THE BIASED RECRUITMENT

Statement of the Problem

Abuse of Power and Authority

● The mayor used his position and power to follow the things he wanted even if it was not
right; this means that it sounds like a violation that needs to be addressed since the
chances of getting proper work decreased due to issues such as using a backer or
manipulating the recruitment department.

Biased and Improper Recruitment:

● Due to favoritism, the mayor immediately recommended Mr. De La Cruz for the position;
even if he did not go through a thorough interview and background check, the HR
department noticed that he was just an average student and only graduated from a local
municipal university with no records of extracurricular activity. Despite the mediocre
profile he had and the failed results of the examination, they did not reject Mr. de la Cruz
since his father is known as one of the supporters of the mayor, who happens to be the
president of the school where Mr. de la Cruz graduated.

Demanding and Ungrateful Applicant:

● Even if Mr. de la Cruz knew that he did not have good credentials and he failed the
examination, he still rejected the position that the company offered him, and instead, he
demanded the position that he and the mayor wanted, even if he was not qualified. The
clerical position needs a higher and well-performed background that can manage heavy
tasks with a blend of communication and transactions between 2 sides, which is the
employee and the client.

Breach of Policy
● The fact that Mayor PunongBaranggay did not follow the due process of recruitment, he
also insisted that they must hire the underqualified applicant. We must remember that
the process of recruitment has different stages we need to follow in order to get the best
employees that perfectly suit the job needed. Most companies have policies that
mandate, such as identifying whether you are a probationary, regular, contractual,
casual, or apprenticeship type of employee.

Case Facts
● Mr. Pedro de la Cruz is an average fresh graduate applicant who did not gain a very
outstanding transcript of records and only graduated from a local municipal university.
● The HR Department was not impressed with his records; additionally, he failed the
examination that the company provided, but it was not a problem since the mayor
punongbayan recommended him for the position.
● Due to his father, who was one of the supporters of Mayor Punongbayan, his application
for the job was made easier.
 ● The HR Department was too risky to decline the favor of Mayor Punongbayan, so they
have decided to give Mr. Pedro de la Cruz a position that fits his skills and credentials.
● The company policy was not abided by because of certain rules overridden by the mayor
through using his power and authority to create changes and apply new applicants.
● Mayor PunongBayan highly recommended Mr. de la Cruz for the position because of
biased selection and favoritism.

Hypothesis

● The HR Department was not satisfied with Mr. de la Cruz, but they didn’t have a choice
since the mayor asked for this favor. So they gave Mr. Pedro de la Cruz a chance to
work for the company; therefore, possibilities of failure and mismanagement are
predicted to occur since they accepted Mr. de la Cruz even with a low profile, despite the
chances they gave. Mr. de la Cruz was ungrateful to reject their offer, so this means if he
accepted the position he did not want to because of no choice, there is a possibility that
he will not function well or he cannot do his job properly because of apathy, lack of
motivation, and willingness.
● The company offered him a clerical position, which does not match his credentials
because he also failed the examination for communication skills. This means that the
company can be on the vulnerable side by assigning tasks to those employees who
cannot procure the objectives of the said position. Additionally, the existing employees
may feel biased and treated unequally since the position was exclusively offered to those
applicants who have better connections.

Alternative Course of Action

Option 1: Implement different Human Resource Development Approach

● Since the mayor is eager to let the applicant in on the company, they should implement
different approaches that could enhance the employee's potential to assume other jobs
that the company needs. The first one is management coaching, where supervisors
coach employees while performing a certain task in the company. This approach
consists of observations and suggestions that may deliver a proper evaluation of the
employee. Lastly, mentoring can also acquire better performance; the employees with
this approach can develop skills and increase their knowledge about the company and
its operation by interacting and coordinating with more experienced organizational
members.

Option 2: Follow the Due Process

● Despite the power and authority of the mayor, the HR Department should not follow his
orders since they are the ones who have more knowledge in terms of recruitment and
selection of applicants for the job. They are making decisions for the company’s stake,
and it will not benefit the company if they listen to the mayor’s request. ABC Corporation
is not just an informal business; it is a legal entity that runs daily operations through
 working employees who deliver quality tasks. Risks are about to come if they cannot hire
employees who suit the job qualifications and the skills needed in order to work.

Option 3: Implement Simulation

● Since Mr. de la Cruz is underqualified and does not have any outstanding credentials
that could be reasonable for the company to hire him, another option we could offer is to
conduct a simulation where he can work for the position temporarily in order to evaluate
if he can procure the requirements of the job; this also includes monitoring his skills,
abilities, and decision-making within the given task. This could prevent any risks for the
company because Mr. de la Cruz is only hired temporarily, after the contract period of his
work, and then there’s the time when the company decides if Mr. de la Cruz is well-fitted
for the position. One benefit of this method is to prevent long-term problems and conflicts
that Mr. de la Cruz can possibly create since he has neither excellent credentials nor did
not pass the examination because of poor communication skills.

Recommendation
● ABC Company should implement different approaches or strategies to effectively
evaluate and enhance the skills, abilities, and knowledge through absorbing a human
resource development approach. These strategies include training, performance
observation, and ability management that enable companies to further develop their
workforce. ABC Company should practice regular assessments of employees’
competencies regarding their knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward their work field.
This strategy could help the HR department identify the gaps and conduct development
programs. These preparations are not only for the current positions or roles of the
company but also prepare for future challenges that they may face during their work
experience.

Recommendation Reference
● According to Memory Nguwi (2024), strategic human resources management
emphasizes the planned and systemic approach to managing human resources in
alignment with the organization's strategic objectives. SHRM is viewed as an approach
to making decisions on the intentions and plans of the organization concerning
employment relationships, recruitment, training, development, and performance
management. The strategic HR function aims to enhance and manage the organization's
human capital for long-term strategic goals. Other scholars view it as an approach that
builds HR strategies, enabling employees' knowledge and skills to contribute to the
organization's achievement of its overall goals, thereby improving productivity and
efficiency. In all this, HR can not be strategic without positively impacting the business.

Conclusion
● Overall, ABC Company should be careful when hiring employees and open the
application to everyone who is willing to work. They’re not that strict since they offered
Mr. de la Cruz a position as a machine operator in the production department; he is
considered lucky to be selected for the chosen job; after all, not everyone has the
privilege of being hired quickly because of high qualifications and other interviews
needed in order to proceed on hiring. The company should study this case more in order
to solve these kinds of problems encountered specifically in the HR department. Their
arguments must serve as a lesson that communication and cooperation are essential in
developing good work ethics.