chapter 12- human resource management

Question 1

define human resource management

Answer 1

the strategic approach to the effective management of an organizations workers so that they help the business gain a competitive advantage

Question 2

what are the roles of human resource management

Answer 2

workforce planning, recruitment and selection, developing employees, employment contracts, employee morale and welfare, incentive systems, monitoring

Question 3

define recruitment

Answer 3

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

Question 4

define selection

Answer 4

involves the series of steps by which candidates are interviewed, testes and screened for choosing the most suitable person for vacant post

Question 5

what are the 5 steps of recruitment and selection

Answer 5

establishing the exact nature of the job vacancy and drawing up a job description, drawing up a person specification, preparing a job advertisement, drawing up a shortlist of applicants, selecting between the applicants

Question 6

define job description

Answer 6

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

Question 7

define person specification

Answer 7

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

Question 8

name 3 benefits to internal recruitment

Answer 8

applicants may already be known to the selection team, no need for induction training as they already know the organization and its internal methods, culture of the organization will be understood, often quicker than external recruitment, likely to be cheaper as no need for advertising and recruitment agencies, gives internal staff a chance to progress

Question 9

name 3 benefits of external recruitment

Answer 9

external applicants will bring in new ideas and practices into the business, should have a large choice between potential applicants, avoids conflicts associated with promotions, standard can be higher than internal staff

Question 10

what are the features of a job description?

Answer 10

job title
details of the tasks to be performed 
responsibilities involved
place in the hierarchal structure 
working conditions 
how the job will be assessed and performance measured

Question 11

define employment contracts

Answer 11

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

Question 12

define labour turnover and give its calculation

Answer 12

measures the rate at which employees are leaving an organization

number of employees leaving in 1 year/ average number of people employed x100

Question 13

define training

Answer 13

work related education to increase workforce skills and efficiency

Question 14

give 3 types of training

Answer 14

induction training, on the job training, off the job training

Question 15

define induction training

Answer 15

introductory training program to familiarise new recruits with the systems used in the business and the layout of the business site

Question 16

define on the job training

Answer 16

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

Question 17

define off the job training

Answer 17

all training undertaken away from the business

Question 18

define employee appraisal

Answer 18

the process of assessing the effectiveness of an employee judged against pre-set objectives

Question 19

what is the difference between dismissal and redundancy

Answer 19

dismissal is being sacked from a job due to incompetence or a breach of discipline so it is the employees own doing but redundancy is when the job is no longer required and it becomes unnecessary through no fault of their own

Question 20

define and give an example of unfair dismissal

Answer 20

ending a workers employment contract for a reason that the law regards as being unfair eg. pregnancy, discrimination, being a member of a union, non relevant criminal record

Question 21

define work life balance

Answer 21

a situation in which employees are able to give the right amount of time and effort to work and to their personal life outside work eg. family and other interests

Question 22

how do HR departments improve employee morale and welfare

Answer 22

offer advice, counselling ad other services to employees who need support such as financial problems

Question 23

define equality policy

Answer 23

practices and processes aimed at achieving a fair organisation where everyone is treated in the same way and has the opportunity to fulfill their potential

Question 24

define diversity policy

Answer 24

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

Question 25

give an advantage to promoting equality in the workplace

Answer 25

creating an environment with high employee morale, developing a good reputation and the ability to recruit top talent