Continuing from Assignment 1, you were selected as the new HR director for the retail company and now have been in the position for approximately 6 months. Your approach to strategy, planning, and selection have been quite successful thus far, and now it is time to address the organization’s expectation for performance and development of employees since these components of HR strategy are critical in achieving business outcomes and success. Write a four to five (4-5) page paper in which you: Critically analyze and discuss any researched (web or textbook) training process model you may consider for use in developing employees (here’s an idea: https://educationaltechnology.net/the-addie-model-instructional-design/ or exhibit 7-1, page 230 in the text book). Then, identify and discuss some possible challenges that might be faced in implementing a new training process in the company. List and briefly discuss at least three (3) types or methods of training that can be used for employee training. Of the 3, which would you select to train the retail employees, and why? Be specific. Differentiate the concept of performance management and performance appraisal with three (3) to four (4) key points. Then, make your case to leadership for or against using annual performance appraisals in the organization. Be specific with your perspective. Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length. Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length. Use the Strayer University Library at https://research.strayer.edu to locate additional sources to support your work.1
Running head: HR MANAGEMENT
Strategy, Planning and Selection
Makeala Horlback
Dr. Huddleston
HRM599
January 26, 2020
HR MANAGEMENT
2
Porter’s Generic Strategy
It would be wrong to say that of the three of Porter’s generic strategies, there is a
right one and, consequently, a wrong one. Whether or not either of them is right or wrong, all
boils down to what a business wants to achieve, as well as the business model. These strategies
include cost leadership, differentiation, and focus models.
Cost leadership strategy
With the cost leadership strategy, the company aims to achieve the lowest cost
producer within the industry. The most effective way to arrive at this without making losses is by
taking advantage of economies of scale, where the company is able to produce goods and
services on a large scale and then sell them to customers at fairly low prices. If a company is to
sell products at a market-acceptable price, it would mean that the cost of production will also
have to be minimal. If there is a standard selling price of a good, for example, the company with
the lowest cost of production will have, in theory, the largest profit margin. This strategy is
specifically useful where the products have little to no differentiation, and which are accepted by
the general consumers. At times, companies may discount their products in order to maximize
sales (Mind Tools, 2009).
Differentiation
Businesses that apply this strategy do so to differentiate a small segment of the
target market. This forms a special customer needs segment. Here, there is an opportunity to
provide services or products that are significantly different from other competitors in the market
that may be targeting a wider group of consumers. This means that these products may have new
features, durability, functionality, and support that customers value so much but are not present
in other products. For this strategy to be a success, however, a business needs: to conduct
HR MANAGEMENT
3
extensive research and focus on product innovation; to have the ability to offer products and
services of high quality, and effective sales and marketing techniques so that the consumers can
understand the benefits of the differentiated products (Mind Tools, 2009).
Niche/Focus
Companies or businesses that use the niche/focus strategy emphasized a particular
market. They make sure to understand the dynamics of that market and come up with wellspecified or relatively low-cost products. They tend to build a strong customer relationship,
hence, brand loyalty. This strategy should not be confused with the differentiation strategy. In
the focus strategy, the firm or the business narrows down on a particular market segment. The
“focuser” aims at serving that selected group to the exclusion of the rest. It is divided into two
categories: cost focus and differentiation focus strategies. In the former, a company uses a cost
advantage in its specified segment. In the latter, it uses differentiation as its main strategy in
selling to the customers in its segment (Mind Tools, 2009).
The most appropriate strategy for this company
Since this is a retail company, there is little it can do to differentiate the products
being sold. Similarly, the cost of production is incurred with the respective manufacturing
companies, and so it would be difficult for the company to make major changes in the cost. The
best route to be followed for this retailer is the niche strategy. It could decide to sell specific
products that are not common in that area or those that are high-end. The latter means that it will
take advantage of the cost-focus strategy and concentrate on consumers with high incomes.
This strategy will affect how the Human Resource does its job since it calls for
the communication of new objectives and goals. HR managers will also need to research the
demographics of their customers to find out what it needs to add or change to fit in their new
HR MANAGEMENT
4
strategy. They will also need to facilitate training to the employees so that they work as per the
new changes.
The Four Approaches to Job Design/Redesign
The four most common approaches to job design are
Job rotation
Job rotation is the act of moving employees from one task or job to another to break the
monotony of work or boredom. They are, therefore, able to do another job within the same
organization that needs the same levels of requirements. It incorporates diversity into an
employee’s work and hence boosts their participation and job involvement. This is mostly
beneficial to employees who have a wider range of skills. Consequently, the management will
have an easier time allocating jobs and scheduling work or make it easier to fill vacancies. A
good example is giving a cashier the task of customer service (Management Study HQ, 2018).
Job engineering
Job engineering focuses on the performance standards, strategies used at the workplace,
relationships between people and machines, and tasks to be performed. It takes a more scientific
approach since it involves the measurement of job design based on factors such as time and
motion. These help to determine the time needed to complete each job and the movements
required to do them efficiently. Specialization of labor is an aspect of job engineering. They are
used to have short work cycles to automate performance and use as little mental effort as
possible. They also minimize the need for supervision. In this case, the necessary facilities, tools,
and information needed to complete a task are always readily available and can be used
comfortably with the employees. Job engineering can be seen in jobs such as offloading the
HR MANAGEMENT
5
distribution tracks and sorting and arranging them on the shelves. A person’s speed and accuracy
are what makes them efficient and effective in their work (Management Study HQ, 2018).
Job enlargement
Job enlargement stirs mixed feelings among people. On the one hand, it is seen as overworking
employees, while, on the other hand, it is viewed as a way of increasing efficiency. Either way,
job enlargement offers motivation to employees by providing them with meaningful work
modules. In this case, a single worker can complete an entire unit of work (or a major portion of
it), which increases their levels of satisfaction and consequently appreciates their contribution to
the particular project. Job enlargement also serves as a means of including diversity at the
workplace, hence minimizing boredom. At the retail stores, the employees tasked to arrange the
shelves may also be the same ones cleaning the floors (Management Study HQ, 2018).
Job enrichment
Job enrichment is the process of making a job more exciting or creating a motivating atmosphere
for employees. A job can be said to be enriched if it is challenging enough and requires
creativity. It also involves giving an employee the power to make most decisions, something that
boosts their confidence and overall effectiveness. An example of job enrichment that can be
applied to this retail company is including awards for the employee of the year at the end of
every year (Management Study HQ, 2018).
Why an effective job design is necessary
It is important to integrate effective job design applications since they are linked
to factors such as organization designs, leadership, working conditions, performance appraisal
methods, customer needs, and reward systems. Generally, a good job design will improve the
quality of the work.
HR MANAGEMENT
6
Employee Selection
One of the challenges job recruiters face during employee selection processes is
the need to make a speedy hire. This can happen, especially if there is a sudden loss of a person
in a particular job position that needs to be filled as soon as possible. To combat this challenge,
HR managers always need to have their recruitment tools ready and up-to-date. The other
problem is finding the right candidate for a vacant or new position. There may be several
candidates, all with strong backgrounds and skills necessary for the job position. More and more
people are beginning to realize the competition in the job market and so will do their best to
prove themselves worthy. In this case, recruiters should strive to look for employees who do
meet not only the requirement but also show signs of being able to handle more than what is
required of them. They should look for talent.
3 Ideas for the Candidate Selection Process
Human resource forms the most important aspect of an organization. The success
of a business is dependent on the people working in it. This, therefore, makes the process of
employee selection a crucial one. Some of the ideas to consider when recruiting employees
include the following:
i. Have a good understanding of the job.
The recruiters need to start by understanding what traits are considered to contribute to the
success of a business. This means that they will know what they are looking for in potential
employees. This understanding can be gained through internal job analysis, or by teaming up
with experts who specialize in coming up with employee selection systems.
HR MANAGEMENT
7
ii. Build a process and use it consistently
In every work, there is a certain trait that needs to be portrayed so that an individual can be
considered to be up to the task. For this reason, the recruiters need to develop the best way to
determine the most crucial traits. This can be arrived at by conducting multiple means of
measurements.
iii. Training the HR staff
Those involved in the selection process need to be trained. Since a majority of employee
selection processes involve interviews, the interviewers need to be trained to ensure the
effectiveness and consistency of the techniques used.
The selection process presents several challenges to the recruiters. One of them is
focusing on one’s credentials (papers) rather than digging into what they can offer based on their
talents and abilities. For this reason, job recruiters need to construct questions that prompt the
candidates to say what they love to do most concerning the job position. It is also possible to be
biased during selection. This can be avoided by using validated assessments and standardizing
the interviews (Tafero, 2012).
HR MANAGEMENT
8
References
Management Study HQ. (2018, December 24). Four Approaches to Job Design | Management
Study HQ. Management Study HQ.
Mind Tools. (2009). Porter’s Generic StrategiesChoosing Your Route to Success.
Mindtools.Com. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_82.htm
Tafero, T. (2012). 5 Tips for Designing an Effective Employee Selection System. Psionline.Com.
https://blog.psionline.com/talent/bid/147051/5-Tips-for-Designing-an-EffectiveEmployee-Selection-System
Virtual HR. (2015, July 9). Top five recruiting challenges HR professionals face and how to
overcome them – Virtual HR. Virtual HR. https://www.virtualhr.co.ke/top-fiverecruiting-challenges-hr-professionals-face-and-how-to-overcome-them/
1
Running head: HR MANAGEMENT
Strategy, Planning and Selection
Makeala Horlback
Dr. Huddleston
HRM599
January 26, 2020
HR MANAGEMENT
2
Porter’s Generic Strategy
It would be wrong to say that of the three of Porter’s generic strategies, there is a
right one and, consequently, a wrong one. Whether or not either of them is right or wrong, all
boils down to what a business wants to achieve, as well as the business model. These strategies
include cost leadership, differentiation, and focus models.
Cost leadership strategy
With the cost leadership strategy, the company aims to achieve the lowest cost
producer within the industry. The most effective way to arrive at this without making losses is by
taking advantage of economies of scale, where the company is able to produce goods and
services on a large scale and then sell them to customers at fairly low prices. If a company is to
sell products at a market-acceptable price, it would mean that the cost of production will also
have to be minimal. If there is a standard selling price of a good, for example, the company with
the lowest cost of production will have, in theory, the largest profit margin. This strategy is
specifically useful where the products have little to no differentiation, and which are accepted by
the general consumers. At times, companies may discount their products in order to maximize
sales (Mind Tools, 2009).
Differentiation
Businesses that apply this strategy do so to differentiate a small segment of the
target market. This forms a special customer needs segment. Here, there is an opportunity to
provide services or products that are significantly different from other competitors in the market
that may be targeting a wider group of consumers. This means that these products may have new
features, durability, functionality, and support that customers value so much but are not present
in other products. For this strategy to be a success, however, a business needs: to conduct
HR MANAGEMENT
3
extensive research and focus on product innovation; to have the ability to offer products and
services of high quality, and effective sales and marketing techniques so that the consumers can
understand the benefits of the differentiated products (Mind Tools, 2009).
Niche/Focus
Companies or businesses that use the niche/focus strategy emphasized a particular
market. They make sure to understand the dynamics of that market and come up with wellspecified or relatively low-cost products. They tend to build a strong customer relationship,
hence, brand loyalty. This strategy should not be confused with the differentiation strategy. In
the focus strategy, the firm or the business narrows down on a particular market segment. The
“focuser” aims at serving that selected group to the exclusion of the rest. It is divided into two
categories: cost focus and differentiation focus strategies. In the former, a company uses a cost
advantage in its specified segment. In the latter, it uses differentiation as its main strategy in
selling to the customers in its segment (Mind Tools, 2009).
The most appropriate strategy for this company
Since this is a retail company, there is little it can do to differentiate the products
being sold. Similarly, the cost of production is incurred with the respective manufacturing
companies, and so it would be difficult for the company to make major changes in the cost. The
best route to be followed for this retailer is the niche strategy. It could decide to sell specific
products that are not common in that area or those that are high-end. The latter means that it will
take advantage of the cost-focus strategy and concentrate on consumers with high incomes.
This strategy will affect how the Human Resource does its job since it calls for
the communication of new objectives and goals. HR managers will also need to research the
demographics of their customers to find out what it needs to add or change to fit in their new
HR MANAGEMENT
4
strategy. They will also need to facilitate training to the employees so that they work as per the
new changes.
The Four Approaches to Job Design/Redesign
The four most common approaches to job design are
Job rotation
Job rotation is the act of moving employees from one task or job to another to break the
monotony of work or boredom. They are, therefore, able to do another job within the same
organization that needs the same levels of requirements. It incorporates diversity into an
employee’s work and hence boosts their participation and job involvement. This is mostly
beneficial to employees who have a wider range of skills. Consequently, the management will
have an easier time allocating jobs and scheduling work or make it easier to fill vacancies. A
good example is giving a cashier the task of customer service (Management Study HQ, 2018).
Job engineering
Job engineering focuses on the performance standards, strategies used at the workplace,
relationships between people and machines, and tasks to be performed. It takes a more scientific
approach since it involves the measurement of job design based on factors such as time and
motion. These help to determine the time needed to complete each job and the movements
required to do them efficiently. Specialization of labor is an aspect of job engineering. They are
used to have short work cycles to automate performance and use as little mental effort as
possible. They also minimize the need for supervision. In this case, the necessary facilities, tools,
and information needed to complete a task are always readily available and can be used
comfortably with the employees. Job engineering can be seen in jobs such as offloading the
HR MANAGEMENT
5
distribution tracks and sorting and arranging them on the shelves. A person’s speed and accuracy
are what makes them efficient and effective in their work (Management Study HQ, 2018).
Job enlargement
Job enlargement stirs mixed feelings among people. On the one hand, it is seen as overworking
employees, while, on the other hand, it is viewed as a way of increasing efficiency. Either way,
job enlargement offers motivation to employees by providing them with meaningful work
modules. In this case, a single worker can complete an entire unit of work (or a major portion of
it), which increases their levels of satisfaction and consequently appreciates their contribution to
the particular project. Job enlargement also serves as a means of including diversity at the
workplace, hence minimizing boredom. At the retail stores, the employees tasked to arrange the
shelves may also be the same ones cleaning the floors (Management Study HQ, 2018).
Job enrichment
Job enrichment is the process of making a job more exciting or creating a motivating atmosphere
for employees. A job can be said to be enriched if it is challenging enough and requires
creativity. It also involves giving an employee the power to make most decisions, something that
boosts their confidence and overall effectiveness. An example of job enrichment that can be
applied to this retail company is including awards for the employee of the year at the end of
every year (Management Study HQ, 2018).
Why an effective job design is necessary
It is important to integrate effective job design applications since they are linked
to factors such as organization designs, leadership, working conditions, performance appraisal
methods, customer needs, and reward systems. Generally, a good job design will improve the
quality of the work.
HR MANAGEMENT
6
Employee Selection
One of the challenges job recruiters face during employee selection processes is
the need to make a speedy hire. This can happen, especially if there is a sudden loss of a person
in a particular job position that needs to be filled as soon as possible. To combat this challenge,
HR managers always need to have their recruitment tools ready and up-to-date. The other
problem is finding the right candidate for a vacant or new position. There may be several
candidates, all with strong backgrounds and skills necessary for the job position. More and more
people are beginning to realize the competition in the job market and so will do their best to
prove themselves worthy. In this case, recruiters should strive to look for employees who do
meet not only the requirement but also show signs of being able to handle more than what is
required of them. They should look for talent.
3 Ideas for the Candidate Selection Process
Human resource forms the most important aspect of an organization. The success
of a business is dependent on the people working in it. This, therefore, makes the process of
employee selection a crucial one. Some of the ideas to consider when recruiting employees
include the following:
i. Have a good understanding of the job.
The recruiters need to start by understanding what traits are considered to contribute to the
success of a business. This means that they will know what they are looking for in potential
employees. This understanding can be gained through internal job analysis, or by teaming up
with experts who specialize in coming up with employee selection systems.
HR MANAGEMENT
7
ii. Build a process and use it consistently
In every work, there is a certain trait that needs to be portrayed so that an individual can be
considered to be up to the task. For this reason, the recruiters need to develop the best way to
determine the most crucial traits. This can be arrived at by conducting multiple means of
measurements.
iii. Training the HR staff
Those involved in the selection process need to be trained. Since a majority of employee
selection processes involve interviews, the interviewers need to be trained to ensure the
effectiveness and consistency of the techniques used.
The selection process presents several challenges to the recruiters. One of them is
focusing on one’s credentials (papers) rather than digging into what they can offer based on their
talents and abilities. For this reason, job recruiters need to construct questions that prompt the
candidates to say what they love to do most concerning the job position. It is also possible to be
biased during selection. This can be avoided by using validated assessments and standardizing
the interviews (Tafero, 2012).
HR MANAGEMENT
8
References
Management Study HQ. (2018, December 24). Four Approaches to Job Design | Management
Study HQ. Management Study HQ.
Mind Tools. (2009). Porter’s Generic StrategiesChoosing Your Route to Success.
Mindtools.Com. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_82.htm
Tafero, T. (2012). 5 Tips for Designing an Effective Employee Selection System. Psionline.Com.
https://blog.psionline.com/talent/bid/147051/5-Tips-for-Designing-an-EffectiveEmployee-Selection-System
Virtual HR. (2015, July 9). Top five recruiting challenges HR professionals face and how to
overcome them – Virtual HR. Virtual HR. https://www.virtualhr.co.ke/top-fiverecruiting-challenges-hr-professionals-face-and-how-to-overcome-them/
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