Identify common challenges and issues that arise in the workplace

Due 11/29/15 at 9pm

 

Attached is the question outline given to us by the instructor in class. Also attached is the assignment below.

Bullet all sections

 

Working With Employees: An I/O Commentary on Real World Problems

This required Portfolio assignment will give you experience observing and interacting with people outside of the classroom. It has been designed to provide you with the opportunity to develop skills, synthesize knowledge, and integrate learning in a real world setting. This assignment accomplishes that goal by challenging you to:

 

·         Conduct a 30-minute, semi-structured interview with a manager

·         Identify common challenges and issues that arise in the workplace

·         Evaluate strategies for addressing these challenges

·         Integrate your findings with evidence-based literature from journal articles, textbook, and additional scholarly sources.

 

Objective: This assignment is designed to help you identify common problems that managers face when dealing with employees, and the solutions that managers use in an attempt to solve those problems. This assignment will also give you an opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of the solutions from a practical perspective and from the perspective of research in Industrial/Organizational psychology.

 

Step 1: Identify someone in your community who is a manager. This should be someone who is responsible for recruiting and/or selecting employees, supervising employees, and evaluating employee performance.

 

Step 2: Conduct a 30-minute interview with the manager. In your interview, be sure to cover the following questions:

 

·         What are some of the common problems that you have experienced with employees? Be sure to steer the discussion toward relevant topics such as recruitment, employee selection, employee motivation, employee training, job attitudes, giving feedback, creating incentives, managing conflict, and so forth.

·         Identify two major problems that the manager mentions and ask how he or she has responded to those problems. What solutions has the manager tried? Have the solutions worked?

 

Step 3: Using scholarly sources such as your textbook and professional journal articles that you find in the University Library, research the two problems mentioned by the manager. What does the field of I/O say about these types of problems or issues? What recommendations might you make to the manager?

 

Document your interview and your library research in a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper. Your paper should consist of the following parts:

 

·         An introduction, describing the individual that you interviewed and his/her position

·         A summary of the interview focusing on the two major problems and attempted solutions

·         A scholarly commentary with recommendations from the perspective of I/O psychology

 

Be sure to include at least five scholarly references in your paper. Provide a list your specific interview questions as an Appendix. Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

 

What You Can/Can’t Ask – Legal/Illegal Interview Questions

 

IMPORTANT – All settings, including informal gatherings with agency staff who are not members of the recruitment process , are considered to be part of the interview of candidate.

 

Everyone who will have contact with candidates should be made aware of areas of inquiry that are not appropriate or illegal questions that should not be asked in order to avoid non-compliance issues.

 

 

AREA OF

 

LEGAL

 

ILLEGAL

 

 

INQUIRY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address/

CAN ASK:

IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK/REQUEST:

 

 

Housing/Length

•

Place and length of current and previous address

•

Specific inquiry into foreign addresses that would

 

 

of Residence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(“How long have you lived in [city]”)?

 

indicate national origin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• For applicant’s phone number or how s/he can be

• Names or relationship of persons with whom

 

 

 

 

reached

 

applicant resides

 

 

 

 

 

• Whether applicant rents or owns home

 

 

Age

BEFORE HIRING ONLY:

IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK/REQUEST:

 

 

 

• If a minor, require proof of age in the form of a

• About the age or age group or date of birth of the

 

 

 

 

work permit or a certificate of age

 

applicant

 

 

 

• If age is a legal requirement, can ask “If hired, can

• Birth certificate or baptismal record before hiring

 

 

 

 

you furnish proof of age?” or a statement that hire

• Questions that would tend to identify persons

 

 

 

 

is subject to verification of age

 

between 40 and 60 years of age.

 

 

 

• Whether or not an applicant is younger than the

 

 

 

 

 

 

employer’s regular retirement age

 

 

 

 

 

AFTER HIRING ONLY:

 

 

 

 

 

• Require proof of age by birth certificate

 

 

 

 

Ancestry/

CAN ASK:

IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK/REQUEST

 

 

Birthplace/

•

“After employment, can you submit a birth

•

If an applicant is native-born or naturalized

 

 

National Origin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship or

•

The birthplace of applicant

 

 

 

 

other proof of the right to remain in or work in the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•

Questions which identify customs or denomination

 

 

 

 

U.S.?”

•

About birthplace of his/her parents, grandparents

 

 

 

•

About foreign language skills (reading, speaking,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and/or spouse or other relatives

 

 

 

 

and/or writing) if relevant to the job

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Require applicant submit a birth certificate or

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sensitive to cultural differences

 

naturalization or baptismal record before

 

 

 

 

 

employment

 

 

 

•

Do not assume mispronunciation of English as a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•

About any other inquiry into national origin (for

 

 

 

 

lack of education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

applicant or his or her spouse or parents; maiden

 

 

 

•

Do not interpret silence as inability or unwillingness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

name of wife or mother)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•

First language

 

 

 

 

 

• Date of arrival in U.S.

 

 

 

 

 

•

Port of entry

 

 

Citizenship

CAN ASK:

IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK/REQUEST

 

 

 

•

Whether a U.S. citizen

• “Of what country are you a citizen?”

 

 

 

•

If no, whether intends to become one

• If native born or naturalized (for applicant or his or

 

 

 

• If you are not a U.S. citizen, do you have the legal

 

her parents or spouse)

 

 

 

 

• Proof of citizenship before hiring

 

 

 

 

right to remain permanently in the U.S.?

 

 

 

 

• If not a citizen, are you prevented from lawfully

• Whether parents and/or spouse is native born or

 

 

 

 

becoming employed because of visa or immigration

 

naturalized

 

 

 

 

status?

• Date of citizenship (for applicant or his or her

 

 

 

• If spouse is a citizen

 

 

 

 

 

 

parents or spouse)

 

 

 

• Statement that, if hired, applicant may be required

 

 

 

 

 

 

to submit proof of citizenship.

 

 

 

 

 

AFTER HIRING ONLY:

 

 

 

 

 

•

Require proof of citizenship

 

 

 

 

Credit Rating

NO questions may be asked regarding credit.

You may not ask ANY questions regarding credit.

 

 

Criminal Record

CAN ASK:

IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK/REQUEST

 

 

(Arrests and

• About actual convictions other than misdemeanors

•

To inquire about arrests without convictions

 

 

Convictions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

that relate reasonable to fitness to perform a

• Check into a person’s arrest, court, or conviction

 

 

 

 

particular job

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

record if not substantially related to functions and

 

 

 

• About convictions or imprisonment if crimes relate

•

responsibilities of the particular job in question.

 

 

 

 

to job duties and conviction or release from

 

About any involvement in demonstrations

 

 

 

 

imprisonment occurred within the last ten years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disabilities

Accommodations for the interview must be provided.

AN EMPLOYER

 

 

(continued on

Be careful how applicants with disabilities are

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 forbids employers from

 

 

next page)

 

 

 

 

 

 

asking job applicants general questions about whether

 

 

 

evaluated. Do not make judgments based on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

they are disabled or asking them about the nature and

 

 

 

communication skills of people with hearing and

 

 

 

 

 

severity of their disabilities.

 

 

 

speech impairments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To inquire for the purpose of determining applicant’s

Don’t ask the applicant about what kind of

 

 

 

 

accommodation(s) he or she may need until after the

 

 

 

capability to perform the job. (Burden of proof for non-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 1 of 4

Page 1 of 4

 

 

AREA OF

 

LEGAL

 

ILLEGAL

 

 

INQUIRY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disabilities

discrimination lies with the employer.)

interviewer has established that the applicant is

 

 

(continued from

CAN ASK:

qualified for the job and is considering that person for

 

 

previous page

 

employment.

 

 

 

•

Whether or not applicant is able to carry out all

 

 

 

 

 

 

An employer must be prepared to prove that any

 

 

 

 

necessary job assignments/functions and perform

 

 

 

 

 

 

physical and mental requirements for a job are due to

 

 

 

 

them in a safe manner

 

 

 

 

 

 

“business necessity” and the safe performance of the

 

 

 

“How would you perform this particular task?”

 

 

 

 

 

job.

 

 

 

CAN INVITE:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•

Applicant to indicate how and to what extent they

Except in cases where undue hardship can be proven,

 

 

 

 

are disabled. Employer must indicate to applicants

 

 

 

 

 

 

employer must make “reasonable accommodations”

 

 

 

 

that (1) compliance with the invitation is voluntary;

 

 

 

 

 

 

for the physical and mental limitations of an employee

 

 

 

 

(2) information is being sought only to remedy

 

 

 

 

 

 

or applicant. Includes alteration of duties, alteration of

 

 

 

 

discrimination or provide opportunities for the

 

 

 

 

 

 

physical setting, and provision of aids.

 

 

 

 

disabled; (3) information will be kept confidential;

 

 

 

 

 

 

To exclude disabled applicants as a class on the basis

 

 

 

 

and (4) refusing to provide information will not

 

 

 

 

 

 

of their type of disability. (Each case must be

 

 

 

 

result in adverse treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

determined on an individual basis by law.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Education

CAN ASK:

IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK/REQUEST

 

 

 

• What academic, professional or vocational schools

• Specifically ask the nationality, racial or religious

 

 

 

 

attended

 

affiliation of schools attended

 

 

 

• About language skills such as reading and writing

•

To ask how foreign language ability was acquired

 

 

 

 

foreign languages

 

 

 

 

 

•

Office skills

 

 

 

 

Emergency

•

Name and address of persons to be notified in case

IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK/REQUEST

 

 

notification

 

 

• Name and address of relatives to be notified in

 

 

 

 

of accident or emergency

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

case of accident or emergency

 

 

Experience

CAN ASK ABOUT:

 

 

 

 

 

• Applicant’s work experience, including names and

 

 

 

 

 

 

addresses of previous employers, dates of

 

 

 

 

 

 

employment, reasons for leaving, and salary

 

 

 

 

 

 

history

 

 

 

 

 

•

Other countries visited

 

 

 

 

Family/Relatives

CAN ASK:

IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK/REQUEST

 

 

 

• If the spouse is employed at the company (CANNOT ASK NAME)

•