Read the following case and Answer each question in a paragraph or two (approximately 500 word). Please submit a printed copy of the assignment (11 or 12 font, 1.5 spacing).
Case Study: Manager’s Blues Jillian Fairweather,
Human Resources Coordinator for Safeco Insurance Inc., a medium sized insurance company in Winnipeg, was on the hot seat, no question. The VicePresident of HR, Brad Chang, had asked her to come in for a “chat”, and so far Jane wasn’t optimistic about things going her way. In fact, after the first ten minutes, Jane began wondering if she was going to lose her job. Chang started off ominously saying "I’ve called you in today to talk about our recruitment efforts here at Safeco. I’m hearing complaints from managers that things move far too slowly when they submits requests to fill vacancies or new positions.
Jane swallowed as the VP continued, they’re also telling me they just aren’t getting enough candidates with the right qualifications. Sometimes they don’t feel they can confidently make a hiring decision while wondering if the right candidate is out there unaware of the opening. One manager says his turnover is increasing. We can’t let that happen! This is a real concern to me, Jane, because as you know, HR’s job is to help this company grow and thrive, even in a bad economy.
Finally, after what seemed to Jane like an interminable length of time, Chang ended the meeting, saying: “Jane, I’m sure you can tell how unhappy I am about the status quo of our recruitment processes. I want a report from you by Friday outlining specific steps to improve Safeco’s recruitment efforts substantially over the next three months."
Jane knew that her job was on the line, but she wasn’t sure how to respond. She had been posting job ads on the company’s internet website and placing some want ads in the local newspaper, or even in Vancouver and Edmonton newspapers senior roles. Of course, there were walk-ins and write-ins who submitted in their resumes which were sent to managers if suitable. These sources had seemed adequate but clearly there was room for improvement. As Jane went back to her office, she wondered how she could pull together the report for Brad Chang. It seemed like the writing was on the wall for her future with Safeco. She realized that maybe she might be looking in the want ads herself by the weekend.
Case Study Questions
1. What can Jane do immediately to increase her understanding of what she might be missing in the recruitment process?
2. Are there any restrictions Jane is subject to (or experiencing) that could explain why she isn’t getting the best results possible that she could discuss with the VicePresident?
3. Is there anything Jane can do to increase the number of applicants that respond to Safecos job postings?
4. What information can Jane provide to Brad Chang to prove that she will monitor the situation in the future so that Safecos recruitment processes are as effective as they can be?