3.6.1 Setting HR Objectives. Flashcards
Define Human Resources.
The department or function within an organisation that is focused on activities relating to employees.
What is human resource management?
The management of people at word in order to assist the organisation in achieving its objectives.
What does human resource management include?
Conducting job analysis, recruitment, training, managing wages and salaries, benefits and incentives, evaluating performance etc.
What are some example HR objectives?
Employee engagement and involvement.
Talent development.
Training.
Diversity.
Alignment of values.
Number, skills and locations of employees.
Maximising labour productivity and minimising Labour costs.
Managing good employer/employee relations.
What are the two types of alignment of values?
Alignment of HR objectives with corporate objectives.
Alignment of employee values with organisational values.
What is the value of setting Human Resources?
Focus for decision making and effort.
Provide yardstick against which success of failure can be measured.
Improve coordination - common purpose.
Improve efficiency - examine success.
Motivated staff and improve performance.
Establish priorities.
What are the benefits of setting HR objectives?
They’re SMART - ensures decisions made are consistent.
Specific objectives - everyone is retrained in the use of new machinery/IT equipment.
All have common purpose across organisation or department.
Measurable and timed objectives allow managers and individuals of improve efficiency.
What are the problems of setting HR objectives?
External changes not easy to predict - HR objectives may be based on incorrect assumptions.
Many objectives - may conflict.
May not have sufficient objectives of a large enough HR budget to achieve these,
If imposed rather than achieved, employees may not feel “ownership” of the department objectives.
What are the internal influences on HR objectives and decisions?
Overall business aims.
Available finance and resources.
Corporate culture.
Organisational structure.
Trade unions and the relationship between employers and employees.
Overall business performance.
What are the external influences of HR objectives?
Political factors.
Economic factors.
Social factors.
Technological factors.
Legislation.
Actions of competitors and market factors.
What is a hard HRM strategy?
Utilise employees as efficiently as possible by directing them and treating them as another resource.
What is the style of a hard HR strategy?
Authoritarian or autocratic.
What is a soft HRM strategy?
Focuses on motivational issues, organisational cultural leadership approaches and industrial relations.
How do leaders delegate authority with a soft HRM strategy?
Throughout the organisation, favouring delegation and and decentralisation rather than centralisation.
Define a soft HRM strategy.
Views employees as valuable assets, a major source of competitive advantage and of vital importance in achieving strategic objectives.
