This document provides an outline and introduction for a final project on human resources management at Van Noort Bulb Co. and Prolux Lighting. It discusses the organizations, their sizes and operations. It also outlines topics that will be covered in the project such as human resource planning, job design, recruitment, selection, orientation, performance management, training and development. The hypothesis is that organizations with dedicated HR departments and professionals are more effective at managing human resources.

1. Fall
12
BUSI 352 HR Management Final Project:
Van Noort Bulb & Prolux Lighting
Mackenzie Dunn, Kam Dhanu, Brittany Feltan, Amrit Kooner & Tessa Van Noort

2. 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

3. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 2
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.

4. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 3
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.

5. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 4
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

6. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 5
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.

7. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 6
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.

8. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 7
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

9. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 8
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)

10. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 9
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

11. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 10
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.

12. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 11
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

13. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 12
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

14. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 13
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.

15. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 14
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

16. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 15
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

17. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 16
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,

18. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 17
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

19. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 18
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

20. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 19
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

21. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 20
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

22. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 21
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

23. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 22
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

24. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 23
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

25. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 24
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

26. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 25
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

27. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 26
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.

28. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 27
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.

29. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 28
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.

30. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 29
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

31. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 30
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

32. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 31
- 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?

33. Van Noort Bulb Co. & Prolux Lighting 32
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?

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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/