Recruitment of a Star
Analysis Questions

1.Provide a job specification for the senior banker semiconductor analyst position vacated by Peter Thompson at RSH. Be sure to explicitly define the criteria required for the position.

2.The case distinguishes between star performers and non-star performers. What determines whether a senior banker semiconductor analyst is a star performer? Hint: consider the numerous mentions of the Institutional Investor magazine (II), including the discussion in Exhibit 1 and the information in Exhibit 2.

3.Why does Stephen Connor so desperately want the permanent replacement for Peter to be a star performer? Is his emphasis on recruiting a star performer misplaced? Explain.

4.Describe the recruiting and selection process used by Stephen in the case. What did he do particularly well? What did he do particularly poorly and what changes would you make to improve the process?

5.Which of the five candidates (David Hughes, Gerald Baum, Sonia Meetha, Seth Horkum, and Rina Shea) should Stephen hire as a permanent replacement for Peter? Explain your choice in terms of the job criteria identified in question 1 above, what it would likely cost the firm to hire the chosen candidate, and the strengths and weaknesses of the various candidates along 2 dimensions: the organizational culture of the candidates’ current employer (how likely the candidate is to be a “good fit” within RSH’s organizational culture) and the candidates’ KSAs/experiences/life circumstances.