Assignment:
Discussion
Does an organization's image or its brand as an employer affect its attractiveness to you as an employee or potential employee? What elements of its brand matter the most to you? Why?
Identify one company that you would love to work for? What is it about the company that makes it so appealing to you as a potential employer?
Case Study
Rock Blocks is a concrete manufacturing company. The company has been in business for over 60 years, and furnishes concrete blocks for building and landscape use. Rock Blocks is owned and operated by the third generation of the founding family and has over 600 employees. Customer demand for the company's products is growing, but Rock Blocks is having difficulty attracting and hiring enough manufacturing talent to keep up with demand. The company typically posts openings for its specialty positions on Internet sites including Monster. com and its own careers site, but the quality and quantity of applicants has been falling in recent years. Accordingly to company president Roy Hanby, "concrete manufacturing isn't a popular career choice. Unless someone has family or a friend working in the industry, it can be hard to convince them of the potential of the job." Hanby explains that starting salaries and career growth potential are high, and many employees feel proud having made something that many people will see and use and that will be around for a long time.
1. How can Rock Blocks increase the number of people that apply with the company? How can realistic job previews be used to increase interest?
2. Why do you think that potential applicants might not be enthusiastic about the idea of applying for jobs with Rock Blocks? What can recruiters do to change these perceptions?
3. Create a brief employer brand-oriented newspaper advertisement for a basic manufacturing position for Rock Blocks.
Reading Assessment
1. What is signaling and what role does it play during recruiting?
2. What are reliability and validity, and why do they matter in staffing?