Discussion Questions

Posted: December 22nd, 2022

Student’s Name:

Professor’s Name:

Course:

Date:

Discussion Questions

1. Suppose an organization expects a labor shortage to develop in key job areas over the next few years. Recommend general responses the organization could make in each of the following areas: (LO 5-1)
2. Recruitment

In response to a labor shortage, the organization should target to explore new opportunities and skills presented in the form of technology, and human resource that would occur. The management should also look into providing more incentives to attract top talent as early as possible.

• Training

The management should look into distinguishing the organization by focusing on the workforce. This is achievable by providing training opportunities and investing in the employees.

• Compensation (pay and employee benefits)

The organization could consider adjusting its current compensation programs accordingly. Incorporating various innovations such as automation and improving the brand image would be a suitable response.

• Review the sample transitional matrix shown in Table 5.1. What jobs experience the greatest turnover (employees leaving the organization)? How might an organization with this combination of jobs reduce the turnover? (LO 5-2)

The report indicates that sales representatives have the highest turnover rates. To reduce the turnover, the organization could consider providing better opportunities for career development. Equipping employees with a new skillset through training could also increase morale and overall retention.

• In the same transitional matrix, which jobs seem to rely the most on internal recruitment? Which seem to rely most on external recruitment? Why? (LO 5-2)

The positions that particularly depend on internal recruitment relate to the sales department and they include the manager, the apprentice, and the representatives. Internal recruitment is essential for these positions as these individuals need to have a clear understanding of the organization and its operations. With regards to external recruitment, the main positions to consider are the clerical positions and external contractors working with the organization. While these jobs are critical to the organization, it is easy to train a new employee who has been recruited externally.

• Why do organizations combine statistical and judgmental forecasts of labor demand, rather than relying on statistics or judgment alone? Give an example of a situation in which each type of forecast would be inaccurate. (LO 5-3)

Combining statistical and judgmental forecasts of labor demand is vital because there are no specific standards in the labor sector. Statistical forecasts function to help the company anticipate future trends regarding quantitative data. Judgmental forecasts help to predict the market when there is limited historical data and changes in market conditions. The two forecasts could help in trend analysis, whereby market conditions, workforce demands, and financial resources could be assessed. It would be inaccurate to use statistical forecasting in determining the type of skills that the organization would need to improve the workforce. Judgmental forecasting does not apply in the evaluation of statistical data pertaining to the organization’s finances and market analysis.

• Some organizations have detailed affirmative-action plans, complete with goals and timetables, for women and minorities, yet have no formal human resource plan for the organization as a whole. Why might this be the case? What does this practice suggest about the role of human resource management in these organizations? (LO 5-1)

Having detailed affirmative action plans is a legal obligation, whereas a formal resource plan is not a legal obligation. Nevertheless, it is important to have an affirmative action plan especially when hiring contractors in order to guarantee that the company adheres to the laws and regulations. Human resource management has an integral responsibility of ensuring compliance with regulations and guaranteeing that employees’ needs are well-represented.

• Give an example of a personnel policy that would help attract a larger pool of job candidates. Give an example of a personnel policy that would likely reduce the pool of candidates. Would you expect these policies to influence the quality as well as the number of applicants? Why or why not? (LO 5-4)

A useful personnel policy would be could be campus hiring. This involves carrying out job fairs in higher-education institutions to attract a diverse range of new and qualified talent. To reduce the candidate pool, an effective strategy would be to select students based on their academic performance. While campus hiring widens the scope of candidates, it is a time-consuming process, and creating a cut-ff point can help to speed up the process. However, limiting the selection criterion to educational qualification does not provide room to consider other essential skills.

• Discuss the relative merits of internal versus external recruitment. Give an example of a situation in which each of these approaches might be particularly effective. (LO 5-4)

Internal recruitment guarantees retention and it increases employee morale such as when promoting an employee to a managerial position. It also facilitates continuation in the company’s operations with limited obstructions. Internal recruitment is also cost-effective and it helps to refocus resources on other essential aspects in the organization. External recruitment is advantageous as it diversifies the team and it can help to gain new perspectives in operations.

• List the jobs you have held. How were you recruited for each of these? From the organization’s perspective, what were some pros and cons of recruiting you through these methods? (LO 5-4)

In the first position, the student was recruited through a referral. This approach was beneficial as it reduced the time required to fill in the position and it guaranteed that the candidate ha the necessary experience to complete the assigned tasks. A con associated with this method is that it can limit the organization to a particular set of skills.

• Recruiting people for jobs that require international assignments is increasingly important for many organizations. Where might an organization go to recruit people interested in such assignments? (LO 5-5)

It may be important for the organization to consider recruiting individuals that currently reside in the international regions. This could help to save on costs and overall time. It also helps to ensure that the company has an employee who is well-versed with the legal requirements and someone who understands the local market more effectively.

1. A large share of HR professionals have rated e-cruiting as their best source of new talent. What qualities of electronic recruiting do you think contribute to this opinion? (LO 5-5)

Electronic recruiting presents several advantages including cost-effectiveness, time-saving, and it is easily accessible. It also opens the organization to dynamic content that could diversify the workforce. This approach can also help recruiters to have a better understanding of their candidates and it shortens the entire recruitment process.

1. How can organizations improve the effectiveness of their recruiters? (LO 5-6)

Organizations can focus on improving how the recruiters advertise job positions by focusing on clearer job descriptions and the specific roles. It is also important to create a database with a history of all job advertisements and previous candidates.