AHLEI CHSP key terms

The systematic process of gathering and documenting the duties, tasks, responsibilities, working conditions, and required qualifications of a position. It produces the foundation for job descriptions, job specifications, and hiring criteria.

A written summary of a position's title, duties, reporting relationships, and working conditions. It tells employees what they are expected to do and gives supervisors a basis for training, evaluation, and discipline.

A written statement of the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience a person needs to perform a job successfully. It is used to screen applicants and to defend hiring decisions as job-related.

An interview method that asks candidates to describe specific past situations and how they handled them, on the premise that past behavior predicts future performance. Questions typically begin with phrases such as 'Tell me about a time when.'

An interview in which all candidates are asked the same predetermined questions in the same order, scored against a common rating guide. It improves consistency, comparability, and legal defensibility compared with casual conversation-style interviews.

The predetermined, job-related standards used to evaluate applicants and decide whom to hire. Criteria must be applied consistently to all candidates to reduce bias and support compliance with equal employment opportunity requirements.

The initial process of introducing a new employee to the property, its policies, coworkers, and the specific job. Effective orientation reduces early turnover and shortens the time needed to reach acceptable performance.

The broader, longer-term process of integrating a new hire into the organization through training, coaching, and social connection, typically spanning the first several months. It extends beyond a single orientation session.

An ongoing, day-to-day supervisory activity of observing performance, giving timely feedback, and guiding an employee toward improved results. It is developmental and forward-looking rather than punitive.

A formal, periodic evaluation of an employee's work against established standards, usually documented in writing and discussed in a meeting. It supports decisions about pay, promotion, training needs, and corrective action.

A stepwise approach to correcting misconduct or poor performance, typically moving from verbal warning to written warning to suspension and finally termination. Each step gives the employee notice and an opportunity to improve.

The standard requiring that discipline be based on a legitimate, documented reason, applied consistently, and proportionate to the offense, with the employee given notice and a chance to respond. It protects the employer against wrongful-termination claims.

The written record of performance issues, policy violations, counseling sessions, and corrective actions, kept factual, dated, and specific. Good documentation supports discipline, defends against legal claims, and helps successive supervisors understand an employee's history.

The percentage of employees who leave a position or department during a period, usually calculated as separations divided by average headcount. High turnover raises recruiting and training costs and often signals problems in supervision or working conditions.

The employer's deliberate efforts to keep valued employees, such as competitive pay, career development, recognition, and a healthy work climate. Retention reduces the cost and service disruption caused by constant hiring and training.

Total labor expense divided by total revenue for a period, expressed as a percentage. It is a core productivity measure in lodging because labor is one of the largest controllable costs, and it allows comparison across time periods and properties.

A measure of output relative to labor input, such as rooms cleaned per housekeeper-hour or covers served per server-hour. Rising productivity at constant quality lowers cost per unit of service.

A schedule or formula specifying how many employees of each type are needed for a given volume of business, such as housekeepers per occupied room. It links forecast demand to schedules and helps control labor cost.

A projection of future business volume, such as expected occupancy, arrivals, or covers, used to plan staffing, purchasing, and budgets. Accurate forecasts let managers match labor and inventory to demand instead of reacting after the fact.

A written, step-by-step instruction describing how a routine task is to be performed to a consistent standard. SOPs support training, reduce variation, and make it easier to identify where a service or safety failure occurred.

A specific, measurable level of output or conduct expected on a job, such as cleaning a room in a set time or answering a call within a set number of rings. Standards make expectations objective and appraisals defensible.

The assignment of employees to shifts, days, and work areas for a defined period, built from the forecast and staffing guide. A well-built schedule controls overtime, respects rest periods, and matches coverage to demand.

The practice of monitoring and limiting hours worked beyond the standard workweek to contain premium pay and fatigue-related errors. It relies on accurate forecasting, cross-training, and adjusting schedules before the pay period ends.

The number of times inventory is used or sold during a period, calculated by dividing cost of goods used by average inventory value. Low turnover ties up cash and risks spoilage or obsolescence in food and beverage operations.

The predetermined quantity of an item that should be on hand to meet expected demand between deliveries, including a safety margin. Par levels trigger reordering and prevent both stockouts and excess inventory.

A formal internal request to obtain goods or supplies from storage or from a supplier. Requisitions create an audit trail that links purchases and issues to departmental usage and cost.

A scheduled program of inspection, cleaning, and servicing of equipment and facilities before breakdowns occur. It extends asset life, reduces emergency repair costs, and protects guest satisfaction and safety.

A written or electronic request authorizing a maintenance or repair task, recording the location, problem, assigned technician, and completion. Work orders track costs and help identify recurring equipment problems.

The actions a staff member takes to resolve a guest's complaint and restore satisfaction, ideally on the spot and with appropriate authority. Effective recovery can turn a dissatisfied guest into a loyal one and prevent negative reviews.

Granting employees the authority to make decisions and take action within defined limits to satisfy guests without waiting for a supervisor. It speeds recovery and raises morale, but requires clear boundaries and training.

A guest's expression of dissatisfaction about a product, service, or staff interaction. Complaints are valuable feedback; how quickly and completely they are resolved strongly affects repeat business and online reputation.

Any gap between what a guest expected and what was actually delivered, such as a late room, cold food, or a billing error. Identifying failures at their source allows a supervisor to fix the process, not just the individual case.

A trained evaluator who poses as a guest and scores the property against a standardized checklist of service and facility standards. Results give management an objective view of how consistently standards are delivered.

The planned system of standards, inspections, and follow-up used to ensure products and services consistently meet requirements. It focuses on preventing defects through process control rather than correcting them after the guest notices.

A structured instrument that collects guest ratings and comments on specific aspects of the stay, such as cleanliness, staff courtesy, and value. Aggregate results reveal trends and pinpoint areas needing improvement.

A written financial plan estimating revenues and expenses for a future period, usually by month and by department. It sets targets against which actual results are compared and provides the basis for corrective action.

The process of comparing actual financial results with budgeted or forecast figures and explaining the differences. Meaningful analysis separates controllable from uncontrollable causes and leads to specific management action.

A budget that adjusts expected revenues and expenses to the actual volume of business achieved. It allows a fair comparison of cost control when occupancy or covers differ from the original plan.

The policies and procedures, such as segregation of duties, authorization limits, and reconciliation, designed to safeguard assets and ensure accurate records. Strong controls reduce theft, fraud, and reporting errors.

Dividing responsibilities so that no single person both handles an asset and records or authorizes transactions involving it. For example, the person who receives cash should not also reconcile the bank statement.

A small fund of currency kept on hand for minor, incidental disbursements, controlled through a fixed amount, signed vouchers, and periodic surprise counts. Loose control of petty cash is a common source of small losses.