6-1 Introduction to employee resourcing and global talent management

Question 1

What is the process of HR planning?

Answer 1

it is the actual implementation of the HR strategy and identifies capabilities and gaps, and provides a holistic approach to determining the human resources required by the organisation to achieve its strategic goals.

• a distinction is made between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ planning, where the former focuses on the supply and demand of employees and skills while the latter on more attitudinal and cultural issues (Armstrong, 2012)

Question 2

There are several frameworks for resource planning like

Answer 2

The Process of Human Resource Planning (Armstrong, 2012: 212) which locates the process of workforce planning within the context of the process of business planning

Question 3

Changing the way Human Resources are utilised is by 2 methods namely:

Answer 3

1. Introducing new technology which changes work organisation by:

a. job rotation, job enlargement and job enrichment
b. high-performance teams
c. participation

2. Introducing changes in organisation development by structure changes:

a. centralisation or decentralisation
b. new department boundaries
c. flexible project structures
d. altering work times
e. training and appraisal
f. relocation of parts of the organisation
h. bonus schemes and other incentives

Question 4

Organisation design and structure is defined as

Answer 4

– what work do we do and how do we organise ourselves to do it? These are part of what Ulrich & Brockbank (2005) term the flow of work that transforms ideas and raw materials into products and services and adds value to an organisation.

Question 5

Organisation design and structure in HR terms is in 3 dimensions:

Answer 5

1. Who does the work?
2. How is the work done?
3. Where is the work done?

this is the movement from strategy to operation

Question 6

What is structure

Answer 6

structure’ refers to the pattern of relationships among positions in the organisation, which makes possible the application of the process of management and which provides a framework through which the activities of the organisation can be planned, organised, directed and controlled (Mullins, 2005). Boddy & Paton’s (1998) integrative framework of management,

Question 7

An Integrative Framework of Management (Boddy & Paton, 1998)

Answer 7

I DONT KNOW

Question 8

Job design is

Answer 8

is the process by which the characteristic qualities of jobs are determined and created, and the contemporary practice sees a greater emphasis on teamwork, talent management for a diverse workforce, and leveraging new technologies (Jackson & Schuler, 2000)

Question 9

Different Job Design approaches include

Answer 9

1. Scientific management approach – focuses on a mechanistic approach to determine the most efficient method to perform and sequence a job.
2. Human factors approach – seeks to minimise the amount of stress and fatigue experienced in doing work.
3. Motivational approach – seeks to enhance employee motivation and increase job satisfaction by such strategies as job rotation, job enlargement (increasing the number of tasks) and job enrichment (increasing the number and variety of tasks, as well as responsibility and degree of control).
4. Alternative working arrangements – designing jobs to provide more flexibility to fit with employees’ needs.

Question 10

1. Scientific management approach – focuses on a mechanistic approach to determine the most efficient method to perform and sequence a job.

Answer 10

Advantages

a. Ensures predictability
b. Provides clarity

Disadvantages

a. May be boring
b. May result in absenteeism, sabotage, and turnover

Question 11

2. Human factors approach – seeks to minimise the amount of stress and fatigue experienced in doing work.

Answer 11

Advantages

a. Accommodates jobs to people
b. Breaks down physical barriers
c. Makes more jobs accessible to more people

Disadvantages

a. May be costly for some jobs
b. Is impractical if structural characteristics of the organisation make job change impossible

Question 12

3. Motivational approach – seeks to enhance employee motivation and increase job satisfaction by such strategies as job rotation, job enlargement (increasing the number of tasks) and job enrichment (increasing the number and variety of tasks, as well as responsibility and degree of control).

Answer 12

Advantages

a. Can satisfy needs for responsibility, growth, and knowledge of results

b, Provides social interaction

c. Provides growth opportunity
d. Reduces boredom
e. Can improve quality, customer service and other indicators of productivity
f. Reduces absenteeism problems
h. Improves morale

Disadvantages

a. May not work for people who prefer routine
b. May not work for people who prefer to work alone
c. Often requires additional training
d. May require higher pay
e. Requires a more complex performance measurement system
f. Requires managers to coach and facilitate rather than control employees

Question 13

4. Alternative working arrangements – designing jobs to provide more flexibility to fit with employees’ needs.

Answer 13

Advantages

a. Helps attract a broader range of workers
b. Can reduce stress and improve quality of life

c, Some alternative arrangements reduce employers’ costs

d. Provides a means to assure legal compliance with diversity regulations such as the US ADA and UK Equality Act 2010

Disadvantages

a. Many new alternative arrangements require experimentation to learn what works best
b. If only some workers are offered alternative arrangements, others may feel resentment
c. Can be more difficult to manage a workforce with a variety of arrangements
d. Arrangements that involve working offsite require new approaches to supervision and performance measurement