Training and Development

HRM-433
Topic:
Strategic Training and Development Process
Submitted To:

Submitted By:
Syed Amad Wajid
Roll #
11032120-156

Section
BBA
7th Semester
Date: 15-12-2014

Pearl-Continental Hotels & Resorts:

History: A Pakistan service limited was incorporated in 1958 as a public limited company and
is quoted in Karachi stock exchange since 1964. The primary business of PSL is hospitality. It
initially operated under the management of Inter-Continental Hotel however; when Hashoo
group acquired PSL in 1985 it changed the name of the hotels to Pearl continental hotels and
became the largest and oldest five star hotel chain of Pakistan.
A Pearl Continental hotel is the first Pakistani chain which has achieved excellent international
standards of services, quality and product.

Introduction:
PC is a five star hotel chain in Pakistan. This chain are in Lahore, Peshawar, Faisalabad,
Rawalpindi, Gwadar, Bhurban, Karachi, and Muzaffarabad and now coming up in Mirpur, and
Multan. These hotels are owned and worked by Hashoo Group, one of the largest business
houses in Pakistan. The group also owns Marriott hotels in Karachi and Islamabad, and Hotel
One.
PC hotel is the deluxe hotel in the city which caters to local and foreign travels in style. The hotel
having 200 guest rooms with exclusive suites, deluxe suites and presidential suites have been
decorated according to their collections. They are providing their guests with all facilities and
comforts, such as 30 satellite channels, 24 hours in-house movies, international direct dialing,
mini bars and exclusive electronic safes. These are all facilities provided by the needs of their
guests. There are also many facilities like a mosque, airport picking services on request, laundry,
car rented service, house doctor, authorized money changer, beauty salon for ladies and barber
shop for men.
The hotel also equipped with latest audio video facilities that includes video projection system,
slides projector and audio recording equipment, which are helpful in making meetings and
seminars successfully.

The Strategic Training and Development Process:

BUSINESS
STRATEGY

STRATEGIC
TRAINING &
DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVES

TRAINING &
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITIES

METRICS
THAT SHOW
VALUE OF
TRAINING

Business Strategy:
Three factors influence the companys business strategy. First, the mission, vision and goals.
And second, SWOT Analysis.
Vision: We are committed to dynamic growth and service excellence built upon our heritage of
traditional hospitality. We strive to consistently meet and surpass guests, employees and other
stakeholders expectations. We feel pride in making efforts to position Pakistan in the forefront of
the international arena.
Mission: To meet the challenges of modern business, we constantly upgrade our operations and
services in line with the latest technological facilities.
SWOT Analysis:
Strengths:

The hotel welcomes very much if any inexperienced person enters in this hotel.
This hotel also arranges visits of its employees to other hotels like Marriot International
Islamabad and Serena International Islamabad.
Management tries to increase to hired qualified staff and managers and because of this
they held many seminars and workshops on latest HR practices.

Weaknesses:

Relationship between workforce and organization is the main challenge.

Due to highly changed dynamic environments HR department has to remain current with
regards to duties, skills, future needs, current trends efficiency, and smooth running of the
hotel.
Lack of trained workforce
Global competitive environment

Opportunities:

Due to this hotel chain all over the world, employees here have chance to work in a
broader perspective and gain greater experience and knowledge about latest practices.
Starting workshops and seminars provide training and development to employees.

Threats:

This hotel is lagging behind from the International hotels standard that affects its
performance in some areas.
Performance of the HR office is unreliable at times.
Erratic performance can result in low productivity of employees.

Strategic training and development Initiatives:

Strategic training and development initiatives are learning related actions that a company should
take to help it achieve its business strategy. These initiatives depend on a company goals,
resources and capabilities.
PC hotel having initiatives of delivering their employees traditional hospitality, providing
customer services and performing training. This hotel also offers many services that consist of
equal parts of goods and services. A person prefers this hotel for their services, their food and
their room services. The services offered by PC hotel are:

Both equipment based as well as people based

Meet both a personal need as well as business need

Having the objective (i.e.; Profit oriented) and ownership (i.e.; Public limited)

Improve Customer service

Training
Profitability
Growth profile
Compatibility
Traditional hospitality
Environment of professional enhancement

Training and development activities:

After choosing the initiatives related to business strategy, and then identify specific training
and development activities that will enable these initiatives to be achieved. These activities
include use of new technology in training, increasing access to training programs for certain

groups of employees, reducing development time, and developing new or expanded course
offerings.
To maintain its high standards, the hotel management organizes and conducts good quality of
training of their employees. This department is closely assisted HR department i.e. under
taken by training manager along with an assistant. This training is organized within a hotel.

A dedicated training staff to plan and conduct the training of staff/ employees

Initially the new enrolled staff is employed and observed for 3-9 months of probation
period.

The employees are briefed about the house rules on their arrival.

Detailed orientation is carried out of all the departments.

The new employees are introduced to key people of the hotel.

On the job training is conducted and the employees are placed under a supervision of
senior staff member of the particular department to watch, supervise and correct the
mistakes.

A booklet of rules and regulations is issued to each newly selected employee to

introduce the basic ethics and rules of the hotel. This ensures proper grooming and
discipline.

The new employee is taken around all the departments and explained about their
working. He also spends some time with each department to have an overview of the
Hotels complete way of working.

The HR department of PC hotel lays special emphasis over the further career
planning of its employees who have the potential to rise.

Those who have potential to rise further are picked up and trained for the next
appointments.

Employees are also provided the opportunities to attend various long and short term
courses to further improve their skills. HR department ensures arrangement of such
activities.

To make the employee familiar to the current trends and improve their skills, frequent
seminars, lectures, and departmental briefings are conducted.

Metrics to show Training success:

At last, hotel determines whether training and development activities actually contribute to
the business goals. This determination involves identifying and collecting outcomes
measures, or metrics. They are used to identify training success or effectiveness include
trainees satisfaction with the training program, whether the trainees knowledge, skills,
ability or attitudes changed as a result of program participation and whether the program
resulted in business related outcomes for the company.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCESS AND METHODS

Appraisal is essential for enhancing the productivity of employees and to bring quality
improvements in the overall performance of the organization.

At PC appraisal is done by the head of the specific department whose employee is being
appraised. The appraisal method used at PC is Graphical Rating Scale.

Employees promotion (or demotion) is finally approved by the HR Manager. Appraisals

are conducted every three months a year.

The most important factors that are considered while appraising an employee are:
o Appearance
o Conduct
o Professional Work
o Leadership & Teamwork
o Planning & Organization
o Initiative & Creativity
o Communication
o Training Skills

o Business Attitude & Operational Performance

o Achievements of Objectives
Besides this they also consider their customers feedback regarding employee performance in
order to bring quality improvements.

An immediate supervisor plays an important role in performance appraisal. The actual

appraising is done by the immediate supervisor of each employee. After rating an
employee the supervisor consults with the HR manger and then both of them decide how
much to compensate each employee and who is to be promoted?

When an employee is promoted, he/she is required to meet the new post requirements.
For example qualification, the employee is ought to assure that he/she is the student of
the required program.

BENEFITS & COMPENSATIONS

PC provides some kind of benefits and services to its employees in order to facilitate them.
BENEFITS
WORK SCHEDULE
Work schedule differs for different posts as managers are required to be present at office timings.
For operations employees the facility of flexible work schedule is available that is in three shifts.
One day is off during the week.
Occasional need of putting in some extra work hours is informed and employees are paid
accordingly.
If an employee works all 7 days a week the department head is supposed to give him 2 days off
in the next work week in order to compensate.

BREAKS AND MEAL PERIODS

PC supply free meals & tea to employees during working hours.

1 meal and 2 tea breaks in one shift

30 min for lunch/ dinner

15 min for each tea/ breakfast

Employees are given special discount packages on food

LEAVES
The leave structure of PC is as follows:

Casual (Maximum 3)

Sick (Medical certificate for three or more)

Earned (Minimum 7)

All above mentioned leaves are paid. In case an employee doesnt avail any leave for a year,
he/she is awarded a cash amount.

MEDICAL FACILITIES
PC provides free medical facility to all its employees and their children.

LIFE INSURANCE
PC provides life insurance facility to its employees. Minor charges are deducted from
employees pay.

INCREMENTS
PC offers yearly pay rise to its employees regardless of their performance. The rate of increments
is same for all employees.

OTHER BENEFITS

Free uniform is provided to all employees.

Free laundry services for employees uniforms.

Free transportation for female workers.

Hajj Lucky Draw Package

BENEFITS AT RETIREMENT / TERMINATION

PROVIDENT FUND
Employees provident fund handed over to them at the time of retirement/resignation of the
employee. However, in the case of termination it is conditional.
MEDICAL ALLOWANCE
Employees not utilizing their medical facilities are awarded Rs.100/month. This amount keeps
on accumulating in the employees medical allowance which is handed over to him/her at the
time of retirement/resignation. Similarly this allowance is also conditional for the termination
cases.
Others are medical facility, hospitalization insurance, life insurance, laundry facility, discount on
rooms and restaurants etc.

COMPENSATIONS
Employees are provided with the counseling services during their training at the time of
retirement

by

the

HR

manger.

hese services include:

FAMILY COUNSELING
Family Counseling is a counseling program for employees wherein they are suggested how to
cope with their personal & family problems. So that the management is assured of the fact that

employees are not under any stress and are able to put in their best effort to perform their jobs
effectively and efficiently.

PRE-RETIREMENT COUNSELING
In pre-retirement counseling program employees who are willing to work after retirement are
given constructive guidance concerning their second careers.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Health and safety laws

Security Measures

Social security fund

In-house doctor and Dispensary

Contract with Services Hospital

Provide instructions regarding the recent issue of bird flu.

Hygiene of employees

Fire preventions

Energy conservation

CHALLENGES FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

In order to manage people effectively in todays world of cut throat competition, it is vital to
understand and appreciate the significant competitive, legal and social issues. The human
resource department of PEARL CONTINENTAL HOTEL has to cope with internal as well as
external challenges to ensure the achievement of its mission. Some of the internal and external
challenges faced by the human resource department are presented below:

Relationship between the Workforce and Management

Managing a Dynamic Environment

Conflict Management

Managing Workforce Diversity

Lack of Trained Workforce

Global Competitive Environment

Economic Challenge

Loyalty of Employees

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
THINGS WHICH AN EMPLOYEE SHOULD AVOID:

Smoke, eat, drink, chew gum, whistle, hum or sing in the lobby or any public areas.

Stand in groups and casual conversation with co-workers.

Shout or talk in the public areas.

Allowing of personal friends to visit employees at the hotel.

Spit in any area.

Say anything negative about the hotel.

Entering in other departments, public areas, or guest floors.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

PC should send its managers/employees to abroad for training purpose for it will
ultimately improve the organizations overall performance.

Internees should be paid for their services.

More flexible benefits plans should be introduced for employee so they can choose which
suit them the best.

As PC doesnt have any special program to bring the outside talent in, so they need to
take this area under consideration.

More incentive programs should be introduced to maintain employee motivation.

CONCLUSION
After a thorough study of Human Resource Department at Pearl Continental, Lahore we can
conclude that PC is a huge name in the hotel industry and its Human Resource Department is
working dynamically to pursue its organizational goals. This project has given us the realistic
view of how Human Resource practices are followed in any organization.