Response 1

 Danielle Norman RE: Week 2 DiscussionCOLLAPSE

Hello Professor and class,

Human Resources Management

• In your experience, does this quote ring true? 

In my experience, this quote rings true because the most innovating and engaged people are not always those who are hired based on how good of a “cultural fit” they are. Hiring people regardless of how common their attributes are ensures a firm tackles the issue of diversity. Talent is not fixed, but rather it is contextual (McCord, 2018). Essentially, a great hiring strategy is one that ensures that it delivers a diverse array of skillsets and opinions.

• Describe an example of a hire you were involved in that supports your position. You may have been the HR recruiter, the hiring manager, part of an interview team, or the candidate. 

 I was once involved in a hire as a candidate for a small startup firm that needed a small team to help with its expansion. The role required minimal work experience but presented an opportunity to gain a lot of real-world experience. 

• Explain clearly what made the hire expected or unexpected. 

What made this particular higher expected was that it followed the conventional rule of hiring strategy. Essentially, the firm advertised in a local newspaper and social media, while the vetting process was standard. However, what made it unexpected was that there was a final stage where an oral interview was administered in a group setting. In order to make a great hire, the interviewers did not conduct individual interviews, so as to evaluate how different individuals reacted to a hypothetical business crisis while facing divergent views from their peers. The group setting also lightened the mood by helping everyone to relax through humor, which is the number one form of self- expression for the millennial generation (Dhawan, 2016)

• In addition, comment on whether or not the workforce strategy of your organization aligns with the mission. If not, what can they do differently?

The workforce strategy of my organization does not align with its mission. According to Bamford (2019), over 60% of employees do not know the mission, values, or vision of the companies for which they work. This is the same case in my organization, where a significant portion of the workforce struggles with low morale due to a disconnect with the company’s strategic direction. To fix this challenge, the firm should regularly review its strategies and revise them based on current information. In addition, it should also improve it communication strategies across all levels. 

Bamford, A. (2019, October 3). Three steps to align your workforce to your strategic plan. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2019/10/03/three-steps-to-align-your-workforce-to-your.html

Dhawan, E. (2016). Recruiting Strategies for a Tight Talent Market. Harvard Business Review.

McCord, P. (2018). How to hire. Harvard Business Review, 90.

Response 2

 Chetan Doshi RE: Week 2 DiscussionCOLLAPSE

In my experience, Patty’s statement or quote is true.  I have been involved in several interviews as the hiring manager. 

Current organisation does not have a structured way of interview or interview process. Interview process usually involves a talent acquisition team soliciting resumes, screening it with a functional head, setting up interviews. There is no prescribed format of questionnaire, however each interviewer is expected to rate the candidate based on companies core values.  Interviewing team usually consists of the hiring manager, HR representative and the hiring manager’s manager.

Recently for one of the senior positions in R&D, leading a team of about 45 scientists, an underperforming team. This was one of the strategic positions within R&D as the pipeline of the company depends on the performance of this position and hence the individual.(2) The team had issues about decision making, problem solving and strategic thinking, though the team had members who were strong in technical skills.

Several resumes were shared by the talent acquisition team. Very impressive resume with almost all of them with very impressive work background, sound technical skills , and great personality or good interviewing skills. Candidates would give perfect answers for the behavioural questions. However, the need was to find a leader ( a candidate with soft skills) with sound technical skills. It was difficult to decide and narrow down on a suitable candidate.

A psychometric test taken by these candidates revealed none of them were matched for several competencies. We came across one candidate, who was not having an experience from big and reputed companies, during the interview personality, verbal communication, and appearance did not indicate him to be a leader. However, his psychometric test results turned out to be excellent, indicating key leadership competencies and was found to be complementing the teams strengths and weaknesses. This individual was hired in January November 2019 and the outcome so far is very good. Team’s performance has significantly improved.

For another role as a packaging development manager,  the need was to find a candidate with specific technical skills along with a collaborative and influencing attitude. Amongst several candidates, one candidate with relatively less experience and limited exposure was selected. However, the individual was good at the networking, which helped in gathering necessary information and resolving strategic issues. Thereby , enabling progress of projects to the desired outcome. However, the candidate was too talented for the job role within the organization and left the organization just before the completion of the probation period. 

Talent acquisition team did engage the hiring manager fully in the process. Hiring manager treated the recruiter as a business partner.  Compensation package was good enough to attract the new hires and was adjusted to meet the best candidate’s expectations (1) Talent acquisition teams were not always in recruiting mode. It worked based on the requisition created by the managers. Team usually used recruiting agencies for getting resumes.(3) None of the work rules, as defined by Bock, were followed to hire the best (4). 

References:

1. Patty McCord;  How to Hire , HBR Jan – Feb 2018
    
2. Week 2 Lecture notes – Identifying Your Strategic Positions.
    
3. Erica Dhwan; Recruiting Strategies for a tight talent market, HBR April 2016
    
4. Bock, Chapter 4: Searching for the best