HR managers provide strategically agile solutions to organizations. However, as Darien (2017) notes, for organizations operating in highly competitive environments, generating the right candidates who adequately meet its short-, mid-, and long-term human capital needs is complex. The case study presents a hypothetical scenario where, as an HR professional in a top organization, I am to undertake a recruitment and hiring process of attorney candidates. The failure to successfully hire the first group of 12 candidates has necessitated a professional recruitment firm's involvement. Yet, I am left with three options. They include recommending to the hiring manager that she reconsider the 12 candidates you selected, asking her to allow you to re-announce, possibly with some changes to the position vacancy announcement, going to the outside (expensive) recruiting firm despite your budget constraints. The following plan will identify, discuss, and evaluate the most plausible solution.
In this case scenario, the personal assessment would rely on the SHRM behavioral competency model to determine the most feasible solution for the organization. Ideally, the rejection of the selected pool of 12 candidates by the organization's management necessitates a critical review of each of the three options. To do so, Steve Darrien’s nine core principles of the SHRM behavioral competency model will guide the assessment of each option. With each of the three options, the organization is bound to face particular challenges. Reconsideration of the 12 candidates may generate conflicts due to lack of consensus among the top executives of the organization. As mentioned by Reed (2017), HR managers must ensure that all decisions made do not dismantle the internal cohesion of the organization. While it may be utterly impossible for all decisions, especially regarding human capital recruitment to receive unanimous approval from all directors, HR Business managers must ensure that resumes of selected candidates contain qualifications aligned to the vision and mission of the organization. This leads to majority approval by its executive decision-makers.
The best option would be to reconsider the pool of 12 candidates initially selected and the generation of two distinct lists of six candidates each. Their resumes must closely correlate with values, vision, and mission of the organization. More importantly, these selected candidates must show a strong commitment to the organization's goals and the expansive field of scientific research. This would significantly ameliorate the probability of approval of these candidates. The non-profit sector is highly demanding, and due to the nature of the organization's work, it is pertinent to ensure the selection process of the six candidate follows due diligence by involving all the relevant stakeholders. Part of the reasons why earlier candidates were rejected was that some of the stakeholders, especially in top management, felt left out of the recruitment process. With the proposed criteria, it will be easier for the HR director in conjunction with other top management executives to identify the most suitable candidate for the organization.
The second option presents a more complex scenario. The main challenge of this option is that it will greatly derail operations of the organization. Renouncing the list and creating a fresh list with adjusted job descriptions is time-consuming. As such, this route should only be taken as an alternative if the HR director declines the first option. The conclusion stems from the understanding that, while it may cost the organization time, it will eliminate the risk of internal conflicts posed by the first option.
According to HR recruitment principles, finding appropriate candidates features collaborative consultations among all the organization departments. The resumes of the selected potential candidates must meet the expectations of all the decision-makers because, as Tran and AbouAssi (2020) point out, non-profits are heterogeneous entities. A disconnect in the earlier recruitment process may have created further issues for the organization. A holistic process involving consultative engagement with all relevant parties ensures their collective views, expectations and standards for potential candidates manifest in the selected pool of candidates (Reed, 2017). In this case, the above chosen approach would apply the principles of talent management outlined in the SHRM competency model where all parties privy to the selection process have a say.
For the third option, the biggest concern would be the financial implications of outsourcing the process of hiring the appropriate candidate. While it may yield the best candidate for the position and significantly reduce the time taken to complete the process of recruitment, it has huge financial implications. The board of directors may consider increasing financial allocations to the process, given the eventual benefits of finding a suitable candidate for the organization. At this point, it is important to note that this option contravenes a core SHRM behavioral competency - using a cost-effective recruitment process (SHRM BoCK Advisory Panel, 2017). In totality, the option is not viable given the current financial constraints of the organization.
Several factors influenced the above solution. Key among them was the strategic agility of each of the proposed recommendations. All the selected candidates were not only highly competent individuals but also their career goals aligned with the vision and mission of the organization. The ethical principles applied in the recruitment and selections process relied on utilitarian ethics model. When choosing the candidates, the team should determine the scale of value and benefit they bring to the organization. These principles would help to eliminate the element of bias by integrating objectivity in the process
.
An HR practitioner is obligated to ensure that the interests of the organization alongside its goals and objectives are adequately incorporated in the hiring and recruitment process. To this end, creating consultative frameworks with all the existing stakeholders is critical to the process. Successful implementation of the proposed solution hinges on the professional’s ability to convince the HR director that a reconsideration of the initial pool of 12 applicants provides the greatest benefits to the organization. However, this does not mean that the preferred solution should not highlight the benefits and actionable strategies to apply the other two solutions. They also offer distinct benefits to the organization.
In solving this challenge, the SHRM behavioral competency model framework informed the proposition made herein. The business acumen competency, however, largely influenced the position to recommend the initial 12 applicants strongly. Such a move would help to avert any potential internal friction, reduce the time taken to find a suitable candidate for the general counsel position and, most importantly, save the organization the financial burden of using outside recruitment agencies generate an appropriate replacement. In conclusion, therefore, the preferred solution’s primary goal is to generate a candidate who promises the greatest value to the organization in tandem with its goals, vision and mission.