Dissertation code: 9646 Date of allotment: 24th August 2012 Date of completion: 02th August 2012 Dissertation Word

limit/Words Covered: 6560 Title: Recruitment and Selection approaches in examination of alternative routes that can be
applied in Fairmont Group of hotels which operates worldwide (Introduction and Literature Review).

Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Introduction of the topic.......................................................................................................... 1 Research subject....................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Research Background ............................................................................................................. 2 Research Question .................................................................................................................. 2 Research Aims and Objectives ............................................................................................... 3 Research Methodology ........................................................................................................... 3 Research Rationale.................................................................................................................. 3 Structure of the Research ........................................................................................................ 4 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 7 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Human resource management ................................................................................................. 7 Human Resource planning, Recruitment and Selection .......................................................... 8 Recruitment ............................................................................................................................. 9 Selection................................................................................................................................ 14 Company background ........................................................................................................... 16 Recruitment and selection methods adopted by the Fairmont group of hotels ..................... 17 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 18

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Figure 2

Human Resource Planning process Factor affecting Recruitment

9 11

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction of the topic The main aim of this project is to evaluate the recruitment and selection approaches adopted by the Fairmont group of hotels, London. It also focuses on examining various alternatives routes that have not been used by the hotel till so far. Many researchers and practitioners have drawn their attention on this subject of recruitment and selection over a long period of time. Many renowned authors from Human Resource Management have written and shared their view in the area of recruitment and selection (Bonn, 1992). This process makes sure by having right people at the right location and time. People so appointed must deliver operational excellence and business development which ultimately makes contributions by achieving the overall objectives of the firm leads to success. Now days, increasing importance to ensure right people is highly apparent. Focus is given to have best people, who will become a part of manpower of the organization (Cooper, Robertson and Tinline, 2003). This is all because of the fact that human resource is now became the major source of competitive advantage for the firm. Although, there are many organization who revealed that their success in future to a large extent lies on the quality if employees hired in the firm and retaining them. Quality of employees here means people with suitable attitudes, skill, ability, personality to perform and knowledge (Bohlander and Snell, 2009). Those companies, who attempt to fill the gap and fit the right employee within their structure, incur many financial costs. It involves lengthy procedure which also consumes lots of time and efforts. However, despite the recent economic slowdown which has increased the rate of unemployment, there is still increase in the level of competition for skilful and talented individual in most of the sectors. As a result, if the companies fail in hiring right people for the right job, the resultant costs can be not the cost of not recruiting the right people for the right jobs can be very demoralizing. By having potential candidates, organization will be in a position to develop the capabilities of the company and thereby, provides stability (Morrison, M. A., 1996). By taking reference from the present recruitment and selection methods adopted by the Fairmont group of hotels, this research study will try to find and review the sayings of authoritative practitioners and researchers in this regards. The main research undertaken is on the Recruitment and Selection approaches that can be applied in Fairmount Group of Hotels and examining the various alternatives route as well. The core industry selected for this research is Hospitality industry. It is defined as one of the fastest growing industries in the world. These Industries includes a wide variety of
1

companies and groups offering food service and accommodation. Under this research project various aspects of Recruitment and selection, different approaches, methods, types and their benefits is being explored. The core themes that would be investigated in this report would be the various approaches of recruitment and selection, factors affecting these processes and various theories related to recruitment. Research will also focus on Human resource, their varied functions and importance as they are considered as the asset of the company. They also play a major role in the process related to recruitment and selection. In hospitality industry, human resource is considered as the backbone, providing support to the company and from their hold organisation sustain in the market. Hospitality sectors are also the biggest sectors which provide employment to almost 41.8 million people (Hospitality, n.d). Therefore, it becomes obligatory to explore the various methods and approaches for selecting the best candidate for the respective job. 1.2 Research Background The research background selected in this dissertation is the recruitment and selection approaches in the hospitality industry. Recruitment is the process of inviting a pool of applications for the respective jobs. As, the manpower plays a vital role in almost all types of organization, this research study will also focus on identifying the various sources of manpower which fulfils the specifications of the required job. Recruitment and selection process is considered as the important function of human resource management because it is the manpower who takes an organization to seventh sky. Therefore, it becomes crucial to select right people for the right job. Numerous of methods available for the Hospitality industry in order to recruit manpower, but the best method adopted will change the spectrum of the company. In an organization, there are many factors which influence the process of recruitment. In this relation the focus is being given to the various factors affecting these processes. 1.3 Research Question In a report, the right direction for the successful accomplishment of the subject taken under consideration is being provided by the research question. This help in completion of a report in an efficient way. The structure of the report i.e. its aims and objectives can be formed by taking help of a research question. A detailed analysis of the project is made possible by this question of the research (McBurney and White, 2009). In this perspective, the questionnaire for this report highlights the recruitment and selection process adopted by

the Fairmount group of hotels and various other alternative routes in order to improve its operational efficiency and quality of services. 1.4 Research Aims and Objectives The main aim of this study is to critically evaluate the current recruitment and selection process of the Fairmont hotel London and also to examine an alternative recruitment route that has not been used so far in Fairmont group of hotels. The research is also going to present a thought on the various theories and methods of recruitment and selection. There are many factors which affect the recruitment of candidates in an organisation. Company should take care of these factors while formulating recruitment policies. This research will also provide some introduction about the various functions of the Human resource management and the ways to improve the efficiencies in these functions. In hospitality industry, quality of services is considered as the heart. Thus, emphasis is given to adopt best practices which improve the quality of product and services in respective organisation. In Association with this aim, some of the objectives of this research work are stated below: To evaluate the approaches of recruitment and selection adopted by the Fairmount group of hotels. To investigate alternative methods that has not been used by the hotel till so far in order to improve the operational efficiency. To assess the importance of recruitment and selection in an organization. To study the various sources of recruitment and selection.

1.5 Research Methodology In this research study, researcher will be going to use both the primary and secondary sources to gather information. For collecting the primary data, questionnaire method through interview would be used by the researcher (Kumar, n.d). On the other hand, secondary data will be collected by assessing various past evidences and data. Number of books, journals and articles would also be explored by the researcher in literature review part of the research (Data collection methods, n.d). The main objective behind the use of interview method in this research study is to collect some information and response of the respondents in regards with the method for recruitment and various benefits availed through that process (Qualitative research methods, n.d). The interview is conducted among the employees and managers of the Fairmount Group of hotels in order to have a clear a picture about the topic. 1.6 Research Rationale
3

Any research work undertaken by the researcher is based on its significance in this contemporary business environment. The topic under this research also has high degree of importance in the field of hospitality industry. In these industries major role is being played by the workforce and their quality of performance. Thus, it becomes mandatory for the company to recruit best candidate for the requisite job. Recruitment and selection is one of most crucial function of human resource management (Price, 2007). It is all about managing the skills, abilities, capabilities and knowledge of individual within the organization. There are many approaches of recruitment and selection through which organization can have talented workforce, but it depends on the type of method being used. Now days, recruiting staff is very costly affairs. After investing so much of money, if wrong person got selected than it ruins the future profits and prospects of the company (Compton and Nankervis, n.d). Many benefits can be availed by the company by adopting effective method of recruitment and selection. It also helps in infusing fresh blood in to the organization which takes the company in to the path of success. If the firm make use of right method of recruitment than it helps in increasing the success rate of the selection process. Thus, it provides support and helps the firm to secure its valuable time which can be utilized in some other productive work. This research study will also investigate the factors that influence the recruitment and selection process of the company. There are many internal and external factors which impacts the staffing of the candidates such as, size and culture of the organization, quality of work life, growth, rate of employment and condition of the labour market. This research report will also help the company who want to alter their staffing approach in order to improve and increase their operational efficiency. Academic area will be benefited up to great extent by all the data accumulated in this research. The result of this research will also provide assistance to Fairmount group of hotels as well as many other hotels to adopt right and effective recruitment and selection approaches. 1.7 Structure of the Research All the accomplished research follows a chronological steps and it is treated as a structured piece of work. Each and every aspect in the research work is inter-related with each other and therefore, all the steps are properly composed in the form series of chapters. The present research report is also arranged in chronological chapter. Briefing of chapter included in this research is explained below:

Chapter 1: Introduction The introduction part of the research gives an apparent idea about the subject of the research and its background in a comprehensive way. Each research is undertaken in order to accomplish certain objectives. These aims provide a rationale for the selection of the topic or subject. This chapter of the study also defines the relevant objective in specific headings for conducting the research. Besides all of the above, it gives a concise discussion on the method of research used in the project. This provides a pithy introduction about the research methodology that is being undertaken in the succeeding sections. Chapter 2: Literature Review This is the second part of the dissertation. It is being formulated in the form of a literature survey. Literature review chapter plays a significant role as compared to all the other sections in the research study. It gives a detail information and view about the topic and its related aspects. Books, journals and scholarly articles are assessed in relation with the issues and title of the study. The literature review chapter in this report focuses on the various approaches of recruitment and selection adopted by the Fairmount group of hotels and many other alternatives routes in order to improve the operational efficiency of the hotel. It also presents a brief introduction about the recruitment and selection, its process, types and factors affecting them. Under this section, articles from various renowned authors will also be reviewed so as to gain detail understanding about the recruitment and selection methods and their impact on the employees and working of an organization. Chapter 3: Research Methodology This is the third section of the research and it gives details about the methodologies of research. These methods were used in order to collect and analyze the information (Research methodology: an introduction, n.d). Justification of the research method selected in the study is also explained by taking help of many research philosophy and method. Other than this, many other aspects such as ethical considerations, limitation, validity and reliability are also being defined under this head. This is done so as to maintain exactitude of research. Chapter 4: Findings This chapter develops the findings of the research. Findings can be inferred from the primary data collected and by applying proper research methodology. The result of the study generally depends upon the nature of data collected. Here, in this research all the findings are being presented in a qualitative form. This is because the data is collected by using interview method with the further help of questionnaire. In order to present the

result of gathered data and to gain the insight of the outcome, thematic analysis is also done in this research study. Chapter 5: Discussion and Analysis The result engendered from the primary data collected is analyzed and discussed in this chapter of the research study. This is being undertaken so as to provide support to the facts discovered from the finding part of the data (Data analysis, n.d). For sustaining the result of the study in most reliable manner, various concepts are also included in the literature review part of the research. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendations This chapter is the final part of the study. The result of the findings is presented in line with the pre-determined objectives of the research. Along with this, some of the limitations of the study are also included. Some recommendations are also suggested for future research work to be done in this regards and will enhance the understanding of Fairmount group of hotels in relation to recruitment and selection approaches as well. 1.8 Conclusion Recruitment is defined as the process of discovering the potential applicant for fulfilling the actual or probable vacancies in the organization. The main purpose of recruitment is to find or establish various sources of manpower in order to meet out the specifications and needs of the job. In hospitality industry, manpower plays a very significant role (Nickson, n.d). Therefore, it becomes essential for them to adopt right method for recruiting and selecting candidates. There are many factors which influences these processes in an organization, so each and every company need to consider all these factors in their intellects. This report will analyze the various approaches of recruitment and selection adopted by the Fairmount group of hotels and also examined different methods that have not been used by the hotel so far. These methods will also help and support other hotels to improve their efficiency and operational system.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature review is defined as the process which presents theoretical aspects in order to deal with the definite topic of the research. This is being conducted so as to search various secondary sources. It is not referred as that class which involves unique and experimental work; however, it is prepared by taking assistance of past available sources. Literature review has well defined structure which is prepared by inserting the personal insights and many other literary sources. The consequent review is being conducted on the subject related to recruitment and selection approaches adopted by the Fairmont group of hotel. It also focuses on examining various other alternatives which is not been used by the hotel so far. In hospitality industry, quality of services plays a very significant role. In hotel industry, the basis of differentiation can be created by workers and level of quality products and services offered to customers (Grzinic, 2007). High performance and ethical practices can be achieved by having efficient Human Resource Management policies in an organization. This can further help in improving the overall image and performance of company. There exists direct relationship between the quality of service and efficient manpower. If the workforce is welltrained and knowledgeable, they will deliver quality services to their guests and vice-versa (Roberts, 1997). Thus, it becomes crucial and brain-storming task for all the managers to employ best recruitment and selection approaches so as to have potential and skilful manpower in an organization. 2.1 Human resource management Human resource is defined as that word which is being used to describe the individuals who together encompass as the workforce of the company, even though it is also applicable in labour economics such as business sector or entire nation (Thompson, 2011). In an organization, Human resource is also the name of function which has major responsibilities of implementing strategies and policies in relation with the management of individual workers. According to Storey, Human resource management is as set of interrelated policies which has a foundation of ideology and philosophy (Storey, 2007). This is modern management term and coined in the late 1960s. Earlier, human resource function was introduced as welfare management practices and they adopted scientific management principle. Administrative management activity is the key result of the emergence of these two terms. After years of coordination among the range of process related to workers, personnel function was begin to be known. Gradually for this function, Human resources became the

popular and usual name. management.

It is more strategic and quantitative approach of workforce

Human resource management is the process of managing the skills, talent, knowledge, abilities and aptitude of all the employees in an organization (Armstrong, 2009). There are many different terms available which denote Human Resource Management i.e. labour administration, labour management relationship, employee-employer relationship,

management of labour, industrial relationship, management of human capital and human assent management etc (Bach, 2005). However, all the above terms can be used widely, but they have same basic nature and scope. In simple words, managing the Human resource management can be defined as appointing people, developing their capital, making necessary utilization, maintaining and then compensating their services in alignment with the job and specifications of the organization (Hargis and Bradley, 2011). 2.2 Human Resource planning, Recruitment and Selection Human Resource Planning can be understood as that process which forecast the future requirement of manpower in an organization and making necessary arrangement so as to supply right type of personnel in right quantity and time. According to John Bramham, Human resource planning function in an organization, act as a pillars through which they initiate the process of hiring (Bramham, 1994). In total organizational planning, HRP comes under the category of its sub system. It is an integral part of strategic management and therefore, it is known as strategic manpower planning. Hence, the ultimate aim of manpower planning is to ascertain the human resource needs of the company both in terms of quantity and quality. It makes available an inventory of in hand manpower of the firm. By analyzing manpower inventory, one can evaluate and assess the quality of talent available with the company. It also helps in discovering untapped talent within the organization (Burton, 1999). Human resource planning provides an aid to the company by projecting future requirement of manpower (Batt and Colvin, 2011). It determines shortage or surplus of workers by doing comparison between the total demand and current supply of workforce. These functions also show their concern in initiating various organizational programs. These programs depend upon the human resource demand and supply. If the future requirement of worker is higher than at present available talent than this can be taken
8

as a base for the program like, new recruitment, training etc. on the other hand, if the future needs is lower than present employee than program lay emphasis on retirements and discharge. This research report is all about the recruitment and selection, its various methods, approaches and processes that makes an integral part of an organization. Through the process of Staffing, it becomes possible to highlight skills, experience, talent and abilities of the applicant (The Selection Process, n.d). The selection process of the pool of applicants involve huge steps like, developing a list of prospective candidates, deciding the selection strategy, identification of qualified candidates, evaluation of eligible candidates and selecting most appropriate candidate for the required job (Heathfield, n.d). It is very rightly said that appointing right people at the right job is considered as half work done. In this research report all the necessary points and aspects have been covered which is necessary for a hotel to consider and to improve its operational and management efficiency.

Figure 1 Human Resource Planning process 2.3 Recruitment When organizations hire employees from outside, it is termed as recruitment. Staffing is regarded as one of the most vital function of human resource department in almost every

firm (Meaning of Recruitment, n.d). It has gained such privilege because company will not work efficiently if right and potential workforce is not hired. According to Jane Newell Brown, Employing personnel in an organization is characterized as a process which discovers the potential applicants in order to fill present or future vacancies (Brown, 2011). Even the best plan, polices and strategies will fail in the absence of talented manpower. Therefore, inferring from the above statement, the main rationale of staffing is to recognize different sources of manpower so as to meet the job necessity and specifications. Many authors have given their views and definition for the selected subject. According to Yoder, It is that process which induces or stimulates people to apply for particular job. Hiring people is a tough job which demands effective measures to attract people and make them appear at the door of office. According to Edwin B Flippo, recruitment is that course of action which is in search of the prospective employees and motivating them such that they influence their behaviour and get ready for the specified job (Flippo, 1976). It is a long process and involves huge steps. This process starts when some recruits are sought in the company and ends with submission of applications. The net resultant is the pool of applicants and mangers need to choose a new employee among them. To form a good recruitment plan following basic elements need to be presented: Job profile Job specification Recruitment source

Importance of recruitment In order to be a live organism, each and every organization needs members. Through the process of recruitment, new people or members are bought into company (Watson, 2012). This process also provides support to human resource department. Some of the importance of recruitment process is explained below: It provides help by increasing the rate of success of selection process by reducing the under and over qualified candidates. Recruitment reduces the likelihood of leaving the job after a short period of time by the selected job applicants. Helps in meeting social and legal responsibilities of company in relation with the opus of their manpower (Recruitment Strategy Importance, n.d).

10

 It identifies and prepares prospective applicants of the job so as to become appropriate candidates. Provides different sources and techniques of recruitment as per the necessity of job applicant and thereby, increases effectiveness of both the individual and organization The (Importance of Recruitment and Selection, 2009). Factors affecting the recruitment There are two factors i.e. internal and external, which some or in the other way pose great impact on the process of staffing of candidates for the organization (Anderson, A., n.d). These are: Internal factors These are defined as those factors which can be controlled by the company. They are internal to the firm and hinder the effective recruitment. Recruitment policy, organization size, cost of staffing and human resource planning are some of the internal factors (Factors Affecting Recruitment, n.d). External factors These are defined as those factors which are external to firm and beyond the control limits (External Factors Affecting Recruitment, n.d). It imposes great threat to the process of hiring in comparison with other factors. It may include political, Social and legal environment, supply and demand, competitors, goodwill of company and the labor market.

Figure 2 Factor affecting Recruitment Process of Recruitment The process of staffing involves four important steps. Each and every organization is bound to follow this course of action for selecting skilful and talented employees for the company. The process of it is discussed below:
11

 Application shortlist: This is the first step in the process of staffing. This is the stage where resumes are shortlisted from various sources as per specifications and requirement of the organizations. Preliminary Assessment: The next step after short listing candidates is to call them for first round of interview. The preliminary meeting focuses on functional competencies of the contender (Luke, 2009). To analyze these functional skills, interviewer presents a business case in front of the candidates and they need to provide solution. Generally, these types of interviews are conducted for certain positions only. Final interview: The successive stage after first round of interview is final interview. All candidates who successfully clear the preliminary interview go through second round. They are often taken by the head of functional department or any top level officials. Medical Evaluation: This is the final stage in the process of recruitment. The number of candidates selected by the company need to undergo various medical test and checkups. This is important to know about fitness and health of the respective employees (Recruitment Process, n.d). Methods of Recruitment The methods of recruitment in an organization are categorized in to three parts i.e. direct, indirect and third party method. Organizations also consider various internal and external sources in order to hire the prospective candidates. Internal source is adopted by the company when they want to fill the job vacancy from within its present manpower. And other one, external source is used to hire employees from outside the business. Both these sources have some advantages and disadvantages (Sparrow, 2007). The first and foremost step to be taken by any company is to evaluate the alternatives methods available to them and then employing the best means in order to recruit personnel. Organization will achieve the path of success only when right kind of manpower is employed by them. These methods are discussed as follows: Direct method In direct method, recruiters go to various colleges, professional and educational institutes in order to hire candidates for their company. Employee of the firm also liaison with public and put on exhibits. Recruiters visit many technical schools and colleges in search of talented and skillful applicant (External Methods of Recruitment, 2004). They select candidates in mass; all this is made possible with the
12

help of placement officer of the college. Students who have outstanding records are directly selected by the company through their respective professors. Campus recruitment, internships, walk-in-interview, Tele-recruitment and direct mail are various direct methods of staffing. In-direct method In-direct method, recruiters do not contact probable candidates directly, in fact they rely on other in-direct sources to get in touch with the applicants. Advertisement in newspapers, magazines, brochures, radio and professional journals are common in-direct methods of recruitment. Among all the above mentioned ways, advertisement in newspaper and trade journals is very common and most frequently used methods. In order to recruit blue collar and hourly workers, advertisement is considered as very useful source (Edenborough, 2007). For clerical and lower-level administrative employees local newspaper will be beneficial. The point to be taken care is that as the level of position increases in the organization, advertisement is more likely to be dispersed. For employing any top level executive, company can also resort on advertisement in national periodical. According to the Advertisement tactic and strategy in personnel Recruitment, before advertising for any recruitment three main points need to be taken care. Firstly, one should envisage the type of claimant to be recruited. Second things are to make out the list of benefits offered by the company. This will persuade all candidates to join the company. Last but not the least; human resource department must decide the media and area to run the advertisement. Third-party method This is another method of employing candidates in to the organization. This method uses third party to conscript applicants such as private or commercial employment agencies, professional recruiting firms, placement office of colleges, consultancy firms and management consulting firms, friends and relatives etc. From all of the above method, Private employment agencies are being used as a widely source. These agencies charge nominal fee from the claimant. The agents make list of applicants having specific occupation like, salesman, management graduates, technical workers, accountant, clerical staff and executives. For public employment, labor exchange and public placement agencies are treated as the main agency. Companies notify their specifications to these agents and

13

job seekers easily get information in regards with the type of occupation referred by them. To make the companies recruit their students, schools and colleges also offers many opportunities in this regards. Complete information and data of the students is made available through placement services operated by college. Many Professional organizations and recruiting firms keep up absolute record of the executives working in firms. All these agencies discussed above are treated as the head hunters and raiders by many firms because they lose their manpower by the efforts of these agencies or firms. Evaluation of the recruitment method The approaches of staffing in an organization can be evaluated by many measures and factors. Evaluation is very necessary phase (Ethics in staff recruitment, n.d). Through assessment company will be in a position to identify pitfalls and can make required amendments in the process of recruitment (Hoff, 1970). The below points reflects evaluation of the staffing method: Effectiveness of the method depends upon the amount of enquires received by the company and resultant quantity of completed application forms. It also relies on the total candidates being employed. Quantity of candidates remains in work after six months in an organization. The total number of contenders positioned at different stages of recruitment and selection process.

2.4 Selection According to Stone, Selection is defined as the process of making distinction between the aspirants so as to determine those who have greater likelihood of getting success in a requisite job(Durai, n.d). The meaning of selection can be implied from its word. It involves choosing particular employees from the pool of candidates available for particular job. All the decisions of selection are taken by comparing the requirements of the job and qualifications of the applicants. If aptitude of candidates counterpart the specifications of job than, they got selected and vice-versa (Compton and Nankervis, n.d). During this process, many contenders got rejected. Thus, it makes selection as a negative function in comparison with the recruitment which is positive in nature (Mathis and Jackson, 2008). This can be

14

inferred from the fact that in recruitment every effort is being made to attract and increase the number of applicants for particular job openings. Through the process of selection, contractual relationship exists between the company and the member of staff. According to Roberts, Selection is defined as an effort made by the company to search out the right peg for the right hole (Robert, 1997). It entails many steps principally employing people who posses requisite skills and qualifications to carry out the vacant jobs in an organization. By this method two divisions are created, one is for the candidates who are employed and the other one is for those who are not selected. This process can also be known by the name of rejection as number of candidates turned away is more than appointed. Assortment of applicant can be conceptualized in any of the three terms i.e. selecting the best fit candidates, rejecting unfit applicant or combination of both these terms. Selection is the mixture of both the terms since it chooses the appropriate contender and refuse involves both because it picks up the fits and reject the flabby ones. For instance, Yoder- viewed hiring as the process of one or many Go, or No-Go test. All the Candidates are monitored by using these gauges. Competent aspirants move on to the next phase, while the unqualified applicants are purged. Process of Selection Several numbers of steps are being followed in the process of selection. The basic idea behind these numerous steps is to solicit significant information of the applicant. This will help them in ascertaining the appropriateness of candidates for specified job. As the information obligatory for various positions differs, selection process also posses different steps to be followed as per the required positions (Billsberry, 2008). Say for example, in order to select managerial personnel, there is a need of more information in comparison with the other workers. Similarly, the selection process will be different for various companies. This is because of the fact that they might have different practices in relation with the selection aspect (Arvey and Renz, 1992). Nevertheless, a standard and regular selection process contains the subsequent steps: Online screening of the applicants Selection test (aptitude and many other tests) Group discussion of the qualified candidates (G.D) Technical and HR interview of the applicant Checking of Reference
15

Physical examinations Approval by the authority Placement and Appointment letter

Barriers to effective selection The ultimate aim of the selection process is to employ competent and talented people in to the organization. They must be in compatible with the profile of the job. But because of the presence of certain barriers and factors, reason for selecting effective candidates is defeated by the company. Some of these barriers are explained below: Perception or the Halo effect: Many a times situation may arise when the interviewer chooses a candidate as per the perception or view made by him at the time of conversation between them or just by gazing at the individual. The interviewer ignores quality and caliber of candidates. Sometimes this leads to wrong selection of the candidates from companys side (Jinsite, 2012). Fairness: Fairness and justice must be maintained at the time of making selections. Many times interviewer dose not select candidate on the basis of their skills and abilities. Hence, wrong candidate is employed within the company. Pressure: Sometimes pressure from top-level management induces the human resource department to select a particular candidate. This ruins the whole purpose of effective selection process. Eligible candidates are thrown out from the list and unqualified people take responsible positions in the company.

2.5 Company background The Fairmont group of Hotels & Resorts is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It has around 45 hotels and resorts in their portfolio. This number is in increasing trend. The group is regarded as one of the largest luxury hotel management company (Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, n.d). Fairmont group of hotels serves their guests and customers with superior quality products and services. They are located in some of the most popular travel destinations in the world. They have many resorts and hotels in Hawaii, Boston, Arizona and Banff, Alberta, New York, Dubai, Montreal and London. It has a range of the clientele such as vacationers, business travellers and recreational travellers. Fairmont group provides them all the required amenities like golf court, convenience and many other leisure activities. Fairmont continuously engaged in striving new ways and approaches so as to expand their product offerings and services. This will helps them in meeting the specifications of the
16

customers better. Focusing on their customers, company developed an in-house database to collect complete information about the potential guests (Fairmont, n.d). This database encompasses data like, home addresses, contact number and their interest. All these information can be accumulated at the time of check-in and their interest area amassed by tracking out the activities of the guests like, skiing, golfing and spa. 2.6 Recruitment and selection methods adopted by the Fairmont group of hotels The Fairmont group of hotels is lauded as one of the great place to work. The corporate culture of the group is admired worldwide. The human resource of the company helped them to win such accolades. It is the manpower which makes up the Fairmont. They were successful in expanding their market by developing strong platform of integrated human resource. This platform is based on four major principles i.e. selecting the best, leading with them, providing them training and recognizing their efforts. All the above principles act as a foundation in creating a warm culture. Many approaches are adopted by the Fairmont group of hotels. Some of the methods are elaborated below: Fairmont selection interview Each and every candidate of the group whether for the top-level or lower-level is selected through a Fairmont Selected Interview. This is the most powerful tool which is structured so as to ensure and align the values of individuals hired with the companys culture (Fairmont case study, n.d). A fit between the both is created by the personnel of the human resource department. This is an online structured interview and is devised by more than 20 years of partnerships with the Gallup organization. Gallup is the research based consultancy firm which provides innovation solutions to the various companies. Through this selection interview, Fairmont will be able to have more talented workforce and thus achieving competitive edge over the other rivalries firms in the hospitality industry. Partnership with Oxford school of hospitality management Another technique of recruitment adopted by the hotel comes under the category of third party method of staffing. The company has partnership with the Oxford school of hospitality management. They select and recruit the prospective leaders of the company by this school. Fairmont group of Hotels and Resorts is proud from this affiliation between both these corporations (The oxford school of hospitality management, 2012). In order to make the companies recruit their students, oxford schools offers many opportunities to their students in this regards. Complete information and data of
17

the students is made available through placement services operated by college. From past so many years, Fairmont is hiring candidates from this school and they are truly delightful by the potential of hospitality graduates. Their integrity, passion and commitment towards work gives all credit to the Oxford School of Hospitality Management at Brookes. Online recruitment Online or E-recruitment is the latest trend in the staffing and selection process. From workers to executives, each one of them needs to go through online interview in order to become a part of Fairmont group of hotels (Costen, 2012). The main aim of conducting this interview is to determine whether the prospective candidates will be able to fit in the organization or not. From this test company will trace out the characteristics of the applicants, their behaviour and nature so that they can easily assign them the roles and responsibilities within the company (Tritch, n.d). 2.7 Conclusion Recruitment and selection plays a very important role in hospitality industry. In hotel industry, quality of services and product is considered as the major source of distinction. Service quality can highly be influenced by the manpower being employed by the company (Crook, et.al, 2011). A well-trained and skilful workforce will better serve their customers and guests. However, if they are not well-mannered, than it will ruin the image as well as the brand name of the organization. Thus, it becomes crucial and significant for the hotels in this sector to employ more efforts while recruiting and selecting candidates. There are many methods and approaches of staffing, but company need to analyze best technique which lifts them to the higher mountains. In spite of many advantages, there are many barriers and challenges which come across in the way of recruitment and selection process. Each and very firm should consider and move their step ahead by thoroughly analyzing the potential affecting factors. Right manpower selected will lead organization to in the path of success. Therefore, it has being rightly said that if a right person is selected than it is regarded as half of a work done.

18

REFERENCES
Books, Journals and articles Armstrong, M., 2009. Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 11th ed. Kogan Page Publishers. Arvey, R, D. and Renz, G. L., 1992. Fairness in the Selection of Employees. Journal of Business Ethics. 11, pp.331340. Babbie, R. E., 2010. The Practice of Social Research. 12th ed. Cengage Learning. Bach, S., 2005. Managing Human Resources: Personnel Management in Transition. 4th ed. John Wiley & Sons. Batt, R. and Colvin, A.J.S., 2011. The Academy of Management Journal. 54(4), 695-717 Billsberry, J., 2008. Experiencing Recruitment and Selection. John Wiley & Sons. Bohlander, W. G. and Snell, S., 2009. Managing Human Resources. 15th ed. Cengage Learning. Bonn, A. M., 1992. Reducing turnover in the hospitality industry: an overview of recruitment, selection and retention. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 11(1), pp.47-63. Bramham, J., 1994. Human Resource Planning. 2nd ed. Universities Press. Brown, J. N., 2011. The Complete Guide to Recruitment: A Step-by-step Approach to Selecting, Assessing and Hiring the Right People. Kogan Page Publishers. Bryman, A., and Bell, E., 2007. Business Research Methods. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. Bryman, A., and Hardy, A. M., 2004. Handbook of Data Analysis. SAGE. Compton, L. R. and Nankervis, R. A., n.d. Effective Recruitment & Selection Practices. CCH Australia Limited. Compton, R. L. and Nankervis, A. R., n.d. Effective Recruitment & Selection Practices. CCH Australia Limited. Cooper, D. Robertson, T. I., and Tinline, G., 2003. Recruitment and Selection: A Framework for Success. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning EMEA. Costen, M. W., 2012. Recruitment and Selection. The Encyclopedia of Human Resource Management: Short Entries. Crook, T.R. and et.al. 2011. Journal of Applied Psychology. 96(3), 443-456 Durai, n.d. Human Resource Management. Pearson Education India. Edenborough, R., 2007. Assessment Methods in Recruitment, Selection & Performance: A Manager's Guide to Psychometric Testing, Interviews and Assessment Centers. Kogan Page Publishers.

19

Ethridge, D., 2004. Research methodology in applied economics: organizing, planning, and conducting economic research. 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell. Flippo, E. B., 1976. Principles of personnel management. 4th ed. McGraw-Hill. Gibaldi, J., 2010. Handbook of Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. Modern Language Association of India. Gill, J., and Johnson, P., 2002. Research Methods for Managers. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Goddard, W., and Melville , S., 2004. Research Methodology: An Introduction.2nd ed. Juta and Company Ltd. Hargis, M.B. and Bradley, D.B., 2011. Academy of Strategic Management Journal Hoff, W., 1970. The importance of training for effective performance. Public Health Rep, 85 (9), pp.760765. Jackson, L. S., 2008. Research Methods and Statistics: A Critical Thinking Approach. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning. Klein, J. K. Dansereau, F., and Hall, J. R., 1994. Levels Issues in Theory Development, Data Collection, and Analysis. The Academy of Management Review, 19(2), pp.195-229. Mathis, L. R. and Jackson, H. J., 2008. Human Resource Management. 12th ed. Cengage Learning. McBurney, D. H. and White T. L., 2009. Research Methods. Cengage Learning Merriam, B. S., 2009. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons. Miles, B. M., and Huberman, M. A., 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. 2nd e.d. SAGE. Miles, B. M., and Huberman, M. A., 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. 2nd ed. SAGE. Morrison, M. A., 1996. Hospitality and travel marketing. 2nd ed. Delmar Publishers. Orb, A., Eisenhauer, L. and Wynaden, D., 2001. Ethics in Qualitative Research. The journal of Nursing scholarship, 33 (1), pp.93-96.

Ott, L., and Longnecker, M., 2010. An Introduction to Statistical Methods and Data Analysis. 6th ed. Cengage Learning. Perry, C., 1998. Processes of a case study methodology for post graduate research in marketing. European Journal of marketing, 32(9/10), pp.785-802. Price, A., 2007. Human Resource Management in a Business Context. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning EMEA. Robert, G., 1997. Recruitment and Selection: A Competency Approach. CIPD Publishing. Roberts, M. C., 2010. The Dissertation Journey: A Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Planning, Writing, and Defending Your Dissertation. 2nd ed. SAGE Publications.
20

Silverman, D., 2006. Interpreting Qualitative Data: Methods for Analyzing Talk, Text and Interaction. 3rd ed. SAGE. Sparrow, R. P., 2007. Globalization of HR at function level: four UK-based case studies of the international recruitment and selection process. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(5), pp.845-867. Storey, J. 2007. Human Resource Management: A Critical Text. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning EMEA. Thompson, P., 2011. Human Resource Management Journal. 21(4), 355-367. Walliman, N., and Baiche, B., 2001. Your Research Project: A Step-By-Step Guide for the First-Time Researcher. SAGE. Online References Anderson, A., n.d. Internal & External Factors Influencing Recruitment. [Online]. Available at: <http://smallbusiness.chron.com/internal-external-factors-influencing-recruitment11905.html>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Bryman, A., 2006. Integrating quantitative and qualitative research: how is it done?. Qualitative Research, 6(1), pp.97-113. Available at: <http://qrj.sagepub.com/content/6/1/97.short>. [Accessed 1st Sep 2012]. Burton, J. 1999. Importance of Human Resource Planning. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.ehow.com/about_6130541_importance-human-resource-planning.html>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012]. Niles, Data R., 1995. Data analysis. n.d. [Online]. Available at: th <http://www.robertniles.com/stats/dataanly.shtml>. [Accessed on 30 August 2012]. analysis. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/data-analysis.html>. [Accessed on 1st Sep 2012]. collection methods. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://people.uwec.edu/piercech/researchmethods/data%20collection%20methods/da ta%20collection%20methods.htm>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012].

Data

Ethics in staff recruitment. n.d. [Online] Available at: <http://www.businessadvocacy.org/dloads/fsEthicsStaffRecruitment.pdf>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. External Factors Affecting Recruitment. n.d. [Online]. Available at: th <http://recruitment.naukrihub.com/external-factors.html>. [Accessed on 29 August 2012]. External Methods of Recruitment. 2004. [Online]. Available <http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/human-resources-management-hr/203748-external-methods-recruitment.html>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012]. at:

21

Factors Affecting Recruitment. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://recruitment.naukrihub.com/factors-affecting-recruitment.html>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Fairmont case study. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.akamai.com/html/customers/case_study_fairmont.html>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. n.d. [Online]. Available at: www.personallypb.com/pdf/fairmont/>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012]. Fairmont. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.hotelsoftheworld.com/fairmont.htm>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012]. Friend, L., n.d. Types of Recruitment & Selection. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.ehow.com/about_5418581_types-recruitment-selection.html>. [Accessed 1st Sep 2012]. Garton, E. O., n.d. Simple Random Sampling. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/population_ecology/Simple_random_sampling.htm>. [Accessed on 31st August 2012]. Heathfield, S. M., n.d. Job analysis. [Online]. Available at: <http://humanresources.about.com/od/jobdescriptions/g/job_analysis.htm>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Hospitality. n.d. [Online]. Available <http://www.pioneerglobalrecruitment.com/hospitality.html>. [Accessed August 2012]. on at: 29th

Importance of Recruitment and Selection. 2009. [Online]. Available at: <http://mycareerguide.net/the-importance-of-recruitment-and-selection/>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012]. Jinsite, T. 2012. Survey:Barriers to Effective Recruitment. [Online]. Available at: <http://research.timesjobs.com/?p=4986>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012]. Johnson, S., 2012. Data Analysis Method and Its Importance to Accomplish Research Objectives. . Dissertation Writing Assignment Help Blog, [blog] 2 January. Available at: <http://www.blog.dissertationhelpuk.co.uk/data-analysis-method-and-itsimportance-to-accomplish-research-objectives >. [Accessed on 31st August 2012]. Kumar, B.T.S., n.d. Research tools and techniques. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.freewebs.com/sampathkumar/u36.pdf>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Luke., 2009. Recruitment process importance. Your HRM Guide [blog] 1 June. Available at: <http://yourhrmguide.com/content/recruitment-process-importance>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Meaning of Recruitment. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://recruitment.naukrihub.com/meaning-of-recruitment.html>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012].

22

Nickson, n.d. HRM Hospitality and Tourism Industries. [Online]. Available at: <http://arltlectures.de/nickson1.pdf>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Pope, C., 2010. Qualitative data analysis. Doctoral School Blog [blog] 3 September. Available at: <http://doctoralschool.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/qualitative-data-analysiswith-nvivo/>. [Accessed 1st Sep 2012]. Qualitative research methods. n.d. [Online]. Available <http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/prdsu/helpsheets/Helpsheet09-May03-Unlocked.pdf>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Recruitment Process. n.d. [Online]. Available <http://recruitment.naukrihub.com/recruitment-process.html>. [Accessed August 2012]. on at:

at: 30th

Recruitment Strategy Importance. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.simplehrguide.com/recruitment-strategy-importance.html>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Remenyi, D., 2010. Design Research Issues. Research Methodology Blog, [blog] 28 June. Available at: <http://danremenyi-research-methology.blogspot.in/2010/06/designresearch-issues.html>. [Accessed 31st August 2012]. Research methodology: an introduction. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/000896.pdf>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Stirling, A. J., 2001. Thematic networks: an analytic tool for qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 1(3), pp.385-405. Available at: <http://qrj.sagepub.com/content/1/3/385.short>. [Accessed 1st Sep 2012]. Strohmenger, R., 2011. A Cool Research Methodology That I Predict You Will Use. Roxana Strohmengers Blog, [blog] 18 January. Available at:<http://blogs.forrester.com/roxana_strohmenger/11-01-18 a_cool_research_methodology_that_i_predict_you_will_use>. [Accessed on 31st August 2012]. The oxford school of hospitality management. 2012. [Online]. Available at: <http://hospitality.brookes.ac.uk/assets/studying/brochure-ug-2013.pdf>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012]. Selection Process. n.d. [Online]. Available at: <http://sites.google.com/site/cdphehumanresources/the-selection-process>. [Accessed on 30th August 2012].

The

Tritch, T., n.d. Fairmont's Talent Strategy Delivers Results. [Online]. Available at: <http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/1009/fairmonts-talent-strategy-deliversresults.aspx>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Walton, N., n.d. What is Research Ethics. [Online]. Available <http://www.researchethics.ca/what-is-research-ethics.htm>. [Accessed on August 2012]. at: 31st

23

Watson, S., 2012. Social Recruiting: The New Era of Attracting Top Talent. Employee Assessment Solutions Blog [blog] 31 July. Available at: <http://info.profilesinternational.com/profiles-employee-assessmentblog/?Tag=Recruitment%20and%20Selection>. [Accessed on 29th August 2012]. Welcome to Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. n.d. [Online]. Available <http://www.fairmont.com/about-us/>. [Accessed on 31st August 2012]. at:

24