chapter 8: human resources

Question 1

define human resource management (HRM)

Answer 1

the effective management of the formal relob/w employer and employees

Question 2

whta can a bus do to make best use of its employees

Answer 2

• take care to hire best ppl
  -develop coorperative and effective working relationships
• motivate staff to do their best in workplace
• provide employees with opps for training and development

without dedicated, trained and motivated employees, the best organised plans will never succeed

Question 3

what are the main functions of staffing and define the human resource cycle

Answer 3

attract, acquire, train and develop, reward, maintain and separate the ppl needed to achieve bus’s goals (human resource/ development cycle - covers all stages in process of employing staff from initial planning, recruitment, slection. induction, training and development, performance management and separation of employment)

Question 4

what are the four main leelments of the human resource cycle/ staffing process

Answer 4

1. acquisition - recruiting and selecting ppl to work for the bus
2. plans and procedures implemented tp train & develop
3. maintenance - monetary and non-monetary benefits (rewards)
4. separation - either voluntarily (retirement/ resigniation) or involuntarily (retrenchment/dismissal)

Question 5

define job analysis

Answer 5

systematic study of each employee’s duties, tasks and work environment examining:
- actual job activities
- equipment used on job
- specific job behaviours
- working conditions
- degree of supervison necessary

no sense in hiring ppl unless bus is clear abt what its hiring them to do

Question 6

deifne job desciption and job specification

Answer 6

descrip: a written statement descirbing employee’s dutiees, tasks and responsibilities associated w/ job
specif: list of key qualifications needed ot perfom the job ie education, skills and experience

Question 7

define recruitment (internal and extrernal)

Answer 7

recruitment involves finding and attracting the right ppl to apply for the a job vacancy using ads, employment agencies and word of mouth

internal: when bus decides to appoint someone already in bus to a vacancy (promotion) less risk

external: finding applicants outside the bus in new position or vacancy (separation or promotion)

Question 8

what are the adv and disadv of internal recruitment

Answer 8

adv:
- employee known
- already familiar w/ processes
- reawrd employee w/ opp
- no cost of ads or external agencies

disadv:
- no one suitable within bus
- more than one internal applicant –> conflict
- applicant close minded
- the successful applicant’s position need to be filled

Question 9

what are the adv and disadv of external recruitment

Answer 9

adv:
-wider range of applicants
- new ideas and fresh approaches
- diff qualifications or exp
- rapid growth due to increase in staff members

disadv:
- applicants all unknown
- cost of advertising position
- time consuming
- qualified employees form within get jelly

Question 10

what are the main sources of employees available to a bus

Answer 10

• ads in media
• employment/recruitment agencies
• schools, colleges or uni
• gov employment agencies
• internal seachres
• online services
• temporary/casual agnecies
• word of mouth
• family

most bus want to ad as widely as possible to attract greatest no# of applicants
most use recruitment agencies (expensive but effective)

Question 11

define employee selection

Answer 11

involves gathering info abt each applicant for a position, then using that info to choose most appropriate applicant

ie comparing skills, qualifications and exp to whats listed in the job specification

Question 12

what are some forms of employee selection

Answer 12

• written or online application: printed or online application form completed by applicants w/ basic info, exp, qualification and name of referees (or submit a curriculum vitae or resume)
• testing: tests on perosnality, psychology or aptitude(their skills relevant to job descrip)
• interviews: well structured set of questions to ensure consistency b/w applicants
• background checks: referees contacted to verify accuracy of applicant’s previous experience and performance in previous position

Question 13

define training and development

Answer 13

training: refers to the process of tecahing staff how to perform their job more efficiently and effectively boost ttheir knowledge and skills

development: refers to activities that prepare staff to take greater responsibility in the future

many employees expect their bus to provide them opps to grow and learn ultimately improving their employability

Question 14

what is the aim of trianing employees

Answer 14

seek long term change in employees skils, knwledge, attitudes and behvaiour in order to improve work performance

however, little eviddence of strong training culture within aus workforces –> long term implications for a bus’s ongoing competitiveness –> high turnover rates

Question 15

what are the benefits of training for the employee and employer

Answer 15

employee:
- opp for promotion and self-develpment
- improved job satisfaction
- chance to learn
- adaptability - greater ability to adapt and cope
- improved employability

employer:
- high productivity
- goals and objectives met
- reduced costs due to less turnover, errors, accidents, absenteeism
- more capable workforce
- existing staff more easily retained

Question 16

why is training important to a bus

Answer 16

an efective training and development program is planned and perceived as integral to the bus’s strategy - maintaining or developing a bus’s sustainable competitive advantage
- rapid technological change
- global competition

Question 17

define a learning organisation

Answer 17

monitors and interprets its environment, seeking to improve its understanding of the relationship b/w its actions and its environment

Question 18

what shoudl bus do if tech creates the need for ongoing training

Answer 18

human resource maangers must constantly consider skills required by workforce in the future. Thus existing workforce must be trained or retrained in short period of time if rapid tcehnological change demands it

Question 19

whate are the types of training and development

Answer 19

• off-the-job training: specialised training institution eg TAFE or specialist provider
• on-the-job training: when need to learn specific set of skills and uses equipment present in workplace provided by experienced worker or external provider
• action learning: leaning by exp solving real workplace problems
• competency based: identifies skill strengths and areas where further training req’d
• corporate uni: academic institutions forge partnerships with bus
• training tech: computer-based training, multimedia training, web-based training

Question 20

what are types of training specifically aimed at developing effcetive managers

Answer 20

• job rotation: experience many diff aspects of a bus
• mentoring: support employee as they learn
• formal bus training: may be doen thru programs such as master of bus adminisatrat= (MBA)

bus should view training as investment not expense

Question 21

what is an employment contract

Answer 21

legally binding, formal agreement b/w an employer and an employee
- creates obligations
- provisions of the fair work act 2009 –> may include expectation that employee will adhere to policies and procedures, the position the employee is filling, start date, hours of work, rates of pay, leave and super arrangement

Question 22

what does the common law provide

Answer 22

common law (law developed by courts and tribunals) outline employee and employer obligations

Question 23

list the employer obligations

Answer 23

• to provide work
  -payemnt of icnome
• reasonable care for safety of employees
• meet reqm= of industrial relations legislation

Question 24

list the employee obligations

Answer 24

• obey lawful and reasonable commands
• use care and skill
• act in good faoth and in the interests of employer

Question 25

what are the minimum employment standards

Answer 25

1. hours of work - full-time is 35-38hrs, cant be req’d to work longer without special provision of penalty rates
2. parental leave - entitled to 12months unpaid leave
3. flexible work for parents - parent entitled to request flexible working arrangements after working w/ same employer for 12 months
4. annual leave - full-time get 4 weeks part time get pro rata, casuals dont get
5. perosnla, carer’s and compassionate leave - full time employees receive 10 dyas paid leave/yr
6. community sevrice leave - jury service and emergency sevrice unpaid tho
7. public holidays - not req’d to work but may be entitled to penatly rate
8. info in the workplace - suply all employees w/ ‘fair work info statement’ when commence employment
9. notice of temrination/redundancy - entitled to notic if they get fired
10. long service leave

Question 26

what is an award

Answer 26

a legally binding agreement that sets out the minimum wages and conditions for a group of employees

Question 27

what are the adv and disadv of awards

Answer 27

adv:
- set minimum for pay and conditions
- cover all employees performing similar job

disadv:
- can be inflexible & not suit bus or employee
- prevent recognition of indicidual initiative

Question 28

what are the matter covered by awards

Answer 28

• minimum wages
• types of employment eg full-time
• working hours
• overtime rates
• penalty rates
• annualised wages and salaries
• allowances- details of leave, leave loading, etc
• super arrangements
• procedures for consultation, represntation and dispute settlement

Question 29

what is an enterprise agreement

Answer 29

collective agreements made at a workplace lvl b/w an employer and a union, acting on behalf of its employees, or b/w the employer and a gourp of employees, about terms and conditions of employ

provides opp for employers and employees within particular bus or enterprise to negotiate set of conditions that imporve on the standard in an award

Question 30

what are some conditions an enterprise agreement must include other than the 10 national employment standrads

Answer 30

• nominal expiry date (2-3yrs)
• procedures for settling dispute after implementation
• terms that allow individual flexibiity
• provisions for consultation with employees on major workplace chnage

Question 31

what are the adv and disadv of enterprise agreements

Answer 31

adv:
- consultation and involvement of employees –> empowerment
- possibility of improved pay and conditions
- greater flexibility by agreeing on mutually beneficial terms

disadv:
- more time consuming (need to conduct agreement meetings)
- administratively more onerus

Question 32

what are individual common law contracts

Answer 32

when an employer and an indicidual employee negotiate a contract covering pay and conditions

Question 33

define voluntary separation and outline the three types

Answer 33

when an employee chooses to leave the bus of their own free will eg retirement, resignation and redundancy

retirement: no longer part of labour force

resignation or quitting: due to reasons such as promotion @ nother bus, boredom in present job or change in lifestyle –> need to giev notice

redundancy: when persons job is no longer req’d to be performed usually due to tech changes, merger or acquisition
voluntary vs involuntary is when bus gives notice its going to downsize, employees can volunteer to voluntary redundancy thus offered redundancy package, if they dont volunteer bus will have to choose

Question 34

define involuntary separation

Answer 34

when employee is asked to leave bus against his/her will eg retrenchment and dismissal

retrenchment: permanent elimination of jobs as organisational or technological change has removed need for those particular skills (ie lack of sufficient work to keep fully employed) - cyclical phenomenon

dismissal: behaviour of employee is unacceptable and becomes necessary for business to temrinate employment contract

Question 35

what are the diff kinds of dismissal

Answer 35

summary dismissal - when employee commits serious breach of employment contract eg criminal activity

dismissal on notice - employee not performnig to a satisfactory lvl

unfair dismissals - when employee is dismissed and believe employer is harsh, unjust or unreasonable