HR Flashcards
1
Q
What does the HR department deal with?
A
-training job applicants
-administering employee benefit schemes
-personel
-inclusion/diversity
2
Q
What does HR mean?
A
people of a business regarded as a significant asset in terms of skills and abilities
3
Q
What is the HR department?
A
department of a business that deals with the hiring, administration and training of staff
4
Q
What is an aim?
A
a long term goal a business sets
5
Q
What is an objective?
A
a short term step the business wants to achieve to get towards the long term aim
6
Q
What are the seven HR objectives?
A
-labour productivity
-employee engagement and involvement
-talent development
-training
-diversity
-alignment of values
-number, skills and location of employees
7
Q
What are some internal influences on HR objectives?
A
-employee relations
-overall performance of business
-organisational structure
-corporate culture
-financial constraints
8
Q
What are some external influences on HR influences?
A
-legislation
-actions of competitors
-political factors
-economic factors
-structure of the population
-technological factors
-social factors
9
Q
What is the Hard HR strategy?
A
-treats employees as a resource to be monitored and used efficiently in order to achieve strategic objectives
10
Q
What is the Soft HR strategies?
A
-treats employees as valuable assets, major source of competitive advantage which is vital in its importance to achieve strategic objectives
11
Q
What are some key features of the Hard HR approach?
A
-minimal communication
-little empowerment
-autocratic
-tall organisational structure
-theory X
12
Q
What are some key features of a Soft HR approach?
A
-competitive pay
-regular 2 way communication
-democratic
-theory Y
-flat organisational structure
13
Q
What does labour turnover mean?
A
proportion of employees leaving a business over a period of time - usually a year
14
Q
What is the formula for labour turnover?
A
number of employees leaving over a given period/AVERAGE number employed over the given period
x100
15
Q
What does retention rates mean?
A
proportion of employees with a specific length of service (normally one or more years) as a proportion of the total workforce
16
Q
What is the formula for retention rates?
A
number of employees with one or more years service/overall workforce numbers x100
17
Q
What is labour productivity?
A
measure of the output per worker in a given time period
18
Q
What is the formula for labour productivity?
A
output per period / number of employees per period
(measured in output not percentage)
19
Q
What does labour costs per unit mean?
A
Measure of the average labour costs involved in producing one unit of output in a given time period
20
Q
What is the formula for labour costs per unit?
A
total labour costs / total units of output
(measured in costs not percentage)
21
Q
What does employee costs as a percentage of revenue (turnover) mean?
A
measures the percentage of sales revenue to cover labour costs
22
Q
what is the formula for employee costs as a percentage of revenue?
A
employee costs / sales revenue x100
23
Q
What does absenteeism mean?
A
proportion of employees not at work on a given day
24
Q
What is the formula for absenteeism?
A
number of staff absent / number of staff in total x100
25
What are the benefits of high labour turnover?
-range of skills/ideas
-increased motivation in new staff
-pay less for unskilled workers
26
What are the drawbacks of high labour turnover?
-expensive
-lack of loyal staff
-loss of trained staff often to competitors
27
What are the key influences on job design?
-maintaining quality
-operational efficiency
-labour retention
-skills of the workforce
28
What is the hackman and oldham theory?
Task itself is key to employee motivation
-five key characteristics
29
What are the 5 characteristics of hackman and oldham model?
-skill variety
-task identity
-task significance
-autonomy
-job feedback
30
What is an organisational chart?
- diagrams that show the internal structure of a business
- making it easy to identify specific roles/ responsibilities of staff
31
What does 'levels of hierarchy' mean?
- layers of authority in a business
32
What are the two types of hierarchal structures in a business?
- tall structure
- flat structure
33
How many levels of hierarchy are there in a tall structure?
- 6+ levels of hierarchy
34
How many levels of hierarchy are there in a flat structure?
- 4 or less levels of hierarchy
35
What does 'span of control' mean?
- how many people you directly look after
36
What does 'chain of command' mean?
- how many layers are underneath you
37
What does delegation mean?
- passing down of authority to more junior employees
38
What is the type of leadership when having a narrow span of control and a tall chain of command?
- autocratic
39
What is the type of leadership when having a wide span of control and a flat chain of command?
- democratic
40
What are the advantages of having a tall organisational structure?
- more control over employees
- wide range of opinions
- more promotion opportunities
41
What are the disadvantages of having a tall organisational structure?
- higher staff costs
- decision making would take longer
- communicating would be harder
- can be demotivating as employees have less autonomy (autocratic)
42
What are the advantages of having a flat organisational structure?
- decision making would be quicker
- staff costs are lower
- more freedom for employees (less tightly controlled - democratic)
43
What are the disadvantages of having a flat organisational structure?
- few opportunities for promotion
- managers have less control
- productivity may decrease due to more freedom
44
What are the advantages of delegation?
- wide variety of opinions
- easier decision making
- motivates employees as they gain experience and responsibilities
45
What are the disadvantages of delegation?
- less control for managers
- less experienced (quality of work could decrease)
- stressful as lots of work
46
What is a matrix structure?
- combines the traditional departments seen with functional structures with project teams
47
What is are advantages of matrix structures?
- motivating
- easier, more efficient communication
- encourages collaboration and teamwork
48
What is a disadvantage of matrix structures?
- nobody has overriding control/ authority
49
What is centralisation and give an example?
- decision making is made firmly at the top of the hierarchy
- i.e. fast food franchises such as McDonalds
50
What is decentralisation and give an example?
- decision making is delegated down the hierarchy, away from the centre
- e.g. hotel chains such as Premier Inns
51
What are the advantages of centralisation?
- ensures consistency
- only one department (no duplication of roles)
- quicker to make decisions
- easier to implement common practice
52
What are the disadvantages of centralisation?
- less motivation for employees
- decrease in customer service
- less relevance to individual location's needs
53
What are the advantages of decentralisation?
- more empowered/ motivated employees
- better customer service
- tailored to individual location's needs
54
What are the disadvantages of decentralisation?
- duplication of roles in departments
- less consistency
- longer to make decisions
55
What is delayering?
- removal of one+ levels of hierarchy from a businesses organisational structure
56
What are the advantages of delayering?
- more opportunities for delegation
- improve communication
- removes departmental rivalry
- encourages innovation
- cut staff costs
57
What are the disadvantages of delayering?
- may not suit all organisations
- negative impact on motivation
- wider span of control so less communication
- period of disruption
58
What is job analysis?
- process of grouping tasks and responsibilities into job roles based on the needs of a business and the skills of a workforce
59
What is person specification?
- list of skills/ characteristics an employer seeks from an employee
60
What is job description?
- outline of a list of tasks/ responsibilities involved on a day-to-day job
61
What is an application form?
- document made by business to assess candidate suitability
- tailored to the needs of a business
62
What is a CV?
- document created by an employee outlining qualifications and experiences
63
What are interviews?
- candidate is selected after a one-to-one conversation
64
What are psychometric tests?
- a questionnaire designed to assess personality traits
65
What are assessment centres?
- candidate is assessed in a group scenario
66
What is recruitment?
- process of deciding who will fulfil a specific job role, which is essential to ensure that a business employees people with the right skills/ experiences
67
Why do businesses need to recruit employees?
- diversification
- delegation
- to replace other employees
- seasonal events
- expansion
- to cope with a sudden increase in demand
- to fulfil strategic objectives
- customer service
- for new technology
68
What are the two types of recruitment?
- internal
- external
69
What are the pros of internal recruitment?
- candidates already have experience in the business and will be familiar with it
- opportunities for promotion (motivates current employees)
- cheaper
70
What are the cons of internal recruitment?
- only choose from a limited number of people
- no fresh ideas
71
What are the pros of external recruitment?
- new set of skills coming into the business
- mangers have a much wider choice of candidates
- fresh ideas coming into the business
72
What are the cons of external recruitment?
- expensive (marketing)
- candidate won't know how the business operates
- more training costs
73
How many hours do employees have to work a week to be considered full time?
37.5 + hours
74
How many hours do employees have to work a week to be considered part time?
less than 37.5 hours
75
What are contracts of employment?
- legal documents stating hours of work, rates of pay, duties and other conditions under which a person is employed.
76
What are the benefits to the employer having full time employees?
- increased output
- more reliable
- easier to manage rota
- better quality service
77
What are the benefits to the employee working full time?
- clear expectations
- more likely to be promoted
- higher wage/ salary
78
What are the benefits to the employer having part time employees?
- don't pay for employee if don't need them all the time
- flexible
- wider variety of skills/ ideas
79
What are the benefits to the employee working part time?
- flexible working hours
- work-life balance
- may be paid premium if working on holidays/ overtime
80
What is selection?
- choosing right employees from among those who have applied for a job
81
What are the benefits of having an effective selection process?
- choose right candidate
- good retention rates
- higher productivity
- values align with business
- saves costs/ time
- better customer service
- better quality products
82
What is redeployment?
- use of employees in any aspect to achieve a specific effect
- short term
83
What is redundancy?
- business dismisses an employee because it no longer needs anyone to do the job
- position is no longer needed, not person
84
Why do businesses avoid redundancy?
- have to pay employees year salary
- time consuming
- affect reputation/ bad media
- lose skilled workers
- lower morale of existing staff
85
What are the three types of training?
- induction
- on-the-job
- off-the-job
86
What is training?
- process of instructing an individual about how to carry out tasks directly related to his/ her current job
87
What is induction training?
- first day training
88
What is on-the-job training?
- instructing employees at their workplace
- placed with another employee for one day a week
89
What off-the-job training?
- training at a training centre or going on a course
90
What is the importance of training?
- improves productivity
- motivates employees
- improves retention rates
- improves quality of output
91
What is motivation?
- desire to complete a task and to do a good job
92
What is financial motivation?
- motivating employees with money and things associated with money
93
What are the main methods of financial motivation?
- remuneration
- bonuses
- commission
- promotion
- fringe benefits
94
What is remuneration?
- payment by wages or salaries
95
What are bonuses?
- paid at set intervals depending on the performance of a business
96
What is commission?
- getting paid per product you sell
- extra % on top of reuneration
97
What is promotion?
- moving up the hierarchy of a job
98
What are fringe benefits?
- extra incentives such as a company car or private healthcare
99
What are the key concepts of Taylorism (Taylor's Theory of Motivation)?
- main motivator is pay
- workers given one task to master
- time and motion study (find quickest way of completing a task by breaking it down)
- piece rate pay
100
What systems have McDonalds put in place to increase efficiency (Taylorism)?
- speedee system
- standardisation
- "one best way"
101
What are the advantages of Taylorism and McDonalds speedee system?
- increases productivity
- fewer employees needed
- consistency
- don't pay premium for skilled workers
102
What are the disadvantages of Taylorism and McDonalds speedee system?
- unfulfilled employees
- creates unemployment and strike action
- loss of individual initiatives
- dehumanised workers
- high absenteeism
- hostile working environment
103
What is Maslow's method of motivation?
- hierarchy of needs
104
What is the hierarchy of needs (Maslow)?
Top: Self-actualisation
-------- Esteem
-------- Love and belonging
-------- Safety needs
Bottom: Physiological needs
105
What are the two basic needs of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
- physiological
- safety
106
What is included in physiological needs (Maslow)?
- basic needs for survival
- food, water, shelter
107
What is included in safety needs (Maslow)?
- health and wealth
- security
108
What is included in love and belonging needs, AKA social needs, (Maslow)?
- natural desire to feel accepted/ loved
- wanted
109
What is included in esteem needs, AKA ego needs, (Maslow)?
- appreciated/ valued
- self worth and pride
110
What is included in self-actualisation needs (Maslow)?
- full potential
- rare to stay in this level due to growth and discovery
111
What are the key concepts of Herzburg's method of motivation?
- two factor theory that affects job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction
- motivators = increase motivation/ satisfaction
- hygiene = reduce job satisfaction but cannot motivate on their own
112
What are some example of hygiene factors (Herzburg)?
- fair pay
- relationships
- policies
113
What are some examples of Motivational factors (Herzburg)?
- growth
- career advancement
- meaningful work
- recognition
114
What are the key concepts of Mayo's method of motivation?
- paternalistic leadership type
- managers take an interest in workers, treating them as people with worthwhile opinions
- workers are best motivated by:
a) better communication between workers and managers
b) greater manager involvement in employees working lives
c) working in groups or teams
115
What are the key concepts of McGregor's theory of motivation?
- 2 types of managers: Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X = autocratic/ more like Taylorism
Theory Y = empowering employees/ democratic
116
What are Theory X managers (McGregor)?
- employees only desire money
- drive themselves to perform
- employees avoid responsibilities
- close supervision
117
What are Theory Y managers (McGregor)?
- employees motivated by self-fulfilment
- employees seek responsibilities
- employees must be pushed to perform
- independence
- employees naturally want to work
118
What are trade unions?
- organisation with members who are usually workers or employees
- looks after their interests at work by improving employer-employee relations
119
How do trade unions look after employees interests at work?
- negotiate agreements with employers on pay and conditions
- discuss large changes e.g. large scale redundancy
- discuss member's concerns with employers
- going with members to disciplinary and grievance mettings
120
What are two methods of improving employer-employee relations?
- trade unions
- work councils
121
What is a works council?
- forum within a business where workers and management meet to discuss pay, working conditions and training
- employee representatives to works council are elected by the workforce
- common when no trade unions exist and are more common in Europe
122
What are industrial disputes?
- occurs when there is a serious disagreement between trade union representatives.
123
What are types of industrial actions?
- strikes
- halting production
- overtime ban
- 'go slow' methods
- 'work to rule'
- sit-ins
124
What is 'work to rule' (industrial action)?
- employees do exactly what job entails and nothing more
- bare minimum and no favours
125
What is 'go slow' (industrial action)?
- workers take time doing tasks and duties
- slows down production
- affecting firm's ability to meet customer orders
126
What is the overtime ban (industrial action)?
- workers decide not to work over regular hours
- loss in production for firm
- lose customer contracts as orders cannot be met in time
127
What are 'sit-ins' (industrial action)?
- workers occupy workplace and refuse to carry out their work
- usually occurs when a firm is in danger of closing
128
What are strikes (industrial action)?
- extreme case
- employees withdraw labour altogether
- e.g. unsuccessful coal miners strike of 1984
