Inadequate Orientation and Ineffective Communication: The Case of the Intern

Background of the Organization: Hotel Xcellence

Hotel Xcellence, located in Florida, features 744 elegant, oceanside rooms, along with spacious suites and cabanas, offering the comforts and conveniences of home. All employees must wear uniforms as it helps them identify with the brand and exude confidence in the brand. For example, at Hotel Xcellence, employees in the food and beverage department wear a polo shirt with the company logo and black pants. Accessories and their acceptable sizes (e.g., how large earrings may be) are outlined in the employee handbook.

Hotel Xcellence’s workforce comprises full-time, part-time, seasonal staff, and interns from local colleges and universities. Students interning at Hotel Xcellence participate in the hotel’s orientation program, which introduces them to the organization and works environment; this orientation program is 1 week in length and typically includes two sections, a general introduction to the organization including its culture, mission, and vision, policies, compensation, and benefits, and a department orientation where new hires are introduced to the team, employee handbook, and job-specific requirements.

The hotel’s organizational structure consists of the General Manager, Director of People Support, departmental managers and supervisors, and line staff (see Figure 1). The Director of People Support is responsible for creating comprehensive new employee orientation programs to introduce new hires to their job tasks, company operations, policy, and processes. On the other hand, the department manager’s responsibility is to oversee onboarding new hires. They must introduce new hires to the department and their team members and discuss elements of the employee handbook such as the dress code, company policy, attendance, code of conduct, and disciplinary procedures.

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Figure 1.

Organization chart: Reporting structure for Jase’s hostess position.

Hotel Xcellence Educational Partnership

A hospitality management school at a prominent university in Florida forged partnerships with organizations (e.g., hotels, restaurants, event venues, and activities sites) to host students for internships. In the summer of 2019, Hotel Xcellence, one of the school’s industry partners, agreed to hire one hospitality management student as a summer intern. Jase, a junior in the hospitality management school, was selected.

Summer Intern: A New Hire

Jase spent the morning of the first day of the internship at Hotel Xcellence completing required documentation (e.g., tax forms and payroll sign-up). Jase’s employment was off-cycle, and she was the only new hire scheduled to start on this day; therefore, she completed only the paperwork component of the orientation process. The Director of People Support advised her that the remaining orientation be rescheduled for the next group-based orientation session, which was planned in 6 weeks.

Jase’s position was as a hostess at one of the hotel’s signature restaurants. The hostess position reports directly to the F & B Manager (see Figure 1). The hotel had a strict dress code policy, which the Director of People Support mentioned when she provided Jase with uniform dress shirts on her first day. The uniform was comprised of the dress shirt with the restaurant’s logo, black pants or skirt, and medium-heeled shoes. Accessories were not allowable except for small earrings (i.e., smaller than nickel-size).

Jase’s Dress Code Blunder

While at the employee huddle just before the dinner rush and 5 weeks into the internship, Jase was called out by her manager, in front of all employees, for wearing large earrings. She removed the earrings and proceeded to her workstation. She had worn these large earrings previously and had been complimented by other managers. Being reprimanded by the F & B Manager in front of her coworkers left Jase feeling embarrassed and belittled.

Still shaken by the interaction, Jase met with the F & B Manager after the employee huddle and informed him that she had not received a copy of the employee handbook nor completed the entire orientation process. She explained to the F & B Manager that it was not her intention to challenge or question his authority. She only pointed out that she had been wearing large earrings since she started and was never informed that they violated the dress policy. The manager seemed to indicate that he thought she was lying, and an argument ensued. Fearing that a verbal response would escalate the argument, Jase subsequently walked off the job at the peak of the Saturday afternoon rush.

Jase Returns

Jase returned to work the following Monday, 1 day after Independence Day. She inquired whether the F & B Manager was at work before proceeding to her station. Fifteen minutes after her arrival, the F & B Manager called her to a meeting where the Guest Service Manager was also in attendance. During a heated exchange, the F & B Manager suggested that Jase do one of the following: (1) acknowledge that she had violated the dress code, apologize, and receive a written warning; (2) resign, or (3) be terminated. He subsequently handed her a letter and told her it had to be signed immediately.