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Chapter 7 Recruiting, Selecting, Training, and Developing Employees Closing Case: The Temptation of Temping Case Summary In the current economic climate, unfortunately, overall job postings are down on Craigslist—and everywhere else—except for short-term gigs that usually include no health benefits, sick days, or paid vacations. If one is employed short term or part time for economic reasons (probably because you got laid off), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies you as “underemployed.” Naturally, most people who are “underemployed” are, by definition, “overqualified.” In fact, they often have years of professional experience but are willing to take jobs that don’t call for their levels of training or experience. Interestingly, for many people, the adjustment to current labor-market conditions isn’t necessarily as traumatic as one might think. In fact, temping offers several advantages. It can provide income during career transitions and it’s a good way to exercise a little control over the balance between your work and the rest of your life. And then there’s the economy. While many employers have laid off full-time workers, others have tried to compensate by turning over some work to temp staff. Ironically, of course, many of those who’ve been laid off are highly qualified, and as they hit the job market willing to accept lower-level positions, the ranks of job hunters are being joined by a substantial number of overqualified workers. Case Questions 1. You’re a senior manager at a growing business and you’re ready to add employees. Your HR manager has recommended a temp-to-perm policy. You know the advantages of this approach, but what might be some disadvantages? Implementing a temp-to-perm policy can offer several advantages, such as flexibility in hiring, the ability to assess a candidate's fit for a permanent role, and reduced risk if the candidate doesn't meet expectations. However, there are also potential disadvantages to consider: 1. Cost : Hiring temporary employees can be more expensive in the short term, as they may require higher hourly rates or agency fees. Additionally, the process of transitioning a temporary employee to a permanent role can incur additional costs, such as training and onboarding expenses. 2. Uncertainty for Employees : Temporary employees may feel uncertain about their future with the company and may be less motivated or engaged than permanent employees. This could impact productivity and morale within the team. 3. Legal and Compliance Issues : Temp-to-perm arrangements can be complex from a legal and compliance perspective. Ensuring that the arrangement complies with labor laws and regulations, such as those related to temporary staffing, can be challenging. 4. Impact on Company Culture : Temporary employees may not fully integrate into the company culture or feel a strong sense of loyalty to the organization. This could impact teamwork and collaboration within the team. 5. Potential for Skills Gap : If the temporary employee does not possess the necessary skills or qualifications for the permanent role, it could result in a skills gap that needs to be addressed through additional training or recruitment efforts. Overall, while a temp-to-perm policy can offer flexibility and advantages in certain situations, it's important to carefully weigh the potential disadvantages and consider whether this approach aligns with the organization's long-term goals and values. 2. Assume that you’re a prospective job seeker (which you may very well be). What do you personally see as the advantages and disadvantages of taking a temp-to-perm position? Under what circumstances are you most likely to take a temp-to-perm position? As a job seeker considering a temp-to-perm position, I would see several advantages and disadvantages: Advantages: 1. Opportunity for Evaluation: A temp-to-perm position allows me to evaluate the company culture, work environment, and job responsibilities before committing to a permanent role. 2. Skill Development: It provides an opportunity to gain new skills, experience, and industry knowledge that can enhance my resume and future job prospects. 3. Networking: Working in a temporary role allows me to network within the organization and potentially secure a permanent position through internal referrals or recommendations. Disadvantages: 1. Job Insecurity: There is a level of uncertainty regarding the temporary nature of the position and the possibility that it may not lead to a permanent role. 2. Limited Benefits: Temporary positions may not offer the same benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, or paid time off, as permanent positions. 3. Career Progression: There may be limited opportunities for career advancement or professional growth within a temporary role compared to a permanent position. I would be most likely to consider a temp-to-perm position under the following circumstances: 1. Opportunity for Growth: If the temporary position offers the potential for skill development, career advancement, and valuable experience in a new industry or role. 2. Company Reputation: If the company has a positive reputation for treating temporary employees well and has a track record of converting temporary positions into permanent roles. 3. Flexibility: If I value flexibility in my work schedule or if the temporary position aligns with my long-term career goals and allows me to explore new opportunities. Overall, while there are potential risks and uncertainties associated with temp-to-perm positions, they can also offer valuable opportunities for career growth and exploration. It's important to carefully evaluate each opportunity and consider how it aligns with your personal and professional goals. 3. What challenges are likely to confront a manager who supervises a mix of temporary and permanent employees? In what ways might these challenges differ if the temporary workers have been hired on a temp-to-perm basis rather than on a strictly temporary basis? A manager who supervises a mix of temporary and permanent employees is likely to face several challenges, regardless of whether the temporary workers are hired on a temp-to-perm basis or strictly temporary basis. Some of these challenges include: 1. Communication: Ensuring effective communication between temporary and permanent employees can be challenging, as temporary workers may not be as integrated into the team or organization. 2. Team Cohesion: Building and maintaining a cohesive team dynamic can be difficult when there is a mix of temporary and permanent employees with different levels of commitment and investment in the organization. 3. Training and Development: Providing adequate training and development opportunities for temporary employees to ensure they are able to perform their roles effectively can be challenging, especially if they are only with the organization for a short time. 4. Performance Management: Managing the performance of temporary employees, including providing feedback and addressing performance issues, can be challenging due to the temporary nature of their employment. 5. Employee Engagement: Engaging temporary employees and ensuring they feel valued and motivated can be challenging, as they may not have the same level of loyalty or commitment as permanent employees. These challenges may differ slightly if the temporary workers have been hired on a temp-to-perm basis rather than strictly temporary basis. In the case of temp-to-perm workers, the challenges may include: 1. Expectations: Managing the expectations of temp-to-perm workers who are hoping to secure a permanent position can be challenging, especially if there are limited permanent opportunities available. 2. Retention: Ensuring that temp-to-perm workers are retained until the end of their temporary period and successfully transitioned to permanent positions if they meet the criteria can be challenging, as they may be actively seeking permanent opportunities elsewhere. 3. Integration: Integrating temp-to-perm workers into the team and organization, while also managing the expectations of permanent employees who may be concerned about their job security, can be challenging. Overall, managing a mix of temporary and permanent employees requires careful planning, communication, and flexibility to address the unique challenges that arise from having a diverse workforce. The following items appear on the in-text Instructor Prep Cards. These notes and suggested talking points should help instructors conduct these exercises with the students. Discussion Questions 1. Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of internal versus external recruiting. Advantages of internal recruiting include: Motivation for current employees Existing employees’ familiarity with the organization, its heritage, its culture, its policies and procedures, its strategies, and its ways of doing business Disadvantages of internal recruiting include: Possibly fostering stagnation and stifling creativity by never bringing in new people with new ideas The ripple effect of needing to fill the open lower-level position that the promotion created Advantages of external recruiting include: Bringing in new ideas, new perspectives, and new ways of doing things Avoiding the ripple effect Being the only option, if there are not any internal employees to fill new positions Disadvantages of external recruiting include: Possible motivational problems for current employees Being more expensive than internal recruiting Note that the advantages and disadvantages of internal recruiting run directly counter to those of external recruiting. Many organizations prefer to rely on both types of recruiting so that the advantages and disadvantages of each particular recruiting effort can be matched to unique contexts. 2. Identify and describe the basic methods used by organizations for external recruiting. The basic methods for external recruiting include: Drawing from the general labor pool Using referrals from existing employees Using direct applicants or walk-ins Various techniques can be used to reach potential external applicants, including: Word-of-mouth Advertisements Public employment agencies Private employment agencies Executive search firms College placement offices New methods such as Career Television Network (on cable), radio, or the Internet 3. What is a realistic job preview? What function does it serve? A realistic job preview is an attempt to paint a more realistic picture for an applicant of a particular job and its working conditions. Research shows that newly hired employees who received realistic job previews have a higher rate of job survival, report higher levels of satisfaction and trust, and have a more realistic set of expectations about the job than those who are hired without realistic previews. 4. How would you feel if you thought you deserved to be promoted, but instead the organization hired someone from outside and made that person your boss? What would you do? If I believed I deserved to be promoted but the organization hired someone from outside and made that person my boss, I would likely feel disappointed, frustrated, and possibly undervalued. It can be challenging to see someone else chosen for a position you believe you were qualified for and deserving of. In such a situation, I would first try to understand the reasons behind the decision. I would seek feedback from my current manager or HR to understand any areas for improvement or development that I could work on. It's important to approach this feedback with an open mind and a willingness to learn and grow. I would also evaluate my options within the organization. If there are opportunities for growth and advancement in other areas, I might consider pursuing those. However, if I feel that there are limited opportunities for advancement or if I am consistently overlooked for promotions despite my qualifications and efforts, I may start exploring opportunities outside the organization. Ultimately, it's important to remain professional and focused on my career goals. While being passed over for a promotion can be disheartening, it can also be an opportunity to reassess my goals and priorities and make decisions that align with my long-term career objectives. 5. Which recruiting methods are most likely to attract your attention? 1. Job Boards and Online Platforms: Posting job openings on popular job boards and online platforms can attract a large pool of candidates. Platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor are commonly used by job seekers. 2. Social Media: Utilizing social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to promote job openings can help reach a broader audience and attract passive candidates. 3. Employee Referrals: Employee referral programs can be highly effective in attracting candidates, as people are more likely to apply for a job recommended by someone they know and trust. 4. Networking Events and Job Fairs: Participating in networking events, career fairs, and industry conferences can help recruiters connect with potential candidates and promote job openings. 5. Company Website and Career Page: Having a well-designed career page on the company website with clear information about job openings and the company culture can attract candidates who are interested in the organization. 6. Recruitment Agencies and Headhunters: Working with recruitment agencies and headhunters can help reach candidates who may not be actively looking for jobs but are open to new opportunities. 7. Targeted Advertising: Using targeted advertising to promote job openings to specific demographics or audiences can help attract candidates with the right skills and experience. 8. Internship Programs: Offering internship programs can help attract young talent and provide an opportunity to evaluate potential future hires. By using a combination of these recruiting methods, organizations can attract the attention of a diverse range of candidates and find the best fit for their job openings. 6 What are the general steps in the selection process? The three steps in the selection process are: Gathering information about the members of the pool of qualified recruits in terms of levels of KSA requirements, attitudes toward work, and perceived likelihood of succeeding in the organization. Evaluating the qualifications of each applicant from the recruit pool by applying explicit or implicit standards to the information gathered in step 1. Making the actual decision as to which candidate or candidates will be offered employment with the organization by carefully assessing each individual’s qualifications relative to the standards of the job and its required skills and abilities. 7. What are the most common selection criteria that organizations use when making selection decisions? The most common selection criteria include education and experience, skills and abilities to perform a particular job, and personal characteristics such as personality and fit with the organization’s culture and style. 8. Identify and describe several popular selection techniques. Employment applications ask individuals for various bits of personal information such as name, educational background, career goals, and experience. More sophisticated applications include the weighted application blank and the biodata application. Employment tests are devices for measuring characteristics of an individual such as personality, intelligence, or aptitude. Tests are usually administered on paper or by computer. Interviews are considered tests. Other types of tests include cognitive ability tests, psychomotor ability tests, personality tests (both self-report inventories and projective techniques), and integrity tests. Work simulations or work samples involve asking prospective employees to perform tasks or job-related activities that simulate or represent the work for which the person is being considered. Interviews are face-to-face conversations between prospective job applicants and representatives of the organization. An interview may be structured, semistructured, or unstructured. Individuals who are familiar with the job applicant’s past experiences and work history provide references and recommendations. These are often of little real value, as the job applicant is likely to choose references that will give him or her positive recommendations. A growing concern is legal liability in the preparation of recommendation letters, so many people are hesitant to give out anything but objective information. Physical examinations are usually administered after a conditional offer of employment to determine whether the person is physically healthy enough to perform a job, to determine whether the person has any communicable diseases, and/or to determine the extent to which the person may have appropriate levels of stamina and physical condition for performing hazardous or strenuous jobs. Drug tests also fall into the category of physical examinations. 9. Can you identify various kinds of jobs where experience is more important than education? Where education is more important than experience? Certainly! There are several types of jobs where experience is often more important than education: 1. Skilled Trades: Jobs such as electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians often require hands-on experience and specialized skills that are typically gained through apprenticeships or on-the-job training. 2. Sales: Sales roles often prioritize experience and a proven track record of success over formal education, as success in sales is often based on practical skills and experience. 3. Customer Service: Customer service roles may prioritize candidates with relevant experience in dealing with customers and resolving issues, as these skills are often best developed through hands-on experience. 4. Creative Industries: Jobs in fields such as writing, graphic design, and photography often value a portfolio of work and practical experience over formal education, although education can still be beneficial. 5. Entrepreneurship: In entrepreneurial roles, practical experience in starting and running businesses can be more valuable than formal education, although education in business or related fields can provide useful knowledge and skills. On the other hand, there are also jobs where education is often more important than experience: 1. Professional Services: Jobs in fields such as medicine, law, and accounting typically require formal education and professional qualifications, as these fields have specific knowledge and skills that are best acquired through formal education. 2. STEM Fields: Jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) often require specialized knowledge and skills that are best acquired through formal education, although experience can also be important in some cases. 3. Academic and Research Positions: Jobs in academia and research often require advanced degrees and specialized knowledge in a particular field, as well as a demonstrated ability to conduct research and contribute to knowledge in the field. 4. Management and Leadership Roles: While experience is important in management and leadership roles, formal education in areas such as business administration or management can provide valuable knowledge and skills that are beneficial in these roles. It's important to note that the importance of education vs. experience can vary depending on the specific job, industry, and employer preferences. In many cases, a combination of education and experience is ideal for achieving success in a particular role. 10. Which selection techniques would you feel most confident in using? Least confident in using? Why? Most confident in using: 1. Behavioral Interviews: This technique involves asking candidates to provide specific examples of past behavior to assess their skills, competencies, and fit for the role. It can provide valuable insights into a candidate's abilities and suitability for the job. 2. Skills Tests and Assessments: Skills tests and assessments can help evaluate a candidate's abilities and technical skills related to the job. They can provide objective data to support hiring decisions. 3. Reference Checks: Reference checks involve contacting a candidate's previous employers or colleagues to verify information and gather insights into their work ethic, performance, and behavior. While this technique relies on external sources, it can provide valuable information about a candidate's suitability for the role. Least confident in using: 1. Graphology (Handwriting Analysis): Graphology is the analysis of handwriting to assess personality traits. It is considered controversial and lacks scientific validity, making it a less reliable selection technique. 2. Polygraph (Lie Detector) Tests: Polygraph tests are used to measure physiological responses to determine if someone is being deceptive. However, they are not always reliable and are not widely used in employment selection due to legal and ethical concerns. 3. Unstructured Interviews: Unstructured interviews, where questions are not predetermined and can vary widely between candidates, are less reliable than structured interviews. They can introduce bias and make it difficult to compare candidates objectively. In general, I would feel most confident using selection techniques that are supported by research and have a strong track record of effectiveness, such as behavioral interviews and skills tests. Techniques that lack scientific validity or are controversial, such as graphology and polygraph tests, would be less preferred due to their potential unreliability and legal implications. 11. What kinds of training would organizations prefer to “pay for”—specific skills training or more general management development?? Why? Organizations may prefer to "pay for" specific skills training or more general management development based on their specific needs and strategic objectives. Here are some considerations for each: 1. Specific Skills Training: • Immediate Impact: Training employees in specific skills that directly relate to their job responsibilities can lead to immediate improvements in performance and productivity. • Addressing Skill Gaps: If there are specific skill gaps within the organization, targeted training can help address these gaps and improve overall competency. • Cost-Effectiveness: In some cases, specific skills training may be more cost-effective than general management development, especially if the training is focused and efficiently delivered. 2. General Management Development: • Long-Term Benefits: Management development programs can have long-term benefits by building a strong leadership pipeline and developing skills that are transferable across different roles and functions. • Leadership Development: Investing in general management development can help identify and nurture future leaders within the organization, ensuring continuity and sustainability. • Adaptability: General management development can help employees develop a broader set of skills that are valuable in a rapidly changing business environment, making them more adaptable to new challenges. Ultimately, the preference for specific skills training or general management development will depend on the organization's strategic goals, the current skill set of its workforce, and its budgetary constraints. In many cases, a balanced approach that combines both specific skills training and general management development may be most effective in meeting the organization's needs. Ethical Dilemmas in HR Management Scenario Summary Students are asked to assume that after working for several years, they returned to graduate school to take some advanced courses and earn a master’s degree as a way of improving both their specific job skills and their overall prospects for career management. They also took a course in industrial psychology and one of the topics covered was personality testing and measurement. They thoroughly studied and reviewed the most popular personality tests used by companies as selection techniques. Students are then asked to assume that they are now applying for a job within a company they particularly want to work for. The company’s selection process includes a personality test. The student as a job applicant knows that he or she can answer the questions well enough to seem a near-perfect candidate for the job. However, these answers would not reflect the job applicant’s true personality. Questions 1. What are the ethical issues in this situation? An issue is whether the job applicant should misrepresent him- or herself through the personality test in order to obtain the job with the chosen organization. An additional issue is whether the job applicant should inform the organization of his or her familiarity with the personality measure. 2. What are the basic arguments for and against “cheating” on the personality tests? For: The job candidate is highly motivated to work for the company, which may be more important than whether he or she has the personality that the organization is seeking. The job candidate can use his or her familiarity with personality measures to personal advantage. As long as the other tests within the selection process identify the job candidate as the best to hire, the personality measure is of less consequence. Personality tests may not be very valid predictors of job performance. Against: It may be unethical to answer the personality measure inaccurately, because the job candidate is misrepresenting him- or herself. The organization has chosen to use the personality measure, so it is likely that the measure has been validated as a good predictor of job performance. If a particular personality is best for the job in question, the job candidate may not be a good fit with the job itself. 3. What do you think most job seekers would do? What would you do? Most job seekers would likely conduct research on the company they're applying to, tailor their resume and cover letter to the job description, prepare for interviews by practicing common questions, and network to increase their chances of getting hired. As for me, if I were job seeking, I would take a similar approach. I would research the company to understand its culture, values, and the role I'm applying for. I would customize my resume and cover letter to highlight relevant experience and skills. I would also practice for interviews and seek out networking opportunities to connect with professionals in the industry. Assignment Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to give you insights into effective and ineffective recruiting via advertisements. Step 1: Obtain a section of a newspaper (no longer than one page) that contains numerous recruiting ads. Working alone, identify the one as that one thinks is most effective and the one ad that he or she thinks is least effective. Jot down the reasoning for each choice on a piece of paper. Step 2: Ask students to form pairs with their classmates. Exchange ad pages with the student in each pair. Pick two ads from the student’s paper—the ones that the instructor thinks are most and least effective. Again, jot down the rationale. Step 3: Each student should next reveal his or her own choices for most and least effective recruiting ads, along with his or her rationales for his or her choices. Step 4: This step is optional. Instructors may ask for a few examples of particularly effective and less effective ads to be shared with the entire class. Solution Manual for Human Resources Angelo Denisi, Ricky Griffin 9781285867571
