CSR and Recruitment Methods Used by Four Seasons Hotels - Essay Example

Introduction The Four Seasons Hotels is a luxury chain of international hotels based inCanada. The management company operates a chain of 98 luxury hotels across the world most of which are managed on behalf of real estate owners. Prezi is an organization that focuses on providing communication solutions in the form of virtual presentation platforms. In a world where communication has become increasingly important especially in the corporate environment, there is always a need to ensure sound engagement of people in the most appropriate manner so as to enhance the formation of ideas. Prezi facilitates this process by providing a virtual whiteboard from which presentations can be made into conversations. Traditionally, presentations have always taken the form of monologues where the presenter simply talks and passes information with very minimal engagement from the audience. Prezi offers a shift from such a monotonous process. SWOT and Strategy Prezi offers consumers very critical information regarding presentations and how to improve communication in such situations. It is recognized that information is better passed through visual enhancements. Prezi therefore designs various images, videos which are used in enhancing presentations. Prezi offers cloud-based platforms hence the users can always present from their desktops, tablets of phones. One of the greatest strengths of Prezi is its reliance on communication as a tool for business. The company recognizes that people will always have to communicate and this translates into the continual need for the services. In addition, the company has developed a tradition of listening and paying attention to criticism and this provides a better way of learning and improving services. Prezi focuses on special metaphor in ensuring that the audience remembers the content better. Considering the fact that a presentation is only as effective as the information the audience captures and remembers the company invests a lot in developing techniques which ensure that the audience’s memory is always engaged. Strength arises from Prezi’s traditional focus on elegance and style. For a long time, the company has been known to create very beautiful products which captivate the users. On this, the joy is always on making the users smile. More importantly, it is always about simplicity and this ensures that the users get products they can easily use and love. On the other hand, it is realized that while the communication solutions provided by Prezi are simple and stylish, challenges often arise as new products constantly emerge before users are acquainted with the previous versions. The company therefore provides several presentation solutions which are rarely used since they are simply too much to be used by a single presenter on one occasion. Similarly, Prezi has a lot of opportunities from where to develop business better. The company can diverse its operations into other forms of communication like meetings memoranda and posters and provide solutions in these areas. In order to facilitate its operations in the highly competitive market, Prezi depends upon a number of business strategies. At the core of the company’s operations has always been the focus on engineering. Engineering is the engine through which new technology solutions are designed. This calls for good talent in ensuring good product designs. In addition, the company greatly focuses on sale and support of its operations. The sales department ensures that consumers are guided in using new products. More importantly, Prezi has an elaborate marketing strategy especially on the internet in the form of videos and great presentations which showcase the company’s products to potential users. Recruitment Methods In order to facilitate its operations and ensure the highest quality standards for products and operations, Prezi relies of a team of highly qualified and competent personnel. The company depends upon the creativity and ideas generated by the team. Employees at Prezi have a sound background in technology and are always talented and ready to take on new challenges and meet new paradigms. In this regard, the company nurtures talent both within and outside the organization. Some positions at the company are filled through internal sourcing. This reduces the costs associated with training and orientation of new employees. In addition, it enhances the morale of employees through promotions. Internal sourcing has been used in filling positions in Information Technology (IT) and programming. Through internal sourcing, the company promotes parity and loyalty among employees (Clarke 2010). In addition, the company also relies upon external sourcing in bringing new employees and talent to the organization. This ensures that fresh and new talent is injected into the organizational. External sourcing is conducted through conventional recruitment tools like online and newspaper advertisements. The company posts any vacant positions on its website so that qualified and interested people can apply. External sourcing is also used in situations when there is no suitable person within the organization to fill in the open position (Sparrow 2006). In some situations, the company cannot obtain the right candidate either through internal or external sourcing. In such cases, Prezi relies on third-party sourcing to obtain the right candidate. This involves using placement or recruitment agencies to locate the suitable candidates. Regardless of the method used, Prezi focuses largely on bringing in highly talented people who can meet challenges and help in designing new products for consumers (Clarke 2006). At Prezi, there is a strong belief that a candidate with the right attitude and ability can always be trained on the right skills. All employees therefore need to have the right spirit and attitude to work in the company. This translates into all thoughts, manners and disposition toward new imaginations and better things. As recruiters, Prezi’s management therefore put more weight on attitude rather than skills since the latter can be gained while the former is hard to change. However, the most desired and appropriate candidate is one who has both the right attitude and the necessary skills for the job. Similarly, Prezi relies heavily on innovation and creativity as a business strategy. In this regard, the recruitment process is designed to net in candidates who can offer innovative solutions in the hardest challenges (Mondy & Noe 2005). Prezi utilizes employee referral programs as a way of sourcing for other employees. Through such referrals, working employees have an opportunity to recommend through acquaintances and friends who are suitable for the available positions. This is done in recognition of the fact that current employees have much understanding of the needs of the organization and can therefore recommend the right people. On every single recruitment occasion, there are always more qualified applicants than needed. The recruiters therefore retain some of the applicants into the company’s database for future postings. This usually provides an easy pool to fill from especially when an employee in a particular expertise is needed urgently. Irrespective of the recruitment method used, Prezi conducts the interview professionally so that the right candidates are posted to positions within the organizations. In addition, the recruitment process includes elaborate training for new employees who are trained on how to work better for the company (Edenborough 2005). All new employees become part of a collaborative team that works together in inventing new products through creative ideas. This provides the lifeline for the company a critical business strategy for survival. Employees are always acquainted on all areas of operations within the company in order to forge proper working relationships. CSR programs are designed to enable the company to impact positively to the community within which it operates. This is achieved through responsible practices and improving lives (Noe 2006).. Corporate social responsibility As a company that operates within the society, Prezi has developed a number of initiatives as a way if giving back to the community and addressing some of the challenges realized within the communities it operates. The company’s CSR strategy is anchored on three pillars; community development, environmental action and economic growth. These are geared toward improving the lives of the workers and the greater community. The focus is therefore on social, environmental and economic sustainability. Regarding hiring, the company ensures that a portion of the vacancies are reserved from qualified candidates from within the surrounding community as a way of social responsiveness. The company supports the local communities through other economic initiatives like paying college feels for a number of students in local colleges and providing internships and learning opportunities for students. The company relies on the social media in promoting its CSR activities and programs. On the economic front, such initiatives have helped a number of people in the community through education and means of earning income (Aras 2010). Prezi has developed an elaborate environmental action plan as part of its social responsiveness program. The company provides knowledge and resources in promoting the use of renewable sources of energy in order to curb climate change. The company partners with the local communities sin planting trees. Tree planting sessions are conducted on monthly basis and are always facilitated by experts hired by the company. In addition, the company promotes efficient resources management through programs such as conservation of water even within the company premises. Rain water is harvested and used in growing flowers. In addition, the company provides education and awareness on the concept of product life cycle as a way of reaping maximum utility and value from products as opposed to the constant acquisition of new products. This translates into a responsive society that recognizes the need to protect the environment by using resources appropriately and sustainably (Vogel 2005). Prezi is also involves the community in its programs by recognition of the fact that the success of the company depends upon a proper working relationship. On this respect, most of the products and services developed by the company are first tested and used within the surrounding community. The community understands the value of communication and proper presentation courtesy of the expertise from the company. It is therefore seen that Prezi has a proper working relationship with the surrounding community through its diverse CSR activities which promote understanding and the growth of knowledge. More importantly, Prezi adheres to the international guidelines on CSR activities and ensures that all community initiatives meet their intended purposes of addressing fundamental needs within the community (Hunnicutt 2009). Recommendations As a company that operates in an industry that depends largely on new idea creation, Prezi has emphasized on internal sourcing of employees which might not always provide the right candidates in most cases. Internal recruitment greatly limits the number of applicants thereby leading to compromises on recruitment. Filling one vacancy from within the organization creates another vacancy which also has to be filled. The company should therefore focus greatly on new talent through fresh employees who can bring new impetus into the company. In addition, as seen on the company’s website, most vacant positions require very experienced people who might not always add much value to a company like Prezi. The CSR program for Prezi should also provide a provision where the society directly benefits from the actual services offered by the company rather than limiting to schools and other institutions. This will help in nurturing society that fully understands how to conduct proper communication and presentations using the latest available products. References Aras, G. (2010). A handbook of corporate governance and social responsibility. Farnham, Surrey, England: Gower. Clarke, J. (2010). The staff recruitment process. Dublin: Combat Poverty Agency. Clarke, J. (2006). The staff recruitment process. Dublin: Combat Poverty Agency. Edenborough, R. (2005). Assessment methods in recruitment, selection, and performance a managers guide to psychometric testing, interviews, and assessment centres. London: Kogan Page. Hunnicutt, S. (2009). Corporate social responsibility. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press. Mondy, R., & Noe, R. (2005). Human resource management (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Noe, R. (2006). Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage (5th ed.). Boston, Mass.: McGraw-Hill. Sparrow, P. (2006). International recruitment, selection, and assessment. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Vogel, D. (2005). The market for virtue the potential and limits of corporate social responsibility. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Read More