Unit 2.1 (Human Resource Management)

Question 1

Explain Human Resource Management

Answer 1

Concerned with hiring, training, motivating and keeping competent employees
- why they train the employees, motivate them and hire according to the qualifications

Question 2

Explain the duties of the human resource management in order to keep competent employees?

Answer 2

1.) Balancing the supply of employees (no underemployment or over-employment)
- over employment: paying for people who dont do anything
- underemployment - overworked employees

2.) Match the skill of the employees to jobs

3.) Create a productive environment for workers
- because motivation affects one’s performance
- e.g. parties, materials in a classroom

4.) Make sure employees are compensated fairly
- meets the needs of employees
- also helps in the productivity of employees

Question 3

What is the overall goal of HR management

Answer 3

To make sure the employees are happy because a happy employee is a productive employee

Question 4

Outline the objectives of human resource planning

Answer 4

1.) Proper utilization of employees
- given a proper job, not underworked or overworked (i.e. giving them proper working times, workload, etc.)

2.) Forecast/Predict based on data future requirements
- all forecasts should be hit/all forecasts must be accurate
- “how many people do we need next 2 years?”
-“What kind?” etc.

3.) Related to forecast, assess surplus or shortage of HR over a period of time

4.) Anticipate the impact of technology on jobs

5.) Control already employed workers

6.) Provide lead time available to select and train the required additional human resources

Question 5

Explain labour turnover

Answer 5

How many people get hired and how many people leave (or get fired) from the company in a given time period

If labour turnover is high
- many people leaving the company and thus more people replacing them
- bad

If labor turnover is low
- employees stay long-term
- can be good: high satisfaction
- can be bad: stagnancy in the workforce

Question 6

Outline the labor turnover formula

Answer 6

Question 7

Describe some of the outcomes of high labor turnover rate

Answer 7

1.) No senior officers
- you will keep training new employees because the old employees keep leaving (high labor turnober)

Question 8

Outline the avoidable causes of labour turnover

Answer 8

• lower wages
• bad working conditions
• unsympathetic attitude of management
• no opportunities for promotion
• improper manpower planning
• lack of incentives (lack of motivation)
• bitter relationship between management and workers
• lack of employee benefits

Question 9

Outline the unavoidable causes of labour turnover

Answer 9

Administrative causes
- workers not following conduct
- shortage of resources to keep employees / “retrenchment”

Personal causes
- change for a better job
- sickness or death
- retirement due to old age
- change for better working environment in for example a diff location

Question 10

What are the factors that influence HR planning

Answer 10

PESTEL

Question 11

What are the internal factors of HR planning

Answer 11

6 M’s

Question 12

What are the two stages of human resource plan

Answer 12

1.) Forecasting the staff supply

2.) Forecasting the skills/qualifications required
- overqualified: too expensive

Question 13

What does forecasting depend on? (CONT.)

Answer 13

• forecasting the demand for the firm’s product
• productivity levels
• business objectives
• labor turnover

Question 14

The stage of Human Resource Plan: Recruitment

Answer 14

1.) Establish the exact nature of the job vacancy and draw up a job description
2.) Draw up a job specification
3.) prepare a job advertisement
4.) Make a short list of applicants
5.) Conduct interviews

Question 15

Define job description

Answer 15

a description of the employees duties (title, reporting officers, peers, lower employees ??)

Question 16

Define job specification

Answer 16

qualifications needed to do a job

Question 17

Distinguish the features of internal and external recruitment

Answer 17

Question 18

Describe the human resource management process

Answer 18

Back of Flashcard:

1. Workforce Planning:
   
   • Definition: Assessing current and future staffing needs to ensure the organization has the right number of employees with the right skills.
   • Steps: Analyzing current workforce, forecasting future needs, identifying gaps, and developing strategies to fill them.
2. Recruitment and Selection:
   
   • Definition: Attracting, screening, and choosing qualified candidates for a job.
   • Process: Job analysis, job description, person specification, sourcing candidates, shortlisting, interviewing, and selection.
3. Training and Development:
   
   • Definition: Enhancing employees’ skills, knowledge, and competencies.
   • Types: On-the-job training, off-the-job training, mentoring, and continuous professional development (CPD).
4. Performance Management:
   
   • Definition: Ongoing process of evaluating and improving employee performance.
   • Components: Setting performance standards, monitoring and reviewing performance, providing feedback, and conducting appraisals.
5. Compensation and Benefits:
   
   • Definition: Developing a remuneration package to attract and retain employees.
   • Elements: Salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, benefits (health insurance, retirement plans), and non-financial rewards.
6. Employee Relations:
   
   • Definition: Managing the relationship between employer and employees to maintain harmony and productivity.
   • Aspects: Communication, conflict resolution, labor laws compliance, and involvement in decision-making.
7. Health and Safety:
   
   • Definition: Ensuring a safe and healthy work environment.
   • Key Areas: Risk assessments, safety training, emergency procedures, and compliance with health and safety regulations.
8. Exit and Transition:
   
   • Definition: Managing the process when employees leave the organization.
   • Process: Resignations, retirements, terminations, exit interviews, and succession planning.

Feel free to ask for more detailed information on any of these points!

Question 19

Define training

Answer 19

teaching employees to acquire and apply the knowledge and skills needed by a particular job/org

Question 20

Why do we need training

Answer 20

• improve quality of work
• lead to greater productivity (from ^ quality of work)
• motivates the employee (e.g. character training)
• reduce labor turnover (lessening lay-off employees due to incompetence)

Question 21

Describe induction training

Answer 21

Introduce employees to company familiarize (e.g. mission vision, goals, type of business, reporting officers, etc.)

what is the difference between this and on the job training?

Question 22

Describe on-the-job training

Answer 22

Training given to employees while doing different jobs (e.g. mentoring, “shadowing” — observing what another employee is doing)

Question 23

Describe off-the-job training

Answer 23

Training done off-site
- Because they feel that it’s better to train outside of work

Question 24

Describe cognitive training

Answer 24

Training an employee’s thinking and processing skills (e.g. operating a computer, seminars)

Question 25

describe behavioral training

Answer 25

focused on the development on the relationships between employees and their intrapersonal skills

Question 26

Outline the 5 types of training

Answer 26

Beahvioral, cohnitive, off-the-job, on-the-job and induction

Question 27

Define appraisal

Answer 27

The written or oral evaluation of employees’ performance and provides feedback on how to improve
- so they could improve

Question 28

Benefits of appraisal for employees

Answer 28

• be motivating -> motivated employee -> better work
• be instructive -> employees improve necessary skills -> better work
• help employees progress along their career path -> better skills -> better positions
• lead to change in career direction.

Question 29

Describe the four types of appraisal

Answer 29

1.) Formative - continuous approach to evaluate performance during an employee’s time at work

2.) Summative - measures an employee’s performance according to set standards. element of pass or fail

2.) 360 degree - appraisal from different people in the company (e.g. employees, bosses, peers)

4.) Self-appraisal - self-evaluation, takes a long time because it is used together with different types of appraisals resulting in a discussion (?)

Question 30

Define “termination”

Answer 30

When the employee voluntarily leave their company.

Question 31

Outline the reasons people terminate

Answer 31

• change of career (office worker -> artist)
• professional development (e.g. to take up masters, etc.)
• promotion (another company offers a higher position for example)
• retirement
• lifestyle choice (e.g. marriage, kids)
• family reasons (e.g. sick relatives, death of relative..)

Question 32

Define exit interview

Answer 32

Done when someone terminates from company to know why they’re leaving
- condicted by HR

Question 33

Define dismissal

Answer 33

When the company who dismisses an employee for unfavorable behavior

Question 34

Outline the reasons for dismissal

Answer 34

• continually missing work
• poor discipline
• drug or alcohol abuse
• thief or dishonesty

Question 35

Outline the non-work performance based reasons for dismissal

Answer 35

• a conviction for an offence or imprisonment
• an unresolvable personality clash with a co-worker
• refusal to accept a company reorganization that changes terms of employment (somewhat related to redundancy?)

Question 36

Define nepotism

Answer 36

Unfair advantage because one is related to someone (or bc they know each other)

Question 37

Why are there lay-offs when there’s a merger

Answer 37

Because there would be duplicates for the same position (redundancy)

Question 38

Define redundancy

Answer 38

• may happen when a business no longer has any work for an employee,

Question 39

Outline some of the reasons for redundancy

Answer 39

• drop in demand for products — can afford less for employees, lowering possible number of position occupants
• changing market circumstances (e.g. covid) — ditto
• recession — ditto
• restructuring of the industry — technology would require less positions (? google)
  etc.