Questions for Critical thinking

• Why do you employers put so much emphasis on the interview as a selection device?

An in-depth interview provides a human element to the interview process. It is a flexible method in that it uses a guide of questions as a framework, whilst allowing the applicant to have a free flow of conversation (Robbinson, 2002). As such, it provides an opportunity for the applicant to talk in-depth about a topic. Although the order of items in the question guide will not change across applicants, the different responses of each participant will necessitate different promptings for additional details. This type of interview provides the employer with insight into the experiences of applicants from the applicant’s point of view, such as inquiring into the applicant’s perceptions of work-life conflicts and their experience with critical incidents in the workplace (Kets de Vries, 1984). The interview is a one-to-one process, usually, and allows the employer to gauge the applicant’s interpretation of the relationships they see between events, people and social values. The interviewer asks neutral questions and listens actively, does not approve or disapprove of answers, and does not encourage the applicant to provide particular answers, instead facilitating the applicant to follow up on previous answers. Unlike graphic rating scales or other self-recording questionnaire or scales, the interview lets the employer get more of an interpersonal assessment of the applicant. This would give much more insight into the applicant’s requirements for training and development programs than the use of psychometric instruments alone.

• How can two successful companies have such different approaches to employment security? How can they both work? What implications can you derive from the success of these different practices?
  Employment security with a company that lets go of the lowest 10% of employees comes from other employees knowing that the colleagues they are working with are giving as much effort as they are. GE is able to continually take in people who are passionate and creative and so actively bring in “new blood” to their company. Their employment is synonymous with growth and employees can be assured of enhancing their skills and competencies, taking on new knowledge and abilities and bring continuously challenged within the workplace. Lincoln Electric Co would also provide challenges to its employees as they would be expected to move around the company to ensure that there was no need to lay them off after three years. Guaranteed employment after a set time working with a company provides a reason for continuous development and innovation (Dreze, 2004). The method also provides an internal incentive of employees to be productive as their employment is guaranteed. The provision of ongoing employment provides an important opportunity for an attractive employment security in that efforts are made to maintain current levels of employment or to provide support for outplacement or other such activities. The success of the different practices reiterates the importance of diversity across industry employment securities, and highlights the critical need for attractive employment opportunities to lessen the chance for social crises such as long-term unemployment. Some employees are attracted to jobs that are highly competitive, whilst others, especially parents, are attracted to employment security schemes that ensure ongoing employment.

Ethical Dilemma
To help clarify your ethical views on this issue, consider the following three situations:

In Sean’s case his rewording of his title would not be acceptable as it was not part of his job to critically reflect on the information he was assessing. The term analyst is more descriptive of a job role that would require him to go beyond accepting, recording and filing documents. It could be argued that the new title encompasses complex tasks that his job role as a clerk does not entail; for example, having the heavy responsibility of reviewing and giving his opinion about the creditworthiness of debt issuers. It does not accurately describe what he does, whereas clerk does (Verderber & Verderber, 2004). As such, analyst is an over-inflation of his title and misrepresents what he is capable of doing. He does not have an MBA or similar degree nor does he have the experience of an analyst in the financial industry. Unless he has skills in financial analysis he should promote his ability to pay attention to details, work systematically and methodically with a high degree of accuracy, and his communication skills with a diversity of people across ages, gender, physical abilities and cultures.

Emily

Yes. As it is not stated in the brief that she used her knowledge and competencies in a work capacity whilst traveling she would be misrepresenting her time overseas. However, she could promote her time overseas as enhancing her job role in that it has exposed her to international human resource practices and gave her the opportunity to see her job role from another perspective. She could also highlight that the travel experience gave her time to critically reflect on an assortment of service and product factors from a customer’s point of view which has given her more insight into her job role, such as how to manage diversity in an organization or what topics to cover in a diversity training course. It is important that she present herself carefully so as not to imply that she is an unstable employee; her employment gap occurred over 8 years ago after all, surely her work history since then will be adequate to secure her a job. If her travels had happened more recently than she would have more reason to be concerned about the gap, as it is it happened a long time ago.

Michael

No. He should apply at a university to do an undergraduate or graduate degree and will likely be given credit across many subjects considering his life experience. Nowadays a degree can be completed in ones own time and online not necessitating that he take time from his job to complete assessments and make the hours for instruction. Also, his degree could be presented to the future employers as part of his continuous professional development to ensure that he is at the cutting edge of business models and theories and management strategies and accounting principles both domestically and internationally. He could complete work sample tests and behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) to demonstrate his competencies as a senior manager. He could also highlight his previous performance evaluations at other jobs to support his argument that his life experiences, skills, knowledge and competencies are on par with a degree, and that he is open to obtaining one at this stage in his life.

References

 Dreze, J (2004) Employment as a Social Responsibility. The Hindu, November 22.

Retrieved November 20, 2007 from

http://www.hindu.com/2004/11/22/stories/2004112205071000.htm

 Kets de Vries, M. F. R. (1984) The Neurotic Organization: Diagnosing and Changing

Counterproductive Styles of Management. Boston: Jossey-Bass Press.

 Robinson, S. (2002) Organizational Behavior, 10^th Ed. New York: Prentice Hall.

Verderber, R. F. & Verderber, K. S. (2004) Communicate! London: Wadsworth

Publishing.