Questions

1. In what ways could an employer seek to assess qualities of togetherness, humbleness, willpower and simplicity among candidates in the course of a recruitment and selection process? How accurate do you think judgements made along these lines are likely to be?

2. What selection methods could IKEA employ to assess whether potential workers can ‘develop skills’ and ‘take on new directions and responsibilities’?

3. To what extent should an organisation like IKEA attempt to recruit and select workers who embody their organisational culture? Give reasons for your answer. Identify some possible negative outcomes of aligning selection with organisational culture.

4. What are the potential benefits of selecting a workforce in terms of an organisation’s culture?

5. Describe the ways in which IKEA is trying to build up employer brand?

HRM201 Human Resource Management Tutorial 6: Selection Case 1: Why work at ikea? Because of our values, our culture and the endless opportunities, we believe that it's important to attract, develop and inspire our people. We are continuously investing in our co-workers and giving them sufficient opportunities and responsibility to develop. Togetherness and enthusiasm This means we respect our colleagues and help each other in difficult times. We look for people who are supportive, work well in teams and are open with each other in the way they talk, interact and connect. IKEA supports this attitude with open- plan offices and by laying out clear goals that co- workers can stand behind. What would it be like to work at ikea? You'd be working for a growing global company that shares a well-defined and well-communicated Humbleness vision and business idea. You'd be able to develop your skills in many different ways, becoming an expert at your daily work, by taking new directions in other parts of the company, or by taking on greater responsibility, perhaps even in another country. More than anything this means respect. We are humble towards our competitors, respecting their proficiency, and realising that we constantly have to be better than they are to keep our market share. It also means that we respect our co- workers and their views, and have respect for the task we have set ourselves. Human values and team spirit are part of the work You'd not only have fun at work, Willpower environment. Y you'd be able to contribute to the development of others. Willpower means first agreeing on mutual objectives and then not letting anything actually stand in the way of actually achieving them. In other words, it means we know exactly what we want, and our desire to get it should be irrepressible. At IKEA you'd be rewarded for making positive contributions. You'd have the chance to grow and develop together with the company. Simplicity Values at the heart of our culture The people and the values of IKEA create a culture of informality, respect, diversity and real opportunities for growth. These values include: Behind this value are ideas like efficiency, common- sense and avoiding complicated solutions. Simple habits, simple actions and a healthy aversion to status symbols are part of IKEA.