Tanglewood Department Store Case Study

Tanglewood Department Store

Marilyn Gonzalez, Vice President for Human Resources

Daryl Perrone, Staffing Services Director

Your name

Tanglewood Stores Case #1

August 31, 2015

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………... 3

Purpose

Research and Analysis………………………………………………………... 3-9

Findings

Conclusions and Recommendation………………………………………….... 9

Introduction

Tanglewood department stores goal is to “centralize and improve the human resource function” within the organization (Kammeyer-Mueller 10). To improve the organizations inefficiencies, thirteen staffing strategies will be used below to help determine some key staffing options for the organization. Staffing is defined as “the process of acquiring, deploying, and retaining a workforce of sufficient quantity and quality to create positive impacts on the organization’s effectiveness” (Heneman III, Judge, Kammeyer-Mueller 8).

Staffing Levels

1. Acquire or Develop Talent

With the recent growth and openings of new stores, Tanglewood needs to use the pure acquisition staffing strategy and acquire new employees that “can hit the ground running” (Heneman III, Judge, Kammeyer-Mueller 26). This means that Tanglewood needs to acquire employees that can “be at peak performance the moment they arrive” (Heneman III, Judge, Kammeyer-Mueller 26, 27). The pure acquisition strategy will keep any future expansions at an ease for the organization.

The Tanglewood employees all make suggestions and work together in a way that creates opportunities for developed talent. Tanglewood employees who have “management potential, spend a period of time working in the store as an associate,” so talent should be developed within (Kammeyer-Mueller 9). The pure development strategy will keep employees longer, because they have room to develop themselves in higher level positions.

2. Hire Yourself or Outsource

Although, outsourcing can be beneficial, it is not recommended that Tanglewood uses this option at this time. Outsourcing will decrease the control it currently has over making decisions for the organization. Also, in order to “carry the Tanglewood philosophy into the future,” the organization needs to avoid outsourcing and use the human resource professionals within to help with selection of new employees (Kammeyer-Mueller 4).

3. External or Internal Hiring

Since Tanglewood is expanding and “the organization feels there absolutely must be a workforce of committed, qualified individuals who will help carry the Tanglewood philosophy into the future, then internal hiring should be done (Kammeyer-Mueller 4). The current employees should be promoted within. External hiring will need to be used to fill the vacancies once all promotions have been made.

4. Core or Flexible Workforce

Although, a flexible workforce could help Tanglewood with the recent growth and expansion of the company, it is not recommended to use that option. A flexible workforce is temporary employees “used on an as-needed basis” (Heneman III, Judge, Kammeyer-Mueller 27). The logical solution is to use a core workforce. A core workforce consists of the organizations “regular full-time or part-time employees” (Heneman III, Judge, Kammeyer-Mueller 27). Core will be a better solution, because the “organization feels there absolutely must be a workforce of committed, qualified individuals who will help carry the Tanglewood philosophy” (Kammeyer-Mueller 4).

5. Hire or Retain

Tanglewood should retain current employees and follow all other staffing instructions. Also, turnovers should be kept at a minimum to avoid any inconsistences within the organization. In order to keep stability within the organization and to continue the philosophy, then Tanglewood needs to retain its current employees using internal hiring, a core workforce, and only hiring when vacancies need to be filled.

6. National or Global

Over the years of expansion, Tanglewood “has involved buyouts of several smaller chains of department stores,” which is why the staffing practices need to stay the same (Kammeyer-Mueller 4). In order for Tanglewood to continue expansions or buyouts, they need to be able to compete with other department stores or retailers that sell the same products as Tanglewood. In order to do so they will have to continue outsourcing and offshoring. Whether Tanglewood outsources to get cheaper products to maintain prices for consumers or chooses to offshore their business to extend their company in other geographical locations, they need to maintain the Tanglewood philosophy. Staffing “must be a workforce of committed, qualified individuals” (Kammeyer-Mueller 4). The store philosophy nationally or globally must consist of “If you tell someone exactly what to do, you’re only getting half an employee. If you give someone the space to make their own decisions, you’re getting a whole person” (Kammeyer-Mueller 8).

7. Attract or Relocate

Tanglewood should “choose locations where there are ample labor supplies” (Heneman III, Judge, Kammeyer-Mueller 29). Since Tanglewood is a retailer that sells “clothing, appliances, electronics, and home décor,” which is a retailer that is needed in almost all locations keeping stores near supplies will help reduce costs (Kammeyer-Mueller 3). Also, locations with colleges will help attract potentially educated employees who