Introduction:
Richard Fairbank, CEO of Capital One, once said “At most companies, people spend 2%
of their time recruiting and 75% managing their recruiting mistakes.” (Kammeyer-Mueller, 2022)
This is the reality in which Tanglewood’s HR team has found themselves. They have made the
necessary steps to enhance their recruitment practices. As stated in the Tanglewood Casebook
“up to this point, the organization has not had any centralized method for recruiting new
employees”. (Kammeyer-Mueller, 2022) This has led to the organization taking a hard look in the
mirror and coming to the realization that there needs to be a thorough, efficient, and effective
recruiting system in place that is centralized across the board in each store location. In their
attempt to enhancing their recruiting efforts to attracting the sharpest, brightest, and culturally
diverse applicants they have made it a point to exhaust every method of recruitment. One of
the primary methods of recruiting stems from the internet. As a society, we live in an
increasingly progressive digital age, Tanglewood’s recruitment strategies must match this
societal shift in order to capture the best applicants.
Open or Targeted?
Tanglewood primarily uses five different recruitment strategies that would be
categorized as either open or targeted. “An open recruitment approach, organizations cast a
wide net to identify potential applicants for job openings.” On the flipside, “a targeted
recruitment approach is one whereby the organization identifies segments in the labor market
where qualified candidates are likely to be.” (Kammeyer-Mueller, 2022) The five recruiting
methods used to reach their desired candidate are: applicant initiated, referrals, kiosk, state job
services or staffing agencies.
When it comes to these recruitment strategies, applicant-initiated and kiosk would fall
into the open recruitment category. Primarily because these strategies are solely focused on
attracting applicants with a broad range of skills and individuals with various levels of
experience. This allows for everyone to have an equal opportunity to apply for the position.
While casting a wide net can lead to finding the perfect candidate, one of the downsides of this
method is that it can be incredibly time consuming getting to the perfect candidate due to the
large volume and variety of applicants.
When it comes to referrals, state job services or staffing agencies, these methods would
fall into the targeted recruitment category. Mainly because potential candidates from these
methods have been filtered and pre-screened. Tanglewood can specify what they are
specifically looking for in a candidate and if their resume isn’t up to par, they can quickly discard
it for one that meets the requirements of the position. Targeted candidates often have unique
and very specific abilities, experience and knowledge. This approach allows an organization to
take a more targeted approach into recruiting candidates that are from minority groups, people
with disabilities or veterans, and other demographic groups that are often overlooked in the
larger, more open recruitment practice.
Recruiting Messages
Candidates want to know, why they should work for you. As an organization, it’s not just about
attracting the best candidates, but also how as an organization we can make ourselves more
attractive. “Candidates need motivation to work with your organization. That motivation comes
from the recruitment message. Your message attracts the right candidate pool the first time.”
(Trakstar, 2024) This applies with Tanglewood as they develop their recruiting message for their
Store Associate position. There are three types of recruiting message styles that will be used to
attract the best candidates. A branded message, which highlights the organization as being a
great place to work for potential applicants. A targeted message, which is a more filtered
approach where the focus is on reaching specific applicants that possess traits. Lastly, a realistic
message, which is all about transparency. The goal is by presenting both the good and bad as an
organization, naturally applicants that aren’t a good fit will filter themselves out and not apply.
(Kammeyer-Mueller, 2022)
Branded Message (Tanglewood)
Tanglewood is committed to enhancing the quality of life for our consumers as well as our
employees. We are an organization that values excellence, we recognize that our greatest asset
is not how much we make on a balance sheet or how many products we sell, but rather our
employees. As our greatest asset, employees will be treated as such, we will put their needs first
and ensure they always have a voice. Tanglewood, where passion and purpose intertwine.
Advantage of brand messaging, it highlights the strengths of an organization and can mask their
deficiencies. Disadvantage, its only as strong as its popularity and reputation. Any hint of
controversy can negatively impact your brand and thus render your message ineffective.
Targeted Message (Tanglewood)
Tanglewood is committed to diversity and inclusion. Creating a team that reflects every color of
the rainbow is important to us. We understand, that in order to have success individually and
corporately it requires diverse individuals from various backgrounds. Are you passionate about
serving your community? Do you have a heart to meet the needs of people? Do you have a
desire to impact the world around you? If that’s you, then look no further! Apply Today! We
Want You! This message is targeted towards young adults within heavy minority populated
communities that are looking for a great place to start. Advantage, message caters towards the
targeted audience which makes it more attractive to them. Disadvantage, the pool of candidates
is limited to a specific demographic of people and geographical area.
Realistic Message (Tanglewood)
Tanglewood is looking for purpose driven people that have a heart for people and a heart for
service to fill our Store Associate positions. Our top level management team of professionals will
be intentional with setting you up for success as you grow within our company. This position
requires you to have a positive and professional demeanor, must be at least 18 years old, must
have the ability to stand for long periods of time and lifting objects up to 50 pounds, and the
ability to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the business – some weekends, evenings
and holidays as necessary. If this is you, then look no further and join our Tanglewood family
now! Honesty is the best policy; this paints a perfectly clear picture for applicants as it pertains
to what to expect from the position. Potential downside, some applicants that may really thrive
in this setting will not apply for the position out of intimidation and fear of it not being a good
fit.
Relying on Referrals
Northern Oregon has a point when it comes to their stance on referrals, albeit referrals have a
track record of being the more successful hire. “Referrals tend to perform better during
interviews, and they’re expected to stay longer with the company, contributing to its long-term
success.” (Pappas, 2023) If a current/past employee have a positive outlook and experience with
the organization, then their referral would be one that reflects that experience. As a result, it’s a
great way for applicants to filter whether they think they would be a good fit or not, prior to the
interview. While Northern Oregon believes that referrals aids towards creating a culture of
favoritism and bias. The same can be said about bringing in a pool of candidates based on their
interviews, that have no connection with the organization. The downside about staffing
agencies/kiosks, they have no personal experience in which they can speak to the organizational
culture. Also, you run the risk of an agency sending unqualified candidates due to the fact they
want to quickly fill a void to reach their quota, because there is an additional string attached as
a business. Agencies may show bias towards organizations that benefits them more financially.
If other Tanglewood locations would adopt a more formal method of hiring, not only will it
prove to be more costly for the organization. Also, I believe it will limit the empowerment of
employees to take ownership, while limiting their ability to contribute to the organization’s
success in a greater capacity.
Bottom Line
Employment metrics that could serve well as a “bottom-line” measurement would be tracking
the source of hire to gauge the effectiveness of the various recruitment methods. Employee
engagement survey results throughout the employee life cycle will serve as a great indicator of
where employees stand. Also, internal mobility rates would serve as a great bottom line metric,
as this will show across the organization how many promotions, transfers, role changes, within
the life span of an employee. Lack of mobility signifies lack of growth and development.
Conclusion
The ability to attract the best candidates and to retain the best employees are contingent upon
your recruitment strategy. Recruiting practices are extremely fluid, what may work for one
location, may not work for another. Staying up to date on recruitment technology and on the
latest trends is vital to gaining a competitive advantage when it comes to the world of
recruitment. The best organizations are typically made up of the best, most talented employees.
Tanglewood are making strides to becoming a better organization as they continue to invest into
employee feedback, tracking employment metrics, providing incentives, and continuing to tailor
their recruitment message that speaks directly to the heart of the best candidates.
References
Kammeyer-Mueller, J. & Judge, T. (2022). Staffing Organizations. McGraw Hill.
Kammeyer-Mueller, J. (2018). Tanglewood Casebook for use with Staffing Organizations.
McGraw Hill.
Pappas, C. (2023). The Power of Employee Referrals In Hiring Success.
https://elearningindustry.com/the-power-of-employee-referrals-in-hiring-success
Trakstar Hire. (2023). Recruitment Messaging: Targeting the Right Candidate Pool.
https://hire.trakstar.com/blog/recruitment-messaging-targeting-the-right-candidate-
pool#:~:text=It%27s%20not%20enough%20to%20ask,candidate%20pool%20the%20first
%20time.
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