HRM 2

Question 1

Workforce planning

Answer 1

is ensuring the right number of people with the neccesary skills are employed in the right place at the right time to help deliver an organisation’s short and long term objectives

Question 2

The human resource planning cycle

Answer 2

1. Stocktaking - the identification of the factors likely to shape the operation of the firm. The number of employed, the profile of the workforce, training provision history, work conditions, performance reviews etc
2. Forecasting - the stage of the human resources planning cycle where the organisation must predict the demand for supply of labout in order to meet the strategic of the firm.
3. Action planning - the stage in the human resource planning cycle where the organisation makes a specific plan regarding how best to use the workforce to help meet the strategic goals of the firm. Recruitment, retraining, redeployment or reduce the number of work hours.
4. Implementation of the action plan can take the form of recruitment and selection, or learning and development. Thus, this links to all stages of the HR practice
5. Assess and adjust plans if required

Question 3

Talent managment

Answer 3

is the systematic and integrated approach taken within an organisation to the attraction, recruitment, engagement and retention of those employees who have been identified to be particular value to the strategic development of the firm.

Question 4

Some key talent identification terms are:

Answer 4

1. Underperformers: are those employees who are currently not achieving high level of performance and have little potential to make key contribution to the strategic development of the firm
2. Key performers: are those employees who are currently achieving a high level of performance but have little potential to make key contribution to the strategic development of the firm
3. Untapped potentials: are those employees who are currently not achieving high level of performance, but with necessary changes have the potential to make a key contribution to the strategic development of the firm
4. HIPOs (high potentials/stars): are those employees who are currently achieving high level of perfomance and have the potential to make a key contribution to the strategic development of the firm

Question 5

Selection

Answer 5

is a process used to find the candidate who most closely matches the specific requirments of vacant position

Question 6

Competencies

Answer 6

are the behavioural characteristics of an individual that are related to their effective performance in a role

Question 7

The recruitment process

Answer 7

1. Job analysis - is the process used to gather detailed information about the various tasks and responsibilities involved in position
2. Job decription - is the detailed breakdown of the purpose of the role and the various tasks responsibilities involved in particular job
3. Person specification - specifies the type of person needed to do particular job. It essentially translate the job description into human terms

Question 8

Formal/informal methods

Answer 8

Formal - are those where the vacancy is officialy advertised
Informal - are those where candidates find out informally about a potential vacancy (random emails with CV is also informal)

Question 9

Internal recruitment

Answer 9

Takes place when a vacancy is advertised to potential candidates from within the existing employee base in the organisation.

Question 10

External recruitment

Answer 10

Mirror of internal. New worker from outside of the organisation

Question 11

E-recruitment

Answer 11

is use of the internet to help attract candidates to apply for vacancies in the organisation.

Question 12

International recruitment

Answer 12

is used where the vacant position requires skills and/or competencies that are not readily available in the national context

Question 13

Job advert

Answer 13

will include the relevant information concerning the position, such as the name of the organisation, job title, duties, skills required etc

Question 14

Shortlisting

Answer 14

1. Shortlisting - is a sifting process where those candidates who most closely match the predetermined job specific requirments are separatedout from all other applicants.

Question 15

Online screening

Answer 15

is a useful way for organisations reduce the number of applicants

Question 16

Selection decision

Answer 16

Person-organisation fit - refers to the extent to which a person and an organisation share similar characteristics and/or meet each other’s needs
Person-job fit - is the degree to which there is a match between the abilities of the person and the demands of the job, or the desires of a person and the attributes of the job.

Question 17

Selection methods

Answer 17

Validity - looks at how closely a selection method measures what is supposed to measure and how successful it is in doing this, and a method is identified as Reliable if it consistently measures what is sets out to measure

Question 18

Different interviews

Answer 18

Selection interview - involve an organisational representative meeting the candidates face to face and remain the most popular method of selection, despite their accepted shortcomings.
Unstructured interviews - are essentially an informal chat between the interviewer and the prospective candidate and have low predictive validity
Structured interview - interview questions only related to job-related criteria, the same questions for all candidates
Competency-based interviews are structured around job-specific competencies that require interviewees to describe specific tasks or situations.
A situational-based interviews takes a simmilar approach, but works on the premise that the interviewer wants to establish what the candidate would do if presented with situation.
Strenght-based interviews aim to uncover what you enjoy working at.

Question 19

Problems with the selection interviews

Answer 19

Confirmatory bias: first 30 sec make the decision
Horns or halo effect: one positive or negative asspect makes the whole impression
Stereotypes: beliefs about someone
Contrast error: compares to other candidates
Projection error: Trying to find someone simmilar to himself

Question 20

Psychometric testing

Answer 20

is the term most often used to encompass all forms of psycological assessment. Types:
1. General intelegence tests
2. Attainment tests: levels of knowledge and skills
3. Cognitive abilities: verbal comprehension, numeric abilities, reasoning abilities

Question 21

Personality profiling

Answer 21

is based on the fact that personality is viewed by many organisations as an important determinant of behaviour at work. The big five theory often used

Question 22

An assesment centre

Answer 22

is not actually a place but describes the process, which normally, which normally lasts for one or two full days. Like case solving to find the most suitable candidate.

Question 23

Work sample tests

Answer 23

are used to test applicants by asking them to complete tasks similar to those involved in the actual job

Question 24

Graphology

Answer 24

is a study and analysis of a person’s handwriting, which is believed to reveal a behavioural profile of the individual

Question 25

Performance appraisal

Answer 25

is an interview between an employee and their manager to:
1. Review the employee’s performance
2. Set future goals (which can be used to manage rewards)
3. Make decisions regarding promoting an development

Question 26

Performance managment

Answer 26

is establishing and measuring employee goals to improve individual and organisational performance

Question 27

Advanced HR practices

Answer 27

also reffered to high-performance work practices (HPWPs) are people managment practices that are strategic or peogressive in nature. These include pay for performance, information sharing, teamwork and performance managment

Question 28

Ability-motivation-opportunity(AMO)

Answer 28

Practices that can be improve parts of the AMO model:
1. Training improves abillity
2. Pay performance managment improves motivation
3. Teamwork and information sharing provides opportunities

Question 29

Performance managment for managers

Answer 29

1. Clarify key organisational goals and priorities
2. Measure subordinates work performance
3. Motivate subourdinates by recognizing achievments

Question 30

Performace managment for employees

Answer 30

1. Learn what is valued in the organisation
2. Communicate their views about their job
3. identify career and training developments needs

Question 31

Goal-setting theory

Answer 31

States that setting goal that are specific and challenging yet attainable mativate employees to increase performance. SMART framework

Question 32

Expectancy theory

Answer 32

suggest that employee motivation to perform is based on combination of three factors
1. Expectancy (E): the probabillity that work effort will be followed by a given level of task performance. Ex. The probabillity that study for exam will be followed by a good grade
2. Instrumentality (I) the probability that a given level of achieved task performance will be followed by various work outcomes. Ex. If my performance reaches the target, will I receive the rewards
3. Valence (V): the value attached by individual to various work outcomes. Ex. Are the rewards valued enough to work hard to achieve

Question 33

Equity theory

Answer 33

refers to the comparison between inputs (effort) and outputs (rewards). Focuses on how equally and fairly employees have to be treated

Question 34

Principles of trust and fairness in PM

Answer 34

Procedural justice: transparent and fair PM that employees have an input in the process
Distributive justice: Are employees recognized for their achievments based on a particulat performance rating
Interaction justice: How employees are treated and communicated with, during the PM process

Question 35

PM schemes

Answer 35

Rating - PM using predetermined scale (+ simple, individual performance) (- can be subjective)
Ranking - worst to best (+easy comparison) (-ethical ground, not measurable)
The critical incident technique - analyses reports on incidents of actual behaviour that constitute job performance. (+ objective) (- costly, timely, good manager)
180 degree feedback mutual feedback
360 degree feedback - feedback form everyone
Competency based assessment is based on the idea that past behaviour is the best predictor for future behaviour.

Question 36

The contrast effect

Answer 36

is when an appraiser makes exaggerations about an employee’s performance based on the previous candidate they assessed. Can be demotivating, may never understand their real potential

Question 37

The central tendency bias

Answer 37

Gives employees only average ratings, because manager is scared of tough decision

Question 38

The skewing bias

Answer 38

To good or to bad performance results

Question 39

Attribution bias

Answer 39

Manager can think that candidate is lazy, but in fact he just have lack of skills in specific field

Question 40

Overcoming PM pitfalls

Answer 40

1. The appraiser is adequately trained
2. The line managers and employees are involved in the design
3. PM is an open system that is visibly owned by senior management
4. Performance managment hase ease of administration
5. There is always follow-up on the appraisal actions

Question 41

Feedforward interviews

Answer 41

During these interviews employees are encouraged to explain the positive experience they have at work and experinces that have excited them, and only after this they told the results of their actions.

Question 42

Five steps to manage underperformance

Answer 42

1. Identify and agree on the problem (SMART)
2. Establish the reasons fot the shortfall
3. Decide and agree on the action required (GROW)
4. Resource the action
5. Monitor and provide feedback