Making A Tough Personnel Choice At Nova Waterfront Hotel-case Study Analysis

Making a tough personnel choice at Nova Waterfront Hotel-Case Study Analysis Group 4: Shivam Gaur Nishi Gogia Prakhar Nagaich Pranay Banga Tanu

Rahul Arora Rajat Bhatia Shubham Divyanshu

Case Facts

The Nova Waterfront Hotel in downtown Baltimore is owned and operated by Nova International, a leading hospitality company with more than 3,900 properties and 18 brands around the world

The company had been recognized worldwide for their enduring values, their spirit to serve, and their corporate commitment to creating better places to live and work

Nova Waterfront Hotel is hiring for the position of Senior Event Manager. They had only interviewed 2 candidates and had to hire one of them

The options available to them are to either select one,or both or none

Usually these types of decisions take 30 minutes but it’s been 2 and half hours and still not able to decide what to do.

The panel decided to “sleep on it” and take the decision freshly first thing in the morning

Selection Process Apply

Structured and Behavioral approach to interviewing

Phone Select

Hiring Manager responsible for coordination with external recruiting and selection firm

External Recruiting firms because staffing was a challenge

Interview

Posting job, organizing interview schedule, facilitate selection team debriefing

Growth in jobs, and resultant high number of applicants

Receive offer or feedback

Policy to promote • Atleast 12 months at current position • Has secured approval from his/her boss

Selection team and position to be filled Selection Team: • Hiring Manager- Laura Green • Boss of Hiring Manager- General Manager • Peers of Position from another Department- Alex Hernatt • Peer of Position from Within Department • Peer of Hiring Manager- John Wilson • Subordinate of position- Michelle Sederas and another event manager

Senior Event Manager Core work activities Executing event operations • solves problems and/or suggests alternatives to previous arrangements if necessary • leads pre-event and post-event meetings for assigned groups Executing the sales and marketing strategy • up-sells products and services throughout the event process • participates in customer site inspections and assists with the sales process when necessary • acts as liaison between field sales person and customer throughout the event process Managing profitability • manages revenue and profitability associated with events • forecasts group sleeping rooms and event revenue for his/her groups; and • reviews billing and payments with clients Providing exceptional customer service: • interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels • handles guest problems and complaints • makes presence known to customer at all times during entire event process

The candidates Shannon Smith • Shannon Smith was an Event Manager at Nova Waterfront Hotel for last three years • Consistently received good performance evaluations • Completed one year of college at James Madison University • Customers were almost always very pleased with her work • Had an easy going and informal style • People were not willing to go to her for advice • Lacked leadership skills

Matt Mayes • Worked for a smaller sister hotel as a Senior Event Manager (same position) • Worked with 600 people groups and lacked experience of handling larger events of 1200 • people groups • He had been in his position for two years • Received good performance evaluations, and had his supervisor’s support for this move • Had an associate degree in business administration from Pierce College • Had a dominant and formal style • Was hungry for growth

Problem at hand Major Problems • The hiring team were not getting any closer to making a decision as to whom to select for the role of Senior Event Manager • Both candidates lacked Leadership skills • If Shannon was not promoted, she could leave Nova • Green was confused whether, Should she hire to a very high standard or give people the opportunity to grow into the position? • Even after talking for two hours, still didn’t know what they were going to do

Can leadership be learned? Skills theories are leader-centric, and focused on what characteristics about leaders make them effective. As per Skills Theory acquired skills and knowledge are significant actors of effective leadership

Three skill approach(Katz-three skill approach) says that effective leadership required three skills

A person can be trained for being a better leader.

Technical proficiency in the work

Human – ability to work with people

Conceptual – working with broad concept and idea

Shannon scores good on the technical and human part of the three skills approach, what she lacks is conceptual skills which she can gain by hands on experience and mentorship by her seniors

Recommendation We recommend choosing Shannon

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Matt’s scores were not as good as Shannon’s

Behavioral Theories believe that people can become leaders through the process of teaching, learning and observation. So Leadership can be learned

Nova’s Value states – “We encourage long-term growth and development of employees. Nova promotes from within and offers lifelong careers where employees can increase their level of responsibility, accountability, and leadership

Thank you