Reference no: EM133005350

The Production Managers at a 450-person manufacturing plant were in a panic when told they would need to hire, orient and train 100 new employees in the next three months. Their first Human Resources Manager had just been appointed, but the managers themselves had done most of the previous hiring.

The plant was operating quite well, employee relations were very positive but two primary concerns existed::

-Could we hire that many high-quality employees that quickly?

-Previous growth had been slow and steady, and given the positive employee relations climate, how would such an influx of newcomers affect the motivation and commitment workplace?

The Manufacturing Manager was a former union executive who opted for a management position and was a strong believer in positive, effective employee relations. While the plant did not have a union, every employee had a copy of the employee handbook which outlined their rights and responsibilities as well as their obligations. The employees generally felt fair practices were in place, consistently reinforced. Both compensation and benefits were well above average and it was considered a very desirable place to work. When hiring occurred, there were always plenty of applicants.

The managers met with the Human Resources Manager who asked, "Do you need 100 new people to start on the same day, or over a period of time?"

The managers replied that hiring starts would be spread over the course of about four weeks, starting 10 weeks from the present day.

The HR Manager then confirmed with them that 20 hires would be needed that first week and the remainder over the following three weeks.

The HR Manager then worked backwards to the present date listing the steps for: Job start > Job Offer Acceptance > Job Offer > References > Final Interview > Screening > Application Received.

By breaking down the timetable and individual tasks involved, he was able to:

-Determine what tasks were required and when they needed to be completed

-Spread the work out over the course of the 10 weeks

-Plan to address the smaller, more immediate tasks promptly, then next week's tasks, next week

Once the managers calmed down and committed to the plan, they proceeded.

Over the planned 10 weeks, steps were taken to carefully screen, and hire high potential candidates, so all positions were properly filled in a timely manner. One sidelight arose the following year when the new employees heard of the initial concern that the "newcomers" may not be as dedicated as the existing employees. They protested that they were just as dedicated as the "old timers" and proved it by fitting in quite well.

Address the three questions below (base your answers on course material AND on your personal experiences and sensibilities about workplaces):

-Why did the managers initially feel they faced a major challenge?

-What issues would you expect to deal with when hiring so many new employees?

-How would you approach recruitment (e.g. a 20% increase) for a major initiative for your employer?