Career Development in Electronic Applications1. Executive SummaryElectronic Applications was founded in 1972, is headquartered in San Francisco, and is a major manufacturer of silicon chips. The company's sales, profits and stock price have grown rapidly in recent years while its human resources policies have remained unchanged. The main problem the company faces today is the high turnover ratio, close to an average of 30% over the last three years. The fact that the company is based in an area where many of its closest competitors have offices makes it easier for employees to travel from job to job. This high turnover especially affects the positions of electrical engineers in the Research and Development department. The key factors behind this high turnover are more related to the fact that there are no professional development programs within the company than to salary issues, a salary survey has revealed. , Electronic Applications pays 5-8% more than the market. Recently the company hired Harold Sweeney: In the medium term he would need to update the company's HR policies, which at the moment are mostly reactive. In the short term it would need to address the high turnover rate, especially considering that one of the company's section managers, Helen Morgan, is considering moving to another company.2. Problem StatementElectronic Applications does not have a human resources policy appropriate to its market position and actual growth. In recent years, HR policies have only been reactive. In the medium term, the key questions that the Human Resources department must answer are the following, in order to align its strategy with that of the company: - What are the electronic applications' main strategic issues in the next three years? - What are the needs and the most critical challenges it will face over the next three years? - What critical skills, knowledge and experience will be needed to address these challenges? - What staffing levels will be required? In the short term, a more practical approach needs to be taken to reduce the high turnover ratio. With the lack of professional development programs being the main reason why employees leave the company, the problems have been identified in more detail: - There is no section in the appraisal that deals with future potential or future goals - No rewards for supervisors who develop their subordinates - Mo human resource planning to identify future jobs - No centralized job information or job position system - No career paths or career ladders - Attitudinal barriers against women in management positions3 . Alternatives with pros and cons of each alternative