Assignment 1
HRM532
Date: October 18, 2011

Talent Practices at The Home Depot
Home Depot’s Plan Home Depot had several intentions in regarding the use of its organizational talent to gain a competitive advantage in the Do It Yourself Industry. The first of these is to ingrain the importance of corporate success through human capital. In the current economic environment, corporate success and growth; even survival, is dependent on the firm's ability to create employees that are motivated, skilled, and committed. The concept of how important human capital is to corporate success can be summed up with a quote from Nobel Prize-winning economist Gary S. Becker says that “The basic resource in any company is the people. The most successful companies and the most successful countries will be those that manage human capital in the most effective and efficient manner” (Brocaglia, n.d.). The Home Depot embraced this idea when the company considered its organizational talent as a competitive edge. The second of these intentions is first-class customer service through engaged employees. Employees are the first line of defense and influence when it comes to a firm's level of achievement in customer service. Customer service and satisfaction become the competitive advantage that allows for retaining customers longer even through severe price competition; and that satisfaction should be paramount through all stages of customer interaction (IBM, 2007). By placing such an emphasis on a satisfying customer experience, The Home Depot adds to the organization's competitive advantage. The third intention is growth in difficult employment markets like rural areas and other operational challenges. Stepping into areas that other companies consider off limits, permits the firm to have a "first come first served" situation where the options are limitless. The