Assignment 1: Strategy, Planning, and Selection

Assume for this assignment that you are being highly considered for a director-level HR management position for a best-in-class national retailer. You are in the final phase of the interview process and must respond to the interview panel regarding specific questions and scenarios that will help them determine if you are a good fit for the new role. The company's culture is centered on the effective development of strategy, plans, and selection criteria aimed at building and sustaining a competitive and profitable organization. It will be extremely important that you respond with a strategic mindset in order to convince the organization you are able to help them ensure the execution of the business strategy.

Write a six to seven (6-7) page paper in which you:

• Analyze different types of strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, and focus/niche) and select which one you would deem more appropriate for an "efficiency-minded" retail organization and explain your rationale. How would the selected strategy ultimately affect how HR does its job?

• Examine the four (4) approaches to job design/redesign and provide an example (not a definition) of each. Then, make a case to the interviewing panel on the importance of effective job design applications in supporting the overall strategic goals of the organization.

• Consider challenges and constraints associated with recruiting workers and identify and discuss at least two (2) issues. What advice would you give to ease your selected issues? Be specific.

• List and describe 2-3 candidate selection process ideas that might add value and overall effectiveness to the process. Also, what problems should HR and management teams avoid during the selection process?

• Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements:

1. Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

2. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment (with running head), the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.

3. Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length. Use the Strayer University Library to locate additional sources to support your work.

The specific course outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Assess the strategic role of human resource management and the components that provide a competitive advantage to the organization.

• Examine the human resource management functions of recruiting and selecting, and their importance to business strategy.