HR e-portfolio Deliverable #1 PDF

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Case study "This Makes Scents"...

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HR e-portfolio Assignment– “This Makes Scents” Deliverable Report #1 Olivia Cina 501025990 CMHR 523 DE0 Anne Hardacre June 13, 2020

2 Part 1: 1. What issues, in order of priority, should Jessie and Ashton address? The first incident that Jessie and Ashton should address is the employee who cut herself while cleaning up a broken cologne bottle. They need to write an accident report, see how much time off is needed, and provide any other accommodations relating to the injury. Then they must address all employees about the new hours from 9am to 6pm in a staff meeting. It is important that all staff members understand the reason for this change and that shifts may alter. However, Jessie and Ashton should also understand that their current employees may not be able to work that long, thus there may be a need for additional, new employees to get all shifts covered. The team should work together to come up with a new schedule, outlining weekly shifts. If there happens to be an ill employee or one needs time off, that should also be discussed and put into the schedule. After Jessie and Ashton discuss new hours in the staff meeting, they should make sure all employees agree with the rules and expectations. Once this is accomplished, they should create an employee handbook reiterating the guidelines discussed, including clarification of overtime pay, safety, statutory holidays, distribution of overtime and extra shifts, vacation pay, and banking hours. Post meeting, Jessie and Ashton should take the opportunity to meet with any employees that would like to speak in private about remaining issues they may have. 2. In addition to the problems identified by employees, what other actions should Jessie and Ashton take? Why? Jessie and Ashton should begin the hiring search and process for new employees to join the That Makes Scents team. Since their current employees may not be able to work everyday of operations or the entire 9am-6pm shift, new candidates will be needed to fill in the empty time slots in the weekly schedule. Having new employees on the team will relieve stress on both the employers and employees because it will provide the business with enough staff to be able to accommodate for sick days, vacations, and overtime. Aside from hiring new individuals, Jessie and Ashton should also consider renting out a storage unit where they can stock more inventory. Since sales have increased greatly, and they rarely have items on the shelf for long periods of time, a storage unit will help solve this problem. Jessie and Ashton should order their products in bulk and keep the remaining inventory in the storage unit for easy access, reduced costs spent on shipping, dealing with back orders, and thus having unsatisfied customers. 3. What can be done to change the culture within the company? A company's culture is an integral part of its operations. It impacts nearly every part of a company. An engaged workforce is built on the backbone of recruiting top talent and improving employee satisfaction. When searching for ways to change the culture in Jessie and Ashton’s company, I looked to the article How to Build a Positive Company Culture in Forbes magazine. The article emphasizes employee

3 wellness. Employees need to feel their best – physically, mentally, and emotionally – to contribute to a positive culture. Jessie and Ashton should ensure that employees have the resources, tools, and on-site healthcare opportunities they need to live their healthiest life – inside and outside of the office. Next, the article says to “Grow off your current culture.” Ask employees what they do and do not like about their current culture and work environment and incorporate the suggestions. According to research gathered by CultureIQ, 86% of employees at companies with strong cultures feel their senior leadership listens to employees, as compared to 70% of employees at companies without strong culture (Forbes, 2018). The pair should listen to their employees, and make sure they feel their voices are heard and valued. Another way that Jessie and Ashton can improve the culture is by creating goals. As a team, they should set goals and objectives that everyone can work towards. The initiative will bring employees together and give them something else to strive for, besides earning a paycheck. Ultimately, they should encourage positivity. During difficult times, employers should remain optimistic and express gratitude by smiling frequently and expressing gratitude to their employees. Employees who see their employers embracing positive behavior are much more likely to adopt it as well. 4. Why are all the employees going to Jessie with their problems? How can a more equitable partnership and sharing of responsibilities be established? Seeing that Jessie feels Ashton does not dedicate enough time to the company, she took over the role of "acting manager" and all employees instinctively visit her with any complaints. Despite Ashton's indifference toward employee time-off requests, employees seek Jessie's assistance because he does not know what employees are entitled to. In the case study, the four complaints described in the body of the report did not appear to be directed at Jessie specifically, but to resolve the issue, the employees approached her directly. Jessie seems to be under a great deal of stress regarding the lack of assistance from her partner, and thus the problems reported to her simply add to her stress, leaving her to become overwhelmed rather than attempting to solve the issues. To fix this situation, a more equitable partnership and sharing of responsibilities need to be established. Rhett Power, CEO of Power Coaching and Consulting, outlines two main ways to build a successful partnership; the first being to set clear expectations. You should have a strong connection with your partner, but hammering out the details of that partnership has to be more technical than emotional. Define the business structure, what the partnership should accomplish for each company, and what constitutes each partner's domain. This will eliminate confusion for both company leaders, employees, and customers. Next is to make honesty and transparency your watchwords. This means maintaining open and frequent communication as well as personal interaction as often as possible. Make your strengths and shortcomings known upfront and insist on the same level of honesty from your partner. You also must remain transparent for both sides to

4 capitalize on every opportunity and learn from every failure. Honesty is the best policy when building any relationship; you will get more out of your business partnership if you make it a priority. (Rhett, 2021). 5. What can Jessie and Ashton do to enhance the communication between the two of them? It is imperative that Jessie and Ashton increase their communication to grow their business, work effectively together, and maintain their friendship. After reading a journal article by Chris Reich, I discovered a few ways that can help improve communication. He first discusses the need to “keep things in proportion.” In Jessie and Ashton’s case, they must attempt to understand which issues are truly important and not become upset by small things. After experiencing a difficult situation, the message between partners should not be conveyed in an exaggerated manner, rather it should be recognized and brought to light so that in the future, when other problems arise, old issues are not revisited, causing a snowball effect. Reich’s next strategy is, “Do not presume what your partner thinks.” When people work together, they get to know each other’s thoughts but only to a limited extent. When we assume, we generally assume the worse which only leads to conflict. Jessie should give Ashton a chance to explain his thoughts on the situation and listen with an open mind. This will allow Ashton to feel heard and may allow Jessie to see the issues from a different perspective. Perhaps Ashton wanted to be more helpful but felt as though his opinion did not matter, or that Jessie was too bossy. The final, and in my opinion most important step to improving communication is recognizing that, “It is not about winning, it is about what is best for the business.” (Reich, 2020). A business partnership is not a competition, rather it is an agreement that both parties discussed and acted on, to build a successful company in a professional environment. Although Jessie and Ashton may have been friends for several years, when they took on the role as business partners, they also informally agreed to put aside their personality traits and behaviors and focus on the company. The two need to discuss that they are not against each other and acting in such a way only hurts their franchise. They should meet weekly to discuss problems and possible solutions. By working as a team and understanding each other in a respectful way, Jessie and Ashton will see improvements in not only their relationship but also in their business. 6. What can Jessie and Ashton do to enhance communication to employees? It goes without saying that communication between managers and employees is one of the most important factors of any successful business. Clear and open communication ensures everyone is on the same page about objectives, direction, and expectations. But if there is a blockage there, the organization is likely going to run into some problems, just as Jessie and Ashton have experienced. Some ways to enhance communication with employees include:

5 Gather weekly: Regularly meeting as a team is an effective way to foster a friendly environment in which team members feel comfortable communicating with one another. It is particularly important for managers and employees to hold weekly team meetings so that employees can openly discuss their projects, challenges, and questions as part of a larger discussion. Managers, keep employees in the loop: Since good communication relies upon everybody being in the loop, one of the best things Jessie and Ashton can do is communicate what is happening at the company with their employees. This may sound obvious, but as it turns outs, a lot of employees feel like they are disconnected from decisions made by management. A study done by Mushroom Management shows that up to 25% of employees who quit their jobs did so because they felt like they were kept in the dark. Therefore, Jessie and Ashton need to make their employees aware of their company's progress in realtime, by receiving and giving feedback. More than 90% of employees surveyed said they would rather hear bad news than no news (Moseley, 2021). Take advantage of tools that improve communication: There are a few tools that are designed to improve workplace communication. Whether it is a chat app, an intranet, or something else entirely, taking advantage of the right tool can go a long way towards improving how you communicate with your manager or employees. Jessie and Ashton can use a communication tool like a news stream, for instance, which provides one additional option for communicating project objectives, expectations, voicing concerns, or giving props.

Part 2: 1. Is meeting with each employee individually the best method of job analysis? What other method(s) could be used and why? Meeting with each employee individually is not always the best method of job analysis. There are several methods of collecting job analysis information yet choosing one or a combination of more than one method depends upon the needs and requirements of an organization and the objectives of the job analysis process. Typically, all the methods focus on collecting the basic job-related information but when used in combination may bring out the hidden or overlooked information and prove to be great tools for creating a perfect job-candidate fit. An article by A. Pethari outlines some other methods of job analysis and explains why they are useful:

Observation Method: Here, the job analyst observes the work and employee while they are involved with the task at hand. The analyst records his or her observations in the following manners: what the work accomplishes, what equipment is used, what the work environment is

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like, and any other relevant factor to the job. An experienced and expert analyst combines interviewing and on-the-job observation to provide a more accurate analysis than is usually secured using either one of the methods. (Pethari, 2019) Questionnaire or Survey Method: In this method, a questionnaire is prepared to get the job information and it is circulated among all jobholders. The job analyst administers a structured questionnaire to employees who then identify the tasks they perform in accomplishing the job. After completion, the questionnaire is handed over to supervisors. The supervisor is supposed to discuss any errors in the employee’s response with him make corrections and then a questionnaire is given to the job analyst. The structured questionnaire must cover all job-related aspects such as tasks and behaviours. This method is less time-consuming and economical to use but framing the questionnaires is not an easy task (Pethari, 2019). Conference of Experts: This method utilizes senior job holders and supervisors with extensive knowledge of the job. The interaction with the members during the interview adds insight and details that the analyst might not get from individual jobholders (Pethari, 2019). 2. Should written job descriptions be developed for each employee’s position? Why or why not? I believe every employee position should have a written job description. Job descriptions assist in making sure your staff duties align with your company’s vision. They allow you to make informed hiring decisions by developing recruiting strategies that clearly outline to applicants their roles and responsibilities. Every position in a business plays a different role, therefore using the same job description for every candidate would be useless. Training and development for the area are determined by reviewing individual job descriptions. Clarified job descriptions are also beneficial in determining how compensation plans should be developed to ensure that jobs are compensated in ways that reflect their level of responsibility and qualification. Finally, job descriptions may also be used to improve performance when used to communicate expectations. It is important that employees are provided with a job description that explains to them how much is expected of them. For example, a manager has far more duties than a part-time worker; so, if the job description were the same for both of those positions, the part-time worker may feel overwhelmed with the requirements and expect higher pay, or vice versa, the manager candidate may feel as though they are not required to perform high experienced tasks and would apply not knowing the actual job expectations if hired. Hence, it is crucial that a company develops descriptions specifically for every employee position.

7 3. If an inventory specialist is needed, should Jessie and Ashton hire Ashley for this role? Why or why not? If an inventory specialist is needed, I do not think Jessie and Ashton should hire Ashley for this role, at least without also interviewing other candidates. Ashley might be great for the job, but she might also be underqualified, which will defeat the purpose of hiring her as the inventory specialist. Since she is Ashton’s cousin, he may show favouritism for her compared to the other employees, causing future conflict. Therefore, Jessie and Ashton should first check and observe the current employees to see who might be suitable for inventory. To be successful, both managers need to take into consideration what skills and abilities are needed to effectively do the work. If none of their employees meet this criterion, Jessie and Ashton should then begin the hiring process for new candidates.

4. If external recruitment is used, where should Jessie and Ashton advertise this opportunity?

Jessie and Ashton should advertise this opportunity on a job recruitment site like Indeed. This will allow a variety of individuals to have access to the listing and after reading the job qualifications listed on the advertisement, can decide to apply if qualified. Another place where Jessie and Ashton could advertise, is on social media. Apps like Instagram give the option to sponsor a post for a certain period at a very low cost. One can select the target audience’s age, interests, and experiences, and the app’s technology strategically places the advertisement in the feed of those individuals. Using the internet to advertise would be wise of Jessie and Ashton since they may need extra employees as soon as possible and in today’s day and age, people are on their mobile devices almost everyday. It is also a great way to spread the word to those looking for a job who may have not heard about the opportunity if it was solely advertised on a sign per say. Everyone is looking for convenience in life, so walking around to stores and businesses, waiting for a job listing, is not ideal for someone to do. I believe that if Jessie and Ashton decide to post this job opportunity on the internet, they will receive many responses, in which they can later decide to interview these candidates. 5. Who should be involved in interviewing people for any new positions? Why? Glassdoor for Employees says that to build and live the ideal hiring and interview process, involve four to six people: recruiter, hiring manager, team members and your boss (Franklin, 2015). Although this would be ideal, in the This Makes Scents team, unfortunately, all these roles are not filled or created, as the only managers are Jessie and Ashton. However, the two can discuss which one of them should be the

8 designated “boss” and who should be the hiring manager. In terms of the recruiter, Jessie and Ashton can decide if it is necessary to hire a professional recruiter or if the chosen hiring manager will also take on this role. Another alternative would be to not assign specific titles and to work through the interviewing process as partners. I think Jessie and Ashton should screen candidates (either via phone or in-person) to determine if the candidate should move forward in the process. At this point, they should have general information such as candidate experience level, availability, interest level, salary expectations and interview notes. It is now their job to dig deeper and really determine if this candidate would be a good fit for the organization and your team. It would also be beneficial to involve team members in the hiring process. The teammates they include in interviews and hiring decisions should be top performers and demonstrating potential for leadership. Furthermore, Jessie and Ashton should involve team members whom they trust, who reflect the company culture, and who show real dedication to the business. They can task the team with assessing a culture fit and providing a great candidate experience. By this point in the process, they should feel optimistic about the short-list of candidates.

6. What other key recruitment and selection considerations should Jessie and Ashton address? An article by Empxtrack outlines that the right process reflects on a company’s professionalism and portrays the organization’s maturity in attracting and hiring the right talent. An effective process helps in the creation of a talent pool in a proactive manner, thus assisting in meeting the medium-term and longterm business objectives (Bhatia, 2013). To start, Jessie and Ashton should simplify the application process. The goal is to make the candidate excited about the job and convinced of its merits since many candidates are put off by the complexity of applying. Applicants should be able to register using any device, including their mobile phones, to ensure a seamless experience, and they should be able to submit their resumes to multiple positions through a single registration. They can manage their candidates effectively by assigning interviews to short-listed candidates and automated reminders. In addition, Jessie and Ashton should manage previously submitted resumes. Oftent...