FFH's Recruiting Plan and Strategy

Answer

FFH's Recruiting Plan and Strategy

The successful operation of an organization requires various inputs. Primarily, ideal human resources and personnel are essential as they are the ones who carry out the day to day activities within an organization.  During expansion phases, which FFH is entering, it is essential to ensure that the company moves to areas where appropriate labor supply will be available.  Often, all areas, especially in the United States, have many residents since the population is high. However, it is essential to analyze specific factors within the population, such as employment rates, educational qualifications, level of income and age, to understand if they can be suitable for supporting organizational functions. Furthermore, recruitment is influenced by various federal and state laws. As such, it is ideal to understand these legislations and ensure that all practices related to hiring do not violate any law. Notably, the US population is diverse. As such, it is ideal that the recruitment plan ensures that individuals from various cultural and ethical formations are offered the same opportunities. Primarily, this report focuses on analyzing the availability of a suitable workforce in three locations within Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska.

The Midwest Region

The Midwest area is preferred for FFH expansion since the company has no presence there. Moreover, the region has a large market for FFH’s products. Therefore, it will be ideal to have an adequate number of workers to meet the expected high demand at the start as many people will be aware of FFH due to its strong brand name. However, at the start, the suggested labor force should be 100 employees and can be increased depending on the performance and growth of the business.  Another consideration will be having a diverse labor force since the Midwest area has people from various ethnic formations.  The approach will ensure that all organizational clients are catered for while also ensuring that the business maintains a positive relationship with the community.  The gender of the recruits should also balance based on underlying gender equality policies. Likewise, there should be a proper mix regarding age brackets of the workers hired with a mixture of youths as well as elderly individuals.

Labor Market Assessment.

The three proposed areas within the Midwest region are Ottumwa in Iowa, Ottawa in Illinois, and Grand Island located in Nebraska. Both of the locations present opportunities for growth by the organization. However, it is imperative to assess the labor outlay as a means of determining if FFH will manage to acquire vital workers while smoothly operating.

Ottumwa, Iowa

Ottumwa, Iowa, has a population of about 24, 700 people whose median age is 35.7 years. The current population is a reduction of 0.0162 from the statistical findings of 2016.  The little percentage drop indicates that the area’s population does not change a lot.  Economically, the median household income stands at $39,193, which is a 2.9% increase from the average income recorded in 2016 of 38,090. Therefore, there is an expectation that the median income will rise in the future. Ottumwa, IA has a diverse population, with whites being the majority as they make up about 78.2% of the total population. Hispanics are the second dominant group as they account for 14.7%, while African Americans are 3.88% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020).   Over 92, 5% of Ottumwa, IA residents are US citizens and speak English.

The Ottumwa economy employs about 11 300 persons, with the manufacturing industry employing majority of them.  Sectors that pay high in Ottawa are the utility sector at $79,688, followed by the public administration at $47,880, and then mining and extraction whose pay stands at $46,725. There is a pay disparity based on gender as males receive 1.34 times higher the salary paid to females. Therefore, the income inequality Gini Index is 0.443 in Ottumwa, which is lower than the national average. There is also wage disparity based on race with Asians leading since they receive 1.13 times the wage offered to whites, while blacks receive 0.72 the amount paid to whites (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Overly, the unemployment rate in Ottumwa, IA, is about 3.90%.

Educational qualification in Ottumwa, IA, is high, with 86% of individuals being high school graduates. However, those who agree 25 and above and have graduated from college in the area are 17%. On the other hand, individuals without school or those who dropped out of learning centers are 14%.  Persons with some college education or an associate degree in Ottumwa are 33.7%. Primarily, educational qualification between males and females in Ottumwa is relatively balanced with males surpassing females by either one or two percent.

Ottawa, Illinois

The recent US population statistics indicate that Ottawa, Illinois, has a population of 18, 128 persons. The population density from the 2017 census of Ottawa is 1437.26 people per mile squared. The median age is 39.2 years, of which females are older since their average age is 40 years, while that of males is 37.3 years. The females are more as thy make up 53.7% of the population. Ottawa is a cosmopolitan city of Illinois, with whites being the majority as they make up 90.10% of the population, African Americans are 3.89%, and Asians are at 0.90%. The rest is composed of other minority formations. 98.3 of persons in Ottawa are US citizens and speak English, thereby making it the dominant language. 

The economy of Ottawa, IL, employs about 8,490 persons with the retail trade being the largest employer. The median household income is $50,250, with males earning 1.37 times higher than females. Consequently, the Gini index of income inequality in Ottawa, IL, is at 0.483, which is above the national average. The unemployment rate in Ottawa, IL, is at 5.4%. The unemployment rate is higher than the US average of 3.9% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). The highest paying industries in Ottawa, IL, are the utility sector at $111,696, the mining at $73,333, and then the financial services at $61,000.

Ottawa, IL, has 88% of its population, aged above 25, having attained high school graduation or better. As such, it is the sixth-best area with a high school graduation rate among ten locations in the region. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree or better in Ottawa, IL, are at 20%, while those with at least a master's degree are 18% or more. Educational qualification between genders is balanced, with both genders qualifying in almost equal numbers at different levels.

Grand Island, Nebraska

Grand Island, Nebraska, has a total population of 51478 persons based on the 2017 US census findings.  The median age of the population is 34.7 years, with that of males being 33. 6 while females are older as their median age is 36.2.  The population of males is almost the same as that of females as males are 49.98%.  Grand Island, NE has a diverse population as the dominant whites make up 86.14%, African Americans account for 2.95%, Asians are 1.29%, Native Americans are 0.62%, Pacific Islander’s population makes up 0.42%, while other races account for 6.93 % ( U.S. Census Bureau, 2020).

The median household income for Grand Island, NE citizens, is $51,627, which is a rise from the $49,118 witnessed in 2016.  The unemployment rate in the area is at 4%, which is above the US national average of 3.9%. Therefore, it is ideal that it is managed.  Often, males earn 1.37 times higher than females leading to a Gina Index of income disparity of 0.446 that is below the national average.  Most people in Grand Island, NE are employed in the manufacturing and health care industries. The highest paying sectors are finance and insurance at $45,635.

About 83% of individuals aged 25 and above in Grand Island, NE, have attained high school graduation or above. Consequently, the transition to college is high, as about 20% of persons aged 25 and above have at least a bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, individuals with no school or those who dropped out even without completing high school make up 17% of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). There is a balance regarding educational qualifications from both genders, with high educational qualifications being witnessed in individuals aged 34 to 45 years.

Laws That Impact FHH's Recruiting Strategy

FHH recruitment will need to adjust to various regulations relating to hiring.  The first consideration by FHH is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The legislation will require that FHH does not discriminate against individuals aged 40 years and above. Moreover, minors should not be hired while the criteria for finding a person’s age will be based on their minimum age and not the date of birth (Senses, 2017). The next law will be Americans with Disabilities Act, and it will require FHH to employ individuals with disabilities without any discrimination provided they have the ability to perform in available positions. Moreover, the Equal Pay Act will have to be considered as it will prohibit FHH from discriminating workers on pay due to their gender (Senses, 2017). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act will also be considered as it prevents any discrimination during hiring. Lastly, FHH will need to consider the Federal Executive Order number 11246, which requires the company to take affirmative action against underrepresentation. Ideally, the law will guide FHH in employing a diverse workforce. Other laws may be based on the state of operation, such as the Illinois Human Rights Act, in the case of Ottawa, IL, which is selected.

Recruiting Minorities

Holck et al. (2018) explain that the first step in recruiting minorities is to access them. Ideally, it becomes challenging to target a community that cannot access the employment location. The view is supported by Vukojičić Tomić (2017), who also says that the recruitment process should be accommodative of the diverse nature of individuals. In this regard, there should be language diversity during recruitment while also recognizing and appreciating individual culture and beliefs of all staff.

Recommended Location to Support FHH's Expansion Plans

Grand Island, Nebraska, is an ideal location for FHH’s expansion plans as compared to Ottawa, IL, and Ottumwa, IA. Ideally, Grand Island, NE, has a high population, which means that the labor market is extensive (Sofică & Cosma, 2018). Moreover, the educational qualification and performance of Grand Island’s residents are high, with attest 83% of them attaining high school graduation. The median age of 36 is also energetic as compared to Ottawa’s 40. The median income of Grand Island, NE residents, is high (approximately$51,627) as compared to Ottawa (approximately $50,000) and Ottumwa (approximately $38,000). However, the overall industry expenses are meager at about $45,000 as compared to other locations. Therefore, it means that the company will incur fewer expenses for labor during operations as compared to that incurred operating in other areas. Lastly, Grand Island, NE, has a more diverse population than other locations. As such, FHH will manage to adhere to legislation promoting diversity with more ease.