Discuss the following:
"Job Applicants"
1. Examine 2 ways that companies can recruit qualified job applicants. Determine which method may be most effective and predict how it could benefit the company when hiring new employees.
2. Go to O*Net Online’s Website and review at least two (2) different occupation descriptions. Next, compare the two selected occupation descriptions. Recommend two changes to make the occupation descriptions more marketable. Provide examples to support your recommendations. Be sure to provide details of the occupation descriptions in case others want to use them.
3. When we discuss a recruiting strategy we should not only look at recruiting a certain number of people, but also find staff who have requisite skills, knowledge and experience to meet the goals of the business and organization. Indeed, when we look at recruiting applicants we must determine the skills, knowledge and experience that is needed. 20 years ago recruiting largely depended on advertisements in newspapers, professional magazines, or recruiters. However, the advent of technology, and in particular social media, has redefined how recruiting is done. When you look to answer the first part of our discussion for this week ask yourself not only what are the best ways to find applicants, but how do you determine who is a qualified applicant?
"Company Competitive Advantage"
1. Propose two ways that a company can gain a competitive advantage over other companies when striving to recruit job applicants. Determine whether technology has assisted or hindered the process.
2. Imagine you are head of the HR department, and you have been asked to review two applicants for the sales clerk position at your company. Alice, the first applicant has 10 years of experience in sales work, but can be easily distracted. She will not work on commission and cannot work weekends. She can be a little obstinate, but has an excellent job history. Mary, the second applicant, has one-year experience, but very congenial and loves working with people. Her work schedule is very flexible, but she can become a little stressed at times and has been known for having to quietly leave and regroup for a short time. Determine which candidate would be the “right fit”. Support your decision by describing the thought process that lead up to your decision.
3. When we discuss competitive advantage and HR it is important that we agree on what is the end goal for HR to provide an organization an competitive advantage. If we look at what the goal of strategic HR is it simply strategies that are used to generate the strategic capability to ensure that the organization, and business unit, has the requisite employees who are skilled, committed, and motivated. To accomplish this HR must look to achieve two main goals:
(1) integration of HR strategies, vertically, with business strategies and other HR Strategies, and;
(2) give a sense of direction in an ever changing business environment to the organization, the business unit and the employees. Now, when we look at recruiting as a competitive advantage we recognize that human capital that possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities gives the organization an advantage over another organization. However, the simple identification of human capital for talent acquisition and retention does not end there. Consideration must be given on how to develop acquired human capital not only for the present, but for the future. Indeed, forward thinking organizations do not hire for now, but hire for then. With the advent of technology in talent acquisition that issue then turns to how can HR leverage technology to attract and retain top talent? Further, how can HR technology interface with business technology to develop forecasting models that not only predict current needs, but helps forecast for future needs?