Types of Training and Professional Development Programs

The hospitality industry represents varied career opportunities and hence the prospects for the management position are outstanding (Boella & Goss-Turner, 2013). The staffs represent one of the critical resources that allow the company in building the competitive advantage. In other words, the people determine the success of the hospitality sector. Therefore, it is very vital to recruit trained employees or implement training programs like the ones done by Shangri-La Hotel for the newer hires (shangri-la.com, 2018). The training programs offered by the hotel includes, certification in the culinary arts, certification in beverage and food service operation, certification in rooms and front office  operation, certification in housekeeping and laundry operation and advanced program on hospitality management.

In other words, training represents the process of learning the sequence of a programmed behaviour (Romiszowski, 2016). It is an application of the knowledge thereby putting forward an awareness of procedures and rules for not only guiding the employee behaviour but also improving their performance. In this regard, the training that I received for attaining success within the hospitality/tourism industry remains classified into various types as per the features of the objectives and the period for training. The classification included  orientation, training based on actual work, laboratory training, training for attaining necessary skills, practice training as well as special training(Valerio, Parton & Robb, 2014). In fact, the training included more than a single procedure. Therefore, the training procedure that I went through is as follows (Nischithaa & Narasimha, 2014):   

Lecture: The process has been somewhat similar to the institute. This represents the process of transmitting knowledge and concept of lecture only through the words. Here, the lecturer might ask his attendant in asking some answers. I have seen that the good point of this procedure is its attendance in huge number.

Conference: In this training procedure, I experienced exchange of opinion between participants through oral participation. This helps in gathering knowledge and idea regarding varied topics. Here the participants are allowed to possess more rights and put forward their opinion compared to lecture and hence it the procedure becomes tedious.

Case Study: In this procedure of training, the trainer brought up some of the case studies that included relevant information for trainees like me to analyze and find solution. This helped me in learning the ways for analyzing and solving the problem from actual case. Besides, the procedure also enables me to understand and accept the opinion of the other people who represents the key points in solving problems.

Role Playing: This type of training holds similarity with the case study. While undergoing this procedure of training, I was made to pretend and enact a real life situation. The process provided me with a chance of using the knowledge in actual practice causing interest and excitement.

Demonstration: Through this procedure of training, I was made to learn the ways of using certain tools along with its application. In this procedure of learning takes lesser time in learning and has helped me in developing the confidence for solving the problem on spot.

Importance of Training in the Hospitality/Tourism Industry

Therefore, training ensures providing skills and knowledge necessary for performing the job. It represents the successful methods of reducing the accidents, improvement in quality and reduction of the waste (Jauhari & Bharwani, 2017). Training and professional development represents an art of performing the job in an effective, corrective and efficient manner and brings about a change in the behavioural pattern. The efficiency of the hospitality/tourism and the event industry depends on the training of its members at all the levels. The freshly hired employees requires certain amount of training before they are able to take work while the senior employees requires it for keeping them informed about the demands of the jobs and thereby making them fit for promotions and the transfers (Dhar 2015). In other words, training represents the core stone of the sound management. It represents one of the vital instruments in implementation of policies, practices and human resource management.

Training has enabled me to develop within organization and thereby enhance my value, skill, security and earning power. Training has also helped me in progressively increasing the value towards the hospitality industry. Constant training has helped me in developing the ability to learn and get adapted to the new methods, work, learning to use newer types of equipments, adjusting to the  major changes in the work relationship and the job content.  In other words, training helps in preparing individuals for a change by avoiding headaches. Proper training and professional development helps in developing habits, attitudes, skills and knowledge thereby contributing to my growth as an individual. Thus, it helped in improving not only my skill as an employee but also brought about a change in behaviour and attitude. It also helped me in moulding my attitude in portraying better loyalty and cooperation. Training is considered a device for solving problems related to the man force resulting from employee turnover, industry expansion, transfer and promotion. This is because there might not always be an availability of the experienced workforce. My training and professional development has motivated me in working harder. Besides, employees understanding the jobs are believed to have a higher morale. In fact, training has helped me in over viewing a closer relationship between the efforts and the performance. My training has also helped me in being productive thereby leading to enhanced operational productivity and profit. Well-designed training programmes helps employees in enhancing the level of performance (Anitha, 2014). It has also helped in prevention of industrial accidents and building of a safer work environment that resulted in greater mental stability. The management of the hospitality sector that benefits from training since it helps in achieving a higher standard in terms of quality. It also helps in achieving a satisfactory structure that puts forward opportunity for delegation. Proper training also reduce complaints, dissatisfaction, absenteeism, turn over and grievances. Besides, trained employees make proper usage of the equipments and the materials. Therefore, there is reduction in spoilage and wastage and hence the need for the constant supervision.

Training and professional development helps both the individuals and the organization (Jehanzeb & Bashir, 2013). It is also a key function of the human resource and a constant process concerning the dynamic nature of business and the individual economy.  

Areas that Need Further Development Based on Current Employer Appraisal

Irrespective of the size of the business regular evaluations of employee performance act as useful tool for helping employees in operating peak performance. These sessions put forward opportunities in providing feedback, offering advice and thereby setting specific goals. Each employer is unique having varied needs of improvement that might benefit the staffer from implementing and undertaking improvements in key areas.  However, the areas that needs further development depending on the appraisal of the present employer Shangri-La Hotel includes:

1. Professional Development: This is possible through better understanding of the business model and investing in the reputation and brand. It is also necessary to diversify the skill set and establish a blog or a website (Nicholls, 2014). This also involves seeking mentorship, endorsing others and ensuring networking through social media.
2. Better Management of Time: This involves knowing the goals and making sure of engaging in the activities that supports both the short term and the long-term business goals. It also involves prioritizing wisely without planning (Riley, 2014). This also involves elimination of distractions along with frequent delegation while taking care of one self.
3. Proper Customer Service: This is ensured through empathy, consistency and patience. It also involves considering the adaptability of the customers and ensuring clear communication (Nickson, 2013). This implies conveying to the consumers the actual meaning of the fact.
4. Improvement in Performance Objectives: Performance objectives represent milestones in the path of achieving the preparedness of the program goals. Objectives should develop for every aspect of the program (Hoque, 2013). Therefore, here it is important for organizing and prioritizing, avoiding multitasking and distractions, managing any interruptions and setting milestones.
5. Further Training in Skills: This involves the development of learning skills and being a versatilist and following the role models and mentors. It also involves deriving feedback through the real projects along with shortening the learning cycle (Nasurdin, Ahmad & Tan, 2015).    
6. Better Interpersonal Communication: Interpersonal communication skills are necessary for every day purpose be it the personal or the professional life (Cardon, 2014). These skills play a vital role in developing the career of individuals. Betterment of interpersonal skill is possible in not showing a negative body language and not interrupting with a person. It is also necessary to think before speaking and at the same time listen well. It is also important not to be attacking or defensive and not deviate. To improve the interpersonal skills it is also important to be confident about the ideas and remain open while receiving feedback. Further, it is also important in using the right methods of communication.

Professional development represents a category for the top performers who does not perform poorly but there exists further scope of improvement through additional skills of training or mentoring. I will implement the need for further professional development through job shadowing, cross training, conferences and workshops in relevance to the roles. Professional development also helps in seeking a management track thereby positioning them in tackling the leadership improvement areas thereby leading to the achievement of the goals.

Time Management refers to a situation that focuses on the management of time. This implies that the staffs are more productive. The implementation of time management benefits everyone from the tweaks of time especially ensuring an in depth direction to the employees having severe focus on time. Implementation of time management encourages every individual in utilizing the time in a wiser manner. Its implementation has introduced me to the scheduling software, task and project tracking programs, stand up and daily to do list and limited time meeting. 

The superiority of the customer service influences the bottom line therefore implementation of a quality customer service would involve ongoing training for service that represents the part of the performance objectives of the employees. It also involves hiring customer service coach for conducting a seminar or understanding the role of the professional service organization that is responsible for providing training and consultation. The implementation of this development helps in hosting a in house skills lab that provides an aid in encouraging the employees in undertaking a role play in the customer interactions and thereby collectively determine the most suitable ways in handling tough situations. 

The implementation of the performance objectives helps in measuring the success of certain positions. The focus of the performance objectives portrays that the sales staff is eligible for earning quotas while the production line remains measured based on the product output. Besides, the implementation of the performance objectives has helped me in understanding the improvement in performance through measurable and specific objectives and goals. This aspect also helped me in understanding the development of a time table for the completion of the specific projects. It also helps in focusing on the improvement in skills pertaining to the valuable areas through chairing a committee, leading an initiative and training. 

The implementation of the skills training helps in brushing up the skills and helping in learning newer things that helps in increasing the value of the business. The skills training also encourage the staffs in conducting a personal evaluation of the abilities possessed pertaining to the current roles and thereby looking for the appropriate ways for augmenting them. For instance, the implementation of this development enables the manager in learning the ways  of  operating a project tracking program while encouraging the  accounting employees  in taking a refresher course on the accounting software thereby learning how the advances in the fraud prevention results in not only confidentiality measures but also improved accuracy. 

The implementation of interpersonal communications helps in defining the success of the organization and is vital for deriving most of the benefit from the group projects. The implementation of this development helped me in productive brainstorming, listening and ensuring collaborative work efforts. Hiring a consultant or sending the staffers to the workshop has been a vital step in adopting this development.

Implementing Development to Improve Performance to Graduate Level

However, the implementation of the various developments has helped me in understanding that every employee and business is different. Therefore, conduction of the regular evaluation of performance not only led to constructive but also precise feedbacks. It also helped in defining the goals for performance improvement of every individual at the personal as well the professional level. 

I would like to successfully graduate as the Bachelor of Business and touch the lives of various people thereby empowering them in achieving personal happiness and success

This includes earning a bachelor’s degree since most of the business executives possess a bachelor’s degree. The next step involves working as a manager and considering the earning of a graduate degree

Becoming a graduate as Bachelor of Business will open up ample opportunities. One of the opportunities remains in becoming a business analyst who spends most of the work days in gathering the data concerned with the procedures or problems within the company. The other available options include those of account manager, financial analyst, sales manager and marketing manager.

Help and support from the family and teachers along with the required financial aid necessary for supporting my vision. It is also necessary to achieve the required grades in order to qualify for the chosen field.

Currently, I possess communication skills, organizational skills and skills of writing. However, I need to develop the skills of project management, planning, problem solving, supervisory abilities and gaining an expertise in Microsoft excel

I have some amount of knowledge in IT (information technology), finance and marketing. However, in order to develop as a leader I need to assess complicated issues and demonstrate higher level of integrity and honesty.

Some of the personal qualities that I possess are sincerity and honesty. I also possess leadership skills and not afraid of taking risk. I also possess a competitive spirit in addition to a good intellect. Besides, I also possess the ability of taking initiative along with solid communication skills. I also possess a reliable nature and ambitious.

My vision is to successfully graduate as a Bachelor of Business and have a successful career in the next five years. Currently my strength lies in the immense support that I receive from my family. Although the degree will open up newer opportunities but I face challenges in receiving enough financial aid. The course will help me in developing skills of project management, planning and problem solving. It is therefore necessary to take action by understanding the fears and realizing the importance of the failure. The goals also need to be broken and planned accordingly. It is also necessary in avoiding instant gratification.  

The preparation for the career plan will include a higher school degree with the desired grades so that I remain eligible in applying for the Bachelor of Business degree. Besides, the types of roles that I can be a part of for the preparation of the career plan includes banking, communication, auditing, distribution, leisure and hospitality, IT,  journalism, insurance, logistics, law, media administration, public relations, manufacturing and production management. However, I want to gather substantial amount of experience in hotel industry.

I have not only tried to keep a track but at the same time set up accountability along with reviewing of the dates. Although there are certain instances that pose as hindrance to which I really try to adapt for reaching the ultimate goal. In others words, monitoring and evaluation helps in the identification of the valuable resources and its efficient use. Hence, both evaluation and monitoring puts forward required data that helps in guiding the strategic planning, designing and implementing projects and programmes and ensure better ways of allocating and re-allocating resources.

The recruitment trends depend on receiving job order, sourcing of the top notch candidates, screening of the applicants, introducing them to the clients, extending job offer and the successful placing of the candidates. Therefore, the implementation of the objectives and the aspirations should meet the recruitment trends.  It should thus be done in a manner following the mentioned tips:

1. The implementation of the objectives and aspirations should aim at reducing the failure rate of the new hires from the beginning of the recruitment process. This will allow in spending more time in the interview and the screening of the candidates and identify the career goals. This will also allow clear communication between the client and the candidate. It would also enhance reliability and thereby build stronger relationship between the clients and candidates.  
2. The objectives and aspirations should optimize the recruitment process so that there is no slowing down in the process of hiring. The objectives and aspirations should be implemented in a manner for staying organized and thereby adapting to the current industry trends for preventing lag. This would also allow the recruiters in conducting a research before sourcing of the candidates takes place. Proper implementation of the objectives and the aspirations also helps in looking up to the comparable positions in terms of qualifications and average salary and attracting the right kind of people.
3. The implementation of the objectives and aspirations should take care of the SMART goals of the recruitment trends for staying on the track.

• Specific: This usually represents the number of placements
• Measurable: Percentage increase in recruitment compared to the previous year.
• Achievable: This defines the achievability of recruiters in making placements in a particular year.
• Reasonable: This defines whether there is an increase in the salary
• Time-based: It helps in defining the time frame for achieving the goals.

There are a lot of objectives to choose for defining the recruitment trends and current employability. But here I do not want to implement the objectives and aspirations that do not have an alignment with the recruitment trends. The plan of implementation of aspirations and objectives should have list of relevant and specific objectives to be measured, the time frame required for reaching it and the plans for achieving it.

References: 

Anitha, J. (2014). Determinants of employee engagement and their impact on employee performance. International journal of productivity and performance management, 63(3), 308.

Boella, M., & Goss-Turner, S. (2013). Human resource management in the hospitality industry: A guide to best practice. Routledge.

Cardon, P. W. (2014). Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World (3e). McGraw-Hill.

Dhar, R.L., 2015. Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of organizational commitment. Tourism Management, 46, pp.419-430.

Hoque, K. (2013). Human resource management in the hotel industry: Strategy, innovation and performance. Routledge.

Jauhari, V., & Bharwani, S. (2017). An exploratory study of competencies required to cocreate memorable customer experiences in the hospitality industry. In Hospitality Marketing and Consumer Behavior (pp. 159-185). Apple Academic Press.

Jehanzeb, K., & Bashir, N. A. (2013). Training and development program and its benefits to employee and organization: A conceptual study. European Journal of business and management, 5(2).

Nasurdin, A. M., Ahmad, N. H., & Tan, C. L. (2015). Cultivating service-oriented citizenship behavior among hotel employees: the instrumental roles of training and compensation. Service Business, 9(2), 343-360.

Nicholls, G. (2014). Professional development in higher education: New dimensions and directions. Routledge.

Nickson, D. (2013). Human resource management for hospitality, tourism and events. Routledge.

Nischithaa, P., & Narasimha, M. V. A. L. (2014). The importance of training and development programmes in hotel industry. International Journal of Business and Administration Research Review, 1(5), 50-56.

Riley, M. (2014). Human resource management in the hospitality and tourism industry. Routledge.

Romiszowski, A. J. (2016). Designing instructional systems: Decision making in course planning and curriculum design. Routledge.

shangri-la.com. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.shangri-la.com/sydney/shangrila/

Valerio, A., Parton, B., & Robb, A. (2014). Entrepreneurship education and training programs around the world: dimensions for success. The World Bank.