HUMAN RESOURCES (HR) POLICIES AND PLANNING

Question 1

Role of HR Policies

Answer 1

Serve as reference points when Human Resource Management practices are being developed
and when decisions are being made about people.
* Help to shape the corporate culture and define ‘the way things are done around here’.
* Provide generalised guidance on the approach adopted by the organisation and therefore its
employees concerning various aspects of employment.
* Help to ensure that when dealing with matters concerning people an approach in line with
corporate values is adopted throughout the organisation.
* Formalised HR policies can be used in induction, team leader and management training to help
participants understand the philosophies and values of the organisation and how they are
expected to behave within that context.

Question 2

Values

Answer 2

going beyond merely supporting the often minimal requirements of legislation.
* taking into account personal circumstances, such as the need to recognise work life balance (see
below).
* promoting learning and development for everyone.
* an emphasis on performance management so that staff know what is expected of them and are
given feedback in an appropriate way.

Question 3

Demonstrating a Commitment to Work-Life Balance

Answer 3

recognising that putting in place practices which promote work-life balance will benefit the
organisation.
* recognising that individuals will often work best when they are able to balance work with other
aspects of their lives.
* identifying the joint responsibilities of employer and employee so that workable solutions can be
developed.
* developing appropriate policies which meet both the needs of the organisation and the
individual

Question 4

Equal opportunities -

Answer 4

emphasises the structures, systems and measures of groups within society and
within organisations. Equal opportunities are about addressing representation and balance and are
about creating a fairer society where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their
potential. In many countries the concept is backed by legislation designed to address unfair
discrimination based on membership of a particular group

Question 5

Diversity

Answer 5

is about recognising and valuing difference in the broadest sense. It is about creating a
working culture and practices that recognise, respect, value and harness difference for the benefit of
the organisation and individuals.

Question 6

Equality and diversity

Answer 6

are related to the actions and responsibilities of everyone - users of services,
work colleagues, employees, people in other organisations and the public in general. It is the
responsibility of every person to act in ways that support equality and diversity

Question 7

Characteristics of organisations committed to Equality and Diversity

Answer 7

Stress the importance of all staff and service users being treated with respect and dignity.
* Carry out Equality Impact Assessments to ensure that policies and procedures do not
discriminate in any way.
* Strive to be seen as providing a service for all sections of the community and understanding the
needs of different communities.
* Have processes in place to engage with different communities.
* Recognise which groups are particularly vulnerable to deaths caused by fires and promote fire
prevention and safety.
* Provide targeted information to meet the needs of different communities.

Question 8

The value of a grievance procedure lies in the fact that it:

Answer 8

recognises that employees may have legitimate grievances which need to be responded to
promptly and sympathetically.
* provides a route for informal resolution in the first instance with more formal proceedings if
necessary.
* can be a way of clearing up tensions and conflicts.
* allows an employee to raise issues of concern with the management of an organisation.
* allows employees to explain what they would like to see happen to resolve the situation.
* provides a route for the solving of problems about which staff feel strongly.
* allows issues to be aired rather than fester and cause conflict.
* recognises that problems are a fact of organisational life

Question 9

Stages - Informal stage.

Answer 9

listen to the facts being presented.
o obtain the employee’s side of the story.
o ask questions to obtain clarification as staff my feel upset or emotional and may not always
present things in a clear way.
o summarise the problem so that it is clear.
o check the situation with anyone else involved

Question 10

Formal stage.

Answer 10

The grievance is submitted in writing and there is a timescale for a written reply.

Question 11

Appeal stage.

Answer 11

The grievance is considered by the next level of management, a hearing has to be
held within a specific period of time and a decision has to be provided within a specific period of
time

Question 12

Statements of Particulars tend to contain the following information:

Answer 12

Name of employer and employee.
* Starting date of employment.
* Commencement of continuous service.
* Title of the job the employee is expected to do.
* Rate of pay or how it will be calculated.
* How often the employee will be paid eg weekly or monthly

Question 13

Job Analysis

Answer 13

Job title.
* Who the employee’s line manager is.
* What the employee is responsible for.
* The role and duties of the employee within the organisation

Question 14

Job Analysis is used to:

Answer 14

assist with the development of job descriptions and employee specifications based on the job
description.
* identify training requirements where specific ‘in house’ training will be required (normally a person
with the right skills will be recruited so that they are already ‘pre-trained’).
* identify the type of equipment and materials which are needed, particularly where it is a new post.
* identify health and safety issues.
* help in setting rates of pay

Question 15

A Job Description sets out:

Answer 15

Job title.
* Location of the post.
* Rate of pay.
* Working hours and details of any shift systems.
* What the employee is responsible for in terms of staff, budgets, targets and equipment.
* Role and duties of the employee within the organisation.
* Any special working conditions, such as the need for any special clearances, such as checks on
criminal records.

Question 16

Employee/Person Specification

Answer 16

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Competences. These might indicate the need for candidates to
undertake tests as part of the selection process.
* Type of behaviour required which links to the core values of the organisation eg good team player,
commitment to equality and diversity.
* Qualifications and training.
* Experience, which is relevant to the post.
* Special requirements such as unsocial hours.

Question 17

Advantages of internal recruitment:

Answer 17

The person already knows the organisation, its culture and how the organisation operates and
should therefore need less training and induction.
* Expensive advertising is not required.
* The employee already knows the people they will be working with.
* There is less disruption caused.
* Internal promotion can encourage motivation and shows staff that they can progress; many
organisations have a policy of building leaders from within.

Question 18

Disadvantages of internal recruitment:

Answer 18

The person appointed may need to be replaced.
Issued: 08/2018 Page 137 of 151 Doc name: Leadership and Management
* An internal candidate may be unable to view the organisation critically and so may not bring new
ideas to the role.
* Promotion may cause conflict if staff feel the wrong person has been appointed.

Question 19

Advantages of external recruitment:

Answer 19

It is possible to draw upon a wider pool of talent.
* It provides the opportunity to bring new ideas and experience into an organisation

Question 20

Disadvantages of external recruitment:

Answer 20

It can be more costly.
* The person appointed may not prove to be ‘up to the job’ and their lack of actual skills could cause
disruption within the team and organisation if they fail to meet individual, team and organisational
objectives

Question 21

The interview process needs to provide the answer to three questions:

Answer 21

Does the candidate have the right skills, knowledge, behaviours (competence) and experience
necessary to do the job?
2. Is the candidate motivated to do the job?
3. Will the candidate ‘fit’ into the organisation

Question 22

A selection interview normally has five parts to it:

Answer 22

1. Welcome and introduction.
2. Obtaining information about the candidate through a pre-planned list of questions which allow
   the analysis of skills, knowledge, behaviours and experience already gained. This enables
   interviewers to look for areas of strengths and weaknesses.
3. Ensuring that discriminatory questions are not asked.
4. Providing information to the candidate.
5. Answering questions put by the candidate.

Question 23

Effective interviews have the following characteristics:

Answer 23

Held in an appropriate room and are free from interruptions.
* Well-planned and controlled by the chair of the panel with other members being clear about the
selection criteria that are to be used to assess candidates, the information which needs to be
obtained and the areas from the employee specification they are responsible for.
* Timetabled so that each candidate has an equal amount of time and not too many candidates
are seen on the same day and time is left between interviews to enable panel members to write
up notes.

Question 24

Interview questions

Answer 24

Closed questions: these types of questions are used to obtain purely factual information about dates
and post(s) held, or where a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer is all that is required eg:
* Can you drive?
* Did you work for Company A for ten years?
* Were you a supervisor for 12 years?

Question 25

Closed questions:

Answer 25

: these types of questions are used to obtain purely factual information about dates
and post(s) held, or where a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer is all that is required eg:
* Can you drive?
* Did you work for Company A for ten years?
* Were you a supervisor for 12 years?

Question 26

Open questions:

Answer 26

these types of questions are often used to obtain information from candidates about
the skills, knowledge and behaviours (competence) already achieved and how these have been
applied in an existing job role and/or could be transferred to a new job. Examples of open questions
include:
* How would you encourage your staff to meet team targets?
* How would you encourage your staff to put forward ideas?
Issued: 08/2018 Page 141 of 151 Doc name: Leadership and Management
* How do you currently monitor progress?
* What key skills do you use in your work?
* Describe a typical problem which you have had to resolve

Question 27

Advantages of interviews as a method of selection

Answer 27

meet the candidates face to face and assess how well they will ‘fit’ into the organisation.
* ask probing questions about the candidate’s experience.
* consider how the candidate’s knowledge, skills, experience and competences meet the needs of
the job.
* describe the job and the organisation to the candidate.
* give candidates the opportunity to ask questions about the organisation, terms of employment
and training opportunities and assess the organisation, interviewer and the job.

Question 28

Disadvantages of interviews as a method of selection

Answer 28

the performance of a candidate in an interview situation does not always give a reliable
prediction of how they will perform in the actual job. Some people have good communication
skills and are good at expressing themselves during interviews.
* the measurement of the same things across all candidates does not always produce reliable
results.
* the choice of a candidate can be very much influenced by the views of the panel. One or more
of the panel members may have a particular bias or make subjective rather than objective
judgements.

Question 29

Human Resource Planning

Answer 29

Human Resource Planning is concerned with having the right people with the right skills in the right
place in order to implement organisational strategies and achieve organisational objectives.

Question 30

• a gap analysis covering:

Answer 30

the skills which the current workforce has.
o the kind and amount of staff and the skills needed to meet the future plans of the organisation.
This may require more or less skills or more or less of certain types of employee.
o the gap between current skill levels and those which are required in the future.
o the time span over which people are required

Question 31

identifying ways of meeting the needs of the organisation including:

Answer 31

What is the overall employment situation in the area?
 Does the organisation have the right culture, good managers and leaders?
 Does the organisation have family-friendly policies?
 Are jobs well designed?
 Are pay rates competitive? Can physical working conditions be improved?
 Is the accident rate too high