Human Resources Management Series

The setting

ASHFORD MANUFACTURING has a strong candidate for a maintenance role whose only previous employer will confirm dates of employment and nothing else. The hiring manager wants to proceed; the candidate has given no explanation and has not been asked for one.

Your role

You are to assume the role of a human resources associate at ASHFORD MANUFACTURING.

Your task

ASHFORD MANUFACTURING is hiring a maintenance technician for its production line, a role that involves working unsupervised on expensive equipment. After several interviews, one candidate stands out: strong skills, excellent answers and relevant experience.

The candidate has listed only one previous employer. When contacted, that employer confirmed the dates of employment and declined to say anything else, which is its standard policy. The hiring manager wants to make an offer this week before the candidate accepts a job elsewhere.

The hiring manager (judge) wants you to recommend what ASHFORD does. Explain the assessment methods used in the hiring process and which of them would tell you what a reference will not, explain the contingency factors that should affect a job offer here, explain the post-employment offer activities that would follow, explain the role of ethics in human resources management when you are tempted to infer something, and explain the human resources management functions involved.

Performance indicators

• Explain assessment methods used in the hiring process.
• Explain contingency factors affecting job offer (e.g., background checks, drug tests, physical results, etc.).
• Perform post-employment offer activities.
• Explain the role of ethics in human resources management.
• Explain human resources management functions.

The judge will ask

1. 1.What could you legitimately ask that you have not asked?
2. 2.Would you make the offer? Defend your answer.

The setting

A file listing salaries was attached to an internal email by mistake and reached much of the company before anyone noticed. Two employees doing the same job have discovered they are paid differently, and the recall has plainly not worked.

Your role

You are to assume the role of a human resources associate.

Your task

A file listing the salary of every employee was accidentally attached to a company-wide email about the holiday schedule. It was recalled within the hour, but by then many employees had opened it, and screenshots are circulating.

Two employees who do the same job in the same department have discovered that one is paid considerably more than the other. Both have asked human resources for a meeting. Several others have asked general questions about how pay is set, and managers are being asked things they cannot answer.

The human resources director (judge) wants you to recommend how the company responds. Explain the role of ethics in human resources management once a difference is visible, discuss the nature of human resources management in a moment like this, explain how confidentiality should be maintained in dealing with personnel from here, explain the human resources management functions that have to act this week, and explain the role of ethics in information management given how the file travelled.

Performance indicators

• Explain the role of ethics in human resources management.
• Discuss the nature of human resources management.
• Maintain confidentiality in dealing with personnel.
• Explain human resources management functions.
• Explain the role of ethics in information management.

The judge will ask

1. 1.What do you say to the two employees this week?
2. 2.If the difference is justified, how do you show that credibly?

The setting

FAIRHAVEN CARE keeps losing new starters within their first month. The exit conversations describe the same first day every time: no desk, no login, and no clear account of what the job actually is. The company has continued hiring the same way.

Your role

You are to assume the role of a human resources associate at FAIRHAVEN CARE.

Your task

FAIRHAVEN CARE runs several residential care homes and hires new care assistants almost every month. Over the past half-year, a large share of new hires have left within their first few weeks, and the homes are relying heavily on agency staff to fill the gaps.

Exit conversations have described the same experience every time: arriving on the first day with no one expecting them, no login for the care records system, and no clear explanation of the role. Managers have tended to blame the candidates, and recruitment has continued exactly as before.

The director of operations (judge) wants you to recommend what changes. Explain how new employees should be oriented, describe the planning techniques used in the hiring process that would have set expectations properly, explain how you would determine the turnover rate and its causes, explain the human resources management functions involved, and explain how you would identify and report the factors negatively affecting the people who stay.

Performance indicators

• Orient new employees.
• Describe planning techniques used in the hiring process (e.g., succession planning, forecasting).
• Determine turnover rate and its causes.
• Explain human resources management functions.
• Identify and report factors negatively impacting productivity.

The judge will ask

1. 1.What has to be ready before a new hire's first morning?
2. 2.How would you measure whether the new onboarding works?

The setting

GRANTLEY GROUP is flattening its structure and removing one layer of management. Several team leads will become senior specialists with no direct reports and no change in pay. Nobody is losing a job, and everybody affected worked for the title.

Your role

You are to assume the role of a human resources associate at GRANTLEY GROUP.

Your task

GRANTLEY GROUP is restructuring to speed up decisions and is removing one layer of management. The team leads in that layer will become senior specialists: their pay will not change, but they will no longer manage anyone, and their former teams will report directly to department heads.

Nobody is losing their job. Nevertheless, several of the affected team leads spent years working toward a management title, and word of the change has already spread. Two have asked privately whether this means the company does not value them.

The chief operating officer (judge) wants you to recommend how the change is handled. Explain the human resources management functions the restructure calls on, explain the role of ethics in human resources management when people who did nothing wrong lose standing, explain how communication styles should be adapted to the conversations with each of them, discuss the nature of human resources management through a change like this, and explain how you would identify the factors that will negatively affect the rest of the company.

Performance indicators

• Explain human resources management functions.
• Explain the role of ethics in human resources management.
• Employ communication styles appropriate to target audience.
• Discuss the nature of human resources management.
• Identify and report factors negatively impacting productivity.

The judge will ask

1. 1.What do you offer someone whose title has just disappeared?
2. 2.How would you know in six months whether this worked?