Nowadays, phone interviews are common aspects of the interview process in companies. The advancement of technology has enabled easier interviewing using mobile gadgets. Phone interviews are mainly done by the human resource manager in the hiring process. However, the paper focuses on the phone interview with the operations manager of Plastix Inc. The interview will involve response about the size, the products, and the challenges of HR as well as the services offered by the company.

1. What are the company size, product or service, and strategy in the market place?

There are no best measures to determine the size of the company but applying the commonly known; Plastix Company could be categorized as a medium-sized company. I opine that way because of the number of employees, and the sales turn over. To begin with the number of employees; the company has employed over 60 employees ranging from the lower ranking to the senior management. The company has an annual turnover of about $15 million. These three main criteria rank the company to be a medium sized.  The company deals with internet-based plastic products. Narrowing them down, the company produces plastic cups, plates, and spoons.

The company has adopted many approaches in the market place. The company segments its products and its services according to demographics, its geography to cater to the growing needs of plastics. The advertising of products is majorly done via TV and social media ads. It also carries out product promotion campaigns during which huge discounts are offered to customers.

2. What is the structure or set up of the Human Resources Department in your company?

“The human resource depart of the company is a centralized system. The Vice President of Human resources heads the department. The department is divided into units for specialization by function.  The units in the department include the recruiting, training and development, health and safety as well as employee and labor relations.”

3. What services do they provide?

The HR department is coupled with many services and functions in the company. The services offered by the HR include the processing of payroll, the employee benefits and the advice of career. These services are delivered to the workforce through the traditional ‘generalist’ model where the central team provides key services and deals with the needs of managers, the employees and other part of the staff.

4. How do they impact your company’s business?

The impact of services of HR in the company cannot be underestimated.  Whenever new employees are hired, it is the role of HR to ensure the development of employees by updating their skills so that they could bring original and modern ideas to the company. It is also the role of HR in posting the warning signs and posters that should be taken in the cases of emergency. Such measures help in reducing the possibility of occurrence of accidents as well as the legal actions that could be taken against the company.

5. What are the most significant challenges that you face from a Senior Manager’s perspective?

One of the challenging things is bringing the best out of employees treating them with respect even if they are underperforming. For outstanding employees, special treatment is needed. It a difficult decision to treat such an employee special without creating an image of favoritism and discrimination in the organization.  Lastly, hiring the right people for a task is not a walk into the park.

6. Is the HR department involved in strategic planning for the company? If yes, how? If not, why?

The HR department is actively involved in strategic planning for the company. The process is begun with the assessment of current staffing. This involves the determination of whether it fits the organizational needs and then proceeds with the forecast of future staff needs according to the business goals. By so doing, the organization aligns its strategy with the employment planning and begins to hire new employees as well as the retention of the current employees.

7. How important or effective do you view the Human Resources Department in the overall success of the company?

The HR department has not only been effective but also it is impulsive and efficient. In the past few years, it has pioneered a new culture for the company. The outcomes from its activities such as learning and training have been evident. More also, the plan of HR has resulted in more sales and overall profit for the company.

8. What HR programs, policies or assistance would you like to see added or improved in your organization?

The organization would perform more effectively should HR encourage talents and widen the channels for upward communication with the employees. Teamwork should also be encouraged to ensure effectiveness in achieving the goals of the organizations.

9. After writing the responses to the above questions, provide a summary of what you learned about HR from conducting the interview.

From the above discussion, various facets of HR have been revealed, and the HR department is one of the main pillars for the success of a company. Therefore, it is essential to ensure vigilant and skilled HR managers are in place. Lastly, centralized HR structure promotes specialization in the company for quality service delivery.