Introduction
FFH is a diverse retail chain offering a wide range of services in home, automotive, farm, and hardware supplies. The enterprise has been in existence for 42 years. Notably, growth has been evident with the expansion of store locations, distribution centers, and a stable headquarter. The business’s customer service skills and competent employees have been instrumental in the witnessed growth. As the company seeks to expand to other markets, the three possible locations identified include Ottumwa, Ottawa, and Grand Island. As the company focuses on expansion processes, recruiting top candidates is crucial as it determines the sustenance of its reputation. Hence, a recruitment plan strategy report will help FFH to fulfill its expansion ambitions while maintaining its values and reputation. A successful recruitment plan will include an assessment of labor markets, legal implications, resources for recruiting minority group, and a recommendation to support the company’s expansion plans.
Labor Markets
The firm has considered three locations that will be analyzed to find the best location. As such, various factors such as population, unemployment rates, and educational levels of the work force, among other relevant data, have been considered in each location to make an appropriate decision. After a thorough evaluation of each location, it was identified that there are similarities for the mentioned areas. However, various other factors must be considered to arrive at the best option.
Ottumwa
Ottumwa is located in Iowa’s southeast region. The town has an approximate population of 25,000 people and mean age of 36 years (City of Ottumwa, n.d.). According to Area Vibes Inc. (2019), the city’s unemployment rate stands at 4.7%. Area Vibes Inc. (2019) further states that the city has a median household of $38,090 which is lower than the national average. Additionally, a survey conducted in 2018 by the American Community Survey noted that 37% of people in Ottumwa had attained a high school diploma while 33% had attained a college or associate degree. The survey further revealed that 12.9% of the population had not attained a high school certificate. The education statistics indicate that a significant portion of the population is educated and the firm is assured of qualified candidates during recruitment. On the other hand, the most common industries in Ottumwa include manufacturing, healthcare and retail trade (Data USA, 2017). Most of the industries are well established and have been in operation for a long time.
Ottawa,
Ottawa is located along the Southern bank of Ottawa River. According to a recent World Population Review (2019) census report, Ottawa has a population count of 18,128, a relatively smaller population compared to Ottumwa. The census report further estimates the overall median age to be 38 years (World Population Review, 2019). On the other hand, the town has an unemployment rate of 9.3%, which is relatively higher than that in Ottumwa, and the town’s median household income is $50,250, which is significantly higher than that in Ottumwa (World Population Review, 2019). With regard to education, the World Population Review (2019) states that 35.94% of the people in the town have high school certificates while 23.05 have college education. World Population Review (2019) further states that 10.41 percent of the population has Associates degree and 12.25 percent are university graduates.
Grand Island
Grand Island has been experiencing an exponential population growth. Out of the three locations, Grand Island has the biggest population with a massive 51,263 (World Population Review, 2019). The Island has also a lower unemployment rate of 2.9, which is significantly lower than the other two locations (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019) further stipulates that the median household income for Grand Island is $51,627. Notably, the income is higher compared to Ottawa and Ottumwa. With respect to education, 30% of the population had attained a high school diploma, 32% of the population had college level experience, and 18% had attained a university degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). Conversely, the nature of industries in this region are different from the two locations with the most common industries in Grand Island being agribusiness and food processing, biosciences, and advanced manufacturing (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). Hence, the town has a more diversified industry.
Legal Trends
Successful recruitment of top candidates involves a series of procedures. As such, recruitment involves processes such as applications review, conducting interviews, and selecting the most qualified candidate. The mentioned steps in recruitment have guidelines to avoid negative legal implications during the hiring process. Consequently, discrimination is the most common form of violation during recruitment (Forbes Coaches Council, 2018). Discrimination presents in the form of gender, disability, and race, among other factors. The vice is illegal regardless of whether it is done consciously or unconsciously. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission protects employees from discrimination. Therefore, it is essential that during hiring, the company should not indicate a preference to a specified group of candidates at the expense of others. Additionally, the enterprise should ensure that screenings do not affect the minority group.
Resources for Recruiting Minorities
The company’s preferred locations have a higher proportion of whites as opposed to other races. Figure 1 below shows diversity distribution for the three locations.
Figure 1: Diversity distribution data for the United States
Source: (Data USA, 2017)
From Figure 1, it is evident that FFH should come up with a recruitment plan aimed at diversifying the workforce. Apart from racial consideration, the enterprise should also include a workforce that considers features such as gender, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. Incorporating a diverse workforce will attract diverse candidates and foster language and cultural awareness which is crucial based on the store’s location. In principle, the firm can consult a leadership strategist firm that can attract minorities from organizations such as women’s group, Black colleges, or LGBTQ communities (Forbes Coaches Council, 2018). The strategist firm should recruit the minorities on FFH’s behalf. Additionally, the firm can also consider requesting the existing minority workers for referrals. Thus, the existing minority employees can recommend candidates who can qualify to be minority workers.
Recommendation
Various factors encompass choosing a suitable location for FFH such as labor markets, legal implications, and recruitment of minorities, among others. After considering the various underlying factors, I recommend that Grand Island is the best new location for expansion.
Rationale
The Grand Island presents the best recruitment opportunities for a successful store. For instance, the high population in Grand Island not only provides FFH with a high number of candidates to choose from but also increases the chances of hiring more skilled employees. Notably, a majority of the population in the Grand Island has completed high school and college education; this a key factor during recruitment. While FFM recruitment prerequisites require an individual to have at least one or two years of college education, a candidate who has spent more time in school possesses better job skills such as comprehension. However, a major concern is that the area has an average age of 34. 7 years. This implies that there will be a reduced number of young talents to recruit into the workforce.
Another deciding factor for the new location is the ability to create a diverse workforce. From the diversity distribution figure discussed in resources for recruiting minorities, it is evident that a significant segment of the population in Grand Island falls within the category of minority groups. In principle, 30.2% of the people in the Island are Hispanic. As such, creating a diverse workplace will be instrumental in dispelling stereotypes and personal biases, which, in turn, will build a good reputation for the firm (Martin, 2016). To that effect, Stringfellow (2019) states that an organization with a diverse workforce has a 60% chance of improving its decision-making processes thus providing a better platform for innovation.
Conclusion
A recruitment strategy is an essential component for any firm seeking to expand into new markets. Consequently, FFH is looking forward to expand its market segment by setting a new store which shall also require recruitment of new staffs. Various factors are considered while carrying out a recruitment plan for the three proposed locations which are Ottumwa, Ottawa, and Grand Island. Among the factors to consider include; labor markets, legal implications, and an analysis of resources for recruiting minorities. Both Ottumwa and Ottawa show some similarities in factors such as population, unemployment rates, and education levels. However, Grand Island has more attractive features needed for the hiring process. Notably, the city has favorable indicators such as high population with a significant proportion of people who are educated, which is vital for recruitment. Therefore, the Grand Island will be the best recommendation for setting up the new store. By following the recruitment plan strategy, the company will capitalize on the opportunities available in the proposed location.
References
Area Vibes Inc. (2019). Ottumwa Employment Information. Retrieved from Area Vibes : https://www.areavibes.com/ottumwa-ia/employment/
City of Ottumwa. (n.d.). Welcome to Ottumwa, Iowa. Retrieved from City of Ottumwa: https://www.cityofottumwa.com/
Data USA. (2017). Ottumwa, IA Economy. Retrieved from Data USA: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/ottumwa-ia-micro-area#economy
Forbes Coaches Council. (2018, August 24). 10 Ways to Attract More Diverse Talent. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/08/24/10-ways-to-attract-more-diverse-talent/#4f5e69874248
Martin. (2016, December 4). 8 Proven Recruitment Strategies. Retrieved from Cleverism: https://www.cleverism.com/8-proven-recruitment-strategies/
Stringfellow, A. (2019, July 10). 6 Benefits of Having a Diverse Workforce. Retrieved from BLOG: wonolo.com/blog/6-benefits-of-having-a-diverse-workforce/
World Population Review. (2019, May 19). Ottawa, Ilinois . Retrieved from World Population Review: http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/ottawa-il-population/