INTRODUCTION
In today’s hypercompetitive business environment, an organization’s sustainable competitive advantage is derived largely from intangible assets: human, social, and intellectual capital. Intangible assets are produced by skilled, capable workers. Human resource professionals enable current and future organizational competitiveness by maintaining an adequate supply of people with the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to produce these resources. This is accomplished through workforce planning, recruitment and selection of top-quality talent, and effective employee relations management. As a human resource professional, your ability to effectively identify your organization’s need for employees, plan and implement employee recruitment and selection strategies, and manage employee relations will directly contribute to your organization’s success.
SCENARIO
You are the newly appointed director of human resource management for the fire department of a city in the northeastern United States. Your organization has struggled to hire new firefighters for some time. Your predecessor attempted to increase recruitment and selection of new firefighters by implementing an employee referral plan; however, the number of new hires through referrals has fallen short of hiring goals. The need for firefighters intensified when your city’s newly elected mayor promised to combat wildfires by increasing the number of firefighters in areas with higher wildfire risk.
The fire department has met the need for increased staff by assigning existing firefighters the additional hours and paying overtime wages. As the number of hours worked and overtime payments increased over time, the practice—originally intended to be a short-term remedy—attracted unwanted attention. A front-page article in your city’s newspaper has revealed that three firefighters earned higher annual salaries than the mayor, due to excessive overtime. Stung and embarrassed by this disclosure, the mayor fired your predecessor and put you in his place.
Both the mayor and your boss have given orders to “reduce overtime by hiring new firefighters immediately!” The mayor’s mandate to cut the overtime of currently employed firefighters has created an employee relations problem. The city’s firefighters have worked extra hours for so long that the extra overtime pay is now perceived as an entitlement. Some firefighters have assumed loans or increased living expenses in the expectation that the opportunity to earn overtime pay would continue. They are now unhappy that their ability to earn overtime pay will be greatly reduced (by the hiring of new firefighters) and are upset by the way they learned about city management’s decision to cut overtime pay.
Representatives of the union have responded with the attached “Memo on Firefighters’ Reaction to Planned Cuts in Overtime Pay.” You must manage the current conflict between the firefighters and city management and try to prevent future conflicts by developing a workplace culture that creates a positive work environment for employees and management. You will also revise job descriptions and selection procedures using the attached “Job Description of City Firefighters” to make managing workplace conflict a required job competency.
REQUIREMENTS
Create a report (suggested length of 5–10 pages) in which you address the following:
A. Analyze factors in the internal and external labor market that influence the supply of and demand for firefighters by doing the following (refer to the scenario above and the attached “Memo on Proposed Employee Referral Plan” to complete these tasks):
1. Discuss three factors that are influencing labor demand.
2. Discuss three factors that are influencing labor supply.
B. Design a recruitment plan for firefighters by doing the following (refer to the task attachments and your knowledge of best practices to complete these tasks):
1. Identify three recruitment objectives for your organization.
2. Develop a recruitment strategy for attracting job applicants by doing the following:
a. Determine the size of the applicant pool needed to produce 25 viable candidates (job offer-ready) using yield ratios and the recruitment data in the attached “Data on Recruitment Sources and Methods.”
b. Recommend two types of individuals who should be targeted for recruitment (i.e., the target groups listed in the attached “Data on Recruitment Sources and Methods”).
i. Justify each of your two recommendations.
c. Describe two effective methods for reaching each target group.
C. Design a selection plan for firefighters by doing the following:
1. Recommend three appropriate selection methods for all target candidates.
a. Justify each of your three recommendations.
2. Describe two selection tests you will use to assess a candidate’s suitability for the job of firefighter.
3. Identify two background verification checks that should be used in the selection process including the following:
• type of check
• when the check should be conducted in the selection process
4. Discuss four methods of evaluating the overall effectiveness of your recruitment and selection plans.
D. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
E. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.
RUBRIC
A:CAUSES OF CONFLICT
COMPETENT
The candidate provides a logical discussion of 3 causes of workplace conflict between the city’s firefighters and city management in the current situation. The discussion is comprehensive, well-reasoned, clearly explained, and sufficiently supported.
B:POSSIBLE SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES OF UNRESOLVED CONFLICT
COMPETENT
The candidate provides a logical discussion of 2 possible short-term outcomes if the conflict is not resolved. The discussion is comprehensive, well-reasoned, clearly explained, and sufficiently supported.
C:POSSIBLE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF UNRESOLVED CONFLICT
COMPETENT
The candidate provides a logical discussion of 2 possible long-term outcomes if the conflict is not resolved. The discussion is comprehensive, well-reasoned, clearly explained, and sufficiently supported.
D:POSSIBLE ACTIONS FOR RESOLVING CONFLICT
COMPETENT
The candidate provides a logical discussion of 3 possible actions for resolving the current conflict about overtime pay. The discussion is comprehensive, well-reasoned, clearly explained, and sufficiently supported.
E1:PREVENTING NEGATIVE CONFLICT
COMPETENT
The candidate provides a logical discussion of 2 basic components of a work culture that prevent negative conflict. The discussion is comprehensive, well-reasoned, clearly explained, and sufficiently supported.
E2:REVISION OF JOB SPECIFICATIONS
COMPETENT
The candidate provides 2 new specifications for the “required” section of the attached “Job Description of City Firefighters” that relate to a candidate’s ability to effectively manage workplace conflict. The job competencies are complete, logically constructed, clear, and appropriate in length and format.
E3:INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
COMPETENT
The candidate provides 3 situational interview questions designed to illuminate a job candidate’s competency in managing a workplace conflict. The questions are complete, logically constructed, clear, and appropriate in length and format.
F:EVALUATION METHODS
COMPETENT
The candidate provides a logical explanation of 2 methods for evaluating improvement in employee relations in the city fire department. The explanation is comprehensive, clear, sufficiently supported, and appropriate in length and format.
G:SOURCES
COMPETENT
The submission includes in-text citations for sources that are properly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized and a reference list that accurately identifies the author, date, title, and source location as available.
H:PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
COMPETENT
Content reflects attention to detail, is organized, and focuses on the main ideas as prescribed in the task or chosen by the candidate. Terminology is pertinent, is used correctly, and effectively conveys the intended meaning. Mechanics, usage, and grammar promote accurate interpretation and understanding.
SUPPORTING DOCS
https://www.mediafire.com/file/3orkx61gj29db4u/Job_Description_of_City_Firefighters.docx/file
https://www.mediafire.com/file/j8vah3bgyks2409/Memo_on_Proposed_Employee_Referral_Plan%25282%2529.docx/file
