Strategic HRM and business performance in the Hilton Group

Profiles the Hilton Group plc and some of the human resources issues that arise from operating an international portfolio of 500 hotels, with more than 60,000 employees in 50 countries. Expansion in 1999 triggered an extensive market research exercise to determine customer expectations of the Hilton hotel brand. This led to the development of Hilton’s worldwide quality initiative, “Equilibrium”. The aim here is to ensure that individual guest needs are met, and because service quality is central to this, a human resource policy initiative called “Esprit” has been developed to embrace the key principles of employee recognition, respect and reward. What then are the strategic linkages between these initiatives? The article draws on practitioner perspectives to explain the relationship between the strategic human resource management and business performance challenges for the business.