Firm Case Studies

You might be surprised to learn that a talent pipeline strategy can yield a time to fill that can actually be zero days. If you’re not familiar with the concept, a talent pipeline recruiting strategy provides a tremendous competitive advantage because it allows your firm to fill positions almost immediately with higher-quality talent then you would normally get by using …

Almost everyone is aware of Facebook. Usually that knowledge comes from either using its social media product or by reading about its CEO. However, the unique aspects of the firm that almost no one is aware of are its distinct and powerful talent management practices. In most cases, it takes literally several decades to develop an exceptional company that has …

The purpose of this case study was not to say that you should copy everything Apple does, but rather to point out that with relentless execution and focus on key factors even a firm near bankruptcy can fight its way back to the top. In 13 years Apple has transformed itself from an organization of the verge of collapse to …

Want to impress your CEO? Few CEOs wouldn’t mind having the innovation track record of Apple, so there is probably no quicker way to become an “instant hero” then by learning how Apple’s talent management practices have contributed to its success and applying those practices relevant to your organization. In this installment of the case study, we’ll look at internal …

In Part 2 of this case study on Apple’s talent management practices, I look at its approach to innovation, compensation, and benefits, careerpathing, and online recruitment (its career site). Some approaches discussed are unique to sub-factions within Apple, as would be expected in any organization of significant size. It’s also quite rare for organizations that design, manufacture, and sell through …

This past August Apple became the most valuable corporation in the world based on market capitalization, surpassing every firm in the technology industry and every other industry! As a consumer products company, its prolonged growth spurt is even more amazing because it has continued through economic times when consumers are reluctant to spend what little they have. Considering that Apple …

Staffing Department: Service Level Agreement Customer Commitment: Utilize the Manager Self Service (“MSS”) portal for all staffing resume reviews, request and applicant processing. Work with the recruiter to develop an effective online pre-screen questionnaire, screening processes, and interview strategy. Staffing Commitment: Post job within 48 hours of receiving approved job Major job postings Industry-specific postings (niche) Employee Referral Program Mine …

Structural Elements in the Recruiting Function Internal executive search. The team developed an internal executive search capability to identify, recruit, interview, and assist in the selection of executives, senior management, and other key management positions. The resulting effort saved hundreds of thousands of dollars and produced hires faster — and who perform better — than the previous external executive recruiting process. Forecasting …

A Recognized Leader In addition to the assessment that went into preparing this case study, the world-class efforts of the Valero recruiting team were recognized in 2005 by a panel of recruiting industry thought leaders that awarded them a prestigious ERE Recruiting Excellence Award. The ERE Excellence Award to a large extent validated the people management practices that helped Valero …

I have found over the years that the reasons the recruiting function fails to become more disciplined, repeatable, and data driven include: Salespeople thrive in non-data based environments. Salespeople selling things that barely work can be successful because they claim that 1) most aspects of recruiting can’t be measured or 2) the fact that a lot of firms use something …