Individual Project - Tanglewood - Essay Example

30th April Tanglewood Staffing levels Acquiring or developing talent Based on the Tanglewoodneed to expand in the local market in order to effectively compete with rival firms such as Dillard’s, J.C Penny, Saks and Kohl’s among others, it requires experienced work force. This implies the company should undertake training program in addition to the benefits that it is providing to the employees in order to make them more productive. The company should develop its talents instead of acquiring them. By making the employees feel motivated through training them, it makes them have strong willingness to do their duties thus resulting to them becoming experienced. In addition they become aware of the challenges that Tanglewood has gone through. In this way, they will have the ability to deal with any challenge that they may face during their duties. Tanglewood case indicates that there is inconsistency in terms of management between styles between the new stores and the original stores. Thus, the company should also employ the acquisition strategy that will ensure that the new stores start on the correct path without the resistance of the managers or resentment from the workers. 2 Hire yourself or outsource The expansion strategies by Tanglewood require that it accumulates adequate funds without lowering the salaries of its employees. The company should therefore adopt techniques that will ensure that it does not use a lot of funds outside the company. Thus, it is imperative for the company to hire itself instead of outsourcing. The only part that the company should outsource is in the construction of the stores. This is based on the fact that if the company creates its own construction and engineering department, it would an expensive venture. This is due to the high costs of such a department in the form of high salaries, high costs of purchasing constructing machines as well as costs of computer programs used to come up with the architectural designs. By hiring itself in other areas, Tanglewood will ensure that it uses reduced financial resources that will generate significant revenue needed in undertaking other operations of the firm. In addition, by hiring its own resources, the company will effectively deal with its own challenges since it is aware of their causes and the best person to deal with an emerging issue in the company. However, outsourcing has several advantages that include providing new ideas, new techniques of performing duties as well as new ways of solving management problem that the company can face. 3 External or internal hiring In his effort to hire qualified personnel, the vice-president for human resources should undertake internal hiring. One of the major advantages of internal hiring is that it is less expensive as compared to external hiring. Based on the fact that the employee has general information about the operations of Tanglewood, the firm will not need to train such an employee thus reducing the orientation time. In addition, by undertaking internal hiring, the company will not need to undertake a formal interview rather they can use the evaluation information they have for the current employees in order to promote them. Another notable advantage of internal hiring is that it boosts workplace morale. When the existing workers are given an opportunity to work in higher or different places, their level of excitement is increased. Due to the easier assessment associated with internal hiring, Tanglewood will benefit from being aware of the person it is hiring since it will not need to undertake any research to identify the behavior of the employees. Internal hiring will also make the company to create strong relationship between the employees and the society. However, for the entry position for example new manager’s positions in new stores, the company should adopt the external hiring. 4 Core or flexible work force Besides being motivated by training, high pay and training, workers productivity is enhanced by making them to work under flexible hours. In this regard, Tanglewood should therefore emulate flexible workforce. This will not only allow the workers to address their personal matters, but also it will provide them with more time to rest and come up with strategies on how to improve their performance. Another advantage of flexible workforce is that it results to value added. This means that engaged employees are always ready to work on their project during working hours or when they are at their homes. Workers who are provided by flexible working hours are not only exposed to new inspirations but also they are made to be active and strongly relate with their family members. By adopting flexible working hours, Tanglewood will be exposed to a broader talent pool. This means that the company will have an opportunity to get qualified workers who are ready to dedicate their time for the benefit of the company. Similarly, the employees are given ample time to connect with their colleagues through social sites such as face book and twitter an aspect that makes them to share knowledge and skills thus improving their performance. 5 Hire or Retain Tanglewood must consider hiring and retaining capable, efficient and competent individuals in the firm, this means that Tanglewood will be able to retain long term service employees in the firm. Before hiring of the staffs in the firm, communication is necessary so that the vice president of the firm spends adequate time with the new employees explaining the specific need of the firm. Secondly the preferences and routines before they are fully hired should be communicated to ensure a smooth workflow of the firm. The working hours should be specific and any extra hour that the employees spend in the firm should be compensated in one way or another. Housing is a basic necessity of the employee and thus accommodation should be available which should be in good condition. For smooth work flow and compatibility in the firm, adequate space and privacy to work should be provided. The employees should be flexible in their daily routines though it is important to notify the staffs of change schedules, routines or special needs. Tanglewood should provide the necessary tools and support required for the employees to efficiently complete the work required by the firm of the supervisors and this means a difference in the firm will be noticed. Employees must be retained in the company where they are going to be consulted if need arise in the firm. 6 National or global The firm main idea is to get the best employees searching for new positions at the top of the firm where the Tanglewood can help them to achieve their goals. Staffing level of Tanglewood should be based on the national level. National strategy should be maintained before the company expands and to a global level. The employees should be based at national level where they are recruited using the criteria of competence either online or manual method. The company should also consider global strategy of recruiting employees as inefficient since the firm is based in one country and is not effectively established in the market. The hiring of employees in the company should be conducted by the vice president of the firm where work experience and other academic qualifications are to be given a priority so that in near future the firm will adopt the global staffing decision. 7 Attract or relocate Tanglewood should make sure that the employees who are qualified in different professionals are targeted by the firm since the work output of the firm will be determined by the competence and qualification basis. This means in the area the company operates it should aim at attracting qualified individuals who they deem they fit to work under pressure. Strict deadline should be a target to the firm. The employees should be considered with flexible time allowances and accommodation being offered so that the firm can attract the employees from different areas who are qualified. When the firm will deem fit the number of the employees, then it will be ready to expand to different locations then the vice president of the firm can relocate other employees to different location depending on the performance and the output of the individuals. To relocate, the employees will mean that the firm is ready to expand globally thus venturing in different market segments and having attained the objective of the firm. The management will have to consider the employees with experience so that they can be relocated and later able to attract others who will be hired and training to be conducted. 8 Overstaffing or understaffing If Tanglewood management considers the effect of both overstaffing and understaffing it will acquire organization performance. Though in the firm there are those who consider and advocates for understaffing stating that if well organized the firm will attain an increased organization output per head. While those who are for overstaffing state that the firm will improve the performance thus going beyond the firm target and objectives. If the management of Tanglewood has to consider understaffing then the firm will mean that the employees are likely to work in the firm efficiently where motivation will be experienced from the management, thus making it possible for the firm to produce more attaining the goals set (Thompson 45). The employees of the firm will engage on different task that are beneficial to the firm thus making it possible to achieve the goals and the employees considering the responsibility given. On the other hand, overstaffing enhances the firm performance and more employees being hired in the firm to make sure that the firm can experience a change in the environment. Tanglewood can benefit a lot if understaffing is used where the goals of the firm will be achieved. 9 Short or long term focus Tanglewood should consider short and long term focus on the employees which means that the company stakeholders will either be long term based or short term. Though it is important for the firm to consider long term focus of employees since the work output is also high and thus making the employees to work extra harder since they feel great to be associated with the great team. Again individual work output in different department must be considered in daily basis and in monthly term where individual is responsible of the output. Short term recruitment of the employees is also beneficial when there a lot of work which is an attended meaning that the company will have to give contracts to individual employees so that deadline targeted by Tanglewood will be achieved making the firm goals to be in reality. Short term focus of employees will be on contract based where the firm output will be increased since the individual who are given the contract must work harder so that they can be promoted to be long term employees who are employed permanently in the firm. This means that the employees must work in a way the output is high and quality products are produced that will satisfy the customer needs. Staffing quality 10 Persons /job or person /organization match The staffing quality of the individual to match with the Tanglewood will depend on the kind of services the company offers to the consumers. The company should adopt Persons /job strategy. If the firm is producing different brands and the employees are in different department then they must be trained well so that they can meet the firm targets and goals of the future. The manufacturing department must be aware of the brand that satisfies the customer needs and the sales and suppliers must be trained well to accomplish the goals so that they can be matching with the organization goals. The academic qualification and work experience should be considered when one is being hired to work for the firm since both will have an impact to the firm output thus making an individual to match with the organization. Work experience will yield high results in the firm while education qualification gives on the morale of working and the output is as the result of competence so organization match is highly recommended for attainment of goals in the firm. 11 Specific or general KSAOs Based on the various departments that Tanglewood maintain including advertising, administration and human resources among others, the company should adopt the concept of general KSAOs. In this way, the firm will be able to hire workers who have diversified skills that will be used by the various departments thus leading to the success of the entire company. Similarly, the company will be in a position to identify the talents and expertise of the workers thus ensuring that they are given the correct job that is in line with their qualifications. In order to ensure that workers are in good relationships, Tanglewood should hold monthly or annul forums through which the employees can share ideas and come up with new strategies of performing their duties. This means that through the emulation of KSAOs, the company will bring on board workers with diversified knowledge that will be shared among all the employees resulting to improved performance and sustainable profitability for the firm. 12 Exceptional or acceptable workforce quality Exceptional is the best choice for Tanglewood. The company workers are vital assets. This implies that for the company to achieve high profitability and maintain be able to expand in other regions, it should not settle for average staff or cheap labor that would jeopardize the activities of the company. Based on the fact that the Tanglewood does not heavily rely on flexible workforce, the company should ensure that it adequately compensate its employees. Additionally, the company staff turnover is not healthy thus the company should continue with its efforts of valuing its workers in order to ensure that it maintains for a long time the good work force. For example, Tanglewood should ensure that workers who attain their goals are rewarded while those underperforming are given proper and extensive training on the areas that they are weak in. In this way, the company will improve its performance thus outdoing its competitors in the local and international markets. 13 Active or passive diversity In the contemporary world, diverse workforce is appropriate. However, the key issue is whether the employees are aware of the needs of the local communities, the demand patterns of the company, customer needs as well as the culture of the surrounding people among other issues. Tanglewood should therefore adopt the passive diversity in its workforce as a way of maintaining close and strong relationship between the employees and the customers as well as the communities. Works Cited Thompson, J. Organizations in Action. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967. Print Read More