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ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare a 3-4-page plan that states your recommended course of action and analysis for hiring internally or externally for the provided scenario.
Talent is getting harder for organizations to attract and retain, and employee turnover is very costly. But there is much more lost than that. Today, teams collaborate and cooperate with each other to develop and complete projects, and support customers in business-to-business operations. Internal promotion programs are among the most important attributes of a powerful and recognizable retention effort. Upward mobility is essential to the hopes and expectations of many employees of the organization. Internal opportunities for promotion show a clear commitment by the organization to the development and retention of its employees. In this assessment, the SHRM behavioral competencies of Leadership and Organizational Navigation and the HRM content knowledge area Employee and Labor Relations will support your recommended course of action for an important hiring decision in a workplace scenario.
Introduction
Scenario
You are a newly hired HR professional in a small private sector company that provides a broad spectrum of products for the cruise ship industry. The company repackages standard personal grooming products, perfumes, and lotions into smaller gift packages appropriate for customer appreciation gifts. There are 300 employees in the firm and the organization has a history of a stable workforce with very limited turnover. Recently, the company gained over 200 employees and there are a number of supervisory and managerial positions that need to be filled. The CEO has asked you to work with him to fill positions based on an organizational structure he has just created. It is rumored that the CEO has spoken discreetly to two internal candidates about the position and feels no need to take any action to announce the position internally. It should be noted that the employee manual specifies that all vacant positions be announced both internally and externally. New supervisors and managers are needed in sales (one), marketing (one), operations (two), and security (one). Each of these areas has seasoned employees eager to compete for jobs though some may not be as qualified as external candidates.
Your Challenge
You are now in a situation with a tough call to make. As the responsible HR professional, you must consider and decide which course of action will provide the greatest benefit for the company and its employees, and how to make a persuasive argument for your recommendation. Your options are to support the CEO’s guidance or to take a hiring position that protects the organization’s legal posture and maintains an ethical work environment.
Instructions
Prepare a 3–4-page plan that states your recommended course of action. Along with your recommendation, include the following:
Analyze how your proposed HR solution to an HR challenge contributes to organizational goals and strategies.
Should you just follow the guidance of the CEO, or discuss the consequences of placing unqualified people in managerial roles?
What might be the implications to you and the organization, if you remain silent without any further discussion?
What is the potential opportunity cost of ignoring outstanding external candidates?
Describe key legal factors you considered in the formulation of a proposed HR solution.
Explain the role of the HR practitioner in advancing a proposed HR solution.
Explain briefly the role you will take to influence the eventual outcome. Consider aspects of leadership, negotiation, and consultation.
Include the pros and cons for promoting internally versus externally. Consider the implications to the organization and its operations when selecting from both of these populations.
Discuss the application of any SHRM behavioral competencies to the process of solving an HR challenge.
Which SHRM behavioral competencies are most directly applicable to a successful resolution of this challenge, and why?
Additional ​Requirements
The deliverable for this assessment applies professional skills in HRM to workplace situations that you will likely encounter in your day-to-day work in HRM. As part of your learning, we focus on the development of effective professional communication skills for the workplace. Your assessment should meet the following additional requirements:
Length: Your plan should be 3–4 typed, double-spaced pages, plus the cover and resources pages.
The first page should be a cover sheet with your name, the course number, assessment title, and date. No other information is required on this page.
The last page should be the reference list.
Organization: Make sure that your assessment writing is well organized, using headings and subheadings to organize content for the reader.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Resources: Use 2–4 references from trade publications.
Evidence: Support your assertions with data and/or in-text citations.
APA formatting: Resources and in-text citations are formatted according to the current APA style and formatting.
Written communication:
Support main points and recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.
Address the appropriate audience, using familiar, discipline-specific language and terminology.
Use spell-check and other tools to ensure correct spelling and grammar.
Note: Faculty may use the Writing Feedback Tool when grading this assessment. The Writing Feedback Tool is designed to provide you with guidance and resources to develop your writing based on five core skills. You will find writing feedback in the Scoring Guide for the assessment, once your work has been evaluated.
Portfolio Prompt: You may choose to save this learning activity to your ePortfolio.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:
Competency 1: Analyze the ways in which the human resource function contributes to individual and organizational performance.
Discuss the application of any SHRM behavioral competencies to the process of solving an HR challenge.
Competency 2: Analyze the impact of the legal environment of human resource management policies and practices.
Describe key legal factors considered in the formulation of a proposed HR solution.
Competency 3: Explain the strategic role of human resources in the support of organizational goals in a multicultural and global environment.
Analyze how a proposed HR solution to an HR challenge contributes to organizational goals and strategies.
Competency 5: Analyze the strategic and operational roles that a human resource practitioner plays within an organization.
Explain the role of the HR practitioner in advancing a proposed HR solution.
Competency 6: Communicate clearly, accurately, and professionally in the human resource management field.
Support main points and recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.
Address the appropriate audience, using familiar, discipline-specific language and terminology.
HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)
Introduction: In this scenario, a newly hired HR professional in a small private sector company needs to fill in supervisory and managerial positions that have become vacant due to the company gaining over 200 employees. There are seasoned internal employees eager to compete for the jobs but may not be as qualified as external candidates. The CEO has spoken to two internal candidates and feels no need to take any action to announce the position internally. The employee manual, however, specifies that all vacant positions be announced both internally and externally. In this plan, we will recommend a course of action for hiring internally or externally in the best interest of the organization, keeping in mind the legal aspects and HRM content knowledge area of Employee and Labor Relations.
Recommended Course of Action: The HR professional must recommend announcing the position internally and externally. This is because it will not only show the company’s commitment to the development and retention of its employees but will also give opportunities to internal employees to grow and develop, enhancing their satisfaction and engagement. Furthermore, hiring the right person for the job is essential for the organization’s success. Hiring a less qualified internal employee or overlooking an external candidate who may be a better fit may not be in the organization’s best interest. Announcing the position both internally and externally will create a level playing field for all candidates, internal or external.
Analysis: The proposed HR solution to this challenge contributes to organizational goals and strategies in many ways. Firstly, announcing the position internally and externally is aligned with the organization’s commitment to employee development and retention. By providing equal opportunities to internal and external candidates, the company is promoting a fair and transparent recruitment process, leading to higher engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Secondly, hiring the best fit for the job, whether internal or external, is crucial for the company’s success. Filling the vacant positions with less qualified internal employees may affect the company’s productivity and growth in the long run.
Legal factors considered in the formulation of a proposed HR solution include the employee manual, which specifies that all vacant positions must be announced both internally and externally. Not following this policy may lead to legal issues, including discrimination and unfair employment practices. Therefore, announcing the position internally and externally will protect the organization’s legal posture and maintain an ethical work environment.
The HR practitioner’s role in advancing a proposed HR solution is crucial. The HR professional must educate and influence the CEO on the importance of following the organization’s policy and creating a fair and transparent recruitment process. To influence the eventual outcome, the HR professional must use aspects of leadership, negotiation, and consultation. By building a strong case backed by data and in-text citations, the HR professional can persuade the CEO to follow the employee manual’s policy.
Promoting internally versus externally has its pros and cons. The advantages of promoting internally include promoting employee development and retention, creating a sense of loyalty, and saving costs on training and recruitment. The disadvantages include overlooking external candidates who may be a better fit for the job, creating conflicts between internal employees, and limiting diversity in the workforce. The advantages of hiring externally include bringing in fresh perspectives, diverse skillsets, and experiences, and filling the positions quickly. The disadvantages include high recruitment and training costs, lower employee morale, and retention, and a potential lack of loyalty.
SHRM behavioral competencies that are most directly applicable to a successful resolution of this challenge include Leadership and Organizational Navigation. Leadership competency is necessary for influencing the CEO to follow the employee manual’s policy and creating a fair and transparent recruitment process. Organizational Navigation competency is essential for understanding the organization’s culture, policies, and processes, and aligning the proposed HR solution with the organization’s goals and strategies.
Conclusion: Announcing the position both internally and externally is the best course of action for hiring in this scenario. It aligns with the organization’s commitment to employee development.
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