chapter 8

Question 1

define recruitment

Answer 1

Recruitment is the process from identifying that the business needs to employ someone up to the point at which applications have arrived at the business

Question 2

define employee selection

Answer 2

Employee selection is the process of evaluating candidates for a specific job and selecting an individual for employment based on the needs of the organisation.

Question 3

what are the types of human resources department

Answer 3

• recruitment and selection
• wages and salaries
• industrial relations
• trainning programmes
• health and safety
• redundancy and dismissal

Question 4

Businesses need to start the process of recruitment and selection when:

Answer 4

» an employee leaves their job and they need to be replaced

» it is a new business starting up and needs employees

» it is a successful business and wants to expand by employing more people.

Question 5

define job analysis

Answer 5

A job analysis identifies and records the responsibilities and tasks relating to a job.

Question 6

define job description

Answer 6

A job description outlines the responsibilities and duties to be carried out by someone employed to do a specific job.

Question 7

define job specification

Answer 7

A job specification is a document which outlines the requirements, qualifications, expertise, physical characteristics, etc., for a specified job.

Question 8

Job descriptions often also contain information about:

Answer 8

» the conditions of employment – salary, hours of work, pension scheme and staff welfare

» training that will be offered

» opportunities for promotion.

Question 9

The requirements of job specification will usually include:

Answer 9

» the level of educational qualifications

» the amount of experience and type of experience

» special skills, knowledge or particular aptitude

» personal characteristics, such as type of personality.

Question 10

what are the types of recruitment

Answer 10

internal and external

Question 11

define internal recruitment

Answer 11

Internal recruitment is when a vacancy is filled by someone who is an existing employee of the business.

Question 12

what are the advantages of internal recruitment

Answer 12

» It is quicker and cheaper than external recruitment, which may involve expensive advertising.

» The person is already known to the business and their reliability, ability and potential are known.

» The person also knows how the organisation works, its structure and what is expected from its employees.

» It can be very motivating for employees to see their fellow workers being promoted – it makes them work harder if they consider that promotion is possible for them too.

Question 13

what are the disadvantages of internal recruitment

Answer 13

» No new ideas or experience come into the business. Other companies may have different ways of working and these ways may be better in some respects, including making the business more efficient. Internal recruitment does not allow for these working practices to be brought into the business and this is a major limitation when the industry is changing rapidly.

» There may be rivalry among existing employees and jealousy towards the worker who gains promotion.

» The quality of internal candidates might be low.

Question 14

define external recruitment

Answer 14

External recruitment is when a vacancy is filled by someone who is not an existing employee and will be new to the business.

Question 15

Advertising job vacancies can be done in several ways:

Answer 15

• Local newspapers
• National newspaper
• Specialist magazine
• Online recruitment sites
• Recruitment agencies

Question 15

When drawing up a job advertisement, the business will need to ask itself the following questions:

Answer 15

» What should be included in the advert?

» Where should the advertisement be placed?

» How much will the advertising cost and is it within the budget of the Human
Resources department?

Question 16

Some businesses include tests in their selection process, for example:

Answer 16

• Skills tests aim to show the ability of the candidate to carry out certain tasks.
• Aptitude tests aim to show the candidate’s potential to gain additional skills. Either general intelligence tests or more specific tests are used to assess the candidate’s ability to train for a particular job.

Question 16

A curriculum vitae of the methods of application should be well laid out and clear. It should usually contain the following details:

Answer 16

» name
» address
» telephone number
» email address
» nationality
» education and
» work experience
» positions of responsibility
» interests
» names and addresses of referees (for
references).

Question 16

The letter of application should outline briefly:

Answer 16

» why the applicant wants the job

» why the applicant feels he/she would be suitable.

Question 17

The main purposes of an interview are to assess, in the shortest possible time:

Answer 17

» the applicant’s ability to do the job

» any personal qualities that are an advantage or disadvantage

» the general character and personality of the applicant

Question 18

define full time

Answer 18

Full-time employees will usually work 35 hours or more a week.

Question 18

The final decision of which workers to employ depends on several factors:

Answer 18

» Work experience – how important is it that the worker has direct experience of the job?

» Educational and other qualifications – are these essential for filling the post, for example, doctor?

» Age – is youth or ‘experience of life’ more important? However, businesses must be careful not to break any ‘age discrimination laws’ that may exist in their country.

» Internal – how important is it that the applicant has a good understanding of how the business operates?

» External – how important is it that the new worker has experience and skills gained from outside the business?

Question 19

define part time

Answer 19

Part-time employment is often considered to be between 1 and 30–35 hours a week

Question 20

The benefits to a business of employing part-time employees are:

Answer 20

» more flexible in the hours of work
» easier to ask employees just to work at busy times

» easier to extend business opening/operating hours by working evenings or at
weekends

» fits in with looking after children and therefore employee is willing to accept
lower pay

» reduces business costs compared to employing and paying a full-time employee

» in some countries it is easier to make part-time workers redundant.

Question 21

The limitations to a business of part-time employees are:

Answer 21

» less likely to seek training because the employees may see the job as temporary » takes longer to recruit two part-time workers than one full-time employee » part-time employees can be less committed to the business and may be more likely to leave to get another job » less likely to be promoted because they will not have gained the same skills and experience as full-time employees » more difficult to communicate with part-time employees when they are not in work.

Question 21

There should be clear objectives for training employees. Training is important to a business as it may be used to:

Answer 21

» introduce a new process or new equipment » improve the efficiency of the workforce » provide training for unskilled workers to make them more valuable to the company » decrease the supervision needed » improve the opportunity for internal promotion » decrease the chances of accidents.

Question 22

Training is usually trying to achieve one or more of the following:

Answer 22

» To increase skills. » To increase knowledge. » To improve employees’ attitudes to encourage them to accept change and raise awareness, for example, a need to improve customer service.

Question 23

what are the three types of training

Answer 23

induction training, on-the-job training, off-the-job training.

Question 24

define induction training

Answer 24

Induction training is an introduction given to a new employee, explaining the business’s activities, customs and procedures and introducing them to their fellow workers.

Question 25

define on the job training

Answer 25

On-the-job training occurs by watching a more experienced worker doing the job.

Question 26

define off the job training

Answer 26

Off-the-job training involves being trained away from the workplace, usually by specialist trainers.

Question 27

The advantages of induction training are that it:

Answer 27

» helps new employees to settle into their job quickly » may be a legal requirement to give health and safety training at the start of a job » means workers are less likely to make mistakes.

Question 28

The disadvantages of induction training are that it:

Answer 28

» is time-consuming » means wages are paid but no work is being done by the worker » delays the start of the employee commencing their job.

Question 29

The advantages of on-the-job training are that:

Answer 29

» individual tuition is given and it is in the workplace so the employee does not need to be sent away (travel costs are expensive) » it ensures there is some production from the worker while they are training » it usually costs less than off-the-job training » it is training tailored to the specific needs of the business.

Question 30

The disadvantages of on-the-job training are that:

Answer 30

» the trainer will not be as productive as usual because they are showing the trainee what to do instead of getting on with their job » the trainer may have bad habits and they may pass these on to the trainee » it may not lead to training qualifications recognised outside the business.

Question 31

The advantages of off-the-job training are that:

Answer 31

» a broad range of skills can be taught using these techniques » the business will only need to pay for the course and it will not also lose the output of the employee » it often uses expert trainers who have up-to-date knowledge of business practices.

Question 32

The disadvantages of off-the-job training are that:

Answer 32

» costs are high » it means wages are paid but no work is being done by the worker » the additional qualifications mean it is easier for the employee to leave and find another job.

Question 33

define workforce planning

Answer 33

Workforce planning is establishing the workforce needed by the business for the foreseeable future in terms of the number and skills of employees required

Question 34

If a business needs to reduce the number of employees, this can be done in one of two ways:

Answer 34

» dismissal » redundancy.

Question 35

define dismissal

Answer 35

Dismissal is when employment is ended against the will of the employee, usually for not working in accordance with the employment contract.

Question 36

define redundancy

Answer 36

Redundancy is when an employee is no longer needed and so loses their job. It is not due to any aspect of their work being unsatisfactory.

Question 37

Workers may also leave their job because they:

Answer 37

» retire (they are getting older and want to stop working) » resign (because they have found another job).

Question 38

Which workers to make redundant?

Answer 38

» Some workers may volunteer and be happy to be made redundant – because they may have another job they can go to, they want to retire early or they want to start their own business. » Length of time employed by the business – workers who have worked for the business for a long time are often retained. They will have the most experience and be the most expensive to make redundant, if redundancy payments are made.

Question 39

The most important employment issues affected by legal controls are:

Answer 39

» employment contracts » unfair dismissal » discrimination » health and safety » legal minimum wage.

Question 40

define contract of employment

Answer 40

A contract of employment is a legal agreement between an employer and employee, listing the rights and responsibilities of workers.

Question 41

Impact of employment contracts on employers and employees

Answer 41

» Both employers and employees know what is expected of them. » It provides some security of employment to the employee. » If the employee does not meet the conditions of the contract then legal dismissal is allowed. » If the employer fails to meet the conditions of the contract, for example, does not offer the holidays the worker is entitled to, then the employee can seek legally binding compensation.

Question 41

the contract of employment will usually include:

Answer 41

» name of the employer and name of the employee » job title » date when employment is to begin » hours to be worked » rate of pay and any other benefits such as bonus, sick pay, pension » when payment will be made » holiday entitlement » amount of notice that the employer or the employee must give to end the employment.

Question 42

define industrial tribunal

Answer 42

An industrial tribunal is a type of law court that makes judgments on disagreements between companies and their employees, for example, workers’ complaints of unfair dismissal or discrimination at work.

Question 43

Impact of unfair dismissal on employer and employee

Answer 43

» Employer must keep very accurate records of a worker’s performance if they want to claim that the employee has broken their contract of employment before dismissing them. » Employees have security of employment – as long as they fulfil their contract and are not made redundant. » Allows employees to take their employer to an industrial tribunal if they feel they have been treated unfairly and they may get compensation if this is found to be true.

Question 44

The main examples are when workers are treated differently because they:

Answer 44

» are of a different race or colour » belong to a different religion » are of the opposite sex » are considered too old/young for the job » are disabled in some way.

Question 45

Impact of discrimination on employers and employees

Answer 45

» Employees should be treated equally in the workplace and when being recruited, and they should be paid equal amounts for similar work. » If a man and a woman are both equally well-qualified for a job they should be treated equally. It should not be the case that one rather than the other is given the job simply because of their sex. » Employees who have a disability, are from different races or of different religions should be treated in the same way as all other workers.

Question 46

In most countries there are now laws which make sure that all employers:

Answer 46

» protect workers from dangerous machinery » provide safety equipment and clothing » maintain reasonable workplace temperatures » provide hygienic conditions and washing facilities » do not insist on excessively long shifts and provide breaks in the work timetable.

Question 47

Impact of health and safety on employers and employees

Answer 47

» Cost to employer of meeting the health and safety regulations, for example, better fire-fighting equipment. » Time needs to be found to train workers in health and safety precautions. » Workers feel ‘safer’ and more motivated at work. » Reduces accident rate and the cost of compensation for workers injured at work.

Question 48

There should be a written agreement between worker and employer (contract of employment) which will contain details not only of the hours of work and the nature of the job but also of:

Answer 48

» the wage rate to be paid » how frequently wages will be paid » what deductions will be made from wages, for example, income tax.

Question 49

define ethical decision

Answer 49

An ethical decision is a decision taken by a manager or a company because of the moral code observed by the firm.

Question 49

Impact of legal minimum wage on employers and employees

Answer 49

» It should prevent strong employers from exploiting unskilled workers who could not easily find other work. » As many unskilled workers will now be receiving higher wages, it might encourage employers to train them to make sure that they are more productive. » It will encourage more people to seek work. There should be fewer shortages of workers. » Low-paid workers will earn more and will have higher living standards, meaning they will be able to afford to buy more.