Building the foundation of excellence in hospitality
Amman - The USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project II and the Jordan Hotel Association (JHA) launched yesterday afternoon the Performance through People (PtP) program. This is a model for HR recruitment and training in the hospitality sector and the initiative aims to help hotels achieve best practice in Human Resource Management (HRM) and award them official recognition for doing so. An awareness workshop that introduced hotels to the concept, process and benefits of the PtP initiative took place yesterday.
A business improvement tool, Performance through People has been developed to help hotels in Jordan enhance their performance and realize their objectives through the effective management and development of their employees.
“Performance through People provides a framework that enables hotels to enhance their service by raising the level of efficiency at the management level and developing a success-oriented work ethic among staff,” explained Dr. Joseph Ruddy, Component Leader at the USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project II.
Yasar Al-Majali, JHA General Manager, said, “This initiative is important for 3 and 4 star hotels, as it helps develop team building programs and training courses for human resource managers that focus on team work, and increasing worker motivation, commitment and loyalty. This will in turn help lower turnover and improve performance.”
The program is based on the concept that tourism is about people, whether the tourists themselves or those who serve them. To meet the expectations of tourist, tourism works must build their capacities and capabilities to achieve success on all levels.
The benefits of this program are manifold, for employees, for employers, for guests and for the hotel sector as a whole. Employee motivation will be improved, leading to greater productivity and profitability. Better service generates more satisfied and loyal customers. The industry benefits from a reputation as an employer of choice and attracts more skilled and dynamic workers.
Performance through People provides a framework that helps organizations to improve performance and realize objectives through the effective management and development of their people. It is widely recognized that people are an organization’s greatest asset and that for an organization to succeed, everyone needs to perform well. To achieve this, people need the right knowledge, skills and motivation to work effectively. The intention is to build the capacity and capabilities of human resources across all the major sectors of the Kingdom’s tourism industry.
Implementation of the PtP program is straightforward. Following a two-day training program, hotels conduct a self-assessment exercise, documenting and evaluating their current HRM activities against best practice and identifying measures to close any gaps. Hotels then undergo an independent assessment, entailing a review of their documented practices and an on-site visit. Those who qualify are presented with the Performance through People certificate and acquire the right to use the logo on promotional materials. Those who do not qualify first time around, receive a tailored action plan to drive them forward. The aim is that, not only individual hotels, but also the Jordanian hotel industry becomes an Employer of Choice.
The Performance through People standard is a proven business improvement tool focusing on achieving best practices in HRM and Human Resource Development (HRD). The Performance through People award constitutes official national and industry recognition of best practice and innovation in HRM and HRD.
The USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project II initiated the process of developing and implementing the Performance through People Award framework by meeting with the major players in the hotel industry. The process entailed working with the industry to identify a concept and structure, as well as creating an entity to manage this program and ensure sustainability in the coming future.
The focus will be on 3 and 4 star hotels, since 5 star hotels have their own standards as dictated by chain policy.