What Strengths and What Shortcomings Do You See in the Approach That Central Bank Is Taking to Fill This Position?

Question 1: What strengths and what shortcomings do you see in the approach that Central Bank is taking to fill this position? Justify your answer

Strength 1 – Internal Recruitment

Out of the three candidates, Central Bank is also considering one of their internal employees for the position. Internal hiring is a great source for recruitment and has many benefits. As other employees notice a co-worker being promoted it will result in positive reactions. Also, internal recruiting will allow for costs to be low as well as a shorter orientation since the individual will already be familiar with the organization. “As part of the recruitment process, several candidates…while considering Central Bank’s recently established vision, mission and values.” (Case Pg. 5) With internal recruiting the bank will ensure the factors mentioned will be achieved as Charlotte should already be aware of the vision, mission and values. As the position is for senior management it is important to have it filled in a timely manner therefore the benefit is Charlotte would not require as much orientation for the new position.

Strength 2 – Interviews

The two other candidates besides Charlotte are external and have been interviewed by an executive search firm before being interviewed by the VP, Executive Resources, Central Bank. This is a key strength as the executive search firm would filter out any candidates it would not see being suitable for the position thus ensuring in candidates who are the right fit for the organization to move forward in the selection process. Since the applicants are going through a dual interview system, the organization can get a comprehensive assessment of how the candidate is. The only downside may be the search firm charging the bank for its services however in this case the benefits would far exceed the costs.

Strength 3 – Job Analysis

The final key strength is the job positing provided by Central Bank. It is extremely vital to have a clear and descriptive job analysis for any potential new hires coming into the organization and Central Bank does a great job in outlining the following: purpose of position, accountabilities of position, competencies and attributes required. As mentioned in the course, a job analysis helps for recruitment efforts – “more time spent up front results in less problems later.” (Notes, Class 3) The last thing an organization would want is for an employee to disagree with certain tasks and say, “I was never told I would have to do this” or, “I never agreed to this.” Ensuring in transparency is important and by reviewing the job posting, the interested candidate can make a well-informed decision to move forward or withdraw. This helps in saving time for both the recruiter and applicant.  

Weakness 1 – Structured Interviews

As shown in Exhibit 3, it seems as if the interview questions consisted of both situational and behavioural questions. As mentioned during the class, it is better to follow an unstructured interview when dealing with positions of high seniority. All three candidates are highly qualified and have held senior positions so asking general behavioural or situational questions may not allow the bank to completely “see through the answers.” If the job positing was for an entry level bank teller the current interview questions would be applicable however that is not the case. Some of the competencies are based around leadership skills and managing others so I would focus the questions on those expects to get a better understanding as to how the candidate has demonstrated leadership qualities or managed others effectively. In the case Smith’s former supervisor provides an indication of what is needed: build new team…, employ a person who can build trust/relationships with other segments. The questions should also try to incorporate these points.

Weakness 2 – Diversity

Given the names of the candidate’s, it seems as if the bank is not being diverse with its hiring. One of the core values for Central Bank is fairness and by promoting a fair workplace where inclusion is important would be one of the ways to achieve this. Canada believes in multi-culturalism and many organizations promote workplace diversity. As the head of HR for Central Bank, I would ensure the list of selected applicants reflects diversity. Central Bank wants to “employ a person who can build trust/relationships with other segments to grow business.” (Case Pg. 6) By employing multilingual employees, the organization can expand its business as it will be able to communicate through cultural boundaries and diversity would also result in a competitive edge over other organizations.