One of the greatest challenges that leaders in organisations face is recruiting human resource managers. This challenge emanates from the fact that there are many requirements that human resource managers have to possess, but the traits are seldom found in one person. Robert Clerk is facing a similar challenge at Maple Leaf Shoes, and there is a need for the president to have a critical look at the available alternatives. It is apparent that the respective applicants for the position of human resource manager have distinctive strengths that Clark could use, but he needs to employ just one of the applicants.
This means that he needs to look into their discrete viability level for the company. This section of the paper will evaluate the alternatives that Clark has with respect to the four applicants. The analysis will focus on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the respective applicants. The analysis will focus on highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of employing the four applicants.
Michael Anderson
One of the strengths possessed by Anderson is his vast experience in different areas of business. His age and knowledge in human resource management can come in handy in driving Maple Leaf shoes into success. It is apparent that the company needs someone who can pick up the role and waste no time making things happen. Anderson is equipped with the relevant experience in dealing with unions and other entities that may affect the performance of the human assets in the company.
His age is also a strength for the company because he will command respect from the affiliated human resources. Anderson will give the president the confidence in delegating tasks, and his academic qualifications reveal that he can effectively deal with a diverse community in the workplace. One of the requirements of a human resource manager in the current business world is the possession of leadership qualities, and it is apparent that Anderson has previously held leadership positions.
One of the weaknesses portrayed by Anderson is his desire for autonomy. This could pose the threat of having a human resource manager who communicates his personal sentiments to the employees, rather than a manager who follows the president’s ideas. It is clear that Clark is looking for a human resource manager who will be ready to follow his ideas as a major stakeholder in the company. Anderson’s age is also a weakness in the sense that he is approaching retirement age. Choosing him over the other applicant may lead to a similar challenge for Clark in the near future. This is a threat to the company because Clark will have to find another human resource manager.
Arthur Dougherty
One of the obvious strengths held by Dougherty is his exemplary communication skills. This is one of the key requirements of a human resource manager because the role entails constant communication with the human assets and the leadership function. Dougherty provides Maple Leaf Shoes with a personality that can bring cohesiveness among the member of the company. His ability to forge interpersonal relationships with people easily is a great strength that Clark can use in the course of negotiating with the various entities that he is expecting. Dougherty could be the key to ensuring that the company gets the best terms from its partners because he can easily persuade the union and other companies to accept the company’s terms.
His hands on approach to different tasks is also a strength that can provide the company with a competent leadership. He is said to lead by example; hence, his competence level will be a reflection of the performance of the employees. One of Doughtery’s weaknesses is his desire for challenges at work, which means that he can easily get bored with the role of human resource manager and pursue other career goals. This would be a threat to the performance of the human assets because frequent changes in management may lower their motivation.
Jane Reynolds
Reynolds is portrayed as an aggressive person with the desire to attain goals as fast as possible. One of her strengths is her ability to press her subordinates to meet short-term goals. It is apparent that most people view her as a mover. Her competence is recognised, and Maple Leaf shoes could use a competent human resource manager who is committed to meeting the goals of the stakeholders.
Her professionalism could also play a big role in influencing an organisational culture that is oriented toward professionalism. She is likely to influence the rest of the employees to handle their tasks diligently. One of her weaknesses is her management style, which has been termed as alienating to some employees. This weakness could lead to an increase in the turnover rate of the company because the employees that will not fall in sync with her leadership style will be forced out. Clark is also skeptical about here ability to negotiate with the unions and other partners. It is quite possible that other managers might have the same sentiments about her, and this will place Maple Leaf Shoes in a compromised situation.
Giving Reynolds the position of human resource manager could lead to an increase in the performance of the workforce, or it could break down the company’s human resources because of her management style. Her career minded character could also pose a threat to the company because she has been offered better opportunities in other companies, which means that she may not stay long in Maple Leaf Shoes. Clark needs a human resource manager who will settle with the company.
Steven Robinson
Robinson’s main strength is his possession of vast knowledge in the application of technology in his tasks. He can provide Maple Leaf Shoes with the required expertise to adopt technology in different tasks. This can help the company in reducing financial liabilities through cost cutting in different areas. Technology would ultimately enable the company to eliminate some of the human assets, and it would also increase the production levels, and subsequently increase the profit margins for Clark’s company.
This is an opportunity that Clark should consider when making his final decision. Robinson’s diverse background may also provide the company with the required approval from the public in terms of its ability to embrace diversity. This could provide the opportunity of harnessing a larger market share. One of the weaknesses held by Robinson is that despite his skills and knowledge in different areas, his referees do not believe that he is an outstanding professional.
He lacks the spark that is required of human resource managers. Clark needs a human resource manager that has demonstrated an outstanding performance in different areas in the past. While Robinson fails to provide this requirement, he would be a strategic employee of the company in the quest to embrace employee rights. He would potentially eliminate the constant inter-employee conflicts.
Recommendations
It is apparent that the respective employees will provide unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the company. Clark should make a decision based on the immediate requirements of the company. He should also consider the long-term goals of the company while making his decision. During the interview, it was apparent that the finance, marketing, and production managers of the company were in favour of employing Anderson.
His average score was higher than the rest of the employees. This analysis of alternatives has, however, revealed that Dougherty provides a better chance for the company to secure a human resource manager who will lead the company to growth on a long-term basis. Dougherty communication skills will come in handy in providing an effective communication skill between the leadership and management functions and the human resources. His ability to develop good interpersonal relationships with people around him will come in handy in solving the immediate challenges facing the company with respect to the unions.
Clark should employ Dougherty because he is more likely to negotiate better deals for the company than the other applicants. Dougherty’s leadership style is also quite effective and motivating to the human resources; hence, the company can trust him to do whatever it takes to meet the goals of the stakeholders. His desire for challenging tasks means that he will be excited to solve the challenges facing the company’s human resource function. Dougherty’s experience in sales can effectively help the company to negotiate good deals with the human assets and other partnering entities. His stable family will also allow him to devote more time to the company, and this is one of Clark’s requirements.
