management of people Flashcards
what are the objectives of the human resource department
recruit and retain quality staff
train, develop and appraise staff to ensure they are equipped with skills required to produce best quality output
manage positive employee relations
ensure safe working conditions
ensure all staff are treated with respect
why is the recruitment process used by an organisation
to make potential candidates aware of job vacancy
why is the selection process used by an organisation
to pick the best candidate for the job
what is the recruitment process
v - identify job vacancy a - analyse job d - description of job s - person specification a - advertise job
what is identifying the job vacancy
this is where the business identifies where abouts there is a job in the organisation. this can be due to maternity leave, seasonal demands, retirement
what is analyse job
this is where the business identifies the responsibilities, tasks and requirements of the job. these can all be highlighted in the job description
what is job description
this is a document made up by business which states what they are looking for in a potential candidate. however, they cannot put any characteristics implying they are looking for a specific gender or race, as it would be against HR policies. could also include job hours and holiday entitlements
what is a person specification
description of ideal candidate for job. company selects candidate from a list. they compare the person specification document to each person’s CV
what is job advertisement
this is where the business then advertises to public. this can be done internally or externally
what is internal advertisement
this is where the business advertises the job vacancy to people already in business. can be due to expansion, reconstruction, changing needs of market, retiring, maternity.
how can you advertise internally
via staff bulletin or via email
what are the advantages of advertising internally
effecient method of recruitment
quick and cheap compared to external
enhances morale
already be aware of candidates’ employement history therefore saves time and money
what are the disadvantages of advertising internally
small pool of potential candidates
rivalry and jealousy would begin between employees
eventually have to employ external candidate
how can you advertise externally
newspapers, flyers, recruitment website, own website. could also contact schools/unis to seek young people who would like a job in that area
what are the advantages of externally advertising
opens up to wider pool
avoids jealousy
what are the disadvantages of externally advertising
time consuming
expensive
don’t know candidate well
what is the selection process
compare person specification to person’s CV
decide on who is best candidate for position find out more about candidate eg testing assessment centres interviewing candidates
what are the different types of testing
attainment tests, psychometric tests, medical tests, IQ tests, aptitude tests
what are attainment tests
uses to assess skills someone has learned could be a course of study eg higher
what are aptitude tests
assess natural abilities that a candidate possesses. evaluate how people perform on tasks and threats to different situations
what are IQ tests
used to assess candidate’s mental ability
what are psychometric tests
assess candidate’s personality and traits. provides insight into how well candidates work with people
what are medical tests
used to assess someone’s physical attributes to see if they are fit enough for job
what are the different types of interview
one to one
panel
successive
what is a one to one interview
interviewer conducts all interviews and selects best person. can be quick method but limited in its effectiveness as poor interviewer may clash personality wise with candidate
what is a panel interview
people will interview candidate with each member of panel taking a turn to ask candidate about different aspects of job. difficult to find a time that everyone suits
what is a successive interview
several interviews with different interviewers. at end of process interviewers compare notes. may take a lot of time.
what are assessment centres
this is where organisations ask candidates to attend day/week long set of activities, tests and interviews
designed to analyse someone’s tactical skills, leadership qualities and personality over a longer period of time
what is a disadvantage of assessment centres
can be expensive
what is an advantage of assessment centres
allows interviewer to know more about candidate
what is essential for an organisation to have
well trained staff in order for it to be successful
what is training
continuous process and not just one off when an employee joins an organisation
why do staff have to be regularly trained
due to advancements in tech, so they know how to handle tech and machinery
what are the benefits of training
employees become more compelent at jobs
staff develop greater flexibility which allow changes to be introduced more easily
results in less waste
reduces number of accidents
staff motivation should increase
better industrial relations
what are the costs of training
training costs can be high
valuable work time is lost
once staff fully trained they may leave for better paid job
what are the types of training
induction
on going job training (on the job, off the job)
staff development
what are the methods of training
demonstration
coaching
job rotation
distance learning
training schemes
what is induction training
this is when a new member of staff is introduced. this is used to cover the background of the organisation, inform them of the various departments, meet their new colleagues and give them an overview of tasks expected of them. to make employee feel more welcome into business
what is on going job training
this is used to update the skills of people eg if a new piece if technology is introduced into firm, then employees would have to be trained to use piece of equipment properly
what is on the job training
this is when training is conducted whilst the employee is experiencing working in their new work force. this can be useful as it provides them of what is expected. however it is very wasteful if employee making mistakes. quicker and cheaper than off the job
what is off the job training
this is where the employees are trained somewhere other than their place of work. sometimes firm pays for a trainer to come in to help. costly, but little distractions
what is staff development
this is used for staff to achieve personal targets and goals over a period of time. usually comes as a result of an appraisal system
what is demonstartion
this is when the task is being shown to employee, the they do it for themselves and are assessed at the end. can be done internally or externally
what is coaching
employee is taken through step by step. during this process the employee is shown how to do the tasks expected of them. they are then asked to do it for real and are signed off at the end.
what is job rotation
trainee is moved around different departments and given a broader knowledge of organisation
what is distance learning
trainee given pack of materials from an education provider and completes their work at their own pace.
what are motivation strategies
once org recruited and selected and trained staff it is vitally important that they motivate them in order to keep them sure of business objectives
how are motivation strategies costly
financial cost of recruiting, selecting and training
time wasted
increased waste of resources as staff constantly changing, training and not building up skills
lack of contunity with staff members
lack of continuity with customers
poor quality output
what are the financial methods of motivating staff
flat rate - employee paid annual salary
time rate - employees paid per hour they work
piece rate - rewarded for every item they produced
overtime - used to incentivise employees to work extra hours and above normal hours
bonus rate - used to incentivise employees to meet objectives
commission - paid % of profits
what are the non financial methods
promoting internal staff, empowering employees, provide training and opportunities for CPD, improved benefits and condition of service, consultation and negiotiation
what is promoting internal staff
staff promoted from within org then it will motivate them to work harder
what is empowering employees
giving employees authority to make decisions in certain areas of business without having to consult managers
what is provide training and opportunities for CPD
better understanding of job/role in org should see employees become more productive
what is improved benefits and condition of service
health benefits, company car, discounts of local business allow employees to feel better looked after in turn work harder
what is consultation and negotiation
easier for employees to accept this and ensure change is successful if they have been consulted in these changes if employees have any issues with changes then negotiation should take place
what is empowerment
giving staff responsibility for own work and decision making by delegation, transfer of responsibilty
what can empowerment lead to
employees becoming more motivated and productive
enhanced promotion prospects
staff developing wider skill set
improved competitiveness
improved communication
staff becoming more flexible
org becoming more streamlined
what are the types of flexible working
flexitime, job sharing, working from home, part time, compressed hours, staggered hours and phased retirement
what is flextitime
this is when the employee gets to choose when to start and end (within agreed hours) but works core hours
what is job sharing
2 people do 1 job and split hours
what is working from home
might be possible to do some/all work from home or elsewhere from place of work
what is part time
working less than full time
what is compressed hours
working full time hours but over fewer days
what is staggered hours
employee has different start, finish and break times from other workers
what is phased retirement
default retirement age has been phased out and older workers can choose when they want to retire. this means they can reduce their hours and work part time
what are the pros from working from home
feels empowered as set own hours
firm saves money in renting office space
cheaper
more productive as time is not wasted travelling
what are the cons from working from home
costs employee to set up office in home
worker may get distracted by domestic matters
worker misses out in informal dealings with colleagues and so is ill-informed as matters such as company goals
difficult to create team when colleagues arent in office
what are the benefits of part time
allows firm to e flexible eg employed at peak times
may help firm cut costs as employee’s workload has decreased
workers find it good way to get back into jobs after career break
what are the costs of part time
lack of contuinity in dealing with customers
not always preapred to give little extra that a permanent member of staff may
what are the pros of job share
workers can get part time and so work around family commitments
firm retain highly qualified staff
firms offer greater range of services
what are the cons of job share
inconsistency in work produced as pupils may prefer some teachers more than others
staff have to communicate well in order to have a seamless handover with eachother
what are the types of employment contracts
full time, part time, permanent, temporary, flexitime
what is a full time contract
working full week no more than 48 hours at max
what is a part time contract
working fewer hours than those of full time. often around 30 hours
what is a permanent contract
job as long as firm requires it
what is a temporary employment contract
person employed for short fixed period of time to cover a maternity leave
what is a flexitime contract
worker must attend work between set number of hours. can choose what times in agreement with manager
what are the benefits of a temporary contract
assist at busy times eg christmas time
laid off when work is quiet
hired to cover short term event
hired to carry ‘one off’ project
temporary member of staff can bring new ideas to firm that will help keep the company up to date
what are the costs of a temporary contract
lack of contunity with customers
may not be as reliable as they don’t view work as long term venture
may be viewed as peripheral by company and so not included in business as much as a permanent member of staff
what has the UK seen as changes in employment and working practices
growth in tertiary and quarteneary employment and reduction in primary and secondary sectors
ever changing technology enabled more businesses to allow workers to work from home
increase in business costs has also forced businesses to embrace technology and number of employees who work from home
increase in part time/temporary contracts
increase in number of people who are self employed
change in patterns of working hours
people choosing to work abroad
career breaks
influx of workers from EU
increase in tertiary sector
career changes are more common
decline in manufacturing industries
what are the differences between a manager and a leader
manager is someone who can get things done whereas a leader is someone who influences thoughts and behaviours of others
what are the different types of theories
trait theory
style theory
contingency theory
what is trait theory
asserts ability to lead a group of people is something you are born with not learnt
what should leaders have
initiative
deciveness
self assurance
assertiveness
intelligence desire for work achievement
desire for financial reward
what can affect someone’s ability to lead
someone’s physical appearance, dress code and stature
what is style theory
highlights what successful leaders do rather than what they are
what are autocratic leaders
they define tasks that have to be carried out, they then state who is to carry task out and ensure tasks are closely supervised. however comment/discussion is not encouraged from employees
what are democratic leaders
they set objectives but leave employees to achieve these in a way that suits them. this one involves much communication between leader and group with employees
what is a laissez-faire leadership
this is an extreme form. employees left completely alone to carry out tasks. leaders provide guidance and advice when required. little direction to group so therefore limited achievement of organisational goals
what is the contingency theory
this seeks to take more variables into equation
what is underlying assumption
style of leadership works in set of circumstances not necessarily worker in another
what is a best leader
someone who is able to adapt different styles in different situations
what are the two theories Douglas McGregor showed
Theory x and Theory Y
what is Theory x
this assumes employees are naturally unmotivated and dislike working. it encourages authoriatrian style of management - actively intervenes to get things done.
what does Theory X assume
employees dislike working they avoid responsibility need to be directed have to be controlled have to be forced have to be threatened have to be supervised all times have to be enticed to produce
what are X type organisations like
top heavy
mangers required at every step
little delegation of authority
control is centralized
what is Theory Y
this suggests style of management is decentralised. it assumes that employees are happy to work, slef motivated and creative
what does Theory Y assume
workers take responsibility are motivated to fulfill goals seek and accept responsibility don't need much direction consider work as natural part of life solve work problems imaginatively
what are Y type organisations like
workers at lower levels of org are involved in decision making and have more responsibility
what are employee relations
formal relationships between employees and employers
what are trade unions
these represent employees regard to pay negotiations, redundancy. undertake collective bargaining on behalf of employees
what are employers
duty to undertake process of negotiation and consultation with employees
what is employer’s association
ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) COSLA (Convetion of Scottish Local Authorities) - employer org might represent during negotiations
what is ACAS
(Advisory Concillation and Arbritiaction Service) funded by gov, independent, assists in disputes between employees and employers where agreement can’t be reached
what are promoting positive employee relations
negotiation, consultation, arbiration, worker directors, worker’s council, quality councils
what is negotiation
employers and employees jointly discuss matters that are of concern in attempt to reach amicable agreement
what is consultation
when introducing new tech, employer will consult employees in effort to find out their views - agreement of how to proceed
what is arbiration
dispute cannot be resolved amicably, an independent arbiter such as ACAS will be asked to become involved to provide impartial solution
what is worker directors
workers elected by co - workers to sit on board of directors to contribute to discussions although they have no voting priveleges but express employee views direct ti directors
what is a worker’s council
group set up by organisation and made up of equal number of employees and managers to discuss any changes
what is quality circles
group of employees and managers get together to discuss/propse changes that can be made to product process
what is redundancy
employee paid off as their job is no longer required. in the short run its expensive. it is different from being dismissed or fired. usually due to drop in demand/downsizing of org.
strict procedures have to be followed by law when staff are made redundant, normally accompanied by redundancy payments
what does redundancy result in
poor morale due to stress and worry about jobs for staff that remain with org. also results in heavier workload for others
what are grievances
employee has a complaint to make to employer regarding work related issue
what is a an example of a grievance process every org should have
raising issue with line manager
if in relation to line manager then raise it with manager’s line manger
speak to union representative if fob’t feel it’s been resolved
make formal complaint in writing to line manager and seek meeting formally discuss issue
take grievance to ACAS for resolution
what is an appraisal
annual meeting although could be regular. usually between manager and subordinate
what should a good appraisal be like
a 2 way discussion between manager and subordinate to discuss employee’s work performance
what does an appraisal highlight
strengths and areas for improvement
what should be set for next appraisal
targets as well as identifying training schemes
what involves industrial action
strike, overtime ban, go slow, sit in, work to rule, picket, lockout, boycott and sabotage
what is a strike
employees refuse to carry out their work which will mean no products/services are sold/produced usually last course of action
what is an overtime ban
employees refuse to do any over time
what is go slow
employees work at slower rate than normal therefore increase cost of production
what is a sit in
employees do not work while remaining at work place prevents employers bringing in other people
what is work to rule
employees only undertake tasks that are in their job description and do nothing else
what is a picket
employees demonstrate outside of work place which ca result in bad publicity for organisation
what is a lock out
employers prevent work from taking place at all
what is a boycott
voluntary abstraining from using equipment
what is sabotage
deliberate destruction of equipment
what is the equality act 2010
came into force 1 october 2010. brought together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single act. provides legal framework to protect rights of individuals
what are the main pieces of legislation
equal pay act 1970
sex discrimination act 1975
race relations act 1976
disability discrimination act 1995
employment equality (religion/belief) regulations 2003
employment equality (sexual orientation) regulations 2003
employment equality (age) regulations 2006
equality act 2006
equality act (sexual orientation) 2007
what are the benefits of the equality act 2010
avoids discrimination within work place
requires org to promote equality
ensures recruitment policies are compliant with act
must have comprehensive anti-discrimination and harassment policies in place
what are the costs of the equality act 2010
ensuring disability access can be costly
org must investigate any accusations of discrimination when necessary
org may face legal action
could result in fines
reputation may be affected negatively
what is the employment rights act 1996
concerns info an employer is legally obliged to provide to an employee about conditions of employment
what is the national minimum wage of 1998
states min rate per hour of pay employees entitled to
depends on age/apprentice
must be at least of school leaving age to get it
what is the health and safety at work act
added to offices, shops and railway premises act. this stated basic health and safety regulations employers must meet.
what does the health and safety at work act state
employer’s duties in terms of training and safety equipment provision. employees duties with regard to own health and safety and of others. employees have to take reasonable care of own health and safety
what is the disciplinary procedure
verbal warning, 2nd verbal warning, final written warning - document issued - layout time and date at meeting. meeting to establish who can come. a “professional friend” can be there
what are the three courses of action
no case to answer
dismissed (or suspended for time then comeback with conditions)
suspension
