ENGL 3060 | Auburn University Montgomery

HR Group Project
UNIT 4
DEANDRA ALLEN, MAYSON HEDDEN, ALEXIUS MOSE,
TYLER SLAUGHTER, BIJU SONG

Unit 4: HR Group Project

1 INTRODUCTION
As a group, we were given the opportunity to choose from a list of jobs that were posted on
careerbuilder.com. We unanimously chose the job of Customer Service Representative at
Sykes, which is one of the largest corporations in providing customer service for major
companies. We all felt that this job would fit each and every one of us because we all have
some experience in the customer service field. We critiqued our resumes and cover letters so
that they would best fit the interests of the job. We met as a group and looked over each
others resumes and gave some feedback on what we could do to make our resumes stand out
as it pertains to the job. We critiqued our cover letters to highlight our skills and experiences.

2 CHOOSING A JOB/ RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS

First step of this project was to choose an occupation. Our group chose the customer service
representative position. The job advertisement was for an entry level position, and Sykes
offers on-the job training to increase the success of the employee. Every member in our
group majored in a different field, therefore the customer service representative position
might fit the needs of our members. Sykes advertisement did not release any information on
which major, field/subject, or minimum degree that is required other than having a high
school diploma or equivalent (i.e. GED), minimum age of over eighteen, strong evaluation
skills, analysis skills, and computer skills. Most of our members meet most of the criteria, so
we picked this position for our project.
The next process was to gather and to provide resumes and cover letters for Sykes. Hard
copies of each members resume and cover letter were shared amongst the group. A
comprehensive analysis of the applications was taken from the perspective of a human
resource manager in Sykes. Mayson Hedden showed extensive experience in customer
servicing, for she has worked at a boutique as an associate leader. Heddens resume displayed
ideal skills in inventory organization, analysis, and computer. Tyler Slaughter has received his
bachelors degree in business and finance, and has strong skills in the finance field. He
already had some experience in customer servicing at Five Guys and Max Credit Union
(present). In addition to that, he has great customer service skills and computer skills that
may be helpful for this position. Biju Song did not have any experience in work, but she shows
advanced knowledge in computer skills. As a foreigner, she has the potential to interact with
foreign customers with eloquence. Due to the fact that Song has previously majored in
psychology, she may do well with problem solving and customer analysis. Alexius Mose has
experience in many customer service jobs as a sale associate; she shows potential to have

laudable communication skills. Also, she is a member of the National Society of Leadership
and Success, and she has strong computer skills that fits perfectly to the job criterion.
DeAndra R. Allen-Jenkins has sales experiences that help to build customer service skills. She
has knowledge in determining staff needs and performances, ergo she is ready to work in our
company. She has proficiency in Microsoft programs and has excellent communication skills.

3 INTERVIEW PREP
In preparation for our Interviews we had to gather interview questions. We all brought a few
questions each to our group meeting in the library and then picked the ones we felt went
along best with the customer service representative position. We, in total, came up with
seventeen interview questions. We narrowed it down to five serious questions and one
different question. The questions we picked in the end work together well with Sykess
philosophy of The culture of our company is all about service, helping people, teamwork and
a belief in excellence. It isnt about being complacent or accepting of the status quo; its
about doing things better. As a group we decided that we were not going to dress up for the
interviews so we discussed what we would have worn if this were a real life interview. We
said we would wear a pair of classic black slacks or a dress pants paired with a nice blouse
and a moderate high heel or a nice flat. For Tyler, he would wear a suit and tie or a dress shirt
and dress pant with an Oxford shoe and nice socks.

4 SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYSIS

Social Media reveals a whole other side of possible future employees. Applicants seeking
employment opportunities must be prepared for possible background checks that employers
may run, this could either make or break their opportunity in obtaining a new job. As a group
we decided that we were going to conduct our social media analysis of each other on
Facebook as that is something we all have. Prior to the interview process we did our social
media analysis on each other to search for anything that could possibly be detrimental to one
of our group members from acquiring a job interview.
We didnt find anything that could possibly hurt any of us in receiving a call/email for the
job interview. So here are two examples of a good Social Media account from our group:

DeAndras profile picture is a nice, classy picture of herself that doesnt show or represent
anything bad. Her cover photo is also nice as it is a bible verse; which in a way shows how she
carries herself.

Bijus profile picture is of her and her boyfriend, this shows that she knows how to commit
which could be good in future employers eyes. Her cover photo is a nice photo of herself that
also doesnt portray anything bad. The intro section also states that she is from South Korea
this could be helpful with a customer service job that might need employees to be bilingual.

5 INTERVIEWS AND HIRING COMMITTEE

The interview process consisted of a screening interview which included looking over the job
resumes for each candidate. We also looked at each persons cover letter and work
experience and how it related to the job. Many of the candidates had some sort of customer
service related job, which was a plus. Everyones resume was well written. Next, it was
followed up by an in-person- interview. Everyone was dressed very appropriate in business
profession attire. Although we didnt actually dress for the job interview, we gave a
description of something we would wear to a job interview. Every candidate described
something that was business causal. The in-person interview process consisted of asking a
series of 6 questions in a face to face setting. The hiring committee consisted of four
professionals who were in charge of asking the questions. We came up with three to four
interview questions each. Then we collectively chose five of the questions we considered
highly related to the job. One was not it was very random, If you were a superhero, who
would you be? We just thought it would be interesting to hear everyones response. We all
took notes on each person considered for the job. Those notes included how each person
answered each question, the knowledge of the company, and how confident the person was in
their self during the interviews. Some candidates answer every question with an ease. For
others it was more difficult. After the interviews we ranked our first two choices. We felt it
would better to vote anonymously, so we wrote our two choices on a sheet of paper. Then one
person collected the paper and added up the votes. DeAndra Allen was the top choice for
everyone. She was the number one pick for two people. Alexius Mose had one vote as the top
choice and Mayson Hedden also had one vote. We all decided it was best to go with DeAndra
Allen. She was a great candidate for the job and she did excellent on her interview. She was
clear on her answers and very knowledgeable about the company.

6 WRITING THE JOB OFFER LETTER, REJECTION LETTERS, AND

MEMO TO THE CEO
After selecting a candidate for hire, we began crafting a job offer letter to our chosen
candidate, letters of rejection for the candidates that interviewed with our company but
were not hired, and a memo to the company CEO endorsing our chosen applicant for
immediate hire. In the job offer letter, we informed DeAndra Allen that she was chosen for
our customer service position and offered her the job. We stated a bit more about the job,
and its responsibilities. We kept the offer letter brief and congratulatory so as not to
overwhelm the new hire before she began the job. The letter was direct and positive as we

let Ms. Allen know that she was chosen specifically and that we recognize the skills and
experience she can bring to our company. This was important for us to include because we
wanted to build the new employees confidence in her decision to accept our job offer and in
her ability to perform the job itself. Additionally, we briefly stated what the starting salary
would be for the position. The letter also instructed her to see human resources to complete
her hiring process as soon as possible. Likewise, our company had to craft four rejection
letters, one for each applicant that we interviewed for the position at SYKES. In the rejection
letter we intended to respectfully inform the applicant that they were not selected for the
position. We remained vague as to why the candidate was not selected, but encouraged them
to apply for other positions within our company in the future. Also, the purpose of our
rejection letter was to produce some type of good rapport with the rejected applicant and
SYKES in case another position becomes available. If the applicant was treated with respect
by the company, then they will feel comfortable enough to apply again. Finally, we took the
time to write a memorandum to our CEO recommending DeAndra Allen for immediate hire.
We believe that she would be an excellent fit for our company because she has extensive
customer service experience and displays a commitment to exceeding customer expectations.
We appreciated her enthusiasm, communication skills, and professional demeanor when she
interviewed with us. We asked the CEO to sign the hire form at his earliest convenience.

7 WHAT WE LEARNED
We learned everything about applying for a job from choosing a job to apply for, social media
presence and professionalism, to receiving employment offer or rejection letters. When
choosing a job, it is important for us as soon-to-be recent graduates to apply for jobs that we
are qualified to do. For example, we will not have a lot of work experience in our field so we
should focus on entry level positions. We chose to apply for the customer service
representative position with SYKES Enterprises, Inc. because we all have customer service
experience and enjoy working with people.
When writing resumes and cover letters it is important to visit the companys website and
tailor your resume and cover letter to showcase your skills and experiences that specifically
fulfill the companys needs and requirements for filling their open position. The cover letter
should be specific to each company and position for which someone applies.
My group understands the impact that our social media presence can have on our hiring
potential. Each member of our group used secure privacy settings to secure their personal
pages. Furthermore, after analyzing their pages, each applicant demonstrated a commitment
to school, work, and family which was a positive representation of their personalities and
professionalism.
When working on interview preparation we each composed a series of interview questions
that we could likely encounter in the real world. This was an excellent exercise for us
because we had the opportunity to practice our interview skills in a learning environment.

Additionally, we learned the importance of business attire and body language when
interviewing, as well as how to properly answer tough or awkward questions from the
interviewer. The applicant should always link their responses back to their job experiences or
qualifications in a positive way.
We worked collectively and individually to write letters to our applicants and the company
CEO. It is important to be brief and professional when writing the offer and rejection letters
because they are legal documents and could be used against the company at a later date.
When writing a letter of recommendation to a CEO, you want to be specific as you illustrate
the potential hires greatest qualifications.
Overall, this project was a successful learning experience because we practiced working
cohesively in groups, preparing for job interviews both as an applicant and as an interviewer,
and how to professionally represent ourselves in our attire, resume, and social media
presence.