Tanglewood Staffing Strategy

Staffing Strategy

Tanglewood is a chain of retail stores that operate in the moderate price group. They feature items such as clothing, appliances, electronics, and home décor. It was originally founded in 1975 by two best friends, with a single store. The stores have an outdoors theme, and distinguish themselves from others with a simple, uncluttered design. Over the years the business has expanded and now has 243 stores, but before expanding any further the company wants to consolidate its current management strategy.

Tanglewood decided to purchase already existing stores, rather than building new ones, and there has been inconsistency in management styles. Since this has occurred it will be necessary for the company to acquire or develop new talent. The company should hire within and promote current employees that are knowledgeable and ready for advancement. This will help create a stable, committed workforce, which was the goal of the founders. This allows employees to “use the internal labor market as a springboard for launching long-term careers within the organization”. (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2012). External hiring could be used for entry-level positions such as part time employees or cashiers if needed. Tanglewood should not outsource hiring processes as staffing agencies would not be familiar with Tanglewood’s company values.

A core workforce would be the best choice for Tanglewood. The core workforce is “made up of regular full time and part time employees central to the core goods and services delivered by the organization”. (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2012). This company values team work and employee participation. Founders, Wood and Emerson, proclaimed “If you tell someone exactly what to do, you’re only getting half an employee. If you give someone the space to make their own decisions, you’re getting a whole person”. ("Tanglewood Casebook," 2012). Tanglewood needs to focus on retaining its current employees in order to maintain a core workforce. The company can do this by developing employee skills so employees are motivated to advance within the company when new positions become vacant. Tanglewood can also offer employee perks to full time employees such as sick time, profit sharing, bonuses, and health care packages.

This company needs to operate globally, as offshoring and outsourcing can help the company get goods and services cheaper. Tanglewood needs to attract employees, as they already have stores in 12 geographical regions, with approximately 20 stores in each region. Relocating would be very costly and time consuming.

The goal of successful companies