HRM 599

Assignment 4: Conducting an Interview – Capstone Project

Due Week 10 and worth 350 points

Congratulations! You have the foundation for your HR department in place, and you are ready to select your staff. You must make sure that you are selecting the best talents for your HR department. You are now receiving resumes from recent graduates of Masters of Human Research Management (MHRM) programs, and you must prepare to interview the candidates.

Write a six to seven (6-7) page paper in which you:

1. Review the resume and cover letter you received from your job posting in the Week 8 discussion (PLEASE FIND THE ATTACHMENT BELOW AND USE INFORMATION FROM THE RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT). Next, critique the competitive advantage you are predicting from the potential candidate. Provide a rationale for your critique.

2. Indicate the interview type you will be using (i.e., phone, video, in person). Next, determine one (1) challenge that may arise with this type of interview. Develop a plan to mitigate this challenge and minimize its impact on your interview. 

3. Create the interview form. Use the job description from Week 7 Assignment 3 (STAFFING THE HR DEPARTMENT, ATTACHED BELOW) to write the interview questions. 

· Note: The interview form should be incorporated into the paper and is counted towards the total page length requirement for this assignment.

· Hint: Review the article “ Types of Interviews ”

4. Conduct the interview with your potential candidate via Google Hangouts, video conferencing, telephone or any other appropriate technology. Input the interview information onto the form you created.

5. Write a brief summary of your experience conducting the interview. Indicate in the summary whether or not you have chosen this candidate for the position. Include the ethical decision-making abilities that went into your decision. Provide a rationale for your decision.

6. Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

· Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

· Cite the resources you have used to complete the assignment. Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the assignment.

Dear hiring manager:

Upon consideration of your posting for Training and Development Manager at Rays of Light, I felt compelled to submit my resume for your review. As an experienced Workforce Planning Coordinator, I’ve participated in courses and have contributed to the development of new training programs.

With nearly two decades of experience in human resources, most recently performing an interim role in training and development, my skills have been sharpened and I’m ready for the next level of responsibility. I’ve been involved first-hand in the introduction of new processes and introducing them to frontline teams and I have had an immediate impact on productivity and employee satisfaction.

With my experience and education, including a Master’s Degree in human resources, I believe I’m the right candidate to head your Training and Development Department. I’ve attached my resume for your review and consideration and look forward to hearing from you to discuss this mutually beneficial opportunity. Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Michelle Smith

A. Smith [email protected]

123 Strayer Lane, Strayer, WA 12345

(123) 456-7890

Human Resources Training and Development Manager

Professional Profile

Accomplished Workforce Planning and Analysis Coordinator with 16+ years of experience including intraday management and real time analysis of call center operations. Demonstrate expertise in the monitoring of real time daily interval plans versus actual plans. Quickly develop effective working relationships with exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.

Key Skills

· Accountable for the workforce management in the Midwest Business and Government Customer Operations Center

· Maintain fruitful, working, strong relationships with both the National Command Center and leadership teams

· Constantly engaged in order to keep handling time down and both service level and availability at desirable levels

· Ensuring effective scheduling of the front line staff for the Phone Support, Fulfillment, Chat, and Global Enterprise Advisor teams

· Making appropriate modifications for meeting daily goals

· Supply ongoing analysis of call center operation, planning, and scheduling while uncovering adjustments needed to enhance the quality and effectiveness as measured by key performance and business indicators

Professional Experience

Coord-Workforce Planning and Analysis – Verizon Wireless – Hilliard, OH 12/10 to Present

· Monitor intraday service levels, productivity, and schedule adherence, and alert leadership of production risks

· Make appropriate adjustments to agent skilling profiles as needed in order to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of the staff

· Monitor and react to fluctuations in call volume as they occur in order to restore service levels and availability as quickly as possible

· Recognize abnormal call variances, research, and report findings to leadership

Coord –Bus & Govt Customer Ops - Verizon Wireless – Hilliard, OH 10/08 to 12/10

· Inbound call taking assisting customers with complex billing and equipment issues while winning customer loyalty

· Obtain and evaluate all related information needed in order to resolve product and service inquiries

· Process orders, applications, and requests

· Keep detailed records of customer interactions and transactions

Representative-Retail Sales – Verizon Wireless – Mansfield, OH 09/00 to 10/08

· Build trusting and productive relationships with customers

· Uncover the needs of customers and make the appropriate product and service recommendations

· Meet and exceed quota/revenue targets for net activations, customer renewals, accessories, handsets, and enhanced services.

· Perform plan and rate evaluations and propose solutions that best fit the company and the customer

Education

Strayer University – Virginia

Master of Business Administration, GPA 3.67/4.00 – September 2016

Concentration in Human Resource Management – Relevant Coursework:

· Strategic Human Resource Management

· HR Management Foundations

· Managing Organizational Change

· Law, Ethics, & Corporate Governance

Strayer University – Virginia

Master of Science, GPA 3.67/4.00 – (Expected – September 2018)

Concentration in Human Resource Generalist – Relevant Coursework:

· Business Employment Law

· Managing Human Resource Projects

· Talent Management

Ashworh College – Georgia

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – March 2013

Activities/Awards/Honors

· Graduated with Honors, Ashworth College, 2013

Staffing the HR Department

Human resource management plays a critical role in all organizations. Businesses that lack an effective HRM department tend to lose their competitive advantage. One of the key roles of HRM is to ensure that the organization has qualified employees that are capable of assisting it to achieve set objectives (Armstrong, 2016). The department is also responsible for motivating the staff to better perform in their positions. This paper will evaluate HR functions, job descriptions, as well as recruitment and selection methods at the Vegan Company. It will also ensure that the compensation and benefits package is well aligned with its organizational culture.

HR Functions

Some of the key HR functions that would help to support the mission and vision of an organization is training and development, employee and labor relations, and recruitment and selection. Training and Development: For an organization to perform well employees must be frequently updated with the current trends in the marketplace. It is the responsibility of the HR department of the organization to establish and implement development and orientation programs (Heneman III, Judge, & Kammeyer, 2014). The HR department prepares employees for future promotions and additional responsibilities by expanding their knowledge capacity. Training ensures that the behavior of all workers is positively aligned with the organizational culture. Once this situation is satisfied, it becomes easy to achieve the mission and vision of the company. Today, businesses have recognized the impact of training and development on its overall performance. Therefore, companies are investing huge amounts of resources in their employees (Lussier & Hendon, 2016).

Employee and Labor Relations: The HR department is responsible for investigating workers’ complaints, identifying workplace issues, recognizing exemplary performance, and ensuring that the company adheres to employment laws. In addition, the HR department facilitates to maintain strong relationships between the management team and employees.

Strong connections and relations are required when it comes to creating a calm working environment. Employee complaints should be addressed within the shortest time possible to eliminate any forms of resistance. Involving employees in decision-making processes also aids to improve cooperation. Maintaining positive employee relations supports the company’s mission since it paves the way for smooth operations.

Recruitment and Selection: According to Bratton & Gold (2017), recruitment is the process of screening, attracting, and choosing qualified candidates for a specific position. The HR department is responsible for analyzing the company’s workforce to ensure that it meets the required standards. If inconsistencies are identified, the HR manager then develops strategies to attract new employees to fill the existing positions. Some of the activities involved in the recruitment plan include posting an advertisement about the position vacancy, screening applicants, conducting preliminary interviews, providing guidance, and concluding the hiring process (Heneman III, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2014). For this to be effective, an objective criterion must be set. For instance, for a candidate to qualify they must possess certain qualifications and experience. Such requirements will assist the HR department to attract those candidates that are compatible with the organizational culture. It is important to take extra care to eliminate any dishonesty and partiality in the selection process.

Job Description

The following job description is that of a training and development manager. The employer will be responsible for coordinating and directing organizational programs that are aimed at enhancing the knowledge of its workers.

Training and Development Manager

The training and development manager will report to the Director of Human Resource.

Job Overview: The candidate must be able to proficiently train new hires to perform new and

existing skills while supporting the employer to establish the needs of the organization.

Responsibilities and duties:

· Must possess the ability to assess and determine the training need of employees

· Ensure that the training needs are aligned with the strategic goals of the company

· Develop a training budget and ensure that all operations do not overstretch the financial resources of the organization

· Supervise the creation of educational materials such as online learning modules and make them available to employees

· Ensure that the existing training programs are up to date with the latest trends in the marketplace

· Ensure that existing training programs of the available organizational resources are effectively used

· Evaluate the effectiveness of instructors and training programs and make the required improvement

Required Skills and Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s degree in human resource management, communication, or business studies from a recognized institution

· Two years of experience working in the position of a training and development specialist

· Proficient in training and technological skills

· Extensive experience in information technology, especially working with tools such as e-learning

· Must show enthusiasm, be creative, and a self-motivator

· Any applicable certifications from relevant authorities

Recruitment and Selection Methods

For a company to attract qualified employees, it is essential for the HR department to use appropriate recruitment and selection strategies. The company should consider using the indirect recruitment method. Rather than approaching a potential employee directly, this method involves using advertisement channels to attract talent to the company. The HR department can use television, radio, magazines, journals, and the newspaper to broadcast its message (Heneman III, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2014). The indirect method is suitable because it allows a company the ability to reach out to a wider audience. Therefore, it will be more likely to receive hundreds of applications from qualified individuals. This method is also effective when filling technical, professional, and scientific posts. The indirect recruitment method is capable of introducing fresh ideas into the organization, allowing the organization a chance of increasing its competitive advantage.

When it comes to selection, interviews stand out as the best strategy. There are several advantages linked to the interview. Firstly, it will allow the HR department to determine how the applicants feel about a particular issue. The HR manager has a chance to study the emotions of the interviewee comparing it to the organizational culture, then allowing the opportunity to match the potential candidate with the job requirements (Heneman III, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2014). Secondly, interviews also allow employers the ability to become familiar with the personality of the individual. Those individuals that have problematic behaviors can be easily identified in these processes. Finally, interviews can enable the HR department to achieve accurate responses from the applicant. In some occasions, third parties such as recruitment agencies can end up conspiring with applicants introducing poor habits into the organization. In addition, O’Meara & Petzall (2013) states that it is crucial for the HR department to eliminate any aspects of discrimination and bias in the recruitment process. These issues can negatively impact the credibility of interviews.

Compensation and benefit package

The role that the training and development manager will play in the organization is quite critical. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the assigned manager is highly motivated. The basic salary for this position is $12,000 per month. The employee will also be eligible for quarterly bonuses; although, this is dependent mainly on the performance of the organization. One of the benefits that the training and development manager will include is life and health insurance (Lussier & Hendon, 2016). Each of the company’s employees will be offered the opportunity to enroll for life and health insurance. This option reflects the organization’s concern for the wellbeing of its employees. The insurance will cover both outpatient, as well as inpatient procedures including the need for surgery. In addition, this health insurance will cover any cases of paralysis, disability, and death. The employee, as well as four other family members, will be eligible for coverage. However, the life insurance will only be made available to the employee. In the event the employee becomes deceased, the dependents will be compensated.

Another benefit is the retirement package. Most employees suffer when they retire simply because they no longer have a stable income. The Vegan Company is committed to ensuring that none of its employees experience similar situations. The retirement benefits also referred to as pension, will only be granted to the employee after they retire. Today, employment laws require employers to set aside retirement packages for their workers. The retirement amount will be determined by two major factors. First, the amount of salary that the worker receives and second, the duration at which the employee will work at the organization. All new HR staff will be eligible to paid time off from work. However, absenteeism should be supported by appropriate reasons. In some cases where the worker will be paid for time off include holidays, sick days, and funeral leave. Maternal and paternal leave will also be offered to new mothers and fathers allowing them the time to spend with their family.