ABSTRACT
This chapter talks about three students Annette, Don and Rob. Annette landed an HR generalist job with a software design firm. Don accepted an offer with a major metropolitan water utility, also as an HR generalist. Rob began as a consultant in the HR practice with a professional services firm. The firm was still private, since the plan to go public had been put on hold given the impact of a serious economic downturn on initial public offerings. The price of the stock was tied to an annual valuation of the firm, which aligned everyone's interests and focused them on growth and profitability. The firm's staffing strategy was of immediate interest to Annette, since one of her first responsibilities was recruiting new candidates. Management made it clear that the strategy was to hire the smartest people who also fit the organization's culture, with less emphasis on their having specific skills.
