Approches To Staffing

Question 1

Staff

Answer 1

Are employees in a business

Question 2

Staffing

Answer 2

Is the process of hiring training and supervising employees in a business

Question 3

Staff as an asset- value

Answer 3

Staff can be viewed by the business as an asset
• An asset is: a useful or valuable thing or person

Question 4

Staff as an asset- developing staff

Answer 4

Treating staff as an asset means that they are developed with training and seen as a benefit to the business

Question 5

Participation in decision making

Answer 5

Staff are allowed to participate more in decision making
• The business is more able to respond quickly to market changes

Question 6

Staff as a cost

Answer 6

1. Cost of recruitment
2. Cost of training
3. Cost of paying minimum wages
4. Cost of paying staff salaries and wages
5. Cost of staff welfare
6. Cost of redundancy

Question 7

Cost of recruitment

Answer 7

• A business may carry out the recruitment themselves, costs add up, from the advert for the job to the employee time away from their job to carry out interview

Question 8

Cost of training

Answer 8

Staff training is often viewed as a cost rather than adding value, however companies with innovative learning and development programmes are increasing sales revenue and retaining their staff for longer

Question 9

Cost of minimum wage

Answer 9

One of these laws is the minimum wage law, businesses must pay these rates or higher to their workers - if the don’t they face high fines and “naming and shaming”

Question 10

Cost of salaries and wages

Answer 10

• A salary is paid to permanent staff and is usually a years salary divided into 12 equal monthly amounts

Wages are paid to staff on an hourly basis eg 7.83 an hour

Question 11

Cost of staff welfare

Answer 11

Staff welfare is an umbrella term that can mean anything and everything from facilities and benefits, to working conditions and retirement pension rates.

Question 12

Cost of redundancy.

Answer 12

Employees are made redundant when the job no longer exists. In comparison being fired is when an employee does not do their job correctly.

Question 13

Multi spilling

Answer 13

This means having a workforce that can be moved around from one job to another.
• For example a history teacher than can also teach English or Geography is really useful to a school

Question 14

Multiskilling advantages

Answer 14

Less staff are needed, those that are employed are used to capacity not standing around
✓More interesting jobs for the workers as there are a variety of tasks

Question 15

Disadvantages of multi skilling

Answer 15

Workers become a “Jack of all trades master of none”
• Businesses lose the benefits of having specialist staff

Question 16

Full time work

Answer 16

There is no specific number of hours that makes someone full or part-time, but a full-time worker will usually work 35 hours or more a week

Question 17

Advantages of full Time work

Answer 17

May be more highly paid per hour than part-time
✓Access to more holiday entitlement
✓Employees are committed to the business and may be more productive
✓Loyalty to the business

Question 18

Disadvantages of full time work

Answer 18

Employees standing idle if there is a business downturn
Less flexible than part-timers, no-one to cover late nights and weekends

Question 19

Part time work

Answer 19

A part-time worker is someone who works fewer hours than a full-time worker.
• So this is someone who works less than 35 hours a week

Question 20

Advantages of part time work

Answer 20

Good way to keep costs down while a business is growing
✓Part-time jobs attract a wide pool of applicants with experience and skills who might not want a full-time job

Question 21

Disadvantages of part time work

Answer 21

Employees might not give the business the commitment and loyalty that a full-time worker would
Employee may work more than one job which would make them inflexible
Employee might leave if they find a full-time job

Question 22

Temporary work

Answer 22

A temporary (temp) job is one where the employer only needs extra staff to cover a seasonal period
• If you ever had a supply teacher – this was a temporary job
• Other examples are Christmas staff in retail stores and holiday reps in resorts

Question 23

Advantages of temporary work

Answer 23

Ideal for a business that needs extra workers for a special project
• Useful to meet seasonal demands, and work fluctuations

Question 24

Disadvantages of temporary work

Answer 24

Agency staff may be expensive but it may be cheaper than hiring permanent staff
• Injury rates are higher in temp workers

Question 25

Permanent work

Answer 25

A permanent contract is the most common type
of employment, an
indefinite contract whereby you are employed by the company until either the employee leaves is fired or made redundant

Question 26

Permenant work advantages

Answer 26

Staff will be very focussed on the business, they will look to the long- term to build up their professional development profile with the business.
• Higher staff morale as they know they have a secure job

Question 27

Permanent work disadvantages

Answer 27

Permanent staff can develop negative attitudes to work, or get involved in office politics and so may become lazy, uncooperative or disinterested in the business

Question 28

Flexible hours

Answer 28

Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, e.g. having flexible start and finish times, or working from home

Question 29

Flexiable hours advantages

Answer 29

From a business perspective flexible working can keep valuable staff from leaving and can also cover busy periods
✓Can accommodate the work life balance needs of employees with busy lives and families

Question 30

Flexiable hours disadvantages

Answer 30

Can sometimes confuse suppliers or customers who may want to speak to the same member of staff
• The business may need extra staff to cover unmanned periods

Question 31

Zero hours contracts

Answer 31

Zeros hours contracts means that employees are “on call” to work when you need them, but they have no fixed hours of employment
▪ The employer does not have to provide the employees with work

Question 32

Zero hours contracts advantages

Answer 32

Great for a business where work can be unpredictable
✓Ideal where staff are needed at short notice
✓Gives the employer great flexibility, no staff standing around with nothing to do

Question 33

Zero hours disadvantages

Answer 33

Employees might not give the business the commitment and loyalty that a full-time worker would
Employees may become unhappy with the zero hours and leave to find more permanent work

Question 34

Home working

Answer 34

Over the last decade in the UK home working has gone from unusual to quite normal for a number of industries
• The employer lowers their overhead costs by not having to provide offices and supervision

Question 35

Advantages of working from home

Answer 35

Fit a business round a family, gives a good work-life balance
2. The owner can work hours that suit their lifestyle
3. No commute, so reduction in costs of travelling
4. No expensive premises to pay for, so a reduction in fixed costs
5. Less stress from travelling and tension with colleagues

Question 36

Disadvantages of working from home

Answer 36

No socialisation with other workers, so business owner may not have anyone to bounce ideas off
2. Work is all around the business person so they may find it hard to switch off

Question 37

What is outsourcing

Answer 37

As a company grows it cannot afford to be an expert in lots of areas and job roles.
• It may not want to take on staff on a full time permanent basis. The outsourcing of non-core activities to the business is important way for them to achieve greater efficiency and productivity.

Question 38

Outsourcing production

Answer 38

Production; Some motor manufacturers now outsource not only parts but complete assemblies – steering, transmissions, engines, interior assemblies

Question 39

Outsourcing payroll

Answer 39

Payroll; is the one of the most common task that companies outsource. Services include weekly/monthly/quarterly payroll and normally attending to the completion of the (many) Government returns

Question 40

Outsourcing- IT

Answer 40

Purchasing and maintaining information systems; hiring and evaluating IT staff and training users can all be very difficult. By outsourcing the information systems function, the business can obtain the latest technology and suitably skilled personnel

Question 41

Outsourcing delivery

Answer 41

Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.

Question 42

Dismissal fired

Answer 42

Worker may be dismissed or fired from a job for:
• Absenteeism
• Gross misconduct (showing up
drunk)
• Theft of company money or property
Worker is not entitled to a pay- out from the business if dismissed
• This may also be called being “fired” or “sacked”

Question 43

Redundancy

Answer 43

Worker’s job no longer exists possibly due to lack of business or restructuring
• Redundancy is sometimes: voluntary – where some staff close to retirement take voluntary redundancy to gain a pay-out

Question 44

Problems at work

Answer 44

If there are problems at work employees can be represented by a member of their trade union. Rather than 300 employees all complaining to the boss about the same thing the trade union rep will argue on their behalf

Question 45

Trade unions

Answer 45

• A trade union is an organisation with members who are usually workers or employees. It looks after their interests at work by doing things like:
✓negotiating agreements with employers on pay and conditions
✓discussing big changes like large scale redundancy
✓discussing members’ concerns with employers
✓going with members to disciplinary and grievance meetings