Human Resources I: Personnel Management

Question 1

Taylorism

Answer 1

Scientific management which emphasises work measurement and has purely monetary incentives.

It is based on a view of human behaviour and regards EMPLOYEES simply as a FORM OF INPUT.

Question 2

Personnel consulting

Personalberatung

Answer 2

Such agencies are particularly useful when a company has decided to enter a foreign market and wants to hire local staff. When hiring CEO for the new branch => headhunter.
May provide personal development and training if necessary; some agencies swiched to contingency fee system.

Question 3

Contingency fee system

Answer 3

The clients have to pay the fee in question only if the angency involved actually succeeds in filling the vacant position with a suitable candidate.

Question 4

Recruiting

Personalbeschaffung

Answer 4

Externel (running job ads, hiring a personnel consulting company) & Internal (job promotion)

1. Draw up a shortlist
2. Invite for a job interview
   (3. Assesment center)

Question 5

Promotion

Beförderung

Answer 5

Advancement of an employee to a higher position

Question 6

Redundancy

Abbau von Arbeitskräfte

Answer 6

Dismissal of employee !!! caused by falling demand or rationalisation

Question 7

Contract of employment

Dienstvertrag

Answer 7

Establishes an employer-employee relationship and implies a number of obligations and terms for the parties involved (hours of work, holidays, sickness, wage etc).

Question 8

Employee benefits

betriebliche Neben- oder Sozialleistungen

Answer 8

Payments, either in cash or in kind, mage to an employee in addition to his wage; may be statutory (based on the law: insurance), contractual or voluntary.

Question 9

Labour turnover

Fluktuation

Answer 9

Measures the stability of a firm’s workforce (expresses the number of people leaving the firm as % of it’s average workforce for the same period). The lower the percentage, the better (more stable)

Question 10

Flexitime

flexible Arbeitszeit

Answer 10

An alternative work schedule under which a company’s employees choose their daily arrival and departure times according to their needs.

+ increases job satisfaction and productivity

• communication and co-ordination may become more difficult

Question 11

Worker participation

Arbeitnehmermitbestimmung

Answer 11

Working people should be involved in decisions affecting their working lives, instead of simply carrying out commands.

SHOP FLOOR - workers engaged in production are allowed to organize their work
BOARDROOM - workers, through their representatives, take part in consultations and decision-making of the board of directors.

Question 12

Personnel management

Personalwirtschaft

Answer 12

= Human Resources Management (HR)

Responsible for recruiting, selecting, training, placing, promoting, rewarding, motivating and also dismissing employees.