Considering Human Resource Management at InPact

This activity is important because as a manager, you will deal with issues that surround human resource management. Human resource management includes all the activities involved in determining an organizations human resources needs, as well as acquiring, training, and compensating people to fill those needs. At some point in your career, you will certainly be involved in human resource management, either as a manager or as an employee.

The goal of this exercise is to demonstrate your understanding of human resource management, and consider how the different components of human resource management help managers recruit, train, and compensate employees.

Read the case of the small entrepreneurial organization, describing challenges faced as they increase the number of employees working in the organization.

InPact began with two software coders working in a warehouse converted to an incubator space for entrepreneurial businesses. After several years, InPact outgrew the incubator space, and converted a nearby warehouse into their own space. What started as two coders building apps for mobile devices has turned into nearly seventy employees, all working in small project teams to build apps for external clients.

InPacts Chief Operating Officer, Jos, finds himself wondering how InPact will be able to recruit, hire, and train enough basic coders to keep up with the demand. Furthermore, he questions whether they will be able to determine individuals prepared to lead the project teams, successfully able to work with employees while also communicating with external clients. This seems like no easy taskInPact has been able to compete based on the specialized skills of their employees, and all of his employees thus far have received extensive training to be prepared for their work. It is hard to imagine hiring someone able to immediately step into a leadership role at InPact.

Jos recognizes that although the organization is currently small, the culture and practices need to be developed so that there are not performance and legal issues once the organization gets larger. For example, Jos recognizes that across technology companies, women are promoted at a lower rate than men to upper level positions within the organization, even if a high percentage of women are initially hired for lower-level positions within the organization. It is important to Jos that this pattern not be repeated at InPact. As Jos considers hiring a manager to serve in a full-time capacity as a human resource manager, he considers the needs that he hopes the manager will be able to address.

In order to hire new entry-level coders, which of the following selection techniques is least appropriate for InPact to consider?

Multiple Choice

• personality tests

• interviews

• background checks

• polygraph tests

• application blanks

Which of the following programs should Jos form to help to help increase the percentage of women in leadership positions at InPact?

Multiple Choice

• selection program

• recruitment program

• mentoring program

• institute more on-the-job training

• use a performance appraisal

Jos has identified some high performing coders, and he wants to begin to train them for future team lead positions. Jose should consider implementing which of the following human resource management practices?

Multiple Choice

• development

• recruitment

• selection

• assessment

• job analysis

Jos has consistently noticed poor performance from an employee, and believes he will need to fire the employee in the coming months. Which of the following behaviors is least effective as Jos prepares to fire the employee?

Multiple Choice

• Warn the employee when their performance is unacceptable.

• Document all problems and warnings in the employees work records.

• Avoiding all discussions with the employee.

• Provide clear and business-related reasons for the firing.

• Make sure employee disciplinary procedures are clear in the employee handbook.