1. Based on the ideas described in the trait approach, do you think Pat is looking for the right characteristics in the people he hires?
2. Could it be that the retention problem raised by upper management is unrelated to Pat's recruitment criteria?
3. If you were Pat, would you change your approach to recruiting?
Pat Nelson is the assistant director of human resources tasked with recruiting college graduates who can be groomed for higher-level leadership positions within a bank. He hires people with strong interpersonal skills, confidence, integrity, and work ethic. He also looks for applicants with analytical and technical skills.
Unfortunately, 25% of new hires seem to leave the bank, and upper management has asked Pat to reevaluate his hiring criteria. The case asks students to consider the traits that are needed in a banking job and to evaluate how recruitment may influence retention.