Assessment Case Study: The SNOW Mountain Hotel

Assessment Case Study: The SNOW Mountain Hotel
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ASSESSMENT CASE STUDY: The SNOW Mountain Hotel
SNOW Mountain Resort: The Pride of SNOW Village
SNOW Village is located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, 75 miles from
Vancouver. While forty years ago SNOW Village was virtually unknown, it is now a worldwide
attraction drawing in more than 4 million visitors annually. SNOW Village owes this success
to the major development of its ski resort, the SNOW Mountain Resort – which was
transformed from a low capacity ski destination with minimal amenities into a top-end ski
complex with an unrivalled reputation for luxury mountain vacations. Today, SNOW Mountain
Resort is seen as the pride of SNOW Village and is home to approximately 8600 permanent
residents, 115 accommodation businesses (including hotels, condos and bed & breakfasts),
93 restaurants, lounges and bars, and 207 retail shops.
For the past seven years, the SNOW Mountain Resort has been voted the ‘best ski resort’ by
Mountain Sports & Living magazine. Whilst its skiing facilities and scenery typically receive
top scores, it has also been recognised for the high level of service and value that guests
receive. The SNOW Mountain Resort is host to a steady number of visitors over both the
winter and summer months. However, levels of demand tend to fluctuate in a dramatic way
between the peak and off-peak seasons. The latest figures show that the average number of
visitors during such seasons can be anything between 5000 and 15000 a day. Coping with
these fluctuations effectively is seen as an ongoing challenge for the many businesses
operating within the resort. Thus, a key concern for these businesses is to manage
fluctuations in demand whilst maintaining a high level of customer service.
SNOW Mountain Hotel: Topping the Best Ski Resort Hotels List in North America
Nestled at the base of SNOW Mountain, the SNOW Mountain Hotel is part of the SNOW Hotel
Group which has over 25 landmark hotels across cities in Canada and the US, as well as a
number of larger Resort properties in ski and beach resorts in the US, Bermuda, Barbados
and Acapulco. The SNOW Mountain Hotel has 558 guest rooms, 28,000 square feet of
meeting space, a health club and spa, and a golf course. Its staffing levels tend to vary in line
with the fluctuating number of visitors throughout the year – with approximately 250
employees when ‘business is slow’ and 640 employees during the winter months. Up to now,
the SNOW Mountain Hotel has been able to demonstrate some flexibility in configuring its
resources to address varying levels of demand in order to create superior value for its
customers by swiftly responding to their diverse needs and wants however there is room for
improvement to be made with individual performance levels. Last year, the SNOW Mountain
Hotel topped the best ski resort hotel list in North America – which bears witness to its
reputation as a destination of choice for ski enthusiasts.
SNOW Mountain Hotel’s HR Strategy: A Passion for Excellence
The SNOW Mountain Hotel’s human resource practices are framed by the overarching HR
strategy of its parent organisation (The SNOW hotel group), which is driven by a passion for
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excellence. This HR strategy is underpinned by a number of guiding principles and values
including spontaneous celebration, a commitment to the creation of a culture and
environment in which the human spirit will soar, and an intent on promoting the best
experience for past, present and potential employees. During a recent conference of its
human resource managers, the Group reaffirmed the tremendous value they place on their
people and repeatedly stressed that by focusing on employee morale, commitment and
retention and teamwork, customer and investor value would be maximised. This particular
orientation led to the identification of a set of key ‘strategic thrusts’, including ‘becoming an
employer of choice’ and ‘focusing on management succession’.
In accordance with these key strategic thrusts, the HR department in SNOW Mountain Hotel
has developed what they refer to as ‘the vision’, which is to be recognised as an ‘employer of
choice’ in SNOW Village within the next 2 years. Linked to this goal is a recruitment strategy
that emphasises attitude (enshrined in the slogan ‘we hire for attitude and train for skill’) and
an attractive benefits programme. However due to changes in the organisation of the HR
department within the SNOW Mountain Hotel it is currently unsure the way in which this vision
can be achieved.
The HR department in SNOW Mountain Hotel
The Current Structure of the HR department
As is the case for each hotel within the SNOW Group, the SNOW Mountain Hotel currently
has a dedicated on-site HR team typically consisting of a HR manager and HR coordinator
to deal with paperwork and other HR administrative tasks such as recruitment and training
and development. In addition, a centralised team managed by the SNOW Group located in
the USA handle tasks such as payroll and a limited amount of administration relating to
recruitment, compensation and benefits. At the moment line managers have very little HR
responsibilities as typically these activities were viewed as tasks only undertaken by the HR
staff.
Changes on the Horizon
As part of a move towards the implementation of the business partner model within its hotels
the SNOW group are now deciding whether to centralise the HR activities of the hotels in a
shared service centre that will undertake administrative tasks of all hotels within the Group.
This shared service centre will be managed by the SNOW group and it is hoped that moving
to this structure will improve the overall quality of HR administration across the organisation
as it will be tailored to the needs of the organisation while it will also free up more time for
inhouse staff (e.g. the HR manager) to focus on strategic work.
Changes in the structure of the HR department will need to be undertaken as a result of
introducing the business partner model, HR managers will now take on the role of the HR
Business Partner and will be the only HR member of staff in each hotel. Their role will have
a more strategic focus but they will also support line managers who will now have to
undertake a number of HR responsibilities.
Differing Views on the Way Forward
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As a result of these changes line managers would be expected to become more involved in
day-to-day HR matters and take on many of the responsibilities previously carried out by the
on-site HR managers. The HR department has expressed concerns about how this will be
received by the line managers. Up to now their attitude towards taking on more responsibility
for HR work has been rather negative, as can be seen in the following remark:
I am wasting so much of my time dealing with staff issues and problems. I am not an HR
manager and I’ve got bigger priorities than looking at application forms and preparing for
interviews. I’m already responsible for form-filling for absence and holidays and for other
activities like dealing with staff discipline and appraisals. More than 40% of my time is taken
up with HR-related work and I have no time to run my own department!
This ‘negativity’ has been reinforced by the general manager of the SNOW Hotel Group, a
known traditionalist who has been promoted through the ranks. While remaining a great
supporter of the value of HR to the business, he still holds the strong view that an in-house
HR team is the way forward:
I want my line managers to focus on running the business and making a profit and my HR
people to focus on the softer HR management and administration issue.
On the other hand, the HR Director has a different perspective and some forward-looking
ideas about how HR should support and contribute to the business. She is keen to promote
the business partner model of HRM across the SNOW Hotel Group and to ensure that line
managers are fully engaged with HR. Drawing on her rich experience in implementing the
business partner model in her previous organisation, she wants to develop a change agenda
whereby:
(i) HR is freed of its administrative burden so that it can concentrate on value-added
strategic activities;
(ii) all HR managers have the necessary skills and motivation to achieve business targets
at no extra, if not reduced, costs;
(iii) line managers are given proper training to take on new HR responsibilities; and
(iv) new technology is introduced to enable the restructuring service systems and the
devolution of greater responsibility for people management to line managers.
A top priority for the HR Director is to consider how HR can improve its relationship with
business leaders and make its voice heard at board level in order to drive efficiencies and
business improvements whilst demonstrating their impact on bottom line performance and
productivity. She also believes that it is imperative for HR to start working closely with line
managers in order to offer them the support they need in the discharge of their new HR
responsibilities.
The HR department in SNOW Mountain Hotel finds itself at the crossroads, having to grapple
with the differing views and tensions emanating from the top. It is therefore crucial that a final
decision be made on the way forward as this will have far-reaching and long-term
consequences for both the HR department and its parent organisation. However the
experience an employee has within an organisation can be greatly enhanced as a result of
HR responsibilities being devolved to line managers as often employees have a stronger
connection with their line managers than they do with HR managers. This often results in
employees having more commitment to an organisation and providing a greater level of
performance on a daily basis. The line managers within SNOW Mountain have still to
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experience this and this is where the HR department must explicitly demonstrate the benefits
of implementing the Business Partner Model within the SNOW Mountain hotel.
A Persistent Labour Turnover Cycle
Another problem which has preoccupied HR departments across the SNOW Hotel Group and
which now tops the agenda of the HR team and line managers in SNOW Mountain Hotel is
the high employee turnover. Factors contributing to this high turnover include the following:
staff residing in SNOW Village failing to cope with high housing and living costs; low job
satisfaction at the lower levels of the organisation; burnout during peak and boredom during
off-peak seasons; difficulty in achieving a work-life balance; perceptions of unrealistic
corporate expectations; and an ineffective induction programme to introduce and induct new
employees to the SNOW Mountain Hotel.
Elaborating on this particular problem, the HR director has re-described it as a persistent
labour turnover cycle:
This cycle begins with a high labour turnover due to failure to maintain adequate staffing levels,
leaving existing staff overworked and creating the need for a constant influx of new staff
requiring attention and training. This forces managers into a fire-fighting position where they
are unable to delegate as much as they would like and struggle to meet operational challenges,
leading to high levels of management turnover. This in turn triggers the need to hire new
managers who try to implement drastic changes in departmental priorities, causing increased
stress and turnover levels among staff … and what we have here is a negative spiral with an
ever-increasing rate of turnover.
The Need for a Radical Rethink of the Recruitment and Selection Strategy
For the HR Director, this persistent turnover cycle is closely linked to the current recruitment
and selection strategy, which is mostly reactive and seems to be driven by the sole concern
of ‘getting the numbers right’ in tackling seasonal fluctuations in demand levels. She contends
that recruitment and selection should not only be about ‘getting the numbers right’ but also
about ‘getting the right people in’ as the slogan states ‘we hire for attitude and train for skill’.
The previous recruitment strategy was predominantly managed by the HR team of the SNOW
Mountain hotel who collect CVs, conduct short listing and pass the selected individuals to the
line managers to interview the potential candidates. However in line with the changes to the
HR department line managers will take over these responsibilities but the majority of line
managers resent these tasks, as they do with all extra HR responsibilities. A number of the
line managers believe that recruitment is a HR job and not their job therefore has stated;
With so many competing priorities I have very little time to undertake all the HR activities that I am now
responsible for. Selecting potential employees is tedious and then interviewing often takes a full day
which is a waste of my valuable time.
Nevertheless the HR director believes that line managers are the best people to enact the
vision of hiring for attitude and training for skill especially as they will be managing the new
employees and also know their departments best therefore arguably they are the best person
to evaluate who should fill any vacancies that arise within their department. However due to
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the negative attitudes of line managers they often take a lot of shortcuts in relation to the
recruitment and selection strategy, often they don’t implement a formal recruitment
advertisement for each job but rather will just advertise when there are a number of positions
and then select who they think is best suited from the CVs that are submitted often looking at
the skills the potential employee has and not at their attitude. Similar mistakes continue when
selecting the employees when line managers have a very informal conversation when they
ask very much about skills and look at the job requirements rather than focusing on the
attitude of the employee and the fit they will have within the department.
As a result, the HR director thinks there is need for a radical rethink of the current recruitment
and selection strategy that can effectively reverse the labour turnover cycle in which the
organisation seems to be locked:
We need a new recruitment and selection strategy that demonstrates best practice HR along
with forward planning while adhering to the vision and slogan of the SNOW Group and
ultimately breaks the turnover cycle that has plagued the hotels. After all, everyone at our last
HR conference agreed that this is where we should start if we are to continue to grow and also
to convince management that we can add value to the business.
The new recruitment and selection strategy would have to emphasise flexibility, commitment
and creativity – where new staff and managers would be able to adjust their work patterns in
line with the fluctuating demand levels that typify the resort industry; display
commitmentseeking behaviours characterised by a genuine interest in the job advertised
together with a potential for progressing their career within the organisation; and indicate a
positive attitude towards learning and teamwork. This is a means for creative solutions that
can deliver customer and shareholder value, generate enhanced organisational performance
and success in the longer term.
Since the adoption of new technology is high on the change agenda, the HR director is keen
to look into how this can aid the recruitment process to limit the administrative burden on line
managers whilst enabling the constructive profiling of potential recruits, enhancing the
organisation’s image as an employer of choice, and tapping into talent pools and professional
communities that have so far been neglected. Whilst addressing operational challenges that
demand urgent attention, the HR director believes that a new standard recruitment and
selection strategy offers a unique opportunity for the start of a close collaboration between
HR and line managers – dispelling in the process doubts about the importance of devolving
some of the HR responsibilities to the line and about its positive impact at both departmental
and organisational levels.
Once the new employees have joined SNOW Mountain they are currently trained only by their
line managers and don’t currently take part in an induction programme. This is something that
the SNOW group wishes to initiate in order to ensure commitment from the employees from
the beginning of their career at the hotel to ensure that their expectations are clear from the
outset of their employment at the SNOW Mountain Hotel as this has caused significant issues
previously.

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Assessment Case Study: The SNOW Mountain Hotel
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Coursework Assignment Details
You have been hired as consultant to the HR team in SNOW Mountain Hotel and have been
asked to provide a report which will advise the HR team on the way forward by addressing
the key HR issues and challenges arising from the new strategic orientation of its parent
organisation. Drawing upon and referencing relevant theories and models of HRM in both
parts of your coursework you should answer the questions and utilise the guidance provided
to help structure your reports.
Specific Assessment Details
In writing your report, you must demonstrate that you have referred to relevant academic
sources and that you are able to apply the theory covered in lectures and tutorials to the case
study. You should use a good level of academic rigour and literature to analyse the different
components of SNOW Mountain’s HR strategy.
Your report should be written from the third person perspective as this is an academic report
submission. Your personal opinions shouldn’t be included in the report. Rather you should
analyse the academic theories and debates in order to provide a report to the HR team at
SNOW Mountain Hotel.
Your report word limit for each part is 2000 words (10% below or above the limit is acceptable)
and approximate word guides for each section are provided for guidance. When presenting
your report please use 1.5 or double line spacing with a size 12 font. You should adhere to
the Edinburgh Napier University APA Referencing style throughout your report.
Your reports (parts A and B) account for 90% of your final mark and hand-in dates are
available on the Module Moodle page. You should use the marking criteria to ensure you
meet the requirements of this level of study. You should submit your reports as Part A and
Part B electronically to the separate submission boxes on the Module Moodle page and also
to the Turnitin submission boxes also available on the module Moodle page.
PART A
This report focuses on implementing the business partner model within SNOW Mountain
hotel, your report should include the following:
1. An explanation of the business partner model and the advantages and
disadvantages of using this model (600 words).
2. A critical appraisal of the use of shared service centres and the removal
of on-site HR professionals (600 words).
3. A critical examination of the practicality of devolving HR responsibilities to
line managers (600 words).
Assessment Writing Guide
It is recommended that you use the following format and include the relevant points when
writing your report:
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Table of Contents
You should include a table of contents that details the contents of your report.
1. Introduction (100 words)
Clear statement of the purpose of your report
Theoretical context of your report which outlines the predominate theory (BPM)
Organisational context of your report (SNOW Mountain Hotel)
Clear statement of proceedings (to provide a brief overview of the following sections)

2. Issues to Consider (1800 words)
2.1 Business Partner Model (600 words)
Theoretical explanation of business partner model
Internal and external drivers of implementing the model within SNOW Mountain
Value to SNOW Mountain (for example – strategic orientation; integration of hard and
soft approaches to HRM; impact on bottom-line performance and productivity)
Potential disadvantages of implementing the model within SNOW Mountain
2.2 The use of centralised shared service centres (600 words)
Theoretical explanation of shared service centres
Internal and external drivers for developing a shared service centre within the Group
Benefits and drawbacks SNOW Mountain may experience when implementing
2.3 Devolution of HR Responsibilities to the Line Managers (600 words)
Overview and aim of devolving to HR responsibilities to line managers
Benefits and drawbacks of devolution to line managers within SNOW Mountain
Practical issues to be addressed to ensure HR and line managers are fully engaged
3. Conclusion (100 words)
Summary of key issues raised throughout report
Final comments reinforcing importance of report and pointing to the way forward
List of References (adhering to the APA Referencing Style)
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PART B
This report focuses on the HR recruitment and section and training and development
strategies of the SNOW Mountain hotel. Your report should include the following:
1. Explain and analyse stages required in the development of an effective
recruitment and selection strategy as a means to break the persistent
turnover cycle at SNOW Mountain Hotel (1000 words)
2. Devise an induction programme for receptionists at SNOW Mountain Hotel
in order to tackle the performance of staff even during high levels of
employee fluctuations (1000 words)
Assessment Writing Guide
It is recommended that you use the following format and include the relevant points when
writing your report:
Table of Contents
You should include a table of contents that details the contents of your report.
1. Introduction (100 words)
Clear statement of the purpose of your report
Theoretical context of your report which outlines the predominate theories
Organisational context of your report (SNOW Mountain Hotel)
Clear statement of proceedings (to provide a brief overview of the following sections)

2. Issues to Consider (1800 words)
2.1 Recruitment and Selection Strategy (900 words)
Definitions and purpose of recruitment and selection within SNOW Mountain
Analysis of systematic process of recruitment and selection to identify and explain
its key stages while also;
Including methods and techniques that can be used at each stage
Provide recommendations of the processes which are missing at SNOW
Mountain
Review the potential impacts of the proposed strategy on labour turnover and staff
base
Evaluation of recruitment and selection strategy
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2.2 Training (induction) Strategy (900 words)
Overall aim and learning objectives with an explanation of how this induction
training programme will improve employees’ performance
Provide a detailed timetable for the 2 day induction programme in table format
Explain and justify the training methods you have included in your programme
with reference to academic theory
Outline the evaluation strategy of the induction programme
3. Conclusion (100 words)
Summary of key issues raised throughout report
Final comments reinforcing importance of report and pointing to the way forward
List of References (adhering to the APA Referencing Style)
Assessment Case Study: The SNOW Mountain Hotel
Introduction to Human Resource Management Case study Assessment Criteria
Criteria Indicative
Weighting
Merit:
65% and above
Good Pass
55 – 64%
Acceptable Pass
40 – 54%
Poor:
Less than 40%
Overall presentation &
style
10%
Neat legible presentation.
Correct spelling. Accurate
grammar and punctuation.
Meaning clear and fluid
with an articulate academic
writing style.
Neat legible
presentation.
Occasional spelling
errors. Mainly accurate
grammar and
punctuation. Coherent
meaning and fluent
writing style.
Neat presentation.
Frequent spelling errors.
Fairly accurate grammar
and punctuation.
Meaning mostly clear
and adequate writing
style.
Untidy presentation
and difficult to read.
Significant spelling
and grammatical
errors. Meaning
unclear in places.
Language lacks
fluency.
Quality of Introduction
10%
Clearly states the purpose
of the report. Effectively
sets the scene in both a
theoretical and
organisational context.
Explains in specific terms
how the report will be
structured.
Clearly sets the
purpose of the report.
Provides a good context
to the report. Gives a
good indication of the
structure and contents
of the report.
Although unclear, the
purpose of the report
can be inferred.
Context of the report
not altogether clear.
Some indication of the
contents of the report.
Leaves the reader in
doubt as to the
purpose of the report.
Context of the report
unclear. No indication
of the contents of the
report.
Evidence of research
and wider reading
30%
Demonstrates sound
knowledge of an extensive
range of appropriate and
current literature.
Demonstrates good
knowledge of a
reasonable range of
appropriate and current
literature.
Demonstrates a
reasonable knowledge
of a limited range of
appropriate literature.
Little and superficial
knowledge of
appropriate literature.
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Assessment Case Study: The SNOW Mountain Hotel
Critical analysis and
coherence of
argument
30%
Critical approach to the
literature. Thorough
analysis of key issues
raised. Arguments highly
developed to consider the
practical implications of the
theories discussed.
Attempts to take a
critical approach to the
literature. Some
analysis of the key
issues raised.
Argument reasonably
well developed to
indicate generally good
understanding of the
practical implications of
the theories discussed.
Approach to literature
mainly descriptive.
Limited analysis of the
key issues raised.
Arguments
underdeveloped but
demonstrates some
understanding of the
practical implications of
theories discussed.
Approach to literature
relies on description.
Inadequate level of
analysis of the key
issues raised.
Arguments are
incoherent and fail to
consider the practical
implications of the
theories discussed.
Quality of conclusion
10%
Identifies significant points
from preceding discussion.
Draws together main
threads of argument.
Makes a concluding
statement based on these
arguments. No new
information introduced.
Summarises main
points effectively. No
new information
introduced.
Adequate summary of
main points. No new
information introduced.
Fails to summarise
main points.
Introduces new
information.
Referencing
10%
Literature is accurately
integrated into the text. All
sources used are correctly
acknowledged. APA
referencing style used.
Literature is mostly
integrated into the text.
Most sources are
correctly
acknowledged. APA
referencing style used.
Some literature is
integrated into the text.
Most sources are
acknowledged, although
some errors. APA
referencing style used
but inconsistencies.
Literature is not
integrated into the text
of not used. Sources
unacknowledged. APA
referencing style not
used/used poorly.
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Introduction to HRM – HRM08101
Introduction to Human Resource Management HRM08101
CASE STUDY – PART A FEEDBACK SHEET Matriculation
Number: Mark:
Marker:
Criteria Indicative
Weighting
Merit: 65%
and above
Good Pass:
55 – 64%
Acceptable:
40 – 55%
Poor:
Less than
40%
Overall style &
presentation
10% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Quality of
introduction
10% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Evidence of
research and
wider reading
30% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Critical analysis
and coherence
of argument
30% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Quality of
conclusion
10% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Referencing 10% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Areas of Strength:

Areas for Future Development:

Assessment Case Study: The SNOW Mountain Hotel
Introduction to Human Resource Management HRM08101
CASE STUDY – PART B FEEDBACK SHEET Matriculation
Number: Mark:
Marker:
Criteria Indicative
Weighting
Merit: 65%
and above
Good Pass:
55 – 64%
Acceptable:
40 – 55%
Poor:
Less than
40%
Overall style &
presentation
10% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Quality of
introduction
10% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Evidence of
research and
wider reading
30% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Critical analysis
and coherence
of argument
30% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Quality of
conclusion
10% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Referencing 10% Merit Good Pass Acceptable Poor
Areas of Strength:

Areas for Future Development:

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