Chapters 23-29 Human Resources

Question 1

Flexible hours

Answer 1

When a worker can choose when they work. They often must work core hours between 10am and 3pm but their remaining hours can be flexible to suit the employee, as long as they reach their total expected hours per week.

Question 2

Home working or remote working

Answer 2

When an employee does not have to go to a work location, in order to complete their day’s work.

Question 3

Part-time employment

Answer 3

A part-time worker is someone who works fewer hours than a full-time worker. 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 4

Temporary employment

Answer 4

Employment for a specific period of time.

Question 5

Job-sharing

Answer 5

When two people share the same job, often on a fifty-fifty split.

Question 6

Multi-skilling

Answer 6

This involves businesses training their workforce to be able to work effectively across a wide range of tasks, giving greater flexibility for the business.

Question 7

Zero-hours contract

Answer 7

An employee has to be available for work but is not guaranteed any work. In a busy week an employee may work nearly full-time hours, however if the business is not busy they may be sent home.

Question 8

Hot-desking

Answer 8

Employees have no fixed work space within an office environment. Often as a result of remote working employees are only occasionally in the office so they do not have their own desk or office, but share common areas where each employee simply grabs a spot when they arrive.

Question 9

Workforce planning

Answer 9

Trying to predict the future demand for different types of staff and seeking to match this with supply. Ensuring that there will be the right number of workers, with the rights skills, doing the rights jobs, at the right time

Question 10

Recruitment

Answer 10

Recruitment is the overall process of identifying, sourcing, screening, shortlisting, and interviewing candidates for jobs within an organisation.

Question 11

Job analysis

Answer 11

The process which identifies and determines the duties and requirements of a job, and what the position requires in terms of aptitudes, knowledge and skills.

Question 12

Job description

Answer 12

This explains the tasks involved in the job, the job title, responsibilities attached to the job, place of work, and employment conditions (holidays, salary etc.)

Question 13

Person specification

Answer 13

This describes the skills, knowledge, educational requirements and experience needed by an individual to complete the job.

Question 14

Shortlisting

Answer 14

Shortlisting is the process of identifying the candidates from your applicant pool who best meet the required and desired criteria for the job and who you want to move forward onto the next step of your recruitment process, which is usually some form of interview.

Question 15

Psychometric testing

Answer 15

A test that assesses a candidate’s personality in a measured and structured way, so that employers can identify candidates with suitable personality traits for the job.

Question 16

Aptitude tests

Answer 16

A test that assesses a candidate’s ability to complete the core tasks of the job.

Question 17

Induction

Answer 17

A part of the initial training process that introduces a new employee to the workplace, familiarises them with the administration systems, their line manager and their work colleagues so that they feel more comfortable in their new job.

Question 18

On-the-job training

Answer 18

Training that takes place in the workplace.

Question 19

Mentoring

Answer 19

A form of training where an experienced employee in the workplace who gives advice and help to a junior employee

Question 20

Job rotation

Answer 20

Job rotation involves the movement of employees through a range of jobs in order to increase interest and motivation. Job rotation can improve “multi-skilling” but also involves the need for greater training.

Question 21

Off-the-job training

Answer 21

Training that does not take place in the workplace

Question 22

Re-training

Answer 22

Training is an ongoing process so employees

Question 23

Appraisal

Answer 23

A meeting between an employee and their manager in which an employee’s performance is analysed, normally against performance targets.

Question 24

Self and peer assessment

Answer 24

Self-assessment is the process where an employee critically reflects on their own progress.
Peer-assessment is the process where an employee of a similar level of responsibility critically comments on the performance of a co-worker.

Question 25

360-degree appraisal

Answer 25

Involves the appraised staff member receiving feedback from people such as fellow workers, line managers, junior staff, customers and suppliers.

Question 26

Absenteeism definition

Answer 26

When an employee is absent from work.

Question 27

Absenteeism rate equation

Answer 27

Total Number of Staff absence per year / number of working days that should have been worked x 100

Question 28

Labour Turnover Definiton

Answer 28

The rate at which employees are leaving the organisation

Question 29

Labour Turnover Equation

Answer 29

Number of Staff leaving divided by average number of staff employed times 100

Question 30

Labour productivity definition

Answer 30

The average output per worker.

Question 31

Labour productivity equation

Answer 31

Total output per period of time divided by Average number of employess per period of time

Question 32

Layers of hierarchy

Answer 32

The management structure of an organisation that indicates who is responsible to whom.

Question 33

Chain of command

Answer 33

The paths along which communication takes place and instructions or orders are passed down.

Question 34

Delegation

Answer 34

Process of distributing and entrusting work and responsibility to another person.

Question 35

Span of control

Answer 35

The number of workers who are directly responsible to a manager or supervisor.

Question 36

Flat structure

Answer 36

An organisational structure with fewer layers in the hierarchy, shorter chains of command and wider spans of control.

Question 37

Tall hierarchical structure

Answer 37

A traditional organisational structure with many layers

Question 38

Matrix structure

Answer 38

A matrix organization is a work structure where team members report to multiple leaders. In a matrix organisation, team members report to a project manager as well as their department head.

Question 39

Delayering

Answer 39

The removal of whole layers of hierarchy and management, normally achieved through redundancy programmes.