LM-05 Bitstream Case

Bitstream is a software company that specializes in developing digitized type fonts for display
screens and printers. The companys new goal is to develop a new software and sell it to value
added resellers with the potential to grow by 100 million. The new software will be sold as an
individual software package and it has to be sold to VARs, in order to promote it as an
advancement of their existing product.
To achieve this Sole is looking for someone to walk in and leverage the resources the company
has developed, oversee the products development, verify that the product meets the
customers needs and recruit and build a sales force that will sell to VARs.

KEY CRITERIA
The hiring criteria must be directly aligned with organizational goals. The organizational goal is
to develop a new software that digitizes type fonts for display screens and printers in order to
build a $100-million business around this in a few years.
The individual tasks of the person who will undertake this endeavor, will be to manage the new
product division and ensure the product meets customer needs while building a competent
sales team to sell to value added resellers.

The perfect candidate should be able to manage the project from start to finish. Due to lack of
time to train the candidate, he should be a seasoned professional, who has a good grasp of the
market, capable of understanding what the customer needs and utilizing companys resources
towards this direction and a person able to collaborate with the companys workforce and lead
them. Additionally, he should efficiently manage and oversee the development of the project
using quantitative methods and the right strategy. He will also be responsible for recruiting and
building a sales force and for figuring out who the VARs should be.

To be successful in this endeavor the candidate must possess the following attributes and skills.
1. Communicate with his team clearly and efficiently.
2. Possess leadership skills. Set clear targets, give directions, inspire the team to see the
companys vision and motivate them to work together for a common purpose.
3. Ability to think critically and make effective decisions under pressure or uncertainty.
4. Be an industry expert and have deep knowledge of what the job needs in order to assess
and recruit the right candidates for the sales team.
5. Marketing skills. The candidate must show competence in positioning a product and
developing a communications plan
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. Application form
Candidates must satisfy specific requirements.

a. Educational level
The candidate should possess a degree in a relevant field such as marketing or business
administration.
b. Experience with VARs in years
The candidate must have at least 2 years of experience with VARs.
c. Years worked managing over 10 people
The candidate must have worked as a manager for at least 6 years.
d. Sales experience in the field in years
The candidate must have worked for at least 5 years in the field.
e. Provide references or official documents to support the above.
The candidate must be able to provide the appropriate references or official documents.

The candidate should provide information for the above categories. Using the
aforementioned requirements, will offer the option to examine only the candidates who
fulfil those requirements and are more qualified for the job.

2. Personality Assessment
Personality tests, such as DiSC personality tests, measure basic aspects of an applicants
personality. It is a method to assess a candidates teamwork, communication and work
productivity. DiSC tests specifically measure Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and
Conscientiousness.
A person with a D style (dominance), sees the big picture, can be blunt, accepts challenges
and gets straight to the point.
A person with an I style (influence), shows enthusiasm, is optimistic, likes to collaborate and
dislikes to be ignored.
A person with an S style (steadiness), doesnt like to be rushed, has a calm manner and
approach, takes supportive actions and shows humility.
Finally, a person with a C style (conscientious), enjoys independence, reasons objectively,
gives emphasis to details and fears of being wrong.
DiSC personality tests measure the candidates personality by extracting information from
multiple-choice questions such as the following.
 1. What is most important to me in my working environment.
a. To help co-workers and to be in a peaceful environment.
b. To feel that my co-workers admire me and to be free from rigid rules.
c. To know exactly what is expected of me and to finish one task before moving to
another.
d. To get things done and to see results.

2. What I am most likely to do when I disagree with someones opinion.

a. Tell them that I disagree.
b. Say something humorous.
c. Ask for more information.
d. Nod and say nothing.

3. When I am working on a team and we encounter a difficulty of some kind, I am least

likely to say.
a. Lighten up! Just go with the flow!
b. Let's make a decision!
c. How do you feel? I'd like to make sure that everyone is comfortable.
d. Let's consider this more carefully? Do we have all of the data we need?

4. My attitude towards detail work- like research and data analysis- is most often.
a. Great. I enjoy research and analysis.
b. If it will get better and faster results, I'll do it.
c. If it will make others think more highly of me, I'll do it.
d. If it will help other people or make things easier, I'll do it.

5. When I am at an event with many people I have not yet met, I am most likely to.
a. Find a small group of people with whom I am already comfortable and speak with
them in quiet conversation.
b. Seek a good vantage point to observe the event and sit quietly unless someone
speaks to me.
c. Meet and talk with as many people as possible before the event is over.
d. Go to the people I need to speak with to fulfill my purpose for attending.

Structured interview with situational based scenarios.

A structured one-on-one interview, will provide the necessary information to assess the
candidates interpersonal skills such as active listening, speaking, rational thinking. According to
Ryan and Tippen, structured interviews are highly valid at .51. It is a way to compare the
answers or all respondents, as the questions are the same for everyone and offer the
opportunity to the candidate to give more detailed responses compared to the previous
assessment methods.
The structured interview will include the following questions.

1. What challenges are you expecting in this managerial position?

Responses should show that the candidate is motivated by challenges and is capable of
using his skills and experience to confront difficult situations that may occur in this job.
An exceptional response would include an example of how he managed to overcome a
relevant problem in a challenging job.
2. What have you learned from mistakes in a previous managerial position?
Candidates should give examples of mistakes they have done in the past, how they
learned from those mistakes and how they helped them develop specific skills that are
important for the position.
3. Why do you want this job?
Responses should show passion for this job and enthusiasm. The candidate must show
that he is a good fit for the job by mentioning skills he possesses, which are necessary to
perform effectively in this job. He must also show that he is motivated by what the job
would offer him.
4. What do you think is important in terms of skills to be a successful salesman in our
company?
Responses will show which skills will be important to the candidate when he will be
interviewing candidates for the sales team. He must show that his values line-up with
the companys standards.
5. What in your opinion makes a good leader?
Responses should show that the candidate understands the importance of leading
through example and inspire employees to give their best. An exceptional response
would include an examples of how the candidate challenged his former team to think
creatively and provide solutions and how he measures and rewards good performance.
6. How would you motivate your team?
Responses should indicate that the candidate realizes the importance of internal
competition among sales employees and has previously used his creativity to devise
unique incentives in order to increase work engagement, dedication and consequently
sales revenues.

7. Was there a time when two employees had opposing views and you had to manage
this conflict? What did you do?
 Great managers possess interpersonal skills that help teammates get along. Responses
should explain how the candidate found consensus while keeping the project focused
on its original purpose.

LIMITATIONS
The information given by the candidate in his application form could limit our assessment
ability. Asymmetric information will always be an issue in the hiring process and that is why we
use the application form only in the initial stage of the assessment. The interviewer shouldnt
make his decision based on how the candidate presents himself in the application, but on the
information he extracts through the personality test and the structured interview. The
application form is a way to create a pool of qualified candidates who may or may not have
provided true information about themselves and therefore, more weight should be put on the
other assessment methods.

DiSC personality tests can certainly provide information on aspects of the candidates
personality and is considered valid for what it measures, but the question is how much it must
affect the hiring decision. Can we infer that having a certain personal attribute could make you
succeed in a job? DiSC tests cannot measure how proficient a candidate could be in thinking
critically and providing the most effective solutions under pressure. It only indicates that the
candidate possesses certain distinguishing characteristics that may help him perform well in a
specific position. Interviewers must put the appropriate weight on DiSC tests when making the
final hiring decision, which depends on the importance of having a personality trait to perform
effectively in the job. For example, if the interviewer believes that the job definitely requires
someone with a calm manner and approach then the candidates with an S style(steadiness)
should have clear advantage in the hiring process.

EEO CONCERNS

Race Discrimination
Questions regarding a candidates birthplace or background should not be asked. If the
interviewer notices that a candidates name is not usual, he must not ask for its origin as it may
be seen as discrimination. Race can determinate who will be hired or not if the interviewer
stereotypically judges candidates.

Gender and Age Discrimination

Applications should not include date of birth and gender and interview questions about the age
should not be asked. The only acceptable question is whether or not the candidate intends to
work for the period the job requires. Appropriate questions would have to do with the
candidates ability to handle pressure and how passionate, enthusiastic and energetic he is
about this job. If he gives acceptable responses to the assessment methods, age or gender
should not affect the interviewers decision.

Reference
1. https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/overview/
2. http://discpersonalitytesting.com/free-disc-test/
3. Dessler G. A Framework for Human Resource Management 7th edition