Category: Hiring

Introduction

The role of organisational work as it is conducted in various modern companies is primarily determined by the qualifications of the employees performing specific duties. Where assessing the quality of human resources is concerned, an essential role is played by the HR manager, whose tasks are to instruct staff and recruit relevant professionals. A modern high rhythm predetermines the activity of all members of a particular firm as a component of joint work. Therefore, it is important to keep track of the various challenges that managers may face, assess opportunities and the degree of training of staff and describe possible recommendations for HR practice.

Challenges of Delivering Corporate Social Responsibility

With the development of progress in terms of production, science and technology along with the urbanisation of life, new and complex problems have emerged and worsened: ecological, technical, socioeconomic, information, cultural and more. The future of civilisation depends on a comprehensive solution for these issues. However, any solution is determined to a great extent by the activities of modern corporations and their responsibility to society and to the future. Therefore, todays problems in light of social responsibility are becoming central to management. As Mason and Simmons (2014) remark, the development and implementation of a reasonable and practical policy of social responsibility are steps towards the recognition of certain organisations in an international arena. Quite a few issues may arise in this sphere.

According to Brammer, He and Mellahi (2015), one of the acutest problems in the process of ensuring social responsibility on the part of business is the absence of actual legislatively established standards to regulate relations in this sphere. Policies that involve compulsory imposition of a requirement to conduct activities according to the principles of social responsibility do not lead to desired results. The management of particular organisations may be reluctant to part with income, preferring to leave something in reserve (Wang et al. 2016). The state, in its turn, is interested in the participation of large organisations in developing a sense of business social responsibility because of a lack of financial resources and is ready to promote partnership and support in this process. However, if mutually beneficial cooperation of these institutions is to achieve greater efficiency, it is essential to provide an adequate mechanism for state regulation of corporate social responsibility.

Ways to Regulate Corporate Social Responsibility

The first step in this direction should be the development of a legislative, regulatory framework focusing on social responsibility. Following its establishment, other possibilities for improvement can be suggested. Some of these, for example, might include economic benefits, the creation of non-profit investment funds, profits that are not taxed and go to charity, the creation of publicprivate partnerships, the introduction of mandatory social reporting for companies, incentives for the leadership of organisations and more. Unfortunately, in the process of introducing corporate social responsibility, a risk of additional problems is likely to arise. For instance, some companies cannot compete with others because of their inefficient allocation of resources. Nevertheless, using a scientifically grounded approach, problems can be solved in a timely manner. Thus, in the modern world, social responsibility on the part of business plays a decisive role.

Evaluation of the Changing Nature of Work

The formation and development of the modern concept of an organisation are largely associated with the industrialisation that has been introduced to the production process. Many entrepreneurs have viewed this as a factor in increasing the efficiency of business management, even as they have evaluated new opportunities to achieve competitive success by improving management effectiveness. When comparing modern and outdated approaches to management, it can be noted that recently, an environmentally conscious concept of management along with the management practices of modern enterprises, banks and firms began to be realised. According to Cooke, Wood and Horwitz (2016), new approaches can also be observed in the creation and implementation of a complex methodology for decision-making in the practical activities of reducing various types of risk. These risks accompany the production, management and intellectual activities of market participants and decision-makers. Such a statement of the problem requires an accurate approach to the establishment of interrelations among existing organisational and production systems and the creation of appropriate entrepreneurial models on that basis.

Compared with past technologies employed in the organisation of the working process, the present-day problems of interaction with the external environment are acquiring the greatest importance in management theory. In addition, as Forman, King and Lyytinen (2014) note, the external environment, the activity of individual companies and the orientation of a particular enterprise under prevailing conditions should be taken into account. The search for solutions to these problems has led to the formation of a number of modern management concepts aimed at ensuring the effective operation of organisations in the modern world. Some of these concepts are commonly used in different states, and experience can be borrowed; however, the development of new and unique ideas is needed. In particular, strategic management, a system where competent planning is an integral component of successful work, is key. Different types of leadership principles abound, and each is used for different purposes.

Managers and subordinates alike realise that approaches to work require constant improvement so that a certain company can adapt to the constantly changing tendencies of the world market. Moreover, according to Barley, Bechky and Milliken (2017, p. 111), the nature of work is likely to continue to change as we move further into the 21st century. Thus, constant change is caused by a high rate of business development. Therefore, the opportunities for some firms to successfully adapt to such changes can be one indicator of company success.

Value of Training and Development Interventions in Organizations

Well-trained employees can significantly improve the level of profitability of a particular organisation, and only high-income companies can survive in the current business environment. Therefore, each HR manager must seek to ensure that only professionals are the members of his or her team. According to Anderson (2016), employees incompetence and their reluctance to fulfil their immediate duties will ultimately affect the quality of collective work, with a corresponding impact on projects and profits. In order to achieve full impact, it is necessary to train staff well.

Training and development of employees will allow an organisation to raise the level of profitability of the business by increasing the effectiveness of teamwork and the value of professionals along with their professional level. Also, in the process of training, workers will be able to develop effective communication skills necessary for establishing good relationships with partners and clients (Andersen 2016). After all, in order to succeed, it is essential to constantly move forward, to look for new opportunities to develop the organisation and to be able to quickly adapt to changing business conditions. Investments in staff training help leadership to flexibly react to business requirements and efficiently manage an organisation.

Employees Motivation

For the training of workers to be effective, the workers themselves should realise that they need such investment. Therefore, HR managers should help subordinates to understand the importance of self-development and explain how it will benefit them. Experienced and proactive workers who are engaged in building a career are prepared to regularly work towards achieving better results (Cummings & Worley 2014). However, some employees want motivation. When implementing a variety of methods to encourage staff to be proactive, managers will demonstrate that training is not only useful but also profitable.

In those organisations where the personnel are in the process of continuing education, managers will spend most of their time achieving coherence in collective work on projects. It is necessary to admit that even a high-class professional cannot alone lead an entire project. The task of team building is a critical element in the process of personnel management. In the course of teamwork on a particular project, employees will be able to acquire new knowledge and develop useful practical skills in the professional field. Appropriate training will allow them to effectively achieve their goals.

Role of HR Practice Within Contemporary Organizations

Personnel policy as an instrument can play an essential role in maintaining stable development of both the entire labour market and a particular enterprise. This type of leadership focuses on organising work for human resources to be distributed according to the professional development factor. The task of specialists in this sphere is also to ensure the filtration of human resources, based on the interests and security of a particular company, especially when companies face growing competition and expanding sales that influence the organisations position in the market.

The role of the HR manager responsible for recruiting staff is particularly important since such a position also requires appropriate training and the ability to make informed, competent decisions. The success of an organisation, its productivity and reputation in the market almost entirely depend on the quality of work performed by its employees (Bamel & Stokes 2016). Accordingly, it is in the interests of the leadership to make sure that workers are as qualified as possible and can fully reveal their potential. HR managers, in their turn, should ensure that only responsible and trained employees perform a particular job in order to prevent work stalling or gross violation of established instructions. Therefore, the role of HR practice within contemporary organisations is certainly important and perhaps crucial.

Any HR manager occupying a leadership position must usually compete with other top managers for resources to develop his or her direction in terms of such factors as budget, vacancies, technical support and premises. However, high position gives an HR specialist the chance to take a strategic role in a specific organisation and to implement long-term projects along with the most favourable conditions for development. In addition to professionalism, this employee needs such qualities as perseverance, leadership potential and well-developed communication skills. In some companies, the HR director leads the management team and becomes the driving force for business development. Also, it is impossible to build trust relationships and promptly adjust work among staff without the constant interaction of all members of the HR department. Successful work provides team cohesion and a desire to help one another in the process of achieving common goals. Much also depends on the basic training of the HR manager. If this specialist has all the necessary skills, his or her company will certainly be provided with highly qualified employees.

Recommendations for HR Specialists

As a recommendation to managers who are searching for and selecting personnel, following different strategies may be of use in finding the most suitable mechanisms. An individual approach to employees is a useful tool that helps in establishing contact with a potential worker and allows each party to count on mutually beneficial cooperation (Liao, Wayne & Rousseau 2016). Also, HR managers should spend more time than usual in searching for experienced professionals. The contribution of such specialists to the success of an enterprises activity will certainly be higher compared to the benefit that ordinary employees who do not have either experience or a desire to work can bring a specific organisation.

Conclusion

It is essential for managers to be cognizant of the various challenges that they may face when working in a competitive environment. It is also important to assess the opportunities and degree of training of staff as these indicators directly impact the productivity of a particular enterprise. The role of HR managers is significant since these specialists work towards the goal of putting professional specialists in place to contribute as much as possible to a certain company. Some recommendations for HR practice can be useful because better results can be achieved when using new techniques. In addition, specific implementations can considerably influence a companys success and recognition.

Reference List

Anderson, DL 2016, Organization development: the process of leading organizational change, 4th edn, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Bamel, UK & Stokes, P 2016, Flexible HR practice, Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1-3.

Barley, SR, Bechky, BA & Milliken, FJ 2017 The changing nature of work: careers, identities, and work lives in the 21st century, Academy of Management Discoveries, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 111-115.

Brammer, S, He, H & Mellahi, K 2015, Corporate social responsibility, employee organizational identification, and creative effort: the moderating impact of corporate ability, Group & Organization Management, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 323-352.

Cooke, FL, Wood, G & Horwitz, FM 2016, Multinational firms from emerging economies in Africa: implications for research and practice in human resource management, International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 26, no. 21, pp. 2653-2675.

Cummings, TG & Worley, CG 2014, Organization development and change, 10th edn, Cengage Learning, Stanford, CT.

Forman, C, King, JL & Lyytinen, K 2014, Special section introduction  information, technology, and the changing nature of work, Information Systems Research, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 789-795.

Liao, C, Wayne, SJ & Rousseau, DM 2016, Idiosyncratic deals in contemporary organizations: a qualitative and meta-analytical review, Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 37, no. S1, pp. S9-S29.

Management principles  types of plans n.d., image, Web.

Mason, C & Simmons, J 2014, Embedding corporate social responsibility in corporate governance: a stakeholder systems approach, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 119, no. 1, pp. 77-86.

Siddique, MU, Attique-ur-Rehman & Jafri, SA 2013, The impact of training and development on employees performance, image, Web.

Wang, H, Tong, L, Takeuchi, R & George, G 2016, Corporate social responsibility: an overview and new research directions thematic issue on corporate social responsibility, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 534-544.

Introduction

The process of hiring and managing staff for a construction site includes many details that should not be overlooked by the project manager. Although ones decision to hire subcontractors offers the supervisor an opportunity to employ workers with specific knowledge and skills and reduce possible expenses, some procedures should be brought to ones attention. First of all, the system of rewards and recognition may influence the quality of the final product. Second, the manager should create and maintain a structure of safety requirements and ensure that all subcontractors comply with the outlined regulations. This paper aims to describe such aspects of project staffing as workers recognition and rewards, safety requirements, and compliance for masonry subcontractors.

Recognition and Rewards

It is important to remember that by recognizing high-quality work, managers can build workers trust, strengthen their partnership, and ensure stable and satisfactory working performance. Furthermore, a system of bonuses can influence workers performance and eliminate the possibility of conflicts. However, one should note that these rewards do not have to be financial to affect the result of ones work positively.

For instance, building a solid foundation of workers with experience in the field and offering them regular contracts may encourage them to put much effort into their work. As subcontractors often do not work on a performance-measured basis, it may be hard to regulate the result of their activity. In most situations, project managers rely on mutual trust and ones history of past projects while choosing a subcontractor. Thus, loyalty may be the best bonus for some workers.

However, some rewards are still possible outside of the negotiated price. For example, according to Hinze et al., rewarding workers if they safely perform the job may encourage them to comply with the safety standards outlined by the manager (2). Although it is not a required component of the contract, the recognition of safety compliance may enhance future performance of these subcontractors. The appreciation of quality may also come in many forms. The manager can monitor workers performance and offer some feedback about their operations.

Safety and Compliance

When hiring subcontractors, a manager should remember that he or she will be responsible for their safety and the protection of the surrounding areas. Therefore, it is vital for managers to create a system of regulations and implement it into the working process in order to avoid any incidents. Moreover, the issue of subcontractors following the outlined rules should also be recognized. The concern for safety should arise at the very beginning of the hiring process.

According to Burg, construction managers have to ensure that they are hiring qualified and educated staff (9). In this case, managers should check the history of subcontractors past places of work and assess the level of their performance in regards to safety. Furthermore, it is essential to infer about the educational and training programs that the subcontractors went through. This knowledge helps employers to see whether the workers need additional training. Then, one must compare the minimum requirements for the present task with the abilities of the subcontractor and evaluate the readiness of the latter to complete the work without any risks.

After hiring qualified and educated staff, the manager must ensure that the contractor has specific guidelines for each task on the site. For instance, masonry workers responsibilities may include building or repairing stone, brick, tile, or ceramic structures and surfaces which exposes the workers to some potentially dangerous materials and instruments (Florez and Castro-Lacouture 539). The safety instructions may include the need to wear protective clothing and gear and to secure the access to the occupied territory.

The safety of the subcontractors is the responsibility of a contractor. Thus, the manager has to provide the hired workers with a written plan of action for each of the tasks. Moreover, it is necessary to appoint a person responsible for communicating the proposed safety measures to the workers (Burg 10). This individual should be able to explain the actions to the workers and deliver the information about the project to the contractor. Subcontractors should interact with the appointed person and confirm their understanding of the processes.

Although the hired personnel should be trained in safety measures, additional education can be provided to eliminate the possibility of accidents (Sears et al. 152). During the working process, managers should conduct multiple safety inspections to see whether the subcontractors are acting in compliance with the established safety regulations. These check-ups may reveal some issues connected to workers abilities and knowledge and provide more information about their performance. Moreover, these inspections can also be a way for the subcontractors to voice their concerns and propose some new ideas. Engaging workers in a conversation may contribute to their compliance and overall performance as a result.

Conclusion

While the regulations for safety and recognition for subcontractors may differ from one project to another, managers should remember the basic principles for these processes. The reward system for subcontractors includes their established pay and some non-financial recognition in the form of stable recruitment and reliable connections. The protection of workers may also be encouraged through some rewards. Managers should acknowledge the issue of safety on every step of the hiring and working processes. It is necessary to hire trained staff and engage in safety-promoting activities before and during ones work. Written safety plans, additional training, communication, and regular inspections should allow managers to ensure the safety of the subcontractors and increase the rate of compliance.

Works Cited

Burg, Frank. Contractor and Subcontractor Safety Responsibilities on Multi-Employer Worksites. ASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition. American Society of Safety Engineers, 2014, pp. 8-11.

Florez, L., and D. Castro-Lacouture. Labor Management in Masonry Construction: A Sustainable Approach. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction. Vol. 31, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Department of Construction Economics & Property, 2014, pp. 536-543.

Hinze, Jimmie, et al. Construction-Safety Best Practices and Relationships to Safety Performance. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, vol. 139, no. 10, 2013, pp. 1-8.

Sears, S. Keoki, et al. Construction Project Management. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

Introduction

IKEA is a multinational conglomerate and retailer best known for selling furniture, home appliances, and other décor, goods, and accessories for the space. Being founded in Sweden in 1953, it has since then grown to be a global brand with a reputation for simple but stylish designs, utmost level of quality, and affordability in home furnishings (IKEA, n.d.). Human resources is a strategic asset and key element to fulfilling the companys mission and maintaining a successful business model.

HR Strategic Partner

IKEA maintains a vision which is To create a better everyday life for the many people (IKEA, 2021). Unlike many other businesses, one of the key principles of the company is to take care of its employees with just as much care and attention that it dedicates to customers. Therefore, the people in that statement certainly includes employees and staff working at or with IKEA. The company maintains a close culture where employee needs are taken care of and there is consistent communication with staff on the ground to determine how the company can best navigate the internal dynamic. Some of the values that IKEA emphasizes as part of its culture are trust, leading by example, positive change, simplicity, innovativeness, and empowerment of others (IKEA, 2021). This must reflect in the various human resource activities that HR management must undertake. Leadership at IKEA realizes the importance of recruiting, engaging, and retaining employees that will help to grow the business sustainably and share in a similar value system as to maintain a healthy corporate culture which will then facilitate the process of attaining strategic goals.

IKEA has a range of strategic goals as expected for a business of its size. First it seeks to maintain a modernized and lean supply chain as well as customer-oriented management and approach. The firms operations focus on creating a satisfying experience for the consumers, while being in-sync with supply chains processes to respond to consumer demands. The firm must ensure its retail operations use the best practices and procedures, including continuous implementation of innovative quality and technological standards. Significant capital investments are aimed at development and improvement of both the iconic IKEA retail experience as well as flexible and adaptable supply chain that is widely diversified and follows scheduling procedures with the diverse range of products that the brand offers (Sadler, 2003).

An HR manager is expected to serve as a strategic partner to IKEA as any other major organization. HR departments must not operate isolated, facing the potential of programs being misaligned with strategic goals, instead the HR leadership must be actively involved in cooperating, communicating, and working with the business side of the company. While a regular HR manager is focused on daily tasks, policy, and administration, a strategic partner works with senior leadership to develop and communicate the organizational strategy, in the forms of advisor, mentor, problem solving, and leadership (Wickham, 2021). At IKEA, as evident, maintaining a particular company culture is vital to the unique perception that the organization holds for people, and the employee approaches and attitudes are reflected in aspects of consumer service, product design and services, and even the more ubiquitous atmosphere of IKEA stores. HR as a strategic partner takes that into consideration strongly during the recruitment process, maintaining a policy of hiring based on values and cultural fit as a strong indicator alongside competency and experience. A strong focus is on values and beliefs to ensure consistency in the workforce (MITSloan Management Review, 2012). It is up to HR managers to develop a system that can effectively identify, recruit, train, and maintain such employees, effectively assessing personalities and values through expression and superficial knowledge of the candidates.

Main HR Management Challenges

In late 2017, IKEA introduced the organization for growth or O4G policy at all of its US-based locations. Until then, IKEA was almost an ideal employer, having some of the best rankings on job review websites and generally highly praised for its company culture, treatment of workers, and job benefits. The O4G policy was an organizational restructuring, aimed to shift the ways that employees work within IKEA and meet consumer expectations in a multichannel retail environment. Prior to the change, stores operated around the departmental structure in stores, with specific roles ranging from specific categories to sales workers assigned to different departments to cashiers, inventory, or security as well as internal HR, IT, and interior design departments. Employees would gain significant expertise within the department working there with co-workers for years, forming an understanding of their roles and responsibilities as well as tight bonds. However, the issue was that customer interactions were few and far in-between, and many felt like that there was no one to help them (Cain, 2018).

The O4G policy was created as a redesign aimed towards a customer-centric approach by creating new roles, but also shifting employees and sometimes combining roles and departments to create efficiency and responding to technological modernization of some tasks (Cain, 2018). However, the policy was incomplete in many ways and unintentionally created multiple HR management challenges. There were multiple miscommunication issues such as employees being told they were promoted, given additional responsibilities, but being reduced in salary. Several levels of pay bands began to form, with the new active seller positions making significantly than back-end workers in the same departments at the same level of experience. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that new hires and young workers were also paid at higher rates than the previously employed professionals (Castro, n.d.). There was evident divisiveness in the company culture, both overall and in specific stores, regarding the new policy, generating conflict. Furthermore, the policy largely exacerbated the issues it was meant to address. Due to staff downsizing, then mass quitting, and now high turnover, consumers service at levels, ranging from floor sales to cashier checkouts is suffering since employees are left balancing multiple responsibilities (Harrison, 2019).

The O4G policy is linked to several human resource issues. First, are retention issues, with staff, including many veterans of the company, leaving in large numbers after the changes have been implemented, and since then IKEA has high turnover rates at its retail locations. Unfortunately, no official statistics are available on turnover rates, but it is known that the company has announced a wage raise of nearly 10% after the changes to address high turnover, resulting in a decline of 5% and attracting more qualified candidates (Li, 2020). The second issue is job satisfaction, as the article by Cain (2018) highlights multiple anecdotal examples of employees being highly dissatisfied, not enjoying the work and culture, and facing significant pressure from both management and customers. Employees were given significantly more duties while decreasing training, working hours, and general support from the team. Statistics to support this can be based on Glassdoor reviews (one of the leading websites for employee reviews and opinions), with IKEAs near perfect score of 4.7 in 2015 dropping to 4.1 in 2017, and positive reviews dropping from 90% to 70% (Castro, n.d.). Finally, there is the issue of salary, classified as employee queries. The O4G policy called for salary reductions across levels and created pay bands that were seen as unfair. It could be seen as a rejection of high-income employees; however, this will have a negative effect on employee cognition and morale, working the working environment and harmony (Li, 2020).

Innovative Solutions

HR solutions exist to address these identified issues. Employee turnover is a prevalent issue, and certain strategies can be undertaken to address it. Retention begins early, starting with the recruitment stage. It is necessary for HR to be selective in its recruitment, since the company has transitioned to a more skill-based organizational structure, than its recruitment should also now focus more on competencies than values. Furthermore, it is critical that HR is clear in job descriptions and responsibilities, truthfully emphasizing the pressures but also the benefits of the position. The employee should be fully aware of what is expected from them, and be provided with proper training to fill the position competently. While the onboarding process is important, retention depends strongly on the culture and connections (Tarallo, 2018). IKEA must bring back its unifying culture, making efforts to create teams across all levels of the retail experience and emphasize the values that have underlined the company operations since its founding.

Job satisfaction is a complex issue to address but certain targeted strategies can be effective. First, one of the primary issues based on anecdotal evidence suggests that IKEA employees are given too many and too diverse of responsibilities. Some of this was justified, such as instead of a dedicated employee making cardboard boxes, they are now part of a bigger department team, making them on a as-needed basis. However, at other sectors this attempt at efficiency led to angry customers as one employee attempts to deal with multiple customers as well as responsibilities at a time (Harrison, 2019). IKEA needs to increase its workforce in retail to ensure adequate division of responsibilities, and it also needs to re-examine its roles, potentially finding a compromise between the departmental system previously and the current free-flow system. Nevertheless, extensive stress and pressure combined with the feeling of being overworked leads to eventual dissatisfaction in employees. While income discussed in the next paragraph has an impact, job satisfaction, and in turn, retention, often depends on other factors such as strong leadership, supportive organizational culture, and working environment. Employees should be engaged and have fun to some extent, at least from a social perspective (Chan, 2019). The previous approach that IKEA had allowed for that engagement since employees were highly skilled in their respective departments and worked together in teams, without which the satisfaction expectedly plummeted.

Finally, there is the aspect of compensation. IKEA made a significant misstep by cutting employee salaries, as there is almost never a reason to do that unless there is a significant reduction in employee hours and responsibilities, which in this case was the opposite. Benefits were largely cut as well for most of the hourly retail workers. Cost-saving measures may be necessary, but IKEA was experiencing annual growth. Such changes also drastically undercut its cultural values including communication and trust, despite the company indicating that employee feedback was collected at each stage of O4G development. The recent wage hike is a step forward in decreasing retention and attracting more competent talent. However, IKEA needs to re-examine its pay structures. First it should provide fair wages based on level of responsibility. Second, it should not drastically differentiate between the positions of active seller and the back-end jobs, as this decreases morale and is largely unjustified since both positions matter. The company can establish a percentage of sales compensation as a bonus for sales employees as a stimuli, but base pay should remain similar across the board based on experience and responsibility. Finally, benefits should be re-established to the max extent possible, as these often matter to employees while most do not create exuberant costs.

Conclusion

In the end, all of these three aspects of turnover, satisfaction, and compensation are closely connected. HR management must carefully navigate policy and work with leadership on organizational structure for the best outcomes and balance among all three while keeping the companys strategic goals in line. While IKEA is seeking to modernize and achieve that level of efficiency seen in warehouse retailers such as Amazon, by compromising its own culture and workforce that has been the backbone of the companys success and unique culture, it follows a dangerous path of alienating its customer and employee bases.

References

Cain, A. (2018). Ikea was once touted as one of the best places to work. Now workers are fleeing over a policy they say has backfired spectacularly. Business Insider. Web.

Castro, D. (n.d.). Searching for service excellence at Ikea. theStorytellers. Web.

Chan, S. C. H. (2019). Participative leadership and job satisfaction. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 40(3). Web.

Harrison, O. (2019). This is what its really like to work at Ikea. Yahoo. Web.

IKEA. (n.d.). About us. Web.

IKEA. (2021). Vision, culture and values. Web.

Li, Y. (2020). Business insight: Leadership and human resource management analysis for IKEA. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Publications (IJMRAP), 3(1), 74-81. Web.

MITSloan Management Review. (2012). IKEA: Hiring on values as well as skills. Web.

Sadler, P. (2003). Strategic management. Kogan Page Publishers.

Tarallo, M. (2018). How to reduce employee turnover through robust retention strategies. SHRM. Web.

Wickham, N. (2021). HR as a strategic partner: The what, why, and how of strategic HR. Web.

Internal Promotion Vs External Hiring: Introduction

Employee recruitment is one of the most critical decisions that human resource managers frequently make. They can choose between internal promotion and external recruitment. According to Buckman, Johnson, and Alexander (2018), the decision to recruit internally or externally should be pegged on the corporate environment. Additionally, human resource managers must consider the nature of the job and its significance to the organization.

Other factors that are essential when recruiting either internally or externally include the characteristics of the firm or industry and interaction of internal and external hiring policies and other practices (Buckman et al., 2018, p. 35). In spite of an organization having established recruitment policies, it is imperative to understand that each set of circumstances is unique and might require changing the hiring plan. The hired employee should not interfere with team dynamics or affect organizational performance. Instead, they should add value to a company. The primary goal of recruiting staff is to boost profitability. Hence, human resource managers must use a recruitment process that does not only help to get the right employee but also is cost-effective. This article will evaluate the pros and cons of internal promotion and external recruitment.

External Recruitment Vs Internal Promotion: Considerations

Human resource managers ought to consider numerous factors before deciding to promote existing employees or hire workers from outside. Buckman et al. (2018) insist that it is imperative to evaluate the present state of an organization. Understanding the current performance gives human resource staff an opportunity to hire internally. If the status quo of business has facilitated growth over an extended time, it is imperative to ensure that recruitment guarantees continuity. It can be realized by promoting the best performing employees. On the other hand, if a companys goal is to achieve different results, it can opt to recruit from outside. Dessler (2017) advises that recruiting managers should consider the impacts of the hired worker on team dynamics. External recruitment may or may not be the best option for an organization. A foreign recruit can only add value to an organization after learning its culture. Hence, it is vital to determine if a new employee will have adverse impacts on a team of workers who have been working seamlessly together. If an existing team is doing well, there is no need of introducing new staff into the group.

A hiring process should be cost-effective. Therefore, it is essential to consider cost when deciding on the employment strategy to apply (Dessler, 2017). The best procedure must enable a company to save not only money but also time. Even though internal promotion may require the human resource to raise the earnings of the affected staff, external hiring results in an organization drawing up a new salary for the incoming employee. Additionally, a company spends the time to establish a stable working relationship with recruits, which affects the productivity of an organization. The human resource must determine if it is worth a companys time to go through the transitional period attributed to external recruitment. A recruit must bring improvements into an organization (Dessler, 2017). Else, the employee will be a burden to a company. Human resource managers must evaluate the value that a recruit will bring to the company before hiring from outside. Research shows that a majority of external recruits perform poorly for the first few years in an organization compared to employees who are promoted internally. Even though external hires impact team dynamics, the effects might not necessarily be detrimental. The human resource must establish if the organization requires transformation, which can be achieved through external recruitment.

Internal Recruitment: Advantages and Disadvantages

Internal promotion refers to a hiring process where a company fills available job vacancies with in-house workers. The strategy is also known as succession planning. Mostly, internal promotion is used as a strategy to reward the best-performing workers. Nevertheless, it can also be applied in horizontal position shifts. The hiring staff must consider numerous factors before promoting employees. According to Kumar and Singh (2017), creating a job description for the existing vacancy helps human resources to understand the essential abilities, tasks, skills, and knowledge that the job entails. Hence, it becomes easy to determine the right employee to promote. Kumar and Singh (2017) emphasize the need to consider personality when promoting employees. It precedes skills and knowledge. An employee can acquire capabilities, skills, and experience. However, an individuals personality does not change throughout ones adult life. Consequently, human resource managers must make sure that an employee has the right traits to enable them to perform in their new positions.

Advantages of Internal Promotion

One of the advantages of promoting existing employees is that it facilitates continuity. Kumar and Singh (2017) assert that insiders have adequate knowledge of the corporate culture. Moreover, they have requisite skills and experience that are unique to an organization. As per Vinayaka and Ramaswamy (2017), existing workers have established a lasting employment relationship with the employers. Hence, they are unlikely to leave a company even in times of crisis. Vinayaka and Ramaswamy (2017) argue that existing workers are devoted to developing their skills as they are assured of job security. Recruiting managers prefer hiring employees that are likely to remain in an organization for long. It is easier to determine if existing workers will stay in an organization than to predict the future of an external recruit. Internal promotion eliminates the doubt that the employee might leave the company in the case of the slightest crisis.

Organizations prefer internal promotion because it serves as an incentive to employees. According to Vinayaka and Ramaswamy (2017), promoting the best performing employees stirs healthy competition amid workers, which boosts not only their productivity but also organizational performance. Kumar and Singh (2017) maintain that when employees realize that they only require doing better than their colleagues to get promoted, they exert an extra effort in their activities. It goes a long way towards improving their output. On the other hand, the understanding that one has to compete with an unknown number of external applicants to get a promotion demoralizes workers. It becomes hard for the internal employees to commit to their assignments.

Internal promotion is cost-effective. Vinayaka and Ramaswamy (2017) argue that external recruitment is costly since an organization has to advertise the vacancy and spend the time to conduct interviews. On the other hand, hiring from existing employees is efficient because the company does not require conducting intensive interviews. Some job positions affect organizational performance if left vacant. In some cases, operations have to stop until the vacancy is filled. In such instances, companies require using efficient recruitment processes. Internal promotion can be of significant help since it is quicker and helps to get employees with the desired skills.

Disadvantages of Promotion

One of the most significant disadvantages of internal promotion is that it denies a company an opportunity to select the best employee from a pool of experienced applicants. Wang and Seifert (2017) allege that human resource managers are forced to hire from a finite talent pool. The available candidates may not have all the necessary skills. According to Wang and Seifert (2017), human resource managers should ensure that internal candidates possess all the required skills before promoting them. Alternatively, they should organize for on-the-job training to equip the promoted employees with the needed skills.

Internal promotion results in an organization recruiting for multiple positions. Promoting an existing worker leads to the creation of a vacancy in a company. The position cannot remain unfilled, forcing a company to recruit another employee. Wang and Seifert (2017) claim that successive internal promotions would create a chain of multiple recruitments. The only way to ensure that internal promotion does not trigger consecutive hirings is to identify functions that can be dissolved or merged.

Advantages and Disadvantages of External Recruitment

External recruitment refers to the process through which an organization hires employees from a pool of outside candidates. A company may use recruiting agencies or human resource departments to engage potential candidates. Today, low tenure and high turnover make it difficult for most organizations to rely on internal promotion. In some circumstances, an organization may not manage to develop internal talents, forcing it to hire employees with the desired skills from outside.

External Recruitment: Advantages

One of the benefits of external recruitment is that it introduces new ideas into an organization. According to Wang and Seifert (2017), external applicants are not entangled in organizational politics. Thus, they are not vulnerable to unproductive manipulation from subordinates or peers. External recruitment offers an organization a chance to choose the best candidate from an infinite pool of talents. An organization must be willing to spend on job advertising to enable it to reach a significant number of potential candidates. Wang and Seifert (2017) argue that external hiring protects a company from initiating a chain of multiple recruitments that are attributed to internal promotion. Such successive recruitments are costly concerning money and time. Internal promotion may encourage complacency among employees. In some organizations, staff may conspire to split part of the gains of a promotion. Conversely, the threat of external recruitment may lead to employees being active as a way to safeguard their jobs.

External recruitment accords an organization a chance to hire employees who can boost its competitiveness. Wang and Seifert (2017) affirm that an organization gets an opportunity to employ individuals from rival companies who have proven track records. In return, an organization learns how its competitors work and alter its operations to boost competitiveness. Hiring fresh talents from outside may motivate existing employees. It may serve as a wake-up call to workers, forcing them to work harder in the hope of getting promoted in the future. Wang and Seifert (2017) argue that external recruitment helps to encourage a culture change. External recruits introduce alternative organizational culture to their new workplaces. Such an action can allow a company to match its customs with strategic goals. External recruitment augments a companys chances for growth. It enables an organization to hire individuals with the highest potential, thus adding to its prospect for growth. Moreover, employing experienced workers helps to broaden the capacity of existing employees, thus facilitating organizational growth.

Disadvantages of External Recruiting

Studies show that external recruits do not only receive high salaries but also perform poorly in the first two years after employment. An analysis from the United States investment banking sector revealed that external recruits earned 18% more than their internally promoted colleagues despite them being in the same job group (Buckman et al., 2018). Buckman et al. (2018) allege that external hires are unlikely to stay in an organization for a long time. They are at a higher risk of being sacked than internally promoted workers. Buckman et al. (2018) claim, External hires are 61% more likely to be fired from their new jobs than those who have been promoted from within the firm (p. 41). External recruits tend to be more experienced and learned than internal hires. Nevertheless, it is imperative to appreciate that one cannot be productive on the first day. They require establishing a healthy working relationship and understanding the routines and structures of an organization.

External recruitment contributes to a temporary reduction of organizational productivity. The hired employees require time to adjust to the new environment and learn the culture of the organization. The company cannot continue to perform efficiently throughout the learning period. One may argue that the best candidate learns and adjusts to the new environment quickly. However, it is imperative to understand that an organization cannot escape a brief lull attributed to hiring new staff.

External recruitment may result in changes in team dynamics, causing conflicts between employees. According to Kumar and Singh (2017), the information that a candidate provides is not sufficient to enable human resource managers or recruiting agencies to ascertain if an applicant will fit in an organization. Even though an external recruit might introduce novel ideas into an organization, not all employees may be willing to embrace them. Such a scenario may stir conflict between workers and affect their productivity. External recruitment may demoralize employees. Many workers commit themselves to organizational activities hoping that the leadership will appreciate their effort through promotion. Bringing senior employees from outside reduces the chances of internal workers getting promoted. It might affect employee productivity as some workers may not see the essence of working hard.

External recruitment may lead to a company hiring the wrong candidates, particularly for low-level positions. Kumar and Singh (2017) argue that external hiring involves advertising, which reaches many potential applicants. Therefore, an advertisement is likely to attract many applicants who might not possess the required skills. The cases of numerous unsuitable candidates applying for low-level positions are common. External recruitment may expose an organization to legal risks. Hiring skilled employees might require a company to enter into some exclusive contracts with the applicants. Violation of any clause of the agreement may result in an organization facing a lawsuit.

Conclusion: Is Internal Recruitment Better Than External?

A company may decide to use an internal promotion or external recruitment depending on the prevailing circumstances and organizational structure. If a company has an employee who can fit in a new position, there would be no need for external recruitment. The leadership can promote the worker to make sure that a company stays operational. On the other hand, if the business cannot get a suitable candidate from the existing workers, it is imperative to use external recruitment. The most important thing is to ensure that the human resource understands the strengths and weaknesses of whichever recruitment approach that an organization opts to use. It would help to ensure that the hiring process profits the organization both financially and operationally.

References

Buckman, D., Johnson, A., & Alexander, D. (2018). Internal vs. external promotion: Advancement of teachers to administrators. Journal of Educational Administration, 56(1), 33-49.

Dessler, G. (2017). Human resource management (15th ed.). New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kumar, P., & Singh, S. (2017). Recruitment process: A case study in banking sector. Journal of Bank Management & Financial Strategies, 1(2), 25-32.

Vinayaka, M., & Ramaswamy, S. (2017). Recruitment process and practices undertaken in IT sector: A comparative analysis of selected Indian and MNC companies. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 3(2), 14-36.

Wang, W., & Seifert, R. (2017). Employee referrals: A study of close ties and career benefits in China. European Management Journal, 35(4), 514-522.

Introduction

The US has a phenomenal number of inmates serving in her state correctional facilities. Imprisonment is invariable related to a loss in employment as the inmate serves his time. On re-entry into the society, these ex-felons require employment so as to make a living and be productive members of the society.

However, finding employment is not an easy task due to the negative perception of ex-felons that the society and by extension potential employers have. There were an estimated 592,000 inmates released from State and Federal facilities in 2001 (Office of Justice Programs). It is imperative that this huge number of ex-felons obtain employment so as to enable them to sustain themselves and avoid criminal activities.

However, most employers are reluctant to hire ex-convicts due to various considerations. This paper will argue that employing ex-felons is hugely beneficial and as such, employers should not hesitate to hire ex-felons in areas where they are qualified. To reinforce this assertion, this paper shall discuss the benefits of hiring ex-felons and weigh them against the demerits so as to demonstrate that hiring of ex-felons is valuable to not only the employer and ex-felon but also the community at large.

A case for Hiring Ex-Felons

An employer who accepts to hire an ex-felon will have the advantage of tapping into a huge resource pool that is made up of ex-inmates. Owing to the heightened usage of imprisonment as the choice response to criminal behavior by our nation, there is a record number of individuals serving time in penitentiaries. Wodabl (2006, p.32) notes that “the more people we put in prison, the more will eventually come out”.

As such, it can be expected that a significant number of ex-inmates are returning and will continue returning to the community each year. This is a fact that is corroborated by Pattillo and Weiman (2006) who state that at the current rate of incarceration, nearly 10% of all men residing in the US will serve some time in state or federal prisons. This being the case, an employer who refuses to consider ex-felons for employment will be missing out on a significant number of potential employees.

The New York City Bar (2008) reveals that there are laws that protect an ex-felon from being discriminated against in employment as a result of their ex-felon status. These laws are put in place to avoid discrimination against ex-felons without any legitimate or valid reasons. These rights are legally enforceable and as such, an employer may be sued for discrimination. An employer can therefore avoid legal retribution by employing a qualified ex-felon since the low prohibits denying of employment on the basis of an arrest record.

Undoubtedly, there has been great reluctance by most employers to employ ex-felons. In recognition of this, the Federal governments in conjunction with State governments have created incentives for employers hiring ex-felons (New York City Bar, 2008). These incentives include protection against theft, embezzlement or forgery that may be perpetrated by the ex-felon.

An employer hiring ex-felons will therefore have an advantage in that he is insured in the case that his employee should decide to defraud him in any way. In addition to this, the government also offers tax benefits for companies that employ new persons who have been convicted of felonies.

Owing to the fact that most ex-felons find it had to get a job, when they are employed, they show more loyalty and tend to work harder than the ordinary person. This is because they know that getting a job is hard and as such, their current employer might be the only one willing to employ them given their record. An employer therefore stands to gain the unreserved dedication on the ex-felon even as he prove to be an asset to the employer.

Demerits of Hiring ex-Felons

Arguably the most important role played by criminal justice system is deterrence. This is because the most desirable function of punishments should be to deter would be wrong doers thus leading to a harmonic society. In an ideal environment, punishments should never have to be executed but their mere presence should cause all to abide to the rules and regulations in place therefore peacefully coexist.

By not hiring felons willingly, society will be assisting in creating even greater deterrence (Thompson, 2004). This is because a would be offender will know that if he/she is convicted, the punishment that they will suffer will not be limited to the prison but will also involve hurting their future employment opportunities.

When an employer hires, he may be held accountable for the employee’s actions. Companies may be held criminally liable for the behavior of their employees despite the employees having acted on their own volition. Saxonhouse (2004) reveals that for this reasons employers understandably would prefer to hire employees of proven trustworthiness.

Considering the fact that most ex-felons have a higher likelihood of recommitting a crime, an employer who hires an ex-felon exposes himself to unnecessary risk. Pattillo and Weiman further reveal that in many states, employers can be held liable for criminal actions of their employees for negligent hiring since they have a duty to protect the interests of their organization and the public by not exposing them to potentially dangerous individuals.

Ex-felons generally tend to suffer from mental instability which can be attributed to the stress that is experienced while they serve their sentence as well as the stigma that is attached to being an ex-convict.

Thompson (2004) documents that mental illnesses are four times as high in inmates than in the general population. This being the case, an employer runs the risk of employing a person of unsound mental health when he employs an ex-felon. This is not an economically sound decision since this person may end up being unproductive or even worse, become a liability to the company by accruing medical bills.

Discussion

There are a significant number of ex-inmates who are returning to the community each year. However, the community at times fails to be supportive to the ex-felons or give them a chance to become productive community members. Petersilia (2001, p.360) laments that “virtually no systematic, comprehensive attention has been paid by policy makers to deal with people after they are released”.

This statement holds true for most states where there are no programs to enable the ex-convict to effectively reintegrate into society and gain meaningful employment. This combined with some laws which hold an employer accountable for crimes committee by the employees discourages potential employers from hiring ex-felons. However, this paper has shown that there are policies which have been put up to address the issue. These policies give incentives to employers for hiring ex-felons thus enabling them to gain stability.

While it is true that ex-felons suffer from stress as a result of imprisonment, when they are out of prison, it is unemployment which leads to an escalation of this mental health issues. Work is important for the mental well being of all persons and Liker (1982) asserts that there is scientific evidence associating unemployment and various forms of social and psychological disturbances.

Failing to employ ex-felons for because of their mental troubles therefore results in them being even more disturbed. Getting employed on the other hand has the effect of giving the ex-convict a mental release that in effect reduces the affective distress tat is inherent in most ex-felons (Liker, 1982).

The reality is that apart from those professions in which a felon is prohibited from enrolling in such as law enforcement, the decision whether or not to hire a felon is held by the prospective employer. Discriminating against ex-felons just because they once committed a crime is tantamount to punishing them for a wrong they have already paid for.

Giving ex-felons an equal footing in their search for employment proves that we as a society have faith in the rehabilitative property of our prison systems and absolve the ex-felon since they have already repaid their debt to society by serving time.

Conclusion

This paper will argue that employing ex-felons is beneficial and employers should therefore engage in it with less inhibition. To buttress this assertion, this paper has discussed the many advantages that can be accrued from employing ex-felons.

This paper has demonstrated that in most cases, the decision to not hire the felon is based on irrational fears as well as generalization of all felons as hardcore criminals who cannot be reformed. This is not always the case and as such, society should be willing to assist felons to lead an honest life by giving them employment through which they can make a meaningful living and consequently play a part in the noble task of building our great nation.

References

Liker, J. (1982). “Wage and status effects of employment on affective wellbeing among ex-felons.” American Sociological Review, 47(2), 264-283.

New York City Bar (2008). “Legal Employers Taking the Lead: Enhancing Employment Opportunities for the Previously Incarcerated.” New York City Bar Association Task Force. Web.

Office of Justice Programs (2001). Bureau of Justice Statistics. Web.

Pattillo, M. & Weiman, D. (2006). Imprisoning America: The social Effect of Mass Incarceration. Russell Sage Foundation.

Petersilia, J. (2001). Prison Reentry: Public Safety and Reintegration Challenges.” The Prison Journal 81 (3): 360-375.

Saxonhouse, E. (2004). “Unequal Protection: Comparing Former Felon’s Challenges to Disenfranchisement and Employment Discrimination.” Stanford Law Review, Vol. 56.

Thompson, A. C. (2004). Navigating the Hidden Obstacles to Ex-Offender Reentry. Boston College Law Review. Vol. 45. Issue 2, no. 2.

Wodabl, J. E. (2006). “The Challenges of Prisoner Reenter from a Rural Perspective.” Western Criminology Review 7 (2), 32-47.

It is safe to say that the East High School personnel director should not be worried about Tory Bolton filing a lawsuit against the educational organization’s hiring rules. According to Aamodt (2015), any hiring policy “must be narrowly tailored and meet a compelling government interest”; otherwise, it is illegal (p. 105). In this case, affirmative action serves as a compelling government interest. Experts note that it is “an active effort to improve employment or educational opportunities for members of minority groups and for women” (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d., para. 1). This political and socioeconomic approach was initiated by the state more than half a century ago. Therefore, the actions of the personnel director are legal and, given the demographic conditions in the county, should be encouraged.

Five criteria help one determine the appropriateness and legality of affirmative action measures. The first question is whether East High School has a history of discrimination (Aamodt. 2015). The answer to this is yes, as employees of Hispanic descent were underrepresented in the school staff. The second one is whether the adopted hiring method is beneficial only to the discriminated Hispanic population (Aamodt. 2015). The answer is also positive here since the hiring policy aims to increase the number of school workers only of Hispanic descent. The next question is about which population was used in goal-setting (Aamodt. 2015). As noted above, they are a qualified workforce, namely Hispanic school employees. The fourth criterion asks whether the affirmative action measures taken violated the rights of non-minorities (Aamodt. 2015). The answer is no since the preferential selection was between two qualified teachers, a minority and a non-minority. The last criterion asks if the current hiring policy has an ultimate goal. The personnel director sees a teaching staff with over 40% of teachers of Hispanic origin as an endpoint, which means it has one.

References

Aamodt, M. G. (2015). Industrial/organizational psychology: An applied approach (8^th ed.). Cengage.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Affirmative action. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web.

Introduction

In their article titled “Last Hired, First Fired?” Couch Kenneth and Fiarlie Robert investigate the notion that the African Americans are discriminated in the employment sector as opposed to their White counterparts. It has been largely thought that the African Americans were the last people to be hired during an economic boom while they were the first ones to be shown the sack in the event of a recession. Couch and Fiarlie (246) make the conclusion that in fact, the African Americans were the Last Hired but they believe that that they were not the First Fired.

The Research

The research was carried out on the background of the fact that the hypothesis that blacks were the Last Hired and First Fired was previously tested by examining the rates of employment in the business cycles. The weakness of this approach is that there have been no examinations of the cyclic movements out of and into unemployment (Couch and Fiarlie 227). To look at the idea more scientifically, the two elected to carry out a more comprehensive and representative research by looking at survey data spanning over fifteen years for the period of 1989-2004.

The first deduction they made is that the employment rate of the African Americans was half that of the white population for the period under study. The ratios arrived at for the unemployment rates for the blacks were 12.4% as opposed to that of the whites which was 5.4%. Based on this data, they make an informed judgment that the assertion that the unemployment rates of whites was half that of the blacks to be factual (Couch and Fiarlie 227). As a rule of thumb, a good research should have comprehensive data and the inference should be based on scientific observations. This is something that the two did as seen in their analysis of the data set.

The purpose of the research is maintained through out the article and as one goes through it, there is clarity of the main idea that is being investigated which is necessary for a good research. Couch and Fiarlie investigate the concept by looking at the survey data as well as looking at some other analyses by other experts. All the cited experts agree to the fact that the employment rate of the whites was higher than that of the African Americans.

The conclusion arrived at by Couch and Fiarlie that the blacks were last hired is not convincing. The assertion is based on their personal observation and all the other experts that have been quoted in the article don’t seem to subscribe to this view. The explanation they give to the assertion is at best vague. They say that unemployed blacks were hired in the early stages of the business cycle and they were later on in the cycle drawn from the employed segment (246).

The question was whether the employment rates were different across the races and it would not be expedient to state that the African Americans were reemployed. Taking staff from their current position to a new position should not be considered as employment as it is merely a promotion or a demotion but the employment status of the staff has not changed from being employed to being unemployed or from being unemployed to being employed.

Conclusion

Couch and Fiarlie’s article follows the good criteria of business research. The research carried out is based on reliable data which is comprehensive. The two conclusions arrived at can be looked at differently. The first conclusion that the employment rates of the black race was half that of the white race is clearly researched and the conclusion can be said to be scientific. The second conclusion that African Americans were not the first to be fired is based on their personal opinion and is not well backed up with empirical evidence which contravenes the quality of a good research.

Work Cited

Couch, Kenneth and Fiarlie Robert. Last Hired, First Fired? Black-White Unemployment and the Business Cycle. Demography, 47.1(2010):227-247.

The hiring decision of the most qualified Deputy Minister of the agency will be based on both the academic qualifications and working experience of the candidates who have applied for the job (Carroll, 1990).

To begin with, it is vital to underscore the fact that the agency deals with setting safety standards and product testing of all environmental emissions and goods produced from manufacturing plants. Therefore, the most suitable candidate should possess a solid background in environmental science. The ideal candidate should be a specialist on environmental pollution control.

Before embarking on the academic qualifications of the candidate, it is profound to highlight the job description criteria that the new Deputy Minister will be expected to deliver while in office.

To begin with, the Deputy Minister (DM) will have to ensure that there is thorough compliance with the local, state and national laws that govern the emission of hazardous materials from either manufactured products or factories. The new DM will be expected to be in a position to perform the following key roles:

• Management and development of information systems that can be used in the process of identifying various locations where hazardous materials are being released.
• The ability to update and deliver training programs for employees in relation to the emission of dangerous wastes and materials.
• Active supervision of active contracts that are being carried out in external locations. Examples of contracts include the removal and testing of materials that are hazardous.
• The ability to initiate thorough investigations regarding complaints emanating from employees especially in regards to harmful exposure to air pollutants and hazardous materials.
• The ability to enhance accurate maintenance of records by junior officials in the ministry. Records that should be maintained include transportation of hazardous wastes, complaint investigations and chemical inventories.
• Updating the Minister on both the proposed and current control measures that are linked to various areas of assigned programs.
• Initiating field work activities with the assistance of junior officers in the ministry.
• Facilitating regular sampling of wastes that may be harmful from factories. This duty should go hand in hand with screening of materials that are likely to contain heavy particles such as asbestos.
• The ability to initiate and monitor the process of maintaining inspection and operation schedules.

It should be noted that while the above roles and responsibilities are supposed to be performed by the junior environmental specialists in the ministry, the DM is expected to possess similar skills and competences so that he or she is thoroughly updated on the daily activity logs at the ministry (Carroll, 1990). As a matter of fact, the DM must have attained various levels of achievements within his or her area of specialization before being appointed in this position.

Required general qualifications

• The Deputy Minister (DM) should possess adequate working knowledge of environmental pollutants such as industrial gaseous emissions, hazardous pollutants that are manufactured in factories and general harmful materials such as asbestos.
• The DM should also be in capacity to comprehend and fully apply hazardous materials regulations that have been put in place by the government.
• He or she should possess ample working experience in relation to the processes of inspecting materials that are hazardous.
• He or she should be well endowed with excellent relationship, communication and interpersonal skills.

Desired academic qualifications

In addition to the above general qualifications for the Deputy Minister, he or she will also be assessed in terms of the academic qualifications as follows:

• Must possess a Bachelor’s degree in either physical or biological sciences from any accredited institution of higher learning.
• Background in environmental science related subjects like Biology and Chemistry.
• Natural science specialist will also qualify for this position.
• Advanced degree certification (masters and PhD) in the above mentioned fields.

Additional skills and competences

• The DM should be thoroughly familiar with the tools used in environmental science. Some of these tools include digital survey patterns, soil probes, rain water samples, and mercury monitors.
• The candidate should posses the ability to utilize graphics and compliance software, be scientifically analytical and also be able to use map creation in a skilful manner.

From the above pools of qualifications, it is evident that the Deputy Minister of the agency should be an individual who is adequately conversant with all the critical environmental matters (Carroll, 1990). He or she should have thorough knowledge of the entire system more than any of the environmental officers who have been deployed in the ministry. Therefore, the above criteria will be the most appropriate to use in appointing the Deputy Minister.

Dr. Murray Lee is apparently the most qualified candidate among the three candidates due to his science background. However, he is no longer interested in the position. As an alternative candidate, Gerard Leclerc can be appointed as the DM due to his background in science. He is the director of the Consumer Scientists Association of Quebec and therefore suitably placed to take over as the Deputy Minister.

Reference

Carroll, B.W. (1990). Politics and Administration: A Trichotomy?” Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration 4(3), 345-366.

Affirmative action programs used in the hiring process can be discussed as the policies which are developed to promote and maintain the equality among the employees according to their gender, race or the national origin. From this point, the hiring process which is based on the affirmative action program is effective for contributing to the workforce diversity within the definite company (Taylor, 1991).

Should the hiring officials who are oriented to the affirmative action programs hire minorities to balance diversity at workplaces?

Although the principles of the affirmative action programs are actively argued with references to the issue of discrimination and its effects, basing on the data collection and qualitative studies, it is possible to state that it is necessary to hire the representatives of the minority groups to realize the affirmative action program completely.

The developed affirmative action programs worked out in companies can be successfully used in the context of realizing the strategy in relation to the workforce diversity when employees are hired in spite of their race, color of skin, gender, and status (Dixon, Roscigno, & Hodson, 2004). The workforce diversity is the symbol of the modern business which develops according to the ideas of globalization and multiculturalism (Brady & Collier, 2004; Kellough, 2006).

Nevertheless, the problem of affirmative action is more controversial in comparison with the general question of the workforce diversity. The aspects of the issue are traditionally examined with the help of the data collection method and qualitative or mixed methods.

The data collection method in association with the usage of the affirmative action program is based on collecting the necessary data about the advantages and disadvantages of the policy and the quantitative characteristics of the process.

The hiring officials and HR managers should organize their work depending on the results of the data collection according to which it is possible to concentrate on the information about the employees’ gender, race, ethnicity, and disability.

This information is significant for forming the necessary affirmative action database to regulate the associated issues and workforce diversity. From this point, hiring officials should hire the representatives of minorities with references to the affirmative action programs as the important part of the diagnostic analysis of the workforce and potentials (Tomasson & Crosby, 2001).

However, qualitative or mixed studies are also important for developing the affirmative action program and for its further realization. It is the employers’ responsibility to follow their affirmative action programs, but the employees’ attitude to the process can be examined with references to the results of the qualitative studies (Axinn & Pearce, 2006).

For instance, the qualitative methods based on interviews can reveal the tendency to discuss the ineffective affirmative action programs as the representation of a quota system which is beneficial only for employers, but not for employees (Griffin & Museus, 2011, p. 83).

Interviews and observations are also significant for making conclusions about the potential of the affirmative action programs to overcome the issue of discrimination, for instance, in relation to gender and, as a result, parent status (Correll, Benard, & Paik, 2007).

The efficiently developed affirmative action programs with references to the required data collection and qualitative methods are effective for employers to follow their hiring strategy.

The accents on the affirmative action programs can be also presented as the employers’ rejection of any kind of discrimination at the workplace in relation to the workers’ definite qualities and characteristics. Thus, the issue of affirmative action is closely associated with the question of hiring minorities.

References

Axinn, W. G., & Pearce, L. D. (2006). Mixed method data collection strategies. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Brady, H. E., & Collier D. (2004). Rethinking social inquiry: Diverse tools, shared standards. Lanham, MD: Rowan & Littlefield.

Correll, S. J., Benard, S., & Paik, I. (2007). Getting a job: Is there a motherhood penalty? American Journal of Sociology, 112(5), 1297-1339.

Dixon, M., Roscigno, V. J., & Hodson, R. (2004). Unions, solidarity, and striking. Sociological Forces, 83(1), 3-33.

Griffin, K. A., & Museus, S. D. (2011). Using mixed methods to study intersectionality in higher education: New directions in institutional research. USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Kellough, J. E. (2006). Understanding affirmative action: Politics, discrimination, and the search for justice. USA: Georgetown University Press.

Taylor, B. R. (1991). Affirmative action at work: Law, politics, and ethics. USA: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Tomasson, R. F., & Crosby, F. J. (2001). Affirmative action: The pros and cons of policy and practice. USA: Rowman & Littlefield.