People- HR Flashcards
What is an organisational structure?
How a business organises its staff to represent the different layers of management
What are the 2 main types of organisational structure?
-Tall → many layers management
- flat → few layers of management
Advantages of tall structure?
- Opportunities for promotion → motivates staff
- Staff gain more support from line manager
- Higher degree of supervision
Disadvantages of tall structure?
- Many levels of hierarchy
- Span of control=narrow + chain of command = long → slow communication (instructions take longer to travel through levels)
- Can be expensive due to high wage costs
Advantages of flat structure
- Few levels of hierarchy
- Lines of communication = short → makes firm responsive to change + decision making quicker
- Can be empowered to work independently + take on more responsibility
Disadvantages of flat structure
- Wide span of control → tasks must be delegated → makes employees stressed
- Less promotion opportunities → may lose staff to business with different organisational structure
What is span of control?
The number of staff that a manager has responsibility for
What is chain of command?
The route by which instructions + communications flow from top to bottom of a business
What is delegation?
A process where tasks are given by managers to employees further down the chain of command
What is delayering?
A process where a business removes layers of its management to make its structure more flat
Who are subordinates?
Members of staff below a manager in the chain command
What are the different ways of working?
- Full-time
- Part-time
- Flexible
- Temporary
- Working from home
- Working whist mobile
- Self-employed
What are the ways of communicating in business?
- Letter
- Text
- Meeting/presentation
- Social media
- Website
Why is effective business communication important?
Means that different areas of the business work well together + everyone in the business knows what they should be doing and why
Can improve staff motivation as they will know what is going on and are likely to feel more confident that they’re each doing their job properly
What is needed to communicate effectively
- Messages need to reach people that need to receive them without unnecessary delay + without being misinterpreted
Advantage and disadvantage of communicating via text
Adv:
- can be sent and received quickly
- great for passing on short informal messages
Disadvs:
- not much use when sending detailed or sensitive information
Advantages and disadvantages of communicating via letter
Advs:
- both the sender and receiver can keep the letter for future reference
- helpful if info is important or complicated
Disadvs:
- slow to receive (takes at least a day to be delivered)
- sender gets no immediate feedback
- could get lost in post
Advantages and disadvantages of communicating via phone calls
Advs:
- allow instant feedback
- can contact people even if they’re not in the office
Disadv:
- no written record, so risk of details being forgotten
Advantages and disadvantages of communicating via meetings/ presentations
Advs:
- good when message needs to be passed on to several people
- good when a subject needs discussing
- allows others to see body language and read facial expressions- helps express the message and confirm it has been understood properly
Disadvs:
- can be quite time-consuming
- need to be arranged in advance
What are methods of digital communication?
- websites
- social media
How has digital communication changed how businesses operate
- means that businesses can communicate with people all over the world- makes operating in more than one country easier- have access to markets they may not have been able to sell to before- this makes them a multinational company
- means people can work from home, can still access documents online and can talk to colleagues using email or video calls
Why do businesses recruit?
- business growth
- replace employees who leave
- skills gaps
What is internal recruitment?
involves recruiting current employees into new roles. The job position is advertised within the company.
Advantages and disadvantages of internal recruitment
Advs:
- much cheaper
- position can be filled quickly
- business already knows candidate well
Disadvs;
- no ‘new blood’ or ideas
- employees move will leave a vacancy to fill
What is external recruitment?
involves recruiting from outside the business. The job can be advertised in lots of places.
Advantages and disadvantages of external recruitment
Advs:
- Job advert will be seen by more people so likely to find somebody really suited to the job
Disadvs:
- expensive
What is a job description?
- Includes the formal title of the job, the main purpose of the job the main duties, it will also state who the job holder will report to and whether they will be responsible for any other staff
What are the 3 stages involved in recruitment?
- Job analysis
- Advertisement
- Selection
What is a person specification?
- lists the qualifications, experience, skills and attitudes needed for the job
What impact does selecting the right people have on the business?
- High productivity
- High quality output
- good customer service
- staff retention( keeping staff)
Methods of selection?
- CV
- Application form
- Letter of application
- Interviews
- Tests
- Group activities
- references
What are the financial methods of motivation
- pay
- bonuses
- fringe benefits
- profit sharing
What are the non-financial methods of motivation
- praise
- award schemes
- good working environment
What is the importance of employee motivation?
- improved employee performance
- helps employee retention
What is the importance of employee retention
- already familiar with business and customers
- saves time and expense of recruitment
How does training staff improve employee retention and motivation?
- reduces rate at which employees leave the business as they are happy in their role
- this cost reduction will have an impact on profit
What the 3 types of training?
- Induction
- on-the-job
- off-the-job
Why do businesses train their workers?
- development of the business
- improve productivity
- skill shortages
- customer service
- motivation and retention
How does development benefit employers?
- trained staff should be better at their jobs- means they produce higher quality goods, provide better customer service and they are more efficient and productive
- training staff covers skill shortages
- staff feel more motivated so might increase staff retention
- stuffstay up-to-date with changes
How does training and development benefit employees?
- employees with up-to-date, knowledge and skills should be able to do their jobs better -increases job satisfaction and motivation
- gaining new skills, can lead to promotion of jobs with better pay and more responsibility
What is an application form?
an official way to apply for a job or training course with a company.
What is an apprenticeship?
a paid job where the employee learns and gains valuable experiences
What is authority?
the official power to make decisions for other people or to tell them what they must do
What is accountability?
the acceptance of responsibility for honest and ethical conduct toward others
What is an award scheme?
A non-financial method of motivation for employees
- could include: employee of the month, certificates
What is a bonus?
a form of additional remuneration
What is communication?
the process of sending and receiving information from one person to another using a channel of communication
What is contract of employment?
a document or verbal agreement between an employee and employer which sets out the terms and conditions of the employment
What is customer service?
the assistance an organisation offers to its customers before or after they buy or use products or services
What is a CV?
a personal document that includes information about an applicant’s skills, experience, qualifications and hobbies
What is delegation?
a process where tasks are given by managers to employees further down the chain of command.
What is development?
helps businesses to ensure their employees are able to perform well, reach their potential and stay motivated
What is digital communication?
sending and receiving such information electronically
What is discrimination?
when an employer treats one employee less favourably than others
What is an employment agency?
a company that helps people find jobs
What is the employment law?
Laws protecting the rights of employees which must be obeyed by the employers
What is employment tribunal?
a court that deals with employment-related disputes
What is external communication?
the exchange of message(s) between an organisation and external entities such as customers, suppliers or investors
What are the methods of external recruitment?
- external job adverts published via external emails
- job websites
- recruitment agencies
- the business’ own website
- newspapers and magazines
what is external recruitment?
opening up a vacancy to a wider pool of candidates rather than selecting someone from the existing staff to fill the role
What is flexible working?
a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, for example having flexible start and finish times, or working from home.
What is training?
processes in which employees are provided with additional skills, knowledge and qualifications so as to enable them to contribute to maximising a business’ performance
