Employee recruitment strategy for FedEx's PacEx subsidiary in Kava

FedEx and PacEx

Throughout previous analyses, it has been concluded that the best solution to attract and train staff members for FedEx's subsidiary in Kava -- PacEx -- is that of selecting the employees through marketing campaigns. The implementation of this alternative will be achieved gradually, and the stages are succinctly presented below:

The Implementation Plan

(1) Present the ideas to the FedEx headquarters and require the assistance of the company's marketing specialists

(2) Search through the FedEx archives for a campaign that has had a similar goal (recruiting employees) and has managed to successfully attain it

(3) Modify the FedEx campaign to suit the needs of the PacEx offices in Kava

(4) Air the campaign through various media channels, such as television and radio advertisements, but also street banners

(5) Maintain communications with the public and promote the campaign in itself and the objectives it strives to achieve -- this could be attained if the PacEx managers were to feature in televised interviews, radio talk shows and interviews in the specialized magazines and journals and promote the values of the organizations as well as communicate the fact that the company was looking to hire people and integrate them in a culturally diverse and stimulating working environment (FedEx Website, 2009)

(6) Begin analysis and selection of the received resumes

(7) Organize interviews with the selected candidates

(8) Make employment offers to the candidates which passed the organizational tests and met the necessary conditions

(9) Commence training programs

(10) Launch operations to augment the presence in Kava through an increased and improved personnel and fleet

Challenges

The following lines present some of the internal and external challenges that could be met throughout the implementation process, each followed by the solutions proposed in resolving the difficulty.

Language barriers -- in order to ensure that the new employees are able to interact with their American colleagues, the HR Department will only select those resumes which clearly state that the candidate speaks English at an intermediate level at least; also, the company will offer language training

Corporate image -- just like any other large entity, the FedEx Corporation has attracted some criticism and is often blamed for not carrying enough for its employees, but rather trying to exploit them, the latest evidence in this sense being the cut in wages and retirement contributions (FedEx Watch, 2006) or the efforts the company makes to ensure that its employees do not unionize (Sechler, 2009). In order to overcome this challenge, the media campaign will focus on the benefits of being a FedEx employee, and will include in this the testimonies of its satisfied staff members

Local support -- it is also possible that the company does not manage to attract sufficient support from the local authorities. The response to this challenge is a twofold one -- the first approach sees that the PacEx representatives assess the market conditions (including the legislation) and promote the company efforts in full accordance with local customs and norms. Secondly, it is necessary to approach the local authorities and promote the PacEx agenda as being beneficial for Kava as it creates more jobs, increases the living standards of the population and sustains their professional formation.

Cultural and Ethical Implications

The first and cultural implication is given by the field of linguistics, in the meaning that the native born employees will have to improve their English speaking skills. Yet, this should not be perceived as a negative impact since it will only have the benefit of improving the skills of the employees and supporting their professional formation. The second potential implication, of an ethical nature, is the perception of the individuals in Kava that the new employees are working for an American corporation, which is not looking to support the local development of Kava, but is only striving to gain access to cost effective labor force and exploit it. This effect has a more negative connotation, but will be overcome by a continuous emphasis on the positive role PacEx plays in the local community.

References:

Sechler, B., June 9, 2009, FedEx Begins Campaign Against Labor Bill, the Wall Street Journal, p. B5

2006, FedEx Announces Retirement Contribution Freeze, FedEx Watch, http://FedExwatch.com/content/pages/FedEx_announces_retirement_contribution_freeze / last accessed on August 21, 2009

2009, FedEx Careers, FedEx Website, http://FedEx.hodesiq.com/careers/about_us.aspx?User_ID=&Locale=en last accessed on August 21, 2009