People Flashcards
What are functions
the different types of work that need to be done in business
what is human resources
the workers employed by a business
what is identifying human resource needs
the act of thinking about the purposes of human resources and how many and what type of workers will be needed
what is a personnel plan
a plan detailing the employees a business needs - how many will be full/part time workers, the skills they should have and when they will work
what does a personnel plan include
how many workers are needed
type of workers needed
how the business will get its best out of the workers
what influences the human resource needs of a business
what it produces
how much it produces
method of production
when production takes place
the functions/jobs to be completed
the budget available
what is an organisational structure
how people and departments are arranged within a business
what are the two different organisational structures
tall
flat
what is a tall structure
a structure that has lots of layers of staff from top to bottom
where is a tall structure suitable
large organisations
for non creative businesses where workers perform limited, clear tasks
what are the advantages of a tall structure
there are clear lines of communicat-ion throughout the organisation
managers tend to have fewer people to be responsible for
lots of opportunities for promotion which can increase motivation of employees
what are the disadvantages of a tall structure
subordinates may feel they are to controlled by line manager which reduces creativity
workers may only talk to immediate colleagues and be less sympathetic to other areas of the business
what is a flat structure
an organisation with only a few layers maybe as little as two or three
where is a flat structure suitable
for creative businesses
for smaller businesses because workers can feel valued
what are the advantages of a flat structure
managers delegate responsibility to workers which is good for motivation
workers talk to a wider range of colleagues - new ideas are generated
what are the disadvantages of a flat structure
there aren’t always clear lines of communication - may not get information
managers have a large number of workers to oversee
promotions may be few and unclear to workers - reduced motivation
What is an organisational structure
a diagram to show how the workers are organised in a business and who is in charge of whom
what is authority
the power that one person has to make decisions and to give instructions to those workers they are in charge of
what is a line manager
a person who is in charge of other workers
what are subordinates
workers that a line manager is responsible for
what is delegation
a process where a manager gives a subordinate responsibility to make certain decisions for which the manager is responsible for
what is a chain of command
the link in authority from those at the top to those at the bottom
what is a span of control
the number of subordinates that a manager has authority over
why do businesses chose different organisation charts
importance of effective communication
different job roles and responsibilities
different ways of working
What is full-time working
when a person works 35 hours or more per week
what are the advantages of full-time working to the business
the worker is permanently available for the business
what are the advantages of full-time working to the worker
they get paid for a full working week
what are the disadvantages of full-time working to the business
the business may have to pay the worker at a time when no work needs to be done
what are the disadvantages if full-time working to the worker
the worker is tied to working a full working week throughout the year
what is part-time working
when a person works fewer than 35 hours a week
what are the advantages of part-time working to the business
the worker can be asked to work at specific times needed by the business
what are the advantages of part-time working for the worker
the worker can work when it suits them
what are the disadvantages of part-time working to the business
the business may have to train more workers than if it employed only full time workers
what are the disadvantages of part-time working to the worker
the worker will only get paid for the hours they work so they earn less money or might need a second job
what is flexible working
the practice of people working partly at their place of work and partly elsewhere, perhaps at home or mobile, and possibly at times that suites them
what are the advantages of flexible working to the business
the business may benefit from motivated workers who like the flexibility of when they will work.
what are the advantages of flexible working for the worker
the worker can work at times that suit them
what are the disadvantages of flexible working to the business
the worker may not be available to work when needed by the business
what are the disadvantages of flexible working to the worker
the worker may not be offered as much work as they want
what is temporary working
when a person only works for a short period of time for an employer sometimes on a short term contract or sometimes on a day-to-day basis
what is an advantage of temporary working to the business
the business only employs workers for the length of time they need them
what is an advantage of temporary working to the worker
the worker can work and earn for a period and then have time to do other things they want to
what is a disadvantage of temporary working for the business
the business may find it difficult to recruit enough workers at times when they are needed
what is a disadvantage of temporary working to the worker
the worker may find there are times of the year when there is no work for them
what is working from home
when a person completes work for a business in their home
what is an advantage of working from home to the business
the business may save costs by not having to provide office space
what is an advantage of working from home to the worker
the worker saves time and money by not having to travel to work
what is a disadvantage of working from home to a business
workers may not communicate with each other very well - reducing their efficiency
what is a disadvantage of working from home for the worker
the worker may find there are distractions at home
they may miss socialising
what is working when mobile
when people work while they are on the move, travelling or on holiday
what are the advantages of working mobile to the business
the business benefits from the increased productivity of the worker
what are the advantages of working mobile to the worker
the worker can make full use of their time even when they are travelling
what are the disadvantages of working mobile to the business
the business may not be able to monitor that the worker is working as much as he or she should
what are the disadvantages of working mobile to the worker
the worker may feel under pressure to work a lot even on holiday
what is self employment
working for ones self instead of an employer
what are the advantages of self employment to the business
only need to pay them for a specific job - don’t need to pay national insurance or a pension or pay them when there is no work
what are the advantages of self employment to the worker
the worker is likely to be in control and may be more motivated because their earnings depend on how much they produce
what are the disadvantages of self employment to the business
they may not work in the way that the employees are trained to work
what are the disadvantages of self employment to the worker
there is a lot less job security for the worker as there may be times when there is no income
what is communication
the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver through a means of communication
what is verbal communication
communication by speaking - in meetings, by telephone, by video conference or through presentation
what is written communication
communication through written words - text, emails and letters
what are the advantages of communication over the phone
good for discussion of ideas and making arrangements
its immediate providing the communicators are available to speak
what are the disadvantages of communication over the phone
no record of the discussion (unless recorder)
can be difficult with long waiting times to get through to a call centre
what re the advantages of a meeting
good way to exchange ideas and check understanding
minutes are written for a record
what are the disadvantages of a meeting
can be expensive to get people together
formal meetings can take time to arrange
what are the advantages of a presentation
the speaker can prepare in advantage to be able to explain it clearly
often possible to ask questions and help understanding
what are the disadvantages of a presentation
there will be a lot of listeners and may be difficult to check they all understand
presentations take time to plan and are expensive
what are the advantages of a letter
provides a record of communication
the sender can make sure ideas are clearly expressed and the reader can read it more than once
what are the disadvantages of a letter
it takes time for letters to be delivered
if the meaning is unclear it may be difficult for the receiver to check
what are the advantages of an email
a very fast method of communicating
good for short messages but you can also add attachments for more information
what are the disadvantages of an email
a person may not check their emails regularly
bulk emails are often ignored or sent to spam
what are the advantages of text
very fast method
receiver can save the text to remember the details
what are the disadvantages of a text
only limited information can be given
not good for discussing ideas
what are the advantages of social media
the message can be sent to multiple people cheaply
pictures can be added to the message
what are the disadvantages of social media
someone in the business needs to manage the communications
not easy to judge how successful a message has been
what are the advantages of websites
saves money as information doesn’t need to be printed or posted
customers can order online doesn’t need a shop
what are the disadvantages of a website
customers cannot ask for information easily
customers cannot view the goods
what is feedback
the response made by the person who received a communication which indicates if they have understood the communication
what is the importance of communication in marketing
research needs to be done to find out what the customers want
important for telling customers about the goods and services
sales team may need to communicate about selling the product
what is the importance of communication in human resources
workers need to be recruited
workers need to be appraised
problems between workers need to be solved
what is the importance of communication within the government
the business needs to know their rules and regulations about safety, environmental (etc)
the business may ask for help from the government
what is the importance of communication in operations
the production team will need to know how many goods to make
they need to discuss problems about quality
what is the importance of communication in finance
communication with banks about loans
bills need to be sent out and payment recorded
the account department need information about sales and purchases to keep accurate accounts
what is digital communication
the electronic exchange of information using ICT
what effects are there of digital communication on operations
automation - fewer workers are needed reducing costs - expensive at first
what effects are there of digital communication in human resources
working mobile - easier, more widely used
recruitment websites - easier to recruit workers
increased productivity - can do tasks quicker on computers - reducing costs
what effects are there of digital communication in marketing
sell online - fewer shops or offices - less expensive
online marketing - promoting via websites and social media
increased competition - cheaper for businesses to sell online - easier for consumers to shop
new business opportunities - new online TV stations and delivery services
what is a skills gap
when a business recruits skilled workers because it is short of them
what is analysing human resource needs
when an organisation decides how many workers and what type it should employ
why do business recruit
to start up a business - need workers to run it, make the goods/services it offers
when a business grows - may need more workers and then more managers
to replace employees who leave - retirement, promotion, dismissal, better pay from another business
to fill a skills gap - short of skills because its growing or it is changing the way it produces which requires more skilled workers
what is an external method of recruitment
includes websites ,newspapers ,social media and specialist magazines
what is an internal method of recruitment
includes notice boards, word of mouth, company websites and emails to staff
what is a job description
a list of the main duties ,tasks and responsibilities of a worker
what is a person specification
a list of the qualities, qualifications and knowledge that a person should have to do a particular job
what are the advantages of internal recruitment
it is cheaper to advertise internally
often quicker to recruit than external
the worker will already be known to the managers so can be confident about the work they will do
the worker knows the business so there arent any problems settling in
it can motivate workers if they see colleagues being promoted
what are the advantages of external recruitment
it can fill a skills gap when there is no one employed who can do the job
people from outside can bring in new ideas
avoids workers becoming unhappy if they arent selected but their colleague is
necessary when the business is growing and more workers are needed
saves having to recruit someone to replace a worker promoted internally
what are the key points of a website
internal and external - firms website or special site for advertising
what are the key points of social media
internal and external - now widely used as many applicants have social media
what are the key points of local newspapers
external - appropriate when the job is likely to only appeal to those in the area
what are key points of national newspapers
external - appropriate when workers from a wide geographical area may apply - expensive
what are the key points of specialist magazines and newspapers
external - good for specialists in professions who read journals and magazines relevant to their expertise.
what are the key points of a job centre
external - run by the government give workers the opportunity to use computers and find out a wide range of jobs
what are the key points of word of mouth
internal and external - existing employees tell friends which saves the business money
what are the key points of emails
internal - the business can send an advertisement to workers they know may be interested in the job
what are the main points of noticeboard or company magazines
internal - this is cheap and will be seen by workers likely to be interested in the job
what is selection
the process of choosing between applicants for a job
what are the 7 methods of selection
Letter of application
Interview
application form
group activities
reference
tests and presentations
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
what is a letter of application
the applicant uses this to explain why they think they are suitable for the job
it is helpful to see how well the applicant’s information is put together
what is an interview
the business representative asks questions of the applicants
good for finding out what applicants have to say and judging their personality and communication skills
what is an application form
the firm can specify the information it needs and all the applicants will need to complete a form
a good way to compare applciants
what are group activities
applicants work together on a task
good for showing how well people work with others.
what is a reference
a statement from a previous employer to give information about work sone by an applicant and how well they did their job
what are tests and presentations
the applicants ability for a specific skill such as typing can be tested
a presentation enables the applicant to demonstrate their ideas and ability to communicate
what is a CV(Curriculum Vitae)
a summary of the personal details and qualifications and experience of the applicant
what is motivation
encouragement given to workers to work well
what are the 4 financial methods of motivation
Pay
Bonus
Profit sharing
Fringe benefits
what is Pay
the money earned by the workers as a reward for the work they do
what are the positives and negatives of Pay
doesnt reward workers for how well they work only for how long they work.
a wage is paid weekly and a salary is paid yearly - it motivates workers as they receive a regular income
what is a Bonus
an additional payment to workers for achieving a target
what are the positives and negatives of Bonuses
targets need to be fair and realistic or workers won’t feel motivated
it motivates workers because the more they produce or sell the more they earn - productivity is improved
what is Profit Sharing
when workers receive some of the profits made by a business
what are the positives and negatives of Profit Sharing
it reduces profit for shareholders
it motivates them - if they work efficiently the business makes more profit which will increase their income
what are Fringe Benefits
additional benefits that workers receive in addition to pay e.g. a gym membership
what are the positives and negatives of Fringe Benefits
are a cost to the business so may remove profits
attractive package of pay and benefits that are good for motivating staff not to leave the business
who are bonuses often paid to
individuals or teams who’s output can be measured
who are Profit Sharing often paid to
workers who’s individual output can be measured
what are the 3 methods of non-financial motivation?
praise
award schemes
working environment
what is praise
a way of motivating a worker by complimenting their work and making them feel recognised and valued.
how does Praise motivate
it makes workers feel appreciated and valued. those not praised may feel that they need to work better to earn praise.
what is an advantage of Praise
it doesnt cost the business anything and it helps to make a positive climate.
what is a disadvantage of Praise
sometimes there is no financial reward for work over a long time workers may not feel truly value
who is Praise suitable for
all workers as everyone likes to be appriciated
what is an award scheme
a presentation to recognise an individual worker or teams effort and achievement
how do award schemes motivate
it makes workers feel values and will encourage them and others to continue to increase their efforts
what is an advantage of an award scheme
cost of these vary but not all are expensive to give
what is a disadvantage of an award scheme
there is some cost to them, they need to be given to fairly so workers who do not receive an award dont feel upset
who is an award scheme suitable for
all workers as everyone likes to feel appreciated.
what is a working environment
the quality of the physical workplace and its atmosphere (how people treat each other) etc.
how does working environment motivate workers
makes workers feel well looked after and that their opinions are valued
what is an advantage if a working environment
if workers feel values they will respect the business and their colleagues creating a positive attitude to work
what is a disadvantage to a working environment
there is a cost to some of this e.g. improving facilities
who is a working environment suitable for
most workers except for those who work in conditions where improvements to comfort are difficult
what are the 4 advantages of motivated workers
high worker productivity
reduced levels of worker supervision
low worker absenteeism
improved quality
what is high worker producivity
workers will produce more goods or improved services in the time they work. This will reduce the costs of production and the prices the business charges can e reduced so that sales and profits rise.
what is reduced levels of worker supervision
workers will want to do their job well. This may reduce business costs as fewer supervisors need to be employed.
what is low worker absenteeism
workers will be happy about coming into work and less likely to take a day off if they are only slightly unwell
what is improved quality
workers will take pride in doing their work and will produce quality goods and services, knowing this will satisfy consumers and give the business a good name. There will be less waste which helps to reduce costs.
what is labour turnover
a measure of the number or proportion of staff who leave an organisation each year and who therefore will be replaced.
what is retention
when workers choose to stay employed in a business rather than leaving to work elsewhere
what is motivation
how workers are encouraged to work well
what does high employee retention mean
workers stay there for a long amount of time and there is a low labour turnover
what does a low employee retention mean
that workers do not stay long and their is a high labour turnover
what are the benefits of a worker staying a long amount of time
the business need to recruit less often - saves recruitment time and costs
training costs are lower - workers are already familiar
when they do want to recruit it is easier as they have a good reputation for workers treatment
when do businesses not want to retain their workers
when they are only needed for a short time e.g. summer holidays
what is training
short term instruction that focuses on helping a worker to do his or her job correctly
what is induction training
training to introduce a new worker to an organisation, including how to do the job, how it fits within the operation of the business and an introduction to the others in the organisation.
what is on the job training
occurs at the place of work and when the worker is doing his or her job
what are the advantages of on the job training
it is specific to the individual needs of a business
it saves on cost to travel to a course
the worker produces something as she or he trains
the business ca teach the person exactly how they want the job done
what are the disadvantages of on the job training
the work done as a learner starts to train may not be of good enough quality
the trainer may be good at their job but not at training
it isnt easy to train a group of trainees
the worker may learn only how to do the work in the way the business does it
the worker may not obtain qualification from the training
