This information will be a key part of your final project for this course. According to Legal Dictionary, a fact pattern is “a concise description of all the occurrences or circumstances of a particular case, without any discussion of their consequences under the law.”
In other words, it provides the basic information—who, what, when, where, and why (which we will call the 5W approach):
Who: The individuals and organization involved in the issue
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Write My Essay For MeChief Talent Officer, Patty McCord and Co-Founder and CEO, Reed Hastings
What: The issue at hand. What variables have created the situation that needs resolution, and what facts regarding the individuals involved and the organization can be codified as factual statements.
In 2001, Netflix had about 120 employees but after the dot-com bubble burst and the 9/11 attacks occurred, things were not the same and began to change. They had to hold off on the IPO and had to lay off a third of their employees. (McCord, 2014) In 2002, they realized that business was picking up again and they would need to hire more than what they laid off the previous year.
When: The timetable as to when the issue began and the approximate timeframe in which it must be settled. If not definitively known, provide an estimate of the duration.
The issue started in late 2001 and it was by early 2002 that the business was growing.
Where: The geographic location, department, or division in which the problem exists.
Netflix Headquarters in Silicon Valley, CA
Why: The drivers that created the situation needing resolution.
Netflix began growing very quickly and as well as technology. Netflix was looking for the best employees out there that would value the company in order for them to be able to continue growing with the company. They had to come up with a strategy on how they would only hire and keep the employees that had the skill sets that Netflix was looking for and had to make some changes on how the employees would be evaluated for their job performance. They as well changed the standard part-time policy in which salaried employees were told to take whatever time they felt was appropriate and bosses and employees were asked to work it out with one another. (McCord, 2014)
How: The ways in which the organizational culture may directly and/or indirectly impact the negotiation in an interpersonal or organization conflict situation.
Formal reviews were eliminated from Netflix because they realized that they didn’t make sense and they were too ritualistic and too infrequent. Instead of reviews the managers and employees were having daily conversations about their performance, which included sales, engineering, and product development. (McCord, 2014) Netflix instead decided that it is better to tell the truth and be straightforward and offer a severance package that they believe would dramatically reduce the change of a lawsuit.
McCord, P. (2014). How Netflix Reinvented HR. (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 92(1/2), 70-76.
Feedback from Peers:
You discussed Netflix’s straightforward approach to performance and use of severance packages in laying off employees. This strategy is not only protects the company from potential lawsuits, but it is an example of successful negotiation. Opresnik explains, “It is your job in a negotiation to skillfully consider the subject, and by revealing the interests that are behind demands and positions, find out what is really important. In this way both parties can expand their share” (2014). An example of this is McCord’s description of a specific instance with the company’s former bookkeeper, Laura. Although Laura had once played a substantial role in the company’s beginnings, McCord evaluated the company’s need for experienced accounting professionals and determined that Laura’s skillset was not adequate. She was straightforward when discussing this with Laura and offered her a significant severance package. McCord’s consideration of what was really important left Laura feeling pleased to have been with the company and appreciative of the severance package, and allowed Netflix to hire the appropriate accounting staff to fit the company’s current needs.
You brought up a solid point in your post. You mentioned that Netflix was not only looking for the best talent out there, but that they also had a goal of retaining them. Far too often, many organizations who are focused on recruiting, fail to realize the importance of retainment as well. Recruiting the best talent can only go so far if the organization doesn’t have a plan in place that is geared towards keeping the best talent also. High turnover rates can have a negative impact on productivity, employee performance, and high costs related to having to keep training new employees.
You used a valid reference in your initial post, however in order to reach the exemplary level, you would need to provide additional resources to back up your analysis.
