Walmart Case

Chris Mittlestaedt utilizes the mission and values of the company to support HR functions.

He is often asked to speak to business/HR professionals and students. In many of his speeches and interviews he shares how he learned early in his career about HR and importance of having the right person in the right position and ensuring they value the company's mission. This is how he developed his selection process. He focuses on job person fit and looks for those who will uphold the standards of quality and customer service, which FruitGuys is known for. He also mentions the importance of remaining current on trends that affect your business directly and indirectly. One major trend that Chris has focused on is projected growth in relation to staffing levels. There were times when Chris wanted to hire more staff, but because of uncertainty he did not. This is one of reasons of FruitGuys has such a small workforce. With a smaller workforce, functional areas are often not represented. I would recommend decentralization in order to improve operations.

Another trend that Chris has examined is social media. FruitGuys first started in 1998, but in 2002 the company went under because it could not compete in the dot.com market. Realizing the impact that the web and social media can have on a business, Chris sees them as opportunities and not threats and has utilized them to secure deliveries with large and small businesses.

Chris Mittlestaedt utilizes the mission and values of the company to support HR functions.

He is often asked to speak to business/HR professionals and students. In many of his speeches and interviews he shares how he learned early in his career about HR and importance of having the right person in the right position and ensuring they value the company's mission. This is how he developed his selection process. He focuses on job person fit and looks for those who will uphold the standards of quality and customer service, which FruitGuys is known for. He also mentions the importance of remaining current on trends that affect your business directly and indirectly. One major trend that Chris has focused on is projected growth in relation to staffing levels. There were times when Chris wanted to hire more staff, but because of uncertainty he did not. This is one of reasons of FruitGuys has such a small workforce. With a smaller workforce, functional areas are often not represented. I would recommend decentralization in order to improve operations.

Another trend that Chris has examined is social media. FruitGuys first started in 1998, but in 2002 the company went under because it could not compete in the dot.com market. Realizing the impact that the web and social media can have on a business, Chris sees them as opportunities and not threats and has utilized them to secure deliveries with large and small businesses.