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RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION – MINI-CASE STUDY THE ETHICS OF RECRUITMENT Situation When suitably qualified labour is scarce, recruiting can become very competitive This can happen especially when two organizations try to hire the same person, which may occur particularly in the search for high-quality professionals Having interviewed four short-listed candidates, a high technology company (Company A) made an offer to Mary, one of the candidates and a highly qualified individual, and then notified the other three candidates that they were unsuccessful Mary, the successful candidate, was given two days in which to consider the offer, and then to accept or decline. Mary asked for more time in which to consider the offer, but was only allowed one more day, At the end of the extended time period, Mary made a phone call to Company A to say that she accepted the offer. The company sent her a contract to sign and return. However, instead of returning the contract duly signed, Mary then notified Company A that she had decided to accept another job offer from Company B. She had received the second offer after she had orally accepted the offer from Company A. Being in the same industry and in the same locality Company B had already learned that Mary had accepted Company A’s offer. Before accepting Company’s offer the second offer), Mary had consulted one of her former managers (not currently employed by ether Company A or Company B), who recommended that she ignore her oral commitment to Company A and accept Company B’s offer. There was very little difference either in the salaries or in the responsibilities of the jobs being offered by the two companies. It seemed that Mary’s actions had been mainly influenced by the higher profile and prestige of Company B. Questions 1. Was Mary’s behaviour appropriate and acceptable? If yes, justify your answer. If no, what do you think she should have done? 2. Was Company B’s action ethical knowing that Mary had orally accepted Company A’s offer? 3. Does an oral acceptance of a job offer constitute a legal and binding contract? 4. What should Mary’s former manager have advised her to do? 5. Should Company A take any action to try to enforce the oral commitment? Should it take action against Mary, or against Company B, or against oth? Justify your answer. 6. What action can Company A take to avoid this kind of situation in the future?