COMM/215

Introduction
Carl Robins, the new hiring recruiter of ABC, Inc has a very challenging situation. He was tasked with hiring and training fifteen new employees, by June 15th. Carl was given this task in April by his boss Monica however she has not followed up with Carl to ensure the task will be completed on time. Carl did not take the appropriate steps to prepare the new hires for orientation. As we analysis this case we will observe issues with the training for new employees by ABC Inc. and the lack of mentoring by management.
Case background Carl Robins has successfully hired fifteen new employees to work for ABC Inc. Carl’s boss, Monica Carrolls, has tasked Carl with ensuring that all fifteen new hires have all of their paperwork completed and all training documents ready by the June 15th orientation. Carl did not begin working on his task, even after his boss Monica asked him if he would have all of his training done by the June 15th deadline. When Carl did finally start the task, he found that almost all of the required hiring documents were missing, and none of the mandatory drug screenings had been done. Carl then found out that the orientation manuals were incomplete and he did not have enough books for his training class. Lastly, Carl discovers that the orientation room was booked by another group for the entire month of June, so now they don’t have a training room to hold the event.
Key Problems I found quite a few problems with the ABC Inc. case. The first concern was why hadn’t Monica followed up with her new employee Carl? What steps did Monica take to insure that Carl understood his duties and how to perform them? Did ABC offer Carl any training? Was facilitating an orientation for new hires part of any of his previous job duties?
Another key problem was time management. Carl’s time management and poor planning skills have left him unprepared and unable to complete the hiring process on time. Carl did not keep track of what was or wasn’t completed and what information was needed. In addition, he did not reserve the training room for the new employee orientation.
Lastly, the challenge of scheduling the 15 new hires for their drug tests and medical examination and obtaining the results within 13 days. the new employees are required to pass a drug test and physical examination. A drug test and physical examination provide critical information for the employer to choose the right candidate. The new employees may have current jobs or scheduling conflicts preventing them from going to the clinic on a certain day or time. To ensure that the company receives all results prior to orientation, the tests for the new hires must occur within the next seven business days.
Three problems are readily apparent; there was a lack of follow up on the part of upper management. Carl let the ball drop on employee applications and incomplete or missing data, insufficient supply of training manuals, lack of medical and drug testing and no room for orientation.
Solutions
One solution would be to come clean with Monica and ask for a two week extension, so that the new hire orientation would happen on July 1. This choice would solve the problem by pushing the date back. This would allow the recruiter, Carl, the time required to correct the applications, ensure everyone had completed the drug and physical tests, and prepared the orientation. The estimated time needed to review and complete the missing paperwork for 15 new hires is 20 business days. A minimum of 14 business days is required for individuals to schedule and complete the drug test and physical examination. Extending the start date to July 1, will also allow time for the three weeks required to prepare the orientation documents and reserve the training room. While probably the best solution, it is risky, it may cause Monica to doubt Carl's ability to get his job done, which may also reflect poorly on their department’s ability to deliver as promised. Concurrently, Carl needs to be coached; he needs additional training and should shadow a more senior manager. Alternative Solutions Carl and ABC Inc. have several potential solutions to work through the key problems. The first issue is the missing and incomplete applications and transcripts. With Monica’s approval, Carl could enlist the support of management to designate resources to assist with contacting the applicants. With the assistance of two ABC employees, they could distribute the paperwork and each take five applicants to review and contact for missing information. While this approach allows the documents to be quickly completed, it takes ABC Inc. employees away from their regular duties. Completing the drug test and physical examination is the next potential roadblock. Sending written notification of the required testing, the locations available for testing, and a deadline for completing the examinations along with a follow up phone call will not take an exorbitant amount of time. Orientation is the final challenge. To save time, copies of only the critical company policies can be distributed to the new employees during orientation. After the employee manuals are completed, Carl can schedule a follow up meeting to review the full manual and receive employee acknowledgement. To avoid confusion, Carl could verbally review the missing policies in orientation so that the hires are aware of the company’s expectations. Room availability could prove to be the biggest challenge due to a limited amount of space that could accommodate the orientation and is not as simple to solve. One alternative is to move the other training class set for June 15 to another location; however, computers required for the training have been setup in that room. A second alternative is to work with the trainer from the other class to reschedule his or her training to another room since their group is smaller and could possibly go into a smaller space.
Proposed Solution ABC Inc. is at risk of unknowingly hiring the wrong individuals due to missing vital information and potentially creating an opportunity for employee misconduct by not providing a thorough orientation. To allow ample time for the pre-employment screening and orientation preparation, the proposed solution is to move the new hire’s start date from June 15, to July 1.
Conclusion
The problems addressed in this case analysis are ubiquitous. They are not unique to ABC Inc., and they exist in many forms throughout other organizations. ABC Inc. can use the case analysis to determine a course of action to address their current issues and other organizations can use the analysis to audit their recruitment process. Armed with a thorough analysis, ABC Inc. can now make an informed decision on how to proceed with the 15 new hires. By implementing the proposed solution to extend the hire date, ABC Inc. will succeed in hiring the right individuals for the growth of the company. The proposed solution will overcome the immediate hiring problems, as well as address the broader problem Carl’s time management.