Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach
This case explores how a hiring manager at LinkedIn uses a selection interview to ensure a new employee fits the organization's values and culture. This selection interview provides a glimpse into how this manager puts the organization's values and culture into practice while recruiting a new employee. The case provides students with background information about LinkedIn's growth and success, its culture, and the value CEO Jeff Weiner's places on compassion. It also introduces Ryan Giles, a hiring manager at LinkedIn who poses an interview question to Lindsay Reed, a student pursuing an internship with LinkedIn. The case puts the student in the role of Lindsay as she debates the best way to answer the interview question. The epilogue to the teaching note describes Lindsay's answer as well as Ryan's explanation as to why he used this approach.
Swot Analysis of "Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach" written by Jane Dutton, Lindsay Reed includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Linkedin Interview facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Leadership, Organizational culture and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach casestudy better are - – technology disruption, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing commodity prices, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google,
there is backlash against globalization, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Linkedin Interview, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Linkedin Interview operates in.
According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.
SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix
SWOT analysis of Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Linkedin Interview
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Leadership & Managing People field.
4. Making a Leadership & Managing People topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Linkedin Interview
Strengths Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Linkedin Interview in Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach Harvard Business Review case study are -
Strong track record of project management
– Linkedin Interview is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Linkedin Interview is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
High brand equity
– Linkedin Interview has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Linkedin Interview to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Linkedin Interview has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Linkedin Interview in the sector have low bargaining power. Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Linkedin Interview to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Linkedin Interview in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Linkedin Interview has innovation driven culture where significant part of the revenues are spent on the research and development activities. This has resulted in, as mentioned in case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Linkedin Interview has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Linkedin Interview has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Innovation driven organization
– Linkedin Interview is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Linkedin Interview has built up over years in its products and services combo offer has resulted in high retention of customers, lower marketing costs, and greater ability of the firm to focus on its customers.
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Linkedin Interview is one of the leading players in its industry. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in its segment but also across the whole industry. The ability to lead change has enabled Linkedin Interview in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Weaknesses Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach are -
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Linkedin Interview is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Linkedin Interview needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Linkedin Interview to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Linkedin Interview has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach HBR case study mentions - Linkedin Interview takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Linkedin Interview is planning to shift buying processes online.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Linkedin Interview has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.
Lack of clear differentiation of Linkedin Interview products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Linkedin Interview needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Linkedin Interview has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Linkedin Interview has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Linkedin Interview even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Linkedin Interview has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Linkedin Interview 's lucrative customers.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Linkedin Interview is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Opportunities Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach are -
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Linkedin Interview can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Reconfiguring business model
– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Linkedin Interview to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Linkedin Interview in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Leadership & Managing People segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Linkedin Interview has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Linkedin Interview to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach case study. Linkedin Interview can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Leadership & Managing People industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Linkedin Interview can take advantage of these changes in consumer behavior to build a far more efficient business model. For example consumer regular ordering of products can reduce both last mile delivery costs and market penetration costs. Linkedin Interview can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Linkedin Interview has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Linkedin Interview to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Linkedin Interview can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Leadership & Managing People industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Linkedin Interview can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Linkedin Interview to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.
Loyalty marketing
– Linkedin Interview has focused on building a highly responsive customer relationship management platform. This platform is built on in-house data and driven by analytics and artificial intelligence. The customer analytics can help the organization to fine tune its loyalty marketing efforts, increase the wallet share of the organization, reduce wastage on mainstream advertising spending, build better pricing strategies using personalization, etc.
Developing new processes and practices
– Linkedin Interview can develop new processes and procedures in Leadership & Managing People industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Linkedin Interview can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Linkedin Interview operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Linkedin Interview can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.
Threats Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach are -
New competition
– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Linkedin Interview in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Instability in the European markets
– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Linkedin Interview will face different problems in different parts of Europe. For example it will face inflationary pressures in UK, France, and Germany, balance sheet expansion and demand challenges in Southern European countries, and geopolitical instability in the Eastern Europe.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Linkedin Interview is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Linkedin Interview in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The Leadership & Managing People industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Linkedin Interview high dependence on third party suppliers can disrupt its processes and delivery mechanism. For example -the current troubles of car makers because of chip shortage is because the chip companies started producing chips for electronic companies rather than car manufacturers.
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
Capital market disruption
– During the Covid-19, Dow Jones has touched record high. The valuations of a number of companies are way beyond their existing business model potential. This can lead to capital market correction which can put a number of suppliers, collaborators, value chain partners in great financial difficulty. It will directly impact the business of Linkedin Interview.
Backlash against dominant players
– US Congress and other legislative arms of the government are getting tough on big business especially technology companies. The digital arm of Linkedin Interview business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Environmental challenges
– Linkedin Interview needs to have a robust strategy against the disruptions arising from climate change and energy requirements. EU has identified it as key priority area and spending 30% of its 880 billion Euros European post Covid-19 recovery funds on green technology. Linkedin Interview can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Linkedin Interview demand
– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach, Linkedin Interview may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Leadership & Managing People .
High level of anxiety and lack of motivation
– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Linkedin Interview needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Linkedin Interview has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Linkedin Interview needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Leadership & Managing People sector. According to Mckinsey study top managers believe that the adoption of technology in operations, communications is 20-25 times faster than what they planned in the beginning of 2019.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants.
We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –
First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.
Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.
Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Values-Based Approach to Candidate Selection: One Hiring Manager's Approach is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Linkedin Interview needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
