Van noort bulb & prolux lighting

Fall
12

BUSI 352 HR Management Final Project:
Van Noort Bulb & Prolux Lighting

Mackenzie Dunn, Kam Dhanu, Brittany Feltan, Amrit Kooner & Tessa Van Noort

Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 1

Outline

I. Introduction to Van Noort Bulb & Prolux Lighting

II. Hypothesis

III. Human Resource Planning (HRP)

IV. Job Design

V. Recruitment

VI. Selection

VII. Orientation

VIII. Performance Management

IX. Training & Development

X. Conclusion of Hypothesis

XI. Appendix

XII. Works Cited


I. Introduction to Van Noort Bulb & Prolux Lighting

Van Noort Bulb

Van Noort Bulb Co. is a plant and flower bulb wholesaler that grows and distributes

horticultural products throughout Canada. Family owned and operated, Van Noort Bulb has

grown substantially since its humble beginnings in 1928. Although the organization originated

in the Netherlands, it has also established locations in Sumas, B.C., Langley, B.C., and

Stoneycreek, Ontario. The main headquarters of the company is located in Langley. Van Noort

Bulb distributes its products to garden centers, landscapers, growers and some retail outfits all

over Canada. Combining employees at all locations, the organization employs 120 people in

total. Positions within this organization run from warehouse workers, plant growers, truck

drivers, shipper/receivers, various warehouse management positions, office workers and office

managers. Van Noort Bulb summarizes the purpose of their organization in their mission

statement:

“We are growers and wholesalers of the highest quality horticultural products, including

flower bulbs and perennial plants. We deliver real value and the best service in the

industry to our customers in Canada.”

As of the last five years, Van Noort Bulb has decided that it would greatly benefit their

organization and employees to employ an HR Manager. Rachel Colyn is Van Noort Bulb’s only

HR professional within the company and she is responsible for the design and implication of HR

practices throughout all four locations.


Prolux Lighting

Prolux Lighting is a commercial and industrial lighting agency that serves Northern

Alberta, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Iqaluit. It was established in Edmonton, Alberta

in 1994 and since has continued to build up its strong customer base within Canada. Prolux

Lighting is one of the lighting industry’s leading representatives and currently represents over

thirty different manufacturers. Prolux employs fourteen individuals as various sales agents,

project coordinators, project managers, administrators etc. and currently has three owners.

Prolux Lighting does not have a formalized mission statement, but the following statement can

be found on the company’s website:

“We are proud to represent the highest quality of architectural, commercial, and

industrial lighting manufacturers in the industry. We pride ourselves in strong

customer service, our vast product knowledge, and our strong industry relationships.

Our qualified and knowledgeable staff provide our customers with computerized

lighting layouts, cost analysis, as well as exceptional project coordination. Prolux is

committed to representing only quality lighting products that we are proud to stand

behind. We believe in doing business in both a professional and ethical manner.

Prolux Lighting’s exceptional marketing skills have allowed for us to remain one of the

lighting industry’s leading manufacturers representative.”

Due to the organization’s small size, Prolux Lighting does not have a Human Resources

department or a full-time Human Resource Professional.


II. Hypothesis

An organization with a Human Resources department and/or a full-time Human

Resources Professional is more effective at managing their human resources within the

organization.

III. Human Resource Planning (HRP)

The term human resource planning is defined as the “systemically forecasting the

organization’s future demand and supplying appropriate employees, skills and competencies”

(Das, 2007). Human resource planning has five key steps in staffing employees in the

organization. The five steps are as follows: job analysis, recruitment, selection and hiring,

deployment and termination and outplacement. However, organizations view human resource

planning differently as it depends on the size of the organization.

Van Noort Bulb

Van Noort Bulb discusses human resource planning and job analysis ahead of time to

ensure each employee is effective and efficient within their job. Due to the fact that the

organization has been around for many years, they are able to better recruit and select

employees working in the organization. Having effective employees helps the organization to

be efficient and productive in meeting their goals. Van Noort Bulb employs 40 people at the

Langley location, also known as their main headquarters, and is able to connect and establish

relationships with each employee working for the organization. The selection and hiring of new

employees is done both internally and externally. The organization does annual reviews with


current employees to analyze their productively level. Therefore, when the manager feels an

employee is excelling at their job they are able to give promotions on a case-to-case basis.

The issue of turnover is a concern for all organizations as the percentage averages from

about 10% to 20% yearly (Rachel Colyn, personal communication, October 2012). At Van Noort

Bulb, the human resource manager stated “organization is very unique in that we have

extremely low turnover. To be honest, when someone decides to quit they tell us at least 6

months in advance. This gives us plenty of time to consider how we will go about replacing that

position. This really is a testament to the organizational culture we have at VNB” (Rachel Colyn,

personal communication, October 2012). She stated, “After over 80 years of business, we know

exactly how many workers we will need at a certain time of year. There is never a sudden

extreme increase in production so its not like you need to predict through trend projection of

any kind how many workers you will need” (Rachel Colyn, personal communication, October

2012). Furthermore, Rachel noted that because the organization is on the smaller side, and

because of the unique organizational culture and relationships with employees, predicting

future employment needs is very methodical and comes with little surprises. Van Noort Bulb

has also recently began to introduce succession planning within the organization. As of last

year, they hired a recent university graduate to eventually replace the manager of the farms in

Sumas. The way they trained this new employee was quite different from other new hires. They

allowed him to work at the Langley location, in hopes of expanding the knowledge that he has

to take back with him to the Sumas farms. Not only is he being trained to replace current

management, but the training he receives will allow him to bridge some of the disconnect

between employees at different locations.


In order to reduce or increase the amount of employees working during the year, the

organization may provide temporary positions. This strategy allows the organization to

terminate the temporary position when needed. This ensures the organization can add or

remove employees depending on the season. Additionally, the organization provides an

optional reduce work week (unpaid) giving people the option to take more time off, or increase

vacation time (Rachel Colyn, personal communication, October 2012).

Prolux Lighting

Prolux Lighting compared to Van Noort Bulb has a less formal human resource planning

process in place. The owners of Prolux Lighting decide when it is time to hire and lay off

workers throughout the year. Additionally, most of the hiring at Prolux Lighting is externally

compared to internally. With only few spots available, the recruitment process is less official

compared to Van Noort Bulb. Termination at Prolux Lighting is the last resort, as the owners

work with the employee to ensure they understand the requirements of the job. In some

cases, before the termination takes place the employee is either shifted to a different position

or coached by a senior employee. Since the organization is much smaller than Van Noort Bulb’s

the current process of human resource planning works for them. However, as the organization

continues to grow in the future the process will need to ensure that well-established rules and

regulations are in place. This would ensure that Prolux Lighting is analyzing the employees

thoroughly and keeping only the efficient employees within their organization.


IV. Job Design

Effective job design within organizations allows employees to voice their human needs

and concerns, while keeping in mind certain constrains. Examples of these considerations

include the technological constraints on the organization, as well as environmental

considerations and a company’s need for effectiveness and efficiency.

Van Noort Bulb

Van Noort Bulb Co. is highly aware that the majority of their warehouse jobs are not the

most meaningful and challenging jobs as perceived by society (Rachel Colyn, personal

communication, October 24, 2012). This is one of the biggest challenges that Van Noort Bulb

faces when trying to design jobs that are not only effective and efficient within the

organization, but also engaging and significant for employees. For many years prior to hiring an

HR manager, and even today, so much weight has been put on evaluating whether or not jobs

are as effective and efficient as can be. Little was said about other considerations in job design.

Productivity being the top priority for so many years has really set a precedent within the

company. It’s difficult for managers of the warehouse workers to change this mindset,

especially since they’ve been a part of the company before formal HR policies were ever

introduced. When managers were solely in charge, how jobs contributed to the overall growth

and profitability of the company was the only major concern.

Currently, the responsibility of job design falls onto the shoulders of Rachel, the HR

manager. She gathers all the necessary information to analyze what type of work employees

are doing, confers with manager to make sure that is what they should be doing, and then


makes a clear picture of the job design for a certain employee. With her voice now a part of the

job design process, she has the ability to intercede on behalf of employees to bring the human

needs of workers into consideration as well.

Environmental Considerations: Van Noort Bulb is well aware of the social expectations

that accompany jobs involving manual labour. However, these perceptions are of little concern

to them as they feel helpless to society’s perception of warehouse jobs and manual

labour(Rachel Colyn, Personal Communication, October 2012). Less and less people are willing

to work in a warehouse setting involving dirt, live plant material, and heavy lifting. Though Van

Noort Bulb takes some steps to accommodate workers that are not able to do serious heavy

lifting, for the majority of time, Van Noort Bulb feels they can do little about social expectations

regarding the work done.

Technological Considerations:Van Noort Bulb puts little to no consideration into

evaluating aspects such as task interdependence, technical constraints, and ergonomic

considerations. Perhaps on an informal level, such aspects are evaluated. But when considering

job design, these aspects are expected to be obvious for everyone in the organization. For

example, managers would assume that employees find it obvious that plant processors in

Langley are dependant on the growers in Sumas to reap the product on time and ship it to the

Langley location for processing. For the most part, employees are aware of this. But it is an

overstatement to say that all organization members are aware of this process.

Prolux Lighting

Prolux Lighting utilizes its different departments (sales, projects, quotes, administration)


to look after job design for the positions that fall within their department. This method allows

for Prolux to ensure that the position’s tasks, duties and responsibilities actually match what is

needed within a particular department. Employees that are currently working in that

department can provide better insight to what is needed of an employee, and therefore can

develop a job design that best suits that particular departments needs. The job design process

is overseen and then approved by the Principal Administrator, Rick Feltan to ensure that job

design is clear and also allows for him to understand the type of human resources that he

needs to search for to fill the positions. Employee input and feedback is welcomed at Prolux

Lighting to foster an environment of openness that encourages new and innovative ideas from

employees. Prolux believes that “just because we do it one way, doesn’t mean it’s the best

way,” (Rick Feltan, personal communication, Oct. 21, 2012) and therefore they are open to new

ideas. “We welcome employee input, but don’t necessarily use it” (Rick Feltan, personal

communication, Oct. 21, 2012) unless it is beneficial to the entire organization.

Tasks, duties and responsibilities are separated according to positions at Prolux. There is

no general manager of the organization, but each position has its own set of tasks, duties and

responsibilities that are laid out by the owners. At Prolux Lighting, job “rotation is not feasible”

(Rick Feltan, personal communication, Oct. 21 2012) due to its small size. Typically employees

are hired for a particular position because they either possess or are willing to learn the skills

associated with the position. However, Prolux is flexible in helping employees feel that they are

going somewhere with the company through promotion, job enhancement or autonomy.

Employees are mostly aware of the tasks, duties and responsibilities that are associated with

their position prior to being hired. However, “things do change based on performance and the


current economic position of our company, and the busyness.” (Rick Feltan, personal

communication, Oct. 21, 2012) There is a lot of flexibility related to the position, as different

projects may require more/less work, or employees may be given more/less responsibility.

However, employees “are made aware of basic duties *and responsibilities+, but they are

subject to change as to what is best for *Prolux Lighting+.” (Rick Feltan, personal

communication, Oct. 21, 2012)

When comparing VNB and Prolux, VNB has a better grasp on job design. However, the

main focus for both organizations is to put emphasis on the efficiency and effectiveness of each

job. Job design is not a major priority for both organizations, with or without HR managers. The

job design for most positions within VNB have stayed the same and haven’t been evaluated for

an extremely long time, because these positions (in the minds of managers) are as effective as

can be, or as their constraints will allow. In the case of Prolux their main focus is having

employees who work efficiently. As an owner, manager, and the only person who executes HR

practices, for Rick Feltan, job design is closer to the bottom of the priority list.

V. Recruitment

Recruitment is essential part of both Van Noort Bulb and Prolux Lighting. The term

recruitment is defined as “the process of attracting suitable candidates for actual or planned

job vacancies” (Das, 2007). Both organizations have different recruitment processes to hire

efficient future employees.


Van Noort Bulb

Van Noort Bulb the larger organization with 120 employees carefully analyzes the

recruitment process step by step. Specifically, the human resource manager, Rachel Colyn is

assigned to deal with the recruitment process of new employees. Van Noort Bulb has grown as

an organization and has added the human resource department in recent years. In the past,

most of the owners were handling majority of the recruitment process in the organization.

Van Noort Bulb has committed to using the high-commitment strategy, which

establishes “a long term relationship with employees who become psychologically and

emotionally involved with the enterprise, with opportunities for personal and career

development built into employment practices” (Das, 2007). Van Noort Bulb prefers to look

internally within the organization before hiring externally. The organization finds benefits in

hiring internally because current employees are already familiar with how the organization

operates. This hiring policy aids employees in having a smooth transition from one position to

another within the organization. An example of an internal hire is when a warehouse worker is

promoted to an office worker. This promotion allows the employee to understand how

warehouse workers directly influence and impact the office worker’s duties and responsibilities.

Van Noort Bulb does advertise and hire employees externally during the busy season,

especially in the spring. A few methods utilized include employee referrals, Craigslist and the

occasional newspaper advertisement. Employee referrals are defined as current employees

referring job seekers to the human resource department (Das, 2007). Since Van Noort Bulb is a

family owned and operated company, employee referrals are accepted and considered

carefully. The human resource manager stated the main advertising source is “Craigslist – it’s


not very streamlined to what we do, but it’s great and it works well” (Rachel Colyn, personal

communication, October 2012). Not only is it cost-effective, but the postings always result in a

large number of responses. There aren’t many high level qualifications necessary for warehouse

workers, which makes Craigslist (a site that captures a wide range of people) a useful option.

“Everyone who looks for a job goes on there *because+ companies don’t want to pay for

Monster” (Rachel Colyn, personal communication, October 2012). Colyn believes that

advertising in newspapers is going extinct. However, whenever the company wants to hire

seasonal workers from Mexico, they must follow provincial guidelines that require

organizations to first place an advertisement in the local newspaper to make sure that equal

opportunity is given to locals.

The recent recruitment process that has been added to the organization is the

expansion of the summer internship program. Rachel added that, “summer internships are

something we’re looking into. We want to look into making relationships with colleges,

especially in Ontario, to see if we can get students to do co-ops” (Rachel Colyn, Personal

Communication, October 2012). Lastly, the organization hires contract workers during the busy

seasons. Van Noort Bulb, as explained by Rachel, hires returning workers through a contractor

(40 or 50 workers in Sumas). The contractor deals with the manager in Sumas.

Prolux Lighting

Prolux Lighting is a smaller organization, which currently employs 14 employees.

Therefore, their process of recruitment is very different compared to Van Noort Bulb, as they

do not have a human resource department or professional who specifically deals with the


recruitment process. All three owners are involved in the recruitment process when new

employees need to be hired in the organization. However, the principal administrator, Rick

Feltan, is much more involved with the recruitment and hiring process. There are no formal

guidelines set up for hiring new employees, as it is case-by-case bases. The organization also

uses high-commitment strategy to recruit and employ employees. Rick Feltan stated, “We

[Prolux Lighting] do not have temporary positions. We want career-orientated people versus

job orientated. We seek longevity in employees” (Rick Feltan, personal communication, Oct. 21,

2012). Furthermore, Prolux Lighting prefers to hire employees externally compared to

internally. As Rick Feltan stated, that they “hire employees we need to fill a position and hire

for that particular position. We would if the opportunity presented itself based on the

positions, but it hasn’t come to that. Some benefits would be that we know the employees

performance, there is employee loyalty, [and the] employee already has relationships with

Prolux and our customers” (Rick Feltan, personal communication, Oct. 21, 2012). Prolux

Lighting uses the Internet and employee referrals to hire new employees externally. Prolux

Lighting strives to hire “career-oriented employees” as stated by Rick Feltan. Additionally, all of

the employees working at Prolux Lighting are full-time employees. Compared to VNB they do

not have any student or part-time workers currently operating in the company.

Van Noort Bulb has the recruitment process well managed when compared to Prolux

Lighting. Van Noort Bulb has the human resource department that works full-time to ensure

the recruitment process is effective and efficient. Prolux Lighting does not have recruitment

process well established as they hire on a need to need basis. Therefore, if Prolux Lighting

continues to grow, it will need to establish a more effective recruitment process.


VI. Selection

Putting the right employees in the right position within the company is essential.

Selecting the best-suited candidate for the organization may require a variety of steps including

different types of interviews, specialized tests, and reference checks. If an organization really

wants to be thorough in finding the best candidate, they will utilize a combination of these

methods.

Van Noort Bulb

Van Noort Bulb has greatly improved their selection process over the years. Though

many resumes are dropped off in person, there is also a job application form that job seekers

can fill out as well, however this form isn’t mandatory. Often, the HR manager, Rachel, will

receive a resume and if she believes it looks promising she’ll invite the job seeker in

immediately for a courtesy interview. When Van Noort Bulb is looking for a new employee, all

the resumes that are collected will be sorted through immediately. After the sorting has

occurred and any candidates that really don’t have the right qualifications are put aside, Rachel

will conduct phone interviews. She believes that this further helps to discern potential

candidates for the position. After the phone calls are completed and the pool of candidates is

narrowed down even further, a set of interviews and tests take place.

• Face-to-face Interview: In this interview, HR and the manager for the department, which the

person is being hired for, will interview the potential candidate. Management will ask

from a list of questions. Different types of questions will be asked based the job type.

There may be more than one face-to-face interview also depending on whether the


position being hired for is a warehouse position or an office or management position.

• Selection Test: There is a variety of tests that Van Noort Bulb uses depending on the type of

position being hired for. Sometimes, when hiring for an office or management position,

potential employees will take the Kolbe test, which is a test designed to evaluate

personality. Van Noort Bulb also uses the Sigma assessment test, which is a personnel

assessment form filled out by new employees to assess verbal understanding and

quantitative math skills. Van Noort Bulb has also created and developed a test to

evaluate the ability of people to use Microsoft Excel. This test is mainly used to evaluate

office workers. Rachel has found this test to be extremely helpful, especially considering

that current office worker employees have designed this test and tailored it to Van

Noort Bulb’s specific needs.

• Individual’s Personality: Interviews also make notes on the energy level of each individual

who comes in for interviews. They also make notes on person’s punctuality and how

they are dressed for the interview. Moreover they will make notes on their confidence

level by evaluating eye contact and body language. The owner, Frank Van Noort,

acknowledged that sometimes bias does come into play when selecting a candidate. For

example, if the manager knows that the candidate has siblings already working for Van

Noort Bulb and they are hard workers, the manager will lean in favor of selecting this

particular candidate.

• Reference Checks: Once all the interviews are complete, the HR department will call to check

references provided by the candidate.

Rachel and the hiring manager make the final selection decision together. If they are


stuck between two candidates, they will list the pros and cons of each and move forward from

there.

Prolux Lighting

At Prolux Lighting, all potential employees either drop off or send in their resumes and

cover letters through email for the job listed on the website. The Principal Administrator, Rick

Feltan reviews the resumes and cover letters and selects candidate(s) for an initial interview.

The following sequence of events occurs for the selection process at Prolux Lighting:

Initial Interview: The Principal Administrator, Rick Feltan, who is one of the partners at

Prolux Lighting, interviews all selected candidates. Depending on the number of qualified

applicants for a position, interviewees may be called back for a second interview. Also,

depending on the position and the level of control that position requires, the candidate will

then be called back for a second interview.

Second Interview: If there is an inability to decide between qualified applicants during the

initial interview, candidates will then be asked back for a second interview. Either two or all

partners interview the candidate(s). Also, depending on the position and the level of control

and responsibility that position holds within Prolux, the candidate(s) will also be called back for

another interview. If the job is related to sales, then either one or both of the Principal(s) of

Sales will interview alongside the Principal Administrator. However, if the position is more so

related to clerical work, then the Principal Administrator and his assistant will conduct the

interview.

Individual’s Personality: Interviewers pay close attention to candidate’s body language,


confidence level and professionalism. Moreover, interviewers will make note on personal

hygiene, and proficiency in speaking English.

Ranking: Once all the interviews are complete all the candidates are ranked in comparison

with other interviewees. Each potential employee is ranked based on mutual decision by either

the Principal Administrator and his assistant, or all three Principals at Prolux Lighting.

Based on the size of Van Noort Bulb, their selection process is a lot more detailed than

Prolux Lighting’s. Van Noort Bulb includes steps like telephone screening to short-list

candidates, which saves time, whereas Prolux uses initial face-to-face interview to screen

candidates. Moreover, Van Noort Bulb also uses selections test for different types of jobs,

which helps them to screen incompetent candidates.

The comparison of the selection processes at both Van Noort Bulb and Prolux Lighting

shows that they both use processes that are the best fit for the size of their organizations. Van

Noort Bulb may have a more time-efficient approach, however, they also have an HR

professional to implement these processes and require many more employees. While Prolux

Lighting, may be less time-efficient, they do not have such an extensive hiring and selection

process because they do not require as many employees for their organization. Because of

Prolux Lighting’s small size, they focus more on personal interaction between potential

employees in order to determine who ‘fits’ best within the organization.

VII. Orientation

The orientation process can take shape in many different forms. Nevertheless, the

orientation process is a crucial part of introducing new hires into the company; effective


orientation programs familiarize new employees with their roles, the organization, and other

employees (Das, 2007). Both the companies discussed have some similarities and differences

when considering their orientation process.

Van Noort Bulb

Van Noort Bulb has a specified outline and time allotted for their orientation. The

whole process is said to take between 1-2 hours and is led by Rachel Colyn, the Human

Resource Manager. Initially the company had a two-day orientation process, but this was scaled

down and presented more concisely. The process begins with a quick Power Point presentation

on the history of the company followed by an explanation of the leadership positions and

owners within the company. Document signing and then a safety orientation follow this. This

process consists of giving a tour of the facilities pointing out hazards, and understanding

policies. This process can change with differing positions within the company. Lastly, Van Noort

Bulb also does job shadowing; the new hire gets placed with an experienced worker to get a

better understanding.

Van Noort Bulb gives each new hire an employee handbook. This handbook is given out

with the intention of helping employees understand management and operational policies,

employment practices and the responsibilities and rights of employees. However, this book is

only a general guide and the new hires are encouraged to talk with their supervisor regarding

its contents. On a whole, the handbook is very detailed and beneficial as a guideline to the

workings of Van Noort & Sons Bulb Company Ltd.

The whole orientation process is reviewed and followed up after 30 days, and then 90


days. In each follow up meeting the supervisor uses a specific form sheet to help understand

and welcome the employee. In the 30-day review form, the sheet asks nine questions that the

employee must respond to and scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The form ends

by asking if there is anything the company can do to help the individuals settle in. Following this

is the 3 month performance appraisal or 90 day review; this form is a bit more extreme and in

depth. This form helps the employee take an honest look at their experience with Van Noort

Bulb and where they hope to advance.

Overall, Rachel, the HR Manager, sees the orientation process as successful and suitable

to the size and functioning of the company. She believes that because of the size, there is an

easier opportunity to make individuals feel welcome, comfortable and safe.

Prolux Lighting

In regards to Prolux lighting, the company does not have a formal process for

orientation. The most common practice for Prolux is employee job shadowing to their related

position. Evidently, the current employee whom position parallels with the new hire, takes on

the responsibility of training and introducing the new employee to the company and their job

duties. However, before the employee jumps into their daily work procedures, they are given a

tour of the office, their desk and surroundings. Moreover, the individuals are introduced to

other staff members and given a run down on email password, login and the computer system.

This is followed by the expectations placed on them, which is then fully demonstrated by the

trainer along with equipment use and other responsibilities.

On top of this, the new hire is given a policy manual to review. In the Prolux Lighting


policy manual, many topics of employment are discussed. These topics range from employee

status, disciplinary rules, benefits, responsibility, safety, wage and salary, holidays, leave of

absence and general policies. All of these topics go into greater detail about what is expected,

where more information can be obtained and how to respond in certain situations. The policy

manual is given to the new employee as a ‘back up’ to the orientation where the individual has

a paper source to refer back to.

Following this partial orientation process, Prolux’s principal administrator meets with

the new hire the following day to review appropriate HR forms, benefit and banking forms. Of

course, this is followed by continuous check-ins to assure the employee is not overwhelmed

with their new workload. Rick Feltan (principal administrator) prefers that the employees do

the proper job even if it may take them longer; he recognizes that Prolux’s systems are complex

and does not want the new hire to feel that he/she is racing to keep up.

All in all, Prolux Lighting believes that this orientation process if the most effective

and beneficial process to introduce employee procedure, job responsibilities, office

environment, etc. and all position within the company are handled in the same manner with

job shadowing.

In comparison, both companies hold strong orientation processes that work for their

own specific company. This is necessary because “even the most qualified and competent new

hire requires initial training to familiarize them with the organizational culture and the job

duties.” (Das, 2007, p. 317) Moreover, although the cost and follow through of the orientation

process can be expensive and time consuming, it helps to reduce employee turnover and

production. Of course, there is always room for improvement with regards to the orientation


processes in place at both organizations. Prolux Lighting could focus in on some of the key

components within an orientation process that should be well mapped out and give direction.

In this sense, Prolux does leave a lot of the training and sorting out to the hands of other

employees, who may or may not have the new hires best interest in mind. Therefore, new hires

may fly under the radar and get lost in the chaos of the workday at Prolux Lighting. Some of the

benefits of a more direct orientation process would be to reduce errors and save time; both the

overall time of the company and the employees. Because there is such frequent job shadowing,

there may be more need for corrective discipline. Unless there is already a tight reign on

current employees, Prolux Lighting might have to spend more time recreating learned habits.

Of course, a great bonus would be to lessen employee anxiety; if an employee can feel

comfortable in their atmosphere and understand the ins and out, such as highlighted on the

Van Noort Bulb walk through, they may enter into their position with a lightened mood.

On the other hand, both companies provide excellent and thorough employee

handbooks that allow for the new hire to self teach and understand difficult concepts. Lastly,

both companies also include a follow up meeting with new hires. Van Noort Bulb’s follow up is

more structured and time specific which allows for a documented reference to see what is

positive and negative in the employees experience and can also be used as reference in the

three month evaluation. Seeking feedback from employees is a great tool in the development

of the individual.

VIII. Performance Management

Performance management is an ongoing process that identifies organizational vision


and objectives, installs organizational and individual performance standards, and ensures these

standards using systems well integrated with organization culture and practices.(Das, 2007, p.

2)

Van Noort Bulb

When Van Noort Bulb was founded, there was little to no performance management

systems in place. The owners were doing the majority of the performance management

process, if anything at all. However, over the last 8 years Van Noort Bulb has changed their

outlook and made an effort to create an effective and useful performance management

process. Now managers, along with the HR manager, are in charge of creating and

implementing the performance management process at Van Noort Bulb.

• Performance planning process: The owners have established a mission statement for the

organization. Using this mission statement, along with specific organizational strategies,

department managers and the HR manager were able to create and set SMART goals

with regards to performance management. Managers from each department work

together with the HR manager to identify the various goals, and performance standards

of the each employee at Van Noort Bulb.

• Performance facilitation process: VNB hasexcellent reward system in place that ties back to

the performance evaluation process in place. VNB provides monetary rewards like

increase in salary to its employees who perform above the performance standards.

Other factors such as job category, length of service and whether or not an employee

works part time or full time also factor into the rewards system. But performance


evaluations are an integral part of this rewards system that allows employees to tangibly

notice the results of their evaluation. Van Noort Bulb also gives away an annual gift to

all its employees to show their appreciation for the work and service they’ve completed.

These gifts are not attached to any sort of performance review. This has helped Van

Noort Bulb to create commitment among employees and improve employee morale.

• Performance Assessment: Van Noort Bulbconducts performance assessments of new

employees after 30 days from the date of hire. These assessments are simply a way to

make sure that the new employee is performing the job tasks that management wants

them to be performing. Then after 3 months, another performance assessment occurs.

Annual performance assessments occur from this point onwards. The performance

assessment is done according to the standards established by the managers and HR.

These assessments provide employees with clear goals and help them to overcome

performance gaps. Van Noort Bulb helps employees to improve performance by

providing training or by modifying the job standards.

Prolux Lighting

Prolux Lighting is a small organization founded in 1994 that currently employs 14

employees. The three owners of Prolux Lighting manage all employees and their performance.

Even with Prolux’s small size, the owners work with employees to set up SMART goals, which

are used as a tool to measure the employee's performance during reviews. As part of interview

process, Prolux asks all possible employees to list their strengths and weaknesses. These lists

help to also formulate employee goals and to gauge how the employee will fit within the


organization. As part of the performance facilitation process at Prolux, employees have a yearly

performance review to discuss their performance within the company. This review also

determines whether an employee receives a bonus or salary increase.

Prolux Lighting has set up a bonus reward system, where an employee can earn up to

10% of their salary, which is based on both their individual (50%) and company (50%)

performance. This system encourages employees to work hard both individually and

organizationally, as it is in their best interest for Prolux to perform well.

Salary increases are also reviewed annually at Prolux Lighting. These are also based

on individual performance and company performance, as well as inflation and/or market

wages. Prolux wants to remain competitive within the industry, and therefore must offer

competitive wages to its employees.

Currently all performance reviews are performed on an annual basis. During these

reviews Prolux Lighting provides constructive criticism and praise to each employee. Any issues

that the employee or Prolux Lighting is facing, is also discussed during this time with the

employee. Prolux also works together with employees to review the previous goals they had

created, and set up new goals to work towards. Performance reviews at Prolux Lighting are

meant to foster an environment of learning and are to be seen as a positive experience. Prolux

only wants its employees to succeed in their jobs, and wants to do all they can to help them

achieve their best, as their employee’s performance directly influences Prolux’s performance.

Both Van Noort Bulb and Prolux Lighting have effective performance management

processes in place considering the size of their organizations. Van Noort Bulb and Prolux take

time to create goals with each of their employees, and have reward systems in place. These


goals assist in promoting commitment and individual and organizational success among

employees. Employee performance reviews are an effective way for both organizations to

interact with their employees and work towards creating a more efficient and successful

organization.

IX. Training & Development

Training and development covers a broad spectrum, yet, the main focus is to bring up

employees in hopes to advance and maintain the company’s success. In other words, the most

valuable part of organizational resources is the employee, which “means that the organization

has to constantly develop employee capabilities and potential create settings where employees

continuously learn and develop creative solutions to emerging challenges” (Das, 2007). Of

course, each company practices different ways of training and development.

Van Noort Bulb

In the same way Van Noort Bulb also views training and development as an

opportunity for hands on learning. For instance, once an employee starts with the company

they are initially matched up with a current employee so that they can get a firm grasp on the

organization’s functions and processes. On the other hand, Van Noort Bulb places great

importance on enhancing their employees by continuous development, such as having the sales

and management employees taking courses that pertain to their roles. These courses occur

outside of the company. The only mandatory annual training would be with regards to safety

courses. Yet, development opportunities such as webinars occur often within the organization


on an as needed basis. Moreover, the training process does boil down to timing. Most of the

training happens in the less busy seasons and at Van Noort Bulb’s annual meeting in May. As

mentioned earlier, safety training is always required, but Van Noort Bulb allows for

development in other areas as long as the employee desires the training. As Frank Van Noort,

one of the owners puts it, “ask and you shall receive”. He is encouraged by the individuals that

take initiative to pursue advancement. This helps to explain Van Noort Bulb’s focus on cognitive

training as their main point of development. Cognitive training “is the deepening of employee

thoughts and ideas through new knowledge and process changes” (Das, 2007). This process of

training parallels with Frank Van Noort’s passion for initiative and self-improvement. All courses

that focus on individual development and growth, which in turn benefit the company, are

always paid for. Often times, the courses taken help the individual to reach new levels of

performance resulting in potential monetary bonuses. The bonus is determined by whether the

employee is full or part time, their length of service, performance review and job classifications.

Prolux Lighting

In discussion with Prolux lighting a few questions of training and development were

reviewed. Prolux defines their form of training as the procedure manuals that are made

available for employees. The company also uses job shadowing as the main form of

development and training. Prolux has their employees learn from experience rather than by

formal training. In other words, development training is driven with a situational approach that

exposes “employees to different settings and contexts to teach of the employee new skills,

attitudes and values” (Das, 2007), which in turn fosters a culture of learning and development.


Prolux believes that using on the job training is the most beneficial and effective way to

promote and build up their employees within the company. However, the offer for employees

to receive more formal training or visit conferences is available, but not necessarily promoted

because of Prolux’s disappointing past experiences with those forms of training. Moreover, any

employees that seek out extra training and development are provided with funding for this as

long as it pertains to the betterment of their job and duties within Prolux Lighting. This

development is then based off of past performance to determine if the training is efficient and

useful to Prolux Lighting and the individual

When considering the two companies in comparison, both hold qualities that strive to

enhance their employees and the organization as a whole. Moreover, both companies are

aware of the performance gap analysis, which involves a careful examination of a firm’s

functioning at organizational, structural and system, process or task, and employee levels in

order to identify performance deficiencies. In return this helps the company understand the

need or lack thereof for training. Moreover, this analysis helps to target where the deficiency

lies. Since Prolux is a smaller company, they may be able to easily focus on whether there are

performance deficiencies because of a few individuals or within the whole workforce there

needs to be a redirection of training. Whereas, Van Noort Bulb may understand their internal

structure better with having HRM in place to manager systemic deficiency so there would be

less overall deficiency. Moreover, the HRM may have a better understanding of where the

deficiency is coming from and whether it is limited to one area of performance or all aspects.


X. Conclusion of Hypothesis

We believe that depending on the size of the organization, it may be beneficial for a

larger organization to employ a Human Resources professional in order to design, standardize

and implement necessary formalized HR procedures. However, we’ve found that an

organization with much less employees would see less benefit from hiring a full time HR

professional.

Regardless, smaller organizations can still find value in applying HR practices to their

organizations. So even if a full time HR professional is unnecessary, expanding one’s knowledge

of HR applications and how it can benefit one’s company, no matter how few employees, is

always a worthwhile endeavor.


XI. Appendix

Project Interview Questions

Performance Management

Do you consider the ‘SMART’ method when considering performance management?
(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely). If so, do you think it is
beneficial?
Do you ask employees to complete a self-appraisal form before you discussing there
performance review?
What is the purpose for the performance review and how often do you evaluate
your employees? Who works to evaluate these reviews?
Do you talk to employees about how there performance will be reviewed before
they start their job? If so, who determines the goals? Are employees allowed to set
personal goals?
How do you follow through the performance goals after evaluation? Do you wait
until next evaluation or have meeting in between?
HRP
How does your organization go about predicting how many people you will need to
hire in the future and what type of skills they should have? What specific tools do
you use to carry out these predictions
If you were to determine the likelihood of workers moving to different job positions
within the organization how would you do it?
How do you assess the internal supply of human resources in your organization?
When you have too many employees working for you what kind of strategy do you
use to reduce the amount of people in your organization (besides layoffs)?
When you have a shortage of employees working for you what kind of strategy do
you use to increase the amount of people in your organization (besides hiring full
time workers)?

Selection - Job application form


What does your initial screening process look like for applicants? What are some of
the advantages of this process and what are some of the disadvantages?
What kinds of tests have you used when selecting candidates? For which types of
jobs were these tests required?
What does your typical interview look like? How many people are in the room?
What specific things do you pay attention to when you first interview a job
candidate?
What type of biases do you feel come into play when selecting a candidate?

Recruitment - recruitment policy and procedures

When looking at the employee relationship within the organization does the
organization use a low-commitment strategy or a high-commitment strategy?
Low-commitment strategy is when the organization is hiring employees on an as-
needed basis, allocating them to tasks, which need little training, and terminating
when those tasks are no longer needed
High-commitment strategy is establishing a close, long-term relationship with
employees who become psychologically and emotionally involved with the enterprise,
with opportunities for personal and career development built into employment
practices
Does the organization promote employees internally before hiring employees
externally? If so, what are the benefits of hiring internally?
What methods are used to advertise and hire employees externally? Such as
employee referrals, job fairs etc. Does the organization provide summer internships
or co-op opportunities for students?
Does the organization hire contract or leased workers? If so, what are the benefits?
What is the range of employees currently working in the organization? For example,
are they full-time, part-time, skilled, semi-skilled, etc. (percentage)

Orientation


- What orientation process does your organization currently have set in place for
new hires? Who is responsible for implementing orientation? How long does the
orientation process take? Describe a typical first day for a new employee.
- Does your organization have an employee handbook that explains the policies,
procedures and general information about the company?
- Is there any form of orientation follow-up with new hires?
- Do you think that your current orientation process is effective to introducing
employees to procedures, job responsibilities, office environment and
equipment, job and performance expectations?
- Does the orientation process change depending on position within the
organization?

Job Design

- Are different departments in charge of job design relating to that department?
Or who is in charge of job design?
- Is employee input and feedback welcome within your organization? Do
employees have a say/opportunity to input into the tasks and duties they are
responsible for?
- Are tasks, duties and responsibilities separated according to positions?
- Is there room in your organization for job rotation? Promotion?
- Are employees aware before they are hired of the tasks, duties and
responsibilities associated with their position?

Training and Development

1) How do you define training and development?
2) Would you consider your company to foster a culture of learning and development?
Explain. Who is in charge of the training process within your organization?
3) How many positions within your company require continuous training? Do you
implement any annual or bi-annual training and development courses?


4) If you do focus on development, where would you say you focus your attention:
cognitive training, behavioral training, or situation training? If so, why and what are
some examples?

Cognitive training: deepening employee thoughts and ideas through new knowledge
and process changes (e.g., lecture, seminars, and academic education)
Behavioral approaches: changing employee behaviors through experiential exercises
(e.g., behavior modeling, role play, and team-building exercise)
Situational approach: exposing the employee to different settings and contexts to
teach the employee new skills, attitudes and values (e.g., job rotation, employee
exchanges)

7) Do you offer any bonus or rewards for extra training and development? How is
employee training encouraged? How do you ensure that the training is effective for an
employee within the company? Do you use on or off the job training? Why?


XII. Works Cited

Das, H. (2007) Recruitment, Selection and Deployment of Human Resources. Toronto: Pearson

Education Canada

Prolux Lighting. (2012). Prolux. Retrieved fromhttp://www.prolux.com/about.php

Rachel Colyn, Personal Communication, October 2012.

Rick Feltan, Personal Communication, October 21, 2012.

Van Noort Bulb Co. (2012). Van Noort Bulb Company. Retrieved from

http://www.vannoortbulb.com/

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