Selection of interview candidates for the position of customer service representative - Essay Example

DECISION FRAMING OF THE DECISION Selection of interview candi s for the position service representative. ALTERNATIVES Candi s interviewed by the customer service manager.CONSIDERATIONSAfter inputs from the human resource manager, the customer service manager, and the incumbent customer service representative, the aspects of a suitable customer service representative for the job, listed in order of importance as indicated by the weight, is tabulated in the below table. A higher weighting indicates a higher degree of importance.

Considerations Weight(1) Communication and telephone skills; 5(2) Number of years of experience as a customer service representative; 4(3) Knowledge about the company's service, products, and key persons; 4(4) Friendliness; 3(5) Professionalism, and 2(6) Education. 1WEIGHING THE ALTERNATIVESConstruct a table, with the considerations or aspects of the qualities of a skilled customer service representative listed on the extreme left column. Leave a column for the weighting of each consideration.

Then insert a column for each candidate. One candidate at a time, rate each candidate on a scale of -2 to 2 (i.e., -2, -1, 0, +1, +2) across all considerations. The rating indicates the compatibility of each candidate to the consideration. +2 indicates "highly compatible", +1 indicates "somewhat compatible", 0 indicates neither "compatible nor incompatible", -1 indicates "somewhat incompatible", and -2 indicates "highly incompatible". Then, for each candidate, calculate the assessment score for all the considerations.

The assessment score for each consideration is calculated by multiplying the weight of each consideration with the rating of the candidate with regards to the consideration. Finally, sum up the assessment score across all the considerations to derive the total assessment score. Perform the same procedure for all other candidates. The table below illustrates a simplified scenario in which there are only 2 candidates interviewed. Insert additional columns as necessary. Candidate A should be hired as he/she has the highest total assessment score.

ConsiderationsWeightCandidate ACandidate BRatingRating X WeightRatingRating X WeightCommunication and telephone skills521000Number of years of experience as a customer service representative428-2-8Knowledge about the company's service, products, and key persons40028Friendliness31326Professionalism2-1-200Education1-2-211Total Assessment Score177DECISION 2FRAMING OF THE DECISIONSelection of a printer to purchase to meet the company's printing needs.ALTERNATIVESQuotations received in response to a call for quotations by the company.

CONSIDERATIONSAfter inputs from the employees and the facility manager, the aspects of a suitable printer, listed in order of importance as indicated by the weight, is tabulated in the below table. A higher weighting indicates a higher degree of importance. Considerations Weight(1) Price 5 (2) Ease of maintenance 4(3) Print quality 4(4) Support 3(5) Warranty 2(6) Ink usage 1(7) Aesthetics 1 WEIGHING THE ALTERNATIVESConstruct a table, with the considerations or aspects of the qualities of a printer that the vendor should provide.

Leave a column for the weighting of each consideration. Then insert a column for each printer. One printer at a time, rate each printer on a scale of -2 to 2 (i.e., -2, -1, 0, +1, +2) across all considerations. The rating indicates the compatibility of each printer to the consideration. +2 indicates "highly compatible", +1 indicates "somewhat compatible", 0 indicates neither "compatible nor incompatible", -1 indicates "somewhat incompatible", and -2 indicates "highly incompatible". Then, for each printer, calculate the assessment score for all the considerations.

The assessment score for each consideration is calculated by multiplying the weight of each consideration with the rating of the printer with regards to the consideration. Finally, sum up the assessment score across all the considerations to derive the total assessment score. Perform the same procedure for all other printers. The table below illustrates a simplified scenario in which there are only bids received for 2 printers. Insert additional columns as necessary. Printer A should be purchases as it has the highest total assessment score.

ConsiderationsWeightPrinter APrinter BRatingRating X WeightRatingRating X WeightPrice521000Ease of maintenance428-2-8Print quality40028Support31326Warranty2-1-200Ink usage12222Aesthetics1-2-211Total Assessment Score197If the new managers use the above two worksheets, the decisions "result" recommended by each worksheet will help them make objective and rational decisions. The customer representative manager in the hiring process will not be biased by the primacy effect, the contrast effect, the halo effect, the similar-to-me effect, the harshness/leniency bias, the self-fulfilling prophesy bias, and the beauty bias (Fiske, 1999).

Similarly, the facility manager will not select a printer biased by his/her relationship with the vendor. ReferencesFiske, P. (1999). Bias: Identifying, Understanding, and Mitigating Negative Biases in your Job Search. Career Development: Articles. Retrieved 16 February, 2006, from http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/previous_issues/articles/0210/bias_identifying_understanding_and_mitigating_negative_biases_in_your_job_searchInsert the reference from the book Halpern here.