An Assessment of an Interactive Online Training Course at a Placement and Business Service by Shelley Wynter-Wellington An Applied Dissertation Submitted to the Fischler School of Education and Human Services in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Nova Southeastern University 2010 Approval Page This applied dissertation was submitted by Shelley Wynter-Wellington under the direction of the persons listed below. It was submitted to the Fischler School of Education and Human Services and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Nova Southeastern University. __________________________________ __________________________ Diane Bryant, PhD Date Committee Chair __________________________________ __________________________ Gail Johnson, EdD Date Committee Chair __________________________________ __________________________ Program Professor Review Date Applied Research Center __________________________________ __________________________ Dana Scott Mills, PhD Date Executive Dean ii Abstract An Assessment of an Interactive Online Training Course at a Placement and Business Service. Shelley Wynter-Wellington: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Fischler School of Education and Human Services. ERIC Descriptors: Job Interviews, Employment Interviews, Interviewing, Job Application, Job Applicants The problem was that the general educational level in relation to the job interview process of first-time prospective job applicants who were clients of the staffing agency had been progressively declining over the years. The issue was having an adverse affect on the placement service, as fewer clients were being offered jobs. The purpose of this applied dissertation study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive online training course for a placement and business service. The extent to which the course assisted client-applicants with the overall understanding of the job application and interview process was examined. Four research questions were addressed. The questions related to online training courses and the improvement of the existing online training course. The review of related literature revealed that there may be a need for improvement of the interviewing process. Two questionnaires were created and administered to all first-time interviewees to determine if the online course was deemed to be successful. Formative and summative committees were used as part of the validation process. Findings indicated that the majority of the job applicants agreed that the online training course was excellent or very good and was in line with their expectations of preparation for a successful job interview. There were various meetings with the management of the placement agency on the results, and it was recommended to the director that all eligible first-time job applicants receive the online training course before the interviewing session as a preparation tool. iii Table of Contents Page Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1 The Importance of Temporary Agencies .................................................................2 The Effect of Technology on the Temporary Agency .............................................4 Nature of the Problem ..............................................................................................5 Statement of Purpose and Rationale ........................................................................6 Definition of Terms..................................................................................................7 Chapter 2: Review of the Related Literature .......................................................................9 Introduction ..............................................................................................................9 Research Methodology ............................................................................................9 Evaluation Methodology ..........................................................................................9 Questionnaire Development...................................................................................10 Adult Learning Theories ........................................................................................11 Distance Learning ..................................................................................................14 Technology ............................................................................................................19 Application and Interview Processes .....................................................................20 Salary and Benefits ................................................................................................26 Temporary Agencies ..............................................................................................27 Human Resources Management and Development ...............................................33 Summary ................................................................................................................39 Research Questions ................................................................................................39 Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................41 Evaluation Methodology ........................................................................................41 Procedures ..............................................................................................................43 Participants .............................................................................................................45 Procedures for Data Collection ..............................................................................46 Chapter 4: Results ..............................................................................................................48 Research Question 1 ..............................................................................................48 Research Question 2 ..............................................................................................48 Research Question 3 ..............................................................................................49 Research Question 4 ..............................................................................................55 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations ......................56 Overview ................................................................................................................56 Discussion of Findings ...........................................................................................57 Conclusions ............................................................................................................58 Implications............................................................................................................59 Recommendations ..................................................................................................59 References ..........................................................................................................................62 Appendices A Formative and Summative Committees ..........................................................67 iv B Formative Committee Online Questionnaire ..................................................70 C Summative Committee Online Questionnaire and Results ............................75 D Online Training Questionnaire and Results ....................................................78 E Job Interview Questionnaire ...........................................................................81 F Credentials of Experts Taking the Test-Retest Reliability .............................83 G Results of the Test-Retest Reliability .............................................................85 H Results for Job Interview Questionnaire .........................................................89 v 1 Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction A temporary staffing agency was founded in 1970 as a for-profit organization with a niche in a growing market economy. The agency was founded by an enterprising woman whose former background was as a human resources (HR) recruitment officer at a previous Caribbean company. The temporary staffing agency was established because of individual recruiting efforts of employees in the Caribbean area during the 1970s. The purpose of the agency was to recruit, train, and place job candidates in suitable employment positions. In 1972, 2 years after the establishment of the Caribbean agency, the market was primed for temporary staff recruitment and placement services. As a result, this temporary staffing agency’s profits grew by over 60%. The mission statement for the temporary staffing agency was to serve companies that were local, international, and in the Caribbean by providing the most qualified permanent and temporary staff. The director of the subject company related that, as the Caribbean economy declined in the 1990s, the temporary staffing agency responded to the challenge through innovative means and continued to deliver flawless, excellent service. This agency survived, and in its 37th year, plans were made for further expansion. The agency looks forward to another 35 years of delivering an even higher level of quality service in an economy that has begun to regain lost ground. The director of the subject company indicated that the problem with the personnel industry was the ongoing difficulty in locating qualified personnel to fill vacancies, particularly office-related positions. In addition, there were problems within the industry due to lack of structure, communication, mobility, and technology. This problem in the Caribbean was different from those in countries such as the United States, Canada, and 2 the United Kingdom, where the job- recruitment process was structured and organized. In contrast, according to a study conducted in 2001 by Burgess and Connell (2004) of temporary employment agencies in the United States and Canada, existing agencies were found to have structured and precisely organized regulations. The study was specific and described the types of limitations for hire. The study also included but was not limited to the maximum duration for hire, and the maximum allowable timeframe for renewal of hire, along with the total duration of hire, which was used as a guideline for temporary agencies. Burgess and Connell concluded that, in the terms of rehire, there was no maximum duration for the temporary assignment of workers in Canada and the United States. However, according to the director of the subject company, there was no such regulatory process in the Caribbean. Instead, prospective employees were introduced to employers through informal means. Positions were filled through referrals from employees or ex-employees, walk-in applicants, or persons who simply mailed in their résumés with the unlikely chance that there might be a vacancy. Hence, Caribbean companies with the intention of hiring staff sought a recruiting agency that offered placement services for permanent and temporary staff but no structured hiring or rehiring policies. The Importance of Temporary Agencies Daft (2008) determined that temporary agencies were established in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and have grown rapidly during the 1990s and the early 2000s, employing millions of workers in temporary placements. Daft explained that temporary workers include positions from data entry to project management and, in 3 some cases, ultimately the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company. Daft observed a change in the types of demands for temporary workers. Instead of the traditional clerical or manufacturing positions, the emphasis has become geared towards temporary workers who are interim financial specialists and analysis managers in the field of technology. Burgess and Connell (2004) noted that agencies intervene as intermediaries for workers by filling orders for clients and organizations. Burgess and Connell reported that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were 2.9 million persons employed as temporary workers in 1998 with a projected 53% increase by 2006 with the largest growing segment in the professional and technical sectors. Burgess and Connell indicated that transformational changes in the work organization, particularly in the service industry in the 1990s, were contributing factors and led to the increase in hiring temporary workers in the United Kingdom. Matthews (2008) noted that in the United Kingdom, temporary workers are sometimes regarded by companies as the stereotypical secretary with little or no work ethic or motivation and few skills. However, in contrast, temporary workers may have superior technological skills and are more adaptable to working in varied environments and cultures. In addition, temporary workers are confident working on new challenges and situations within organizations. Matthews indicated that in 2007, 77% of firms in the United Kingdom hired temporary workers out of necessity. Burgess and Connell (2004) found that temporary jobs are present in all occupations and industries. Temporary jobs are no longer segregated into seasonal industries such as agriculture, hospitality, or clerical positions. However, the emphasis 4 has become on hiring temporary workers in the area of technology. The Effect of Technology on the Temporary Agency Daft (2008) indicated that the workforce has altered because of changes in technology, new software, and web-based programs, combined with on-demand subscription services that facilitate companies with more efficient technologies. The challenge for placement managers is to match an adequate candidate with the appropriate job, and the use of technology is an important part of this process. Daft (2008) contended that technology is transforming human resources management in meeting the needs of today’s global environment. Daft suggested that the transition from HR to electronic HR (e-HR) was established because Internet and information technology is significant and has affected every area of HR management, including training, recruiting, and career development. Daft (2008) indicated that one of the most effective approaches for recruiting employees is the use of the Internet for training job applicants, primarily the website www.Monster.com. Companies should disregard using traditional ways of recruiting and training strategies, as the Internet gives HR managers new tools for searching the world in order to find the best available talent. Additionally, Daft stressed the importance of online learning and training for the purpose of recruiting on a global basis. For example, many corporations, particularly high-tech companies, are looking specifically for qualified workers in foreign countries. The major reason, according to Daft (2008), is the technological shift in recent years and the shortage of specific technological skills in the United States. Burgess and Connell (2004) suggested that agencies have transformed methods of training workers because of changes in communication and informational technologies. 5 Burgess and Connell indicated that in 1998, more than 2% of workers in the United Kingdom working for British Telecom were trained and recruited by agencies. This was significant because the placement agencies increased revenue in the United Kingdom as a direct result of the rising need for technology. Burgess and Connell declared that 1998 was the start of the use of placement agencies to fill technological jobs. Nature of the Problem The general manager of the subject placement agency stated that the general knowledge level has been progressively declining over the years for first-time prospective job applicants who were clients of the staffing agency. This knowledge decline was having an adverse effect on the placement service as applicants were not being offered jobs. When clients were sent on a job interview, corporations conveyed to the agency that the applicants were unprepared. In addition to consuming time, the result was added costs for the staffing agency and the client. In response to the problem, an interactive online training course was created to prepare job applicants for interviews, and it was implemented for clients of the staffing agency. The online training course was designed to improve client success rates with the overall job application process. The purpose of the online training course was to provide a method by which unprepared clients could acquire effective interviewing skills, thereby increasing the likelihood that they would be hired. According to the general manager of the placement agency, the placement rate declined 38% over the past 3 years, and a significant problem existed with the effectiveness of the online training course. Insufficient information was available to support the effectiveness of the course. The online training course was unique, as it was the first to be implemented in the Caribbean specifically for job applicants. However, the