human resources

Question 1

why do employees miss work or quit their jobs?

Answer 1

• illness/maternity/paternity/family reasons
• mismatch between the job and person
• too little coaching/guidance
• feel devalued and unrecognised
• stress + work/life imbalance

Question 2

labour productivity
- what is productivity
- what are the benefits of increased productivity
- how can it be improved

Answer 2

• productivity is output per worker and it measures the efficiency of the workforce
• increase productivity = reduce the average cost per unit to produce = improves competitiveness
• improved = kaizen, total quality management, lean production

Question 3

labour turnover
- what cause high labour turnover

Answer 3

• Turnover should be measured against historical figures in the business
• High labour turnover may be due to poor recruitment, weak induction, lack of challenge in the job and low pay rates
• labour turnover is rising = management should see this as a red flag and investigate it
• New staff bring new ideas/skills BUT cost of recruitment/training high

Question 4

labour retention
- high retention

Answer 4

• High – indication of high motivation / satisfaction with staff
• You need regional / industry averages for context
• Helps build strong teams, improve productivity and customer service

Question 5

absenteeism

Answer 5

• high levels = low productivity/efficiency
• low staff morale or job satisfaction
• cause = poor management, stress
• solved = job enlargement, rotation, incentive schemes, flexible working