1.4-managing people Flashcards
what are characteristics of seeing staff as an asset?
- provide good remuneration packages
- give reasonable holiday and sick pay
- invest in good working conditions
- sees training as an important investment
- delegate responsibility
- provider workers with job security
what can staff as an asset lead to?
- lower absenteeism
- lower staff turnover
- higher productivity
- higher motivation due to having likely decentralised decision making.
why may staff as an asset be negative?
- short term impact is on profit matgibs as it is expensive
- all the investment in staff can be lost if they leave the business and take skills elsewhere
what does staff as an asset dependant on?
-how quick shareholders would want a return on investment.
what are characteristics of staff as a cost?
- pay workers the minimum
- provide the minimum sick and holiday pay
- provide the basic working conditions
- find ways to maximise output while minimising costs
- centralised decision making
- little thought given to motivation
what are benefits of having staff as a cost?
- cheaper, leading to higher profit margins which can please shareholders
- can make the business more flexible due to zero hour contracts etc.
what are the cons of having staff as a cost?
- higher staff turnover, higher induction training costs which can lead to lower productivity
- could be seen as unethical and lead to a lesser brand image.
- could potential impact motivation linking to maslows hierarchy of needs.
what can staff as a cost depend on?
- the status quo
- depends on consumers as stakeholders, most prefer low prices so mah be unbothered by it
what is flexible working?
a workforce that can adapt to the needs of a business.
what is multiskilling?
when an employee is trained to complete more than one job role.
what are advantages of multiskilling?
- lower costs
- higher productivity
what is flexible hours?
when the employee has some choice in the hours they work.
what are advantages of flexible hours?
-huge motivator for staff
what is honeworking?
when the employee can work from home.
what are positives of homeworking?
-saves office space and rent costs.
what are negatives of homeworking?
-only applies to certain industries
what are zero hour contracts?
employees have no set hours, only as and when the business needs.
what are negatives of zero hour contracts?
- lowers motivation
- higher staff turnover
what is part-time working?
someone who works fewer hours than full time.
what are advantages of part-time working?
-cheaper
they are likely to be paid hourly whcih can lower labour costs.
-flexible
the business can schedule as and when they want the employee in
this also boosts labour productivity
what are negatives of part time working?
-less motivated
this can also reduce the productivity
-more subordinates
this is likely to mean a wider span of control meaning the quality of communication lowers, therefore lower labour productivity.
-lower staff retention
this increases training and you lose the skills of the workers.
what does flexible working depend on?
-the good or service
if it is seasonal you are likely to use temporary or zero hour contracts
-the skill level of the job.
what is outsourcing?
when a business contracts a business process to an external provider.
what are positives of outsourcing?
-uses specialists
this improves the quality of the process
-lowers costs
only using the person when necessary so not paying a full salary or overheads
what are negatives of outsourcing?
-lose control of the process
this can be quality issues or ethical issues which could lead to a negative reputation
-leads to overeliabce on the provider
this gives more stakeholder power to the supplier which means they can increase their prices and the business costs.
what is dismissal?
Let go due to misconduct.
What is redundancy?
no longer needed by the organisation.
what are overall advantages of flexible working?
- allows a business to respond to short term changes in demand.
- specialist jobs can be done by people who are not employed permanently.
- easier to manage staffing costs.
what are overall disadvantages of flexible working?
- employees without contracts may not feel committed
- communication may be an issue
- outsourced work may be of lower quality.
what is an individual approach?
One employee negotiates with the employer.
what is collective bargaining?
Groups of employees negotiate with the employer using representatives.
what are disadvantages of an individual approach?
- takes time to negotiate with every staff member
- staff have limited power alone
what are advantages of collective bargaining?
- takes less time as a representative will negotiate
- staff have power in numbers
what are the stages of the recruitment and selection process?
- identify the type and number of staff wanted.
- prepare the job description and person spec.
- advertise the job on the appropiate media
- evaluate applicants and shortlist for interview
- carry out interviews
- make an appointment
what is a job description?
a document that covers the key roles and responsibilities the successful candidate will be expected to perform.
what is the person specification?
a document that details the essential and desirable characteristics and skills the candidate should have.
what are advantages of recruitment and selection?
- get the most suitable and skilled candidate.
- limited training means productivity rises faster
- higher quality worker increases output.
what are the positives of internal recruitment?
-cheaper
this is because no recruitment agencies are need to hire, lower training costs, dont need to advertise
-faster process
less training may be required as they know the business, this may also increase productivity, no need for the r+s process
-more informed process
they know the employee so it is less risk than with and external candidate
-less staff retention
if there is more opportunities then staff may be more motivated.
what are negatives of internal recruitment?
-may leave a gap in the workforce
losing a worker in one area leaves a gap so there may have to be a restructure.
-may cause tension
if two workers applied for the job and only one was successful, which can impact the culture of the working environment.
what are the positives of external recruitment?
-wider range of potential workers
using recruitment agencies can find the best candidate.
-bring fresh ideas
take a new perspective and experience and skills
can increase innovation of the production process and products
-dont need to replace a worker
when using internal you have to replace the persons old job
what are the negatives of external recruitment?
-expensive
have to advertise the vacancy and potentially consult recruitment agencies
-may not understand the nature of the business
this is likely to lead to further training
this could reduce productivity due to training
-employer doesnt know the candidate
the employee may not be used to the culture which is higher risk
why does training happen?
-supports higher standards of customer service
waste minimisation due to being more efficient
can create a competitive advantage
-supports new employees
induction training
-improve productivity
higher due to being a higher quality worker
-supports employee progression and promotion
reduces employee turnover as staff are motivated by opportunities
-reduces wage bill
staff and managers dont have to supervise suborndinates as heavily
