StrategicHumanResourcesManagement_Assessment1

1

Running head: RECRUITING PLAN STRATEGY REPORT

2

RECRUITING PLAN STRATEGY REPORT

Jane Q. Doe

Capella University

HRM-FPX5310 Strategic Human Resource Management

Assessment 1 Recruiting Plan Strategy Report

August 17, 2020

The Core Group Logo (n.d.)

Overview:

The Core Group is a food service sales establishment which has dedicated sales employees for categories in the food industry such as; K12, chain restaurants, healthcare and distributors (i.e., Sysco, Food Services of America, U.S. Foods). This food service sales company is the middleman between clients in targeted categories with menus that use food products the large brands produce such as; Smucker’s, McCain Foods, Jennie-O, French’s, etc.

The Core Group employees work directly with food service directors at nursing homes, school districts, major chain restaurants, and stadiums as well as with major food distributors to sell products from said manufactures to the clients. Then the sales team must ensure the product can get to the client by maintaining relationships with distributers, getting the product to the client to be served on menus. Any state with chain restaurants, schools, healthcare facilities and major food distributors is the perfect candidate to open a new location.

The Core Group is looking to expand by adding a new market to the list of 42 states already being operated in. (The Core Group, n.d.). To successfully break ground in a new market, understanding the locations, market, population and many more topics will aid in choosing the best market for the new branch.

Today’s topic of discussion will be focused on how many employees will be needed for the new office, to include: expected education levels or experience of those seeking employment as well as the best location. This will be accompanied with an in-depth look into each considered market area to determine where this expansion has the best chance of survival. It is not just about the consumer and market for brands associated with The Core Group, but the sort of people who will be applying for these positions and if there will be a vast pool to choose from.

Recruiting Strategy:

1. Understand each positon to be filled

2. Discuss realistic education and experience standards

3. Compare three labor markets with potential for expansion

4. Assess recruitment laws

5. Recruiting minorities

Positions to be Filled:

In each current Core Group location, there are 20-25 employees to make up one entire office of an efficient workplace. Below will list each position needed to be filled and recruited for in the new market, as well as the number of positions that will need to be filled for each job title, depending on office size:

· Market Director (1)

· Sales Supervisor (1)

· K-12 Specialist (1-2)

· Healthcare Specialist (1-2)

· Chain Restaurant Specialist (2-4)

· Lead for top three Distributors, plus one additional sales team member for support (3-6)

· Non-Foods Specialist (1)

· Sales Support (1-2)

· Reception/ Customer Service (1)

· Warehouse (1-2)

· Distributor Runner (1-2) business

Education and Experience Standards:

Each employee will need to be a resident of the chosen state and hold a valid ID to be considered for the position. Each candidate will need to hold a High School Diploma or equivalent, while some positions may differ. Below will list each job title and education and experience that would be preferred:

· Market director- Bachelor’s Degree or better and 3-5 years of experience

· Sales Supervisor- Bachelor’s Degree or better OR 3-5 years relevant experience

· K-12 Specialist- High school diploma or equivalent and 1-2 years sales experience

· Healthcare Specialist- High school diploma or equivalent and 1-2 years sales experience

· Chain Restaurant Specialist- High school diploma or equivalent and 1-2 years sales experience

· Lead for top three Distributors/ Support- High school diploma or equivalent and 3-4 years sales experience

· Non-Foods Specialist- High school diploma or equivalent and 1-2 years sales experience

· Sales Support- High school diploma or equivalent and 1 year administrative support experience

· Reception/ Customer Service- High school diploma or equivalent and minimum 1 year customer service experience

· Warehouse- High school diploma or equivalent, preferred warehouse experience

· Distributor Runner- High school diploma or equivalent and valid driver’s license

Map of Current Core Group Locations:

Figure 1.1. Map of current Core Group locations in the United States based on data from The Core Group (n.d.)

Labor markets comparison

While there are one or more Core Group branches located in 42 states across the United States, the central and west region both have a state with no branch at all and the surrounding states are having to work double time in order to cover for them. There is also a large area in the central region not covered as North Dakota and Nebraska have branches on the far East side of the states, leaving vulnerability and profits unsold.

Areas that The Core Group should consider for a new branch and recruitment of a winning team are:

1. Rapid City, South Dakota

2. North Platte, Nebraska

3. Casper, Wyoming

Looking at the pros and cons of population, median income, education levels and unemployment rates in each of these areas, The Core Group can gather important information needed to determine which location would hold the highest potential for success.

Rapid City, South Dakota is located in The Core Group’s central region, also the largest area of states in any other region, yet there are multiple dead zones where another Core Group branch could be useful to existing ones. Seeing as there is currently no offices in South Dakota, other states are needing to pull the weight of sales in South Dakota, leaving employees strained to get full attention on their own state, while worrying about the other one. Locating this new branch on the Western side of South Dakota can alleviate the work load for the far east offices in North Dakota and Nebraska. If an office was placed in Rapid City, SD, the surrounding offices would be able to condense their areas of focus with new sales team members covering a very centralized area where there is currently no support. Rapid City, SD has a population of 77,503 and a median income of $50,742. (United States Census Bureau, n.d.)3. The unemployment rate for Rapid City is at 3.4% (Areavibes, 2019.)3, while the percentage of those with a high school diploma or higher is 93% and 32% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. (Town Charts, 2019.)3.

Moving to the West division for The Core Group, Wyoming is another state that has representation from the sales teams in other states, but no branch location in the entire state. This leads to Colorado, Montana and Idaho having to cover their entire state as well as divide another state that could be bringing in considerable sales. Casper, WY is centrally located in the state and large enough to defend consideration to place a branch here. This branch could cover the entire state of Wyoming, allowing all surrounding states to focus on their own, while giving some support to the Western side of South Dakota, aiding the sales teams in North Dakota and Nebraska. The population of Casper is 57,931 and the median income is $60,937. (United States Census Bureau, n.d.)1. Unemployment rates for Casper are at 3.1% (Areavibes, 2019.)1, with 93% holding a high school diplomas and 25% of them have a bachelor’s degree or higher (Town Charts, 2019.)1.

Another candidate location for a new Core Group branch would be in North Platte, Nebraska. While The Core Group has an office in Omaha, Nebraska, this location better serves the eastern side of the state and the eastern side of South Dakota. Adding an office in the western part of Nebraska allows for the western portion of the state to get support while this office could assist Colorado, Montana and Idaho with some of the work load for Wyoming, while assisting in portions of South Dakota. The population for North Platte, NE is 23,639 and the median income is $49,622. (United States Census Bureau, n.d.)2. The unemployment rate for North Platte is only 2.4% (Areavibes, 2019.)2, while 92% of the residents have high school diploma with 20% having a bachelor’s degree or better. (Town Charts, 2019.)2. This location has the lowest population, but it has a competitive median income for the smaller area potentially benefiting The Core Group. This rural location will give the sales team the availability to be the branch that reaches out to the areas the other states are unable to reach. This could possibly become the supporting office, allowing for the location to serve the purpose of giving the others states a break from supporting all of Wyoming and South Dakota, while being able to give full attention to the very small population of this location.

Laws that Impact The Core Group’s Recruiting Strategy

Now that locations have been selected for possible expansion, it’s time to start recruiting employees to run the new office, but there are laws in place that need to be remembered. The University of Illinois System, Human Resource Services has made a comprehensive summary on the Major Laws and Regulations that Affect the Selection Process. (University of Illinois System, n.d.). Here are five major regulations that tie into the hiring process, which will be addressed as job postings go out:

Age Discrimination:

This Act means no discrimination on employees over the age of 40, encourages older employee promotions and generally means hiring aspects need to be based on fit for the job and not age. The Core Group may ensure candidates are at least 18 years old, but may not ask specific questions such as birth year.

Americans with Disabilities (ADA):

Hiring person(s) with disabilities is also a topic in which the workplace cannot discriminate against and should instead be prepared to make accessible accommodations in the workplace. Also, The Core Group is not allowed to ask for a medical examination on any employee pre-employment, but is allowed to ensure candidate is able to meet other aspects of job description.

Equal Pay:

Wages for employees may not be based on gender, rather be based on job title, experience, skills and effort put into job.

Immigration Reform:

The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) is in place to avert the hiring of illegal aliens as well as determining if applicant is legally allowed to be hired in the United States. This determination is based on the required I-9 form for verification of employment eligibility but this may not cross the fine line of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by asking those of color for identification.

Pregnancy Discrimination:

This Act protects pregnant women by prohibiting the employer from not hiring her due to pregnancy status, questions regarding this topic may not be asked.

Recruiting Minorities

When recruiting in a brand-new market, not only are qualified staff members needed to run the office, diversity is the backbone of a successful branch. It is a very well-known law that an employer cannot discriminate based on race, and hiring minorities opens the volume of candidates who will apply for the company. Looking to expand The Core Group, the main goal in receiving a vast pool of qualified candidates based on education and experience level is the strategy to use for recruitment of the new branch. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers are prohibited to discriminate based on race, color, age, religion, sex or disability. (EEOC, n.d.). Knowing this is a fully enforced law is the forefront of the mind when looking at these areas of consideration for a new office, to ensure The Core Group is able to comply with the law as well as have a vast diverse staff.

Recruiting minorities goes hand in hand with how our job descriptions need to be written out. Giving too many restrictions on who may apply, might scare potential workers from even applying; on the other hand, if the recruiting team sets too broad of standards, narrowing down options for who to interview might be overwhelming.

In the food service industry, having diversity in the food is just as important as those who are selling the food. The Core Group deals with manufactures that produce multicultural foods that fit in to the menu style of schools of different racial makeups, nursing homes, stadiums and every type of restaurant genre imaginable. If the employees are not diverse, selling the food will become a roadblock in the client’s eyes, making sales not as strong as they could be. Harvard Business Review article on How Diversity Can Drive Innovation, perfectly sums up the fact that diversity in the workplace boosts creativity, allowing for better decisions in tough situations and innovative thinking, which all leads to growth in the new market. (Hewlett, Marshall, Sherbin, 2013.).

Alongside the laws and reasons why to hire minorities, the three potential candidates for The Core Group’s expansions’ population for each city by race is in the following figures:

Rapid City, SD

Figure 1.2. Visual of Population by Race for Rapid City, SD based on data from World Population Review (2020)

Casper, WY

Figure 1.3. Visual of Population by Casper, Wyoming based on data from World Population Review (2020)

North Platte, NE

Figure 1.4. Visual of Population by North Platte, NE based on data from World Population Review (2020)

Recommendation

With three locations that give promising futures for The Core Group, the location with the most potential to benefit the company is Rapid City, South Dakota. This recommendation is based off of the higher population and the 32% of people with a bachelor’s degree or better. (Town Charts, 2019)3. Having a new office in this South Dakota location allows for North Dakota to focus solely on their state, as well as Nebraska, while South Dakota can have their own state and aid in splitting the pie with Montana, Idaho and Colorado for Wyoming business. As seen in figures 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 above, Rapid City, SD also has the most diverse population, giving The Core Group’s availability to hiring a diverse staff.

While the Nebraska market could be successful, putting the new location in the smaller populated area there could lead to a lack of potential candidates based on education and population alone, it could be risky to open a branch there specifically to aid Wyoming and South Dakota, due to potential lack of qualified employees willing to do the traveling. Equally as risky, placing the new branch in Wyoming is a close runner-up to the South Dakota location due to being able to take away workload from Colorado, Montana and Idaho. However, the smaller population is easier to cover from three states than the larger populated state of South Dakota, which could sustain their own office while assisting in Wyoming sales.

Given the three states for potential expansion for The Core Group, from a recruitment standpoint, Rapid City, SD is the best route. Filling positions within the company with expected experience and education standards can be achieved in this location with the statistics given. The Core Group will flourish in the surrounding states due to a new office being located in an area that is currently not being taken care of as directly as it could be. With the successful launch of a new office in this area, more offices can come in the future to continuously expand food sales.

References

1. Areavibes. (2019). Casper, WY Employment. Retrieved from https://www.areavibes.com/cheyenne-wy/employment/

2. Areavibes. (2019). North Platte, NE Employment. Retrieved from https://www.areavibes.com/north+platte-ne/employment/

3. Areavibes. (2019). Rapid City, SD Employment. Retrieved from https://www.areavibes.com/rapid+city-sd/employment/

Hewlett, S., Marshall, M., Sherbin, L. (2013). How Diversity Can Drive Innovation. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-diversity-can-drive-innovation

The Core Group. (n.d.). Locations. Retrieved from https://coregroupsales.com/locations/

1. Town Charts. (2019). Casper City- WY, Wyoming Education Data. Retrieved from https://www.towncharts.com/Wyoming/Education/Cheyenne-city-WY-Education-data.html

2. Town Charts. (2019). North Platte, Nebraska Education Data. Retrieved from https://www.towncharts.com/Nebraska/Education/North-Platte-city-NE-Education-data.html

Town Charts. (2019). Rapid City, South Dakota Education Data. Retrieved from https://www.towncharts.com/South-Dakota/Education/Rapid-City-SD-Education-data.html

University of Illinois System; System Human Resource Services. (n.d.). Major Laws and Regulations that Affect the Selection Process. Retrieved from https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=5590#maincontent

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Employers. Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/employers

1. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Casper City, Wyoming. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?q=casper%2C+wy&page=1&stateGeo=none&searchtype=web&cssp=SERP&_charset_=UTF-8

2. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). North Platte, Nebraska, Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=North%20Platte%20city,%20NE

3. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Rapid City, South Dakota. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?q=rapid+city%2C+south+dakota&page=1&stateGeo=none&searchtype=web&cssp=SERP&_charset_=UTF-8

World Population Review. (2020). Casper, Wyoming. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/casper-wy-population

World Population Review. (2020). North Platte, Nebraska. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/north-platte-ne-population

World Population Review. (2020). Rapid City, South Dakota. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/rapid-city-sd-population