Ritz Carlton Human Resource Management Practices and Work Culture: The

Foundation of an Exceptional Service Organization

1. How do selection, retention and training practices work together at the Ritz Carlton?

The tripartite fusion of compulsories in management planning and programs also as

part of human resource system for excellent quality work is primarily important in the
process of hiring and employing competitive and able workers in such a global company.
These three managerial and human resource processes resulted to and in the development,
progress, and quality service within the companys sphere of work. The selection, retention or
orientation and training practices are interconnected procedures in the process of employing
deserving and competitive applicants. Although are interconnected, it follows a certain
pattern which cannot be entangled as to what procedure comes first. Let us identify distinct
characteristics of these practices in the context of Ritz-Carlton organizational management.
Only in this way we can easily determine and understand how these three important practices
work together to form a quality management of work.
The selection process practiced by Ritz-Carlton is what they called benchmarking.
Given this mode of selection process, Ritz-Carlton management do not use the term hiring
rather selecting since it observes a proper and rigorous screenings of applicants. The
selection process is rigorous consisted of several steps before an applicant to be retained in
the company. A lot of initial screenings, telephonic interviews, standard behavioral interview
questionnaire, and several interviews with different managers of different departments of the
hotel are specific steps applicants undergo. In the end of this selection, top management
choose to look for applicants that have positive attitude, empathetic, and has the ability to
smile naturally. This highly standardized screening purports high expectations of the
management towards applicants quality work. After such rigorous screening, applicants are
expected to undergo a long period of training under the assistance of appointed managers or
trainers.
The Ritz-Carlton management provides enough resources subsidized to training
programs of its applicants. The focus of training process is to make applicants aware and
oriented to the nature of work, familiarizing companys standards, philosophy, history,
expectations, values, and benefits. Team building becomes the core exercise in training
prospect applicants. In the range of about three weeks of on-the-job training, applicants may
able to help themselves acquainted with the nature of the job and its culture. Applicants are
trained as to the standard of proper kind of language use in dealing with guests and finally,
applicants are given a standardized test to gauged their understanding of Ritz-Carlton service
philosophy and technical skills it needed and those who successfully pass this test will stay
with the company.
However, retention process derives from the management organizational strategies
and tactics used in dealing with employees. In the case of Ritz-Carlton, it developed an
organizational culture not only helped the company provide exemplary customer service but

creates an atmosphere which employees boost their self-esteem and felt valued by the
company. This kind of treatment gives employees satisfaction and sense of commitment. It is
within its credo and motto which speaks of companys respect to employees dignity and
integrity that received them recognition from different award giving body.
Conversely, this provides us clear understanding about the effectiveness of these
practices in selecting competitive applicants for competitive workplace. Inevitably, whatever
the outcome of these processes will in turn affect the company.

2. Which of the HR strategies do you think the Ritz Carlton is pursuing?

There are various HR strategies which are applicable and effective in any kind of
organizations. Of course, not all strategies bear the same effect when it is implemented and
applied. The variation of its effectiveness and applicability depends upon the organizational
environment and given structures. In this context, various strategies and practices are used
but are hard to identify. Yet, HR strategies used by Ritz-Carlton provides a background on the
use of Total Quality Management. TQM views organization as a collection of processes. This
approach articulates that organizations must strive to continuously improve these processes
by incorporating the knowledge and experience of workers (Hackman & Wageman, 1995).
Borrowing this definition I can say that this strategic approach is what Ritz-Carltons
pursuing. It is to be remembered that the company emphasized the vital role of employees in
the companys growth. Allowing employees to actively participate in the companys
formulation of planning and programing show how the company trusts its employees
capabilities and skills. Moreover, Ritz-Carltons strict observation of uniformity and
standardization in service bring a structure, predictable, and rehearsed behavior of employees
towards their guests and among themselves. This uniformity and standardization of service
provided to the guests formalized and etched in the form of its Gold Standards which
includes hotels motto, credo, The Three Steps Service, The Employee Promise, and
The 20 Basics. It also developed a new human resource strategy on recruitment like
benchmarking, necessary training, orientation, and employee empowerment.
These careful screening, early indoctrination and orientation, and regular meetings
with the employees greatly supports the TQM approach as being applied and used by RitzCarlton as effective strategy.

3. Why do you think employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction?

The satisfaction of an employee derives from the managements treatment on their

human resources as part of their workforce. If the management unfairly treated its employees,
disallowing them to participate in solving-problems, insufficient provisions of incentives and
other benefits, most especially lack on moral support, it absolutely dissatisfies an employee.

On the other hand, if an employee sees himself as an asset and being well-valued by the
company with enough provisions of incentives and benefits this in turn boosts satisfaction
towards himself and to his work.
This premise leads us to understand why employees being valued much by the
company provide quality work and service to customers. It is important that customers should
gratify his/her satisfaction by providing him/her with quality service. The causal relation
between employees customers satisfaction is rooted on how the management manages the
organization and applying suitable and effective strategies and approaches.

4. What roles do leadership and values play in creating the culture at the Ritz Carlton?
How does the training and development system support that culture?

Important in organizational environment are the leadership traits and the preferential
specifications on value system. Culturally speaking, values system plays a vital role in
creating a certain type of culture. Values in this manner can be successfully implemented and
effectively influenced agents on a certain field of action if and when higher authorities
espouse effective leadership skills and abilities. Insofar as good leadership traits persist in an
organizational environment and striving to implement rules, guidelines and regulations to
further develop a distinct cultural identity the implementation of desired value system may be
attainable.
In Ritz-Carlton context, the dominating lan by the management focused in the
development and formation of employees towards a more quality customer service.
Employees in this regards occupies the center stage of the organization due to a fact that only
through employees quality work and commitment to service when the goals and vision of the
company can possibly achieved. Hence, vital in creating cultural identity within the field of
work is good leadership and an identified values system to promote.
On the other hand, training and development system obviously support the formation
of culture and its identity within. Through rigorous and effective trainings held prospect
employees can easily acquaint themselves and familiarize a distinct culture of a company.
Likewise, the company employs and integrates within the scheme and procedure of trainings
necessary information about its organization, history, vision, and culture itself. As to the
process of development, employees in the Ritz-Carlton company receive continues training as
part of developing more their technical skills and other abilities that would be useful for the
company.

5. How do you balance quality standards against the need to empower employees to
customize their responses to specific situations?

In a contingent existence of any organization or company the need to compromise is

objectified. However, most of the companies resort to tactics and strategies which are free
from concessions. It is in this context which balancing a lever between employees and quality
standards set by the company necessary, yet, concessions need not to be applied and be
warranted. In order to balance or maintain the quality standards of a company against the
need to empower employees, proper HR strategies in this case, should be invokes. An
effective HR practice is how an organization integrates various practices to gain good results.
Teamwork, cooperation in problem-solving initiatives, pay plans which requires subjective
evaluations should therefore be complements with objective pay-for-performance plans
because the objective pay plans raise the firms profitability and thus the value of its
reputation (Ichiowski, Shaw & Prennushi, 1995 7). This statement is explicitly suggestive of
needless compromise between maintaining quality standards and empowering employees to
prevent resistance due to particular instances.
The Ritz-Carlton company believed on personal responsibility. Each employee is
given a specific responsibility, with the intention of making them feel that they are trusted by
the company. In this manner, quality standards are maintained.

6) Do you think training approach would work in other service industries? Why or why
not?

Yes. Simply because of the significant role it provides to new employees being alien
to the workplace. Such training approach, though, rigorous and takes much time is mostly
beneficial to the company. In this way, applicants capability is measured strenuously.
Furthermore, an applicant in order to survive and surpass the training should show everything
s/he has.
In addition, this kind of training approach helps employees unearth their hidden
potentials and skills at the same time orient themselves to rules and culture governing the
company.
7) Examine the elements of the organizational culture of Ritz Carlton Company for
service excellence

In the organizational culture of Ritz-Carlton Company there are important elements

which governs its organization and maybe distinct from others. These elements are significant
in defining its cultural identity rituals, strict standards for service and behavior, rulesdriven, formal, and extreme standardization.
The elements mentioned above signified a strict observation of a refined structure.
These structural elements however, restrict companys adaptability level as it goes towards
post-modernity. Rituals are employed in the company to enable employees familiarize
themselves with such distinct organizational culture. It is to be considered in general
condition that a culture carries a distinct rituality. Thus Ritz-Carlton developed its own ritual

in order employees identify themselves as part of the organization with distinct cultural
identity and value system.
8) Analyze the significance and benefits of having a strong organisation culture,
especially for service companies.

One of the most important building blocks of an organization is its organizational

culture. An organization can be highly successful because of it. As it is being understand, it is
a set of shared beliefs, truths, assumptions, and values that operate in organizations. This is
significant due to it clarifies the importance of creating appropriate systems of shared
meaning to help people work together toward a desired outcome. This helps in determining
an organizations capacity, effectiveness, and longevity. It creates energy and momentum
which permeate the organization and create a new momentum for success.
In this competitive and globalized scenario, there is a need of organizational
development strategy at various workforce departments, as this can improve companys
culture. Since organizational culture is an embodied values of shared beliefs and norms by
employees, this fact suggest of the importance and significance of organizational culture in
the process of development, progress and formation.
9) Is it necessary to understand the significance of rituals in keeping organisational
culture uniform and consistent?

In the case of Ritz-Carlton, the use of rituals not only nurture the organizational
culture but also enabled the employees to learn the nuances of the culture relatively fast,
moreover, to ensure uniformity in all locations where it is situated. It enhances employees
identification with the company and often resulted in greater commitment.
Since, rituals considered as an element of organizational culture this serves to unite
employees because of a unified and distinct identity. Moreover, it helps employees to feel
valued and treasured by the company as they shared their own beliefs and norms and submit
them to the companys culture.

10) To study the issues in change management in context of the company under study.

The change of management in this context is given. In order to be competitive and

pass the requirements of the global standards, adaptability and flexibility of an organization is
important. An organization should have a foresight to identify the needs of the modern
times. In this case, conformity to a single set of standard is ineffective and irrelevant.
Flexibility and adaptability are necessary traits in which any organizational management
should be aware of.

The change in management and management strategy is only a fitting decision in

order to be attractive and competitive. However, the ability to integrate various effective
measures and methods even traditional as it is, stands strong and efficient.

11) Do you appreciate the importance of orientation and training for new employees and
its impact on employees morale?

Yes. I appreciate it very much since it effectively injects important and significant
information about the companys life and its culture. Just imagine an employee who goes to
work with a clean slate in his mind. It would be impossible for an employee to execute proper
work if and when s/he is acquainted with the organizations history, philosophy, mission, or
work. The role of orientation and training provides employees to grasp the prevailing or
historical antecedents of the organizational and to fully understand the nature of the work. So,
by this, it could create a better environment and atmosphere, and an increase of productivity
level can be assumed.

12) Examine whether strict standards can lead to rigidity in organizational culture and
the negative impact that rigidity can have on employees.

It only follows when we speak of strictness of standards with the rigidity in

organizational culture. This approach somehow manifests close-knit structural proceedings.
This means that an organization systematically follow and observe proper behavior dictates
by a given structure. Within such defined structure everything moves and the attempt to go
away with the routine and structural orientation affect the standards set by the organization.
Moreover, greater probability can be determined towards the rigidity in organizational
culture due to strict standards implementation. What is common in this is the fact that only
what is ask outlined in the set of standards is shown and expressed by employees and what is
not ask is not necessary. Hence, the flow organizational culture only locked up in the set of
strict standardization.
The impact of rigidity to employees may vary accordingly. Some employees may be
susceptible to rigidity and other may not, however, what it can give a negative impact is the
predictability, rehearsed and routine behavior, being unnatural rather than relaxed. Rigidity

disallowed any radical changes to the standards and it performs a mechanical behavior among
the employees. This negative impact can become detrimental in the development not only of
employees but of the whole organization.

13) In your opinion what do you think of the future HRM evolution and how it
revolutionizes the industry?

This questions is quite unclear, however, can be implicitly understood. Nevertheless,

my opinion speaks of me being relativist and pessimist. To figment a post-modernist attitude I
can say that there is no really new to be born here as to revolutionized the industry. It will
always be a replicate of what is already existing and present. Today, modification is a name of
a game because there is no new found idea or even theory that is original, non-imitative idea.
The process on how it revolutionizes the industry is with an old strategic semblance. I cannot
give a specific thought on the evolution of HRM, what I can only give is that I will evolve,
but like a wheel, it will only circling around the unending cycle. As to how it revolutionize,
we cannot really predict or even prophetically described. What I can give is that a slightest
element of new will come out, not exactly a total new, for it only replicate or imitate the
old ways and means

Issues:

To examine the elements of the organizational culture of a company known for service
excellence
To analyze the significance and benefits of having a strong organization culture, especially
for service companies
To understand the significance of rituals in keeping organizational culture uniform and
consistent
To study the issues in change management in context of the company under study
To appreciate the importance of orientation and training for new employees, and its impact
on employee morale
To examine whether strict standards can lead to rigidity in organizational culture and the
negative impact that rigidity can have on employees