Approaches to staffing(1.4.1)

Question 1

Introduction to staffing

Answer 1

Effective human resource management (staffing) is important to business as it ensures that the organisation has the right people in the right roles with the right support with opportunities to succeed

Question 2

What will good staffing and support lead to?

Answer 2

higher productivity more profits and a positive work environment
human resource management-right people role and support-higher productivity - more output for input-efficiency
human resource management-right people role and support-higher productivity - right training motivated strong management skilled-product quality and customer service increase-corporate culture brand reputation sales revenue/revenue increases-profit increase-business corp objectives/targets/performance

Question 3

Staff as an asset vs cost

Answer 3

Some senior managers see
employees as a source of competitive advantage (positive)
other senior mangers see their staff as a potential cost that needs to be minimised (negative)

Question 4

What are zero hour contracts?

Answer 4

is a type of contract that has a minimum of zero hours a week
any work is not guaranteed
this means that employee’s income can fluctuate and they are only informed what their working week will look like a couple of days in advance

Question 5

What is staff turnover(labour turnover)?

Answer 5

this is measured by the number of staff that leave a business in
the time of year

Question 6

Staff as an asset

Answer 6

staff can be seen as an asset to a business as they bring knowledge skills and expertise to the business
staff can increase productivity drive innovation and enhance customer service all of which contribute to the success and profitability of the business
staff can help to build a positive reputation for the business through their interactions with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholder

Question 7

Common features when treating staff as an asset

Answer 7

permanent contract off job security
business will often develop staff skills with training
salary financial security
builds loyalty from staff

Question 8

General costs associated with staffing

Answer 8

recruitment and selection costs
pay salary/wages
bonuses
benefits
redundancy payment

Question 9

common features when business treat staff as asset

Answer 9

flexible contract/zero hour contract
minimal training offered
lower pay commonly at hourly rate
often lead to high staff turnover

Question 10

What is flexible working?

Answer 10

the development of a culture where workers are equipped to do
different roles or where they work in a range of employment patterns

Question 11

Four ways to develop a flexible workforce

Answer 11

part time and temporary
multi skilling
outsourcing
flexible hours and home working

Question 12

What is multi skilling?

Answer 12

the process of training workers to fulfil multiple job roles within a business

Question 13

Multi skilling advantages

Answer 13

business utilise workforce more efficiently reducing labour costs and increase productivity
can help improve patient outcomes in healthcare industries as worker with broader range of skills can provide more comprehensive care

Question 14

Multi skilling advantages

Answer 14

may require significant investment in training and development
may not be appropriate
may not be appropriate for all job roles especially those that require a high level of expertise

Question 15

What is part time and temporary work?

Answer 15

part time someone may only need to work tow or three days a week
temporary someone shows up for work when the business needs them

Question 16

Part time and temporary advantages

Answer 16

can help business to attract and retain talent especially staff who value work life balance
may improve productivity as staff can work during most productive hours and avoid distractions

Question 17

Part time and temporary disadvantages

Answer 17

can create challenges in terms of communication and collaboration
especially if staff are working remotely
monitoring ad managing can be more difficult

Question 18

What is flexible hours?

Answer 18

allow employees to schedule working hours around individual needs and accommodate commitments outside of work
usually involves working some set hours with remainder hours organised according to employees needs

Question 19

What is home working?

Answer 19

advances in communication tech has enabled larger proportion to work from home
use tools such as email video conferencing etc

Question 20

Flexible hours and home working advantages for the business

Answer 20

smaller or fewer premises may be required reducing costs
high quality workers may be attracted from wide geographical area
may be more productive if isolated away from distractions

Question 21

Flexible hours and home working disadvantages for the business

Answer 21

cost of equipping workers with technology to work remotely may be significant
may be less opportunity for collaboration between workers reducing innovation
careful monitoring will be required to ensure remote workers remain focused on tasks

Question 22

Flexible hours and home working advantages for the employee

Answer 22

commuting costs such as train fares are eliminated
stress reduced as a result of not having to travel to work
some flexibility may be possible allowing workers to manage other commitments

Question 23

Flexible hours and home working disadvantages for the employee

Answer 23

staff may feel isolated from colleagues
household costs such as electricity and heating may increase
a healthy division between work and home life may be difficult to manage

Question 24

What is outsourcing?

Answer 24

when a firm contacts another business to perform certain tasks or functions which allows for a significant increase in working capacity when needed

Question 25

Outsourcing advantages

Answer 25

may allow business to access specialised skills that may not be available in house
may reduce labour costs

Question 26

Outsourcing disadvantages

Answer 26

may lead to loss of control over quality and delivery especially if based in different countries
may create ethical concerns especially if the partner is based in another country with lower labour standards of human rights abuse

Question 27

What is dismissal?

Answer 27

the termination of employment by an employer against the will of the employee usually due to their misconduct or poor performance

Question 28

What is redundancy?

Answer 28

employees are made redundant when the job is no longer available and the business reduces the size of its workforce and is not due to any fault of the employee