You are a retail manager at Kitchen Nightmare, a relatively new store at the mall that sells mostly items for kitchens, like forks, oven mitts, etc.. You have been open since the fall of 2021 and recently lost two employees. You were promoted from assistant manager about 4 months ago and really are trying to mold your team now. You've taken some business classes and want your store to be one where everyone works hard but has fun doing it and doesn't take themselves too seriously. Two store employees did not like your style of management, however, and quit. One was a two-night a week employee, but one was your full-timer. Management is not letting you replace her since we are not yet into the holiday season, so now you instead have two 25-hour a week positions to fill.

You have interviewed five potential candidates that you can consider finalists and each one made a positive impression. Unfortunately, you can only choose two people. You are also aware that your district manager is watching closely how well your first hires work out.

CHLOEYour first interview was Chloe, a 42-year old mom from a nearby town. She joked that she "Knows her way around a kitchen", though she has more restaurant than retail experience. She is really friendly and doesn't want to work any more than 25 hours. She also mentioned that she is familiar with your products, a big plus. You have a young staff, and this would be a nice way to add some diversity to the group. It appears that she is fairly flexible on hours, especially during the daytime, which is sometimes a problem. However, you often need help at night and your intuition made you wonder if she is going to give you flak about working a lot of Saturday nights, which is often a time of need. However, she has said nothing to that effect.

DAVONDavon is a 19-year old college student at the local community college. He works at a clothing store in the mall, and mentioned that he is looking for a "different challenge" and mentioned that a store like Kitchen Nightmare might fit the bill well since he is getting his credits so he can eventually go into Hotel & Restaurant management at a 4-year college. He can't work on Tuesdays and Thursdays presently, but those are not traditionally busy days. He also made a proactive stance to mention that he can work more hours once school is outperfect since we are in April. Out of your five applicants, Davon tested best for responsiveness and positivity, but why he was working in a clothing store in the first place, and if his intended major is hotel/restaurant management, why is he not working there now? He does represent a potential longer-term employee as he only goes to school part-time and has many credits left to earn. It is worth noting that Davon's eyes were really red during the interview.

JENNIFEROut of the five interviews, Jennifer was the most polished in her answers, as she knew the companies mission statement and had clearly learned how to properly prepare for an interview. Jennifer was also the most educated, as she has her bachelor's degree. She was only seeking night hours (which is OK) as she has an accounts payable job during the day. However, she is trying to save money for her wedding in late 2021. She said she chose this store because she likes and understands the product. She has retail experience, but it is not lengthy and you wonder how she'll gel with some of the younger employees. She seemed very clear that she's willing to put in the work and you even can't help but wonder if she might not be good for the Management Training program if her day job doesn't work out. That said, she is probably not a long term employee, as she clearly stated that she was trying to earn money for her wedding. She represents a risk/reward for sureand she definitely might the person to get you promoted in the short run.

SHANNONShannon is a very tough call. At first glance, you were taken aback by her multiple piercings and tattoos up her arms. However, she also gave by the far the best eye contact of the five candidates and also has the most flexibility, as she can work 25 hours at any time, or more if necessary. She's not in school, nor is she seeking a full-time job (kind of odd), but when she was interviewed, you forgot to probe more about that. You do know she just moved here from Southern New Jersey, and her reference from her last business, a deli, gave you a glowing referencethough she stopped working there six months ago. Another big negative is she doesn't have any retail experience and is already in her late twenties. It sounds like she would be willing to remove piercings while she worked in your store, but the one red flag in the interview was when she asked what the policy was. While you have no issues with tattoos and piercings, your district manager has made offhand remarks about this and is older.

SHANIECEShaniece is the youngest candidate at 17. She is a senior at the local high school and has already commented she is staying local for college, so she's looking for stability. She said she's an excellent student, and based on your brief conversation, you don't doubt it. However, you are taking a risk here as she has never worked outside of baby-sitting. Your assistant manager Makayla reminded you of what happened last year with Kaitlyn, a high schooler who was fired after no-showing the day after Thanksgiving last year. And Makayla didn't even know Chris, a high school senior the year before who was fired for stealing from the drawer. She even impressed you by sending a thank you note just 15 minutes after the interview, though you were less than impressed when her phone buzzed three times during your interview. Surely she should have had the sense to turn it off.

 Question

Which two candidates do you choose and why? Explain.