A summary of the HR concerns and challenges of the division
The key challenge for the company as a whole consists of the need for new recruitment methods. As stated in the case study, the ad hoc recruiting and employee referrals are not sufficient given the company’s expansion. The situation is challenging as any other transition case for all the departments, including the Manufacturing Division.
Janine Woods confesses that the Manufacturing Division relies on referrals almost completely since, according to her, the peer pressure improves the motivation of employees. Janine is not worried about it, but she admits that if the company is to increase the output drastically, their methods will be insufficient. She is also concerned with the fact that the number of Hispanic employees in her division grows, but their needs may not be met since there are no specific recruitment plans for different groups of employees.
Also, she points out the need for an emphasis on the cultural aspect of the division that distinguishes it from other workplaces. She believes that this is an advantage, but the issue of making it visible can be regarded as a challenge since she does not dwell on the plan of doing so.
A recruiting plan for the division and the most important activities
In general, an HR recruitment plan should include the aspects of defining the need for new employees, making the job offer, and selecting the candidates (Armstrong 221-228). The first aspect should involve the appraisal of the resources of the department, including the HR staff available for the recruitment. Janine Woods needs to define if her staff is sufficient for the situation in which more employees should be recruited. Apart from that, new recruitment activities need to be developed.
The Manufacturing Division should reconsider its hiring techniques in several ways: the reliance on the referral hiring must be diversified by other methods (including external hiring activities) and the needs of diverse groups of potential employees should be met. The development of these new recruitment techniques is a priority since they presuppose directly responding to the issues. Apart from that, new recruiting techniques should be used to make the job offer stand out. As was pointed out by Janine Woods, the Department’s offer does not stand out in terms of salary, which requires commentary on the company’s culture. Also, supposedly, other aspects of the Department can be highlighted as a means of attracting the employees.
The process of selection, according to Janine Woods, is simple (experience and teamwork readiness), and there is hardly a reason to make it more difficult. The issue of the possible shortage of HR personnel, however, can be mentioned again during this stage of the recruitment plan. Also, since Hispanic employees might need specific interview methods, this aspect needs to be further investigated. Possibly, it would make sense to assign a Hispanic HR to respond to this challenge.
External recruiting activities for the division if the company needs to grow
External recruiting should be considered by the Manufacturing Division due to its central role. Nowadays it appears necessary to use the Internet for recruitment activities due to its popularity and convenience. According to a recent survey, 77% of employees search for work online (Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor 253). Internet recruitment methods may include social networking (for example, LinkedIn) and online job sites.
All these options allow the chance to highlight the benefits of the company, including its cultural identity that Janine Woods is so proud of. Also, if the development of diversity-friendly recruitment (and management) techniques is successful, it can be made similarly visible as another advantage. Other methods (newspapers, employment agencies, and so on) can also be used if they are considered feasible, but the development of Internet recruiting activities is a priority.
Works Cited
Armstrong, Michael. Armstrong’s Handbook Of Human Resource Management Practice. London: Kogan Page, 2014. Print.
Pride, William M, Robert James Hughes, and Jack R Kapoor. Foundations of Business. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.