1. Junelle Jacob
BUS 280
Professor Julie Budzik
Research Paper: Ethics and Social Responsibility
Human resource management is defined as the process of managing human talent to
achieve organizational goals. Although this definition appears to be relatively simplistic,
adequately managing human capital is a complex undertaking. An organizations performance is
driven by the people it employs. The organizations capacities to recruit, capitalize, invest and
retain quality human capital are just a few of the many challenges faced by Human Resource
Management.
When recruiting, Human Resource professionals must consider the goals and capabilities
of the organization. A firm must consider whether internal or external recruiting best fits their
structural goals. When recruiting internally an organization can capitalize on the investment they
made in recruiting, training, and developing their current employee. The firm is already familiar
with the individual’s work ethic, ability, and their performance. Employees tend to work harder
when they have incentive or something to work toward, such as the possibility of promotion.
Employers need to grasp the fact that good employees are worth keeping. It is the employer’s
duty to motivate employees for the benefit of the company’s success. When an employee feels
insignificant, they will work as such. Internal recruitment is one of the best sources for adequate
utilization of human capital and it boosts employee morale. A manager must know where to start
when seeking qualified internal candidates.
Some managers use performance appraisals to identify internal talent. Successful
performers are great candidates for promotion. They have an outstanding history with the
company and can be trusted. A comparative diagram called the 9- Box grid is often used to

2. measure the developmental needs of the employee and permits effective training for effective
performance enhancement. This diagram is a way for managers to easily access and review an
employee’s existing performance and potential capabilities. Firms also keep inventories of their
employee’s skills for easy reference when seeking internal candidates for recruitment. This
particular tool tracks the employees education, work experience, occupational interests, specific
skills, compensation history, and job tenure, to see how it could benefit the firm.
However if the position cannot be filled internally due to insufficient qualifications then
external recruitment is unavoidable. Jobs that require specialized training and experience cannot
always be easily filled from within the organization. According to Scott Snell and George
Bohlander, most CEO’s are hired eternally. People often think that the CEO of a company would
be a native of the firm. Some firms believe that an external candidate could serve as a source for
innovation and creativity. Sometimes you need someone from the outside to see the big picture,
an external source that will make suggestions based on fact and not on an emotional attachment
to a particular practice or methodology.
Advertisements, internet or social networking, job fairs, employee referrals, rerecruiting,
executive search firms, public and private employment agencies, are just a few sources of
external recruitment. Recruiters can reach a wide range of candidates through these particular
methods of external recruitment. Nonetheless, when externally recruiting the firm is taking a
chance on an employee they have very little knowledge about. If a firm must hire externally it
should be at the top level of management.
Regardless of whether an employee is recruited internally or externally, it is the
manager’s duty to facilitate the expansion of the firm’s talent pool. Respectable managers are
attentive to their employee’s aspirations and take on the role of a formal mentor. They recognize

3. and acknowledge the strengths of their employees, offering continuous feedback on
performance, and serve as a counsel to enable development. Managers and their employees are a
team and should work together to achieve the common goal, to efficiently and effectively meet
the needs of the organization.
Research shows that an organization’s revenues and overall profitability are positively
correlated to the amount of training it gives its employees ( ). When developing a
training program the organization must keep their goals in mind. Some firms tend to get
distracted while trying to compete with other businesses and loss sight of their own objectives.
Resulting in poorly designed, misdirected, and ineffective training programs, which can be a
complete waste of money. A way for firms to maximize the impact of their training and
development investment is to formulate a strategic and systematic plan. They need to formulate a
training program that will equip the workers with the tools necessary to productively support the
firms operation.
Snell and Bohlander mention four phases to generate an effective training program. The
first phase it to conduct a needs assessment based on the firms competitive objective. There are
three forms of analysis that need to be conducted to complete the assessment, which are
organizational analysis, task analysis, and person analysis. Organizational analysis determines in
which areas training emphasis should be placed. The firm must evaluate their central focus and
determine where and how they would like to make the improvements. Task analysis determines
the training content based on the duties involved in the job. The firm must identify the
mandatory skills and abilities to support performance enhancement. Person analysis determines
which individuals need the training. As I mentioned earlier, performance appraisals is an
accurate source to use when benchmarking employee performance. This is another reason why I

4. support internal recruitment. Firms use this tool to identify which individuals need to partake in
the training program. It is unnecessary to train employees in an area that they are already
proficient in.
The second phase is to design the training program. The programs design should place
emphasis on at least four related issues according to Snell and Bohlander. Which are the training
instructional objectives, the vigilance and enthusiasm of the trainees, the principles of learning,
and the characteristics of the instructors. The instructional objectives should focus on the desired
outcome of the training program. Training objectives that are performance based are typically
conducted under specific terms. Some firms want to observe the benefits of their training efforts
and expect the employees to improve their performance within a specified period of time. When
concerning the issue trainee readiness and motivation, it is the managers duty to explain the
benefits to the employee. Some firms use surveys to solicit employee feedback about the training
program. The employer needs to help the employee understand the benefits of the training
initiative. The more enthused the trainee becomes, the more engaged they will be in the process.
An employee that is motivated and driven to succeed will acquire more knowledge and will be
eager to take what they have learned and apply it to their work. The Principles of learning should
also be considered in order to create a comfortable learning environment to facilitate an effective
training program. These principles include goal setting, the purpose of presentation, modeling,
individual differences, active practice and repetition, whole vs. part learning, massed vs.
distributed learning, feedback and reinforcement.
Phase three is the implementation of the training program. When implementing training
program in the work place there are a variety of methods that an organization can choose from. A
firm must choose the method most appropriate for the needs of their employees. Often firms

5. choose on the job training because it provides hands on experience, which allows trainees to
physically participate in the training activities. I myself prefer this method of training.
Apprenticeship and Internship training are similar in that the trainee works directly under an
expert in the field and is provided with on the job and off the job training to facilitate
proficiency. Internships are scheduled by an educational institution who partner up with
cooperating organizations to train students as a fieldwork experience course requirement.
Another commonly used method is classroom training, which has proven to be quite effective. It
is a combination of lectures, and demonstrations that are combined with audiovisual material,
such as films or computer and online instruction aids. This particular method of training is
referred to as blended learning.
Promoting employees within the organization and investing in their training and
education is key when enhancing human capital. The capacity to promote within the organization
is an ideal situation in my opinion. From what I have observed from my work experience and
educational training is half the battle. This can easily be achieved through enhanced job
satisfaction initiatives. Employers should be mindful of their employees wants and needs in order
to accurately accommodate them. For example if an employer is appreciative of his employees
and decides to spend a great deal of money into building a recreational area for his employees,
one would say his heart is in the right place. However, if his employees have no desire to use a
rec room and are experiencing financial hardships, then money is wasted. They would have
valued a bonus of some sort rather than the recreation area. It is imperative for a manager to
know what his employees value in order to accommodate them. I have always admired
businesses that cater to their employee’s needs. Businesses that value their employees and are
concerned with the overall employee job satisfaction develop loyal employees. Workers feel

6. appreciated and often feel a sense of obligatory loyalty to the company and will devote their
efforts to the success of the business. I believe that keeping employees satisfied, knowing their
strengths and investing in their talents will result in organizational success. A quarter of the
battle is recruitment, finding qualified candidates require a great amount of thought and
planning. Once the perfect candidate is located and becomes part of the team, they are now an
asset to the company that only appreciates. It is up to the firm to take advantage of their human
capital and make it work for them. They must give the employee a reason to stay and train them
to perform to the standards of the organization. Once the employee is adequately trained it is up
to the firm to retain their investment. A loyal employee is what makes the investment worth it.
Some firms spend money to train and educate their employees and then overlook the fact that the
employees will leave if they are dissatisfied with their jobs. Another organization will jump at
the opportunity to benefit from your adequately trained employee. If you are loyal to the
employee they will be loyal to the organization. A loyal employee feels a sense of entitlement
and they take ownership of their job and they take pride in their performance. “Cater to their
needs and they will accurately, efficiently, and effectively perform their deeds.”
In my BUS100 course I took at Reading Area Community college we discussed Maslow
and his Hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is displayed on a pyramid like
diagram, with the most basic needs toward the bottom of the pyramid and the more complex
needs at the peak. Maslow’s divides an individual’s basic needs into five categories. Maslow
believed that people are motivated to achieve certain needs, and once one is fulfilled, the person
seeks to fulfill the next. The first human necessity is the Physiological need, which is food, air,
and water, which is necessary for human survival. It also includes clothing and shelter, which
provide basic protection from the elements. These needs can easily be fulfilled through adequate

7. employment compensation. The next phase focuses on personal safety and security needs, such
as financial security, which can be obtained through job stability. The health and well-being of
an individual is also part of this phase, which can be satisfied through employee health benefits
and a safe work environment. The next need pertains to an individual’s desire to belong and to be
loved. Humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among their social groups,
regardless of whether these groups are large or small. This can be achieved through employee
involvement and team projects.