HR Proposal Assignment Management Essay Research Paper

MGMT 321

Human Resource Proposal

You are working as an HR assistant at an organization.  Your boss (me) has asked you to write a proposal for the development of a new Human Resource system focused on a specific job within your organization.  Before you begin, complete your plan for approaching your paper.

Final Due Date (from syllabus): ____________________

1. Choose a job.

• You get to choose which job to write about.  Select a job from the list below:
  • Yoga instructor
  • English as a second language instructor
  • Tattoo artist
  • Auto mechanic
  • Website developer
  • Promoter of musical events and concerts
• You may also choose a job that is not on the list as long as you check with me first.

2. Choose a topic (Recruiting OR Selection).

• Choose one of the two topics (recruiting OR selection).  Do not write about BOTH topics!   
• Your paper must be less than four typed-pages total (12 point Times Roman font, double spaced, one inch margins).
• Write the paper as a proposal. This writing assignment is not a “report,” it is a “proposal.”  As such, you writing style, tone, and content should come across as authoritative and persuasive.  Your job is to convince me (your boss) that your ideas should be implemented.  Feel free to use reasonable creative liberties when describing the organization you work at (which is the same organization that employs the job you selected).  You can make-up an organization if you’d like, or use a real organization. 

3. Conduct research.

• You are required to research and cite AT LEAST two academic or professional articles or websites. 
• The articles or websites you research and cite must be from the sources listed in Appendix A of this document or from another professional or academic source.  If you want to use a source that is not listed on Appendix A, please ask me first; I will check the source to verify that it meets professional and/or academic standards. 
• Your grade will be influenced by your ability to effectively incorporate value-added research into your proposal.  A casual “mention” of a source without elaborating on the utility of the source will result in point deductions.

4. Develop your recruitment or selection system

• Content points will be awarded based on the degree to which your proposed recommendations are rational, well justified, and demonstrate understanding, appropriate application, and thoughtful integration of course concepts. 
• You also may demonstrate creativity in how you present your persuasive proposal and the recruiting or selection approach you propose. Although your proposal can benefit from creative ideas, your ideas also must be effective and appropriate!
• Clarity of writing points will be awarded based on my assessment of tone, style, and ease of reading. 
• The grading rubric for each topic/paper is posted on Blackboard.  Please consult this rubric for a better understanding of the criteria against which your paper will be assessed.
• See below for additional detail on each type of proposal.

5. Determine how you will evaluate the effectiveness of your proposed system.

• Using EEO, reliability, and validity concepts discussed in class, describe how you will measure the effectiveness of your proposed recruitment or selection system.
• Describe short-term and long-term metrics that you will use to determine the effectiveness of your proposed system.
• Describe what potential actions you could take to further improve or refine your proposed system, if the metrics reveal that the system could be improved.

6. Write your paper, structured as three sections.

1) Job Overview – A brief description of the job. 

2) Your proposal for EITHER a new recruiting approach for this job OR a new selection process for this job.

3) Evaluation – How you will determine whether your proposed recruiting or selection system is working effectively.

7. Have your paper edited and proofread.

• In keeping with adopted School of Management-wide writing competency guidelines, assignments that display frequent problems that cause me to halt or struggle as I read you paper will be returned to you ungraded and you will receive a 0 for the assignment. Examples of these issues include poor sentence construction, poor grammar, run-on sentences, fragments, poor spelling, lack of appropriate punctuation and extreme disorganization. 
• If needed, please consult with The Writing Center as soon as possible to obtain assistance with your writing – make an appointment early to ensure that you can get the help you need. 
• You can find guidance on punctuation and grammar at the following website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

8. Submit your paper to the Draft SafeAssign on Blackboard.

• To access SafeAssign, log onto Blackboard and the class webpage.  Under the “HR Proposal” folder, you will see two SafeAssign submission options.  The Draft SafeAssign allows you to submit a draft of your paper to check for plagiarism. 
• Click on the icon for Draft SafeAssign.  Upload your paper as directed.  CLICK THE SUBMIT BUTTON on the bottom of the page where you upload your paper.
• You may submit your paper to the Draft SafeAssign multiple times.
• I will not review papers submitted to the Draft SafeAssign. 
• Failure to follow these instructions will result in point deductions.  If you have any difficulties, please take the initiative to troubleshoot yourself by using the help feature on Blackboard.  Do not rely on me being available to handle last-minute questions or problems.  Do not wait until immediately before the due date to submit your paper to SafeAssign.

9. Submit your paper to the Final SafeAssign on Blackboard before the due date.

• When your paper is finalized, submit your final paper to the Final SafeAssign. 
• I will grade the paper that you submit to the Final SafeAssign.
• You MUST submit your paper to the Final SafeAssign no later than the beginning of class on the due date.  Papers that are not submitted to Final SafeAssign by the beginning of class on their due date will be considered late and penalties will be assessed as noted in the syllabus.   
• You do not need to turn in a paper copy of your paper.

Topic 1. Recruitment Proposal Outline

• Job Overview
  • Explain the essential duties and any skill, knowledge, education or ability requirements. 
  • Briefly describe the organization/location where the job is situated.
  • Assume that the organization is sufficiently large enough/has adequate resources to develop a robust HR system.  What is the industry, how many employees? Assume that there are currently two openings for this job and you need to hire new employees as efficiently and effectively as possible. 
• Recruitment Proposal
  • Explain how you would ensure that you have a qualified set of applicants. 
  • What is/are the most appropriate recruitment strategy(ies) and why? 
  • Part of your grade will be based on the extent to which you recommend strategies that are reasonable given the nature of the job and organization. Keep it simple and focused; don’t go overboard.

• Evaluation
  • Once implemented, how would you evaluate the short-term and long-term effectiveness of your recruiting strategy? 
  • Why are these metrics the most important for determining the effectiveness of your strategy?

Topic 2. Selection Proposal Outline

• Job Overview
  • Explain the essential duties and any skill, knowledge, education or ability requirements. 
  • Briefly describe the organization/location where the job is situated.
  • Assume that the organization is sufficiently large enough/has adequate resources to develop a robust HR system.  What is the industry, how many employees?
• Selection System
  • What specific selection tools would you use to select candidates for the position?  Why?
  • How would you validate each selection tool (content or criterion related)?  Explain and justify your validation approach for each tool.
  • Describe the implementation plan of your selection system. For example, which tools are going to be used first in the process? 
  • How will you combine predictors (compensatory, multiple hurdles, or a combination)?  Why?
• Evaluation
  • What short-term and long-term metrics will you use to determine whether your selection system is working
  • Briefly describe and justify how you would demonstrate the value to the organization (such as ROI) of the new selection system.

Appendix A.  Approved List of Sources

This list of sources is not meant to be all-inclusive.  If you find a professional or academic source that will be useful for your paper but is not included on this list, please email me with the reference information so that I can validate that the source meets professional and/or academic standards.      

Academic Journals

Academy of Management Journal

Academy of Management Review

Administrative Science Quarterly Journal

Human Relations

Human Resource Management

Human Resource Planning

Industrial and Labor Relations Review

Industrial Relations

International Journal of Human Resources

Journal of Applied Psychology

Journal of Labor Research

Employee Relations Law journal

Employee Rights and Responsibilities

Journal of Management

Journal of Organization Behavior

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Labor Law Journal

Labor Studies Journal

Organization Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Personnel Psychology

Public Personnel Management

Practitioner Journals/Magazines

Academy of Management Perspectives

Academy of Management Executive

Across the Board

Business Horizons

Business Week

Fortune

Harvard Business Review

HR Magazine

HR Focus

Human Resource Management Journal

Management Review

Organization Dynamics

Personnel

Personnel Journal

Supervisory Management

Training

Training and Development

Internet Resources:

• Society for Human Resource Management:  http://www.shrm.org
• HR Outsourcing Today: http://www.hrotoday.com/
  WorldatWork: http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/home/html/home.jsp
• Human Resources News: http://www.hrmorning.com/
• Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/
• Business and Legal Reports:  http://www.blr.com
• Diversity, Inc.: http://www.diversityinc.com
• Employment Management Association: http://www.shrm.org/ema
• United States Office of Personnel Management: http://opm.gov
• Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey: http://www.bls.gov/ncs/home.htm
• Occupational Information Network (O*NET) http://online.onetcenter.org/
• American Society for Training and Development: www.astd.org
• www.salary.com