Setting Human Resource Objectives

Question 1

The value of human resource objectives

Answer 1

• One way that managers and owners are able to judge the performance.
• Possible for managers to asses the achievements of the workforce and to provide guidance on further actions that may need to be taken.
• Valuable as many businesses are judged by customers on the basis of employee performance.
• Enables managers to identify aspects of the performance that is causing problems.

Question 2

Types of human resource objectives- Labour Productivity

Answer 2

• Managers may set human resource objectives relating to the quantity of products that employees should produce over a specific period of time.
• May be more common is manufacturing and construction industries.
• The attraction of setting labour productivity objectives is that it can assist businesses in controlling costs.

Question 3

Types of human resource objectives- The number and location of the business’s workforce

Answer 3

• A business might grow, move overseas, replace employees with technology or take decisions to produce new products.
• Each of these actions may mean that the business will require a different workforce.
• Meeting this objective is essential because the business needs to have sufficient employees to ensure that it can meet the needs of its customers and to provide the best quality possible.

Question 4

Types of human resource objectives- Employee Engagement

Answer 4

• This is being positively present during the performance of work by willingly contributing intellectual effort, experiencing positive emotions and meaningful connections to others.
• The business benefits from having engaged employees in terms of improved performance.
• Intended to improve the performance of employees and hence the business.

Question 5

Types of human resource objectives- Employee Involvement

Answer 5

• This seeks to enable employees to contribute to the continuous improvements and performance of the business in which they are employed.
• It can form by considering employees ideas and opinions and employee representatives.
• Intended to improve the performance of employees and hence the business.

Question 6

Types of human resource objectives- Training

Answer 6

• Learning and development policies set out the workforce capabilities, skills or competencies required and how these can be developed to ensure a sustainable, successful organisation.
• It can result in improved employee performance and can assist businesses in attracting the most talented and motivated employees.

Question 7

Types of human resource objectives- Talent Development

Answer 7

• It focuses on fulfilling the potential of employees with the ability and potential to shape the business’s future performance.
• Research has revealed that the increased interest in talent is due to overcoming the pressures of succeeding in increasingly competitive global markets, coping with shortages of certain skilled employees and growing need for highly specialist and creative employees.

Question 8

Types of human resource objectives- Diversity

Answer 8

• Aim to treat people as individuals and will value the benefits that diverse individuals and groups in a workplace may offer to a business.
• Could be based upon gender, sexuality, religion, disability.
• A diverse workforce allows the business to understand the needs of a market, which may be comprised of diverse consumers.

Question 9

Types of human resource objectives- Allignment of values

Answer 9

• This is a belief that a specific mode or conduct is preferable to an opposite or contrary mode of conduct.
• A business’s core values should remain relatively unchanged over time and can provide a reference points for decisions made by managers as they respond to changes.
• Core values support the business in attempting to fulfil its vision.

Question 10

Internal influences on HR objectives and decisions

Answer 10

• Corporate or overall objectives.
• Attitudes and beliefs of the senior managers.
• Hard and soft HR approach.
• Types of product.

Question 11

Hard HR approach

Answer 11

• Treating employees as a resource to be used optimally.
• Regard employees as just another resource to be deployed as efficiently as possible in pursuit of strategic targets.

Question 12

Soft HR approach

Answer 12

• This approach is based on the notion that that employees are the most valuable asset a business has and they should be developed to maximise their value to the organisation.
• Employees are seen as valuable resources and developed over time and in response t changing market conditions.

Question 13

External influences on HR objectives and decisions

Answer 13

• The technological environment.
• The economic environment.
• The social environment.
• The competitive environment.
• The political environment.