The Tanglewood Company is concerned with companies like Target and Kohl’s creating more direct competition for their company. With that, Tanglewood must ensure they set themselves apart from their competitors by hiring the most qualified staff who will deliver memorable experiences to their customers. This exceptional service will guarantee their store will stand apart from their competitors.
Identification of Business Strategy/Goals Tanglewood is committed to hiring a workforce of “committed, qualified individuals who will help carry the Tanglewood philosophy into the future.The company can obtain this goal by enforcing strategies of talent development and hiring from within coupled with employing exceptional quality service. These strategies will allow Tanglewood to set itself apart from the competition (i. e. Kohl’s and Target), build a strong company culture, realize cost savings by hiring from within, developing talent, and hiring inexperienced associates who the company can mold into the Tanglewood culture. This strategy will fall in line with Tanglewood’s team environment and maintain the family atmosphere that the company started with in 1975.
Developing internal talent at Tanglewood is a better strategy than searching for external candidates as it allows everyone to experience the work from the ground up as they progress through their careers. This particular strategy also allows the company culture at Tanglewood to expand naturally. Every employee will be able to understand the culture of the company as they begin their career with a clean slate. The new employee can then be taught how the company operates and its culture. Exceptional workforce quality is a much better strategy for Tanglewood than acceptable workforce quality for the following reasons.To begin, Tanglewood’s target market is middle to upper class.
Based upon this target market the company has a specific pricing strategy to differentiate themselves from their competitors. In addition, their personable sales staff, outdoor theme, and large camping and outdoor living section differentiate them from their competitors. By hiring employees based upon an exceptional workforce quality criteria the company is looking to stand out with its customers and encourage repeat business by being that customer’s favorite store to shop. Discussion of 13 Strategic Staffing DecisionsThe first staffing level to be discussed is whether the company should hire externally or develop talent.
Acquiring talent is a time consuming and costly process for any company. Based on the company’s track record and vision I think that building talent already in place would be most advantageous. Aside from cost and culture, an associate hired within the company will be proud of knowing even their highest manager started at the bottom and experienced all levels of the company. The second staffing level to explore is hiring with internal resources or outsourcing.
Many costs can be avoided by outsourcing the work but by not having a permanent workforce I am fearful it will not be in line with the company’s vision. However, the company can choose this option for custodial staff or other noncustomer related positions. The third staffing level is the determination as to whether the company should hire internally or externally. Since Tanglewood has such a robust HR Department it will save the company money to utilize the resources already in place. It would be very difficult to explain why the company would need to outsource this process with such a highly skilled HR Department already in place.Having a core or flexible workforce is the fourth staffing level discussed.
A flexible workforce typically is temporary. Since Tanglewood puts a large effort into hiring associates at entry level positions, a temporary workforce most likely will not be necessary. In addition, Tanglewood is looking for a loyal client focused workforce. This type of workforce cannot be filled with temporary employees. Retaining or hiring is the fifth staffing level addressed.
The process of retaining employees is less expensive to the hiring company since there is less training required when moving through the ranks of the company.They are already skilled in many areas and will not need extensive training. New hires will be needed from time to time but Tanglewood should focus on employee retention to maintain their vision. The sixth staffing level determination is whether the company should focus on national or globalization. Although Tanglewood is a growing corporation it is not at a point where global staffing needs are required.
National staffing should be the focus at this time.As Tanglewood expands across the United States it may consider globalized staffing but for now hey should remain national. The seventh dimension in staffing is attracting or relocating for talent. Tanglewood does not have a need to relocate to attract a talented workforce. For times when the company looks to hire externally, they should be able to obtain the entry level skills necessary to build a high performing workforce. With other department stores nearby this dimensioned is lessened even further.
The eighth staffing level is whether to under staff or overstaff. This decision is very simple for Tanglewood, overstaff when needed.In a customer service company it is critical that each customer feel they are special and provided attention when they have questions. In addition, customers hate waiting in lines or for assistance with a product. Once the delay in servicing the customer begins they will begin shopping elsewhere.
The ninth decision Tanglewood will face is whether to focus on short-term or long-term staffing needs. Succession planning is a great long term staffing need that must be considered by Tanglewood. Since the company is growing their workforce from internal candidates it is essential they identify talent early and work with those associates.Short term goals would include staffing needs for holidays or weather situations that are unexpected. Both may require additional staff that may be seasonal. The tenth staffing level is a person/job versus person/organization match.
The person/job match can be successful but may limit the potential of the associate if they are only good with a specific task. The person/organization match meets the Tanglewood needs as it allows for an associate to have broader skills that will assist in many different avenues of the company.They may learn a skill allowing them to be successful in one department but possess other skills that will assist in management. KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics) are the eleventh level. Someone with specific skills or general KSAOs may not be a good fit for Tanglewood due to the different locations and business units within the company.
With specific skill sets it may be very hard for an associate to switch between business units within the company. The twelfth staffing quality is comparing exceptional to acceptable workforce quality.It would be extremely expensive for Tanglewood to hire the best of the best to work in their stores. With that said the company should focus on hiring acceptable candidates and not necessarily the optimal candidate. The optimal candidates will be more costly to the company.
Tanglewood is not in need of an optimal workforce and can compete effectively by hiring an acceptable workforce at this time. The thirteenth and final staffing quality we are focusing on is active versus passive diversity. Although Tanglewood does have a need for diversity in their stores, this will happen naturally over time.The company does not have a current need to actively staff diverse candidates to sustain their business or compete. Conclusion/Summary In conclusion, the staffing quantity and staffing quality strategies listed above (developing talent, limited outsourcing, internal hiring, etc. ) are recommended to Donald Penchiala, the Driector of Staffing Services for his consideration.
The recommendations listed in this document will provide the most important staffing strategies necessary for Tanglewood to compete with larger chain department stores.
