# Hotel Management: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 17, Test 4, Listening Part 2

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 17, Test 4, Listening Part 2. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 11 | A | but what they don't realize is that it's the lack of training in many hotel jobs |
| 12 | A | And managers may have to cover some duties while waiting for new staff to arrive. |
| 13 | A | Make sure you never give certain staff preferential treatment. |
| 14 | C | but they also noticed a significant increase in the amount each customer spent during their stay |
| 15 | A | Junior staff at all levels are regularly invited to meetings where their ideas are welcomed. |
| 16 | C | organizing training for individuals with management potential will encourage them to stay |
| 17 | B | They're sent on an all-expenses-paid trip abroad every year. |
| 18 | C | they introduced a management program ... And the chance to work in various roles in the hotel. |
| 19 | B | the hotel began issuing vouchers to help cover the cost of childcare |
| 20 | A | By creating a co-operative and supportive environment. |

## Why these answers are right

**11. A.** The speaker says many managers blame low pay and long hours, but what they don't realize is that the lack of training is a huge factor. Don't realize matches unaware in the question, so the hidden cause is a lack of training, option A.

**12. A.** High turnover means constant recruiting, and managers may have to cover some duties while they wait for new staff. Doing recruitment plus extra duties is an increased workload, so option A describes the impact on managers.

**13. A.** When organizing shifts, managers should never give certain staff preferential treatment, and everyone should share evening and weekend work. Giving some people preferential treatment means failing to treat staff equally, so A is the mistake to avoid.

The why and the trap for questions 14 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/hotel-management/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Part 2, you will hear a training manager giving a talk to a group of senior staff from a hotel chain about the problem of high staff turnover.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

**Speaker:** As many of you here today have worked in the hotel industry for some time, I'm sure you have experienced the problem of high staff turnover in your hotels.

**Speaker:** Every hotel relies on having loyal and experienced members of staff who make sure that everything runs smoothly.

**Speaker:** If staff are constantly changing it can make life difficult for everyone.

**Speaker:** But why do staff leave frequently in many hotels?

**Speaker:** Of course, many hotel jobs such as cleaning are low skilled and are not well paid.

**Speaker:** A lot of managers think it's this, and the long hours that are the main causes of high staff turnover, but what they don't realize is that it's the lack of training in many hotel jobs.

**Speaker:** Which is a huge factor.

**Speaker:** So, what kind of problems does a high turnover of staff cause?

**Speaker:** Well, having to recruit new staff all the time can be very time consuming.

**Speaker:** And managers may have to cover some duties while waiting for new staff to arrive.

**Speaker:** This means they don't have time to think about less immediate problems, such as how to improve their service.

**Speaker:** When staff leave, it can also severely affect the colleagues they leave behind.

**Speaker:** It has a negative effect on remaining staff, who may start to feel that they too should be thinking about leaving.

**Speaker:** So what can be done to change this situation?

**Speaker:** Firstly, managers should stop making basic errors, which leave their staff feeling upset and resentful.

**Speaker:** When organizing shifts, for example.

**Speaker:** Make sure you never give certain staff preferential treatment.

**Speaker:** All staff should be given some choice about when they work, and everyone should have to work some evening and weekend shifts.

**Speaker:** If you treat staff fairly, they'll be more likely to step in and help when extra staff are needed.

**Speaker:** Keeping staff happy has other tangible benefits for the business.

**Speaker:** Take the Dunwich Hotel as an example.

**Speaker:** It had been experiencing a problem with staff complaints, and in order to deal with this, invested in staff training and improved staff conditions.

**Speaker:** Not only did the level of complaints fall, but they also noticed a significant increase in the amount each customer spent during their stay.

**Speaker:** They have now introduced a customer loyalty scheme, which is going really well.

**Announcer:** Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.

**Announcer:** Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.

**Speaker:** Now, I'd like to look at some ways you can reduce staff turnover in your hotels, and I'll do this by giving some examples of hotels where I've done some training recently.

**Speaker:** The Sun Club received feedback which showed that staff thought managers didn't value their opinions.

**Speaker:** They weren't made to feel they were partners who were contributing to the success of the business as a whole.

**Speaker:** This situation has changed.

**Speaker:** Junior staff at all levels are regularly invited to meetings where their ideas are welcomed.

**Speaker:** A year ago, The Portland recognized the need to invest in staff retention.

**Speaker:** Their first step was to introduce a scheme for recognizing talent amongst their employees.

**Speaker:** The hope is that organizing training for individuals with management potential will encourage them to stay with the business.

**Speaker:** At Bluewater, managers decided to recognize 50 high achievers from across the company's huge hotel chain as a reward.

**Speaker:** They're sent on an all-expenses-paid trip abroad every year.

**Speaker:** Fun is an important element in the trips, but there's also the opportunity to learn something useful.

**Speaker:** This year's trip included a visit to a brewery, where staff learned about the new beer that would be served in the hotel.

**Speaker:** Pentlow Hotels identified that retention of junior reception staff was an issue in order to encourage them to see that working in a hotel could be worthwhile and rewarding, with good prospects, they introduced a management program.

**Speaker:** These staff were given additional responsibilities.

**Speaker:** And the chance to work in various roles in the hotel.

**Speaker:** Green Planet wanted to be seen as a caring employer. To make life easier for staff, many of whom had childcare responsibilities,

**Speaker:** the hotel began issuing vouchers to help cover the cost of childcare.

**Speaker:** Louise Marsh at the Amesbury has one of the best staff retention rates in the business.

**Speaker:** Since she joined the company, she's made a huge effort to achieve this.

**Speaker:** By creating a co-operative and supportive environment.

**Speaker:** For her, the staff are part of a large family where everyone is valued.

**Speaker:** OK, now I'd like to...

**Announcer:** That is the end of part 2.

**Announcer:** You now have half a minute to check your answers to part 2.

[Practice Hotel Management](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/hotel-management)