Unit One Discussion

Unit 1: Discussion
Chapter 1 - Issues of “Fit” and “Strategy”
Would it be desirable to hire people only according to the person/organization match,
ignoring the person/job match? How well does the person need “fits” with the
organization versus how well they fit with the job? Of the relationships between these
three elements: the person, the job, and the organization, which pair of relationships is
the most critical?

No. Although the person/organization match is an important part of staffing, the

job/person match is what sets the groundwork in creating an effective process. When
hiring, it is important for an organization to focus on the person/job fit, matching a
candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) with a specific job. Using the
job/person match along with the person/organization match will create positive results in
job performance, retention, attendance, and job satisfaction. If hiring were based solely
on a person/organization match, the chosen individual would probably be comfortable
with the company’s way of thinking and doing things, but a candidate needs a strong
KSA in order to perform his or her job efficiently and effectively. (Handler, n.d.). To
hire a candidate without regard to a lack in KSA would result in a negative impact on the
organization. (Heneman, Judge, & Mueller, 2015)

The most critical relationship in evaluating candidates is to identify the

person/organization match. To hire employees with a strong relationship with the
employer will create loyalty. A loyal employee wants the organization to succeed and
will work hard and be more productive and efficient. A strong person/organization
relationship also creates a pleasant, stress-free working environment that will increase
employee morale and motivation.

Sources:

Heneman III, H., Judge, T., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. (2014). Staffing Organizations
(8th ed.). McGraw Hill Higher Education

Handler, C. (n.d.). The Value of Person-Organization Fit. Build an Interview. Retrieved

from: http://www.buildaninterview.com/the_value_of_person_organization_fit.asp

Chapter 2 - Issues of “Fit” and “Fairness”

Why is each of the four situational factors necessary for establishing a claim of disparate
treatment? How does the presence or absence of situational factors determine whether a person
or group has been subject to disparate impact in the selection process? In your opinion, must all
be present for disparate impact to be taking place?
Disparate treatment occurs when an employer intentionally treats certain employees differently
than others simply because of their race, sex, skin color, national origin, or religion.
The four situational factors that are needed for establishing a disparate treatment claim are:
Person belongs to a protected class, Person applied for, and was qualified for, a job employer
was trying to fill, Person was rejected despite being qualified, and Position remained open and
employer continued to seek applicants as qualified as person rejected. (Heneman, Judge, &
Mueller, 2015) Each of these situational factors are important for a disparate treatment claim
since one or more of them are needed to initiate a discrimination claim. (Heneman, Judge, &
Mueller, 2015)
It seems simple in establishing a disparate treatment claim by using these situational factors, but
they ultimately need to be proven in court. For example, a person can claim that they were not
hired by a company because they are female, but the employer could claim that they did not hire
them because of a policy that employees need to be a specific height in order to do a certain job.
In order for the female to be successful with her claim, she needs to show that this was not a
valid reason to be denied the position.
In my opinion, I do not think all situational factors need to be present for a disparate impact to be
taking place because there are many other situations where employment policies and practices
may affect one class of employees more harshly than it does another class, and could be proved
to be discriminative.
Sources:

Heneman III, H., Judge, T., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. (2014). Staffing Organizations (8th ed.).
McGraw Hill Higher Education