Mini Case 1

Xie Yang greeted Robert Peters, the next interviewee, warmly. Robert had an excellent academic record and

appeared to be just the kind of person Xie's company, Beco Electric, was seeking. Xie is the university

recruiter for Beco and had already interviewed six graduating seniors at Centenary College.

Based on the application form, Robert appeared to be the most promising candidate to be interviewed that

day, with a 3.6 grade point average and a 4.0 in his major field, industrial management. Robert was not only

the vice president of the Student Government Association, but also activities chairman for Kappa Alpha Psi,

a social fraternity. The reference letters in Robert's file revealed that Robert was both active socially and a

rather intense and serious student. One of the letters from Robert's employer during the previous summer

expressed satisfaction with Robert's work habits.

Xie knew that discussion of benefits could be an important part of the recruiting interview. But Xie did not

know which aspects of Beco's benefits program would appeal most to Robert. The company has an excellent

profit sharing plan, although 80 percent of profit distributions are deferred and included in each employee's

retirement account. Health benefits are also good. It also has long-term care insurance. The company's

medical and dental plan pays a significant portion of costs. A company lunchroom provides meals at about

70 percent of outside prices, although few managers take advantage of this.

Employees get 1 week of paid vacation after the first year and 2 weeks after 2 years with the company. Two

weeks are provided each year for sick leave. In addition, there are 12 paid holidays each year. Finally, the company encourages advanced education, paying for tuition and books in full, and under certain

circumstances, allowing time off to attend classes during the day. It also provides scholarships for

dependents.

Case study taken from:

Martocchio, J. J. (2015). Strategic compensation: a human resource management approach. Boston:

Pearson.

Questions for Mini Case 1

1. What aspects of Beco's benefits program are likely to appeal to Robert? Discuss.

2. In today's work environment, what additional benefits might be more attractive to Robert?

Discuss.

3. What aspects of Beco's benefits program would likely be the least appealing to Robert? Discuss.

Mini Case 2

Nutriment's New HiresWith the demand for more nutritional food options growing, Nutriment Biotech is

positioned to become a leader in agricultural biotechnology. Nutriment is a start-up biotech company that is

working to develop genetically engineered food crops that offer enhanced nutrition along with easier

production for farmers. Emily Hart and Tuva Kristiansen established Nutriment as a research organization

through national grant funding 5 years ago. Nutriment is one of only a few agricultural biotechnology

companies focused on enhancing nutrition in food crops. The company currently has an edge over

competitors as its research has led to some scientific discoveries that now position them to grow their

company significantly. As a result, Nutriment is ready to begin hiring staff to get operations started.

Emily and Tuva have hired Chima Acheampong, an HR management consultant, to help them determine

how to hire the most talented staff to grow their business. Chima works mostly with start-up technology-

based companies and plans to help Nutriment implement a recruiting and hiring plan and establish its

preliminary HR management practices such as its pay structure. Nutriment has secured additional funding

to allow it to ramp up full operations quickly. An analysis of its projected workload suggests it will need to

hire approximately 15 new employees to get started. It will need to hire not only 10 new scientists but also

administrative staff members including a receptionist, an office manager, a lab manager, a marketing

professional, and an accountant. As an experienced recruiter, Chima is confident that he will be able to

quickly identify strong candidates for the administrative staff positions. The current labor market works in

Nutriment's favor, and, therefore, Chima will be able to easily generate a pool of qualified applicants. The

scientists, on the other hand, will be challenging to find, as they need specific expertise related to agricultural

biotechnology and genetic engineering. The number of scientists with this combination of skills is limited,

and the scientists are in demand by competitors. However, Nutriment is in a geographic area rich with

research universities and other biotech firms, so Chima is confident that it can attract a good pool of talent

if it is able to offer an opportunity that is attractive to the scientists. To start the recruiting process, Chima

must first establish a pay structure. Before he starts researching market rates, Chima plans to meet with

Emily and Tuva to establish pay level policies and discuss other strategic aspects of determining the

compensation structure for the new employees. Nutriment must offer a pay package that will allow it to attract and retain both the administrative staff members and the scientists. Establishing the right pay practices

will help ensure that the recruitment process allows it to put talent in place to position Nutriment for success.

Case study taken from:

Martocchio, J. J. (2015). Strategic compensation: a human resource management approach. Boston:

Pearson.

Questions for Mini Case 2:

1. What are some strategic considerations in establishing a pay structure at Nutriment?

2. Should Chima suggest a pay policy to lead, lag, or match the market? Explain your recommendation

Assignment Guidelines

Introduction

Shows a sound grasp of the assignment; provides a clear outline of the scope of

the case; key issues stated; provides a framework for answering the questions

Background and context are clear and well-developed. The purpose/aim and

organization of the submission are clearly articulated.

Conclusion

Elegantly synthesizes and reframes key points from the paper.

Suggests new perspectives or questions relevant to the central argument, and

brings closure.

The conclusion is clear, relevant, and well-developed. It draws together the

strands of the argument and creates a coherent perspective on the question; it is

based on the argument and evidence presented

Analysis and Insight

Demonstrates a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the case, identifying

key issues and providing well supported insights.

Applies relevant theories and frameworks effectively to derive meaningful

insights.

Evidence and Support

Provides comprehensive and well-researched evidence and support for the

analysis.

Utilizes a wide range of credible sources effectively, integrating them

seamlessly into the analysis.

Demonstrates an excellent understanding of the case and its context through the

use of relevant data, facts, examples, and references.

Logical Structure and Organization

Demonstrates a clear and logical structure throughout the case study, with a

well-organized flow of ideas.

Presents a coherent and seamless transition between sections. Effectively

uses headings, subheadings, and transitions to enhance the overall

organization

Critical Thinking

Displays exceptional critical thinking skills, approaching the case with a high

level of analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving.

Presents alternative solutions, evaluates their pros and cons effectively, and

provides sound recommendations supported by evidence and logical

reasoning.

Synthesizes in-depth information from research/relevant sources that represent

various points of view/approaches

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