What is the best approach HR can take when coaching a manager who chooses not to identify high potential employees?

The HR department in a musical instrument company is struggling to support the company's rapid growth. The company, which started as the home business of a casual musician, logged $17 million in sales last year. The HR department has hired additional team members over the years but hasn't changed its structure since start-up. All HR team members currently function as generalists, doing whatever it takes to support the company.

The organization now consists of multiple store franchises. Each store has a sales department, a service and repair department, and a department offering music lessons. This initial product and service offering was followed by instrument rentals and later the acquisition of a publishing company that specializes in learning guides for new musicians and music teachers. The company's newest effort, the production of their own brand of mandolin, is recognized by most of the senior leaders as a high-risk effort but with the potential for a profitable high-margin instrument being added to their product line.

With the rapid growth and expansion, the CEO is becoming increasingly concerned about quality and has made it clear that the entire corporation is to prioritize quality and efficiency while maintaining focus on the strategic plan.

After careful research, the HR director learns that many similar organizations have successfully implemented a shared services model with focused HR business partners, centers of excellence, and a centralized HR service center. Which approach is best for the HR director to take to determine the viability of this option?

The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company.

The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free.

The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR.

In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact.

Which is the best first step the VP of HR should take to address the opinions and concerns on the salary increase budget?

The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company.

The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free.

The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR.

In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact.

The VP of HR has completed the analysis and developed recommendations for resolving the short- and long-term workforce cost issues in this country. Which is the best step that the VP of HR should take at this point in time?

The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company.

The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free.

The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR.

In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact.

Which action should the country HR director recommend that country leaders take that would proactively support a union avoidance strategy?

A team leader in the accounting department has been recommended for promotion. As part of due diligence, an HR staff member reviews the employee's record, including the employee's most recently completed 360-degree feedback report. The summary report mentions a discrepancy between the feedback provided by the team leader's supervisor, the members of the leader's team, and the team leader in the self-assessment section of the exercise. The supervisor sees the team leader as focused, disciplined, organized, and committed to the department's goals. The team leader describes herself as goal-driven and results-oriented; she acknowledges that she could improve her interpersonal skills. The team sees its leader as rude, abrupt, and unwilling to listen. They are afraid to disagree, because the team leader then berates them. Policy regarding 360-degree feedback is that the subject and the supervisor have access only to a summary report. Subordinates do not receive summaries. Looking further into the records, the HR staff member finds that an earlier 360-degree exercise pointed to similar conflicting impressions. The HR staff member must provide the HR manager with an evaluation and a recommendation.

How should the HR staff member approach reconciling these divergent sets of feedback?

A team leader in the accounting department has been recommended for promotion. As part of due diligence, an HR staff member reviews the employee's record, including the employee's most recently completed 360-degree feedback report. The summary report mentions a discrepancy between the feedback provided by the team leader's supervisor, the members of the leader's team, and the team leader in the self-assessment section of the exercise. The supervisor sees the team leader as focused, disciplined, organized, and committed to the department's goals. The team leader describes herself as goal-driven and results-oriented; she acknowledges that she could improve her interpersonal skills. The team sees its leader as rude, abrupt, and unwilling to listen. They are afraid to disagree, because the team leader then berates them. Policy regarding 360-degree feedback is that the subject and the supervisor have access only to a summary report. Subordinates do not receive summaries. Looking further into the records, the HR staff member finds that an earlier 360-degree exercise pointed to similar conflicting impressions. The HR staff member must provide the HR manager with an evaluation and a recommendation.

The HR manager and staff member discuss this case, and the HR manager asks for the staff member's opinion about changes that migth be needed to the performance appraisal process. How should the HR staff member respond?

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in the turnover of nurses. Many recent hires have left to work at a nearby privately run clinic. This is puzzling since there have been rumors about this clinic's financial outlook.

The HR business partner for the hospital has been asked to design and oversee a recruitment campaign to attract ten new nurses and an additional five nurse trainees. One of the measures of success that has been given to the HR business partner is that these new hires need to remain with the hospital for a minimum of 18 months. The hospital is looking to have these individuals onboarded within six weeks.

While trying to manage recruiting and hiring, the HR business partner keeps thinking about the hospital's retention issue. In reviewing exit interview information, the business partner has noticed a trend: Many of the nurses who have left indicated that the private clinic has a more modern location, better hours, and great employee facilities that include a gym. Hospital leadership has also been criticized, in particular, the hospital administrator, for her negative attitude and lack of recognition.

Over lunch with an HR acquaintance who works at the private clinic, the business partner inquires about how the clinic has been so successful in attracting and retaining staff. To the HR business partner's surprise, the colleague shares that much of the feedback she hears as to why people leave the hospital is the hospital's wage and benefits structure. The business partner realizes that he has his hands full in addressing the many issues in order to achieve his hiring objectives, improve retention, and decrease turnover.

What is the first step the HR business partner needs to take to attract and hire for the vacant positions?

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in the turnover of nurses. Many recent hires have left to work at a nearby privately run clinic. This is puzzling since there have been rumors about this clinic's financial outlook.

The HR business partner for the hospital has been asked to design and oversee a recruitment campaign to attract ten new nurses and an additional five nurse trainees. One of the measures of success that has been given to the HR business partner is that these new hires need to remain with the hospital for a minimum of 18 months. The hospital is looking to have these individuals onboarded within six weeks.

While trying to manage recruiting and hiring, the HR business partner keeps thinking about the hospital's retention issue. In reviewing exit interview information, the business partner has noticed a trend: Many of the nurses who have left indicated that the private clinic has a more modern location, better hours, and great employee facilities that include a gym. Hospital leadership has also been criticized, in particular, the hospital administrator, for her negative attitude and lack of recognition.

Over lunch with an HR acquaintance who works at the private clinic, the business partner inquires about how the clinic has been so successful in attracting and retaining staff. To the HR business partner's surprise, the colleague shares that much of the feedback she hears as to why people leave the hospital is the hospital's wage and benefits structure. The business partner realizes that he has his hands full in addressing the many issues in order to achieve his hiring objectives, improve retention, and decrease turnover.

How might the HR business partner go about addressing the broader trends uncovered in the exit interviews and from his colleague?

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in the turnover of nurses. Many recent hires have left to work at a nearby privately run clinic. This is puzzling since there have been rumors about this clinic's financial outlook.

The HR business partner for the hospital has been asked to design and oversee a recruitment campaign to attract ten new nurses and an additional five nurse trainees. One of the measures of success that has been given to the HR business partner is that these new hires need to remain with the hospital for a minimum of 18 months. The hospital is looking to have these individuals onboarded within six weeks.

While trying to manage recruiting and hiring, the HR business partner keeps thinking about the hospital's retention issue. In reviewing exit interview information, the business partner has noticed a trend: Many of the nurses who have left indicated that the private clinic has a more modern location, better hours, and great employee facilities that include a gym. Hospital leadership has also been criticized, in particular, the hospital administrator, for her negative attitude and lack of recognition.

Over lunch with an HR acquaintance who works at the private clinic, the business partner inquires about how the clinic has been so successful in attracting and retaining staff. To the HR business partner's surprise, the colleague shares that much of the feedback she hears as to why people leave the hospital is the hospital's wage and benefits structure. The business partner realizes that he has his hands full in addressing the many issues in order to achieve his hiring objectives, improve retention, and decrease turnover.

The leadership team agrees with many of the HR business partner's recommendations on how to address the employee engagement issues. What is the best approach for the HR business partner to take as he begins to tackle this task?

A hospital has recently seen a significant increase in the turnover of nurses. Many recent hires have left to work at a nearby privately run clinic. This is puzzling since there have been rumors about this clinic's financial outlook.

The HR business partner for the hospital has been asked to design and oversee a recruitment campaign to attract ten new nurses and an additional five nurse trainees. One of the measures of success that has been given to the HR business partner is that these new hires need to remain with the hospital for a minimum of 18 months. The hospital is looking to have these individuals onboarded within six weeks.

While trying to manage recruiting and hiring, the HR business partner keeps thinking about the hospital's retention issue. In reviewing exit interview information, the business partner has noticed a trend: Many of the nurses who have left indicated that the private clinic has a more modern location, better hours, and great employee facilities that include a gym. Hospital leadership has also been criticized, in particular, the hospital administrator, for her negative attitude and lack of recognition.

Over lunch with an HR acquaintance who works at the private clinic, the business partner inquires about how the clinic has been so successful in attracting and retaining staff. To the HR business partner's surprise, the colleague shares that much of the feedback she hears as to why people leave the hospital is the hospital's wage and benefits structure. The business partner realizes that he has his hands full in addressing the many issues in order to achieve his hiring objectives, improve retention, and decrease turnover.

As the deadline approaches, the HR business partner has not met the hiring goal. What should the HR business partner do next?

The leadership of a medium-sized technology company has determined that the most viable option to expand their product line is to merge with an existing, larger company. HR is part of the team conducting due diligence for the merger. One item that concerns HR is the different approaches the companies have to work/life balance. The employees of the old company feel that they are treated unfairly because pay, benefits, and working conditions are different within work groups. HR believes that the new company should have a blend of the cultures and the benefits of the two companies.

HR is responsible for communicating the decision to the current employees and developing a timetable for the integration. Employees are excited to join the larger company, based on rumors of better pay and benefits with the new organization.

The new company is ready to reduce redundancy in key leadership positions and develops a work group to identify positions for elimination. After identifying duplicate positions, managers must recommend individual employees for termination.

The merger of the two companies is underway, and HR has been asked to develop organizational effectiveness measures to improve performance and productivity. HR has undertaken the OED process.

One group has declined in performance, productivity, and profits. The leadership team has asked HR to review the situation and provide a recommendation. The manager of this group has a reputation of having an abrasive management style.

What is the first step HR should take to ensure that all employees are treated fairly in regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions?

What is the best approach HR can use to help leaders understand the impact job analysis has on organizational success?

What response should the HR manager provide to the disappointed and angry manager?

How do you identify high potential employees?

Why is it important to identify high potential employees?