Tanglewood appears to be in a good position in terms of growth potential and profitability. Though thankful for being able to successfully expand the business, areas of improvement have been uncovered during the process. Currently there are three key issues. One is corporate culture; reflecting the mission of the company through actions. The second is staffing and how to equip the company to effectively compete with stores such as Kohl’s and Target. The third issue is the lack of consistent application of HR practices between the 12 regional managers.
The goal is to unify current management strategy; aligning management styles and HR practices. In order to address these concerns strategic staffing strategies must adopted. How (with whom) Tanglewood staffs its business determines the culture, how policies are administered and how competition is addressed. Tanglewood has to be strategic when looking at the number of individuals employed and the quality of individuals.
Recommendations (Staffing Levels):
Tanglewood takes pride in its distinctive culture, which can assist them in gaining/maintaining competitive advantage if staffed and developed appropriately 1. Acquire or Develop Talent- Tanglewood currently is unique in that it promotes transparency and emphasizes team and participation from employees at all levels. A talent development strategy lends itself to this type of environment. This method will aid in keeping turnover levels low, as employees will feel more valued and invested in. It will also allow Tanglewood to cultivate the culture more effectively. However, for certain positions, talent acquisition will be best. When the position needs to be staffed immediately and when you have little time for training. Someone who has experience, education, and knowledge is good talent to acquire.
2. Hire Yourself or Outsource-The resources are present to hire yourself. Outsourcing can be costly in terms of time and money. Hiring yourself will allow you to gage the “fit” between the applicant and the organization. You know what type of people and experience you want as well as what type(s) of individuals have been most successful in the past.
3. External or Internal Hiring- Internal hiring. This is very advantageous. Current employees already know the product, technology, customers, culture and values. This can also aid in the ease of individuals transitioning into different roles.
Moreover, hiring from within also gives upper management the opportunity to coach and help develop talent they believe to be management material.
4. Core or Flexible workforce-Continue with the core strategy. At this point because there is such clear and present competitive concern, having a core workforce can result in mindshare. It provides the sense of security that flexible employment doesn’t by communicating commitment to the employee. Moreover, having a core team strengthens the culture and contributes to the validation of organizational values. This builds on the team philosophy held by Tanglewood.
5. Hire or Retain-Retaining employees tends to be less expensive than re-hiring. Developing the current talent saves training dollars. Also, morale can suffer when the door is constantly revolving, which negatively impacts culture. If Tanglewood intends to practice an internal hiring strategy, then retention should be part of it.
6. National or Global- Tanglewood operates 243 in 11 states across America. Outsourcing the manufacturing piece of their business is necessary in order to remain competitive. Additionally, some positions may require talent that is not in the US. New product(s) and technology roles may have to be filled by individuals outside of the US, so some staffing may need to be outsourced.
7. Attract or Relocate- It’s more cost-effective to attract employees than to relocate the business. Moreover, expansion at this point has been put on hold in order to concentrate on
