances or training needs, so they need to be personable and be able to communicate effectively with all levels of staff. Gone are the days where the job role is simply to keep records of leave, PAYE, contracts and so on. These days, the role also covers creating HR policies and procedures, recruitment, conducting staff inductions, assessing staff in their job roles, monitoring and implementing personal development plans for staff, mediating disputes, carrying out disciplinary procedures and in some cases, dealing with redundancies.

It’s a very busy, hands-on job, with one the most important aspects being staff training and development. Sometimes the HR Manager will carry out the training themselves (for a small hotel), other times, they will recruit a qualified and experienced Training Manager to carry out training. Either way, training and development are a priority for this department. It helps to ensure staff retention and development within a business.

Whilst the role of the HR Manager seems to be a very happy, social and caring one, it also carries a great deal of legal know-how when it comes to unions, wage negotiations, disputes, CCMA or other industrial relations functions. Sometimes an HR Manager will need to hire in third-party resources to assist with these matters, other times, HR Managers are expected to know detailed industrial relations laws, as well as the due processes around handling such disputes.

Best and worst bits of the job?

The best parts of the job are that you are able to connect with everyone in the company – from senior managers seeking staffing solutions to junior staff members seeking advice. It’s great to be the central pillar of communication and assistance for a team of people.

Difficulties include remaining objective and carrying out policies and procedures, even though you may understand and sympathise with the various mitigating circumstances surrounding a grievance procedure. Additionally, disciplinary procedures, CCMA, union negotiations – all of these aspects of the job role are tough and require patience, consistency, and heaps of diplomacy. There are also times when it’s difficult to be diplomatic to a staff member about sensitive issues (like personal hygiene) – you don’t want to be offensive or hurtful but sometimes things need to be addressed. That can be tough.

Qualifications and skills

For those who wish to pursue a career as a Human Resources Manager, you will need a solid hospitality management education, as well as plenty of practical experience in the HR Department. International Hotel School offers a number of suitable programmes which include both the academic and practical elements. A further qualification in HR Management from our online division would be advantageous, as would any training on South African Labour relations.  

Skill requirements include the following:

• Excellent communication skills both on the phone, in writing and in person
• Diplomacy to handle difficult situations with a level head
• The ability to multi-task and perform under pressure
• The ability to make decisions without fear
• Exceptional training and recruitment skills
• Ability to council people
• A good understanding of business trends and which type of employee would match well to different roles.

Salary, hours of work and job opportunities

Salaries may vary greatly for this role based on location, size of a hotel and scope of the job. In South Africa, earning potential can exceed R20 000pm, depending on qualifications and experience. Human Resources Managers are needed in resorts, hotels, game lodges, cruise ships and many more venues, so this is a great job role offering plenty of excellent job prospects. Hours of work are generally business hours (08h00 to 17h00) however HR Managers are required to be available to handle any crisis at any time, and they should be available to meet and greet new employees should they begin work over a weekend. They may also be required by the hotel to perform a Duty Management role from time to time.

If you have a question about the role of the Human Resources Manager, please drop us a line below or email info@dev.brokenpony.club. If you would like to know more about any of our courses, feel free to talk to a consultant today by ringing 0861 44 33 00.

(Sources and images: www.worldwidelearn.com; http://smallbusiness.chron.com/role-human-resources-department-hospitality-organization-71891.html; https://www.caterer.com/careers-advice/job-profiles/hr-manager; https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140916185301-43374179-qualities-and-characteristics-of-successful-human-resource-managers