Unit 6 Case Study:

Chapter 9: Onboarding at MGM Resorts

1. What topics should be included in MGM Resorts onboarding program for hotel and desk
staff?

I believe the topics that should be included in the onboarding program should reflect the below
four steps:

 Compliance: The new employees should understand the basic legal and policy or any
regulations that are related to MGM rules.
 Clarification: The new employees should be able to understand the job and the level of
performance expectations.
 Culture: Every company or organization has their own personal stamp. This would be
understanding the history of MGM, any traditions, values and norms.
 Connection: The employees need to understand all types of relations, whether they are
formal or informal.

The above topics are the essentials of what I believe should be covered at a minimum. While
many topics could be just as important, these are what our textbook determines as effective. As
the program continues, employees would get an in depth look of what contents and activities
would be included.

2. If you were asked to develop the onboarding program, explain what content and activities you
would include in the program, who would be involved, and the length of the program. Provide a
rationale for your recommendations.

If I were asked to develop the onboarding program, below is some of the content and activities I
would include.

On day 1, I would definitely start off with the basic topics. Per our textbook, an effective
onboarding program involves the four-step process: compliance, clarification, culture, and
connection. (Noe, 2017). Once we get the ball rolling in that area, I would offer a meet-and-
greet lunch date to continue the socialization process. As the program continues, I would also
cover some of the content listed below:

 Pre-arrival planning.

 Properly welcoming guests.

 Recognizing in-house groups and functions.

 Guest empathy.
  Providing local area insider's tips.

 Assisting with special needs.

 Service recovery.

By including these items on your new hire training and ongoing recurrent training checklists you
will be providing your colleagues with the tools they need to create hospitality experiences that
will encourage positive guest reviews, social media postings and foster guest loyalty. (Kennedy,
2015).

After reading some of the examples from our textbooks on the different companies and examples
of their programs, I believe MGM has the finances to build an effective yearlong program that
invests in the long-term employee and their future. Within this year, continuous coaching and
mentoring would take place.

3. What data or outcomes should be collected to monitor the effectiveness of the onboarding
program? Explain the business reasons for your choice of data.

Whenever any type of training or course is conducted, good feedback always comes from an end
of course or program critique. This feedback could come in form of a questionnaire or survey.
It’s also good to get feedback from the instructors, coaches, and mentors to see how they felt the
program went. Lastly, you could use the 360-degree feedback system. This system allows
evaluation of the program through subordinates, peers, customers, bosses, and themselves.

Works Cited
Allan, L. (2014, January 24). Transfer of Training: A Case Study. Retrieved August 29, 2017,
from Business Performance: http://www.businessperform.com/articles/training-
management/transfer-of-training-case-study.html
Bhuyan, S. (n.d.). How to Measure the Impact of Your Training Program. Retrieved September
6, 2017, from MindTickle: https://www.mindtickle.com/blog/measure-impact-training-
program/
Casey, A. (2015, October 3). Corporate Learning: 5 Reasons Why You Need To Invest In
Employee Training. Retrieved August 16, 2017, from eLearning Industry:
https://elearningindustry.com/5-reasons-need-invest-employee-training
EthosCE. (2017, May 1). Best Practices: Authoring Courses For Mobile Delivery. Retrieved
from Best Practices To Support Mobile-Friendly CE Learning Systems:
https://www.ethosce.com/blog/continuing-education/ce-learning-systems/
Frost, S. (2017). The Importance of Training & Development in the Workplace. Retrieved from
The Houston Chronicle: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-training-
development-workplace-10321.html
Kaufman, R., & Guerra-Lopez, I. (2015, August 19). Needs Assessment vs Needs Analysis.
Retrieved August 23, 2017, from Association for Talent Development:
 https://www.td.org/Publications/Newsletters/Links/2015/08/Needs-Assessment-Vs-
Needs-Analysis
Kennedy, D. (2015, May 26). HN: Hospitalitynet. Retrieved from Hotel Front Desk Training
Checklist : https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4070375.html
Noe, R. A. (2017). Employee Training and Development (7th Edition ed.). New York: McGraw-
Hill Education.
OPM.Gov. (2017). Work-Life. Retrieved from Office of Personnel Management:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/worklife/