Directions: Read the scenario below and complete the exercise that follows.

Scenario

Mountain Stream is a sparkling water company with 2,000 employees located in western Washington State. Although the company has only operated domestically (i.e. within the US) for the past fifteen years, it plans to expand to Switzerland in the next five years.

Currently the company is looking for a manager to oversee the Information Technology (IT) Department. The department consists of four computer programmers, two website designers, four computer repair technicians, two network security specialists, and an administrative assistant. The company has a history of promoting from within the organization, but is looking to expand the diversity of its mid-level managers, and thus is considering outside candidates as well. By creating a more diverse management team, the company hopes to increase creativity, attract an international customer base, and foster a more inclusive work environment.

The Human Resources team has narrowed the list of applicants to four candidates; but as the IT Hiring Director, you need to choose the best person for the IT Manager position from one of the following candidates:

Mary Cassidy is an experienced programmer who has been with the company for seven years. She is active in community activities, such as serving on an elementary school council and volunteering at an eldercare facility. She graduated from a local state university and has lived in western Washington all of her life. She has a solid reputation within Mountain Stream as being a reliable and dedicated employee. Her performance reviews are consistently above average and she is well liked by other employees. The only concern that some people have with Mary is her sexual orientation. While this has not been an issue at work, Mary does bring her female partner to company outings and picnics. The department has a few employees that do not approve of same-sex relationships

Kumar Gupta is a certified computer network specialist and web designer who has been with the company for eight years as an IT Specialist. He received his degree from his hometown in India, but consistently takes continuing education classes at the local university in Washington. He is a real trouble-shooter when it comes to solving technical issues, and members of the IT department get along with him. Although he is an outstanding worker, he is also seen as very reserved and quiet.

Jose Sanchez is an external candidate who heard about the job opening at a networking event. He ran his own business in Juarez, Mexico for ten years and sold the company to move to the United States four years ago. He has worked as a network security specialist for a company in Washington for the last three years. He is very involved in the Hispanic community and volunteers as a baseball coach for his sons Little League team. He is personable, likeable, and approachable, and his fellow employees enjoy working with him. However, some people are uncomfortable with his accent.

Sydney Dixon is an external candidate who is new to the area. She graduated with Honors from M.I.T. where she received both her BS in Computer Science and MS in Computer Programming. Sydney is a talented worker and has received outstanding awards for her work. For the past year she was a rising star at her former company, but she left to relocate to Washington when her husband received a promotion. At her previous company, she was considered to be top candidate for an IT Manager position until one evening the company president took Sydney and her husband out to dinner. In a town not used to interracial relationships, there was a high level of discomfort. Sydney is African-American and her husband is Asian-American.

Exercise

Submit a 4-7 minute video message ranking the job candidates based on who you think is the best person for the IT Manager position at Mountain Stream. A quality response will address all of the questions below and integrate information from the readings and videos with your own personal experiences. Refer back to your notes from the Pre-work as you prepare your thoughts.

Thoroughly explain the rationale for your decision using the following framework: My first choice for the IT Manager is ________________________because: My second choice is ________________________because: My third choice is __________________________because: My fourth choice is _________________________because:

How can Mountain Stream effectively recruit and retain employees from diverse backgrounds?

What are some steps the hiring team needs to take to prepare to hire quality employees in Switzerland?