OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Symbolic Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:

1. Describe the symbolic frame

2. Apply the symbolic frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

As stated in module one, my situation chosen for this assignment was the transition from
a contracted technical writer, to an in house colleague as a production operator at a
Pfizer. While the process for hiring usually takes 8-10 weeks, a new diversity and inclu-
sion initiative, coupled with a lack of substantial applicant flow meant that for me, the
process took over 9 months.

2) Describe how the symbols of the organization influenced the situation.

The Human Resource symbols of the organization did influence the situation. Human Re-
sources is the symbol for hiring and recruiting for Pfizer. When a hiring manager has an
open position, they rely on the recruiter to fill that position. Even if the manager has
someone in mind to fill an open position, the recruiter must see that person as a potential
candidate as well.

In my case, Mike the hiring manager referred me to the open Chemical Operator position.
I applied and was put into the pool of candidates that the recruiter looked through. Just
because Mike referred me, didn’t mean I automatically got the position. I had to go
through all the hoops and hurdles with the recruiter. Symbols can divide as well as unify,
(Bolman 2021, Pg.253). In this case the recruiter and hiring manager were not in sync,
Mike had the plan that he was going to hire me, and the recruiter was set on taking me
through their process to sign off on me as a potential candidate to move forward.

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3) Recommend how you would use organizational symbols for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.

When I see the Human Resource symbol, I think of it as a group that assists any needs
within the workplace. I think the Human Resource department should work hand in hand
with the hiring manager to fill open positions. The recruiter needs to give weekly updates
to the hiring manager on the recruiting process. It should be a team effort and the re-
cruiter should not hold all the hiring power.

If a hiring manager already has a specific candidate in mind for the position, the recruiter
should move them forward in the process. I think it can be a waste of time for the re-
cruiter to take the referred candidate through their initial screening process. The recruiter
should assist the hiring manager in finding potential candidates. The hiring manger
should hold more to equal power to hiring candidates.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

Unfortunately there is not much I could have done in this situation. I had to go through
the recruiters screening process in order to move forward with interviews. Since the orga-
nization is set up for the recruiters finding candidates, it can be a frustrating situation for
internal candidates. I did what I had to do and went through the recruiters screening
process, which ultimately led to me getting what I wanted and I got hired.

Looking back, I wish I wouldn’t have been so naive. I was all excited and thought it was
a done deal because Mike the hiring manager told me he wanted me for the position. I
knew that I still had to formally apply, but I thought the process would be sped up. Be-
cause I let myself get excited too fast, it led me to a long process of being fed up because
the hiring process at Pfizer takes a long time.

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 Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (7th ed.).
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass