Free Custom «Dofasco Case Study» Essay Paper

Information needed to collect and how I will use in the selection strategy

Being the largest and the most successful steel producer in Canada, Dofasco Company is set to undergo a transitional process particularly in the acquisition of new employees. This is because most of its employees are going to retire and an efficient method of getting new ones has to be devised in order to ensure that the company remains competitive despite the recent challenges it has faced. Transitions into new leadership in any organization require its executing officers to be aware of a number of things that will enable me to carry out the process without creating any friction. I will obviously require information about the diversity of the workforce within the organization. This is important in understanding the nature of employees that one is going to deal with. Additionally, it is important to get information about the organizational culture so that strategies that am going to institute do not go against their culture (Hanson, 2001, p. 99).

It is also important for me to obtain information about the performance and profitability of the company for the past five to seven years. This will be of great importance to me as I strategize on the most essential activities that I have observed that it would spur growth in the organization. I will also have to know more about the manufacturing plant and those that are working and those, which are not. Special focus will be on the business environments for this organization particularly the realignments and turnarounds. I will also obtain information regarding the goals and objectives of the organization, and the mission statement so that I can be able to formulate strategies that are in line with them. This would be particularly helpful in minimizing confusion when the new strategies of acquiring new employees will be put in place.

After obtaining the information, I will develop a strategy based on the current needs of the organization. First, I will create a communication plan a feedback strategy that will ensure that everyone is aware of the new things that awaits the company. I will also use the information to create a support process that would ensure any conflict is resolved immediately in case it arises. I will then give priority to establish stable administrative and financial process by acquiring the required personnel through a competitive and efficient process. The information will also be of importance because it will enable me to create a stable business environment for the organization. This will be particularly of great importance through the provision of support infrastructures within the organization especially the architectural team. I will also focus in placing the new acquired individuals in business units that would be easier for me to manage. I will also use the information to enlist human resources skills that are of great importance to the organization (Catano, 2009, p. 487.

Strategy to address the large number of hires necessary in the next 10 years, HR planning, recruitment and selection activities

It is reasonably clear that Dofasco Company is going to have a crisis in the next ten years with regard to employee acquisition. To avert to crisis, the company has to plan the most efficient way of doing it. According my proposal, I recommend a strategy that will see the workers retiring in bits while the new ones are also acquired systematically. This strategy is of great importance to the company because it will provide an opportunity for the new employees to interact with the outgoing employees. This will be beneficial because of the fact that in the short time that they will interact, they will have the opportunity of sharing valuable information, which might be helpful as they carry out their activities within the company premises. To ensure success, employees will have to retire in turns while the rate of acquisition may have to surpass those who are retiring. This indicates that I will carry out the process of acquisition and laying off the employees in intervals and turns (Hanson, 2001, p. 114).

HR planning is a concept that has to be followed by all managers while executing their services within an organization. Process involves the identification and formulation of the strategies and objectives of an organization. The planning is possible through the analysis of internal inventory of the organization. It also entails the process of scanning the external environment that might affect the how efficient the process is carried out. The internal and external assessment of the organization enables HR managers to come up with feasible strategies and plans within the organization. Forecasts are also developed through HR planning by assessing the key internal human resources (Cummings & Worley, 2009, p. 168).

Through HR planning, one can be able to carry out an appropriate selection strategy through the generation of options that made when both the strengths and weaknesses of the organization have been taken into account. Alternative strategies are usually formulation through the selection process based on the identified organizational objectives and aspirations. This is followed by the identification of suitable candidates that would enable the organization to achieve the proposed strategies. This will be followed by recruitment as a role of HR managers. In this case, people with the required abilities are acquired into the organization in order to ensure that the goals and objectives. Individuals with such abilities are usually acquired through a competitive process and this ensures that the organization has competent staff (Hanson, 2001, p. 97).

Appropriate selection tools to assess applicants leadership potential, organizational fit and ability to acquire knowledge and skills quickly

There are some tools of selection that I will use in order for me to identify if the applicants that I am expected to acquire have the expected leadership potentials, organizational fit, and ability to learn quickly. These tools include behavior-based interviews; motivational fit inventories, computerized resume screening, and experience evaluations. By using behavior-based interview as a tool, I will be able to the general capabilities of the applicants with regard their leadership skills. In this case, I will focus on job-related behaviors by obtaining accurate data and use it in predicting possible future behaviors. By using aptitude tests, I can be able to determine whether the applicants are able to learn quickly. Behavior can also show if an individual has the skills to become a leader especially on the composure that one has, ability to answer questions precisely among other parameters. Regarding the motivational fit inventories, I can be able to assess the skills that applicant's posses regarding the job in which they seek to get in the organization. It is important to appreciate the fact that besides assessing the skills, motivation also has to be taken into account. Assessment of an applicant with regard to job motivation is important because they be able to select the correct candidates for the specific job category (Cummings & Worley, 2009, p. 176).

By using computerized resume screening, the company can be able to save a lot of time that would have been wasted in sifting irrelevant resumes. It is also through this process that an organization can be able to look at the experience of the applicant with regard to leadership skills and ability to learn quickly. Resumes play an important role in the acquisition process because the applicant usually indicates all the areas that they have work and the responsibilities that they have held. This tool therefore is of great importance to the organization in gauging the skills of the applicants. By utilizing training and valuation experiences, one is able to identify if the applicant have the motivation and the urge to learn. It is important to note that individuals who have held and performed particular tasks in the future have the ability of doing successfully in the future. Training and evaluation is therefore an effective screening tool for positions that require previous experience and training for the job (Catano, 2009, p. 486). For this tool to be effective, it is important to set the minimum requirements in order to ensure that integrity of the whole process is upheld.

Determining the workability of the plan

There are number benchmarks that I will consider in order for me to determine if the new plan is working. Having in mind fact that Dofasco Company has been performing poorly in the recent past, parameters to determine the success will arise from this fact. I will consider my plan successful if the performance of the company improves from the recent deteriorating levels. My plan will be successful if the company widens it profit margins and minimizes any instances of losses. Additionally, I will consider my plan as feasible if corporate image of the company becomes appealing to our customers. Market leadership is a measure that a company can use to gauge the success of the plans that it implements because it shows how efficient its employees are while executing their roles (Cummings & Worley, 2009, p. 177).

Achievement of goals and objectives is another parameter that I can use to gauge if the plan I implemented in the company is workable. This is because strategies are usually aimed that all the objectives are attained. I will also check on the workforce diversity of the organization. This will be of great importance especially when I will be checking those who are set to retire and the newcomers. This will help me in identifying the level of cooperation that exists between the new and the outgoing employees. I will also check if the company has become competitive and if it receiving new applications for any job vacancy. This will be an indication that the strategies within the organization are effective and have placed the company in a competitive edge above others in the same industry.

Consequences of the strategy and mitigation

Not all strategies that are proposed will be accepted within an organization. Resistance is unavoidable phenomenon in any organization especially the one that seeks to implement a certain change. Employees fear for the unknown and some of them become wary of the security of their jobs. Some people may want to maintain the status quo while others may want change. To avoid any incidences of confusion I will carry out a workshop on all employees detailing the importance of the strategy that I am seeking to implement. I will avail an avenue where they can share their opinion and I will use this to develop a neutral ground where almost everyone will be comfortable with the change. Challenges in business are always inevitable and accepting this fact will give the strength to deal with them during the preliminary stages. The strategy may also result in the change of organizational culture and this may not augur well with some employees. This however can be solved if employees are informed of the importance of the change that is being sought (Catano, 2009, p. 486).