Assess the opening case study from Chapter 6: “Amazon is Hiring…Big Time!” In a three- to five-page paper (not including the title and references pages), create a recruiting and staffing strategy for Amazon, and select one position from the given list to write a recruiting and staffing plan; consider how many of these positions Amazon needs to fill. You must select from the following full-time positions: Warehouse Supervisor, Delivery Representative, and Customer Service Manager.)

Your paper must include the following:

1. Write an introduction including the selected position, a preview of your paper, and a succinct thesis statement.
2. Discuss the legal landscape, including special legal considerations that the company should be aware of.
3. Create a recruiting plan for the position selected that includes the following:
   • Explain what recruiting is and why it is important.
   • Explain the tools that will be utilized to find candidates for filling the selected position, and state why each tool was selected.
4. Create a selection plan for the position that includes the following:
   • Explain what staffing is and why it is important.
   • State what assessments will be used and why.
   • Discuss the types of interviewing techniques that will be used and why.
   • List five job-specific interview questions for the position candidates.
5. Write a conclusion paragraph that reaffirms your thesis statement
7. Access the following link: http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/29/news/companies/ama…Hiring 7,000 new employees is not an easy task. HR professionals and hiring managers need to spend many hours weeding through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of resumes and application forms—verifying qualifications, interviewing applicants, conducting assessments, and negotiating job offers. Selecting the wrong candidate for the job can be detrimental to subsequent performance and morale. If the employee leaves, the hiring cycle has to be repeated to find a replacement, which is often time-consuming and disruptive to operations. That is why it is critical to have the right selection criteria and to follow a systematic approach in finding the right candidate that best fits each job opening. In many respects, selection resembles a marriage. The more diligent both sides are in learning about each other and considering their unique characteristics before they commit, the more likely the relationship is to thrive and the more headaches that can be spared later.
8. Discussion Questions
   1. What would cause an organization like Amazon to hire 7,000 new employees within the same time frame?
   2. Is it a good idea to hire 7,000 new employees within the same time frame? Why? Why not? What are some of the benefits and risks of hiring “binges”? What are some alternatives?
   3. Excluding the new hire’s salary and benefits, how much does it cost to hire one employee? Make a list of all the people involved and how many hours each person will likely spend. Estimate the costs of their pay and benefits per hour. What other tools or resources may be needed, and how much do they cost?
   4. If Amazon announces 7,000 openings, how many applicants will likely apply? How many will probably be short-listed for further consideration? How many job offers will be extended but turned down?
   5. How long should it take a warehouse worker to get up to speed and become an average performer? Make a list of all the people and resources involved in bringing each new employee up to speed and estimate their costs.
   6. Based on your answers, what is a realistic cost figure for hiring 7,000 new employees, excluding their pay and benefits?

9. Amazon hiring 7,000 workers

   by Chris Isidore @CNNMoneyJuly 29, 2013: 5:44 PM ET

   

   Amazon announced plans Monday to hire 7,000 workers for its U.S. operation, with most jobs offering pay and benefits far above typical retail wages, the company said.

   Amazon did not give specific pay scales for the positions, but said the 5,000 warehouse jobs will pay 30% more than jobs in traditional retail stores.The jobs are full-time permanent positions and also include stock grants that, over the last five years, have averaged 9% of pay for Amazon’s full-time workers. And the company said many workers would also be eligible for 95% tuition reimbursement for those attending college, whether or not their field of study is related to their job.In addition, Amazon is looking for 2,000 workers for its customer service department, with those jobs being a mix of full-time, part-time and seasonal positions.Related: World’s shortest work weeksThe 5,000 fulfillment center jobs represent a 25% increase in current staffing in that department.Amazon has been increasing its network of fulfillment centers and warehouses in order to offer quicker shipping to more of its customers. Many Amazon customers now have the option of next-day delivery, and the company is looking to offer same-day delivery on some items.Last week, Amazon (AMZN) reported a surprise loss in its most recent quarter due to bigger investments in digital products than Wall Street had been expecting. But its revenue rose 22% compared to a year earlier.Amazon’s growing sales have hurt many brick-and-mortar retailers, including book retailer Barnes & Noble (BKS), electronics retailer Best Buy (BBY) and housewares retailer Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY). Two years ago, book seller Borders went out of business, resulting in a loss of nearly 11,000 jobs at that time.Related: 10 hardest working countriesAmazon’s fulfillment center jobs are located in Breinigsville, Pa., Middletown, Del., Chattanooga and Murfreesboro, Tenn., Charleston and Spartanburg, S.C., Patterson, San Bernadino and Tracy, Calif., Chester, Va., Coppell, Haslet and San Antonio, Texas, Hebron, Ky., Indianapolis and Jeffersonville, Ind. and Phoenix. The customer service jobs are in Grand Forks, N.D., Kennewick, Wash., Huntington, W.V., and Winchester, Ky.President Obama is scheduled to speak at Amazon’s Chattanooga fulfillment center on Tuesday, according to White House spokesman Josh Earnest.”What the President is going to be focused on tomorrow in Chattanooga are policies that we can put in place that will support the private sector as they create jobs and continue to lead this recovery,” he said.According to its SEC filings, Amazon had about 88,400 full- and part-time employees companywide as of Dec. 31, up from only 17,000 workers five years earlier. Those figures are affected by seasonal workers brought on for the holiday period.More information on the jobs is available at www.workatamazonfulfillment.com.