1. Hiring at Hamleys Hamleys is a UK-based national chain of retail outlets specializing in creative toys and innovative learning materials for children. The company caters to the upper end of the market and focuses on customer service for a competitive advantage. It provides workshops for parents and children on topics such as learning with the computer and indoor gardening. Hamleys plans to expand and to open four new retail outlets in the coming quarter. This may mean up to 100 new hires, and the executive team wants to make sure that the best people are hired and retained. It has issued a challenge to its HR department to design a staffing process that will accomplish these goals. The children's market in which Hamleys operates demands service personnel who are endlessly patient; knowledgeable about children, toys, and learning; and, perhaps most important, sociable, enthusiastic, and engaging. Excellent customer service is the top priority at Hamleys, and obtaining the desired performance from employees has meant a major investment in training. Unfortunately, new workers often leave within a year of being hired. This means that the company barely gets an adequate return on the training it has invested in its new hires. Apparently, turnover is due (at least in part) to the demanding nature of the job. Recently, Hamleys has been emphasizing the establishment of work teams to improve the quality of its services, identify and fix any problems in service delivery and brainstorm new opportunities. This approach has yielded better than anticipated results, so the team concept will be central to the new outlets. Questions: a) How can Hamleys attract the best applicants for jobs at its new retail outlets? On what groups, if any, should be company's recruiting effort focus? How should the recruiting be done? (200 words) b) How should Hamleys select the best candidates? What type of characteristics and measures should be used? Why? (150 words)
1. Hiring at Hamleys Hamleys is a UK-based national chain of retail outlets specializing in creative toys and innovative learning materials for children. The company caters to the upper end of the market and focuses on customer service for a competitive advantage. It provides workshops for parents and children on topics such as learning with the computer and indoor gardening. Hamleys plans to expand and to open four new retail outlets in the coming quarter. This may mean up to 100 new hires, and the executive team wants to make sure that the best people are hired and retained. It has issued a challenge to its HR department to design a staffing process that will accomplish these goals. The children's market in which Hamleys operates demands service personnel who are endlessly patient; knowledgeable about children, toys, and learning; and, perhaps most important, sociable, enthusiastic, and engaging. Excellent customer service is the top priority at Hamleys, and obtaining the desired performance from employees has meant a major investment in training. Unfortunately, new workers often leave within a year of being hired. This means that the company barely gets an adequate return on the training it has invested in its new hires. Apparently, turnover is due (at least in part) to the demanding nature of the job. Recently, Hamleys has been emphasizing the establishment of work teams to improve the quality of its services, identify and fix any problems in service delivery and brainstorm new opportunities. This approach has yielded better than anticipated results, so the team concept will be central to the new outlets. Questions: a) How can Hamleys attract the best applicants for jobs at its new retail outlets? On what groups, if any, should be company's recruiting effort focus? How should the recruiting be done? (200 words) b) How should Hamleys select the best candidates? What type of characteristics and measures should be used? Why? (150 words)
Chapter1: Taking Risks And Making Profits Within The Dynamic Business Environment
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Transcribed Image Text:1. Hiring at Hamleys
Hamleys is a UK-based national chain of retail outlets specializing in creative toys and innovative learning
materials for children. The company caters
for a competitive advantage. It provides workshops for parents and children on topics such as learning with
the computer and indoor gardening.
the upper end of the market and focuses on customer service
Hamleys plans to expand and to open four new retail outlets in the coming quarter. This may mean up to 100
new hires, and the executive team wants to make sure that the best people are hired and retained. It has
issued a challenge to its HR department to design a staffing process that will accomplish these goals.
The children's market in which Hamleys operates demands service personnel who are endlessly patient;
knowledgeable about children, toys, and learning; and, perhaps most important, sociable, enthusiastic, and
engaging. Excellent customer service is the top priority at Hamleys, and obtaining the desired performance
from employees has meant a major investment in training.
Unfortunately, new workers often leave within a year of being hired. This means that the company barely
gets an adequate return on the training it has invested in its new hires. Apparently, turnover is due (at least in
part) to the demanding nature of the job. Recently, Hamleys has been emphasizing the establishment of work
teams to improve the quality of its services, identify and fix any problems in service delivery and brainstorm
new opportunities. This approach has yielded better than anticipated results, so the team concept will be
central to the new outlets.
Questions:
a) How can Hamleys attract the best applicants for jobs at its new retail outlets? On what
groups,
if
any,
should be company's recruiting effort focus? How should the recruiting be done? (200 words)
b) How should Hamleys select the best candidates? What type of characteristics and measures should be
used? Why? (150 words)
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