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critical thinking exercise 11-1 (continued)
FUTURE PAYROLL ESTIMATES
POSITION
PAY
SCALE
PRESENT
STAFF
PRESENT
PAYROLL
PROJECTED
STAFF
PROJECTED
PAYROLL
Management
Level 24
Level 18
$65,000
$45,000
1
1
$65,000
$45,000
_________
_________
Clerical
Level 10
Level 6
$21,000
$16,000
2
3
$42,000
$48,000
_________
_________
Production
Level 14
Level 10
Level 8
Level 5
Level 4
$26,000
$19,000
$16,000
$13,000
$11,000
3
1
2
2
13
$78,000
$19,000
$32,000
$26,000
$143,000
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
Sales
Level 10
$26,000
5
$130,000
_________
Totals
36
$628,000
_________
Chapter 11 – Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees
notes on critical thinking exercise 11-1
POSITION
PAY
SCALE
PRESENT
STAFF
PRESENT
PAYROLL
PROJECTED
STAFF
PROJECTED
PAYROLL
Management
Level 24
Level 18
$65,000
$45,000
1
1
$65,000
$45,000
1
1
$65,000
$45,000
Clerical
Level 10
Level 6
$21,000
$16,000
2
3
$42,000
$48,000
2
5
$42,000
$80,000
Production
Level 14
Level 10
Level 8
Level 5
Level 4
$26,000
$19,000
$16,000
$13,000
$11,000
3
1
2
2
13
$78,000
$19,000
$32,000
$26,000
$143,000
4
1
2
2
26
$104,000
$19,000
$32,000
$26,000
$286,000
Sales
Level 10
$26,000
5
$130,000
7
$182,000
Totals
36
$628,000
50
$881,000
1. What will be the projected annual payroll cost?
2. If Kaiser does double its sales in five years, what percentage of sales will payroll be in five
years? What percentage is it today?
3. Would you recommend the expansion? Why or why not?
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Name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
critical thinking exercise 11-2
1. Analyze each job. What types of skills do you think each position would require?
2. What do you think of the company’s policy of promoting from within? Should you consider out-
side applicants for either of these positions? Why or why not?
3. Which of the four applicants would you hire for each position? Why?
4. Which employee characteristics should not be considered?
Chapter 11 – Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees
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notes on critical thinking exercise 11-2
1. Analyze each job. What types of skills do you think each position would require?
2. What do you think of the company’s policy of promoting from within? Should you consider out-
side applicants for either of these positions? Why or why not?
3. Which of the four applicants would you hire for each position? Why?
4. Which employee characteristics should not be considered?
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Name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
critical thinking exercise 11-3
JOB SEARCH VIA THE INTERNET
1. Use the search by geographic location (or by zip code) to pull up job openings in your home city.
List the three jobs that most interest you and/or match your skills and education.
2. Follow links to career resources (or job search resources). Which tools would be helpful to you in
a job search?
4. Why would a company place an employment listing using an online employment service rather
than place an ad in a newspaper or trade journal?
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Name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
critical thinking exercise 11-4
DIVERSITY IN MANAGEMENT
The text discusses the increasing diversity in the management field. Go to the federal govern-
Under the category “Characteristics of the employed,” choose “Employed persons by occupation,
race, and sex.”
1. What percentage of white females are in executive, administrative, and managerial positions?
2. What percentage of black males are in executive, administrative, and managerial positions?
3. What percentage of the entire workforce is in executive, administrative, and managerial posi-
tions?
4. Is the percentage of women managers increasing from the previous year or decreasing?
5. Is the percentage of black managers increasing from the previous year or decreasing?
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Name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
critical thinking exercise 11-5
BEST COMPANIES FOR WORKING MOMS
An important segment of the worker pool is the working mother. Companies that want to attract
and/or retain these employees have found creative ways to adjust to the flexibility that raising children
2. Choose one of the winners and research the company.
a. Are any members of the top management female? If so, who?
3. Go back to the Working Mother site and locate winners for previous years. Are there any compa-
nies that have won more than once? If so, list them.
Chapter 11 – Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees
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bonus
cases
bonus case 11–1
INCARCERATED CALL CENTERS
Overcrowding, skyrocketing costs, and high recidivism rates cripple the American penal system.
But even with the nation’s penitentiaries in such a state, at least one entrepreneur found a way to trans-
Purchased by Hooker in 1995, Televerde grew from a six-person call center running out of a
trailer into a profitable operation taking in $12.1 million annually. Detractors claim that Hooker’s uncon-
ventional staff is robbing law-abiding citizens of work in this already rough job market. But Hooker is
Hooker hires back approximately 25% of his former inmate staff after their release. Many obtain
their high school diploma, a requirement for employment at Televerde, while incarcerated, with one for-
discussion questions for bonus case 11-1
1. Could the Televerde system work in other states?
2. What is a key strength of the Televerde system?
Chapter 11 – Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees
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notes on discussion questions for bonus case 11-1
1. Could the Televerde system work in other states?
2. What is a key strength of the Televerde system?
bonus case 11-2
SHOULD YOU HIRE A FORMER EMPLOYEE?
When one of Santera Systems’ top engineers left the telecom upstart for another hot tech compa-
ny, CEO David Heard tried to convince the employee he was making the wrong move. That engineer
Good people, however, are hard to find, and prodigal employees should be welcomed back—if
there is a position to fill. But it’s not such a clear-cut decision for small businesses. Since employee rela-
Small-company CEOs and managers must be extra sensitive to their employees’ morale if they do
decide to bring back a wayward worker. Recruiting experts suggest lining up allies to be advocates for the
returning employee before—and after—his or her first day back. That helps the rest of the team under-
Chapter 11 – Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees
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discussion questions for bonus case 11-2
1. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a former employee in larger organiza-
tions? In small firms?
2. How valid were David Heard’s concerns about the effect of returning employees on the compa-
ny’s culture?
3. At which level of the organization should the rehire decision be made—supervisory, middle man-
agement, or upper management?
notes on discussion questions for bonus case 11-2
1. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a former employee in larger organi-
zations? In small firms?
2. How valid were David Heard’s concerns about the effect of returning employees on the compa-
ny’s culture?
3. At which level of the organization should the rehire decision be made—supervisory, middle man-
agement, or upper management?
Chapter 11 – Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees
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bonus case 11-3
HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING AND WOMEN WORKERS
The steadily increasing flow of women into the workforce has caused human resource planners
rental leave or family medical leave. Upon return, an employee must be returned to the same or equiva-
lent position.
Maternity leave is a controversial area of human resources. Some say women should be guaran-
teed paid maternity leave. These groups claim that when women leave their jobs to have children it has a
negative effect on their careers that doesn’t affect men. Women thus lose seniority since career ladders
work with partial benefits, and job sharing—can also benefit employers. These benefits reduce the need
for parents to spend time at work dealing with family issues.
Flextime allows workers to come in during a two-hour period and leave within a two-hour period,
as long as they are at work between certain hours (known as core time). A new arrangement for part-time
workers allows them to reduce their work time and keep some proportion of their benefits. With job shar-
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discussion questions for bonus case 11-3
1. Have companies done enough to adjust to women in the workplace?
2. Which of the issues mentioned so far do you feel is most important? Why?
3. What else could companies do, if anything, to assist women workers? Would you recommend
that they do that?
notes on discussion questions for bonus case 11-3
1. Have companies done enough to adjust to women in the workplace?
2. Which of the issues mentioned so far do you feel is most important? Why?
3. What else could companies do, if anything, to assist women workers? Would you recommend that
they do that?
Chapter 11 – Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees
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bonus case 11-4
THE DEPARTMENT STORE DILEMMA
“This is a rough decision,” said Stan Wheatley, store manager and vice president of Bassfield
was glad to have full-time work.
Four days ago, Bill Chavez, personnel manager of the store, realized that Mary Alice had not tak-
en the medical exam required of all full-time employees. When Mary Alice took the exam that afternoon,
she didn’t pass it due to an existing heart condition. Because of restrictions in the company’s medical in-
surance program, she could not be hired. Chavez told Stafford that Mary Alice would have to be termi-
discussion questions for bonus case 11-4
1. What are the key issues in the case?
2. Develop several realistic alternatives for Wheatley to consider.
3. What decision do you recommend that Wheatley make?
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notes on discussion questions for bonus case 11-4
1. What are the key issues in the case?
2. Develop several realistic alternatives for Wheatley to consider.
A store manager is very concerned with sales and profit; therefore, it would be hard to let go a
stellar sales performer. Among the alternatives:
3. What decision do you recommend that Wheatley make?
I have used this case in my Intro classes several times over two decades. With very few excep-
tions, students have decided to keep Mary Alice on despite the manager’s recommendation. A few want
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endnotes
i Sources: Jeremy Caplan, “Resume Mogul,” Time Inside Business, February 2006, and Boston Globe, August 14,
2011.
ii Sources: Saul Hansell, “Google’s Answer to Filling Jobs: New Algorithm,” The New York Times, January 3, 2007;
Julie Masis, “Google Clicks with Job–Seekers,” Boston Globe; August 12, 2007; Amanda Fung, “Google, Rivals
Hunt for Sales Staff in NY,” Crain’s New York Business, July 31, 2006; “Silicon Valley Upstart Google Grows into
the Not-So–Little Engine That Could,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 4, 2004.
iii Source: Alina Dizik, “Wooing Job Recruiters with Video Resumes,” The Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2010.
xi Source: Sue Shellenbarger, “Does Avoiding a 9-to-5 Grind Make You a Target for Layoffs?” The Wall Street
Journal, April 22, 2009.
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