Employee Recruitment and Selection

The number one take away from this term was taken from the first week of class and everything built off of it. The point that was made was that staffing is the number one importance within your company. Staffing we defined as the process involved in finding, assessing, placing, and evaluating individuals at work. The point was made and for our first discussion post, we were prompted to state if we agree or disagree and if we disagree, what would be more important. I think for many of us we thought that maybe the financial roles or the R&D would be more important, but after going through the term I began to understand how this point could be true.

We discussed some of the costs associated with poor staffing, and the reasons were numerous; Lost hiring expenses, lost business, lost time connecting the mistake of a bad employee, and litigation fees to name a few. Without proper staffing, a company is exposed to so much loss. These losses could be due to legal charges that could be related to discrimination issues or pay scale differences and many more. We learned and talked about all the laws that are important to understand to prevent running into these legal issues.

To support this, we talked about hiring techniques, testing, recruitment methods, and performance. The HR department has the biggest responsibility in the staffing process, and it was clear that this department must be strong for a business to thrive. The rest of the term we discussed how people are the biggest asset of the company, and without the right person doing the job, the company can really suffer. Not only can they suffer financially, but also the company culture can really be affected. By the end, I have a better grasp on why the claim that was made on the first day has clear validity.

What am I good at? When I consider this question I really kind of struggle. It is not easy to recognize this all of the time if you aren’t focused on it. I believe I am best at staying motivated and dedicated to tasks. I also tend to be empathetic and personable and this is beneficial when working with people.

What do I value? Values are at the core of each of us and it is what we hold onto. I first really value my family. They support me in every situation of life, and they are who I go too in all things. Another thing I really value is my faith. Additionally, I value humbleness and consistency. In all aspects of life, it is my goal to be consistent with whoever I meet and to possess a humble attitude.

How did I get here? The reason I am where I am is largely due to my family and faith. My parents, grandparents, and friends have a huge part in who I am today. They taught me and brought me up to be the man I am today, and I love them for that. We are a reflection of our upbringing and the people we surround ourselves with, therefore I am who I am because of them.

 Where am I going? As I look ahead there are many unknowns. We don’t always know what will happen next, but at this point, I plan to graduate school in two weeks and then take my first long term job. Beyond that, I really do not know what will come next. I think what I have done in the past has prepared me for what is to come and I will just keep stepping through whatever doors open.

This test was fairly accurate I would say in all 5 areas. I took the shorter test because I was crunched for time and still feel it gave a comprehensive test and results. In extraversion, I scored a 57 which is what I would say of myself. This means I enjoy time with others but also time alone just about evenly. I scored an 89 in agreeableness and this says that I have a strong interest in others and am often sympathetic. For conscientiousness, I scored a 75 which means I set clear goals and pursue them with determination. I think of myself as motivated and hardworking, so I think this is fairly accurate. In neuroticism, I scored a 35 out of 100 which indicates I am fairly level emotionally and similar to the general population. The last one is an openness to experience and this I scored a 7 out of 10 on. This surprised me somewhat as I am energetic and like action.

I think if I were a candidate that an employer was examining, they would be looking at my openness as a weakness and my agreeableness and conscientiousness as strengths. One thing I would like to do if I could pick would be to have the employer look over the test and then allow me to give my own thoughts on the results. I think this would give me an opportunity for me to give a voice to my values and reinforce the truths and mend the errors in the test. I feel that my openness to experiment is ranked lower than it is, and so it would be nice to be able to explain. I certainly do prefer the normal and the predictable things in life, but at the same time really have a desire to mix it up occasionally and try new things. I think this is a trait I could work on to develop more, but an employer could expect consistency and openness as soon as I started. If they saw my score on agreeableness they would probably be pleased and take an interest in me. Personally, this is what I focus on and so this is, in my opinion, my strong trait as well. The traits that correlate to agreeableness all fit well into organizations when they are rated high and I am on the upper end in all of these. Similarly, for conscientiousness. The test would say that I am reliable and hardworking, and I believe that if you asked any previous employer or someone, I have worked with that they would say a similar thing. Overall, I think, and I hope that an employer would be pleased with the results on my test.

Regardless of what the situation is, if I had to choose between these two, 9 times out of 10 I would choose Jamie. I do this because it is more important to me to have employees that I can trust and depend on to be there when I need them. As the industry advances, I cannot afford to fall behind because I am getting the inconsistent output. Avery could produce in certain situations better, but I prefer consistency and stability. If I need to step in during a time of stress here and there to assist her, I have no problem doing that, and would much prefer that than constantly harping on Avery for not sticking to it.

Avery could be a great candidate if I were in a line of work that was constantly changing and fluctuating. Say for example that I had an event planning business. Avery would be a great asset to the team because she would be able to produce at a very high level leading up to the event and during the event but afterward would need to take a break. In a business like this, it is not uncommon to have some downtime or less busy times, and this would accommodate Avery.

Jamie would fit best in most of your service jobs or repetitious nature jobs. I think of an accountant for example, or an office receptionist. Both jobs are not highly demanding, but they require consistency and you always putting out effort thought the day. Jamie has proven that she can be counted on to just do what she is expected to do, without much managing. For these reasons I think Jamie would fit well in a job like this.

1. I believe what makes me different from the rest is the desire I have to stay focused until the very end. Grit I believe is what separates the great from the average, because without it there is nothing driving you to succeed. My goal every day is to be a better example and grow as an individual through every experience. Whether this is difficult or easy, new, or experienced, my sole aim is to learn from my experience, apply it to what is ahead and keep driving forward. I struggle with becoming so committed that I have a hard time turning away, and this is something that has been a blessing and a curse. Our attitude and outlook have a huge effect on our day to day lives, and I make it my focus to keep this positive and upward in order to reach my goals.
2. I found the material this week to be interesting. There is no doubt that the methods for the way we do things have dramatically changed in the last 20 or so years. Generations ago one would get a job primarily by word of mouth, then this mode of communication called the newspaper came out, and it was the best way to reach many people. That stayed true until the coming of the next big breakthrough and that is the internet. There are numerous networks today that offer services to share your profile with a large group of people. These are extremely effective and have been proven successful. Some take different approaches, such as the women who sat on the side of the street with a sign that said she was hungry for a job. She stated that it is important to differentiate yourself from the rest of the population, and I think that is extremely true. Personally, I would plan on beginning by posting my profile to numerous job search boards such as Indeed, Glass Door, and LinkedIn. This will get me out to the largest number of potential hiring individuals. This may result in having to move or make large lifestyle adjustments since it is broadcasted to many different companies and locations. If that does not end up working, I then may try something more unique like the women from Buffalo did.

The last job I had was an internship at a large international company in Portland, Daimler Trucks North America. This was an internship I got through MECOP and therefore the hiring process was a little different than standard. In this case, you just took general interviews and then you were essentially picked like in a draft pick. So, I was not really in a position to decide if I wanted the position or not, therefore I never made any decisions based on the description. With that said, I never saw an official job description prior to beginning the interview process or even the job for that matter. I was able to see previous interns’ experiences and that gave me a vague understanding of what it might look like. A lot of these described the importance of communication across departments, meeting with the test department and producing process improvement charts and exercises. Comparing this to my actual experience, I believe it is fairly close. I spent a lot of my time meeting with different clients, working with the prototype shop, engineers, and the test department. I also was busy making flow charts and diagrams to describe processes and operations. Beyond the description, I also helped with the procurement department and working on ways to make their process more efficient. All of these experiences were valuable to me as a management student. Some of them were included in what I will call the description I received, but some stepped out and touched different areas. I think the job description gives potential hires a great indication of what should be expected of them if it is done correctly. I would recommend to the companies that make up MECOP to give more descriptive job descriptions specifically for each open internship position.

If I was placed in this situation and felt like what I stood for and what I believed was wrongfully portrayed, it would be very difficult for me to have any tolerance. I believe in what I believe for a reason, and when I see that someone or a group I respect and like goes against my beliefs it usually is no different. It would obviously depend the severity of the case, and if it was even intentional. I think it is necessary to do the research and understand where this all stemmed from. With that said, before I did any research or sought out further understanding, I would think that just hearing this would make me have a hesitancy to support them like I have. Even though I would want to give them a chance and understand the entire scenario, it would be difficult not to have a guard against them.

Like most people, I support someone or something because it aligns with my interest, beliefs and desires. If for some reason there is not that alignment anymore, I do not foresee myself supporting them like I once had. Not only does it make me feel uncomfortable, but at the same time it says something about you as a person to the people you know and the world around you. I don’t want to be perceived by others as someone who I am not.

I terms of employment, it would definitely make me second guess working for that company. Again, it certainly would depend on the severity, but in any case, I would need to understand the details being the issue and if the company recognizes the issue and if they will do anything to address it.

As students, soon to be business professionals, we will be faced with decisions that aren’t always the most straight forward. There has been much discussion on the topic of employee recruitment and selection processes and how crucial it is to a company. Some have made the bold claim that it is the most important function, while others would tell you a company has much bigger issues to deal with. Either way, I think everyone can agree, that the people working in your company are a vital role in the success of your company.

Some organizations might allocate more resources to other areas such as marketing or finance, rather than employee recruitment and selection for a few reasons. First, without successfully getting your product into the hands of the consumer, your sales will not rise. Additionally, without proper bookkeeping and finance practices, your company will lose tremendous amounts of money. Now I understand that it takes the right people to perform these jobs, but the right person that enjoys what they do will stick around. Also, most companies see marketing and finance as key elements that tell the story of their business. They will try to focus on these important roles that show the most significant benefit to the company.

By not focusing on recruitment and selection, they can put their dollars into new product design and customer satisfaction which could have a greater effect on overall sales. A downside to not focusing on recruitment and selection is that they could spend thousands and more dollars on hiring and firing costs if they have a high turnover rate. All in all, it is crucial for a business to emphasize the importance of recruitment and selection, but at the same time not get so caught up in it that they overlook key elements of their business such as finance, marketing, and R&D.

As a student nearing the end of my education, my focus is shifting toward finding that job that I have been dreaming of. There are a lot of unknowns, and each new day reveals something different. I have applied to a few different companies and each one has been a unique experience. One was an offer that was given to me, the other was me applying to an organization I interned at, and another was a cold call to a company in town that I know of. Each of these bring different elements of nervousness and unknowns. I am not a fan of awkward interactions and I often dread interviews because that’s how I see them. As an interviewee you are trying to sell yourself in a very short time and tell them about how great you are and all of your accomplishments. I find this very difficult and look forward to the end every time.

Through the interviewing experiences, I have come away with a greater understanding of my own desires. Each interview gives you a glimpse of what it might be like to work in a specific company. One of the interviews I had last week was a prime example of this. In talking with the interviewer and president of the company, it was evident that his values and the values of the company are in direct line with mine. This gives me a sense of assurance as I anticipate stepping into the role at this specific company. Others maybe not so much, and that is why it is so critical to ask questions during the interview. My recommendation is to learn as much as possible during the interview about the company so that you have a better understanding of what it may be like to work there.

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