The staffing plan will focus on Tanglewood as a US-based retail chain store. The staffing plan is highly applicable to other organizations that have a similar structure as Tanglewood. It is tailored to meet various aspects of the organization namely: organizational structure, culture, personnel, values and human resource function of an entity. The plan is also crafted in a bid to ensure Tanglewood becomes a competitive corporate and a force in its respective industry by optimizing its human resource spread across different departments.
The staffing goal is to select, recruit and promote employees in accordance with the set HR policies. This is essential in ensuring that the company realizes profits and long-term sustainability. The plan is also core in boosting the company reputation, recruitment and retention of personnel and the most productive individuals to drive the organization's agenda.
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In the effort to recruit and select the best personnel for the entity there is a need to consider the organizational structure at Tanglewood. The organizational structure is majorly functional with a high delegation of roles at various levels. The store is organized into 12 geographical regions, with approximately 20 stores per region (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Muller, 2012). A regional manager manages each of these stores. The regional managers make significant decisions that influence the HR practices at the entity. Under each regional manager is the store manager who oversees store operations. He is aided by three assistant managers followed by 17 department managers, 24 shift leaders, 170 associates and around 215 employees per single store (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Muller, 2012). However, with the planned expansion there is a need to ensure that the right personnel are acquired to take up new positions. The rigidity of the structure may affect Tanglewood in its quest to become competitive. Therefore, it would be essential to carry out objective appraisals which will seek to promote individual employee growth. It is through assessment of different employees that the company can establish the right leadership from its existing pool of personnel (Drake, 2001). The promotion mechanisms must be well communicated to all parties to ensure that is carried out in the most balanced manner.
The staffing plan must put into consideration the prevailing organizational culture at Tanglewood. The company has embraced the culture of employee participation. The culture has been core to its success in various ways. The employees at Tanglewood are given room to be innovative and creative in line with the set objectives. Additionally, the corporate has room for "straight talk" which primarily provides the employees with a platform to air their views on various issues (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Muller, 2012). Likewise, the staffing plan must take into consideration the views of the employees. This means that for an HR policy to be applicable within the company in cognizance of its broad mandate, employees must be involved. The department heads, for instance, can be involved in setting out the recruitment and training strategies. This will be vital in ensuring the right talent is acquired and retained.
Additionally, it will be prudent for the top management to factor in suggestions which may point to the needed skills when it comes to various dockets and emerging responsibilities. A skill mismatch may affect the organization's effectiveness and output. The recruitment and training must also appreciate the organizational culture. Therefore, vigorous efforts must be made with the intent of integrating new employees into the culture. Early training and sensitization on the culture ensure that much ground is covered in the early stages of employment. For instance, participation should be echoed in all available platforms in the hope that innovative new personnel gets to be informed on how best they can convey their views without creating an undesirable impression (Mondy & Martocchio, 2016). Furthermore, by integrating the cultural attributes of the company, Tanglewood will be successful at attaining the desired goal of creating a unified front against the backdrop of its expansion. Culture acts as the mesh that brings the individuals together with the purpose of creating a synergistic environment (Buchman, 2016). The staffing strategy must be grounded on the culture and also cognizant of the diverse backgrounds of the potential and current employees. For newly recruits with previous job experience, this specific training will wean them off the cultural influences that they have thrived in or learned in other places of employment.
The human resource function at Tanglewood is core in the establishment of the appropriate staffing strategy. Every human resource department manages all the staffing needs in an organization. In appreciation of the aforementioned attributes, the human resource department is tasked with actualizing the strategy to its fruition (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Muller, 2012). From the case study, a number of inefficiencies are observed in the organization and how it carries out various HR functions. It is established that there exists an "excessive lag between the initial contact between many applicants and the actual hiring decision." This challenge has seen the company lose output when it comes to acquiring good talent that could have completed the company in its quest to expand in various territories. Studies indicate that nearly one-quarter of employees loses interest in an organization if they do not hear from it after a week following the initial interview. Consequently, lack of status update leads to 46% of the employees to lose interest especially in cases where the update is not brought after a fortnight post-interview. The lag is a major challenge as it discourages potential employees from seeing the recruitment process to the end. Accordingly, the lags expose the ineffectiveness of the existing methods of selecting and recruiting individuals. To avert the lag, Tanglewood must ensure that it retains its recruiters and hiring managers. It is prudent that these parties are sensitized on the negative implications of "expedited hiring." They have to be supported with “proven and easy-to-understand speed-of- hire tools."
To fight the hiring lags, it is essential that companies understand the need to classify jobs that are urgent or where the new-hire quality is fundamental. The HR team must pinpoint which jobs are "expedited jobs" and then focus on galvanizing resources towards them (Mondy & Martocchio, 2016). The resource mismatch may increase the lag period which may further affect the prospects of acquiring qualified talents. The HR team must also sift through applicants to prioritize candidates that are in high demand. The highly-skilled labor is very much in demand in any industry. It is prudent to note that such employees are provided with counter-offers that may see Tanglewood lose out on worthy talents (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Muller, 2012). Additionally, there is a need to shortlist employees very early by the elimination of those that have an extremely high problem identification rate. This should be followed by an automatic date for approving the expedited job positions. The HR system should be structured in a manner that "whenever a manager fails to act before the specific approval deadline, a request moves forward automatically (Mondy & Martocchio, 2016). By digitizing much of the processes, the HR team may end up eliminating the need for paper signatures which in turn reduces the "requisition approval speed" (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Muller, 2012).
The staffing strategy must also factor in the essence of streamlining the hiring process. Firstly, the job specifications must not be many but somewhat realistic depending on the available labor pool and the organizational needs. High job specifications can increase the lag in the recruitment process. There is also a need to accelerate the selection process such as resume screening. The resume screening process takes up a lot of time. Tanglewood must be keen on utilizing digital platforms such as LinkedIn. The profiles on these websites mirror the resumes and their content. Additionally, passive prospective personnel can be encouraged to apply for jobs by providing LinkedIn profiles which in turn saves time and less tasking. There is also a need to set timelines and deadlines for going through applications and resumes. If need be, Tanglewood should withdraw applicant documents from slow recruiters. This will ensure that efficiency prevails in the hiring process.
Tanglewood must also decide on whether to carry out the recruitment process or outsource it. For internal appraisals and promotions, the human resource can take up the responsibility. This is because the HR manager is well-aware of the promotion protocols and the viable candidates within the organization. This is a cost-effective manner considering that the employees’ data and access are assured. It is a matter of perusing individual files and carrying out in-house interviews. With the new expansion being a significant issue of concern, it would be prudent that the company sources departmental heads and other leaders within its existing Tanglewood labor pool (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Muller, 2012). Outsourcing the HR functions is a crucial element particularly where there is a need to attract fresh talents. Outsourcing promotes objectivity and functionality of the selection and recruitment process. This means that each store is allowed to recruit its personnel somewhat overly relying on the HR managers at the headquarters. However, this process must be guided to ensure that the recruitment process is standardized and appreciates the existing organizational culture and structure. The outsourcing element is anchored in the organizational culture of employee participation. By allowing department heads, for instance, to stipulate the skills required to support the entity, Tanglewood will gain a lot in the long run (Ivancevich & Konopaske, 2013).
The staffing development strategy ought to focus on the national outlook of the brand. This is because much of the investments of the entity are spread across the country. Also, the main competitors are not global and so is the target market. As such, it is prudent for the company to exhaust its local staffing options before adopting a global approach (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Muller, 2012). The national approach is anchored on the selection and recruitment of individuals that have similar cultural experience as the target markets of the organization. This ensures that the brand becomes noticeable and responsive to the US market which is highly sensitive. Additionally, it is evident that Tanglewood is yet to exhaust the home market fully.
The staffing policy should target factoring improvements. With many locations spread across the country, the company cannot consolidate its staffing strategy uniformly. Each region has its unique demands which can only be addressed by the resident leadership that is well versed on it. This means that the lack of consistency and irregular communication may make the organization vulnerable to ill-informed parties on HR procedures and policies. Tanglewood should regularly forge platforms o engagement for the senior management to chart the way forward in line with the set goals and desired HR practices. The regional management is thereafter tasked with the role disseminating the information to subordinates. Nevertheless, despite this communication, the regional stores are expected to be innovative in pursuing various measures to address any arising HR related issues particularly anything to do with staffing or recruitment (Mondy & Martocchio, 2016). Tanglewood expansion within the country can precipitate such solutions, but a globalization strategy may see to it that the organization adopts clear policies in cognizance of new global markets that are characterized by different cultures.
The staffing plan must focus on the size of the staff. Currently, statistics indicate that Tanglewood individual stores are overstaffed. This is due to the retail nature of the business. The lower cadres of employment are tied to high turnover. This means that these employees easily find new employment or can be replaced. However, this may generate backlash from the clientele. Research suggests that many clients do not prefer being served by new faces all the time (Drake, 2001). Constant reconstitution of the personnel may hinder forging of client-organizational relationship which translates to poor sales and low revenues. The appropriate strategy, therefore, should be focused on trimming down the number of employees. This can be done by carrying out a skills audit. The audit will expose where duplication of roles exist. This is critical in bringing about relevant changes desired particularly in enhancing the entity's cost-effectiveness and controlling the turnover rate (Mondy & Martocchio, 2016). As it currently stands, the company ought not to sack the high numbers of employees but instead focus on how they can be absorbed in the new upcoming outlets in other regions. Yet again this is cost-effective as these employees required limited training and engagements in regards to the mechanics of the Tanglewood entity. The long-term plan ought to emphasize the essence of employee retention, developing talent and establishing core personnel. This will be integral given that Tanglewood is focused on branching out to other regions.
Staffing quality is another element that ought to be factored in when it comes to the staffing plan. Four relevant areas must be taken into consideration are namely; person/ organization or person/job match, general KSAO’s, exceptional personnel quality and workplace diversity (Ivancevich & Konopaske, 2013). There must be concerted efforts to ensure individuals match the jobs assigned. This requires an elaborate recruitment process which appreciates the skills, personality, and demography of a candidate. A perfect fit is desired where there is a balance between culture and skills that an individual exhibits. General knowledge skills, abilities, and other attributes apply to Tanglewood. This translates to a staff that is knowledgeable and flexible enough to work in other related areas whenever the need arises. Moreover, by allowing employees to acquire extra experience and knowledge, promotes their ability to identify their actual area of interest. Also, general KSAO's promote workplace flexibility which is integral to the growth and productivity of individuals.
Exceptional personnel quality is essential in any staffing plan. This can be made possible through training and offering of other incentives. Moreover, the HR must ensure that the employees' concerns are well captured and addressed in good time. The plan must also center on employing the most qualified personnel that can aid it in achieving its objectives in the long run. The staffing plan being sensitive to the plight of the employees will control the turnover rate. It is prudent to note if unchecked; the turnover issue can affect a company’s efficiency (Kalleberg, Reynolds, & Marsden, 2003). The company, therefore, must look at ways of sourcing passionate employees who will be will to promote excellence and forge good interactions with other stakeholders. A diverse workforce, on the other hand, will be fundamental in the promotion of innovation and different viewpoints. As such, the staffing plan ought to be structured, in a manner, which protects diversity and what it stands for in the society. Policies such as EEO will be pertinent in enhancing workplace diversity. By having equal representation at all levels, Tanglewood can in the long run appeal to various clients in appreciation of the representation of their own within the personnel. The diversification is possible given that the said personnel comprehend culture and customer expectations as well as the organizational philosophy.
References
Buchman, T. G. (2016). Staffing Models. Handbook of Intensive Care Organization and Management , 69-85. doi:10.1142/9781783269518_0004
Drake, A. K. (2001). The changing nature of performance: Implications for staffing, motivation, and development. Human Resource Development Quarterly , 12 (2), 215. doi:10.1002/hrdq.9
Heneman, H. G., Judge, T. A., & Kammeyer-Muller, J. D. (2012). Staffing organizations . New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ivancevich, J. M., & Konopaske, R. (2013). Human resource management . New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kalleberg, A. L., Reynolds, J., & Marsden, P. V. (2003). Externalizing employment: flexible staffing arrangements in US organizations. Social Science Research , 32 (4), 525-552. doi:10.1016/s0049-089x(03)00013-9
Mondy, R. W., & Martocchio, J. J. (2016). Human resource management . Harlow, Essex: Pearson.
