Puddle Girl Essay

She gazes out the window, self-consciously adjusting the straps of her shirt. She shivers as a chill creeps out from the weathered window pane and draws a limp cardigan from the overstuffed chair she has perched herself upon. The pounding of the rain slowly begins to abate and diverts into a soft, gentle roll of tears from the sky. She clasps the cardigan closer to her body, as she mentally counts off the number of ribs she can feel through the heavy, wool blend. Haplessly she utters the sigh of a woman far beyond her years and reaches to open the beckoning door. Her frail, ivory hand encloses on the scuffed brass door knob and she abruptly looks about her, as if she is waiting for someone to reprimand her. She braces herself against the wind’s knocking chill and steps out into the blighting, crisp, after-rain air. Though she is wearing the two layers she had previously dressed herself in that grey morning and the four other layers she had wrapped herself in throughout the day , she still shivers, the drizzle gently pinpricking her spine. The soft, baby hairs rising on her arms, she raises her diminutive hand to touch the baby-fine smattering of gold silk upon her head, to find that it drifts off through her bony fingers to the earthen ground. She touches her head again and this time her gaze lands upon the aimless settlement of one golden strand. Whirling and twirling, it’s angelic decent is cushioned by the tender rain’s droppings that had accumulated into a softly swirling puddle. In an impulsive childish manner, she squats down alongside the water mass and peers at the blustery, silken strand. As it writhes and dances across the still body of water, it creates perfect, symmetrical ripples of movement and sooner than later, to the young girl’s objections, the hair is stifled by the peaceful puddle’s saturation. And just as her lips utter yet another far-matured sigh, a reflection subsequently appears and the girl, in a melancholy, self-induced habit stares at the image impressed upon the water’s glass. There is a girl in the puddle and she stares back with a desolate stare. Where once sparkling blue eyes glistened is now replaced with the color of grey misery, the twinkle engulfed in the world’s shallow appetite. Her cheeks sunken with the sharp edge that only appears with years of self-destruction and facial expression contorted into the tightness of concentrated self-loathing. Convulsing, the young girl abruptly shatters the ebbing puddle girl’s image, sending her nose, eyes, and tight-lipped un-smile into all directions. Trembling from  anger, fear, pain–a mixture of such pure and raw emotion that to describe it would be impossible–the young girl crumbles down onto the cold, unyielding cement. Cradling her head, allowing the swirling torrent of feelings to take over her being†¦once again the rains begin to fall and as each drop rolls down her once rosy cheeks, she sobs and thinks of days gone past.

The Dropping of the Atomic Bom essays

The Dropping of the Atomic Bom essays The Allies had won the war in Europe, against Hitler but the war continued in the Pacific against Japan. After many American victories in the Pacific, the Japanese would not surrender, this lead America to develop a new weapon of destruction. Albert Einstein suggested the idea of an atomic bomb to President Roosevelt. A scientist named Oppenheimer led the Manhattan project, or the development of the atomic bomb. America made many warnings of the destruction of the atomic bomb and Japanese would not accept these warnings so President Harry Truman decided to unleash Little Boy. Little Boy was the name of the first Atomic bomb, which was dropped by a B29 bomber called he Enola Gay on August 6, 1945. This bomb killed approximately 80,000 people in the city of Hiroshima. A second smaller bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, which finally brought the Japanese surrender. Victory on Japan or VJ day came on September 2,1945 when the Japanese signed the conditio nal surrender on the U.S.S Missouri. The dropping the Atomic Bomb was not a justified way of making the Japanese surrender because thousands of innocent civilians lost their lives. People rushing to work and children playing in the streets were instantly killed when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. Was the loss of life justified? The power of the atomic bomb was great enough to show not to use on innocent lives. The alternatives seemed out of reach when the decision was made to drop the atomic bomb. The Japanese culture is honorable and disciplined; people thought dying for your country was honorable. The Americans not only killed the soldiers but innocent people under a dictatorship form government. The people did what they where told and if they would have seen the destructive power of the atomic bomb they might have surrendered peacefully. This will never be known because the atomic bomb was dropped and people lo ...

Challenges of Recruitment Processes Samples

Google, an American company with multinational presence and specializing in products and services relating to the internet, was founded by the duo of Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998. It is one of the most desired workplaces in the world, and that has been magnified by the production of a recruitment video that seeks to provide prospective applicants with a sneak peek into what it entails to work for the organization. One of the key messages from the video about google as an employer is, life at the organization is about more than just work. For example, there are recreational facilities for employees. The fact is, it is not just about productivity, but also, the experience is meant to be pleasant. The other key message is, ‘things happen,' implying that there is fast decision making with regard to whether projects will be approved or not. One of the interviewed engineers stated that ideas are approved at a faster rate i.e. on the order of weeks, months or less in comparison to the institutions that they worked for earlier. Also, there are certain qualities that are rooted for by the company when recruiting. They encompass the following: individuals with ambitious ideas, fast responses to requests, big achievers, passionate about projects, high energy levels, a good understanding of the product base and commitment to clients (Google Inc, 2006). Hence, employees are surrounded by bright and enthusiastic colleagues, working on interesting problems and products that impact a lot of lives e.g. Gmail (Google Inc, 2006). Again, they place huge importance on balancing work and life. To demonstrate, it has a child care center touted as one of Google’s most valuable programs. Further, expectant mothers are given time off before and after delivery. Additionally, they have 75% pay for all of the 12 weeks that mothers were expectant. Furthermore, they are afforded flexibility at work such as working fewer hours. According to Google’s engineering director featured in the video, Google’s culture, philosophy and personalities drawn from its founders. Organizational culture evident from the video is briefly outlined below. Google has a work environment that fosters flexibility, creativity, and innovation. Specifically, the organization has a 20% rule where engineers have 20% of their time to work on individual projects. Some of the projects highlighted in the video included the below mentioned. One, where an engineer created a rotating globe showing where on the globe Google users were searching from. Two, an added feature on google.com where when a user types in the name of a movie and the zip code, it will return to them a list of theatres around that area, with show time and reviews to that particular movie. Importantly, there is a free exchange of information through different setups. First, there is an impactful mentoring program where both incoming and resident employees are assigned official mentors and could also take up unofficial mentors. Therefore, there is an easy transition for new comers and those stepping up to new positions. Second, to stimulate the mind of its employers, the organization has educational talks called Ted talks in different topics such engineering and the latest theories about the origin of the universe (Google Inc, 2006). Again, the organization has a great startup spirit in that projects take a shorter period to launch. Lastly, it provides impactful products to the general public. The development of the theories began in 1920’s amidst the industrial revolution, during which productivity was at the core of businesses (Jerome, 2013). A particular theory that fits well with the Google recruitment video is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. The theory is built on the premise that the desire of many employees is to be included in an entity that supports their growth and development (Jerome, 2013). Thus, if special attention is a guarantee and there is an encouragement for participation, the view that their work is of significance motivates productivity and high-quality work. Concerning the theory, the video is effective in attracting the right candidates, for the reasons outlined below. The behavior of humans is related to needs. The video comes across as testament that the needs, as outlined by Maslow, will be met. First, ranked at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy, is psychological needs. It entails the basic needs that sustain human life. Such include food, shelter, clothing among others (Wahba&Bridwell, 1973). The video outlines the provision of all these at Google. Second, the security and safety needs which are connected to the psychological fear of job loss. Expectant mothers, for instance, are guaranteed of keeping their jobs. During the 12 months, they are afforded 75% of their salary and flexibility in terms of working hours (Google Inc, 2006). Third, the need according to the theory is the social need. The need posits that it is the desire of an employee is to be in a group and be accepted. This is made possible by Google by mentorship p rograms that facilitate regular interaction with superiors and other forms of activities that make interactions with other employees easier and possible. Ideally the video advocates for the creation of a sense of community. Fourth, the theory stipulates a self-esteem need that has much to do with recognition (Wahba&Bridwell, 1973). The importance of this fact has been duly emphasized in the video citing various activities that enhance self-esteem e.g. the 20% rule. Last, and the highest ranking need according to Maslow, is self-actualization. It entails the desire of an employee to become what they think they are capable of. Google provides for this through the 20% rule, enabling employees to utilize their maximum potential. Attracting the right kind of candidates for job openings is important to any organization in existence,so as to meet the organizational goals and values (Arachchige& Robertson, 2011). According to Maroko& Uncles (2008), there are certain characteristics that come into play when a potential employer is seeking to attract the right candidates for a job opening:attractiveness and accuracy. These are some of the factors that the video by Google looked to enhance by a brief documentation of its organizational culture. About attractiveness, the video demonstrates awareness of employee needs, differentiation in the market and relevance to a particular pool of enthusiasts.   Further, it accurately portrays accuracy regarding organizational culture, values, employee experience and the employer brand (Maroko& Uncles, 2008). A study by Williamson et al. (2010) emphasized the above claim on attractiveness stating that the amount of information given attributing the company and the different positions on offer has an interactive effect on potential applicants. Arachchige& Robertson (2011), provides other characteristics of an organization that fresh graduates look for. The most preferred attributes are: will gain experience that is relevant to career, promotes self-esteem, faster decision making, better relationships with colleagues and superiors, fun working environment among others. These are some of the â€Å"attraction† factors put across by the video. First,   finding a qualified employee in time has become more difficult.Uncontrollable circumstances may lead to someone being laid off, or alternatively, an employee might have left for another opportunity.In these situations, the position needs to be filled promptly (Meister, Willyerd& Foss, 2010). As such filling, the position becomes the next order of business. However, in as much as the market is full of applicants who would be interested in the position, there are challenges. A considerable amount of time is spent on sourcing suitable applicants and profile and CV reviews. Thus, there is a need to find ways of getting applicants of good quality into a recruiter’s short list fast. Second, ascertaining the legitimacy of a resume is an uphill task.Reason being, faking resumes has been a common occurrence in a recruiter’s bid to find a fit for a position. Included here are fake referrals, education, and certification (Mallory, 2014). Researching an employee’s resume to establish if every qualification is genuine is time consuming when working under a strict time frame. Third, settling for the right choice is a daunting task. A culmination of the above-mentioned factors that make the recruitment process challenging results in difficulties settling for the right candidate. A recruiter might have lots of talented candidates but with limited positions to accommodate at least the majority, chances are they might let extremely talented individuals leave. According to the survey by PWC and KPMG, the cost of a bad hire is estimated at double the salary he would have been paid to the individual. Last, as per the findings of a study carried out by Cappelli (2008), career decisions are no longer made by managers and executives as it was in the past where individuals were matched with jobs. As such, the most talented of individuals have the freedom to turn down offers if the offer that they expected does not come along. Similarly, there is a general talent problem that has since been burdensome to recruiters in companies of Google’s magnitude. They want the skills they need at the time of their choosing and in a manner that is desirable to them. Employees on the other hand desire the guarantee of advancement and an autonomous level of control n their careers (Cappelli, 2008). Arachchige, B. J., & Robertson, A. (2011). Business Student Perceptions of a Preferred Employer: A Study Identifying Determinants of Employer Branding. IUP Journal of Brand Management, 8(3). Cappelli, P. (2008). Talent management for the twenty-first century. Harvard business review, 86(3), 74. Google Inc. (2006). Google Recruitment Video. Google: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcXF1YirPrQ. Jerome, N. (2013). Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory; impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource and employee’s performance. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(3), 39-45. Mallory, M. (2014). A Research Proposal: Negligent Hiring and Fraudulent Resumes. Meister, J. C., Willyerd, K., & Foss, E. (2010). The 2020 workplace: How innovative companies attract, develop, and keep tomorrow's employees today (p. 5). New York, NY: Harper Business. Moroko, L., & Uncles, M. D. (2008). Characteristics of successful employer brands. Journal of Brand Management, 16(3), 160-175. Wahba, M. A., &Bridwell, L. G. (1973). MASLOW RECONSIDERED: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE NEED HIERARCHY THEORY. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 1973, No. 1, pp. 514-520). Academy of Management. Williamson, I. O., King, J. E., Lepak, D., &Sarma, A. (2010). Firm reputation, recruitment web sites, and attracting applicants. Human Resource Management, 49(4), 669-687.

Talent Management & Succession Planning in the Work Environment Assignment

Talent Management & Succession Planning in the Work Environment - Assignment Example In order to achieve the above functions, proper and reliable communication structures are also paramount. It is often said that the strength of a team or an organisation in general, lies in the diversity of its workers, which in this case is defined by the existing differences in knowledge, talents and innovativeness among each other. In addition, it can create and nurture new talents to succeed those that are retiring and transferring from their jobs. This paper focuses on talent management and succession planning, and how these processes are conducted in businesses in their bid to remain competitive and successful. It also examines a case study to identify how these practices are designed and implemented by Apple Company. Current advancements in the business world require that business invest in reliable human capital in order to maintain their excellence and better performance. The advancements include; changes in information and technology, competition strategies and methods of successful business management. In this understanding, human resource managers in organisations have to work closely with the top management in order to attract, hire, develop and retain talents. However, despite these efforts, skills shortages in the current business environment continue to present both socio-economic and cultural challenges as talent crosses borders in industries globally. Analysis of human resource trends and skills are needed in businesses because of the shifting demographic patterns, international and global supply chains, an aging workforce as well as occupational mobility. For this reason, human resource managers are expected to devise effective strategies in harnessing and managing their talents (Cheese and Robert 11-12). The success of talent identification and management approaches places organizations in better positions to establish themselves firmly in the changing business environment, both locally as well as on a global