Tanglewood Case

Tanglewood is currently in need of a new manager for their flagship store in Spokane. 20 individuals were contacted as potential candidates, with internal candidates contacted via referrals by regional managers and external candidates that were based on nominations from corporate offices. A total of 10 candidates have taken up the application. The company is in possession of their resumes, retail knowledge tests, standardized test scores from the Marshfield Applicant Exam, biographical data, and two personality dimensions tests. This information will be used in determining the company’s choice for the position.

The importance of the position is relevant in the decision making of the company. The Spokane branch of Tanglewood is the largest store in the entire chain, with almost double the floor space of other stores. The store appearance is also different from the other branches, as the store is only a few blocks away from the original Tanglewood store. It is one of the most elaborately designed stores, with numerous features such as an open kitchen restaurant, an outdoor area with a rock climbing wall and a live kayak simulator, and quarterly demonstrations of the latest clothing options. The Spokane branch, with these features, has shown to be a very profitable venture in the recent years.

Another major reason for the importance of the managerial position is that the store is used as a primary testing ground for new products. Since the store is located at the outer edge of Spokane, majority of their customers are from suburban areas. However, the store’s size and features entice urban and rural customers as well. This allows the Spokane branch to be the ideal location for new product testing, mainly because of the representation of their customers can be found here. This also means that the managerial load at the store is closely related to corporate marketing, which requires an experienced manager who understands the process of marketing and promotions.

SELECTION PLAN
In choosing the right applicant for the position, a KSAO analysis will be done in order to determine the applicant who has the best fit for the organization and the position. The position at Spokane requires a manager who has already had previous retail experience considering the uniqueness of the Spokane store. It has more features compared to the other branches, thus requires a manager who is capable of managing different business types at once. We also want to find a manager who is able to communicate effectively, considering that the Spokane branch caters to a very diverse customer base consisting of clients coming from urban, suburban, and rural areas.

Five main aspects of the application will be looked at: Biodata, the Marshfield Applicant Examination, Retail Knowledge, conscientiousness, and extraversion (Table 2). Table 1 shows the major KSAO categories we are considering and which assessment method is able to measure the ability of the applicant to fulfill that KSAO category. From the major KSAO categories, the most important for the job position are interpersonal skills, flexibility in dealing with changing job demands, and judgments, priority setting, and decision making ability. These KSAOs are seen to be vital in performing well in the job position given the diversity of both features and customer base of the Spokane branch.

Given the data above, we can see which KSAOs are affected by the scores on each assessment method used in the application. All of the data that have been gathered from the applicants will be used in determining who will be chosen for the position. Table 2 shows the total scores of each applicant when analyzed using three different multiple predictor methods, namely clinical prediction, unit weighing, and rational weighing. The clinical prediction and unit weighing schemes have produces the same results, thus only the column for unit weighing is shown.

The results for unit weighing were generated by averaging the scores of each applicant in each assessment method. Following the results from unit weighing, the company would choose to hire the top three applicants: Candidate 10, 8 and 3 with scores of 76, 73, and 70 respectively. The results for rational weighing on the other hand were generated by attaching a weight to each assessment method and getting the summation of the scores. The weights are as follows: Biodata – 30%, Applicant Exam – 10%, Retail Knowledge – 30%, Conscientiousness – 15%, Extraversion – 15%. The reason for the larger weights on biodata and retail knowledge is that the job position requires an experienced manager. A lower weight was given to the application exam, as the KSAOs it measures are less important for a managerial position. Following the results of the rational weighing, the company would choose to hire the top three applicants: Candidate 10, 8 and 3 with scores of 76, 69, and 67.5 respectively.

If we chose to process the applicants through a multiple hurdle selection procedure that uses test scores as a first stage to find the five strongest candidates, and then uses interviews and resumes to select the top three finalists, the five best candidates would be Candidate 8, 5, 2, 3, and 9. It is interesting to note that the highest scorer in both the unit and rational weighing methods, Candidate 10, is not present in the top five highest exam scorers. Candidate 10 also has the highest scores in the conscientiousness and extraversion, showing much potential in work performance and work relations. Given the results, we believe that the rational weighing scheme provides the most comprehensive method of screening application scores as the proper weights can be assigned depending on the job description.

Based on the reading of the data, the best possible candidate for Tanglewood at the Spokane branch is Candidate 10. Though his score in the applicant exam and retail information are both below average, his Biodata is substantially higher compared to the other applicants. He also garnered the highest scores for conscientiousness and extraversion, which may mean high leadership and interpersonal skills. The final panel which is to interview the applicants should comprise of the regional manager of Tanglewood, the HR director of Tanglewood, and the branch manager at Spokane. This should provide a well-rounded mix of individuals in order to decide on the best applicant for the position.

Given the results, we recommend that future Tanglewood stores adopt the same predictor method in determining job position applications. Using the
rational weighing scheme allows the company to adjust the weights of each assessment method accordingly based on the demanded KSAOs of the job position. Managers should put larger weights on assessment methods which are vital in the performance of the new employee in order to ensure the best job fit.

Recommendation of guidelines
1.Please discuss an important written document you were required to complete.
2.Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).
3.Give me an example pf a time when you had to make a split second decision.
4.Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.
5.Describe a time when you anticipation problems and developed preventive measures.
6.Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision.
7.Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in resolving it?
8.Tell me what you know about our company.
9.Describe the characteristics of a successful manager.
10.By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments.

1.The applicant should give a short summary of the beginning, middle and end of the document along with a description of the style of writing.
2.The applicant should provide a short summary about how he or she used their communication skills to resolve a difficult situation where personal feelings are involved.
3.The applicant should describe the decision that was made as well as the consequences that would befall the organization if the decision had not been made in a timely manner.
4.The applicant should explain how he or she, used their verbal communication skills to motivate others as well as what the situation involved and who was the audience that was being motivated.
5.The applicant should describe the potential problem and the steps that were taken to prevent the issue from occurring.
6.The applicant should describe the decision that was made, what made it unpopular and how the person or persons involved were affected.
7.The applicant should describe the major problem and the outcome of the situation.
8.The applicant will disclose all information that is known about the company.
9.The applicant should explain all of the key elements that make a successful manager and how that relates to the applicant.
10.The applicant should explain how they can adapt to different situations while providing information about situations in which he or she had to deal with change.