| Course | HRM 300 Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (HRM/300) |
|---|---|
| Week | 2 |
| Paper type | Workforce planning and recruiting paper |
| Length | about 1,027 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Business |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HRM 300 Week 2
Twenty-Five Technicians by Next Summer: A Workforce Plan, Sources of Candidates and a Recruiting Message for a Tucson HVAC Company Competing for Scarce Skills
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
HRM/300: Fundamentals of Human Resource Management
Week 2 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Desert Air Mechanical and all figures are composites written for a model paper; planning methods and research findings come from the sources listed and are stated generally.
Desert Air Mechanical, the composite Tucson heating and cooling contractor from Week 1, decided that its growth plan requires about 25 more field technicians by the start of next summer. Its service manager wanted to post ads immediately. The HR manager asked first how many technicians the company would actually lose over the year, how many apprentices would be ready to work alone and which recruiting sources had produced technicians who stayed. Recruiting more people into a leaky bucket only fills it for a while, so a workforce plan starts by measuring the leak. This paper builds that plan.
Forecasting Demand
Desert Air now has 120 licensed technicians and 50 apprentices. To handle 12 percent more service calls and replacement installations, it needs about 135 technicians who can work independently by next June, up 15. In addition, turnover must be replaced. Over the past two years, about 18 percent of technicians left each year, including retirements, and a workforce forecast must replace them as well as add new positions (Dessler, 2020). About a third of apprentices quit in their first year.
Counting the Leak
At an 18 percent annual rate, about 22 of the 120 technicians will leave over the next year. To end the year with 135, the company needs about 37 additional technicians able to work independently, the 15 for growth plus 22 for replacements, before considering internal supply.
Internal Supply
Apprentices who complete the company's program and pass their certifications become technicians. Of the 50 current apprentices, about 30 are in their second year, and based on past rates about 20 will qualify by June while the rest need more time or will leave. Promotions from within therefore supply about 20 technicians.
The External Gap
The company needs about 17 experienced technicians from outside, plus about 30 new apprentices to keep the pipeline filled for future years, given expected apprentice quits. The headline target of 25 understates the real recruiting need once turnover is counted.
Internal or External?
Developing technicians internally builds loyalty and skills that fit the company's work, but takes two to four years. Hiring experienced technicians fills gaps quickly but costs more and competes with every contractor in town. Desert Air will do both, with a long-term emphasis on apprentices.
Comparing Sources
Over the past two years, employee referrals produced 14 technicians at about $1,800 per hire, mostly bonuses, and 80 percent stayed a year. Online job boards produced 22 hires at about $2,600 per hire, with only 55 percent staying. A staffing agency produced six at $6,000 each, with half staying. A local community college's HVAC program produced eight apprentices at low cost, with 75 percent staying. Breaugh (2008) reviewed research showing that recruiting sources differ in the quality and retention of hires, often because some sources, like referrals, give candidates more accurate information about the job.
New Sources
Veterans leaving nearby military installations often have mechanical training and value structured careers. High school career and technical programs offer future apprentices. Partnerships with these sources cost little and reach people the company now misses.
What Attracts Applicants
Chapman et al. (2005) found in a meta-analysis that job and organizational characteristics, such as the work itself, pay, development opportunities and the perceived fit with the company, along with recruiters' warmth and behaviors, predict applicants' attraction and job choice. For technicians, pay matters, but so do the quality of tools and trucks, training, fair scheduling and respectful supervisors.
The Recruiting Message
Desert Air's message will emphasize a paid apprenticeship with a clear pay ladder, new service trucks with modern equipment, a summer schedule that starts early to avoid the worst afternoon heat and a promise of one weekend off in two during peak season. It will also be honest: summer attic work is hard, and on-call shifts are part of the job. Realistic previews help candidates who would be unhappy decide not to apply.
Timing
Technicians are hardest to hire in May and June, when every contractor is busy. Desert Air will recruit experienced technicians from September to February and start a spring apprentice class in March, so new hires are trained before the summer surge.
The Candidate Experience
Experienced technicians often have several offers, so how quickly and respectfully the company treats them matters. In the past, Desert Air took two to three weeks from application to offer, and several strong candidates accepted other jobs in the meantime. The new process commits to a phone screen within two business days, a ride-along with a senior technician as part of the interview and an offer decision within a week. The ride-along doubles as a realistic preview: candidates see the trucks, the tools and the attic work before deciding.
Referral Program Design
Because referrals produce the best retention, the referral program deserves attention. Desert Air will pay $750 when a referred technician is hired and another $750 after six months, tying the reward to retention. Employees who refer will be invited to help onboard their referral, which strengthens the new hire's first weeks and gives the referrer a stake in their success.
Recruiting Budget
At blended costs of about $2,500 per experienced technician and $1,200 per apprentice, the recruiting budget is about $80,000, small compared with the turnover costs identified in Week 1.
Measures
The HR team will track applications and hires by source, time to fill, cost per hire and first-year retention by source, reviewing results every quarter and shifting spending toward sources with the best retention.
Diversity of the Pool
Women make up a small share of HVAC technicians nationally. Recruiting through community colleges, veterans' programs and outreach to women in trades groups widens the pool and helps the company reach qualified people its usual channels miss.
Conclusion
A target of 25 new technicians becomes a need for about 17 experienced hires and 30 apprentices once turnover and internal supply are counted. Comparing sources on retention favors referrals and school partnerships, research on applicant attraction shapes an honest message and early timing beats competitors to scarce candidates.
References
Breaugh, J. A. (2008). Employee recruitment: Current knowledge and important areas for future research. Human Resource Management Review, 18(3), 103-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.07.003
Chapman, D. S., Uggerslev, K. L., Carroll, S. A., Piasentin, K. A., & Jones, D. A. (2005). Applicant attraction to organizations and job choice: A meta-analytic review of the correlates of recruiting outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(5), 928-944. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.5.928
Dessler, G. (2020). Human resource management (16th ed.). Pearson.
What the HRM 300 Week 2 instructions ask
HRM 300 Week 2 generally calls for an explanation of workforce planning and recruitment and apply them to an organization. Typical requirements include forecasting labor demand and supply, identifying gaps, choosing between internal and external recruiting, evaluating recruiting sources such as referrals, job boards, schools and agencies, writing job postings and employer messages and measuring recruiting effectiveness with metrics such as time to fill, cost per hire and quality of hire. Many prompts ask students to design a recruiting plan for a specific role. Show the forecast with numbers, justify the choice of sources and draw on research about applicant attraction, documenting each source in APA format.
How this HRM 300 Week 2 example is built
A company that needs 25 more technicians within a year must first count how many it will lose, then decide where new ones will come from. The paper builds the demand forecast from growth targets and expected quits. Internal supply from apprentices finishing training is estimated, leaving an external gap. Recruiting sources, from employee referrals to trade schools and veterans' programs, are compared on cost, speed and how long hires stay. Research on applicant attraction shapes the recruiting message, which emphasizes training, pay progression and summer scheduling. The paper ends with recruiting measures and a calendar timed to fill positions before the summer peak.
HRM 300 Week 2 grading rubric: where the points go
What scores well this week is a forecast with real numbers, a reasoned choice of recruiting sources and a message tied to what attracts applicants. Credit goes to papers that estimate both demand and internal supply, include turnover in the forecast, compare sources on quality as well as cost, use research on recruitment and applicant attraction and set measurable goals. Recognizing the labor market's conditions, such as a skills shortage, and timing recruiting to business needs shows practical judgment. Instructors also look for honesty in the recruiting message, since realistic previews reduce early quits. Linking each recruiting source to first-year retention, not just to the number of applicants, shows the student understands quality of hire. A forecast table, a source comparison and APA references round out the paper.
HRM 300 Week 2 help: mistakes to avoid
The HRM 300 Week 2 error seen most often is forecasting only growth and forgetting to replace people who quit or retire. Add turnover to the forecast. Another common gap is judging recruiting sources by cost alone; referrals may cost more per hire yet produce employees who stay longer. Compare quality and retention too. Students also write job postings that list duties without saying why someone should join. Use what applicants value. Avoid overpromising in recruiting messages, which raises early turnover. Time recruiting to when hires are needed. Track results by source. Finally, connect the plan to the business goal, showing how many service calls the new hires will make possible.
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HRM 300 Week 2 questions, answered
What does HRM 300 Week 2 usually cover?
It usually covers workforce planning and recruitment, including forecasting labor demand and supply, finding gaps, choosing recruiting sources, writing job postings and measuring time to fill, cost per hire and quality of hire.
Where can I find a free HRM 300 Week 2 sample paper?
The complete workforce plan and recruiting strategy for a Tucson HVAC company, with the forecast and source comparison explained beside the text, can be read on this page. Your own plan can start with a free draft.
How do you forecast how many employees a company needs?
Estimate future demand from business plans and productivity, add expected departures from turnover and retirement, subtract expected internal supply such as promotions and trainees, and the remainder is the hiring need.
Which recruiting source produces the best hires?
Research often finds that employee referrals produce hires who perform well and stay longer, partly because referrers share realistic information, though diverse sources are needed to reach a broad pool.
What is a realistic job preview?
Giving candidates an honest picture of a job's demands and drawbacks as well as its benefits, which helps those who would be unhappy select out and reduces early turnover.
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