Induction and training Essay Example for Free

Induction and training Essay Inductions for staff are a huge concern for many organisations because it provides them with information about their duties and responsibilities. However it is procedure an employee experiences when beginning a new job. It also assures them how important and effective customer service is in the travel and tourism industry, however it also enables them to adapt into the organisation quicker as it will help them gain knowledge and be more familiar with the facilities at the organisation. Induction and training also discusses all the procedures which the staff need to know which about and what is compulsory in a work environment. Thus induction procedures are carried out in many different ways; this varies from company to company. However there are certain items which need to be discussed by law for instance health and safety, first aid and which way the fire exits are. Some company also have the disciplinary procedures which is also a very compulsory factor for many organisations. Booklets and leaflets are also given out at inductions including all the reasonable precautions however this is also carried out verbally as well as just being written down. On the other hand many organisations like their staff to be fully familiar with the history of the organisation and other major information about the company and again this varies from company to company. Training is another way to improve the skills and knowledge and make employees more familiar with their job roles and what they are responsible for; this will also help them gain a better understanding about the company and how to take care of its customers needs. It is vital for staff to provide good service so when training is being taken at a work place it is mainly because it benefits the organisation in many different ways, when someone is being trained to do a certain job they are being taught how to handle things, for instance customers and their needs. If an organisation has fully trained staff it benefits customer service in many ways for example satisfied customers, increased sale, repeat business, better public image and edge over the competition. We all know excellent customer service brings higher sales and raises profit which benefits the organisation and the external customers as well as the internal customers. However training new employees would also help them feel more motivated about their job, as well as help them be more familiar with the organisation itself. On the other hand when employees are being trained they are also being taught how to deal with external and internal customers in an appropriate way, for instance the other members of staff who may be working with you. However when employees adapt into the working environment they also need to adapt with the people that are there as well as the organisation which they work for to make it a nice environment to work in, so basically if employees get on well with other members of staff their will be happier staff and in result of that there will be better business and more happier and efficient workforce for the staff. Thus, training may also help employees build up their self confidence in other words it may help them get to know other members of staff ; starting a new job may be quite nerve racking. However some employees starting a new job may lack of self esteem because there not sure what the should and shouldnt be doing, and they may also be scared that if they did something wrong they may be laughed at, however an a induction may change that because it will make them more relaxed and more motivated about their new work place. However it also helps staff to absorb the information and adjust the information faster on those areas they are being trained on, this is good news for the external customers because a happy workforce leads to team work and greater efficiency, and this then eventually leads to excellent customer service. Training staff also makes a good working atmosphere for them as they will get on with the their colleagues more so this will make the workplace a friendly workplace, however also may improve job satisfaction as this will help employees love their job and take pride in it, this leads to improved chances of promotion of the company. Training would also look into how to communicate with customers as well as understand their needs, Good customer service is more than just selling products to customers, and it takes motivation and skill in how you deal with them. All employees in the travel and tourism industry need to know how to communicate with their customers appropriately, and how to use different skills in different situations whatever job you do because you dont know when you might be expected to deal with a customer and because you cannot walk away from it. Training gives guidance and teaches different types of communication as well as builds up enthusiasm. The Marriott Hotel At the Marriott Hotel customer service is extremely crucial like it is for any other companies in the travel and tourism industry; there are many principles of customer service at the Marriott which is why it is compulsory for hotel to train their staff up to a certain standard. Thus, although it may mean that it costs the hotel up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2000 to go through recruitment for each employee they train it is still worth the money. At the Marriott they believe that training and induction are preparing staff to provide good customer service. However this is beneficial to the organisation because it improves job knowledge and builds confidence this would result to more motivated and happier working staff which means employment cost will be reduced. Induction at the Marriott At the Marriot hotel there is a 3 day induction procedure which is an initial training procedure. Initial training which is provided by the organisation to new members of staff, as the hotel believes that recruiting new members of staff is quite a big investment for the Marriot. However this is a very long period for training process for the hospitality industry. Thus, the initial training takes place at the hotel itself and they use up their own facilities and conference rooms. The Marriot takes a high interest in providing high standards which is why they dont mind whatever it costs to train their staff; as they strongly believe that the this training also benefits the organisation as well as the employees. The initial training covers a wide area of knowledge to cover by the employees which involves many factors form providing information, health and safety, company history, manual training, control of substances and so on. The hotel believes telling the new staff about the companys history as it will make the employees feel apart of the organisation because they know everything about it, however it would also make the staff feel extremely motivated and happy. However it is also very important for staff to be familiar with the organisations history because it looks extremely professional when staff has the information about the organisation as they may be asked questions in relation to the organisation by the visitors, and if they struggle to give answers it may make the organisation lose its credits. Staff must also go though the general information about the hotel for instance the managers name and the procedures of how to handle a complaint, at the Marriott they may have a certain way of handling a certain compliant because the customer would not care how long the member of staff has been working there whether its just for 3 days or six months they have paid and they except answers and good service. The Marriott trains their new employees incredibly well up to a pace where it allows the employees to comprehend and well and understand the work up to a standard as well as recognise the importance of it. However induction at the Marriott has many areas to cover, and one thing the hotel takes into serious account is providing the new employees with general information on the hotel, for instance what the organisation does, all though this may be obvious it is still mandatory for staff to be familiarised with this sort of information. Thus, during these inductions employees are also made to be familiar with their role in relation to the hotel. On the other hand, by law it is officially permitted employers should provide their new employees with the terms and conditions which involve with the job, in many cases this is a written statement. At the Marriott they believe providing their new employees with this sort of information may be a really good idea as this will give them a good taste of the companys scheme. However this involves things such as the hours of work, such as the working hours and the flexi-time system and the pension scheme if necessary, this is so employees are familiar with the major policies. Thus, inductions also include other various areas as well such as holidays, absence sickness reporting procedures and so on, however they also go through the any uniform standards as this also relates to health and safety as well as personal hygiene. On the other hand the Marriott believes that employees must be taught and told how to wear their uniforms correctly, because visitors judge the whole organisations by how the staff present themselves, at the Marriott they dont want their staff coming to work looking like that have just been down the fashion aisle, as the Marriott only likes the professional look, which is why they tell their new employees to keep it simple. However keeping the uniform simple doesnt just mean wearing the uniform correctly it also means that they do not want their staff in to much make up and big jewellery. Another area which is very important as the Marriott is the food and safety procedures Thus, at the Marriott they also provide other trainings such as the learn model which teaches the staff how to handle complaints and acknowledge it effectively. At the Marriott the learn model is important as it makes the guests feel they are most welcome at the hotel, the may also feel as though they are being valued so they may go away and then come back, repeat customers. LEARN model Listen Empathise Apologise React Notify On the other hand there is also the guest model; this procedure teaches how staff should treat guests. Greet the guests Use the guests name Establish guests needs Show interest in the guests Thank the guest Conclusion I think it is most fundamental for the employees at the Marriott to receive that sort of induction and training as it will keep up the professional image which the hotel has already succeeded in. I suppose this kind of induction policy at the Marriott permits the staff to receive comprehensive training and it will also help them boost their eagerness on their particular job they are doing and it will also make them feel more motivated. On the other hand I also think that induction policy will also allow staff to strengthen their communication skills, because they may also learn different methods and techniques when it comes to selling a products or even presenting it. Better communication skills also permit an individual, a sales person in this case to adapt and identify an excellent sales presentation for different types of customers; however this would again result in excellent customer service. At the Marriott, they rely on their staff bring out the best of their customers by providing a good service and projecting a professional image. This is because at the Marriott they are keen on receiving good attitudes from their customers, as this will result in happy staff as well as happy customers. On the other hand employees who offer good product knowledge are the ones who are motivated about their job, because they can advise customers as they have been trained to do so. Probationary period at the Marriott The probationary period at the Marriott is a three month process; however this process starts after the induction programme. Though the probationary period allows staff to pick up many skills and knowledge about their jobs and in many cases it may also be useful in the future if that employee is considering another job in that same direction. However the probationary period permits staff to work under many different conditions. It is short-term, temporary contract which allows the employers and the Marriott to consider and assess closely how the employee is getting on with the job, if they are managing it well. On the other hand it also involves personal judgements of the staff employing the employee as they decide whether they are capable of doing this job and establish whether or not they should offered the job. Conclusion I believe that the probationary period at the Marriott benefits the hotel a lot as they are spending a lot of money on recruiting and training many different people. However the probationary period helps them ensure that they have hold of the right people as it provides a good indication to both the staff member and the organisation on how the staffs is finding the job. On going training at the Marriott Every organisation believes it is mandatory to train employees legally; training needs to be motivational and engaging as this will help new employees handle responsibilities proficiently and adapt to the environment faster. On the other hand training would also increase knowledge and contribution in the workforce. Conversely there are also many health and safety laws related when it comes to training staff and at the Marriott Hotel. They are very aware of these strict regulations which are why the Marriott has a training policy which makes sure that new employees are trained clearly and instructed well to their duties. The Marriott has a specific standard operating procedure which ensures that employees are taught how to work safely up to a certain standard, the Marriott standard, however this strict regulation runs across the globe in every Marriott Hotel there is. At the Marriott, employees are made aware of all the risks and hazards they may come into contact with, they are told how to deal with these situations and are also made aware about the emergency procedures. Health and safety training mostly take place during working hours and during these lessons employees are adequately supervised. During training at the Marriott it is emphasised to the staff that good customer service is one of the main aims of the organisation. However throughout the training role play situations are introduced where the staff are put into the customers shoes or given a part to play. Like any other organisations the Marriot believes every customer deserves first class service and has two main aims which are making profit and providing excellent customer service, which is why the role plays are really effective. This is really a good idea because it gives the new staff a good flavour of what their job roles are like. On the other hand throughout the role plays it also allows the staff to realise how it is like to be a customer on the receiving end of service provided by the staff and judge whether that is a bad or good service. However the intense training procedure goes on forever, throughout their whole career, because the Marriott believes the more training an employee receives the better they will be at the their jobs. At the Marriott the on going training procedures which start as soon as the employee starts the job, there are two levels of induction. On the other hand there is also another level, making it 3 levels al together, however level 3 much more advanced and is provided for certain job roles, for a particular employee. On level 3 there are many different types of trainings which contribute to an individuals development of their job, so this level may vary from employee to employee as they all have different job roles However level 1 takes for 90 days as soon as the employee is on the job, this is al about the health and safety regulations. On the other hand level 2 is what the do for the first 180 days which is just provided to people who do room operation which is to help them increase knowledge on their job. However I think the passport to success training procedure at the Marriott is very effective at as it allows the new employees to adapt quicker and maintain a higher standard of work performance. On the other hand it may also allow staff to gain a good understanding of all the factors which may affect work performance and if they are trained will enough to avoid these or deal with then this would benefit the organisation very much. However the passport to success is a very optimistic idea as it allows employers to split up the training levels and provide those to the individuals who it may apply to most and more targeted at their job. I believe this training will increase enthusiasm, motivation and satisfaction for the individual. At the Marriott there is also another 20 day period orientation which monitors how well the employee is doing at their job and how they are progressing. However this is a unit and it is targeted at particular employees as it allows the manager to interview them. This interview by the manager is done again after 2 months, during this interview the manger takes into consideration whether the objectives are met by this particular employee. I believe this is very effective as this allows both the employee and the manger to indentify any necessary development needed for the individual for instance the employee might be having a rough time with other co-workers or they might be finding a certain part of their job difficult to do. However it also makes the employer feel they are being taken into thought and what they feel is right can make a difference, there again this increases job satisfaction. At the hotel there is training involved which involves staff with daily short takes. This procedure takes up to 15 minutes and is done every month; however this is done by everybody in the department and is called the short take training. However this training varies form department to department so for instance in the food department they will go over the food and hygiene, health and safety and finally how to serve the customers. On the other hand in the housekeeping department staff will be taught how to iron, how to do the beds, how to clean and how to maintain certain parts of the room. Although these tasks may sound very basic it allows the staff to expand their abilities on doing things and engage into doing effective management. However the short take training is prepared by the Human Resource department at the hotel, Te HR has facilitation role in relative to the inductions and training which goes on at the Hotel. The HR provides the tools which may be needed in training; they also support individuals on achieving the most as they do the performance review process on each of them. The HR keeps all the records of their staff and support them in relation to each individuals aims. It is very important for the HR to keep these reports of their staff of all training because it will have the evidence of what each individual staff have been trained and what needs to repeated. I believe that this is very relevant to the consult workers as they be more aware of the conditions which they staff are in, on the other hand it is also very effective and considerate.It is very considerate because sometimes training need to be repeated time to time and keeping track of that on a data security system in the HR would be extremely helpful At the Marriott the hotel is very keen in keeping their old staff rather than recruit new ones all the time which spend an awful lot of money on and take into serious account. However the hotel believes if a member of staff isnt still progressing well after all the training they have received other the forts 3 months they should not be thrown out the job. The hotel provides these weak staff with a buddy to mentor that weak individual for up to a certain period. On the other hand another time an individual who is provided with a buddy could be because they had been given a compliant letter. I believe that this would be very helpful and effective. This will allow the weak staff to watch and learn, this may also give them a chance to become accustomed more into their job as they will be watching others and from there they can be more familiar with what may be right and what may be wrong. The Marriott looks in for the best for each and every employee and do things which will benefit both the employee and the organisation. The hotel also provide their managers and assistant managers with training, they also pay for most of their employees to go to university and become more successful at their current job or what they might want to do in the future. The hotel is very fond of university graduates. Benefits of training Training staff helps improve their skills and also increases the efficiency of the organisation, in this case the Marriott Hotel. Training allows employees to develop a picture of the skills and talents needed at the workforce. It introduces improved job satisfaction by from employees as it allows them to feel more become accustomed with their job. On the hand staff will feel more secure and will find their jobs easier to do, they will also enjoy their work and feel more motivated which will then lead to more sense of pride and increase self confidence. However training staff would also make a more pleasant place to work for them and would co-operate with their colleagues more and work well together, however they be friendly and be polite which would make them be supportive and this would be result a happier staff and a happier work force. Training staff brings out the best in them, it allows staff to provide higher principles of their work performance; it enables them to understand and appreciate their job and job roles. On the other hand when there is a group of staff in department who are trained there is always a lot of team spirit, because training allows them to work with co-workers and they get to cooperate wit them. Training ensures that objectives are met and that each employee gains the best knowledge of their work role and understands it clearly; on the other hand, it prepares and equips the employees up to a certain standard which will make them capable of working and achieving their goals and work objectives, personally and potentially. I imagine that training staff well is the best way to maintain the professional image of an organisation as it will provide good quality service. The Marriott hotel appears to be the most successful in that as they provide their employees with all the different types of f training there is in the book. Which they also believe is the solution to good service. Where there is good service there is a big number of customers, good service benefits the customers as this makes them happy and more relaxed. And they will be more satisfied with the products and services they have paid for and the way they have been treated. Customers are the most fundamental when it comes to running business and as they will be paying the prices, so to please them I believe training is the only answer. Training helps staff gain, refine and update knowledge and improve their proficiency in the work place leaving them to be successful in all the work roles without getting a complaint or without feeling like they dont know what to do. Staff providing efficient and effective service Benefits to the Organisation The hotel is extremely competitive like every other organisation and it does its best to win business. If at an organisation the employee provides efficient and effective service the organisation would benefit from that in many ways. The Marriott Hotel would boost the image of the organisation because the staff would have a better job knowledge and provide better service; the better service the more the hotel meets its requirements, in other words the Marriott standards. At the Marriott hotel costs up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2000 to go thought the recruitment for one employee. Training at the Marriott does cost a lot of money and it is also time consuming but the Marriott hotel doesnt mind because they know at the end it is them who it would benefit the most in the long run. To gain public relation is huge factor to be considered by an organisation, public relations help create a good image for the organisation. good induction training programme will increase the number of motivated employees, and they may also be aware of a more effectual response to training, staff wont walk out of the job as they will feel they enjoy doing their job as well as being satisfied. On the other hand it will improve communications and relationships generally towards their managers. Benefits to the Organisation and shareholders The organisation shareholders are the ones who benefit the most because there will be more sales and increased market share which will result in making more money because there will be repeat business and recommendations. On the other hand good services always lead to repeat business, and old customers continue to return. Customers usually trust organisations where they have received good service and build up loyalty towards them and recommend it to people elsewhere so they may also become customers. However it may cause an edge over competition as other organisation may start to compete wit them so the receive the same amount of customers By providing excellent service an organisation will have better chance in maintaining existing customers and also attracting new ones. Training staff is a huge advantage to the hotel as the organisations image improves when dealing with customers, the organisation benefits most when there is good service which introduces more money to the company, more customers may also start to use the hotel. Benefits to the staff I think training helps staff become more competent and more flexible when doing their jobs, it increases their motivation and job satisfaction and they come to a stage where there is possible changes to be made in their job roles they adapt to that fast as they have been trained to do so. There may also be fewer accidents in the work place as they are trained to handle things and also shown how to do so. however I believe that once the staff are fully trained they may leave that job and go look for a better job which may pay them slightly more, because I think at the Marriott staff are over trained for their particular job. Benefits to the customers The benefit of training is that it allows employees to provide excellent customer service and also creates a very professional image of the organisation which then brings in new customers. However a good customer service provided by members of staff at the Marriott will always keep their customers happy and more satisfied. . On the other hand they may also feel contempt as well as pleased with the services provided as well with the products on which they are spending their money on. However if this kind of high-quality service carries on customers will always return. They will also be bringing new customers along wit them as they well pass on the good things to other people telling them what a good time they had at the hotel. In other terms this is also known repeat business. Overall Conclusion Overall I believe training staff should be considered a very is a significant aspect for all organisations if they are willing to succeed and do well in the long run. I feel training helps preserve new customers as well as the old ones to the organisation and this allows organisation to build their businesses well. However I feel that the Marriott hotel has become extremely conscious and aware of all the benefits training will bring to their business and that they are focusing well on that. Bibliography www.acas.gov.uk This was an extremely good site, it had all the laws and policies run by the government regarding induction and training procedures. I found the site very useful . www.cipd.co.uk www.businesslink.org www.businessballs.com www.cipd.co.uk www.tda.gov.uk www.cobent.com www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/ www.qaa.ac.uk Books Induction training- By Michael Meighan This explained a lot about what happens in inductions and training, this was very helpful as it had the information I was looking for. Induction Pocketbook (Management Pocketbooks) by Ruth Sangale This book was not as useful as it only contained basic information which I was already very familiar with but just needed some holes filling in, so it was helpful in some ways. How to Design and Deliver Induction Training Programmes (Practical Trainer) by Michael Meighan- This was very supportive as it explained in sections of what needs to be done at trainings and the importance of it. I would really recommend this book to anybody who is thinking to run a business and wants to be successful doing it as it was very accommodating