10 - Human Resources Management

Question 0

What does human resources management focus on?

Answer 0

HRMs responsibilities are:

• Workforce planning
• Recruitment and selecting appropriate staff
• Appraising, training and developing staff at every stage of their careers
• Preparing contracts of employments for all staff and deciding on whether they should be working permanently or temporarily, full or part time
• Involving managers in the development if the workforce
• Improving staff morale and welfare
• Developing appropriate payment systems for different categories of staff
• Measuring and monitoring staff performance

Question 1

What is human resources managements?

Answer 1

The process of managing an organisations workforce so as to achieve a common goal and gain a competitive advantage

Question 2

What is workforce planning?

Answer 2

Analysing and forecasting the numbers of workers and the skills of workers that will be required by the firm in order to achieve its objectives

Question 3

What is a workforce audit?

Answer 3

An individual who specialises in checking on the skill and qualifications of all existing workers and managers

Question 4

What factors influence the number of staff required?

Answer 4

• Forecast demand for the firms products
• If there is an increase in demand, the firm would have to adapt by employing more people so as to meet that demand. However if there is a decrease in demand, the firm might have to make some workers redundant, so as to save money by paying redundant workers
• The productivity level of staff
• If the workforce isn’t productive enough, the firm may have to consider using more efficient machinery to increase output. This may result in de-skilling some workers and making others redundant
• The objectives of the business
• If the firm aims to expand, they would need to hire more people in the future. If they aim to survive and maintain the level at which they are, not much employment would be required

-Changes in laws regarding workers’ rights
If minimum wage laws increase the amount of money that needs to be paid to employees, this could cause a significant reduction in their workforce. Especially for companies that manufacture goods through manual labour

Question 5

What is recruitment?

Answer 5

The process of identifying the need for a new employee and attracting suitable candidates and choosing the best one to fill the void

Question 6

What is a job description?

Answer 6

A detailed list if the key points about the job and all it’s key tasks and responsibilities

Question 7

What is the person specification?

Answer 7

A detailed list of the qualities, skills and qualifications that a successful applicant will need to have

Question 8

What is a job advert?

Answer 8

This is the promotion of an existing job vacancies that need to be filled. This is made up of the job description and person specification

Question 9

What is internal recruitment?

Answer 9

This is a form of recruitment, where applicants from within the firm are chosen to fill job vacancies

• Applicants are already known to the firm and their capabilities are already known
• This is often quicker than external recruitment
• It motivates staff to work harder so as to fill the vacancy

Question 10

What is external recruitment?

Answer 10

This is a form of recruitment, where a firm looks outside itself for applicants to fill a job vacancy

• External applicants will bring in new ideas to the firm and this would boost innovation and give the firm a competitive advantage
• There’s a much wider range of applicants and. This increases the likelihood of them finding an applicant who is right for the job
• Avoids possible resentment from some colleagues within the firm who weren’t chosen to fill the vacancy

Question 11

What are the 3 main types of training?

Answer 11

• Induction training, this is when new employees are introduced to the overall structure and culture of the firm
• On the job training, this is a hands on for of training where employees can gain a practical understanding of how to do work. This allows the trainer to work closely with the worker and identify possible limitations that the worker can improve on
• Off the job training, this entails any training that is outside of the workplace. These courses can be expensive but effective as workers see able to gain technical knowledge

Question 12

What is training?

Answer 12

Work related education to increase workforce skills and efficiency

Question 13

What is on the job training?

Answer 13

This is instruction at the work place of work on how a job should be carried out

Question 14

What is off the job training?

Answer 14

All training undertaken outside of the business

Question 15

What is induction training?

Answer 15

An introduction and familiarisation to the overall structure and culture of a firm

Question 16

What is staff appraisal?

Answer 16

This is the process of assessing the effectiveness of an employee judged against set objectives

Question 17

What is an employment contract?

Answer 17

A legal document that sets out the terms and conditions governing an employees job

Question 18

What is dismissal?

Answer 18

This is when an employee is sacked or dismissed for breaching the employment contract

Question 19

What is unfair dismissal?

Answer 19

Ending an employees contract for reasons that the law would define as unfair

Question 20

What is redundancy?

Answer 20

This is when a job is no longer required, therefore the worker becomes unneeded through no fault of their own

Question 21

What is a temporary employment contract?

Answer 21

An employment contract that lasts for a fixed time period

Question 22

What is a part time employment?

Answer 22

This is an employment contract that is for less than a normal full working week

Question 23

What is outsourcing?

Answer 23

This is when a firm uses an external agency or organisation to carry out some business functions

Question 24

What is teleworking?

Answer 24

This is when staff work from home but keep contact with the office by means of modern IT communication

Question 25

What is hard human resources management?

Answer 25

This is an approach to managing staff that focuses on cutting costs
E.g. Temporary or part time employment

Question 26

What is soft human resources management?

Answer 26

This is an approach to managing staff that focuses on developing staff so that they reach self fulfilment and are motivated to work hard and staf with the firm