Bus Analytics

Mid Term

Question #1

1. What seems to be the main source of conflict between     supervisors and the HR department at Sands Corporation?  Explain.

The main source of conflict seems to be level of authority and division of power. Over the years, since the corporation was started in 1965, the HR department has taken over several of the responsibilities that the supervisors and management used to have, like that of hiring, for example. The supervisors are complaining about the hiring that HR has done. They say that the HR department uses a ranking system based off test scores and it has led to bad hiring and high turnover. On top of that, HR is slow to work with processing applicant paperwork so they end up losing quality talent. Overall, HR department has too much power over the management/supervisors.

1. Do you believe that managers should be given more autonomy to make personnel decisions such as hiring, appraising, and compensating subordinates?  If so, what are some potential drawbacks to grating them this authority?  Explain.

I do believe that managers should have a big say in who to hire. HR collects and filters through the applicants and gives the managers a list of applicants to interview. At that point, the hiring is up to the manager. Compensation and pay raises should be run by manager with his recommendation/referral, but ultimately decided by HR. Appraising should be done by managers with a set appraisal system set in place by the HR department. The managers are working with employees on a daily basis and would know them better, they are in better position to appraise, recommend raise, and hire. However, not all power can be dealt to the manager because the manager is one person that could abuse the power and end up favoring some employees to others.

1. How should Sands’ top executives deal with the complaints expressed by supervisors?  How should the director of the HR department deal with the situation?  Explain.

Top executives for the corporation should remind both departments that they are in charge. Power should be leveled between the 2 company departments. However, HR specializes in pay grade, application processing, training, and workforce diversity. So they should keep those rights. Managers should have more of a say in hiring, approving raises, and appraisals. They work with the employees and know them on a more personal level to see employees as more than just the numbers they produce.

Question #2

1.  Where did Louis Minardi go wrong?  What specific laws and guidelines discussed in this chapter (if any) did he violate?

Minardi violated the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Minardi seems to discriminated against Takia Wilson in several different instances throughout the interview and after. He discriminated against her with questions concerning her “ability to supervise men.” He also asked if Takia or “her boyfriend, would mind if she had to work the late shift.” He assumed she had a boyfriend and assumed that the man would expect his woman home by a certain time. On top of that, Minardi promised to get back to Wilson within a week or so but Wilson didn’t get a response until she reached out for it after 2 weeks of waiting. Minardi has every right to hire from within but the way in which he interviewed and dealt with Wilson’s application was unprofessional.

Minardi showed disparate treatment in selecting the other applicant over Takia Wilson. Wilson is a member of a protected group and was qualified for the job but turned down.

1. Present a short report detailing a system and set of procedures he should use from now on to avoid these problems in the future.

Minardi should first off avoid the discriminatory type interview questions. As for the application, he should emphasize that a referral from within the company is highly valued. He should make sure that any type of discrimination is avoided and covered.

1. What should he do now with respect to the EEOC charges?  What can he expect now in terms of EEOC procedures.

Minardi needs to explain that his actions throughout the interview were needed to get an understanding of whether Wilson would be a good fit for the position. He needs to emphasize that he rarely hires outside of the company’s employee referrals and family members. The EEOC will investigate Wilson’s complaint within 60 days, if Minardi is found to have discriminated, the EEOC will first try to “provide a reconcialition” between the two parties before getting the legal system involved. The EEOC will either make a decree making the discriminating party agree to take up practices that are more professional, or they will either give the plaintiff the right to sue or even help the plaintiff in suing.

In a disparate treatment case, the employer, Minardi, must produce legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for the employment decision or show a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ).

Question #3

1.   Discuss why job analysis was an essential part of the corporate change process at Bethphage.

As stated in the book, “Job analysis is the building block of everything that human resource managers do. Almost every human resource management program requires some type of information that is gleaned from job analysis: selection, performance appraisal, training and development, job evaluation, career planning, work redesign, and human resource planning.” Bethphage needed the job analysis to redesign the quickly growing company and ensure that the right jobs were being matched with the right people. Bethphage needed to do the anaylsis in order to bring more of its previous ‘governing bodies’ in house and to overall have a better understanding of the company’s own requirements at each level.

1.   How does the process described in the case illustrate the linkage between job analysis and other HR activities?

In the case the writer specifically states a couple of the benefits from the job analysis, including but not limited to: 1. The HR department has been able to use the job analysis process for developing job descriptions for new jobs. 2. Bethphage’s new compensation program enables the HR department to ensure a more equitable system of pay increases and to provide a more accurate method for developing pay structures and determining pay levels. Job analysis, like mentioned before, is a building block of everything that HR does, training, hiring, appraisal, and career planning. Having a good job analysis done helps answer otherwise vague topics in HR and organizes the structure in a way that benefits HR moving forward and getting an insight of how things should be.