Competency 1 Assessment Instructions

Assessment Directions

Southwest Airlines is facing tough competition and needs to update how it handles HR—things like hiring, training, and keeping workers happy—to stay on top. They’ve decided to hire you as an HR consultant to help them update their current HR strategy. As a first step, you’ll need to get a better understanding of Southwest’s current HR practices.  

Research Southwest Airlines’ current HR practices using information from public sources. 

Complete the HR Design Decisions worksheet, where you’ll examine several key components of HR management. The worksheet contains specific instructions for examining each HR element. Each of your evaluations should provide a rationale for your choice, supported by evidence from credible sources. This might include company reports, industry analyses, employee reviews, and academic resources.

Download and review the Competency 1 Assessment Rubric. Use it as a guide when completing your assessment.

Submit your completed assessment using the Competency 1 Assessment submission area that will open after you complete the Competency 1 Reflection.

Competency 2 Assessment Instructions

Having completed your evaluation of Southwest Airline’s HR practices, you’ve now been asked to propose a talent management plan to attract, develop, and retain top pilot talent. This work is especially important as it will be presented to the Director of HR and used to shape the new HR strategy.

Develop a 5- to 6-page proposal that covers the following points: 

Recruiting Pilots: 

• Recommend 3 effective strategies to find pilots.  
• Consider how many applications you’ll receive, the likelihood of those turning into job offers, the hiring process time, and the costs involved. 

Selecting Pilots: 

• Evaluate common selection methods and propose 3 strategies for hiring new pilots.  
• Assess each method’s reliability, fairness, practicality, and legality. 

Training Pilots: 

• Suggest 3 training methods for Southwest Airlines’ pilots.  
• Evaluate the impact on learning, training costs, how effective the training is, and any potential risks. 

Managing Pilot Performance: 

• Recommend a strategy for tracking pilots’ performance. Focus on how the strategy supports the airline’s goals. 
• Ensure the method is precise, dependable, widely accepted, and detailed in its evaluation. 

Retaining Pilots: 

• Recommend 1 strategy to reduce pilot turnover.  
• Look into ways to satisfy and retain pilots, including how to meet their needs and the associated costs. 

Download and review the Competency 2 Assessment Rubric. Use it as a guide when completing your assessment.

Submit your completed assessment using the Competency 2 Assessment submission area that will open after you complete the Competency 2 Reflection.

Competency 3 Assessment Instructions

The Southwest HR director would like you to review several strategic reports on the organization. You will then provide feedback on how you think the organization should move forward.

Write a strategy recommendation to the HR director to be used for company-wide decisions. Include the following information in your report:

• An executive summary of the HR strategy project
• An analysis of current strategies and issues
  • Identify the type of strategy Southwest Airlines is following.
  • Identify 3 HRM implications for Southwest Airlines. 
• Develop and justify business strategies for each of the 3 HRM implications.
• Determine an HR strategy.

Use at least 2 sources other than those provided. Review the following source to assist with your recommendation:

• A recent SWOT report on Southwest Airlines on Business Source Complete

Download and review the Competency 3 Assessment Rubric. Use it as a guide when completing your assessment.

Submit your completed assessment using the Competency 3 Assessment submission area that will open after you complete the Competency 3 Reflection.

Make sure to give credit to any sources you use by including both in-text citations and a list of references. You can see how to do this in the APA 7 manual or in the University Library.