Selection Decision-Making - Tanglewood - Case Study Example

Selection Decision Making Case 7 introduces the decision making process. This is an important asset in any organization and so is to tangle wood (Mueller 44). It is clear that the company requires a store manager in one of its branches; Spokane. For the Human Resource department to pick the best and the most suitable applicant, it has to be come up with measures that form the basis of its decisions in arriving at the conclusion. The discussion below answers for diverse but related questions that can be of help to the company when selecting the best candidate out of the ten applicants. Question 1: Selection plan A selection plan gives an overview of how the job looks like thus making it easy for the recruitment panel to pick the most desirable applicant. It contains key job responsibilities, makes it clear of what must be performed and acts as a guide in selection procedures. The format is as given below. Company Name: Tangle wood Major KSAO category Necessary for Selection (Y/N) Method of Assessment Major KSAO category Necessary for selection (Y/N) BD MAE RK C E 1. Ability to follow directions Y X X 2. Ability to read and Internalize guidelines Y X 3. Ability to perform arithmetic operations Y X 4. Ability to organize Y X 5. Priority setting Y X X 6. Oral communication skills Y X X 7. Written communication skills Y X 8. Interpersonal skills Y X X 9. Knowledge of word processing, graphics, database and spreadsheet software Y X 10. Knowledge of company policies and procedures N 11. Knowledge of basic computer operations Y X X X 12. Knowledge on operating office machines N 13. Flexibility and adaptability Y X X X X 14. Experience with computer software Y X X X 15. Ability to deliver accurate results Y X X KEY: BD= Biodata C= Conscientiousness MAE= Marshall Applicant Exam E= Extraversion RK= Retail Knowledge Question 2: assessment scores Applicants Biodata Applicant exam Retail knowledge conscientiousness extraversion Unit weighing Rational weighing Andrews, David 70 45 65 75 70 65 66.75 Greer, Shauna 60 65 70 50 90 67 66.5 Renoir, Maxine 80 60 40 90 80 70 67.5 Binghome, Bruce 60 55 80 65 55 63 65.5 Yorn, John 40 80 45 60 60 57 51.5 Thomas, Mindy 75 40 30 80 75 60 58.75 Vacarri, Brenda 55 35 45 60 75 54 53.75 Reznor, Thomas 65 90 60 70 80 73 69 Durvall, Adam 60 60 55 50 65 58 57.75 Heckman, Jane 85 55 60 90 90 76 76 Corporate Average 50 50 50 50 50 Managerial Average 60 60 65 55 70 The table above illustrates scores of all the ten applicants. The analysis was based on multiple predictor methods; clinical prediction and rational weighing. However, since clinical prediction and unit weighing produce similar results, it was considered wise to include the unit weighing column. The unit weighing figures were derived from averaging each applicant’s scores in individual assessment methods. Basing on the unit weighing results, tangle wood will consider the highest scores. Therefore, Heckman; 76, Reznor; 73 and Scores; 70 will be the most preferred applicants. The rational weighing results were obtained by assigning a weight to every assessment method and summing up the scores. The assigned weights were biodata; 30%, Applicant exam; 10%, Retail knowledge; 30%, Conscientiousness; 15%, Extraversion; 15%. Biodata and retail knowledge were allocated the largest weights because the job position demands experience from applicants. Applicant exam was assigned the lowest weight mainly because it measures the least important KSAOs required in the managerial position. From the data, Tangle wood will consider Heckman; 76, Reznor; 69, Renoir; 67.5. If tangle wood decides to use multiple hurdle selection as its first stage in identifying the best five applicants, and further apply interviews and resumes to get the top three finalists, the five suitable candidates would be Reznor, Yorn, Greer, Renior and Durvall. This is quite interesting since Heckman who tops in both rational and unit weighing does not appear in the top five when using test scores. Since conscientiousness and extraversion prove the ability and suitability of an applicant to perform and deliver results, rational weighing is considered the best method in selecting applicants. This is attributed to the fact that rational weighing assigns scores in relation to the job description. Question three: read data Basing on the data collected through the various assessment methods, the most preferred candidate for Tangle wood’s branch at Spoken is Heckman. Since the company is more concerned about an individual who can deliver and perform as per the company’s standards, Heckman outshines the rest of applicants having registered a score of 76 in rational weighing. However, his scores in the Marshfield Applicant Examination and Retail information are below the set limit. On the positive side, he recorded the highest scores in biodata, conscientiousness and extraversion thus boosting his portfolio. This is in a sense that the scores reflect good leadership and interpersonal skills. The final panel that will be tasked to interview all applicants must be comprised of the Tangle wood’s regional manager, Human Resource manager and Spokane branch manager. This is a rich combination of panelists since they will be in a good position to determine the most preferred candidate as a team. Question 4: the most preferred method Having seen how effective each predictor method is, Tangle wood has to stick to the same trend and use rational weighing. This is considered the best method as it gives an allowance for the company to make change and alter the attached weights of each assessment method. Through this the KSAOs required in assessing applicants can effectively go in line with weights attached to give the most accurate scores. To ensure effectiveness, managers have to make sure the most important assessment methods are assigned the largest weight to make it realistic when using rational weighing. Conclusion Decisions require intensive and professional assessments. In question one, it was critical to find the unit and rational weighing. Since rational weighing is the most preferred assessment method, it reflects leadership and interpersonal skills. This makes it easy to arrive at conclusions without having to over rely on Marshfield exams, which do not have great importance to the company’s managerial qualifications. Work cited Mueller, Kammeyer. Tanglewood Casebook for use with Staffing Organizations. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. 2014. Print. Read More