OrganizationNeedsAssessment

Overview

SamuelYoun

April27,2010ProblemsandSolutionsfortheHolidayInnExpress

1003W.KillarneySt.

UrbanaIL61801

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Holiday Inn Express (Urbana) Organizational Needs Assessment

CMN 412 April 27, 2010

The organization chosen for the organizational needs assessment final project was the Holiday

Inn Express in Urbana. The purpose of the organizational needs assessment was to identify the

needs the Holiday Inn Express had and how those needs could be addressed and met by the use

of a new technology. This executive summary will provide a summary of findings,

recommendations for the Holiday Inn Express in Urbana along with a clear statement of benefits

that the recommendation provides.

The organizational needs assessment was conducted over a period of two weeks during the

month of April in year 2010. The organizational needs assessment was conducted through a

series of surveys, interviews, observation of communication, and collection of communication

artifacts. Thirty-four staff members of the Holiday Inn Express in Urbana participated in a

survey and employees from the six departments of the hotel were interviewed. Participation was

voluntary and all participants were informed that the data gathered would be used solely for the

purpose of this Communication 412 final project.

Summary of Findings

The charts on page 1 displays data collected from three key components of the organizational

needs assessment. These three components include the mediums of communication used at the

Holiday Inn Express in Urbana, the level of computer proficiency of employees, and

communication problems as diagnosed by the employees. The data collected with each of the

three components were then analyzed and combined with data collected from interviews to

establish criteria for an effective solution. Findings are discussed below in terms of numerical

significance and relevant information collected from interviews.

Overview of Employee Surveys Appendix A

A. Mediums of Communication represents staff responses about which communication

mediums they use on a day to day basis to communicate with other employees at the Holiday Inn

Express in Urbana. The graphic summary of results shows that face-to-face communication is

the most common medium of communication at 44%. The second most common medium of

communication is the use of a notebook which employees used to log guest comments, room

problems and other issues that needed to be addressed. Face-to-face communication and the use

of the log notebook combined accounts for 73% of communication mediums used on a daily

basis.

B. Satisfaction With Communication represents the responses of employees when asked whether

they were satisfied or unsatisfied with communication practices and effectiveness. The results

show that 100% of the 34 employees surveyed were unsatisfied with communication practices

and effectiveness at the Holiday Inn Express in Urbana

C. Problems With Communication as diagnosed by employees represents the responses of

employees when asked what each employee thought was the main problem with the

communication practices at the hotel. The graphic summary shows that the largest problem at

42% was unclear messages. The second largest problem at 31% was that employees forgot or

didn’t read the log book. These two main problems account for 73% of all communication

problems reported by the employees.

D. Computer Proficiency represents self-reported computer proficiency of the employees. The

data provided is not based upon a single response from each employee surveyed. Employees

were allowed to list as many work related computer skills they possessed. The data collected

shows that 100% of the employees were able to type with the computer and 58% of the

employees were proficient with Microsoft word. Only managers and the front desk employees

were proficient with the Opera and Holidex (Property Management Software).

Overview of Employee Interviews Appendix B

Employee interviews were conducted through face-to-face communication at the Holiday Inn

Express Urbana breakfast seating area. Each interview was privately conducted and recorded

through a tape recorder. A representative from the six major departments at the hotel were asked

five questions regarding the importance of communication at their workplace as well as the

problems and suggestions for improvements regarding workplace communication. The data

below represents key quotes and information received from each representative of the six major

departments.

A. General Manager- Shari L.

“We have a really strict budget so I don’t think we can add any new technologies or systems or

something like that …everyone depends on each other. We are a team.”

B. Executive Housekeeper – Cherca M.

“… there is no communication at all between the front desk and housekeeping.”

C. Front Desk Representative – Natalie L.

“If it’s busy, I might be working with Jessica, and she might be talking to someone about

something. Then that person will come to me and talk about it later and I have no idea what he

is talking about.”

D. Front Desk / Sales Manager – Jessica J.

“if one shift missing out the lack of communication can mess up a lot of stuff in the long run.”

E. Houseman – Eric P.

“…other times there is miscommunication and things don’t get done and I get in trouble. Like if

a guest wants towels and the front desk tells me too late, I am the one who gets yelled at. Or they

give me the wrong room number!”

F. Maintenance – Greg B.

“ If I fix a toilet, then I tell the front desk, but the front desk doesn’t write it down, the toilet will

be marked broken in the log book for the next day and I go back to fix it when its already been

taken care of. It just makes work a lot more difficult.”

Research Conclusions

The research and data collected establish a basis for creating key criteria for a possible solution.

All employees believed that communication was vital for their individual jobs and for the hotel

as a whole. All employees surveyed and interviewed also believed that they were unhappy with

the current communication practices as a whole. As a result, there is sufficient evidence to show

that current communication practices are detrimental to day to day …

Recommendations

Although a plethora of communicative problems were diagnosed at the Holiday Inn Express, the

recommendation of this organizational needs assessment aims to meet all the problems with a

single solution which does not require a budget. The key criteria for a solution to the needs of

the Holiday Inn Express include:

Low or Zero Cost

Easy Adaptability

Organized and Compartmentalized Data Fields

Information Distribution

Instant Communication

A solution recommended and presented to the Holiday Inn Express in Urbana is an Excel

spreadsheet tailored for the particular needs at the hotel. The Excel spreadsheet is constantly

available through a web based version of Excel via Google Docs. Appendix C shows the excel

file which would be accessible to all hotel employees.

There spreadsheet features basic information about hotel occupancy, rates, arrivals and

departures for the current business day. The main section of the spreadsheet features data entry

for all information relevant to a guest complaint or room issue. There are data entry locations for

the time of the reported incident, room number, guest name, contact phone number, rate, check-

in date, check-out date, guest comments for problems and resolutions, and follow up instructions.

Each data field provides necessary information for a hotel employee to send or receive messages

in regards to issues the hotel. There are also five separate spreadsheets to distribute information

which include front desk, housekeeping, maintenance, houseman and general manager.

Benefits

The recommendation proposed to the Holiday Inn Express not only fulfills the key criteria for an

effective solution but provides an initiative for change in the communication processes between

employees at the hotel. The proposed solution has zero cost to the hotel as Google Docs allows

computers to access Excel software without having Microsoft Office Suites installed and

registered for every computer. The excel spreadsheets allows information to be categorized and

communicated in a manner in which all employees can find the most relevant information in a

single page. Moreover, data entry fields encourage employees to input information they

otherwise would have not considered relevant to share with others. The proposed solution

allows each employee the ability to read only information relative to their respective

departments. The Excel sheet is accommodating to those with a slow learning curve for newly

implement technology as data entry is simplistic. The employee will only need to understand

how to type in the appropriate fields.

There are also several beneficial unintended uses of the excel spreadsheet. As a web based

application, managers of the hotel have the ability to remotely access the spreadsheet and keep

an eye on what is happening at the hotel. A second unintended use of the Excel Spread sheet is

extensive record keeping. Complaints from previous guests who have stayed at the hotel can

now be retrieved as each log will be archived. This serves as a great utility for management to

understand exactly what an unhappy guest is speaking about. The intended and unintended

benefits of the Excel spread sheets provide solvency for communication problems within the

hotel and ultimately allows the hotel to provide better service for their guests.

Conclusion

The purpose of this organizational needs assessment was to identify the needs the Holiday Inn

Express had and how those needs could be addressed and met by the use of a new technology.

This executive summary provided a summary of findings, recommendations for the Holiday Inn

Express in Urbana along with a clear statement of benefits that the recommendation provides.

This organizational needs assessment diagnosed key communicative and needs through

employee surveys, interviews, observations and analysis of communicative artifacts. A

recommendation was provided which fulfilled and surpassed the needs of the hotel. The

customized Excel spread sheet accessible via Google Docs only meets communicative

deficiencies, but also serves to facilitate beneficial guest service processes.

0123456789101112131415

FacetoFace Notebook Walkie‐Talkie CellPhone AlertinComputer AnnouncementBulliten

Useperperson

MediumofCommunica2on

MediumofCommunica2on

15%

9%

34%

42%

ComputerProficiency

Opera

Holidex

MicrosoKOffice

Typing

10%

17%

42%

31%

Problems

Rushing

DelayinCommunicaQon

UnclearMessage

Forget/Don'tread

MediumofCommunication

FacetoFace 15Notebook 10Walkie‐Talkie 5CellPhone 2AlertinComputer 1AnnouncementBulletin 1

ComputerProficiency

Opera 9Holidex 5MicrosoftOffice 20Typing 25

ProblemsRushing 5DelayinCommunication 8UnclearMessage 20Forget/Don'tread 15

CriteriaforSolution

Cost Easyadaptability Organized Informationdistribution Instantcommunication