8pg- Human Resource Case Study
Human Resource
Chern’s would also like to reinforce its employer brand among potential applicants. Ryan and Ann would like to create a stronger employer brand, and ask us for advice on what the company’s employer brand should be and how to effectively and consistently market and reinforce it throughout the staffing process.
Assignment Response, provide a written response to the following:
Based in the readings from Mosley (2014) and the information learned about Chern’s over the duration of the course, provide your employer brand management recommendations to our team using the bullets as a guide. Be sure to adequately explain/support why your approach would be effective for Chern’s.
· The Context of Employer Brand Management at Chern’s
o Brand Ideology
o Brand Strategy
o The Perfect Employee
· Target Labor Demographic Considerations
o Talent Segmentation
o Talent Attraction
o Talent Retention
· The Employee Value Proposition
· Managing the Brand Experience internal versus external
· Employer Brand Metrics
· Justifications why this approach would be effective
Written Requirements
Your responses to assignments should be:
· submitted using MS word
· formatted in APA writing style
o title page, body, reference page
o double spaced
o one-inch margins all around
o use third person (recommendations include)
o do not use first person (I recommend or I think)
o essay questions or calculations should be addressed separately and should include separate headings
o use tables if appropriate for calculations
o text should be Times New Roman, black, 12-point font
8 pages required for assignment 4 (Case Study & past assignments attached)
APPENDIX
Strategic Staffing at Chern’s: A Case Study
CHERN’S COMPANY HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION
Siblings Ryan and Ann Chern founded Chern’s, an upscale men’ s and women’s department store, 20 years ago after they graduated with their MBAs. The pair had planned to launch their own company for years, and refined their business model after each spent a great deal of time learning about the retail industry by working in different retail organizations.
The product mix and high-quality products Chern’s sells made it rapidly successful, and the company developed a loyal following. The firm quickly expanded its product line and began opening additional loca- tions 15 years ago. Ryan and Ann have turned their basic idea of providing customers with the best service, selection, quality, and value into a thriving business. The two are now co-presidents of Chern’s: Ryan serves as the company’s chief executive officer; Ann serves as the company’s chief operating officer.
Chern’s pursues an aggressive growth strategy. Currently the company has 140 stores in 28 states on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Chern’ s employs an average of 19,000 full- and part-time employees. Providing superior customer service has been the company’ s main business strategy and has successfully differentiated it from its competitors. Although the company’s prod- ucts are expensive, the high product quality and excellent customer service have made the company successful.
Because customers’ tastes can differ from one store to the next, the company tries to be as decentralized as possible. Therefore, it gives its store managers a considerable amount of discretion in terms of bow they run their stores. Likewise, each manager runs his or her own department as a small business and is rewarded according to the department’ s and the store’s overall success.
Because customer service lies at the heart of the company’s business strategy, it is a core part of the corporate culture of Chern’ s. Ann and Ryan believe that customer service is the essence of selling and that because the firm’s sales associates are in direct contact with customers, they are the core drivers of the company’s performance. Both department managers and assistant depart- ment managers support the sales associates. Besides giving the sales staff their full support, the department managers at Chern’s are, in tum, supported by their store managers, assistant depart- ment managers, buyers, and merchandising managers. Figure A- 1 illustrates these relationships.
Core values are an essential part of the Chern’s brand and are the foundation of its culture. The company’ s family ownership contributes to its desire to make every employee and customer feel valued and cared for. The firm is known for its strong and unique culture, which it feels is due to its belief that the best approach to business is to hire good people. As such, Chern’s tries to iden- tify and select the right people, train them, and give them the tools and autonomy they need to suc- ceed. Successful employees are rewarded with above-market base salaries and generous bonuses.
Store Manager
Assistant Department
Managers
Buyers
Department Managers
Sales Associates
Merchandising Managers
FIGURE A-1 The Sales Support Relationships among Chern’s Staff Members 383RebeccaText BoxPhillips, J. M., & Gully, S. M. (2015). Strategic staffing (3rd. ed.). NY: Pearson
384 Appendix
The management philosophy at Chem’s is based on empowerment. Chern ‘s believes that by hiring well it can trust its employees to use their own judgment. Consequently, the firm gives them a considerable amount of freedom in terms of how they do their jobs. By striving to create a fair and positive environment and giving each employee the tools and autonomy he or she needs to succeed, the company feels it has created an environment in which its sales asso- ciates can truly excel. In fact, last year, 42 Chern’s sales associates sold at least $1,000,000 in merchandise-a company record.
Because Chern’s has a strong reputation for customer service, quality, and selection, it enjoys very positive brand recognition among its targeted customers. It is consistently named one of the top three retailers in regional customer surveys and has been listed among Fortune magazine’s top 100 best companies to work for. Last year the company ranked number 72 on Fortune’s list, down from 44 the previous year. It was the second-highest retailer on the list, behind Nordstrom’s. It also ranked as having the best customer service among retailers for the past three years in customer surveys developed by the National Retail Federation.
In addition to focusing on customer service, selection, quality, and value, Chem’s has invested heavily in information-technology tools to improve its inventory management and help its sales associates make efficient transactions with customers. The company recently imple- mented a Perpetual Inventory System to help its buyers react more quickly to the feedback given to them by its sales associates and to track inventory to quickly adjust each store’s product mix and clothing sizes available. The technology has helped the company increase its efficiency and lower its costs as well as add value for its customers.
CHERN’S FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
Chern’s has enjoyed a strong financial performance over the last few years. Over the past five years, the company’s share price has increased 134 percent and the company’s revenues have grown at an annualized rate of 9 percent. Revenues and net income have grown as all of the firm’s stores have reported sales increases every year over the past three years. Growing rev- enues and income have provided the company with the financial base and stability it needs for further expansion. The five-year growth strategy at Chern’ s is to open 15 new stores a year and to continue to grow at an annual rate of 9 percent. Figure A-2 shows the company’s revenue, gross profit, and net income trends for the last three years.
The company’s good financial performance has translated into strong operating cash flow, giving it the option of reinvesting in its business, buying back shares, or passing some of its earn- ings to investors in the form of dividends. Figure A-3 shows the operating cash flow trend at Chern’s over the past three years.
Net Income Gross Profit Total Revenue
o3 Years Ago
•2 Years Ago
Dlast Year
FIGURE A-2 Three-Year Revenue, Gross Profit, and Net Income Trends for Chern’s
Three Years Ago Two Years Ago Last Year
FIGURE A-3 Three-Year Cash Flow Trend for Chern’s
Chern’s has funded its expansion using its earnings rather than by taking on debt. The company believes that its conservative debt policies and strong cash flow help create shareholder value by enabling it to expand into new markets.
CHERN’S HUMAN RESOURCES
Chern ‘s averages 1 store manager, 8 department managers, 8 assistant department managers, and approximately 100 full-time and 25 part-time sales associates per store. Full-time employees receive a generous benefits package, two weeks paid vacation, and are eligible for bonuses. Part- time employees are considered members of the core workforce and receive prorated benefits and bonuses. Because it feels that they would not reinforce its culture, Chern’s does not currently utilize temporary or contingent workers of any kind. Turnover among its full-time sales associ- ates has been relatively stable, averaging 20 percent over the past three years. Turnover among the company’s part-time sales associates has also been relatively low compared to similar retail operations, averaging 15 percent over the past three years. The part-time sales associates are used to increase the number of sales associates on the floor during peak periods.
The human resources department at Chern’s generally does a good job supporting the company’s business strategy. The company’s compensation, performance management, and training are all designed to get sales associates up to speed and selling quickly. The base pay they earn is 20 percent above the market average, and Chern’s matches in their 401 (k) plans up to 10 percent of their base pay. Twenty percent of a sales associate’s bonus is tied to the person’s customer service performance as rated by his or her department manager, 40 percent is based on individual sales performance in relation to that person’s sales target, and 40 percent is based on overall store sales. New employees have a reduced sales target for their first year. Sales associ- ates can earn up to 150 percent of their base pay in bonuses based on both sales and customer satisfaction ratings. Top performers at Chern’s earn well above the market average in pay.
Semiannual performance evaluations assess sales associates’ initiative, customer service behaviors, coworker support behaviors, and leadership. Raises to an associate’s base salary include a cost-of-living adjustment based on inflation, and from 0 to 10 percent based on the department manager’s perception of the sales associate’s performance, adherence to company values, and leadership contributions. Sales associates are also given 10 personal days, includ- ing sick days, and generous health and dental benefits. If a sales associate refers a candidate to Chern’s, and the person is hired, the company gives the employee a $ 1,000 referral bonus after the new hire passes the six-month mark with strong performance.
Appendix 385
386 Appendix
Chern’s largely focuses its training and development activities on its new hires. New hires undergo a two-day orientation. Each then receives on-the-job training from his or her department manager and shadows another sales associate for one week. Employees receive additional train- ing only if they fail to reach their sales quotas two months in a row. Sales associates who fail to reach their quotas four months in a row are given a warning. Those who fail to meet their quotas five months in a row are terminated.
Sales associates can use the store’s technology to identify how they are performing relative to their quotas. Chern’s expects its employees to be relatively “tech savvy” and be willing and able to quickly learn its systems. Customer information, including information about their previ- ous purchases and fashion preferences, is stored in the company’s computer for fast retrieval. Chern’s also uses technology to give its buyers feedback about its customers’ preferences and purchasing trends. The company’s sales associates are also required to record information about customers’ inquiries and unfilled requests for particular types of clothing. This is critical because it helps each department better track its inventory and quickly adjust its product mix and sizes to meet the changing demands of its customers. Sales associates can also use the store’s computers to check inventory at other Chern’s locations to better assist clients in locating desired products.
THE COMPETITION CHERN’S FACES
Chern’s primary competitors include Nordstrom, Dillard’ s, Barney’s, Nieman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Table A- 1 shows the previous and current year’s sales, net income, and employee headcount for Chern’s relative to its competitors.
At Chern’s, sales associates execute the company’s customer service strategy by building long-term relationships with their clientele. Sales associates feel empowered, and their business freedom is strongly supported by the corporation as long as the employees work hard and do their best. Chern’s tries to hire sales associates with an entrepreneurial spirit, a drive to be suc- cessful, and a desire to make money. The sales force’s accountability for results and Chern’ s high expectations of them means that Chern’s wants to hire only elite sales associates.
TABLE A-1
Previous year’s sales ($ millions)
Current year’s sales Growth(%)
Previous year’s net income($ millions)
Current year’s income growth(%)
Previous year’s headcount (full and part time)
Current year’s headcount growth(%)
On~~Ye~r Performance of Ch~rn’s Relative to Its Comf’letitors
Nieman Saks Fifth Chern’s Nordstrom Dillard’s Barney’s Marcus Avenue
3,800 8,11 1 8,525 326 4,390 2,249
9.7 9.9 (.9) 2.3 6.9 8.2
193.4 672 .5 242.2 24.2 247 .8 164.2
9.0 6.9 .8 (.6) 6.0 6.4
19,000 56,500 54,300 1,400 17,900 11 ,750
9 2.9 (1.2) .9 4.1 3.9
The levels of customer service excellence and sales skills required by Chern’s employees are not the same for most other retail ftrms. High-end retailers, such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, tend to compete more directly with Chern’s for hires than do competitors such as Dillard’s and Federated Department Stores, which focus less on customer service. The quality of Chern’s sales force has enabled it to offer employees considerable upward mobility within the company, which is unusual for a retailer. Chern’ s ftlls 75 percent of its department manager and assistant department manager positions internally, whereas most of its competitors fill their man- agement positions externally; 80 percent of the current store managers at Chern’s once worked as sales associates for the ftrm. Promotion from within is important to the company. Both Ryan and Ann strongly believe that internal hires reinforce the company’s strong culture.
In order to provide the highest-quality customer service and capture market share, Chern’s knows it needs to hire the right sales associates. Although the company’s strong culture and high quality initially attracted a sufficient number of talented sales associates who shared the ftrm’s values, the competition for talented sales associates has been heating up. As a result, Chern’s is finding it harder to staff and retain the level of sales talent it needs. The sales associates at Chern’s are usually the top performers in the retail industry, so they are never easy to find. Because of the importance of hiring the right salespeople, and their expectation that staffing this important position will become more difficult in the future, Ann and Ryan have decided to launch a strategic analysis of how Chern’ s staffs its sales associate positions and have asked for your help.
STRATEGIC STAFFING AT CHERNrS: CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER CASE ASSIGNMENTS
At the end of each of the chapters in this book, you will have an assignment for the case study that applies concepts from that particular chapter. The entire list of assignments can be found at the end of this appendix, just before the candidate resumes are presented. The assignments put you in the role of an external staffing consultant hired by Chern’s. Your job is to conduct a strategic analysis of how it staffs its sales associate positions. Your final product will require you to combine each of the assigrunents into a cohesive report, including a table of contents and any necessary appendices. Format your report as a professional product that you would give to the organization. Chern’s is decentralized, which means that your report will be distributed to many store managers, many of whom are unfamiliar with staffmg terminology and jargon. Write your report so that they understand and adopt your recommendations and are committed to implementing the changes you’ve suggested. You might want to keep a copy of the final report to show potential employers the type of strategic staffmg work you are capable of performing.
Chapter 1: Strategic Staffing In this chapter, you learned that the strategic staffing process is guided by hiring goals that are clearly linked to an organization’s strategies and objectives. The goal of strategic staffing is to enable the organization to better execute its business strategy. There are two types of staffing goals: process goals and outcome goals. Process goals relate to the hiring process itself, and outcome goals apply to the product of the hiring effort. Table 1- 2 gives examples of both types of staffing goals, and Table 1-3 gives you some questions to consider in setting appropriate staffing goals.
Your consulting assignment for Chapter I is to identify realistic process and outcome goals for staffing of sales associate positions at Chern ‘s. Be sure to relate yom goals to the firm’ s business strategy and explain why each is important and should be adopted by the company.
Chapter 2: Business and Staffing Strategies In this chapter, you learned about how a firm’s business strategy and talent philosophy shape its HR strategy, which then influences the firm’s staffing strategy. After Ryan and Ann learned about this process, they felt that the company needed to develop a more formal talent philosophy of its own to shape its HR and stafftng strategy. They have asked you for your recommendations.
Chapter 2 and Tables 2-4 and 2- 5 should help you identify key components of an appro- priate talent philosophy, human resource strategy, and staffing philosophy for Chern’s. Be sure
Appendix 387RebeccaHighlightRebeccaHighlightRebeccaHighlightRebeccaHighlightRebeccaCross-OutRebeccaRectangleRebeccaText Box1RebeccaText BoxStrategic Staffing Equivalent – Chapter 1RebeccaText BoxStrategic Staffing Equivalent – Chapter 1RebeccaCross-OutRebeccaCross-Out
388 Appendix
to consider the company’s business strategy and competitive advantage, life stage, and the com- pany’s values and culture when making your recommendations. You should also clarify how putting the right talent in the company’s sales associate positions can create a competitive advan- tage for Chern’s.
In addition to developing a formal talent philosophy, HR strategy, and specific staffing strategy, you also need to explain how Chern’s should address each of the nine strategic staff- ing decisions listed in Table 2-6 for the sales associate position, and justify your reasoning. For example, the first decision is whether Chern’s should establish a core or flexible sales associate workforce. Describe in your report if Chern’s should focus on a core or t1exible workforce and to what degree. Be sure to explain why they should follow your recommendations. Do this for the other eight strategic staffing decisions as well, taking into account the chapter material as well as the information provided about Chern’s in the beginning of the appendix.
Chapter 3: The Legal Context Although Ann and Ryan have always known that it is important to comply with equal employ- ment opportunity legislation and other relevant employment laws, it has been eight years since they conducted any sott of discrimination analyses at their company. They ask you to evaluate the sales- associate position for any evidence of discrimination based on gender or ethnicity. The first level of disparate impact analyses are typically done at the establishment level, which for Chern’s is a single store. Chern’s asks you to focus on its flagship store- its largest- which has 140 full-time and 50 part-time sales associates. Chern’s gives all department and store managers bias and diversity training, and has never been sued for disparate treatment. Because it knows that adverse impact is still a risk, the company asks you to analyze its full-time sales associate hiring data for evidence of adverse impact.
Tables A- 2, A- 3, and A-4 summarize the data you will need to use in your analyses. The data for the sales associate flow statistics are based on the previous five years of staffing at Chern’s flagship store. Evaluate the stock and concentration statistics and use the four-fifths rule to analyze the flow statistics. In addition to your disparate impact analyses, be sure to recom- mend strategies that Chern’s can use to alleviate any discrimination you may find.
Females
Males
Whites
Blacks
Asians
Hispanics
Sa1es Associate Statistics Compared ts the Relevant Population
Job Category: Sales Associates
Current Sales Associates(%)
55
45
20
20
32
28
Availability of Sales Associates in Relevant Population (%)
60
40
25
25
25
25
Sales Associate Flow Statistics
Men
Women
Whites
Blacks
Asians
Hispanics
# Applicants #Hired
1,000 80
1,400 160
600 55
600 48
600 67
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. ~ .~ ….. _ . TABLEA-4 Sa les Associate Concentration Statistics
“‘ “‘J
Sales Associates (% ) Department M anagers (%) Store M anagers (%)
Female
Male
White
Black
Asian
Hispanic
55
45
20
20
32
28
30
70
20
15
30
35
Chapter 4: St rategic Job Analysis and Competency Modeling
40
60
24
40
16
20
Referring to the information presented in the chapter and case, by researching the “retail sales- person” position on O*Net (http://online.onetcenter.org), and by interviewing a sales associate in a simi lar company if possible (an associate at Saks Fifth A venue, Nieman Marcus, Nordstrom, and so fm1h), create a job requirements matrix for the sales associate position at Chern ‘ s. Be sure to consider the company’s business strategy and corporate culture in creating job duties and identifying competencies or KSAOs. For each competency or KSAO, decide if Chern’s should hire people who already possess the characteristic or if the firm should train them to develop it. Also, estimate to the best of your ability how important each characteristic is relative to the others as well as the relative time associates spend on each job duty. You may have to use some judgment to come up with the answers to these questions. You will use this information later to determine how to weight the assessment information obtained on each job candidate.
Given the information contained in the Chern ‘s case description and your own knowledge of this type of position, create a job rewards matrix for the sales associate position. If possible, interview a sales associate in a similar company to obtain additional job rewards information.
Chapt er 5: Forecasting and Planning Chern’s has never examined its internal labor market. The company asks you to perform a transi- tion analysis for full-time sales associates. It asks you to conduct relevant analyses to describe the internal labor market for its flagship store.
Summarize the flagship store’s internal labor market and highlight any trends or forecasted gaps based on the transition probability matrix in Table A-5. The probabilities are based on annual rates that are averaged over a span of three years. In other words, they are the average rate per year. If Chern’s wants to keep its flagship store staffed with 140 fu ll-time sales associates, how many full-time sales associates should it expect to have to hire from outside the company annually?
Traditionally, 25 percent of the store’s job applicants for sales associate positions become job candidates, and 20 percent of the job candidates receive job offers, 75 percent of which are accepted. Chern’s asks you how many applicants it will need to generate each year to acquire the number of new hires you forecasted.
The Tra nsition Probability Matrix for Chern’s Flagship Store
Transition Pro babilities Based on t he Past Three Years
Job FTSA PTSA DEP BUY MER Exit Current # of Job Cat egory Level (%) (%) (%) (% ) (%) (% ) Employees
Full-time sales associat es (FTSA) 50 15 5 5 5 20 140
Part-time sales associat es (PTSA) 30 50 0 5 0 15 30
Department manager (DEP) 2 6 0 75 6 12 20 16
Buyers (BUY) 2 0 0 0 65 7 30 15
Merchandising managers (MER) 2 12 0 0 0 80 20 8
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390 Appendix
Chern’ s asks you to research the external labor market for sales associates because the company is concerned about their availability in the future. Using O*Net, choose a state in the United States and research the expected demand for sales associates in that state over the next 10 years. To do this
1. Visit www.online.onetcenter.org. 2. Search for job 41-2031.00-Retail Salespersons. 3. Scroll to the bottom and find “Wages and Employment Trends.” 4. Select a state from the “State and National” drop-down menu and hit “go.” 5. Compare the forecasted employment trends in your chosen state with those of the entire
United States for the retail salesperson position. 6. Print out the results of your state search and include it with your report. 7. There is also a “Career Video” available on the state results page of your search that you
can view for additional information about the work sales associates do.
Now research the employment trends of retail sales workers using the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site at www.bls.gov and other resources you identify. Consider this information when forecasting future gaps or surpluses. You might also consider targeted skill sets or demographics and determine if you can obtain information about skill or demographic trends in your targeted area.
If you forecast a gap between the anticipated supply of qualified sales associates and Chern’s anticipated demand for them, determine whether the gap is temporary or permanent. Then, make some recommendations about how Chern’s can best address the gap. Be sure to reread the relevant section of Chapter 5 before you do so.
Chapter 6: Sourcing: Identifying Recruits Chern’s currently uses six different sources for sales associate applicants: colleges, employee refer- rals, Cherns.com, a search firm, walk-ins, and local newspaper ads. The company just fmished analyzing the effectiveness of each of these sources, and the results are summarized in Table A-6.
Chern’s asks you to prioritize its recruiting sources to maximize the effectiveness of the company’s future hiring initiatives. Based on what you have read in this case, prioritize the staffing outcomes and rank order the recruiting sources based on their ability to maximize the company’s staffing goals for the sales associate position.
Ryan and Ann have heard a lot lately about using the Internet to source passive job candi- dates. The two are wondering how well this technique would work for its sales associate positions. Referring to the Develop Your Skills feature in Chapter 6, choose an area of the country. First, pro- vide some suggestions on how the Internet might be more effectively used to source and recruit applicants. Second, conduct a Boolean search to source two promising sales associate applicants using the Internet. You may need to try different search engines and different syntax, as highlighted in the chapter. You can also try x-raying and flipping. For example, on Y ahoo.com you could try “linkdomain:ffany.org shoes blog” to pull up blogs linked to the Fashion Footwear Association of New York with the word “shoes” in the blog. You should experiment with searches based on your own ideas. Include the various search engines and search terms you used for your fmal search and provide information about your two leads in an appendix to your final report. Justify each recommendation.
:~TABLE X~6> , ~ t t • -~ • r
·~~!>J: . ‘~ ‘”‘”~!ot”.._,·>
College hiring
The Effectiveness of the Sources Used to Recruit Chern’s Sales Associates
Average First Hiring Speed Cost per Year Financial
(months) Hire($) Culture Fit Return($)
5 4,000 Good 30,000
Employee referrals 2 2,600 Very good 38,000
Cherns.com 2 1,500 Good 38,000
Search firm 3 5,200 Average 20,000
Walk-ins 1 1,500 Poor 5,000
Newspaper ads 2 2,000 Poor 4,000
First Year Turnover Rate(%)
20
10
20
15
30
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To best serve its diverse clientele and to establish the most positive employer image pos- sible, Chern’s wants to hire diverse sales associates. The company also asks you how it can improve the diversity of its applicant pool.
Chapter 7: Recruiting Develop an outline for a recruiting guide for the sales associate position based on the mate- rial you read in this case and what you learned in Chapter 7. The outline should include the company’s policies and procedures, budgets, activities, timelines, responsible staff, legal issues, and steps to be taken in recruiting for the position. You do not have time to write an entire recruiting guide. However, Chern’s has asked for your help in identifying what it should include in one. Chern’s also asks you to make recommendations about what the company can do to increase applicants’ fairness perceptions of the process and reduce any negative spillover effects related to it.
Chern’s would also like to reinforce its employer brand among potential applicants. Ryan and Ann would like to create a stronger employer brand, and ask you for advice on what the company’s employer brand should be and bow to effectively and consistently market and rein- force it throughout the staffing process. Make some recommendations and explain why your approach would be effective for Chern’s.
Chapter 8: Measurement Chapter 9: Assessing External Candidates Remember to write your repott so that the various measurements you learned about in these chapters will be understandable to the firm’s store managers and department managers. These employees do not have a staffing or statistics background. Consequently, many of the concepts you discuss in the report will be unfamiliar to them. Be sure you thoroughly explain the concepts and their importance. This will be particularly important when completing the next part of the assignment, which spans Chapters 8 through 11.
Chern’s is in the middle of hiring two sales associates for its flagship store and has reduced the initial applicant pool to eight candidates. Because it is the company’s flagship store, it is important that all sales associates who work at the store excel at customer service and embody the company’s values, and they need the new people to get up to speed quickly. Although Chern’s often invests in the training and development of new employees, in this case they would like the two new hires to arrive with the knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies, and other characteristics required to be immediately successful. They also would like the newly hired sales associates to be strong candidates for future management positions.
Ryan and Ann ask you to become involved in the assessment and hiring process. Nearly 80 percent of Chern’s sales associates are considered successful. However, Chern’s would like the percentage to be at least 85 percent. Ryan and Ann feel that improving the company’s assess- ment and selection system will help it accomplish this goal. Use this opportunity to help Chern’s develop a new sales associate assessment and selection system. This is a pilot project to deter- mine how well you are able to improve Chern’s staffing process.
All eight candidates are already scheduled to participate in one structured and one unstruc- tured interview that you are asked to view and score (you may or may not choose to score and use the unstructured interviews). After deducting the costs of the initial applicant screening and the two scheduled interviews for each candidate from the initial budget, the store has $4,000 left to apply to this staffing initiative. It’s up to you to decide how to spend the money. What other assessment methods should you use? (The costs of the two interviews are not to be included in your $4,000 budget.)
The a<;signment for Chapter 8 is to read the case assignment spanning Chapters 8 through 11 and review the eight candidates’ resumes at the end of the appendix. You then need to develop an assessment plan that does not exceed your $4,000 budget.
Your goals in developing your sales associate assessment system are threefold:
1. Maximize the return on investment of your assessment system. 2. Maximize the job success of the new sales associates hired (in terms of their sales, turn-
over, and levels of customer service). 3. Maximize the fit of the new sales associates hired (including their customer service orien-
tation and leadership skills) with the company’s culture.
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392 Appendix
TABLE A-7 Potential Assessment Methods and Their Costs
Assessment Method
Cognitive ability test (measures a candidate’s ability to learn, process, and apply information rapidly; verbal, spatial, and mathematical abilities)
Conscientiousness (measures a candidate’s persistence, dutifulness, order, attention to detail, and achievement motivation)
Openness (measures a candidate’s openness to new ideas and situations and intellectual curiosity)
Sales interest (measures a candidate’s interest in sales as a career; vocational interest inventory)
Scale of Assessment Cost
Typical scores range from 85 to $70 per candidate 130 (mean and standard deviation for this sample are 112.5 and 8.02, respectively).
Possible scores range from 1 to 6 $100 per candidate (mean = 4.38, std. dev. = 1.06).
Possible scores range from 0 to 60 $30 per candidate (meal”)= 42.50, std. dev. = 7.07).
Possible scores range from 1 to 5 $50 pe r candidate (mean = 3.63, std. dev. = .92).
Desire to avoid failure (measures Possible scores range from 1 to 4 $30 per candidate a candidate’s need to avoid failure (mean = 2.88, std. dev. = .83). and desire to avoid taking risk)
Technology skills test (measures a candidate’s abil ity to become proficient with the company’s various technology tools)
Job knowledge test (measures a candidate’s knowledge of sales techniques, understanding of effective customer service practices, and awareness of related issues in the retail industry)
Simulation (measures a candidate’s leadership, sales, judgment, and customer service skills using a work simulation)
Integrity test (measures a candidate’s trustworthiness, integrity, and honesty)
Fashion knowledge test (measures a candidate’s knowledge of fashion trends, styles, and fabrics as they apply to a variety of customers)
Handwriting analysis (measu res a candidate’s trustworthiness, personal drive, dependabil ity, sociability, and desire to achieve)
Possible scores for this test range from 0 to 80 (mean = 58.13, std. dev. = 7.99).
Possible scores for this test range from 0 to 50 (mean = 36.88, std. dev. = 7.04).
Possible scores for the simulation range from 0 to 70 (mean= 43.75, std. dev. = 10.61).
Possible scores for this test range from 1 to 5 (mean = 3.50, std. dev. = 0.93).
Possible scores for this test range from 0 to 60 (mean= 38.75, std. dev. = 8.76).
Possible scores for this ana lysis range from 0 to 10 (mean = 5.38, std . dev. = 3.38).
$70 per candidate
$150 per candidate
$250 per candidate
$70 per cand idate
$50 per candidate
$150 per candidate
Table A-7 summarizes the possible assessment methods you can use and their costs. Next is an overview of the steps you will need to take in completing the next parts of the
assignment and the chapter in which each part is assigned. The work will be spread out over the next few chapters.
1. Develop a sales associate assessment and selection plan that does not exceed the remaining $4,000 budget. In your report, justify your proposed selection system using the determi- nants of the effectiveness of an assessment method identified in Chapter 8. These determi- nants include the following: a. Validity- how well the assessment method predicts relevant components of a person’s
job performance. Table 9-3 describes typical validities for various assessment tools across many different occupations. You can look at Table 9-3 and consider the results of your job analysis/competency model to determine which assessment is most likely to predict job performance at Chern’s.
b. Return on investment-the extent to which the assessment method generates a frnan- cial return that exceeds the cost associated with using it.
c. Applicant reactions- the extent to which applicants perceive the assessment methods to be job related and fair.
d. Selection ratio- the extent to which the selection ratio is low. A low ratio means hiring only a few applicants, which allows an assessment method to have maximal impact in terms of improving the performance of the people hired.
e. Usability-the extent to which people in the organization are willing and able to use the method consistently and correctly.
f. Adverse impact- the extent to which an assessment method predicts job performance and other important hiring outcomes without discriminating against members of a pro- tected class.
2. Before viewing the interviews for the next part of the selection process, develop a scoring key for each structured interview question and create a formula to combine the three scores into an overall structured interview score (Chapter 8). The three structured interview ques- tions are as follows: a. A disgruntled customer is returning a damaged suit jacket he bought the previous week
that he needed for an event that night. He is extremely upset. What do you do? b. A person walks into your store and mentions that she has just moved into the area and
that this is the first time she has visited your store. What would you do to make her a customer now and a loyal customer in the future?
c. You’ re working alone because two people called in sick. Suddenly, five customers walk into your department at once. What do you do?
If you plan to use the unstructured interviews to assess candidates (optional), create a scoring key for the unstructured interview based on your expected determinants of suc- cess at Chern’s. The scoring keys for both types of interviews should reflect the KSAOs or competencies assessed by the questions or interview, not the answers to the questions themselves. Then view the eight structured and eight unstructured interviews available on the book’s Web site or if your instructor prefers, view them as a part of the class (Chapter 9).
3. Before or during your next class, submit your assessment plan to your instructor. Your instructor will then give you the candidates’ scores on the assessments you choose to uti- lize (Chapter 9). If your instructor agrees, you can use a multiple hurdles, compensatory, or combined approach for your assessment plan.
4. Using your interview score results, candidate resumes, and scores on the assessment meth- ods you included in your assessment plan, determine which two candidates should receive an offer and submit this information along with the rationale for your choice to your instructor. Write a job offer letter to your top chosen candidate, who is currently consider- ing two other job offers from competitors (Chapter 11).
At the end of the case, your instructor will give you feedback on the job success of your two new hires.
For now you will work on step 1. Submit your assessment score request to the instructor by the deadline the instructor gives you to receive candidates’ scores on the assessments you choose to utilize. Your instructor needs to know which scores you would like and which candidates you would like to assess. You can assess candidates in one round before making a hiring decision or in multiple rounds, depending on your assessment plan.
Appendix 393
394 Appendix
Chapter 10: Assessing Internal Candidates STRATEGIC STAFFING CASE STUDY As explained earlier, 75 percent of the department managers and assistant department managers at Chern’s have been promoted from the com- pany’s sales associate staff based on their supervisors’ recommendations and structured interviews. Unfortunately, Chern ‘s recently analyzed its turnover data and found that a disproportionate number of good sales associates who would have been potentially strong candidates for department manager and assistant department manager positions have left the organization. The exit interviews with these people revealed that the finn’s efforts to communicate its promotionai opportunities and succession planning intentions to the high- potential sales associates have been insufficient. Many of the sales associates said that they were leaving because they had poor career planning visibility to the managerial positions they sought. The company currently does not tell its high-potential sales associates that they have been flagged for future promotion opportunities, believing that this would demoralize those not on the list.
Because the company’s talent philosophy is to promote from within, it feels that it could improve its internal promotion practices. The company asks you to recommend ways that it can identify and develop sales associates who have the potential to become department managers.
Chapter 11: Choosing and Hiring Candidates
You will now continue your assessment and selection process for the two new hires. Develop a rational way of combining the scores on the assessment methods you recommended in your report for Chapter 9. How should Chern’s choose which candidates to hire? Do you recommend a multiple hurdles, compensatory, or combined approach? What weights should each assessment score receive when calculating each candidate’s overall score? Your job requirements matrix should help you make this judgment. Using your interview score results, candidate resumes, and scores on the assessment methods you included in your assessment plan, identify which two candidates should receive an offer and submit this information, along with the rationale for your choice, to your instructor. Also, explain what additional information you would like to have had before making a hiring decision.
Ann and Ryan believe that in addition to the promotional opportunities Chern’ s has to offer, the nonfinancial rewards of the job, including the extensive training and development new hires receive and the supportive work climate they experience, have not been sufficiently communicated to candidates. Not only does this explain why good sales associates are leav- ing the firm, it could also explain why its sales associate job offer acceptance rates have been trending slightly downward. Write a job offer letter to your top chosen candidate, who is cur- rently considering two other job offers. You would very much like to hire your top choice, but she or he has to decide on the other offers within one week. Be sure to use any relevant information from the job rewards analysis you conducted in Chapter 4 as well as the informa- tion contained in the initial case description. You can also use the information about Chern’s presented in this Appendix. You only need to write one offer letter even though you are hiring two candidates.
Your instructor will give you feedback on the outcomes for the two candidates you chose. Each candidate’s profile was evaluated by staffing experts and given a job success score of 1 to 10. The scores correspond with the individual financial returns to the company presented in Table A-8 (which were based on a combination of sales performance and a new hire’s fit with the company’s culture).
Calculate the ROI of your staffing investment in the new hires’ first year based on the financial return realized by your chosen hires and the cost of your assessment system. In addition to the assessment costs you incurred, assume that recruitment and the initial applicant screen- ing cost the company $20,000, and the 16 interviews cost the company an additional $14,800. You can either calculate a net return or an ROI ratio. To compute the net return you will sum the financial return realized by your two hires and subtract the total cost of the selection system. To compute the ROI ratio, you will sum the financial return and divide it by the total cost of the selection system. Interpret either or both of these values.RebeccaText BoxStrategic Staffing Equivalent – Chapter 10RebeccaText BoxStrategic Staffing Equivalent – Chapter 11RebeccaCross-OutRebeccaCross-Out
TABLE A-8 The First Year Financial Value of Different Job Success Levels
Candidate’s Job Success Score First Year Financial Return to Chern’s
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Chapter 12: Managing Workforce Flow
$50,000
$40,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
0
($10,000)
($20,000)
($30,000)
($40,000)
Chern’s asks you to develop an onboarding and socialization strategy for its newly hired sales associates. Using Table 12- l as a guide, write a report recommending appropriate onboarding and socialization strategies, and explain why you are making each recommendation.
Chern ‘s recently completed a turnover analysis for sales associates at different perfor- mance levels and found that functional tw-nover begins at a performance level that cun·ently covers the lowest-performing 15 percent of its sales associates. It also discovered that the top- performing 10 percent of its sales associates are responsible for 20 percent of the company’s sales. Unfortunately, the turnover rate of its top performers is almost twice the turnover rate of its low performers. Ann and Ryan ask you to develop a retention plan for the company’s top per- formers. Because they have developed good relationships with customers, sales associates who have been with the store more than 18 months tend to be the highest performers.
Recall that in their exit interviews, many sales associates who resigned say they are leav- ing Chern’s because they believed they lacked promotional opportunities. Quite a few other top performers would have liked to continue working for Chern’s but could not adequately balance their school and family demands because their work hours as sales associates were fixed. The third most common reason top performers gave for leaving Chern’s was the lack of training and development opportunities. The company recently conducted an employee engagement survey, which reinforced the fact that employees found these three issues the most pressing. However, the company’s sales associates also reported being satisfied with their pay and benefits and very satisfied with the company culture and the support they receive from their department managers.
Chern’s has been growing steadily, but its conservative fmancial goals also create a need to be prepared for unexpected changes in its environment. Chern ‘s believes that the economy is likely to stay strong, fueling its expansion strategy. However, the company wants to be prepared in the event that the economy cools and the demand for its products declines. Although Chern’s tries to protect its employees, it recognizes that in the event of an economic downturn, it will need to downsize its sales force to control costs. Chern ‘s asks you to recommend a downsizing strategy in the event that it needs to quickly reduce its number of sales associates by 15 percent.
Chapter 13: Staffing System Evaluation and Technology Chern’s wants a way to find out whether your recommendations helped it reach the following goals:
I. Attracting a more diverse set of qualified applicants. 2. Complying with equal employment opportunity and affirmative action guidelines. 3. Hiring sales associates who
a. Are better able to execute its business strategy. b. Sell more merchandise.
Appendix 395RebeccaHighlightRebeccaText BoxStrategic Staffing Equivalent – Chapter 14RebeccaText BoxStrategic Staffing Equivalent – Chapter 13RebeccaCross-OutRebeccaCross-Out
396 Appeod[x
c. Develop higher-quality relationships with the firm’s customers. d. Stay with the company longer. e. Are more promotable to department manager positions. f. Reinforce the company’s customer service-oriented culture and make every employee
and customer feel valued and cared for. 4. Realizing a meaningful positive return on its investment in your recommendations.
To help it track its staffing performance, Chern’ s asks you to create a digital staffing dash- board that contains the five most important staffing indicators to which its store managers need to pay attention in terms of the sales-associate hiring and evaluation process.
Chern’s has always been willing to invest in technologies and tools that improve its per- formance. It asks you to recommend various staffing technologies it should consider adopting to enhance the performance and efficiency of its staffing system. Because the company is finan- cially conservative and is willing to invest in compelling technologies but does not want to waste its money, be sure to thoroughly explain your recommendations and persuade the company to consider adopti ng them.
With your completed set of recommendations, write an executive summary that describes the highlights of your overall recommendations for Chern’ s (covering Chapters 1 through 13). This summary should cover your most important identified issues and opportunities and your primary recommendations for the entire project yet it should be concise enough (maybe one to two pages long) to place at the front of the report to highlight the most in1portant recommenda- tions you have made.
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS
The following is a compiled list of all assignments to be completed in the case study. The spe- cific details are found in each chapter assignment.
1. a. Identify realistic long-term and short-term process and outcome goals. b. Ensure goals are related to business strategy and explain why each is important.
2. a. Develop a formal talent philosophy, HR strategy, and specific staffing strategy. b. Address each of the nine strategic staffing decisions. c. Explain each of your recommendations for the nine decisions.
3. a. Use stock, flow, and concentration statistics to determine if any evidence of discrimina- tion exists.
b. Recommend strategies to alleviate any discrimination you find. 4. a. Using O*Net and other sources of data, create a job requirements matrix.
b. For each competency or KSAO, decide if it should be used to hire or plan to develop. c. Estimate how important each characteristic is relative to the others as well as the rela-
tive time spent on each job duty. d. Create a job rewards matrix.
5. a. Conduct a transition analysis. b. Summarize the internal labor market and highlight any trends or forecasted gaps. c. Based on the transition probability matrix, calculate bow many new full-time sales
associates should be hired externally. d. Calculate the number of applicants needed to acquire the number of new hires you
forecasted. e. Use multiple sources of data to describe the current and future labor market for retail
salespeople. If you forecast a gap, determine whether the gap is temporary or perma- nent. Make some recommendations to address the gap.
6. a. Rank order the recruiting sources based on their ability to maximize the company’s staffing goals.
b. Provide recommendations on how the Internet might be more effectively used to source and recruit applicants.
c. Conduct a Boolean search to source two promising applicants using the Internet. Include the search engines and exact Boolean commands used. Provide information about your two leads in an appendix. Justify each recommendation.
d. Determine how Chern’s can improve the diversity of its applicant pool.
7. a. Develop an outline for a recruiting guide. b. Determine how to increase fairness perceptions of the recruiting process and reduce any
negative spillover effects. c. Determine what the employer brand should be. d. Make recommendations for how the brand can be marketed and reinforced throughout
the staffing process. e. Explain why your approach would be effective.
8. a. Read the next few parts then evaluate the eight candidates’ resumes. b. Create a scoring key for the interviews.
9. a. Develop an assessment and selection plan that does not exceed the remaining $4,000 budget.
b. Justify your proposed selection system in your report. c. Submit your assessment plan. to your instructor. Receive scores from your instructor. d. Use the scoring key you developed for the structured interviews to view and score the
eight structured interviews. Also view the eight unstructured interviews and score them if you included them in your assessment plan.
10. a. Improve internal promotion practices. b. Recommend ways to identify and develop sales associates who have the potential Lo
become department managers. 11. a. Develop a rational way of combining the scores on the assessment methods you recom-
mended. Recommend either a multiple hurdles, compensatory, or combined approach and explain.
b. Describe the weights for each assessment method when calculating the overall score. c. Using your interview score results, candidate resumes, and scores on the assessment
methods you included in your assessment plan, identify which two candidates should receive an offer.
d. Submit this information along with the rationale for your choices. e. Explain what additional information you would like to have had before making a hiring
decision. f. Write a job offer letter to the top candidate of your two chosen hires (you only need to
write one letter). g. Receive feedback from your instructor on the outcomes for the candidates you chose. h. Calculate the ROI or net return of your staffing investment for the two people you
selected. Interpret the ROI or net return. 12. a. Write a report recommending appropriate onboarding and socialization strategies, and
explain why you are making each recommendation. b. Develop a retention plan for the company’s top performers. c. Identify a downsizing strategy to reduce the number of sales associates by 15 percent.
13. a. Create a digital staffing dashboard with the five most important indicators of the overall staffing process.
b. Recommend various staffing technologies to enhance the performance and efficiency of the staffing system.
c. Thoroughly explain your recommendations and persuade the company to consider adopting them.
d. Write an executive summary of the entire set of recommendations and place it at the front of the report.
Appendix 397
TABLE 1-2 Examples of Staffing Goals27
Process Goals • Attracting sufficient numbers of appropriately qualified applicants • Complying with the law and any organizational hiring policies • Fulfi lling any affirmative action obligations • Meeting hiring timeline goals • Staffing efficiently
Outcome Goals • Hiring ind ividuals who succeed in their jobs • Hiring individuals who will eventually be promoted • Reducing turnover rates among hig h performers • Hiring individuals for whom the other human resource functions will have the desired
impact (e.g., who will benefit from training, and who will be motivated by the f irm’s compensation package)
• Meeting stakeholder needs • Maxim izing the financial return on the organization’s staffing investment • Enhancing the d iversity of the organization • Enabling organizational flexibility • Enhancing the business’s strategy execution
TABLE 1-3 Questions to Ask When Setting Staffing Goals
• Is it more important to fill t he position quickly or fill it with someone who closely matches a particular t alent profile?
• What levels of which competencies, styles, values, and traits are rea lly needed for job success and to execute the business strategy?
• What is the business’s strategy and what types of people wi ll it need 1, 5, and 10 years from now?
• What ta lents must new hires possess rather than be trained t o develop? • What are the organization’s long-term talent needs? Is it important for the person hired t o
have the potential t o assume leadership roles in the future?
TABLE 2.:4!’..:, — — ,_#’. Questions Addressed by an Organization’s Talent Philosophy 1. Do we want people to contribute to the company over long-term careers or do we want
to focus on f illing vacancies in the short term? 2. Do we value the ideas and contributions of people with d iverse ideas and perspectives? 3. Do we see our employees as assets to be managed or employees as investors who
choose where to allocate their t ime and efforts? 4. What are our ethical principles when it comes to our employees?
How a Firm’s Talent Philosophy Affects Its Human Resource Strategy and Staffing Strategy
Talent Philosophy
Wants employees to contribute to the firm over long-term careers
Values the ideas and cont ributions of people with d iverse ideas and perspectives
Views applicants and employees as investors of their time and effort
Has high ethical standards regarding the treatment of its applicants and employees
Human Resource Strategy
Acquires, develops, and retains ta lent able to cont ribute to the fi rm over time
Acquires and retains a diverse workforce; creates and maintains a culture of inclusion and respect to leverage diversity
Develops mutually beneficial relationships with its employees; respects applicants and employees
Treats appl icants and employees with fairness, honesty, and integrity
Staffing Strategy
Hiring: Recruits and hires talent able to perform now and in future jobs
Deploying: Uses succession planning, career p lanning, and career development to take adva ntage of employees’ potential over t ime
Retaining: Retains top performers and high-potential employees
Hiring: Recruit s and hires diverse people
Deploying: Creates mentoring programs
Retaining: Rewards and promotes diversity “champions”
Hiring: Attracts and hires employees who fit the firm ‘s culture and values; responds quickly to applicant inquiries
Deploying: Puts employees in jobs that match their interests and abilities
Retaining: Allows f lexible work arrangements to meet employees’ needs
Hiring: Explains the hiring decision-making process and the uses of all assessment methods; hires based on merit; complies with laws
Deploying: Gives honest performance feedback
Retaining: Promotes based on merit
Nine Elements of the Staffing Strategy
1. Do we want a core or flexib le workforce? 2. Do we prefer to hire internally or external ly? 3. Do we want to hire for or t rain and develop needed skills? 4. Do we want to replace or retain our talent? 5. What levels of wh ich skills do we need where? 6. Wil l we st aff proactively o r reactively? 7. Which jobs should we focus on? 8. Is staffing t reated as an investment or a cost? 9. Will staffing be centralized or decentralized?
DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS
Conducting Boolean Searches on the Internet
If you are interested in developing your staffing skills, online courses are available in using Boolean searches to f ind passive recruits (see www.recruiting-online.com). Some companies offer even more comprehensive in-person and Web-based t raining and certification on active, Web-based sourcing strategies (see www.airsdirectory.com). Here is an example of how to use the Boolean technique to find Web designers located in the Chicago, Illinois, area able to use JavaScript.
1. Go to www.google.com 2. In the search box, type: site:Linkedln.com (web designer or
graphic designer) (San Francisco) and not (EOE).
The f irst part of the Boolean search string req uests pages in the social networking site Linkedln.com. The next part requests the skil ls “web designer” or “graphic designer” (each must be enclosed in quotation marks so it’s recognized as a phrase). The last part of the request specifies the San Francisco area and screens out job postings (which typically contain “EOE” ). Boolean search syntax is precise. If you encounter problems, check for spelling or punctuation errors I and/or missing or extra spaces. Varying search terms with words and phrases job candidates are likely to use can further improve your results.
TABLE 12-1 Socialization Program Choices
One-time versus staggered programs: programs that put newcomers through one long session versus many smaller ones
Collective versus individual programs: programs that put newcomers through a common set of experiences as a group versus socializing them one-on-one
Formal versus informal programs: programs providing structured socialization using specifically designed formal activities and materials away from the work setting versus informal socialization done by a new hire’s coworkers on the job
Sequential versus random programs: programs that require recruits to pass through a series of distinct steps to obtain full employee status versus using a random sequence of activities
Fixed versus variable programs: programs providing newcomers with a fixed timetable associated with completing each stage in the transit ion from one role to another versus provid ing no consistent timetable and few cues as to when to expect the next stage
Tournament versus contest programs: programs treating each socialization stage as an “eliminat ion tournament” where failure means that a new hire is out of the organization (fired) versus a “contest” in which new hires build up a track record and “batting average” over t ime
Serial versus disjunctive programs: programs using experienced organizat ional members as role models or mentors who groom newcomers to follow in their footsteps versus providing no role models or mentors
Investiture versus divestiture programs: programs that take advantage of a new hire’s unique skills versus trying to deny or strip away personal characteristics through socialization
Running Head: CHERN’S SELECTION PLAN
CHERN’S SELECTION PLAN 2
Chern’s Selection Plan
Introduction
Chern is planning to hire two sales associates. Since the recruits are to work within the company’s flagship store, there is a need for them to possess given minimum requirements in order to be considered for the job. The individuals need to be excellent in customer handling skills and also possess high intellectual values in accordance with the company’s culture. Getting used to the operation s of the company also has to be quick. Though most of the times the company invest heavily in employee training, the two required employees need to be readily equipped with necessary skills and knowledge to carry on the company’s sales activities with immediate effect. For future management requirements, the candidates are required to be strong enough to take up various managerial positions in future. Therefore, all performance metrics are essential in assessment (Morrel-Samuels, P. (2009).
Background
According to the problem statement, the company needs 85% performance from the sales associates. Therefore, the sales team expects a highly qualified team that can work independently under minimal supervision. Experience and knowledge are paramount. Assessments will be based on both interviews which will cover the significant aspects of knowledge on sales. Besides, a universal task approach will be utilized to make sure that the entire team is fit to work under diverse conditions. The assessment must also incorporate a succession assessment for future management capabilities (Kim, S. (2003).
Skill Measurement
Measurement of skills refers to the assignment of values with respect to the candidate performance under various company requirements. Pre-screening test is essential in the establishment of precise measurement s that lead to the selection of the best candidate. Since the focus of Chern is on long-term service and development, a selected number that specifically applies to the selected roles will be utilized. The effectiveness of the tests will also rely on the initial cost allocated towards administration of examinations.
The following tests and interviews will be appropriate based on the company requirements of a sales associate:
· Technical skills test.
· Commercial skills interview.
· Psychometric test.
· Personality interview.
· Stress management and problem-solving test.
The following documents will be necessary for job assessment:
· Design of a specific measurable and achievable job description.
· Maintenance of proper documents.
· Prior information for all the staff members required to conduct the interviews.
· Establishment of standard score sheets which are consistent in capturing employee information.
· Communication of the necessities/requirements to all the interview members.
To minimize costs of assessment, all the above assessments and skill requirements will be covered in four evaluations. This will include cognitive ability tests, conscientiousness test, simulation and sales interest.
| Assessment | Scale | Cost |
| Cognitive Abilities: measures the ability to learn new skills and apply them promptly in both verbal as well as mathematical requirements. | Standard scores are awarded on a typical scale ranging from 85 up to 130 with an established mean rating of 112.5 | $65 for each candidate |
| Conscientiousness: measures the persistence, dutifulness, attention to details, achievement, and responsibility of a candidate. | Typical measurement scales range from 1 to 6 with a mean score of 4.38 | $90 for each candidate |
| Simulation: assesses and measures the candidate’s leadership, sales skills, customer service as well as a judgment under a work simulation. | Scores are possibly awarded from 0 up to 70 with a mean score of 43.75 | $250 for every candidate |
| Sales interest: measures the attention of the candidate in sales as a career/vocational employment opportunity | Appropriate scores range from 1 to 4 with a mean score of 2.88 | $40 per candidate |
Total Cost for Eight Candidates
| Assessment | Cost Per Candidate | Total Cost |
| Cognitive abilities | $65 | $520 |
| Conscientiousness | $90 | $720 |
| Simulation | $250 | $2000 |
| Sales interest | $40 | $320 |
| Total | $445 | $3560 |
| Deviation from Target Amount | $4000-$3560 | $440 |
Test and Budget Commentary
Therefore, there is a more convenient cost of $ 3560 for all the expenses which is $440 less from the allocated budget of $4000. The savings represent 11% cost saving which is a reasonable amount that can cater for other tasks.
Cognitive ability test is a primary test that all candidates are required to perform well in order to represent the company well especially in brand promotion and cultural standards. The assessment test costs less and thus it is affordable with a first priority in the onset of hiring.
On the other hand, conscientiousness is core in the determination of a candidate’s commitment and dedication to the company for a lengthy period. Therefore, the company is dedicated to coming up with an appropriate candidate for the position to ensure that there is profitability in all sales operations. The test is less expensive and promotes work-oriented approaches to tasks.
Besides, simulations are essential in the determination of a candidate’s effectiveness and usability at work. The test will separate out candidates who cannot multi-task as well as those who lack customer service abilities. Such an analysis is not expensive as per the returns and importance it has for the company. Poorly performing candidates will be immediately excluded from the hiring process to save on time, and resources.
Sales interest is also an important measure of performance and profitability. The test accumulates all the skills and behavior that determine the level of interest and willingness to work in a sales team. Interested individuals are always resulted oriented and give the best so the test will be appropriate in selecting suitable candidates who conform to the expectations of the company.
Interviews and Commentary
Employees require an assessment questionnaire for adequate evaluation and assessment (Matthews, Gallus, and Henning, 2011). Both structured and unstructured interviews will be offered by appropriate staff members. Only two interviews will be administered. The interview costs are factored in employee costs and will be provided on a limited timeframe to minimize on further expenditures.
Unstructured interviews aim at personal skills that determine how a person best fits in a team. The interview also assesses the organizational cultural adaptation that surrounds give scenarios. The interview is vital in strengthening the brand name and depiction of fairness in the hiring process.
Nevertheless, structured interviews are based on job history, intellectual capacities as well as performance levels and achievements. The interview is structured in such a way that it determines the versatility of the candidate as well as flexibility. An all-around candidate is appropriate for sales tests since they involve both leadership skills and interpersonal relations. Flexibility helps in achievement of long-term goals.
Analytical Questions Score Sheet
The score will be awarded on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 representing very poor and 10 representing excellent performance.
| Question | Primary cause | Customer policy | Company requirements | Condition of damage | Records of purchase |
| A dissatisfied customer returning a suit bought a week ago and is required in a party next day night? | |||||
| Welcoming the customer | Stating history of the company | Giving information on company services | Company policy and quality services | Recording customer credentials for communication | |
| A new customer enters and admits it is her first-time visit. What will you do to retain her in future? | |||||
| Welcome all of them | Ask for their credentials | Inform them of company automated services provision | Ask them for customized service opportunities | Feedback | |
| You are on duty alone since other two colleagues are on sick leave. Five customers walk in office altogether. What will you do? |
Resume Scores
| Score | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Education | Higher diploma | College | Associate degree | Bachelor’s degree |
| Customer Care and Service | Less than a year | 1 to 2 years | 2 to 4 years | 5+ years |
| Job experience for last 4 years | No/low experience | More than 5 jobs | 2 to 5 jobs | 1 to 3 jobs |
| Leadership Position | Less than a year | 1 up to 2 years | 2 to 4 years | 6+ years |
Assessment Schedule and Actions
| Phase | Assessment | Action |
| 1 | Applicant screening | Retain all candidates |
| 2 | Cognitive test | All who score below average will be faced out of the hiring process |
| 3 | Conscientiousness test | Those who perform well will be selected as candidates for Chern |
| 4 | Unstructured interview | Candidates who critically answer questions will be taken to the simulation test which is costly and the peak of the process |
| 5 | Simulation test | Candidates who perform well will be subjected to next level tests. However, those who fail will be considered for alternative positions. |
| 5 | Structured Interview | Candidates performing poorly will be subjected to score balance from previous tests. Best candidates will proceed. |
| 7 | Sales Interest | Long-term and willing sales associates will be selected. |
| 8 | Extension of Application | An advertisement regarding recruitment will be published in case the candidates selected do not exhibit interest or fail tests. |
References
Conte, J. M., & Gintoft, J. N. (2005). Polytonicity, big five personality dimensions, and sales performance. Human Performance, 18(4), 427-444.
Index, C. P. (2012). Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. Washington, DC. Available online at URL: http://data. bls. gov/cgi-bin/surveymost/ (Accessed Aug. 14, 2006).
Kim, S. (2003). Linking employee assessments to succession planning. Public Personnel Management, 32(4), 533-547.
Matthews, R. A., Gallus, J. A., & Henning, R. A. (2011). Participatory ergonomics: Development of an employee assessment questionnaire. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 43(1), 360-369.
Morrel-Samuels, P. (2009). U.S. Patent No. 7,593,861. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Running head: IMPACT ANALYSIS 1
IMPACT ANALYSIS 8
Chern’s Adverse Impact Analysis
Adverse Impact Analysis
Adverse impact happens when actions and decisions made by an organization have biased effects on protected groups of people or employees with or without the management intending to cause the bias (Phillips & Gully, 2015). Financially neutral work policies that do not discriminate employees but can have substantial disparate outcomes on protected groups of individuals as compared to other policies can cause adverse impact. Adverse impact can be determined by analyzing stock, concentration, and flow statistics. Going by the assessment of each job categories and employment patterns, there is adverse impact in Chern’s Company against different groups of employees because they have not been represented in significantly proportionate numbers relative to other groups of employees.
Disparate Impact Analysis
Stock Statistics
Stock statistics is a method of analyzing adverse impact. It involves making a comparison between the percentage number of minorities, men, women, or a protected group of individuals in a particular work category against their availability in a population with qualified individuals who are also interested in the same job (Phillips & Gully, 2015). If the rate at which the protected group is lower than the expected number depending on their availability in the population, then they are underutilized. In order to determine whether there was adverse impact using stock statistics at Chern’s, stock statistics is done for the minorities.
| Demographics | Sales Associates (%) | Availability of the Sales Associates in the Relevant Population (%) |
| Female | 55 | 60 |
| Males | 45 | 40 |
| Whites | 20 | 25 |
| Blacks | 20 | 25 |
| Asians | 32 | 25 |
| Hispanics | 28 | 25 |
Table 1: Chern’s sales associates data in relation to the relevant population. Job category: Sales associates. Source: Phillips and Gully (2015).
An analysis of the data to determine whether one gender is underutilized involves a comparison between the percentages of females employed versus their availability in the population, and doing the same for male employees. From table 1, female employees are underutilized because female sales associates in the company (55%) are less than their availability (60%) in the qualified population. Males are over utilized because male sales associates (45%) are more than their availability in the qualified population (40%). Whites are underutilized because they make up 20% of the sales associates whereas their availability in the qualified population is 25%. Blacks are also underutilized because they make up 20% of the sales associates yet their availability in the qualified population is 25%. On the other side, Asians and Hispanics have been over utilized because they make up 32% and 28% of the sales associates respectively yet their availability in the qualified population is 25% for both of them. Therefore, according to stock statistics, females, whites, and blacks are underutilized, which indicates adverse impact against these groups.
Concentration Statistics
Concentration statistics measures adverse impact through a comparison of the percentage number of groups of workers in different jobs to check whether minorities, men, or women are flocked in specific job categories or not (Hornsby, 2005). Concentration statistics help to determine why differences occur in the distribution of different groups of workers in specific job categories. To analyze Chern’s concentration statistics, a comparison of a racial subgroup in specific job categories is conducted relative to all other racial subgroups in the same job categories, and comparing the representation of a racial subgroup with individual subgroups.
| Demographics | Sales Associates (%) | Department Managers (%) | Store Managers (%) |
| Females | 55 | 30 | 40 |
| Males | 45 | 70 | 60 |
| Whites | 20 | 20 | 24 |
| Blacks | 20 | 15 | 40 |
| Asians | 32 | 30 | 16 |
| Hispanics | 28 | 35 | 20 |
Table 2: Chern’s data on concentration of gender and racial subgroups in sales associates, department managers, and store managers positions. Source: Phillips and Gully (2015).
According to the provided data, female employees are more concentrated in sales associates position than males by 10%, which is obtained by deducting 45% from 55%, showing that women are concentrated in sales associates position. However, males are more concentrated in the department managers position than women by 40%, obtained by deducting 30% from 70%. Similarly, males are also more concentrated in store managers position by 20%, obtained from deducting 40% from 70%. This depicts adverse impact against males in the sales associates position whereas there is adverse impact against women in the department and store managers positions. In the ethnic subgroups, Asians are more concentrated in sales associates position with 32%, which is the greatest percentage among all the racial subgroups. However, they are the least concentrated in the store managers position among the racial subgroups at 16%. Whites and blacks are the least concentrated in the sales associates position at 20%, although blacks are the most concentrated in the store managers position at 40%. Hispanics are the most concentrated in the department managers position with the highest percentage of 35%. Among the racial subgroups, blacks are the least concentrated in two out of three job categories namely department and store managers positions, thereby making them the most affected by disparate impact.
Flow Statistics
Flow statistics assesses adverse impact by comparing selection rates, or the percentage number of applicants employed from available subgroups to check whether the rates differ substantially (Hanvey & Sady, 2016). The 80% or 4/5 rule, which holds that a selection rate for any group such as race or gender that is less than 4/5 of the highest group’s rate reflects adverse impact, while that which is more than 4/5 does not reflect adverse impact, is applied in flow statistics (Derous & Ryan, 2012).
| Demographics | Number of Applicants | Number Hired |
| Men | 1000 | 80 |
| Women | 1400 | 160 |
| Whites | 600 | 55 |
| Blacks | 600 | 48 |
| Asians | 600 | 67 |
| Hispanics | 600 | 50 |
Table 3: Chern’s data on sales associates for flow statistics: Source: Phillips and Gully (2015).
The selection rates for all the groups can be calculated using the formula:
(Number hired*100%)/Number of applicants
Men: (80*100)/1000=8%
Women: (160*100%)/1400=11.43%
Whites: (55*100)/600=9.17%
Blacks: (48*100)/600=8%
Asians: (67*100)/600=11.17%
Hispanics: (50*100)/600=8.33%
In terms of gender, women have a higher selection rate than men at 11.43%.
(4/5)*11.43%=9.144%
The rate of men’s selection (8%) is less than 4/5 of the rate of women’s selection (9.144%), indicating that there is adverse impact against male employees.
The next step is to determine 4/5 of the rate of the ethnic subgroup with the highest selection rate. Asians have the highest at 11.17%.
(4/5)*11.17%=8.936%
The groups whose percentage selection rates are below 8.936% are Blacks and Hispanics at 8% and 8.33% respectively. This indicates adverse impact against Blacks and Hispanics in the hiring process.
Conclusion and Recommendations
According to stock statistics, there is evidence of adverse impact against female employees. When it comes to ethnic subgroups, Whites and Blacks are underutilized in the sales associates position. An evaluation of concentration statistics indicate that males have been underutilized in sales associate position whereas women have been underutilized in the department managers position. This indicates adverse impact against males in the sales associates position, and against women in the department managers position. In terms of ethnic subgroups, Asians are underutilized in the store managers position whereas Whites and Blacks are underutilized in the sales associates position. Blacks are additionally underutilized in the store managers position. This makes Blacks the most affected by adverse impact. Last but not least, flow statistics show that men are affected by adverse impact in the hiring process in favor or women. Blacks and Hispanics are the ethnic subgroups that are affected by adverse impact in the selection process.
Chern’s can rectify the imbalance by employing more women, Whites, and Blacks in the sales associates position. More women should also be placed in the department managers position. Some Asians should be moved from sales associates and department managers positions to sales associate positions. Further, more blacks should be employed in the store managers position. Finally, more Blacks and Hispanics should be considered in the hiring process, and more women should be employed than their current number in the company.
References
Derous, E., & Ryan, A. M. (2012). Documenting the adverse impact of resume screening: degree of ethnic identification matters. International Journal Of Selection & Assessment, 20(4), 464-474.
Hanvey, C., & Sady, K. (Eds.). (2016). Practitioner’s Guide to Legal Issues in Organizations. New York: Springer International Publishers.
Hornsby, J. S. (2005). Frontline HR: a handbook for the emerging manager. South-Western Pub.
Phillips, J., & Gully, S. M. (2015). Strategic Staffing, Global Edition (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.
Running head: CHERN’S INTERNAL LABOR MARKET 1
CHERN’S INTERNAL LABOR MARKET 9
Chern’s Internal Labor Market
Forecasting labor demand
It is recommended that when forecasting the labor demand to identify minimal and optimal staffing levels, especially when analyzing the demands for labor. The demand for labor for Chern’s on the forecasted business activity and the business needs depends on the business strategy. The business needs include such things as attaining the staffing levels that are essential to generate given amounts of revenue within a specific period (Phillips & Gully, 2015). Increasing the staffing levels will execute a growth strategy whereas decreasing the staffing levels during the restructuring process of obtaining the new talents required creating other products or offering different services. In essence, there are many ways used to forecast labor demand using methods such as judgmental forecasting, trend analysis, scatter plots, and the ratio analysis.
Strategic staffing
The strategic staffing necessitates organizations and firms to keep their fingers on the beat of the labor markets (Phillips & Gully, 2015). Therefore, understanding both the future and the current competency trends and skills in the labor market is essential for Chern’s to retain its competitive edge. To forecast the labor supplies, Chern’s should be in a position to integrate the existing staffing levels together with the anticipated staffing losses and gains since it would result to an estimate of the labor supply for the targeted position at a particular point in future. The anticipated losses and gains could be based on the historical data that is combined with the managerial estimates of any future changes.
| Forecasted Employees for Next Year | |||||||
| Job Category | FTSA | PTSA | DEP | BUY | MER | Exit | Current no. of Employees |
| FTSA (Full-Time Sales Associates) | 70 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 140 |
| PTSA (Part-Time Sales Associates) | 9 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 30 |
| DEP (Department Manager) | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| BUY (Buyers) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| MER (Merchandising Managers) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Forecast for Next Year | Deficit~80 | Surplus36 | Surplus19 | Surplus~13 | Surplus~15 | Exits~37 |
Forecasted employees
Chern’s is expected to carry out an action plan to proactively address the anticipated shortage or surplus of employees. This process will allow Chern’s to address the issues of gaps between the number of the current employees and the number intended. Knowing whether a surplus or shortage of applicants is the result for temporary factors and whether it reflects the trend that could continue is essential since different staffing strategies are fundamental for each (Phillips & Gully, 2015). The table reveals that Chern’s contains a surplus of employees. Therefore, Chern’s is required to transfer some of its employees to other locations that it has planned within the five-year growth strategy.
Most of the surplus employees could be transferred to fifteen other stores that Chern’s intends to open every year which will be funded with its growing income and revenues. This action will benefit Chern’s since few employees are required to staff the new stores while consequently reducing the staffing costs. Additionally, Chern’s would be in a position to retain most of its talent to grow the company and enhance its competitive advantages. Nonetheless, if this action proves impossible, Chern’s will not have alternative solutions depending on whether or not the surpluses are permanent or temporary. The matrix allows Chern’s to observe its forecasted employees for the forthcoming year within its flagship store.
Forecasted labor supply
Transition analysis refers to a simple quantitative method used to forecast the internal labor supply and the internal labor markets. Despite its simplicity, it remains to be an effective technique to analyze the internal labor market of an organization which is useful in workforce planning and provides solutions to the recruit’s questions on the possibility of promotions and promotion paths. Transition analysis also helps in forecasting the number of employees who are currently working within an organization and could be employed in several positions in the future (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). Though, the transition analysis is best carried out for a limited number of jobs which eventually makes Chern’s an appropriate candidate for the informative method.
Anticipated surplus
The company is likely to experience a temporary slowdown, and in case it happens regularly, it would be for the best interest to use contingent or temporary workers in future who should be allowed to go easily especially when the business is low. This process will aid to buffer the main permanent workers and even offer them enhanced employment security (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). The temporary layoffs are an alternative although it could last beyond six months. Besides, it can be cost-effective because of retraining and rehiring process, enhanced unemployment insurance premiums, and the severance costs. Some of the alternatives to layoffs are across-the-board salary cuts and the reduction in work hours or the reallocation of workers to expanding areas of the business. Most options are likely to cost less when it has been implemented.
The surpluses could be as well permanent or persistent. Therefore, Chern’s would consider not filling the vacated positions, permanent layoffs, and implementing the early retirement incentives. The early retirement programs are likely to result in the most productive and skilled employees leaving the organization. Besides, the layoffs can damage the workforce morale and even hurt the reputation of the firm as the employer (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). Failure to fill the open slots is likely to leave major positions within the organization either understaffed or vacant. The action plans are required to address the persistent employee surplus that involves steering employees, hiring freezes, and reassignments to reduce the possibility of future layoffs.
Chern’s flagship store at 140 full-time sales associates
Chern’s is experiencing a likely and high unnecessary deficit in the full-time sales associate’s levels. Chern’s is required to assess this soon as possible to be able to retain its competitive edge in the flagship store. In reference to the matrix above, Chern’s is required to hire about 60 employees in case it desires to fulfill the goal of staffing about 140 full-time employees within its flagship store. Besides, Chern’s is required to have at least 1778 applicants in case it intends to recruit the number of the total hires required to overcome the deficit. This calculation was based on the data gathered during the previous recruiting efforts for Chern’s.
| Hires= 15% of 80= 60 |
| Offers=15% of 534= 80 |
| Candidates=30% of 1778=534 |
| Applicants=1778 |
Looking at the past staffing yields for Chern’s is one of the best ways to establish the number. That is the proportion of the applicants that moves from one stage to another of the hiring process. Besides, the selection ratios or the hiring yields are the percentages of the applicants that would ultimately be hired. The Chern’s previous hiring and staffing yields have been summarized and demonstrated in the chart below. It is evident that the shortage of full-time employee’s sales associates is most likely to be temporary. The reason for this conclusion is based on the employment changes that are expected to take place now and within ten years within a state where the flagship store has been located to match the employment changes that will take place within the same period in the entire nation (“Retail Salespersons,” 2018).
Anticipated shortages
Chern’s is required to take particular precautions when assessing the temporary shortage of talents. It is essential that hiring incentives in such cases last as long as the talent shortage and as high as the salaries cost the organization a lot of money in the entire new hires tenure within the company. Additionally, it is essential to recognize the concept that expensive recruiting techniques including the lowering of the hiring standards and search firms so that recruit’s methods could quickly drain the recruiting budget without resulting to an acceptable hire. Lowering the hiring standards reduces the quality of the firm workforce which could not necessarily be accepted either.
Chern’s contains other options that are likely to bring back the number of the workforce up to 140. The options include providing the hiring incentives including the retention and sign-on bonuses to be paid when the employee has successfully served the company for a particular period. The issue of retail salesperson fails to indicate that the temporary shortages could emerge persistent shortages as the general merchandise store will not grow fast but would also attract customers with preferences that change as the economy increases its frugality (US Department of Labor, 2018). The hiring of the retail salespeople is expected to reduce in most industries including the department stores that will experience a drop in the store locations. However, Chern’s is expected to grow and even open fifteen new stores in future, and the demographics could nevertheless cause some alarm.
In conclusion, there is the possibility of a shortage of workers that could last for several years based on the changes in the consumer preferences. Chern’s is required to reduce its demand for talents that are likely to be in short supply through increasing its use of technology and automation and reforming jobs so that only a few people with the desired talent are retained. Besides, Chern’s is likely to increase the supply of the qualifications required although it could not be as practical or a fast solution.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018). Employment Situation Summary. Bls.gov. Retrieved 6 February 2018, from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Phillips, J., & Gully, S. M. (2015). Strategic Staffing, Global Edition (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson
Retail Salespersons. (2018). Bls.gov. Retrieved 6 February 2018, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes412031.htm
US Department of Labor. (2018). Retail Salespersons. Careeronestop.org. Retrieved 6 February 2018, from https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Retail%20Salespersons&onetcode=41203100&location=Illinois
