Abstract
The United Arab Emirates is the premier business hub in the Middle East. Its growth has led to a rise in demand for the accommodation and other hotel facilities. This paper will tackle a prospective advert by the Human Resources department of one of the hotels in Dubai. It will target applicants from the UK and the Middle East and what they will go through in the selection process.
Introduction
The basic definition of a job interview is the conversation that takes place between a potential employer and a job applicant. However, job interviews have nowadays gone beyond just employer-applicant conversations and they entail a much more involving process. Interview tests are common in today’s job market and they are meant to test the skills and talents and mental capabilities of the applicant (Beshara, 2008, p 3). This paper will start off with two typical job advertisements in two different markets i.e. the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The interview tests and questions that prospective candidates are likely to be asked during this interview process are also discussed. Also discussed are the various media that the Human Resources department that is conducting the exercise will use in advertising for the vacant post.
Job description UK
A five star boutique hotel in Dubai is inviting applications from qualified individuals who can fulfill the requirements below. Your application must include a detailed Curriculum Vitae with a recent picture and briefly outline of your past work experience(s).
The successful candidate will be reporting to the General Manager, and he/she will be responsible for all rooms’ division departments, including all areas of front office, housekeeping, spa facilities and a large fitness centre operation.
This is a demanding position and we are looking for a candidate who is an absolute front of the house professional with a proven track record to effectively lead, motivate and develop a large team, which will include the current staff and future additions.
We will prefer UK nationals with a bias in overseas large scale hotel operations experience of not less than four years. Previous work experience in the gulf is an advantage. Knowledge of basic Arabic is a requirement since the successful candidate will be dealing a lot with both clients and staff who may only speak Arabic.
Maturity and ability to communicate at the highest level is expected of the successful candidate. He/she may be single/married and within 30-45 years old. Besides, the individual is expected to be well organized, motivated and can deliver while working under pressure.
Additional requirements
College education and above
Ready to relocate with/without family
Knowledge of Arabic is necessary
Has to acquire work permit for Dubai
Extra details and the application form can be found at www.boutiquehotel.com/application
Job description, Middle East
The boutique hotel in Dubai is currently looking for an experienced Rooms Division Manager. The successful candidate will be reporting to the General Manager, and he/she will be responsible for all rooms’ division departments, including all areas of front office, housekeeping, spa facilities and a large fitness centre operation.
The main functions of the successful candidate will be leading, supervising and directing hotel staff that falls under his jurisdiction to ensure smooth running of the department. The successful candidate will ensure customer satisfaction, provision of quality services and maintenance of high morale among staff.
A minimum of six years experience is required for this position. A proven track record in hotel management and excellent delivery of results will be looked at. The candidate must have education level of college degree and above. Besides, knowledge of English and Arabic will be highly desired. Any other international language will be an advantage.
The candidate is 30-40 years and must be aggressive and outgoing and able to create and maintain a friendly courteous working atmosphere in the hotel.
Additional requirements
Should have a work permit to work in Dubai
Knowledge of English is a must
Your application must include a detailed Curriculum Vitae with a recent picture and briefly outlining your past work experience(s).
Applications are done online at www.boutiquehotel.com/application or handwritten applications can be sent:
General Manager
Boutique Hotel
UAE
Discussion
UK applicants are only allowed to use the online application to cut down on costs of sending written applications for both the company and the applicants. The applicants from the Middle East have been allowed to send postal applications because the internet is not well accessed in the region hence there is a chance that potential candidates who may not have internet may be locked out. The experience for UK applicants has been lowered while that of Middle East has been raised because UAE is thought to have a large pool of qualified expatriates who can easily fit into the position. Therefore it will be unfair for UK applicants if they are given the same level playing field as that of their UAE counterparts.
Media channels
According to MacRury (2009) job advertisement can be carried out in five major media: press, television, radio, cinema and outdoors. Unlike other commercial advertisements that seek to target everybody, job advertisements need only to target job seekers. Therefore the mainstream media will be used on a limited capacity in advertising for the division manager’s job. It’s possible for advertisers to produce and place an advert directly in the media without a media agency (Wilmshurst & Mackay, 1999, p 86). The internet will be most desirable for both of the adverts and more so in the UK. Internet is widely accessible in the UK and many potential job seekers will easily be reached. Additionally in the UK, one advert in one of the leading dailies will reach many job seekers. In the UAE and the larger GCC countries, internet penetration is not very widespread safe for a few places like Kuwait. Direct mail, outdoor advertising, radio and newspaper advertising are the commonest in the Middle East (Page, 2003, p 221).Therefore mainstream media will have to be heavily used besides the internet. More newspapers especially will be engaged in advertising for the job position.
Interview tests
Organizations are increasingly competing on competing on their employees’ talents and capabilities (Bohlander & Snell, 2007, p 180). During recruitment many selection tests may vary according to the type of job one is hiring for. Motivation tests, aptitudes, personality tests and profile matching are the commonest tests that Human Resources involve in candidate selection (Barrett, 2006 pp1-15). When interviewing a potential candidate for the rooms’ division manager, all the above tests will come into play.
Motivation tests will be applied to determine if the candidate’s aspirations are met by the job on offer. All potential candidates will be required to fill a questionnaire and analysis of the answers given will determine if the open position is appealing enough to the candidate. Since motivation will affect performance. HR will be able to select only candidate who are highly motivated for the position.
Aptitude tests are always administered to gauge the mental capabilities of job applicants. Aptitudes are useful in predicting the potential of people who have applied beyond the skills that have so far emerged (Barrett, 2006 p 10). Aptitude tests in recruiting rooms’ division manager will give useful pointers to the abilities the candidate will have and therefore help HR to gauge whether he/she is suitable or fit to make decisions as will be required of him as a room’s division manager.
Understanding personality types of candidates is very relevant recruitment of employees in any organization. Although people behave differently in different situations, they carry a personality that is easily identifiable (Barrett, 2006 p 148). For a hotel room’s division manager, a likable personality will be critical in the way he/she will relate with clients and staff.
Interview questions
The rooms’ division manager will be working in the hospitality industry. In an interview, interviewers will focus on the questions that anchor on candidate achievements, holistic interview queries, career stability , career progression, likeability, the ability to detect problems before thy happen and a knack for sales (Falcone, 1997, pp 12-97).
What makes you stand out among your peers? This is an example of an achievement anchored question. This will test the awareness of the individual in his/her achievements (Falcone, 1997, p 12). As a rooms’ division manager being aware of his/her achievements will form one of foundation blocks that will guide his/her work at the hotel.
Tell us the broad responsibilities of a rooms’ division hotel manager? This is a holistic interview question that will help recruiters decide if the potential candidate is aware of the role he/she will play in the hotel management hierarchy. Being aware of their role, candidates will easily fit in to their positions and will require minimum orientation and training. Besides it will highlight the person’s comfort zones and strengths (Falcone, 1997, p 23). Human Resources will then know if to hire the person and strengthen his weak areas or to do away with him/her altogether.
Briefly describe your progression through the ranks to your current position as rooms’ manager at your current work place? This question will seek to obtain information about the career progression of the candidate. Performance of the candidates last assignment is one of the single most effective predictors of future his/her future success (Kador, 1997, p 11). If his/her bosses saw it fit to promote him/her, then the candidate is likely to be a performer and that is what Human Resource will be looking for. Though the information may be found in the candidate’s curriculum vitae, its better when candidates articulate it personally to gauge if they are aware of their achievements.
Being the hospitality industry, personality is crucial for anyone’s success. Please describe your mentoring and management style. The question will revel how the candidate treats his/her subordinates and through his/her articulation, HR will be able to gauge if he will be likeable to both the clients and staff (Falcone, 1997, p 52).
Besides, there are the traditional questions that every interviewer asks: what is your greatest strength? This is used as the ice breaker and many candidates will be comfortable talking about themselves in a special way. The answers to this question will give a lot of insight to the personality of the candidate. Why should we hire you? Answers to this question will portray the candidate as one who believes in him/herself and therefore is ready to take on assigned tasks. If a candidate does not believe in her/himself, why should we? Where do you see yourself in five years? Answers to this questions triggers wishful responses from candidates’ (Falcone, 1997, p 10). The answers reveal a lot about the ambitious nature of the candidate and if the gamble of investing in this particular candidate is worth it.
Conclusion
Some HR units use a longer selection criteria than the one highlighted above. However advertisement, and the subsequent interviews tests and finally face to face interviews form the basis of the traditional interview channel. However sometimes it may be rigorous in ensuring right candidates are selected for the jobs they applied for.
References
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4. Falcone P. (1997). Ninety-six great interview questions to ask before you hire. New York.
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6. MacRury L. (2009). Advertising. New York. Routledge.
7. Page K. (2003). Middle East Review. United Kingdom. Walden Publishing Ltd.
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