Case Analysis: Staffing Wal-Mart Stores Essay

Wal-Mart has been be in the Fortunes list of the heyday 100 companies to work for in the United States (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart had increase their workforce from 1996 to 2001 by almost 50 percent, of which the luck of wo workforce decreased from 67 percent to 64 percent during this clock time. Wal- Mart had used a hierarchical benignant resources (HR) structure that consisted of several levels of instruction, divisions, and neighborhoods. In 2001, manage workforcet employees take in about $50,000 on average while hourly employees earned $18,000 (Mark, 2003). Wal-Marts character One had oer 2,600 terminals which were organized in five or sestet divisions, with five or six regions indoors their apt(p) area, and 80 to 85 rememberings within distri notwithstandingively region (Mark, 2003).Policies were fill along on a com set aparter-based information administration that employees could access at any time, along with ceremonial occasion videos on the companys history, an d reading the familiar spirit handbook. Promotions were given over based on achievement evaluations and requirements. certain(a) allegations were made that Wal-Mart was to a greater extent male oriented in higher-level positions, and overall hiring much men than women. Wal-Mart created a purpose to devote the percentage of women employees 50 percent of the workforce.A business exists in that Wal-Mart has fought off any organizing attempts of centres by their employees, which limits employees do work on policies and company processs. This enigma filters down to the hiring and promotional process that occurs within the company. As state in the case study, from date of betroth until first being promoted to an assistant manager was 4.38 geezerhood for women and 2.86 long time for men. For inclose managers, the multiplication were 10.12 years and 8.64 years respectively (Mark, 2003). From the numbers, men were promoted faster than women, but Wal-Mart states that promotion s were given based on performance evaluations. Furthermore, it was stated store managers filled positions with lateral actuates and waiving minimum requirements as a way of bypassing the process (Mark, 2003).Wal-Mart published documents to reflect how perpetrate they are to fair practices. On the flip side, the in the unexclusive eye(predicate) do-nothing now scrutinize Wal-Mart by exploitation their public reports against them. A public article stated, women associates had stated that Wal-Mart supervisors told them that men were paid more be ready they had families (Mark, 2003). Included in the homogeneous article was a Wal-Mart official that admitted to piece that customers should feel as if they laughingstock trust Wal-Mart employees with their wife and their wallet (Mark, 2003).Additional information would have to be offered bear oning to the required practices and processs Wal-Mart has in indue for the hiring of employees and promoting employees from within the comp any. Does Wal-Mart have a policy where an entry-level employee can be hired, and managers and supervisors are promoted from within the company? Surveys and reports interpreted from current employees for their thoughts on the numbers of men to women in various positions departing help with determining where and how severe the problem is. Why is Wal-Mart continuously voted whizz of the best(p) companys to work for if there was a serious problem internally? assertable resolves to the problem can range from having more multitude piece (HR) employees to oversee a smaller number of stores, to filtering public reports that may potentially create a controvert perception of the company. Implementing more concourse social class employees within separately region will abandon more attention to be given for each store. Wal-Mart looks to move towards making their physical exertion equity record balanced. This is unmingled when taking into consideration the numerous letters to man agers to push back for making the numbers of men to women more equal.Wal-Mart can filter applications submitted and have them separated and reviewed on an as require stern on what sex is needed more at a specific store. grade the applications per region based on specific qualifications and gender. accordingly rank the region and the stores within this region on which store needs more women or men employees.For promoting employees, a minimum requirements list should be associated with each put-on position. A series of events should happen for each promotion beginning with the supervising manager and result with the pot variance Executive Vice President. Possible candidates are nominated and then screened by higher-level management along with those that apply. Only employees that meet all the requirements should be considered. Regional management will have the biggest influence on the hiring or promotion of an employee since they are at long last responsible for that region .To be equal to all candidates applying for a given promotion, a adjudicate or danger style game should be played and the superior is given first chance to take excogitate. The exam and game questions will pertain to company policies, job duties, and associate handbook information.Another solution would be for the employees to form a union. This would give the employees some office staff to fight for their working rights. Unionizing the employees would give them some situation to make sure all employees were treated moderately within their workplace. Adding more people to the People variableness will increase employee expenses for the company. Also, the appendage of more People Division employees will create more formulation to be done and could take People Division employees away from their daily responsibilities.On the other hand, the addition of more People Division employees could help with equilibrize out a gender issue and hiring more of one gender than the other. More People Division employees convey that you can have more HR employees defer at more stores at one time. This will help with moving towards employment equity faster and mitigating any problems quicker. This may be the best solution for Wal-Mart and maintaining their reputation for being one the best companies to work for.As for the filtering of applications, having minimum requirements set for each job, and regional management having a blown-up influence on the decision for who gets promoted, this would all cause more attention for them. Filtering applications may already be done, but this can lead to being impeach of discrimination. Wal-Mart stating that they urge their supervisors to correct any inequalities in the store that pertain to gender is already a basis for being accused of gender discrimination. A store has fewer women than men and the store hires women to balance it out. The men are being discriminated now. An employee of a specific gender is promoted to balance out the men to women ratio amongst regional and store managers. That is still discrimination towards the opposing gender. It would be a lose-lose situation for Wal-Mart.Holding a test and a jeopardy style game could be a viable screening act to allow the most knowledgeable, company savvy person to be first in line for the promotion. The questions will pertain to specific company policies, job duties and responsibilities, and associate handbook. The nix part of this would be creating a competitive surround that can distract employees from their job. Also, time would have to be taken to allow for the taking of the test and the playacting of the game, and the possibility of several promotions at the same time would pose a problem.The formation of a union for the Wal-Mart employees would have great benefits for them, but possible detrimental aspects at the workplace. Being unionized means that the employees would make less money due to union dues, but could have better benefits and m ore job security. Wal-Mart holds the force out by persevereing unions out and keeping the military force to make decisions without possible employee strikes.Hiring or implementing more People Division employees would play as the best solution for the problem. Increasing the amount of eyes the People Division have in the stores will help with the hiring and promoting of employees to be done quicker. Having more People Division employees means more time at stores and with employees educating them on issues at the workplace, company culture, and the processs that the company has in place. Rather than regional and area managers visiting either few weeks, there would be a People Division employee visiting a few times a week. The new People Division employees could put more policies in place due to the familiarity of the stores.These policies will be enforced more having the HR employee present more often. This could also alleviate the perception of customers and employees that look men are promoted more based on their gender. Specific requirements are present with each job position and the best candidate for that position would get it. Performance evaluations can help validate a managers decision on which he/she nominates to be promoted. A man or fair sex who are both in the running for the same position, and they both meet the requirements and have similar performance evaluation reports, the person that has been with the company the longest will then be chosen.The article mainly pertains to the employment equity goal within Wal-Mart. Wal-Marts unceasing push against the employees unionizing has allowed them to expand, become the low price leader, and keep company costs low.ReferencesMark, K. (2003). Staffing Wal-Mart Stores, INC. (A) case study. Ivey Management Services. Mark, K. (2003). Staffing Wal-Mart Stores, INC. (B) case study. Ivey Management Services.