Chapter 10: Human Resourses

Question 1

Define Human Resources

Answer 1

The strategic approach to the effective management of employees so that they help the business gain more competition advantage

Question 2

What is the purpose of HR

Answer 2

1.) dismissal and redundancy 2.) rescuitment and selection 3.) workforce planning 4.) measuring employee performance 5.) training and developing

Question 3

What is workforce planning?

Answer 3

Forcasting the number of workers and the skills that will be required by the organisation to achieve its objective

Question 4

Work force audit?

Answer 4

The measurement of skills and qualifications on existing employees/mangers

Question 5

The number of employees that a business will need will depend on the factors:

Answer 5

1.) forecast demand of the product 2) the productive level 3.) the objectives of the business 4) changes in law regarding workers rights 5.) Labour turnover

Question 6

Skills of workes required based on:

Answer 6

1.) pace of technology change in industry 2.) the need for flexible and multitasked skills as businesses try to avoid specialisation

Question 7

Labour turnover

Answer 7

Number of employees leaving in 1 year/ avg number of employees employed x100

Question 8

Costs of high labour turnover

Answer 8

1.) costs of recruiting and selecting new employees
2.) poor output levels due to open vacancies
3.) difficult to establish customer loyalty as there is now familiar contact
4.) difficult to establish team spirit

Question 9

Potential benefits of high labour turnover

Answer 9

1.) low skilled and less productive staff may leave and could be replaced with more efficient staff
2.) new ideas and practices are brought into the organisation by new workers
3.) high labour turnover results in less employees needed as they wont be replaced

Question 10

Recruitment

Answer 10

The process of identifying he need for a new employee, defying the job to be filled and the type of person needed to fill it and attracting suitable candidates for the job

Question 11

Selection

Answer 11

Series of steps by which the candidates are interviewed
, tested and screened to choose the most suitable person for vacant spot

Question 12

Recruitment agency

Answer 12

Business that offers the service of recruiting applicants for vacant spot

Question 13

Why recruitment and selection is necessary?

Answer 13

• employees leave and needs to be replaced
• business is expanding

Question 14

Job description

Answer 14

A detailed list of key points about the job to be filled, stating all its key tasks and responsibilities

Question 15

Person specification

Answer 15

A detailed list of the qualities, skills and qualifications that a successful applicant will need to have

Question 16

Application form

Answer 16

a set of questions answered by a job applicant to give a potential employer information about the applicant, such as educational background and work experience.

Question 17

Internal recruitment

Answer 17

When a business fills a vacancy from within its existing workforce

Question 18

External recruitment

Answer 18

When a business aims to fill a vacancy with a suitable applicant from outside the organisation

Question 19

Advantages of internal recruitment

Answer 19

1.) applicants will already know the business therefor no need for induction training
2.) culture of organisation will be understood
3.) quicker than external
4.) cheaper than using external advertising and recruitment agencies
5.) gives internal staff a chance to progress
6.) if vacancy is for senior post then staff wont need to get used to new management style

Question 20

Advantages of external recruitment

Answer 20

1.) External applicants bring new ideas which help employees focus on the future
2.) wider choice of external applicants
3.) avoids resentment that existing staff feel when co worker is promoted
4.) standard of applicants could be higher if job is open to only to internal applicants

Question 21

Employee contract

Answer 21

Legal document that sets out the terms and conditions governing a workers job

Question 22

Redundancy

Answer 22

When a job is no longer required, the employee doing the job becomes unnecessary through no fault of their own

Question 23

Dismissal

Answer 23

Being dismissed or fired from a job due to incompetence or breach of discipline

Question 24

Unfair dismissal

Answer 24

Ending employee contract for a reason that the law regards as unfair

Question 25

Employee moral

Answer 25

Overall outlook, attitude and level of satisfaction of employe while at work

Question 26

Emplyee welfare

Answer 26

Employee’s health and safety and level of moral at work

Question 27

Work life balance

Answer 27

A situation in which employees are able to allocate the right amount of time to personal life and effort to their work

Question 28

Methods that business use to allow for employees to have work lofe balance

Answer 28

• flexible working
• teleworking: working from home and in office
• job sharing: allows two people to fill one full time vacancy for less pay
• sabbatical: extended period of leave from work up to 12 months with their job guaranteed when they return

Question 29

Equality policy

Answer 29

equality policy: practices and processes aimed at achieving a fair organisation where everyone is treated in the same way without prejudice and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Question 30

Diversity policy

Answer 30

diversity policy: practices and processes aimed at creating a mixed workforce and placing a positive value on diversity in the workplace.

Question 31

How does promoting equality impacts the business by?

Answer 31

1.) creating an environment with high employee morale amd motivation
2.) developing a good reputation and the ability to recruit top talent based on fairness
3.) measuring employee performance by their achievements at work not by discrimination factor

Question 32

How does promoting diversity in a workplace effect the busienss?

Answer 32

1.) Capturing bigger market share as consumers are attracted by divers scale force
2.) employing a more qualified workforce as selection is based on merit and not discrimination
3.) increasing creativity because individuals from different backgrounds approach problem solving differently
4.) achievement culture awareness leading to improved knowledge about foreign markets
5.) promoting diverse language skills, which allows business to provide products internationally

Question 33

Training

Answer 33

Work related education to increase workforce skills and efficiency

Question 34

What is induction training?

Answer 34

Introductory training programme to familiarise new employees with the systems used in he business and layout of business site

Question 35

What is on the job training?

Answer 35

Instructions at the place of work on how a job should be carried out

Question 36

What is off the job training?

Answer 36

Training undertaken away from the place of work

Question 37

Benefits of cooperation between management and workforce

Answer 37

• Fewer days are lost through strikes and other forms of industrial action.
It will be much easier for management to introduce change in the workplace. For example, a decision to automate part of a factory could be made with the cooperation of the workforce.

• The contribution of the workforce is likely to be recognised by management, and pay levels and other benefits might reflect this.

• Agreement on more efficient operations will increase the competitiveness of the business.

• Workers’ practical insight into the way the business operates can contribute to more successful decisions.

Question 38

Impact on trade union involvement

Answer 38

• Collective bargaining
• Collective industrial action will have more effect
• Unions provide legal support
• unions put pressure on emplyees to ensure all legal requirements are met

Question 39

What is Collective bargaining?

Answer 39

The process of negotiating terms of employment between an employer and a group of workers who are represented by trade union

Question 40

Trade union recognition

Answer 40

When an employer formally agrees to conduct negotiations on pay and working conditions with a trade union rather than bargaining with each worker