Module 4 Case Study

Contents
What is Kenexa? ...................................................................................................................... 1 What makes a workplace fun? What are my personal on-the-job experiences with productivity-enhancing fun? .................................................................................................... 2 Why do Kenexa s leaders have no excuses when it comes to creating a productive performance management program? ...................................................................................... 2 If you worked as a salesperson for Kenexa, what would be the key talking points in my sales pitch? ...................................................................................................................................... 2 In terms of Thomas four building blocks, how would I rate Kenexa s potential for generating intrinsic motivation?................................................................................................................ 3 Would I like to work at Kenexa? Why or why not? .................................................................. 3 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 3

What is Kenexa?
Kenyan-born and Canadian-educated Nooruddin Karsan cofounded Kenexa in 1987. The company began by providing recruitment services to a broad range of industries, creating its first automated recruiting management system as well as providing employee research and employee performance management integrated with on-demand software all during their first decade of operation. During the next 3 years, Kenexa expanded their focus on workforce performance management solutions and recruitment outsourcing by acquiring other companies. These organizations allowed the company to offer employee screening, behavioral assessment and skills testing products. In 2005, the company went public, and shortly thereafter acquired BrassRing, Gantz Wiley Research, Knowledge Workers, Psychometric Services, Webhire, HRC Human Resources Consulting, and StraightSource. Since then, Kenexa has continued to globally expand through its ownership of more than 30 offices in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. The company also took control of Quorum International Search Limited. This action was followed in 2010 by Kenexa s recent acquisition of the Center for High Performance Development and Salary.com.

What makes a workplace fun? What are my personal on-the-job experiences with productivity-enhancing fun?
For me, the three most important factors that go into making a workplace fun are: 1. Reporting to a competent and professional manager, who communicates well, respects me as a person, and wants to help me grow in my career. 2. Having the opportunity every day to do what I do best (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999). 3. Being surrounded by competent coworkers whom I can trust and with whom I have a good rapport. For example, the majority of the Search Engine Operations (SEO) team at Yahoo! used to gather at the caf every day at four o clock, to have drinks, play foosball, and generally hang out and relax a bit. Even though many of us routinely worked late (sometimes until eight o clock at night) we all felt recharged and reenergized after our social break. For another example, my team and I at Boku formed an Xbox club, and would play games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Halo Reach after hours. The fun, social interaction improved relations between different departments, allowed coworkers who otherwise didn t know each other to bond, and generally promoted a more fun and relaxed work environment.

Why do Kenexa s leaders have no excuses when it comes to creating a productive performance management program?
Chiefly because they need to practice what they preach. If the concepts that they are selling to their customers are worth the money, i.e., if they actually work, then the concepts are worth putting into practice internally. Doing so will also allow Kenexa to further develop their productive performance management programs, and increase the value-add they bring to their customers.

If you worked as a salesperson for Kenexa, what would be the key talking points in my sales pitch?
y y y y Statistics show that companies which implement our concepts realize a 700% gain in shareholder value. Our unique software draws upon a database containing more than 4,000 clients. Clients who have successfully adopted our concepts and enjoyed improvements as a result include household names like Boeing and Aetna. Our client base spans the world, and we have offices in more than 18 countries.

(Kreitner & Kinicki, 2010)

In terms of Thomas four building blocks, how would I rate Kenexa s potential for generating intrinsic motivation?
Choice Rating: Good Competence Rating: Poor*

Meaningfulness Rating: Good

Progress Rating: Fair

* The reason for this poor rating is given in the answer to the next question.

Would I like to work at Kenexa? Why or why not?

I would not like to work at Kenexa. The main reason for this is that Kenexa does not reward competence or loyalty among its employees. As one current employee says, according to quarterly check-ins I am a good performer, but I have not had a raise in four years. Another current employee complains that Kenexa offers no real development possibilities, attrition [rates] are overwhelming, and you can work five years without anyone even considering giving you a raise (Kenexa Reviews, 2011).

Bibliography
Kenexa Reviews. (2011, November 10). Retrieved from Glassdoor: http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Kenexa-Reviews-E12138.htm Buckingham, M., & Coffman, C. (1999). First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. New York: Simon & Schuster. Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A. (2010). Organizational Behavior, Kindle Edition. New York: McGrawHill.