Encyclopaedia of Human Resource Management - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Encyclopaedia of Human Resource Management. Answer: Introduction Recruitment and selection are two of the most important HR activities that a manager of a business organisation need to undertake. This is done in order to ensure that an organisation is not short of staffs and that talented individual is present in the organisation (Newell, 2015). The report provides an overview of the recruitment and selection strategies that are adapted for a company located in Hobart. The position taken into consideration is a store manager. The outline of the job position is provided and the strategies employed to attract the selected candidates are provided. For the purpose of the report, OZStyle4U has been considered. The business strategy link of OZStyle4U is analysed that includes organisational goals and the benefits of hiring suitable candidates for the new store in Hobart. Pre-recruitment It has been seen that following a differentiation strategy can help an organisation to gain a competitive advantage. Rees Rumbles (2010) is of the opinion that firms taking a different approach to management need to exercise a unique differentiation strategy. This prevents competitors to imitate the products of the company. It is also needed that every organisation implements a growth strategy that can help in implementing a strategic business plan. Parrotta, Pozzoli Pytlikova (2014) stated that a proper growth strategy could help in the increase of sales of a firm. This is because the economies of scale can be reached and proper maintenance of finance can be achieved. It has been seen that OZStyle4U has implemented both the growth as well as the differentiation strategy. It has been seen that companies that employ both the strategies have an opportunity to establish itself in the market. This is because pursuing a differentiation strategy helps in creating unique products that may be difficult for its competitors. The designing of the clothing material of OZStyle4U need to be such that it is different from the existing brands in Hobart. Apart from this the differentiation strategy allows employees to display the creativity that they possess. This can be considered as a huge motivational factor for the employees working in OZStyle4U as the employees can use their talents in producing good products (Searle, 2016). Thus, it can be said that the growth of OZStyle4U is evident with the application of both the strategies and it can help in the successful expansion of the business in the organisation. Business strategy Priority (P = primary; S = secondary; NA = not applicable) General staffing implications Cost leadership S Flexible Differentiation (quality) P Core Growth P Core Specialisation S Reactive Table 1:Business strategy for OZStyle4U (Source: Created by author) Job requirements matrix for HR Manager In order to recruit for the position of HR manager in Hobart, the organisation has divided the job specification into three specific duties. Each of the allocated tasks has its importance in the overall performance of the organisation. Costen (2012) stated that since the customer satisfaction and development of staffs are important, managers are expected to recruit people based on Customer Service and Staff Supervision Management. Financial manager role is also importantin order to meet the objectives set for finances. As per the job matrix table provided, it is seen that the person specifications provides a clear outline of the skills required for succeeding in the business of OZStyle4U. The importance is rated between 1-10, with 10 being the most important. Apart from this, the essential components are rated as E. Hence, it can be said that aligning with position objectives the employees need to have knowledge about financial operations. The job requirement matrix indicates the growth target of OZStyle4. The company aims to expand its market within 2020, by establishing 12 more stores in Australia. The importance of the job requirement matrix is that it helps in attracting the required talents needed for the fulfilment of goals (Club, 2014). The positive factor of the company is that it holds a good reputation for being excellent in serving customers. Hence, the requirements of the individuals need to be such that it sustains the image of the company. The task and the importance of the specific duty are stated in the matrix, which acts as potential targets for the employees. Job specification Person specification Duty Tasks Importance of duty (%) Time spent on duty (%) KSAO/Competency Importance of KSAO/Competency to performance (1 = Low, 10 = High; E = essential, D = Desirable) Manage the store operations in order to fulfil the organisational goals Manage the financial activities and the sales performance of the organisation 40% 33% 1. Knowledge related to finances. 2. Ability to understand the methods required for selling products 3. Manage the storehouse 7E Maintain proper relationship with customers Analyse customer feedback forms and prepare proper responses to the customers 30% 21% 1. Good communication skill 2. Ability to understand statistical data analysis 3. Good research techniques 8E Table 2: Job requirement matrix (Source: Created by author) Employment Value Proposition (EVP) El-sakka (2016) stated that one of the ways to attract talented employees in an organisation is to provide opportunities for facing challenges and using their skills. In this regard, it can be said that the Employment Value Proposition (EMP) of OZStyle4U is such that it helps employees get proper encouragement to gain a competitive advantage in the market. It has been reported that the average pay earned by a retail manager in Hobart is about $50,000. However, this does not include the bonus and interests are not paid to employees with experience. OZStyle4U is one of the most innovative brands in Hobart and as a result, it attracts highly skilled employees. Hence, it is expected that the company will pay its workers more than the average cost. According to Coller, Cordero and Echavarren (2017) benefits that not mandatory have a great impact on the ability and the retention of the employees. Hence, OZStye4U provides intrinsic benefits to the people. Not only the benefits has the company also provided a stable working environment with allowance for clothing. The company also provides a place for recreation to the employees. Recreational rooms such as cafeteria or music room help employees to relax after an intense day at work. Another advantage of the company is that it provides employees with an opportunity to take paid leave and have extra allowances for a whole week. The National Employment Standards is followed in order to ensure that a proper balance is maintained between work and personal life. Item Focus Type Organisation contribution Employee contribution To which applicants might it appeal Average salary Job-related Extrinsic $80,000 A worker has to work for 40 hours per week. Employees seeking long-term employment Clothing allowance Job related/ Person related Extrinsic $3000 a month Can wear non-formal clothes provided it is presented well Applicants concerned about self-presentation Recreational rooms Person-related Intrinsic Less stressful working environment Maintain proper ambience by avoiding playing loud music Every employee Table 3: Employment Value Proposition (Source: Created by author) Sourcing effectiveness analysis In order to recruit talented people with the criteria required for fulfilling a job, it is needed that a proper job analysis and workforce planning is maintained (Donaldson, 2015). In the case of OZStyle4U, the company focuses on the growth as well as differentiation strategy in order to be innovative in the organisation. Therefore, the requirement of the applicants is high and extensive skill is required in order to survive in the organisation. However, it is to be kept in mind that the recruitment cost of the applicants will also be high, as skilled employees require more salary to be paid. One of the ways by which sourcing of such applicants can be done includes networking and social media. Chaneta (2014) stated that in the modern world the use of social media for advertising and hiring competent people is high. This is mainly because of the fact that internet is the main source of information for people. Hence, people post for job requirements in various portals in order to attract skilful and talented employees. OZStyle4U follows a similar pattern of sourcing. The company not only uses the formal job portals but also uses non-formal portals such as Facebook in order to communicate with talented employees. Apart from this, the use of online job boards can provide OZStyle4U with an opportunity to refine the search to areas in Hobart. The role of HR Manager can also be refined during the search while using this approach for recruiting people. The cost of hiring these people can also be less as compared to the formal hiring of individuals. Source Type of applicant Average speed Cost per hire Expected applicant quality Network and social media All Moderate High High Online job boards Active or semi-passive Moderate Low High Table 4: Source effectiveness analysis (Source: Created by author) Recruitment communication/advertisement In order to employ a talented individual as an HR Manager for the Hobart branch, OZStyle4U need to ensure that the image of the organisation is maintained in a proper manner. Breaugh (2017) stated that in order to recruit employees, it is important that a company maintain communication with the individuals. The communication is mainly done via advertisements posted on job portals and social media. The advertisement needs to be such that it provides a proper understanding of the workplace culture of the organisation. The ambience of the workplace along with the aims and objectives of an organisation is mentioned that highlights the desires of the organisation. In the case of OZStyle4U, the company provides the similar type of advertisement that helps in finding talented employees. Russell Brannan (2016) opined that the recruiting talented employees are an art that an organisation needs to perform in a manner that such that it defines its objectives. It is imperative to maintain a balance that between the ways by which every employee is treated. In the case of OZStyle4U, the company focuses on maintaining a great economic performance. This is mainly due to the work culture and the expansion that is aimed at the organisation. The aim of the company along with supportive work culture can attract talented employees. The fact that that the company provides intrinsic, as well as extrinsic benefits, can be considered as a strong point for the organisation. The brand image of the employer can also help in recruiting employees and help in gaining a realistic job applicant for the organisation. Table 5: Recruitment communication (Source: Created by author) Selection Assessment plan for HR Manager An assessment plan is formulated keeping in mind multiple criteria of a selection process. These methods are analysed in a systematic manner and the best method is selected by the application of trial and error method (Pocock Skinner, 2013). These various choices involved that help in recruiting and selecting specific talents. Some of the processes include resume analysis, panel interview and reference checking and simulation. The plan also consists of the competency of the employees. Employees are sorted based on the requirement of training and direct selection. In the light of this statement, it can be said that in the case of OZStyle4U, the organisation needs to ensure that every method of selection is applied in order to ensure a proper selection of the candidate. The position that OZStyle4U is trying to fulfil is that of the HR manager. Hence, it can be said that the use of reference checking can provide the basic characteristics of the employees. OZStyle4U however, need a further analysis of the compatibility of an individual in order to achieve the desired results. Porter (2001) stated that the next stage in the selection method is conducting a simulation as well as a panel interview. This helps in analysing the candidate in a more in-depth manner. This provides opportunities to analyse the candidate in a proper manner and understand the skills of the candidates. Characteristic Importance of characteristic to job performance Select (S) Train (T) Resume Simulation Panel Interview Reference checking Knowledge of finance 1 S 0.45 0.25 0.20 0.10 Knowledge of sales 1 S 0.10 0.45 0.30 0.15 Communicating ability 1 S 0.45 0.20 0.20 0.45 Analytical skills 1 S 0.30 0.45 0.15 0.10 Table 6: Assessment plan (Source: Created by author) Panel interview questions for HR Manager Panel interviews are conducted in order to analyse the talents and knowledge of an applicant. This interview process provides in-depth questioning of the candidates in order to test the responses of the candidates in terms of knowledge about the subject and the presence of mind (Lin, Yao Zhao (2014). However, it is to be kept in mind that the questions are asked based on the talents and subjects of the individuals. This is important in order to assess the knowledge of the candidate and provide them with an opportunity to extract the creative nature that is required for being successful in a business. In the case of OZStyle4U, the company needs to be certain about the type of questions that can be asked to the candidates applying for the role of HR Manager. Hitt et al., (2001) stated that open-ended questions often produce the best responses and consequently the best results for an organisation. It helps in asking the required questions and spot the candidates most suitable for condu cting the job. However, it is to be noted that the answers of each individual may vary. This is an expected outcome as without varied responses it can be difficult to analyse the individuals. The evaluation of the candidates can be done with the answers provided by them. Interview question Question type Selection criteria Answer Answer scoring What would you do if you wanted to increase sales target during the economic crisis? Situational Knowledge about the economy Excellent: I would create a sales plan team and a team that can analyse the external environment of business Good: I would analyse the current state of work progress Satisfactory: I would look at records of the past and compare it with the present conditions. 10 How will you respond to sudden changes in the priorities of a project? Behavioural Time management skills Excellent: I would delegate the jobs to the best people that are skilled to perform the job Good: I would assist my staffs after receiving the news Satisfactory: I would focus my attention entirely on the new tasks 9 How will you deal with staffs that are underperforming? Behavioural Encouragement and communication skills Excellent: I would have a personal communication with the staff and provide them counselling sessions Good: I would ensure that a mail is sent to them pointing to the failed state of work Satisfactory: I would be strict with the staff and give warning about the performance issues 9 Table 7: Panel interview questions (Source: Created by author) Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded that the selection methods that have been provided in the assignment can be effective in attracting a bunch of talented individuals. The unique characteristics of the recruitment and selection model can be valuable for candidates as they can gain new experiences. In a place like Hobart, analysing the tastes and preferences f the candidates is important in order to formulate innovative plans. A company like OZStyle4U, the use of growth and differentiation strategies can help the company to fulfil its desired objectives. 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