SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Beedie School of Business

Course Syllabus
Bus 481 Recruitment & Selection
Spring 2023
______________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL INFORMATION:

Instructor: Prof. Natalie Bin Zhao, Ph.D.

Lecture Time/Location: Fri. 9:30am – 12:20pm, WMC 3535
Office Hours: Fridays 1:00pm – 2:00pm, and by appointment
Office: WMC 4325
Office Phone: (778) 782-3733
Email: [email protected]
Course Website: https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/74954
______________________________________________________________________________

Course Objectives

The purpose of this course is to give HR majors in-depth understanding of the process by which
an organization attracts, acquires, and retains the organization’s workforce. We will study
theories, research, policies, practices, and legal considerations relevant to the staffing process in
organizations. The course is intended to help students develop specific knowledge, skills, and
abilities needed to effectively carry out staffing activities (attracting, selecting, placing, and
retaining employees) to best help an organization meet its goals. While the course is geared
towards HR majors, this course is useful for those who are looking for advanced information on
managing employees in organizations.
Course Coverage
- Strategic staffing and legal compliance
- Job analysis and rewards
- Internal and external recruitment
- Internal and external selection (screening, testing, and etc.)
- Decision making in staffing
Course Readings (available from SFU bookstore)

- Required Textbook: Judge T. A., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. Staffing Organizations

(10th Edition-International Version), McGraw-Hill, 2021.

- Customized case package (required, available for purchase at the bookstore):

Bus481 Recruitment & Selection, compiled by Natalie Zhao

1
 Outline of Assigned Readings and Topics
(Tentative schedule. Any changes will be announced in class)
You are expected to read the relevant chapter(s) and the case BEFORE the class for a given
topic.

Week Date Topic Assignment

1 Jan. 6 Introduction/Overview Handout via Canvas

Staffing Models and Chapter 1
2 Jan. 13
Strategy Case: Portman Hotel Co.
Chapter 2
3 Jan. 20 Legal Compliance
Case: Telcom
Job Analysis
Chapter 4
4 Jan. 27 Group formed for
Case: S-S Technologies Inc.
Paper Project
Chapter 5
5 Feb. 3 External Recruitment
Case: Blinds To Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion
Chapter 6
6 Feb. 10 Internal Recruitment
Case: The Bank of Montreal

7 Feb. 17 Group Paper Project Information Meeting

8 Feb. 24 Reading Break

External Selection: Chapter 8

9 Mar. 3
Screening Case: Recruiting at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co.
Chapter 9
External Selection:
10 Mar. 10 Case: Employment Selection at Lerner & Associates
Testing
LLP
Chapter 10
11 Mar. 17 Internal Selection
Case: Wuhan Erie Polymers Joint Venture
12 Mar. 24 Review & Group Paper Project Q&A

13 Mar. 31 Group Paper Due and Project Presentation

14 Apr. 7 Good Friday, No Class.

2
Course Structure

Each class follows a seminar format that relies on real-life case analyses. Therefore, learning in
this course is a highly participative activity and based heavily on class discussions. As noted
below, active participation is expected and rewarded.

Grading

30% class participation

25% group case presentation
20% individual case assignments
20% group paper project
5% group paper project presentation

Class Participation. For this class to be successful we must have a HIGH DEGREE of
student interaction and discussion. Therefore, your participation is a critical component of the
learning process in this course. This is reflected in the relatively heavy weight assigned to it in
the overall evaluation scheme. You will be evaluated on the quality of participation in class
discussions of cases and assigned readings. Quality comments in class discussions possess one or
more of the following properties:

 Offer a different and unique, but relevant, perspective;

 Contribute to moving the discussion and analysis forward;
 Build on others’ comments;
 Transcend the “I feel” syndrome. That is, it includes some evidence, argumentation, or
recognition of inherent tradeoffs. In other words, the comment demonstrates some reflective
thinking;
 Be specific, constructive, and respectful in your critiques when you disagree with others’
comments;
 Demonstrate knowledge and integration of course materials.

It is not the form or the frequency that matters, but the extent to which what you say makes a
contribution to your own or your peers’ learning. Clearly, more frequent quality comments are
better than less frequent quality comments.

Students are expected to have completed the assigned readings BEFORE each class and MUST
come prepared to contribute to class discussion, debate, and case analysis.

You will be excused for not attending class if you have a valid reason (e.g. job interviews, family
or medical emergency). However, your participation is inherently linked to attendance: if you're
not in class, there is no participation (and thus no participation marks)! You will be asked to sign
in at the beginning of class. Please note that simply attending class will not earn your
participation marks. You must actively participate in class discussions and activities to earn
participation marks.

3
 Group Case Presentation. Each group will lead one case discussion. This requirement is
designed to develop your presentation and persuasion skills. During each class, the group will
first present the assigned textbook chapter for that week’s topic before starting case discussion.
The group is responsible for facilitating and sustaining a stimulating, constructive, and healthy
discussion and debate around the assigned reading and case. The group’s job is not to lead the
class to reach a consensus; it is critical to ensure lively and in-depth case discussion and debate,
and to provide opportunity for your peers to maximize their learning. In class, before your
presentation, each group should submit a presentation package to me. The package includes all
the slides (3 slides up/page, preferably double-sided), questions and instructions that you have
prepared for in-class discussion and other activities, with the evaluation sheet (on page 12) as the
cover page (with group member names filled in).

Individual Case Assignments. Starting from Week 3, you need to submit weekly case
assignments for all the weeks when we cover new chapter(s)/topics. Please hand in a hard copy
in class before we start each class. You are not expected to submit individual assignments in
the week when your group presents, though.

Although this is a weekly assignment, you will be marked on two case assignments only, and
each case assignment is worth 10% of your final grade. The rest of assignments will be scored
Pass (1) or Fail (0). It is up to you which two case assignments you want to be marked. For your
case assignment(s) to be marked, please notify me when you submit in class and by having “to
be marked” in the header section or as part of the title of the case assignment. You can choose
to have up to three assignments to be marked and in that case, your one lowest case assignment
grade will be dropped.

The assignment will ask you to respond to one question only (highlighted in bold) about the
case. Details about assignment questions can be found in this syllabus on pages 8-10. Each
assignment will be scored out of 10 marks. Assignments should not exceed 2 double-spaced
pages (12 pt. Times New Roman font). Marks will be based on quality of answers and writing.
All writing should follow current APA guidelines.

Guidelines for Case Assignments (Overall Grade: /10)

Content: /5

- Answer clearly addresses key themes in chapter and concepts discussed in class so far.
- Concepts were woven together around only the most important themes (two or three key
themes per answer; do not attempt to cover everything but make sure answers are in line
with important course concepts)
- Conveyed understanding of topic

4
Style: /5

- Free of grammatical mistakes, spelling mistakes, or awkward phrasing

- Argument has clear and logical flow
- 2 pages, double spaced (12 pt font)

Note: If you only cite things from textbook and the case, no need to include a reference list in
your assignment, but you do need to use in-text citations right after the cited sentences,
especially quotations. If you cite other sources, use a reference list, but no need to include an
additional page (also, no cover page needed; use the header section for your name and
student ID).

Group Paper Project. For group research project, form your own group of 4 or maximum 5
students by week 4. This project will involve a written report submitted to me and an industry
partner found through Riipen, at the end of the semester. Riipen is a company designed to help
bring experiential learning opportunities into the classroom. Riipen will match each student team
with a participating company. Upon project completion, the participating company will review
your Project Report and give the student team a Riipen skill rating and recommendation for their
portfolio. More information is available at the web page: https://riipen.com/. Depending on the
assigned company’s interest, your group may be asked to do one of the following two options:

1. Evaluation and Critique—This project option is to conduct a critique of a company's

selection program. What this would mean is going into a company and conducting interviews
with appropriate individuals concerning the selection program used in the company. If your
group chooses this option, be sure that the company has a formal selection program (something
other than just an application form and a brief interview). You will need to develop an interview
form, ask your questions, record the interviewees' answers, and then critically analyze their
selection program from the perspective of the content covered in the textbook and class. Issues
such as the type of selection measures used, how they were developed or selected, the conduct of
validity studies on these measures, application blank and interview questions, and challenges and
issues in the final decision-making stage are some of the topics that should be addressed in the
write-up of your project. The APA Style Manual should also be used as a format guide for your
paper. Your goal should be to provide the organization with some objective feedback on what
they are doing right and what needs improvement. Suggested page length is 15 pages.

2. The Development of a Selection Plan—The other option for your group is to develop a
selection plan for a specific job in an organization. This may be a job within your organization, a
job that you have had in the past or present, or another job that is of interest to you as a future
career. This option will also involve a written report describing your project objectives, what you
did, and what you found. Basically, such a project would consist of a job analysis of the
particular job to identify important job tasks, the development of the knowledge, skills, and
abilities (KSAOs) required to successfully perform these important tasks, and the specification of
the predictors that should be tried out for the job. The predictors, in terms of content and how
they would be related to the KSAOs should be discussed. You should recommend at least one
specific test that you believe would be appropriate. You should explain why the proposed test as
well as other predictors might be suitable for the job. Note: If your group is interested in this
option, read Chapters 8, 9, and 10 in the textbook for an example of the development of a

5
selection plan. As noted earlier, the APA style manual should be used as a guide in writing your
report. Your goal should be to provide a very detailed selection plan for the job your group has
chosen. Suggested page length is 15 pages.

Grades on the report will be based on the following criteria:

- the quality, relevance and comprehensiveness of your analysis and recommendations
- the development of the critique/discussion should show insights learned from the textbook,
in-class discussions, and your own library research.
- from the perspective of an HR manager, does the paper provide meaningful and useful
information (your team’s goal should be to provide practical advice on your topic)
- structure and readability of the discussion
- accuracy of grammar and spelling

Submission Requirements. The group paper must be submitted in the lecture in Week
13 AND must be submitted electronically to the turnitin.com website. As this is a group paper,
only one member is required to submit the paper to turnitin.com. Extensions on deadlines for
group papers will not be granted (NO EXCEPTIONS).

Group Paper Format. To ensure consistency among submissions, the paper must be typed
and double-spaced, with 12-point font and margins of one inch. The paper must include all
references cited. Any appendices must be numbered and labelled and attached to the report.
Please staple the pages together. Format of Paper should include:

1. Title page (including student names and student numbers)

2. Table of contents
3. Executive summary (1 page)
4. 15 pages of text (anywhere from 13 to 15 pages; do not exceed 15 pages please)
5. References
6. Appendices (optional)

Group Presentation on the Paper Project

Each group will make a 12-minute presentation to the class based on its project. At the
conclusion of presentations, groups should be prepared to answer questions. Presentations should
be professional, as if they were being given to top management in a client organization.

All members of your group should help prepare the presentation, although you may choose how
many members do the in-class presentation. Any presentation materials may be used to convey
relevant information (e.g., flipcharts, transparencies, PowerPoint; if using videos, limit it to 1
minute or so). Students may also consider using footnotes on slides where applicable so that
interested readers can access respective referenced material. This is especially helpful when
citing data and/or trends. No need to include an agenda slide in this presentation.

Your presentation will be evaluated (on a scale of 0-100) in terms of how clearly and thoroughly
you presented information and answered questions (make sure there is a smooth flow of logic
from slide to slide), the usefulness of the information provided, how sound your reasoning was
regarding issues related to the topic, and the feasibility and appropriateness of your argument or

6
recommendations. Remember, this presentation will reflect not only your research findings, but
also your mastery of the textbook chapters and class discussions on relevant topics. In class,
before your presentation, each group should submit a presentation package to me. The package
includes all the slides (6 slides up/page, preferably double-sided). Please practice your
presentation beforehand, so that you are aware of any problems (e.g., timing; do not go over the
time limit).
Dress code: business casual.

Peer Evaluation of the Group Paper Project and Group Presentation

Please note that the professor reserves the right to implement a peer appraisal grading system to
resolve unequal contributions to the group research project and group case presentation. In such
cases a peer evaluation will be used to determine each individual team member’s project and
presentation grade. Your project and presentation grades will be calculated by multiplying the
grade your team receives by your average peer evaluation score. For example, if your team earns
a 95 on the project and your average peer evaluation score from your team members is a 90%,
then you would receive an 85 (90% of 95) for your project grade. If your team earns a 95 and
your average peer evaluation is a 100%, then you would receive the full 95 for your project
grade.

Turnitin.com Submission Instructions

1. Go to the turnitin.com web site and register as a new user. This will involve clicking on
the "Enter" button on the site's front page, and clicking on the small "New user" button
on the second page. You will be prompted to enter your e-mail address and to create a
password for yourself.
2. Once you are registered as a new user, you can log into the web site as a student. Return
to the site's front page and click on the user login button. Remember to select "student"
as your user type.
3. This will take you to a page with a tab on the top left that says: "Join new class." Click
on the tab. You will link to another page that prompts you for the Class ID and
enrolment password.
Class ID: 37098009
Password: bus481
4. This will "enrol" you in Bus 481. A new screen should come up that has the class name
on it. Click on the class name. Another screen will come up with a number of tabs on it.
If you click on that it will take you to a paper submission page, where you can turn in
your paper either by cutting and pasting it into the text window or by uploading it. The
instructions there are self-explanatory.
When you submit a report/paper to turnitin.com, you will be provided with a number for that
submission. You must write or type that number on the top right hand corner of your
report/paper.
Turnitin.com also has a number of excellent on-line tutorials if you need additional help. Good
luck!!!

7
 Assignment Questions for Cases
(For written assignments, you only need to answer the one question highlighted in bold. A
hard copy of the assignment should be submitted to Dr. Zhao at the beginning of each class in
the week when each case is scheduled to be discussed.)

Portman Hotel Co.

(1) What is the PV system trying to accomplish?
(2) What were the problems with the system?
(3) Did the 5-star system deal with the problems?
(4) What recommendations would you give the hotel to solve the problems? What steps
would you take in implementing your proposal?
Telcom
(1) Analyze the Johnson-Marcado incident and forecast any consequences to individuals
involved and Telcom if management does not do anything.
(2) What alternatives are available to Mathany with respect to dealing with Johnson and
Marcado on Monday morning? What course of action should he pursue?
(3) What should be included in a human resources policy to capture the spirit and
intent of the Canadian Human Rights Act?
(4) What steps would you take to introduce and implement the new HR policy?

S-S Technologies Inc.

(1) Why might there be no formal job analysis at S-S Technologies?

(2) How might you convince Brock and Pritchard of the importance of conducting job
analysis at S-S technologies? What problems do you foresee in this convincing
process (e.g., what kind of resistance you may encounter)?
(3) Describe SST’s compensation plan. Does it contribute to attracting and keeping key
employees? What factors account for the highly skilled and committed workforce at
SST?
(4) What recommendations would you make to Brock, Pritchard and the consultant
regarding:
a.) Base pay?
b.) Bonuses?
c.) “Equity” for Partners?
(5) What process would you recommend to obtain acceptance of the new compensation plan?

8
Blinds To Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion
Correction: In the last paragraph on page 4 it says that BTG's original compensation system for
sales associates was “full commission”. This is a mistake and it should be “primarily
commission”, not “full commission”.
(1) Why is Blinds To Go having difficulty retaining retail staff?
(2) Are the elements of the organizational design at the retail store level “aligned” to
facilitate the retention of new employees? Why?
(3) Why is Blinds To Go having difficulty attracting new retail staff? Evaluate the external
recruitment practices (employee referral, newspaper ad., and etc.) of Blinds To Go.
(4) What recommendations would you give Blinds To Go to improve their staffing
practices? (While you are expected to make recommendations to improve all the
relevant staffing practices, please pay particular attention to external recruitment
practices.)

Note: For Question 4, please be aware that it is very unlikely that BTG owners would
agree to make any changes to their compensation system because the company had a
recent, negative experience changing their compensation philosophy and the current
system has become a statement of the organization's core values. The same remains true
for BTG's strategy and structure.

The Bank of Montreal

(1) Is JVNS an effective system?

a.) Is it better than existing internal recruiting systems?
b.) Will it improve the opportunities for women to advance in the bank?
(2) Who will JVNS benefit and why? Who will possibly resist the use of JVNS and why?
(3) What key concerns does Santo face? What is at stake?
(4) As Santo, what must you do next? Anything needs to be done to enhance the
effectiveness of JVNS?
a.) JVNS itself?
b.) The overall internal recruitment system?

Recruiting at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co.

(1) Who would you recommend to the Harvard Business School recruiting team and
why?
-Specify and justify your selection criteria
-Choose your top five candidates and justify
(2) What is your evaluation of the selection process (e.g., the screening, the interviews, who
get involved, and etc.) at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co.?
(3) What recommendations would you give the company to improve their selection
practices?

9
Employment Selection at Lerner & Associates LLP

(1) Determine the goals of the selection interview and plan on the process of the interview
(the critical stages to go through during the interview).
(2) Develop interview questions for the three candidates. In doing so:
a) Determine questions you will ask of all candidates, and how you will
personalize each question.
b) Consider how you will probe for more information, and how you will avoid
evoking a standard or rehearsed response from the candidates.

Wuhan Erie Polymers Joint Venture

(1) What responsibilities do Wong’s positions carry? Rank them in order of importance.
Which are the critical ones?
(2) In what areas was Wong most and least successful?
(3) What challenges still face Wong and the company as he prepares for his transfer?
(4) What do you think of the selection criteria put together by Wong (bottom of Exhibit 6)?
(5) Who should be chosen to succeed Wong and why (specify your selection criteria and
rank them in order of importance)?

WARNING
All the cases used in this class are copyright material. Any further copying or
communication of the case material (including your own case report or case solutions in
other forms) by you with anyone outside this class is not permitted and may be the subject
of copyright protection under the Law.

10
Recommended List of Journals for Group Research Project*

Acceptable Journals

Academy of Management Journal

Academy of Management Review
British Journal of Industrial Relations
Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences
Human Resource Development Quarterly
Human Resources Management
Human Resources Management Journal
Human Resources Management Review
Industrial Journal of Human Resource Management
Industrial and Labor Relations Review
Industrial Relations
Journal of Applied Psychology
Journal of Management
Journal of Management Issues
Journal of Organizational Behavior
Personnel Psychology
Relations Industrielles

Academy of Management Executivea

Group and Organization Management/Studiesa
Harvard Business Reviewa
Human Resource Planninga
Organization Dynamicsa

a
These journals are slightly easier to read and understand than the other ones.

Supplemental Sources (These are good supplements, but cannot stand on their own)

Canadian HR Reporter
Canadian Manager
HR Focus
HR Professional
Human Resources
Personnel
Personnel Journal
Training and Development

* Please discuss the appropriateness of a journal with me, as other journals not on the list
may be suitable.

11
 Bus481 Group-Facilitated Case Discussion Evaluation
Group Members:

Title: Date:

Oral presentation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
- Audio-visual tools used (attention-catching, creative AND professional, not too much text)
- Communication skills (articulate, clear, confident speaking, not reading, engaging, enthusiastic)
- All members equally involved
- Professional (appropriate language, appearance)
- Good use of time

Discussion 1 3 5 7 9 11 12 13 14 15
- Effective discussion approach (e.g., carefully prepared discussion questions/ topics, addressed all assignment
questions, enlightening debriefing)
- Level of discussion (in-depth, relevant to business practices, not just reciting facts from the case or textbook)
- Classmates were engaged and interested in discussion
- Able to handle questions from fellow classmates and the instructor
- Clear direction was provided to classmates
- Encouraged involvement from all classmates

Content 1 3 5 7 9 11 12 13 14 15
- Clearly showed how the content of the textbook chapter is related to the case (e.g., by showing how concepts,
guidelines, theories, and other useful tools from the textbook can be used to analyze and solve the case)
- Conveyed understanding of textbook chapter and the case
- Interesting and integrative
- Thoroughness of case analysis (issue identification, situation analysis, alternatives, decision criteria, and decision,
action and implementation plan)
- Logic and reasonableness in case analysis and solution (e.g., clearly explained all the whys and hows involved in
case analysis and your suggested responses to all the assignment questions)

Overall Grade: /40

12