11 - Finance Function & HR Flashcards
Devanna role of HR diagram: state 5 components & how it flows
Selection –> performance –> appraisal –> rewards & also –> training & dev. rewards feedback to perf & training&dev feedback to selection.
What is selection?
Process of ensuring org obtains people with qualities and skills it requires. Usually preceding by recruitment (attracting applicants).
Appraisal =
Identifies skills & perf gaps & provides info relevant to rewards levels. Enables setting of targets that contribute to achievement of org’s strategic objs.
Google definition of appraisal =
a formal assessment, typically in an interview, of the performance of an employee over a particular period. Can be used as basis for pay rises & IC.
Training & dev ensures…
employee skills remain UTD and relevant.
The reward system helps…
Motivate and retain valued staff.
Devanna HR diagram: what does performance depend on?
Each of the 4 components (selection, appraisal, rewards, training & dev) and how they’re coordinated.
HR planning is concerned with…
the acquisition, utilisation, improvement and return of an org’s human resources.
HR plans usually cover a period of…
3-5 years
HR plans identify gaps between…
demand for numbers/types of labour & supply currently employed.
HR plan stage 1 =
strategic analysis. Consider org’s strategic plan & bis environ to analyse manpower, strengths, weaknesses, use of employees, threats.
HR plan stage 2 =
internal analysis. Staff audit to identify numbers and skills. Consider issues such as turnover, absenteeism, overtime worked, staff potential.
HR plan stage 3 =
Gap analysis between labour demand and supply. Identify staff shortfalls or surpluses.
HR plan stage 4 =
Plan to close the labour gap.
5 ways org can deal with staff shortages.
- Internal transfers: promotion, training
- External recruitment
- Reducing turnover by reviewing causes
- Overtime
- New equip/training to improve productivity
4 ways org can deal with staff surpluses.
- Allow numbers to fall through natural wastage
- Restrict recruitment
- FTE –> part-time
- Redundancies - last resort & with careful planning.
HR plan stage 5 =
review effectiveness of human resources in helping org achieve strategic objs. Feeds back into next HR plan.
What does knowledge workers refer to?
Shift from manufacturing –> service provision.
Knowledge workers: 4 implications for appraisals/rewards/progression/training.
- good prospects for career progression
- appraisals & rewards aligned with goal of providing quality info
- Training, dev & appraisals should seek attainment & development of knowledge - encourage employees to take ownership of their own t&d
- perf related pay and profit sharing schemes
Knowledge workers: 3 implications for HR policies
- Policies to encourage sharing of knowledge through team working and job rotation.
- Retain knowledge within org: provide career paths & fill vacancies internally.
- recruit for knowledge, not ability to physically do something
What are high-perf work arrangements? What are implications?
Practices to achieve high employee performance. - They’re dependent on skills, ideas, commitment and intelligence of employees for success. Open comms between people at all levels. employer should compromise and negotiate with emp. Job design/enrichment/rotation important.
Recruitment is defined as…
the process of finding applicants: going into labour market, comm opportunities and info & generate interest.
Summarise: the recruitment process begins with… and ends with…
begins with determining nature of vacancies
ends with shortlisting candidates for selection.
State 5 stages of recruitment
- Job analysis
- Job design
- Job description
- Advertise job vacancies
- Initial screening
Job analysis =
the process of collecting, analysing and setting out info about the content of jobs to provide a basic job description and data for recruitment/training/evaluation/perf mgmt. It concentrates on what jobholders are expected to do.
6 aspects included in job analysis
- Purpose & content of job
- Who responsible for
- How perf judged
- How fit into org & who report to
- Promotion/career paths
- working conditions, health & safety
Job design =
the development and outlining of competences within a competency framework
Define competencies
Skills and behaviours that enable the worker to meet the requirements of the job.
Define competency framework
Formal methods of grouping, analysing and defining competencies that are expected of those employed by org.
What does job design really try to ensure for the org?
It identifies org’s strategic needs for diff types of workers to ensure employee pool reflects cultures and values as well as having appropriate mix of skills and behaviours to ensure diversity and talent.
Competence area: Intellectual (3 e.g)
- Strategic perspective
- Analytical judgement
- planning and organising
Competence area: Interpersonal (5 e.g)
- Managing staff
- Interpersonal sensitivity
- Persuasiveness
- Oral comms
- Assertiveness and decisiveness
Competence area: Adaptability (2 e.g)
Flexibility
coping w change
Competence area: Results (3 e.g)
- Initiative
- Motivation to achievement
- Business sense
State the 4 competence areas again
- Intellectual
- Interpersonal
- Adaptability
- Results
Define job description
sets out the purpose of the job, where it fits into org structure, content of job, accountabilities and main tasks.
Job description vs job design
Job description essentially putting job design on paper & providing more specifics.
What is included in job description?
Job title; location; who responsible to/for; authority level; purpose; main tasks listed by importance; skills required (technical, physical, capabilities); working hours.
Job descriptions are often written ito…
outputs and perf levels expected. Some orgs moving towards accountability profiles where outputs and perf identified explicitly.
An alternative to job descriptions =
Role definitions. Role = part played in meeting objs by working competently and flexibly within context of org’s objs, structures & processes.
An alternative to job description & role definition
Person specification = focuses on skills and qualities required. May cover personal skills, motivation, aptitude, qualifications, personality, intelligence.
3 things the choice of job advert medium depends on…
- Cost
- Frequency want to advertise
- Suitability to target audience
Why might org delegate to employment agency?
Ease the effort involved in both recruitment and selection. Especially junior posts can be filled from agency’s pool of registered candidates.
Recruitment/selection of more senior staff can be outsourced to…
Executive search agencies (which manage entire process incl. initial interview.)
What does initial screening involve?
Reviewing CVs and selecting some candidates for interview.
Selection is defined as…
Procedures to choose the successful candidates from those made available by recruitment efforts. Filtering process by reviewing apps, interviewing and testing.
4 characteristics for effective selection process
- Reliable - generates consistent results
- Valid - accurately predict perf
- Fair - non-discriminating
- Cost effective - benefits > costs
2 consequences of ineffective selection process
- employ unsuitable applicants
2. reject suitable applicants
Job adverts usually ask or CV or application form to be completed. What type of roles is CV more usual for? What type of roles are application forms more usual for?
CV for executive posts.
App forms for below executive level & at all levels in public sector.
What’s an individual job interview?
1-1 discussion between candidate and interviewer face to face.
What’s a problem solving job interview?
Similar to individual interview but candidate asked to solve a hypothetical problem.
What’s a tandem job interview?
2 interviewers per candidate.
What’s a panel job interview?
Group of interviewers interview the candidate together.
What’s a succession/sequential job interview?
Alternative to a panel, candidate faces number of diff interviews with different people in org, 1 at a time.
What’s a group job interview?
Similar to problem solving but this time with a number of candidates who must solve problem together.
What has research show about interviews?
That they often fail to accurately predict performance in a job.
What is a ‘Horns & Halo’ effect during interviewing?
Tendency to make initial general judgement about a person, either positive or negative, based on a single attribute then this colours later perspectives so the interviewer marks up or down on every other factor in their assessment. e.g. how someone is dressed.
What is contagious bias during interviewing?
Interviewers might change the behaviour of the applicant through wording of Qs / non-verbal cues.
2 other errors in judgement in interviews
- Stereotype based on insufficient evidence e.g. accent, dress.
- Incorrect assessment of qualitative factors such as motivation, integrity - hard to assess abstract qualities.
What are psychological/personality tests? One well-known example.
Answer series of Qs or score a variety of statements which indicate basic attitude profiles. E.g. Cattell P16 PF test - covers 16 aspects of personality.
What are cognitive tests?
Tests relating to thinking processes. Intelligence tests (general intellectual ability) & aptitude tests (maths, general knowledge etc).
What are proficiency tests?
Measure candidates ability to do the work involved.
What are psychometric tests?
Contain features of personality/cognitive/proficiency tests. They are selection tests that quantify psychological dimensions such as intelligence, motivation and personality.
What are medical tests?
Eliminate candidates with health problems which are deemed a barrier to the role e.g. pilots, army.
What are group selection methods and when are they used?
In final stage of selection for mgmt jobs, not lower roles as costly. Series of tests, interviews and group situations over 2 ish days involving 6-8 candidates.
What are assessment centres and when are they used?
Candidate’s behaviour is observed and judged by >1 assessor using specifically developed simulations. Senior positions as time consuming and costly.
State some egs of activities used during assessment centres.
presentations; games; speeches; role play; self-appraisal; written tests; peer rating etc.
What do references enable employers to do? What are they limited in?
Can check basic accuracy of CV but only factual info - previous employers reluctant to give opinions because could leave them open to complaints of providing false/unfair info.
What do job offers include?
Must be in writing and contain details such as title, pay, benefits, location, contractual hours, notice period & other conditions of employment.
What follows after a job offer is made?
Negotiation - parties seek to reach agreement over various aspects of contract.
What comes after a contract is agreed upon? (2 things)
- Pre-employment comms
2. Induction by supervisor/dept trainer/HR staff/combo
What is dialogic learning (in induction)?
Integrating recruits into how the org operates, including culture, beliefs and mission.
Human resource development =
the process of extending personal abilities and qualities by means of education, training & other learning experiences.
Development definition
the growth or realisation of a persons ability & potential thru learning and educational experiences.
Training definition
the planned and systematic modification of behaviour thru learning events, programs, instructions which enable ind to achieve the level of knowledge, skills and competence to carry out their job effectively.
Difference between development vs training
Development = more LR - realising potential Training = something specific which makes you better almost immediately.
3 purposes of HR dev
- Ensure org meets current and future perf objs
- Continuous improvement of perf
- Max people’s potential for growth & promotion
3 elements of HR dev strategy
- Identify skills & competencies needed by bis plan
- Draw up strategy to show how t&d will assist in meeting targets of corporate plan
- Implement t&d strategy
Why to orgs adopt a planned approach to training?
To ensure training meets the real needs of the org.
Planned approach to training: describe ‘identifying training gap & defining org’s training needs’ stage
Current training state (knowledge & skills have) vs desired. Training programs designed to eliminate gap = improved perf.
Planned approach to training: describe ‘define learning required’ stage
Specify knowledge, skills, competencies that have to be acquired e.g. for technical training, all emp have to learn how to use a new system.
Planned approach to training: describe ‘define training objectives’ stage
Specify what must be learned and what trainees must be able to do after the training exercise.
Planned approach to training: describe ‘plan training programs’ stage
- who provides training?
- where takes place
- divisions of responsibilities between trainers, mgrs or team leaders and ind.
2 final stages of planned approach to training
- implement the training
- evaluate: repeat process of learning objs not achieved.
Define personal development plans (PDP)
Clear developmental action plans for an individual that incorporates a wide set of developmental opportunities including formal training.
2 purposes of PDPs for the individual
- Improve perf in existing job
2. Develop skills for future career moves within and outside org.
3 stages of preparing a PDP
- Analyse current position: SWOT analysis
- Set SMART objs for existing job, future changes in current role, moving elsewhere.
- Action plan to achieve goals.
7 examples of formal training methods
- Internal courses
- day release courses
- distance learning, evening classes
- revision courses for exams of prof bodies
- block release courses (e.g. 4 wks)
- sandwich courses (6 months)
- sponsored full-time course
2 cons of formal training
- Only benefit if ind wants to learn
2. Quickly forget if not used in role
3 characteristics for effective on job training
- Assigns should have specific purposes from which trainee can learn and gain experience
- Org must tolerate mistakes - they’re inevitable
- Work not too complex