We Googled You

...

- The problem

Fred Westenhas to decide whether to hire Mimi or not after learning about her involvement in protests against the Chinese Government, which could potentially harm the company’s expansion plans.

- The options

- Hire Mimi as the Team Leader for the Shanghai Store

- Reject Mimi’s candidature

- Hire Miki for a background role in the Strategy team

- Criteria for evaluation

- Hathway Jones’ current requirement of business expansion

- Credentials of the candidate

- Stance of the Chinese Government

- Online reputation and legal issues

- Evaluation of options

Criteria / Option

Hire Mimi

Don’t hire Mimi

Hire Mimi for a background role

Hathway Jones’ current requirement of business expansion

✓

X

✓

Credentials/profile of the candidature

✓

X

✓

Stance of the Chinese Government

X

✓

✓

Online reputation and legal issues

X

✓

✓

- Recommendation

We recommend hiring Mimi, not as the Team Lead for the flagship store in Nanjing, Shanghai but as the part of the strategic team which will work in the background handling the campaign in all three cities.

- Action Plan

- Meet the company’s legal team and get their views on the matter

- Call Mimi for a second meeting and tell her she will be offered the role of a strategist for all three cities in China instead of that of a Team Leader for the Shanghai store. Explain to her the problems the company perceives it will face in the future if Mimi’s past were to come to light.

- After getting Mimi’s consent, take additional interviews that will gauge whether she will fit the role of a Strategist.

- If Mimi clears all the interviews, hire Mimi for the strategist position.

- Ask Mimi to improve her online reputation by writing articles/blogs on the potential of the Chinese market, its scope for promoting growth of the company and the positive influence China has had in her life.

- Contingency plan

If Mimi rejects this offer, Fred and Virginia should start looking for other candidates who match Mimi’s credentials.