Approaches to staffing

Question 1

What does seeing staff as an asset mean?

Answer 1

Where a business cares about them and sees them as a source of good quality long term source of profitability.

Question 2

What does seeing staff as a cost mean?

Answer 2

Seeing them as an expense and always trying to cut costs. The business won’t give them any more benefits that they are legally required to.

Question 3

Why do businesses prefer flexible working?

Answer 3

It makes the business flexible to a change in the market such as demand, a new entrant or price fluctuations.

Question 4

What are some features of a flexible workforce?

Answer 4

• Multi-skilling.
• Part time and temporary workers.
• flexible hours and working from home.
• Outsourcing.

Question 5

What are peripheral workers?

Answer 5

People with temporary part time jobs that are called in when needed.

Question 6

What are the benefits of flexible working?

Answer 6

• Homeworking eliminates the costs of an office.
• Part-time and zero-hour contracts allows the business to stay flexible to change in demand for their products.
• Some jobs don’t require a permanent employee.
• Allows business to operate more efficiently.

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of flexible working?

Answer 7

• Less loyal to the business.
• The quality of their work may be poor if they don’t feel obligated to the business.
• Communication could be an issue.
• Employing them can be a bit costly but not as much as if they were to hire permanent staff.
• Too many peripheral workers may cause the core workers to feel demotivated.

Question 8

What can cause conflict between the employer and employee?

Answer 8

• Rates of pay.
• Introduction of new technology.
• Flexible working.
• Working conditions.

Question 9

What is the individual approach?

Answer 9

Where conflict is settled through negotiation between the employee and a representative of the employer.
- Individuals with good bargaining skills will get a better deal.

Question 10

What is collective bargaining?

Answer 10

Where a group of employees represented by a trade union negotiate with their employer for better wages, working conditions and benefits.

Question 11

What is industrial action?

Answer 11

Disruptive measures taken by employees to put pressure on employers when disagreements can’t be solved.

Question 12

What are the advantages of collective bargaining?

Answer 12

• Agreements are transparent and binding.
• May be more cost-effective to have just one set of negotiations.
• Rules and terms are likely to be respected by both parties.
• Favouritism and victimisation might reduced at work.