Staffing Case Study

Staffing Case Study Critical Thinking 3
Once I evaluated the Staffing Case Study, many things need improvements in the hiring process, legal ramifications could occur if the hiring process is not enhanced immediately. The owner of Stars Hollow Hat Company has asked the customer service supervisor to hire additional customer service representatives (CSRs); there has been an increase in overtime pay in the past three months. The owner let the supervisor know that there was a job analysis completed that may help in developing interview questions.
The supervisor asked for referrals from her current CSRs, she called two of the three. The referral she did not choose was the son of a CSR who was Mexican and had an accent, which made it hard to understand her. The supervisor assumed that would be the case as well for her son. The supervisor then proceeded to place an advertisement that read:
Star Hollow Hat Company
Customers Service Reps Wanted
Stop by for an interview
715-895-3097
After the advertisement published, the first day she had about 45 people waiting for an interview. She hired one on the spot, others she could tell by looking at them that they would not be a good fit. She asked different questions of each applicant, and in some interviews, she talked about their personal life. The supervisor followed her gut instincts because they were always correct according to her. The supervisor was looking for a good work ethic; she believed everything else required for the job could be trainable including sales. In the end, six employees were hired; when the owner was notified, she was surprised with such a high number of people she hired.
If you provide a detailed job description in the ads that are posted it will give the supervisor a good pool of applicants, versus just asking anyone who is interested to come in for an interview. “Let people know just what you are looking for. The better the job description and the more complete the statement of qualifications, the better. As a small business, you don’t want to deal with an avalanche of applications from people who don’t have the qualifications to do the job. By listing complete information, most people can determine if they really fit the job and should move forward with an application.” (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2012, p. 188). This will weed out many people who are not interested and there for the supervisor will only, receive applicants who are interested and who feel they can perform the job.
In addition, when conducting interviews, all laws must be followed; the employer must provide an equal opportunity to all applicants regardless of sex, race, color, and national origin. “The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits.” (EEOC.GOV).
Another important issue to consider when brining in new talent to the company: it is important to take the appropriate steps to verify that the individual is truly the person you think they are. This is done by checking references, and conducting background checks after the job offer has been offered and accepted. “Negligent hiring refers to a situation in which an employer fails to use reasonable care in hiring an employee, who then commits a crime while in his or her position in the organization.” (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2012, p. 190)
In conclusion, making the right choice in who is hired is very important to an organization. According to Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, (2012) Hiring the wrong person can also cause friction among staff as other workers become resentful of having to pick up the slack for inept employees. Inappropriate hires may even lead better employees to seek employment elsewhere. We’ve seen that all effects have economic ramifications” (p. 179). It is very critical for this company to have a well-developed system for hiring new employees. What the supervisor did could have caused legal action against the company, and the likelihood of those six that were hired to be fit for the job is slim, for the simple reason that the supervisor did not take the necessary steps to truly find the right fit for the CSR positions.