resources management tasks. Examples of the
tasks that managers do even when there is a
human resources division include the following:
hiring, training, supervising, planning shifts,
and evaluating. However, many of the adminis-
trative, record keeping, research, and program
development tasks will be handled by the
human resources division or department. A
human resources division or department is often
called HR for short. HR is sometimes called the
personnel department.
The eight major functions of HR are as fol-
lows: recruitment, compensation and benefits,
policies and procedures, regulatory compliance,
employee performance, record keeping, labor
relations, and employee retention.
Recruitment
Recruitment is the process of finding candi-
dates for job openings. Recruitment is some-
times called staffing. A business has a job
opening because a worker has left or because a
new job has been created. The manager with the
open job needs a new employee as soon as pos-
sible. HR works with the manager to find the
best worker as quickly as possible.
Recruitment is one of the major responsi-
bilities of HR. Recruitment includes finding
candidates, screening candidates, reference
checking, and testing.
There are many ways to find candidates. The
typical way is to place an advertisement in the
newspaper. HR works with the manager to
write the ad. HR then takes care of placing it in
the newspaper and collecting the resumes that
come in. There are other ways to look for candi-
dates. Many company Web sites have a special
section for career opportunities. HR may be
responsible for maintaining this part of the Web
site. Ads can also be placed on Internet job
search sites. Career fairs, employment agencies,
and executive search firms are other ways to
find candidates.
Another way to recruit is to hire student
interns during the summer or part-time during
the school year. These students are eager to get
work experience in a hospitality business. These
interns often become job candidates after they
graduate.
Once HR has a group of candidates,
these candidates must be screened. The
screening process consists of determining
which candidates are likely to be a good fit
for the job. HR will perform the screening by
reading the resumes and doing some phone
interviews, 17-2. The resumes of the candidates
with appropriate qualifications will be pre-
sented to the manager. The manager will then
interview the candidates. The manager will
usually select the two to four best candidates.
HR will then check references for these can-
didates. When a person applies for a job, they
are asked to supply references. A reference is a
person who is willing to talk to employers about
the candidate’s ability to do the job and the can-
didate’s personal qualities. HR will usually con-
tact these references. Reference checking can
include other checks as well. Examples include
checking education, employment history, social
security number, and driver’s license. HR will
call the appropriate offices to make sure that the
information that the candidate gave is correct.
For example, if the candidate says he earned a
college degree, HR will call the college to verify
that the candidate did get that degree. In addition,
HR does criminal background checks for certain
jobs, such as security officer.
HR will also handle any testing that is
required. For example, some jobs require certain
math skills. HR will administer the appropriate
math test. In addition, many companies now
require preemployment drug testing. HR will
handle the preemployment drug testing.
HR will present all information learned
about the candidates to the manager. The man-
ager makes the final decision on which candi-
date to hire.
Compensation and
Benefits
Compensation consists of the money paid
and benefits provided to a person for his or her
work. Wage is the term used for the amount of
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Part 4 The Business of Hospitality