11-01-2016, 04:07 PM
A Recruitment and Selection Case Study Assignment 2
This case study will enable you to formulate a solution to a common recruitment issue, where none of the shortlisted candidates meet all the essential criteria for the position. Read through the case study below and answer the questions that follow.
This case study will help you to …
• understand the issues involved when shortlisted candidates don’t meet all the essential criteria for the position
• explore a range of potential solutions to this common recruitment issue
• encourage you to weigh the risks of appointing candidates who do not fully match the original job specification
Case study
Green Park Hotel is a well established, medium-sized hotel on the outskirts of the city. Due to its location, it traditionally generates more trade from business guests, conferences and functions than from holidaymakers. The management team prides itself in the level of customer service and professionalism that is demonstrated throughout the hotel. This is particularly important in terms of retaining business from a few large and influential organisations, which regularly use the hotel facilities.Due to recent internal promotions, a vacancy exists for a receptionist who will be responsible for greeting visitors, answering telephone enquiries, and checking guests in and out of the hotel. Owing to shift patterns, the receptionist must be able to operate on their own at different times of the day.
Over the past two days, the head receptionist and another hotel manager have interviewed seven candidates who were shortlisted following a recent newspaper advertisement, as well as one internal candidate. The advert and job description highlighted the following criteria as being essential for the post:
• at least one year’s hotel reception experience
• excellent customer service skills
• experience of using a busy switchboard
• good keyboard skills
Following the interviews, five candidates have been rejected as unsuitable and three candidates are still being considered, although none of them fulfil all the criteria for the post:
1. Jane
Since leaving college two years ago, Jane has worked as a receptionist with a small manufacturing company in the city. She has no hotel experience and although she operates a switchboard, it would appear to be much less demanding than the hotel switchboard.
Jane came across very well in the interview, with a very positive attitude and good evidence of customer service focus. She appears genuinely interested in moving into a career in the hotel industry and would be willing to undertake a relevant college course. Currently, she works a regular Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm week.
2. Matthew
Matthew is an internal candidate who has been employed in the hotel as a barman for the past three years. He is used to working shifts, including split shifts and has done so willingly. Matthew is very popular with the guests and locals who use the bar, and regularly receives an excellent rating for customer service in his performance review.
Matthew is interested in transferring to reception as he feels that there is no scope for personal development or a career path as a barman. He is willing to undertake any in-house training required but is unsure about college courses, as it is a long time since he studied. He has a home computer and has taught himself to use a range of packages, but has no formal experience of operating switchboards or reception work.
3. Laura
Laura is a mature woman who is currently unemployed, although she has previously worked as a head receptionist for three years with a large hotel chain. Laura has not worked for the last seven years as she took time out to raise a family. Now that her two children are both at school, she is keen to get back to the kind of work she loves. Laura has no issue about working shifts and she presented at the interview glowing references from her previous employer.
Laura has experience of all the key receptionist functions, although some of her skills need to be updated. The hotel’s computer system is much more sophisticated and her keyboard skills are very rusty.