The employee selection and retention process are considered one of the most critical aspects of creating an effective working environment in an organization as a whole. In a competitive environment, enterprises with the most qualified, trained, and motivated personnel always win, as they do not skimp on energy and resources for building a high-performance team. This paper aims to develop a talent acquisition and employee retention plan for the customer service team of Large Technology Corporation. The plan introduces effective recruitment strategies, describes a selection process of the best candidates for the positions of customer service representatives at the company, and tactics for employee retention and motivation.
An efficient recruitment strategy involves determining the key tangible and intangible competencies the company is seeking in an employee and choosing the best recruitment sources for posting the job offer. The recruitment sources may be electronic or traditional, which might be as well combined (Arthur, 2015). For the Large Technology Corporation, it is advisable to post the job position on the corporate website in a job opportunity section to guarantee they offer security to the candidates. This method should be combined with posting on secure Internet job boards to increase audience coverage. Moreover, the recruitment strategy should comply with the fundamental employment laws for both the organization and the potential candidates’ legal safety. Thus, under the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) law, an employer must not discriminate against candidates based on gender, race, religion, age, marital status, physical or mental disabilities. That is why the job description must strictly adhere to the law and not give preferences to the aspects mentioned above – it would alienate the candidates interested in the position, as well as bring unpleasant consequences to the company’s reputation.
Pre-screening of the potential candidates is important to conduct before interviews to determine which of them do not meet the company’s fundamental requirements (Guinn, 2013). For LTC, they are the Associate’s degree, customer service, or sales experience for no less than one year, communication and computer skills, as well as flexibility, multitasking, time management, and teamwork. After deciding on the candidates based on their resumes, it is necessary to consult the current employees for a professional opinion on the candidates’ qualifications and research their social media to get acquainted beforehand. A group interview is then scheduled with five candidates to compare the potential employees and determine which of them will further proceed to individual interviews for more in-depth conversations. The crucial interview topics will touch upon the real stories and job experiences.
The following questions should be asked: What did you do at your last job? What are the examples of you showing your strengths and weaknesses? Why are you a perfect candidate for this job? Where do you see yourself in your career in five years? How can you contribute to the company’s growth? Asking the first question allows the interviewer to grasp the working experience of the candidate and make sure they worked in this specific field and possess the crucial skills for this job. The second question lets the candidate express themselves fully and shows the interviewer how honest they are. The third question also shows the potential candidate in the light of self-reflection and allows them to express their character. Questions number four and five are closely interconnected in a way they make sure the candidate’s career plans are aligned with the company’s development plans and perspectives.
After conducting interviews, the problem of selecting only the best candidates arises. To make a weighted decision, the statistical method should be applied as a selection strategy of LTC. This method is objective and involves scoring each candidate on specific skills and knowledge without any bias or personal perception or attitude of interviewers. The hiring team then analyzes the scores given to candidates along with the job test results and makes an objective decision based primarily on the scoring evidence. This selection strategy excludes any cases of stigmatization or discrimination on gender, age, race, orientation, or any other individual factors. Thus, the selection process must be legally safe and adhere to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibiting discrimination, as well as the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act against war veterans discrimination (Muller, 2012). These acts were created so that prejudice never stood in the way of selecting an employment candidate.
However, after recruiting new employees, it is important to maintain their interest in staying in the company and motivating the work commitment in the already existing professionals. The retention plan is created based on the surveys of employee satisfaction and exit interviews (Dias, 2011). The survey results show relatively low recognition of the workers’ achievements, training opportunities, career advancement prospects, and determination to work for the company further. Along with the former employees, they admit to immense work overload that demotivated them. This data reflects the Herzberg two-factor theory, which implies that the turnover will be high as long as growth, achievement, and recognition are as attainable as good salary and working conditions. Thus, the retention strategies must include giving the employees opportunities for professional growth, training, and self-fulfillment. The new employees must get enough training experience to maintain interest and gain skills and knowledge, while the current employees need a clear perspective of professional advancement. This way, a productive, positive environment will be created in the workplace, motivating the employees to advance and commit to the company in the long run.
To conclude, the presented talent acquisition and employee retention plan for Large Technology Corporation includes resources and selection strategies for the effective and legally safe recruitment of six new customer service representatives. The selection process must involve pre-screening the candidates, the group and personal interviews, qualification tests, and the statistical selection method based on individual, objective scoring. Moreover, the employees must be further motivated to stay with the company and contribute to its advancement with the help of such retention strategies as professional growth, sufficient training of the new workers, and recognition of their hard work. The success of the presented plan will be measured by these criteria.
Reference List
Arthur, D. (2015) Fundamentals of Human Resources Management: A Practical Guide for Today’s HR Professional. New York: AMA Self-Study.
Dias, L. P. (2011) Human Resource Management. Version 1.0. Boston: Flat World.
Guinn, S.L. (2013) ‘Predicting Successful People’, Strategic HR Review, 12(1), pp. 26-31.
Muller, M. (2012) The Legal Side of HR Practice. New York: AMA Self-Study.