Integrated Cases

Case Notes / Teaching Notes

Case 1 : Computers (India) Ltd.

Main Issues / Problems

 Analysis of the staffing and training processes

 Why 40 percent of sales trainees are asked to leave the job?

Question 1

The analysis of the various processes would help in find if the staffing and training processes
were done properly:
 In the planning process, the company developed job specifications based on the study
of job description. This method is generally used for a new company. The effective
methods for this company is to analyze personal histories of good and poor
performing existing salespersons to find characteristics or traits present in good
performing salespersons and absent in poor performing salespersons.
 In the recruitment stage, the company had used two sources-viz. advertisements in the
local newspapers and the company’s website. The company should have also used
other sources like the educational institutes and employee referral program. The
company should also build a database to find the effective recruiting sources in future.
 In the selection process, only screening of resumes and interview tools were used. The
company should have used other tools like testing (e.g. selling ability, product and IT
knowledge) and reference check to make the selection process more effective.
 The training program of 15 days in the conference hall plus one and half months of
on-the-job training seems to be adequate. The reinforcement training was also done
through senior sales executives for 90 to 120 days. Hence, overall the training process
followed was proper.
Thus, the company did not carry out planning, recruitment, and selection processes
properly. But the training was done effectively.

Question 2

After carrying out the analysis, as described earlier, the suggestions for improvements are as
follows:
a) In the planning process, use the effective method of analyzing personal histories of
the existing salespeople in order to determine type of salespeople required.
b) The company should consider other sources of sales recruits as mentioned earlier.
c) In addition to interviews, the company should test the candidates on their selling
ability, and product and IT knowledge.
 If the above suggestions are implemented there is a high probability that number of sales
trainees leaving the organization would be minimized substantially.