Question

Arrange an interview with a senior executive/partner/principal of a firm, preferably a business you are interested in. The manager must have EMPLOYEE supervision responsibilities.  Your task in this interview is to identify the interviewee’s orientation and business philosophy toward key human resource management functions. A face-to-face interview is highly recommended, however, a phone interview is acceptable.   

PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW

Develop a list of approx. 10 human resource related questions you will ask that cover recruitment, staffing, staff motivation, employee development, and employee appraisal. (In your priority order). One question must cover the Supervisors viewpoint on the “competitive advantage through people”.

DELIVERABLE                                                                  

Prepare the responses and your analysis of the interview including:

What you learned about supervising/managing others? Did you learn anything new? Did the interview clear up any misconceptions you had about HR and HR management?

What did you agree with and disagree with?

What was (were) the most memorable part(s) of the interview? Why?

How did the responses of your interviewee compare to class readings and class discussions this far?

What was the interviewee's thoughts on the “competitive advantage through people"?

Summarize the interview and include your thoughts and feelings towards the professional you interviewed. Did you walk away with an overall view of this person's philosophy and values as they relate to HR management?

Critically reflect on your own perceptions of HR management. What beliefs did you have going into the interview about HR management? Has anything changed for you?

Answer 1

I learned regarding managing and supervising others that it is essential to follow consistency and transparency for management. The goals and objectives need to be addressed effectively and fulfilled. There is stress given by management on supervising and managing others. I learnt that the management has certain objectives that they want to achieve regarding a certain project. Supervising and management are important ways to fulfill these goals and management knows how to pay attention to them.

The interview cleared up misconception I had regarding HR and management. I realized that human resource management is human resource management which is designed for the purpose of maximizing performance of employees and strategic objectives. While HR is primarily related to

Management of people in the organization and the focus is on policies and systems.

The memorable parts of the interview were related to the experience of the executive regarding the business. As someone who slowly and gradually managed to have a strong hold on the business and as a you get entrepreneur it was encouraging to see her journey. The executive stressed on the importance of clear communication and maintaining consistency for fulfilling goals and objectives.