Many different specialists both within Blue Gum and external to the organization could provide advice and assistance to David in his recruitment efforts. There are hiring consultants and even entire firms that specialize in recruiting and selecting individuals to fill key positions, though utilizing these services is probably not necessary in this scenario. Instead, the advice of a more experienced store manager or perhaps a more senior executive with recruitment experience would likely provide enough meaningful advice to accomplish this task.
Blue Gum HR Practice Overhaul
Recruitment Policy
Blue Gum's new codified and consistent recruitment policy will have an overall emphasis on attracting high-quality and career-oriented individuals for all positions within the company. Annual assessments of labor needs should be used to generate estimates of hiring needs and thus the amount of resources that should be allocated to recruitment efforts. After several years of program operation, estimates based on the efficiency (i.e. conversion rate) of recruitment efforts will help establish more accurate estimates. Advertising in relevant academic and industry journals should take place for specific positions in order to attract more qualified and experienced applicants who already have an eye towards industry development and progress. For entry-level human resource needs, recruitment efforts will consist of increased presence at job fairs, primarily those hosted by colleges and universities in order to attract more educated and qualified candidates. Creating a strong internal environment of employee satisfaction and support will also be an effective recruitment feature.
Selection Policy
Selection practices at Blue Gum will follow incredibly stringent standards in order to eliminate the risk of biased or discriminatory hiring, eliminating many personal details from applications when they were considered not applicable to standard employment. Interviews should also strive to refrain from engaging in any personal details other than those the applicant themselves bring up in response to general questions (e.g. A question regarding religion should not be asked unless the applicant begins talking about a faith after a "tell me about yourself" prompt). Criteria used for selection will include education level, experience, employment background and history, and certain practical details regarding the employment position itself (physical requirements, scheduling and salary constraints, etc.). In addition, a series of at least two interviews involving no less than two independent interviewers will assess the perceived attitude and character of applicants, making detailed notes that will be reviewed and discussed before decisions are made either to hire or reject applicants.
Induction Policy
New employee induction at Blue Gum will promote community and communication among the company's human resources at all levels of staffing and management. All new hires will undergo a full and detailed facilities tour before beginning any job-specific orientation and training, in order to develop an understanding and appreciation all aspects of operation. Specific job training will take place on a team basis, involving supervisors and experienced coworkers of all new hires and building relationships from the first day of job-specific training and orientation. Regular meetings with immediate supervisors during the first three weeks of employment will help to ensure appropriate adjustment and an effective and successful transition into expected task completion and workloads, which will be throttled by the supervisor to match the employee's progress during this induction phase. Input will be sought from new employees regarding adjustment, perception of company culture, task allocations, and more.
Job Application
Company:
Position applied for:
Applicant's Personal Details:
Identity / Social Security or Other (Specify) number:
Physical Address:
Postal Address:
Details of driver's license:
Date available for employment:
Education:
Highest Grade:
Subjects passed:
Qualifications:
Other Training or Institution attended:
Qualifications:
Other details:
Languages:
Hobbies or Interests:
Reference: (Not family)
Contact No.:
Occupation:
Period Known:
Reference: (Not family)
Contact No.:
Occupation:
Period Known:
Employment History: (Start with your current or most recent employer)
Company:
Referee:
Contact No.:
Position Held:
Period Employed:
Responsibilities / Duties:
Salary:
Reasons for leaving:
Permission to contact them:
Company:
Referee:
Contact No.:
Position Held:
Period Employed:
Responsibilities / Duties:
Salary:
Reasons for leaving:
Permission to contact them:
Company:
Referee:
Contact No.:
Position Held:
Period Employed:
Responsibilities / Duties:
Salary:
Reasons for leaving:
Permission to contact them:
Response to Senior Management Questions
a.
Formal recruitment, selection, and induction policies will help Blue Gum achieve its goal of greater HR consistency by providing a codified list of values and procedures for individual executives and managers to refer to when engaging in any such activities. The basic policy statements provided above will also serve as a foundation for greater centralized planning of these efforts, especially recruitment efforts, creating more detailed, efficient and effective practice guidelines that will coordinate efforts and help to ensure that the top talent is acquired and retained at all levels of the organization and its operations. Without any such codification or centralization in these efforts or the planning behind them, it will be entirely impossible for any consistency to be achieved, and it is for this reason that these new policies are essential in achieving broader company goals and objectives.
b.
Store managers are essential in ensuring that these stated policies are carried out in a consistent and effective manager, as they are ultimately responsible for hiring and induction proceedings. Senior management must also be on board with these new policies, or encouraging and enforcing them will be all but impossible. The authority and the ground-level operations that these two levels of management control are the top and bottom of the educational supply chain within the company, as it were, and if they are not fully integrated the system itself will simply not succeed. With low initial support among these management groups, presentations regarding the cost effectiveness and the company culture benefits that are achieved will be made, stressing whichever aspect of the program it is believed will speak most directly to the individual(s) involved. This program has many benefits and a customizable message.
Case Study
Part A
Determining the appropriate staffing needs and human resource changes for the new store opening in just over a month should take place based on analysis of current staffing and sales records at existing stores. These numbers, assessed in light of projected traffic and any special promotional efforts for the store opening, should determine initial and future human resource estimates. The new store manager (ideally an experienced store manager already with the company), the regional manager, and human resources executives should all be involved in this analysis and in making the decisions regarding staffing levels and projections.
Part B
1.
Preparing individualized job descriptions and personal specifications before placing a recruitment advertisement targets the recruitment effort to a more focused audience, and can also help the recruiter better understand the positions they are trying to fill and the qualities that should be found in successful applicants. In the particular scenario at hand, more targeted advertising would have been noticed and appreciated (and responded to) by a greater number of qualified applicants. This also would have provided greater levels of assurance to applicants that the position was realistically understand by the hiring manager, which can lead to many inferences regarding the nature and likely development of the position itself.
2.
Retail store managers are essentially responsible for all day-to-day operations of the store, from ensuring that products are available to consumers (both in terms of initially seeing them and purchasing them, meaning display and inventory control) to maintaining oversight and control of the cash flow of the sales and procurement operations. Employee management and customer service are also task areas that retail managers must excel in. Personal characteristics advantageous in a retail manager include a broad knowledge base covering a variety of relevant areas and a regular and extensive schedule that promotes consistency in store operations.
3.
Seeking Retail Store Manager. Job description: responsible for overseeing staff at a retail clothing outlet and providing customer service as necessary. Oversee displays, stocking levels, general store cleanliness and maintenance, and ensuring compliance with employee regulations (breaks, safety, etc.). Duties also include cash handling and moderate use of computers and spreadsheets in tracking sales figures and other relevant data. Personal specifications of the successful candidates include at least three years experience in a retail setting, preferably in a management position, and excellent written and oral communication skills. Knowledge of basic retail operations, computer use (including Excel and Quicken familiarity), and ability to work a standard full-time schedule are required.
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