The development of a hiring plan is a crucial step for every organization that seeks to achieve set objectives. The development of a hiring plan ensures that organizations recruit individuals who are skilled and have the requirements that are needed to hold particular roles or positions within a given firm. The hiring process should be periodical and should be done within a specified period. Therefore, for Capra-Tek to achieve its objectives in the area of marketing, it needs to develop a recruitment and hiring plan for a sales representative. The hiring plan for the sales representative position should include aspects such as job description analysis, competency model, analysis of the current labor market for the position, screening methods, legal aspects that guide the employee selection and recruitment, and uniform guidelines to the employee location procedures.
Job Description Analysis
Job Position: Sales Representative at the department of Smart Home Technology Associate
Roles and Responsibilities
Sales representatives will be tasked with numerous roles and responsibilities. An individual will be required to promote the company’s merchandise. Besides, the sales representative will be required to assume the customer service role by responding to various issues presented by the company’s clients. Furthermore, sales representatives will also interact with the customers on behalf of the company. An individual in the position will be required to make various managerial decisions when the departmental manager is unavailable.
Technical Skills
An individual who desires to hold the sales representative position at Capra-Tek is required to possess numerous technical skills. An individual is required to possess computer-based skills including how to operate Microsoft Windows and macOS. Besides, to assume the role of a sales representative, an individual ought to be capable to handle varied database software. One should also be capable of handling photo-imaging software including Adobe Photoshop.
Knowledge
Assuming the sales representative role at Capra-Tek requires an individual to possess knowledge on a wide range of aspects, such as sales marketing, mathematics, administration and management, and customer service, among others.
Sales Marketing. An individual should have adequate experience in sales marketing. This implies that an individual should possess sufficient experience related to the selling and promotion of goods and services. Sales marketing is an essential aspect for every organization as it entails the promotion of a firm’s products. Therefore, possessing knowledge and experience in sales marketing can help an individual to segment customers, and address their needs based on various factors, such as geographic location and tastes (Cascino & Mélan, 2019). A sales representative must also have the ability to effectively interact with the company’s customers and present consumer feedback to the firm’s management to allow the firm to address some of the gaps that might exist relating to the production and distribution of its goods and services.
Mathematics. Adequate knowledge in mathematics is paramount for the sales representative role. Therefore, an individual is required to possess adequate mathematics-related concepts, such as Calculus, Algebra, and Statistics. Knowledge in mathematics will assist the individual to evaluate and analyze numerous sets of data.
Administration and Management. Assuming the sales representative role requires an individual to possess knowledge and experience in aspects of administration and management. The company is looking for an individual who cannot make managerial decisions when the departmental manager is unavailable (Cascino & Mélan, 2019). The company also needs an individual who does not require supervision; that is, an individual that can perform numerous duties on their own. Therefore, assuming the mentioned position requires an individual to possess adequate knowledge of business administration methods. Aspects that can also give an individual an added advantage to hold the role of sales representative within the company include the ability to perform effective strategic planning and resource allocation.
Customer Services. An individual must possess extensive experience in customer service relations to hold the sales representative role at the company. The company values its customers and looks forward to maintaining a better relationship with them by effectively satisfying their needs and demands. Therefore, a sales representative must be able to effectively interact with the company’s customers, as well as to evaluate and address their needs. The rationale for an individual to possess knowledge and experience in customer service is to ensure that the needs of the company’s customers are fully addressed.
Skills
Capra-Tek requires that an individual must possess numerous skills to hold the sales representative position. Some of the skills needed for the job include; persuasion, negotiation, speaking, and listening skills.
Persuasion. An individual must be capable of persuading customers to associate themselves with the company’s merchandise. The sales representative will act as the immediate link between the customers and the company. A sales representative will help to address various issues presented by the customers and provide feedback to the departmental manager, who, in turn, presents the data to the company’s management. A sales representative will also act as the company’s ambassador by disclosing positive information about the company and its products to the customers. Apart from selling and promoting products, an individual will be required to conduct face-to-face discussions with a majority of the company’s customers to gain their trust.
Negotiation. Negotiation is an essential aspect of sales marketing. In the course of selling the company’s merchandise, marketing operations might not run smoothly due to any arising disagreements between the customers and the company’s management or practices. Therefore, a sales representative will be required to act as a mediator to help address varied conflicts that may arise between the consumers and the company. This implies that a sales representative will help to maintain a strong relationship between the customers and the company.
Speaking Skills. The company is looking for an individual who can confidently and fluently speak to customers. Confident and fluent speaking is a paramount aspect that an individual applying for the sales representative position must demonstrate and this will allow an individual to convey accurate message and feedback to both the customers and the company’s management respectively. Since sales representatives meet directly with the clients, confident speaking will enable customers to gain trust concerning the company’s products. The company is looking for a person who can not only speak well but also have self-confidence. Self-confidence will allow a sales representative to effectively address issues presented by customers with minimal challenges.
Listening Skills. The company requires that an individual must be capable of actively and keenly listening to others. A sales representative ought to able to listen to others, particularly the customers before they make purchase decisions. Active listening will allow for the sales representative and the customers to get a common ground for business-related conversations or discussions.
Competency Model for the Sales Representative Position
A competency model is crucial for every organization including Capra-Tek. The model outlines the type of skills a particular company requires for applicants to possess for them to be hired, as well as how the firm helps in modeling the skills to achieve maximum benefits (Zhang & Wang, 2019). A well-designed competency model helps to improve the skills of employees and is crucial in the maximization of organizational benefits. Before hiring, candidates for the sales representative position are required to possess the outlined skills. Often, it is expensive for companies to train their employees afresh, and therefore, most resort to improving or expounding on the skills that their staff already possess. Capra-Tek is among the companies that experience a challenge in training employees afresh. Therefore, it will focus on improving the skills that a sales representative already possesses. Since various activities are taking place at the company, the firm cannot divert all its attention to the training of new employees. This implies that if the firm takes more time on the training of employees, its performance may lag. Based on the company’s competency model, individuals who will be able to adapt quickly will be getting job promotion opportunities. The promotion will be based on the efforts an individual demonstrates in their work.
Analysis of the Current Labor Market for the Position
Location- Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is among cities in the United States whose economies have remarkably grown over the past 10 years. The city’s remarkable growth is attributed to the integration of advanced technology, and this has seen numerous businesses including public and private firms being set up in Atlanta. According to the United States Department of Labor, Atlanta is one of the best cities where individuals can begin their careers. Atlanta’s fast-growing economy has enabled the creation of employment opportunities for individuals. The remarkably growing economy has created an adequate market for various organizations including Capra-Tek to sell merchandise. The integration of technology into the city also makes it suitable for companies to set up their businesses; thus, the competency skills of many individuals have improved. According to the United States Department of Labor, the city’s economy and employment rates have significantly grown compared to other cities across the country. The significant increase in the employment rate across the country is attributed to the fact that many women are seeking jobs both in the public and private firms across the country (Heath & Heath, 2017). Many employers have shown the desire to hire more employees, particularly sales representatives to assist in the promotion of their products in Atlanta (Heath & Heath, 2017). This has led to an increased hiring rate across the city.
Atlanta is comprised of individuals from diverse groups and cultural backgrounds. The major groups in the city comprise Whites and African Americans, while Asians comprise the minority culture. Heath & Heath, 2017 argue that Asians comprise approximately 4 percent of Atlanta’s total population. Atlanta has also witnessed a significant drop in the unemployment rate in the past few years. Since Capra-Tek seeks to invest in areas with rapid growth in technology and competency, the company seeks to conduct more of its operations in Atlanta. Hence, the company seeks to recruit individuals with experience gained from working in companies situated in the city.
Selection Plan for Sales Representative
Five Screening Methods
The company will utilize five methods to screen qualified individuals for the sales representative position. The methods will include; cover letters, applicant tracking systems, checking references, checking online, and skills testing.
Cover Letters. Cover letters alongside the curriculum vitae are crucial documents during the selection of qualified personnel for a particular job. Cover letters help to outline why an individual is best suited for a particular position in an organization and what makes them happy. A cover letter also helps to reveal an individual’s personality. Therefore, the company will use particular information to make informed decisions on who is best suited for the job. Some of the information that the company will use is how an individual interacts or relates with others.
Applicant Tracking System. The company will utilize a tracking system to limit the period taken by the human resource managers in going through the candidates’ applications. This will enable the selection of the most qualified candidate within the shortest time possible.
Checking References. Reference checking is one of the essential aspects that organizations rely on in making hiring decisions. Capra-Tek will rely on the information presented by the previous company that an individual might have worked for to choose the best candidate for the job.
Checking Online. The company will also utilize information about an individual’s presence on various social media sites to make informed decisions.
Skills Testing. Capra-Tek will present pre-employment tests to evaluate the competencies of the candidates that apply for the job.
Impact of the Legal Environment for Capra-Tek’s Staffing
The United States Federal labor laws require that job applicants be treated fairly and should not be discriminated against based on various factors, such as gender and ethnic background, among others. The labor laws also require that the hiring of job applicants should be fair. The laws also require that organizations ought to use employee performance as a basis to promote or reward individuals. Therefore, Capra-Tek’s selection and staffing plan will be based on the above outlined legal aspects.
Role of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures
Uniform guidelines on employee selection procedures play a crucial role in ensuring organizations follow the right due process to recruit individuals irrespective of their groups of identity. The guidelines integrate the procedures and processes that organizations ought to rely on while developing and implementing an employee selection plan. The role of the uniform guidelines is to ensure that individuals are not discriminated against based on color, ethnicity, language, and gender, among others.
Recommending the Top Candidates to Interview
Selecting three individuals from a pool of 20 candidates is not an easy task. However, choosing the candidates is dependent on attributes such as communication, a commendation from references, and exceptional mastery skills. For an individual to be selected, he or she must be able to communicate effectively, use nonverbal and verbal cues properly, and show limited grammatical errors while presenting information in written forms. Moreover, an individual’s qualification for the three opportunities depends on whether he or she has to have a positive commendation from the references on factors such as personal behavior and discipline. One must also have exceptional mastery skills in areas such as customer service.
A recruitment and hiring plan is an essential aspect for every organization as it allows a firm to select and hire the most qualified individual. While developing a hiring plan, an organization must ensure that various factors, such as job description analysis, competency model, analysis of the job position in the current market, and the laws governing the selection and recruitment process, are outlined. Before applying for the sales representative job at Capra-Tek, an individual must ensure that he or she possesses the knowledge and skills required for the vacant position.
References
Cascino, N., & Mélan, C. (2019). Perceived job requirements and job resources questionnaire. PsycTESTS Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/t72728-000
Heath, E., & Heath, J. (2017). Changing demographics and unprecedented growth. In Planning Atlanta (pp. 27-39). Routledge.
Zhang, L., & Wang, Y. (2019, December). Core Skill Development of New Media Marketers Based on Job Competency Model. In 2019 International Joint Conference on Information, Media and Engineering (IJCIME) (pp. 23-26). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ijcime49369.2019.00014