Corporate Culture and Economic Performance, Essay Example

Recruitment process

 The recruitment process plays an essential role in acquiring new staff and stating competitive within markets. For the for the purpose of maintaining optimum recruitment methods and creating a work environment where employees represent some of the top workers in the market, distinct methods are utilized and critical factors are taken into consideration. The following breaks down these factors.

Some of the legal considerations revolve around issues pf privacy, specifically as it relates to how the company access data to identify the ideal candidates for positions. There are also considerations regarding equal opportunity employment and assuring all recruits don’t feel they are being targeted based on race, gender, religion, or sexual preference. This entails the lawful tracking of staffing records for tax purposes, as well as other legal obligations.

The company functions within the e-commerce and web-based retail market. Our primary competitor is Amazon, but we are backed by a major conglomerate and expect to be taking up significant market share in the near future. This means to stay competitive within this market space the company will have to expand into new areas of technological innovation such as establishing the capacity to ship products by drone, streaming video content to consumers, and advanced cyber security and network management for optimal company operations and consumer support. This makes the recruitment process a critical aspect of retrieving technologically savvy, marketing conscious, individuals who are familiar with the form of logistics require for this type of shipping  The recruitment process is one that combines multiple resources to acquire data on a select group of individuals who can potential improve or sustain the company’s competitive status. The process entails accessing testing data through public databases, such as certification information for individuals who acquire necessary certifications, such as certifications in C++ programming, accounting, Java script, SEO, or other technical fields. Legal certifications, such as those necessary to operate in certain industries or departments of the company, like the passing of the bar or the series 7 test. In addition to these certifications, other information will be accessed such as vocational data. Individuals that have graduated from a certain school can be gathered based on their graduating class, field of study and most specifically the institution which they attended. All of this retrieved data will be pooled and utilized as a resource to target the top most relevant recruits for

Another recruitment strategy is to attract qualified applicants through the use of premium level job offerings in public spaces. Recruitment sources are both internal and external. Some examples of internal sources used for recruitment include employee performance reviews, for internal succession processes. This form of recruitment is ideal for internally reviewing current employees who may be perfect for promotions. According to Tom, one major aspect of recruitment entails the process of analyzing vocational choice during the initial interview or when reviewing the resume. Tom notes that, “results indicated that Super’s (1953) theory of vocational choice may be extended to include organizational choice. The similarity between the profiles for the self-description and descriptions of most preferred organizations was significantly greater than the similarity between the profiles for the self-description and descriptions of least preferred organizations” (Tom, 573). The finding of this study reveals that the choice of institutions, such as university, certification programs, or other locations of employment are a telltale sign of whether or not the applicant will be right for the position. This most logically can be attributed to the fact that institutions are associated with certain corporate cultures and ideologies which in turn reveal something critical about the applicant. The report goes on to note that, “these results and conclusions provide empirical support for the Subjective Factor Theory of recruiting. The findings of this study support the conclusion that subjective factors do play an important role in the recruiting process” (Tom, 573). Based on this data it can be seen that subjective information provided by applicants is extremely valuable in the recruiting process. This is why during the recruiting process for this company, special emphasis is placed on the vocational choices of the applicant to distinguish whether or not the applicant has similar subjective associations as the corporate culture of the company.

Example of internal recruitment entail announcing job openings within certain departments and then based on the responses from current employees. External recruitment methods entail preparing classified ads that make the job appealing to premium level candidates.

Selection process

Some of the legal considerations that must be taken into account entail protection of applicant information, as well as equal opportunity assurance. It is vital that all applicants know they have an equal chance at gainful employment within the organization. This involves interviewing and recruiting applicants in a way that does not rely on personal information in regards to gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. All questions asked on the application and in the interviews are strictly job related.

The selection process will entail an interview as well as a paid training process that could potentially lead to employment. This means that even once candidates are selected, most positions within the company require that they work through a probationary period where they can gain valuable skills. As Rynes and Barber note organizations have always been concerned about attracting and selecting, “the “right types” of employees. However, the relative attention paid to attracting, versus screening, new employees depend on many factors such as the relative attractiveness of the vacancy and the general state of the labor market” (Rynes and Barber, 49).  This reveals that by making the job attractive to the applicants, it draws the attention of ideal candidates.

The selection test revolves around corporate culture. As Calori and Philippe note, “cultural intensity and homogeneity and some cultural attributes appeared to be related to the firms’ growth. On the other hand, the relations between profitability and the company’s cultural attributes were less significant” (Calori and Philippe, 49). This reveals that corporate culture plays a significant role in the growth and success of a company. More important than identifying whether or not an applicant has the knowledge necessary to perform the job for which they are applying is that they will fit into the corporate culture of the organization. Selection test examples that focus on corporate culture could entail asking an applicant what they consider to be a priority in regards to interpersonal communication when a job requires customer service verses when a job requires extensive research or isolation. While a high level of interpersonal communication skills might seem to be an ideal quality for all employees, in many cases it could be a negative trait for more technical positions.

The selection process will involve the use of both structured and unstructured interviews. This is due to the fact that they both have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the position for which they are applying. For example, lower tier positions which require less responsibility but technical skills, will be structured. This is due to the fact that knowing the applicant has necessary skillsets is more important than knowing they fit into corporate culture or that they have specialized leaderships qualities. On the other hand, management positions that involve a lot of responsibility, such as interaction with internal and external stakeholders could involve many intangible factors that can’t be easily assessed with a standard structured interview.

Some examples of questions that the interview might ask entail “how do you manage teams?” or “what is your view on micromanagement?” Some other questions could focus on performance drives and motivations as well as scenarios where the applicant will be asked to make decisions on the fly. All of these questions could further enhance the probability that an applicant will reveal their true self and how that persona might transpire in a corporate setting.

Some potential interview problems that may arise include lack of training behavior sample, interviewer bias, contrast effects, nonverbal communication, inappropriate questions, and interviewer domination. Lack of training in skills necessary for efficient and effective interviewing can be very costly on a company as it leads interviewers to making poor decisions and potentially hiring inadequate candidates.  Interviewer bias entails an interviewer not being aware of the prejudices they may harbor that interfere with an effective interview.  There is also a contrast effect that can arise from the interview process where the interviewer may interview several unqualified candidates, and then when following these interviews up with an average applicant, they will be more likely to view them as above average when compared to the others. Asking inappropriate questions, or being overbearing during the interview can result in an interview where the interviewer dominates the conversation.

Background investigations in the selection process could entail some of the traditional and standard processes, such as criminal background checks, past employment, credit check, drug tests etc…. The problem that arises is that many departments don’t require such aspects of micromanagement, while for others it’s essential.

Drug testing could play a major role in medical examination, specifically as it relates to identifying drug dependency in potential employees that could carryover to their performance and interaction with other employees. Physical fitness examinations might also be incorporated into the interview process as many jobs might require more work certain physical activity that may require a specified level of fitness. In this case however, the medical exam will not be required until job offer has already been made.

Work Cited

Calori, Roland, and Philippe Sarnin. “Corporate culture and economic performance: A French study.” Organization studies 12.1 (1991): 49-74.

Rynes, Sara L., and Alison E. Barber. “Applicant attraction strategies: An organizational perspective.” Academy of Management Review 15.2 (1990): 286-310.

Tom, Victor R. “The role of personality and organizational images in the recruiting process.” Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 6.5 (1971): 573-592.