Unit 3 People Flashcards
The purpose of human resources function
Businesses create a personal plan including:
- how many workers it needs to employ
- the type of workers it needs - skilled or unskilled, managers, full time or part time, where they will work and what time they will work
- how the business will get the best out of its workers
3.1 Role of human resources
Identify some factors a business will consider when planning their human resource needs.
1. What is produces - Are skilled or unskilled workers needed, or a mix?
2. How much it produces - How many workers will the business need?
3. The method of production - Can machines rather than workers be used.
4. When production takes place - Are workers needed seven days a week or only on specfic occasions
5. Budget available - How much can be spend on workers.
Tall and Flat Organisational Structure Definition
Tall: structures that have many layers of staff from top to bottom
Flat: will only have a few layers, maybe as little as two or three. There may be a board of directors at the top, one layer of management and the shop floor workers
Advantages and Disadvantages of Tall organisational structures
Adv:
- Clear lines of communication from the people at the top to the people at the bottom of the organisation
- Managers tend to have only a few people that they are responsible for
- There will be more opportunity to gain promotions in the organisation, can be good for motivation
Disadv:
- subordinates may feel they are too controlled by their line manager which can stifle creativity and motivation
- workers may only talk to immediate colleagues and may be less sympathetic or supportive to workers in other areas of the business
Suitability:
- Large organisation such as a large hospital
- Non-creative business where workers peform limited, clear tasks.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Flat organisational structures
Adv:
- Managers tend to delegate responsibilities to the workers they have responsibility for, good for motivation
- Workers are likely to talk to a wider range of colleagues, which is good for developing new ideas
Disadv:
- Not always clear lines of communication meaning workers may miss out on key information
- Managers have a large span of control, making it difficult to manage them all
- Promotion opportunities may be few, reducing motivation
Suitability:
- Creative businesses such as computer game design
- Good for smaller businesses, because they can make workers feel valued.
Subordinate Def.
Workers that a line manager is responsible for
Delegation def.
A process where a manager gives a subordinate responsibility to make certain decisions, but the manager is ultimately responsible for
Chain of command def.
The link in authority from those at the top (most authority) to those at the bottom (least authority)
Span of control
The number of subordinates that a manager has authority over
3.1 Role of human resources
Outline & Explain the 3 main reasions why businesses choose different organisations.
1. Importance of effective communication: Communication is very important in all businesses.
2. Different job roles and responsibilities: A business may decide that ists workers for one function should be together so that, for example, marketing experts are helping eachother.
3. Different ways of working: Tall organisations suit large business where success depends on workers carryigng out clearly defined tasks.
- Flat structure will enable works to communicate with a range of different works.
Full-time working
(def, adv, disadv to the business)
def:
when a person works 35 hours or more per week
adv:
- The worker is permanently available for the business
- The employee is likely to have a higher commitment to the business, increasing producitivty.
disadv:
- The business may have to pay a worker at a time when no work needs to be done
- A fixed workforce may make it harder to adapt to demand changes.
Part-time working
(def, adv, disadv to the business)
def: When a person works less than 35 hours a week
adv:
- The worker can be asked to work at specific times needed by the business
- Part-time workers earn less and may not qualify for full benefits.
disadv:
- The business may have to train many more workers than if it employed only full-time workers
- Scheduling can be harder if employees have other jobs.
Flexible working
(def, adv, disadv to the business)
def: The practice of people working partly at their place of work and partly elsewhere (e.g at home or while they are moblie)
adv:
- The business may benefit from motivated workers who like the flexibility of when they will work
- Workers appreciate flexibility and may stay longer, increasing employee retention
disadv:
- The worker may not be available to work when needed by the business
- It is harder to monitor employees, so they may not be as productive during their hours.
Temporary working
(def, adv, disadv to the business)
def: when a person only works for a short period of time for an employer, sometimes on a short-term contract or on day-to-day basis
adv:
- business only needs to employ workers for the length of time they need them (e.g harvesting time)
- No need to provide long-term benefits or contracts.
disadv:
- The business may find it difficult to recruit enough workers at times when they are needed
- Temporary workers may not be as committed
- Businesses must repeatedly train new hires in the way the business works.
Working from home
(def, adv, disadv to the business)
def: when a person completes work for a business or themselves in their home
adv:
- the business may save costs by not having to provide office space
- Workers enjoy the comfort of home, which may improve retention.
disadv:
- workers may not communicate with each other very well, reducing their efficiency
- Employers cannot monitor productivity as easily
Working while mobile
(def, adv, disadv to the business)
def: when people work while they are on the move, travelling or on holiday
adv:
- the business benefits from the increased productivity of the worker ( Can work whilst mobile, meanign less downtime. )
- Less need for office space if employees work remotely
disadv:
- the business may not be able to monitor that the worker is working as much as he or she should
- Work may be disrupted if there are technical issues.
Self-employment
(def, adv, disadv to the business)
adv:
- businesses often like to use self-employed contractors to do work for them because they only need them for a specific job and they do not need to pay national insurance or pension contributions for them
- Can hire experts for short-term projects without long-term commitment
disadv:
- the self-employed person may not work in the way that the business’ own employees are trained to
- Cannot directly manage self-employed workers like regular employees.
Full-time working
(adv, disadv to the worker)
Adv:
- Full-time roles provide stability and a regular income
- Often includes sick pay, holiday pay, and pensions.
Disadv:
- The worker is tied to working a full working week throughout the year (except for holiday periods)
- Long hours can make work-life balance difficult
- More responsibilities can lead to burnout.
Part-time working
(adv, disadv to the worker)
Adv:
- The worker can work when it suits them, for example, during the hours their children are in school
- Fewer hours can mean a less demanding workload
Disadv:
- The worker will only get paid for the hours they work and this may mean less money than they need or want. May have to get a second job
- Some businesses do not provide pensions or sick pay to part-time staff.
Flexible working
(adv, disadv to the worker)
Adv:
- Employees can work when they feel most productive
- Can adjust work around personal commitments
Disadv:
- The worker may not be offered as much work as they want
- Work may extend into personal time.
Temporary working
(adv, disadv to the worker)
Adv:
- The worker can work and earn for a period and then have time to do other things they want to, such as going on long holidays
- Good for gaining skills and entering an industry
- Can choose when to take on new contracts.
Disadv:
- The worker may find there are times of the year where there is no work for them.
- Fewer opportunities for promotions and development.
Working from home
(adv, disadv to the worker)
Adv:
- The worker saves time and money by not having to travel to work
- Can set up a comfortable workspace
Disadv:
- The worker may find there are distractions at home such as noisy children
- They may miss socialising with other workers
Working while mobile
(adv, disadv to the worker)
Adv:
- The worker can make full use of their time, even when they are travelling
- More control over how and when work is done.
- Can work from different locations, improving work-life balance.
Disadv:
- The worker may feel under pressure to work a lot, even while on holiday.
- Distractions can reduce efficiency
- Strong internet and digital tools are needed for smooth operations.
Self-employment
(adv, disadv to the worker)
Adv:
- The worker may like being in control and may be highly motivated because their earnings depend on how much they produce
- Can set their own hours and make business decisions
Disadv:
- There is much less job security for the worker as there may be times when there is no work and no income
- Running a business often requires extra effort and time.
Adv. and Disadv. of communicating with phone/landline
Adv:
- Good for discussion of ideas or problems and making arrangements
- It is immediate, providing the communicators are available to speak
- Can be done anywhere in the world
Disadv:
- No record of the discussion (unless it is recorded)
- Can be difficult with long waiting times to get through a call centre
Adv. and Disadv. of communicating with meetings
Adv:
- It is a good way to exchange ideas and to check understanding
- Minutes (a written summary) provide a record of the meeting
Disadv:
- Can be expensive to get people together
- If it is a formal meeting, it can take time to arrange
Adv. and Disadv. of communicating with presentations
Adv:
- The speaker has time to prepare in advance what they wish to say and then to explain clearly
- It is often possible to ask questions to help understanding
Disadv:
- There may be a lot of listeners and it may be difficult to check they all understand
- Presentations take time to arrange and can be expensive
Adv. and Disadv. of communicating with letters
Adv:
- Provides a record of the commmunication
- The sender can take time to make sure ideas are clearly expressed while the reader can read the message more than once
Disadv:
- It takes time for letters sent in the post to be delivered
- If the meaning of the message is unclear, it i difficult for the reciever to check
Adv. and Disadv. of communicating with emails
Adv:
- A very fast method of communicating
- Good for short messages although attachments are a way of adding more information
Disadv:
- A person may not check their emails regularly
- Bulk emails are often ignored and deleted or lost in spam
Adv. and Disadv. of communicating with texting
Adv:
- A very fast method of communicating that can include a lot of people
- The receiver can save the text to remember details in the message
Disadv:
- Only limited information can be given
- Not good for discussing ideas
Adv. and Disadv. of communicating with social media
Adv:
- The message can be sent to selected groups in bulk to large numbers cheaply
- Sometimes pictures can be added to the message
Disadv:
- Somebody in the business needs to manage the communications, for example, responses from receivers
- It is not always easy to judge how successful the message has been
Adv. and Disadv. of communicating with websites
Adv:
- It saves money because information does not need to be printed and posted
- Customers can order online so the business may not need to have a shop or office accessible to customers
Disadv:
- Customers cannot ask for information easily (unless a ‘chat’ facility is available)
- Customers cannot view the goods
3.3 Communication in a business
Identify and Explain some different reasons why communication is important to a business.
1. Marketing communication
- Research needs to be done to find out what customers want.
- Communication is important for telling customers about goods & services.
- Sales team may need to communicate about selling the product.
2. Communications about finance
- The business may need to communicate with the bank to arrange a loan
- Accounts department needs info about sales & purchases to keep accurate acounts.
3. Business Operations communications
- The production team will need to know how many goods to make.
- They will need to discuss problems about quality.
4. Communications with government
- The business will need to know government’s rules about safety and environmental regulations.
- Business may ask the government for help.
5. Communications about HR
- Workers need to be recruited
- Workers need to be appraised
- Problems between workers need to be solved.
3.3 Communication in a business
Describe the effect of digital communications on business functions.
1. Marketing
- Business can sell online which means they dont have to run expensive shops
- More emphasis on promoting via websites and social media
- Competiton has increased as it is cheaper to sell online & easier for consumers to shop
- New business opportunities have developed.
2. Human resources
- Working while mobile has become easier and is more widely used.
- Recruitment and other websites have made it easier to recruit
- Increased productivty of workers, they can perform more tasks, reducing business costs.
3. Operation
- Production has become highly automated with the use of computer-controlled robots
- Fewer workers are needed in manufacturing, reducing costs.
3.4 Recruitment and selection
Explain some reasons why businesses recruit
1. When a business grows
- If a business grows it may need more workers to produce the goods/service.
2. To fill a skills gap
- A business may be short of skilled workers.
3. To replace employees who leave
- Workers leave business for different reasons - retirement, promotion, increased pay from another business e.g.
4. To start up a business
- A business that is starting up will need workers to run it and to make the goods.
Advantages of Internal recruitment
- It is cheaper to advertise internally
- Often quicker to recruit than external recruitment
- The worker will already be known to the managers so they can be confident about the work he or she will do
- The worker knows the business already so there will be no problems settling in
- It can motivate workers if their colleagues are promoted
Advantages of external recruitment
- It can fill a skills gap when there is no one already employed who can do the job
- People from outside can bring new ideas
- Avoids workers becoming unhappy if they are not selected but another colleague is
- It is necessary when the business is growing and additional workers are needed
- It saves habing to recruit someone to replace a worker promoted internally
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 internal methods of recruitment?
- Notice boards
- Word of mouth
- Company website
- Emails to staff
What are external methods of recruitment?
- Websites
- Newspapers
- Social media
- Specialist magazines
- Job centres
Why are job descriptions and person specifications important?
The information in these documents makes it more likely that only workers able to do a job will apply, saving time for the business and applicants
Methods of selection
1. Application form
- The firm can specify the information it needs and all applicatants will need to complete form
- Good way to compare applicants
2. Letter of application
- The applicant uses this to explain why they think they’re sutiable for the job
- Helpful to see how well applicant’s information is put together.
3. CV
- Summary of person details, qualifcaiton etc.
4. Interview
- Good for finding out what applicants have to say and judging their personaly and communication skills
5. Group activities
- Good for showing how well people work with others
6. Reference
- A statement from a previous employer to give information about an employee
7. Tests and presentations
- The applicant’s ability for a specific skill, such as typing, can be tested.
- A presentation enables the applicant to demonstrate their dieas and ability to communicate.
Non financial methods of motivation: Praise
Def: Workers are thanked and praised for the (good) work they have done
How it motivates: Makes workers feel appreciated and valued. Those not praised may feel that they need to do better to earn praise
Adv: It doesn’t cost the business anything and helps create a positive climate
Disadv: Sometimes if there is no financial reward , workers may feel that they are not truly valued
Non financial methods of motivation: Award Scheme
Def: Workers are presented with rewards for their work. Might include vouchers for days out, holidays or ceritficates of achievement
How it motivates: Makes workers feel values and will encourage them and others to increase their efforts.
Adv: Cost of these awards varies but not all are expensive
Disadv: There is some cost to them. They need to be given fairly or workers who do not receive an award may be upset
Non financial methods of motivation: Working environment
Def: Improving the workplace so that it is a pleasant place to work
Adv: If workers feel valued they will respect the businessand their colleagues, creating a positive attitude to work
How it motivates: Makes workers feel well looked after and that their opinions are valued.
Disadv: There is cost to some of this, e.g imporving furniture or facilities in building or paying for activities.
3.5 Motivation and retention
Analyse the following methods of Financial motivation
A) Pay ( wage or salary )
B) Bonuses
A) A wage is usually paid weekly and is based on the number of hours worked.
- Disadv: A wage does not reward workers for how well they work, only how long.
- Adv: Motivates workers as they receive a regular income
B) A payment that a worker receives for meeting a target set by the business.
- Adv: Improves worker productivity as they want to meet their targets
- Adv ( to worker ): Business still has to pay them this bonus even if they are in debt
- Disadv: Targets will have to be fair else workers may instead become demotivated.
3.5 Motivation and retention
Analyse the following methods of Financial motivation
A) Profit sharing
B) Fringe benefits
A) Workers are paid a part of the profits of the business
- Adv: Motivates workers as they know the more effienctly they work, the more profit the business will make, increasing their income.
- Disadv: It reduces the profits for shareholders.
B) These are benefits in kind given to workers on top of their pay, such as free health insurance.
- Adv: Motivates workers as they prodvide them with an attractive package of pay and benefits
- Adv: They can be good for motivating workers not to leave a business.
- Disadv: They are a cost to a business so may reduce profits.
3.5 Motivation and retention
Explain the benefits to a business of motivated workers.
1. High worker productivity
- Workers will produce more goods or improvied services in the time theyr work.
2. Reduced levels of worker supervision
- Workers will want to do their job well. This may reduce amount of supervisors needed, reducing costs.
3. Low worker absenteeism
- Worker will be happy about coming into work and less likely to take a day off.
4. Improved quality
- Workers will take pride in doing their work well and will prdouce quality goods and services.
3.5 Motivation and retention
Explain the benefits to a business of employee retention.
- The business will need to recruit workers less often, saving time and costs.
- Training costs will be lower because the business will not need to train as many new workers.
- When the firm does want to recruit new workers, it will be easier for them t odo so because it will have a good reputation for treating it’s workers well.
3.6 Training and development
Explain;
A) Why a business trains its workers
B) The benefits to a business of training its workers
A) Reasons include;
- Introduces new recruits to the buisness and their work.
- Gives workers technical skills.
- Develops workers’ personal skills such as leadership, commmunicated and organisation
- Inform workers of health and safety procedures.
- Teach workers new skills if their existing skills are no longer needed.
B) Benefits include;
- Improves workers’ productivity and so it reduces the business’ production costs.
- Improved the quality of goods or services ( including customer service ) offered by the business, increasing sales and revenue.
- Helps the growth and development of the business.
- Solves skill shortages by training up existing staff.
- May improve motivation and retention.
3.6 Training and development
Describe the features of;
A) Apprenticeships
B) Profressional development programmes
A) Features of Apprenticeships include
- It’s a long-term learning programme - often over 2,3, or 4 years
- It develops skills and knowledge relevant to a specific job
- Usually completed partly in the work place and partly in college.
B) Features of Professional development programmes include;
- It’s a long-term programme - often 2 years or more.
- It contributes to a person general education as well as enabling them to develop a set of skills and body knowledge related to specific vocations
- It will also provide trainees with recognisable proof ( certicates ) of development
- Often include a high academic content completed at college or online.
3.6 Training and development
Describe the benefits;
A) To employees
B) To a business
of staff development
A) Benefits to an employee include;
- Staff will develop skills and gain qualification that can be used later on
- Staff are paid while they develop new skills
- Staff may receive promotion or other benefits as a result of development
B) Benefits to a businss include;
- Can motivate workers, leading to an increase in output.
- Can improve staff retention, saving on recruitment costs.
- Can help the business to meet its future staffing needs
- Can aid recruitment if workers believe the business will help them develop
- Can help to overcome skill shortages.
3.6 Training and development
Describe the problems for the business of staff development.
- Staff development costs money, so when a business is experiencing a decrease in profits, they may decide to reduce staff development costs.
- Staff who have completed their training may find they can get a better job elsewhere.
On-the-job training adv and disadv
Adv:
- It is specific to the individual and the business
- It saves on the cost of travel ro a course
- The worker produces something as he or she trains
- The business can teach the person exactly how they want the job done
Disadv:
- The work done as the learner starts to train may not be of a good enough quality
- The trainer may be good at their job but not at training others how to do it
- The worker may only learn how to do the work in the way the business does it
- It is not easy to train a group of trainees
Off-the-job training adv and disadv
Adv:
- Training is often given by experts
- The trainee may be motivated by a day away from work
- A worker can feel valued because the business is paying for training
- Some types of training, e.g safety, are better carried out by experts
Disadv:
- It can be expensive - the employer will have to pay travel and training fees
- The business loses output while the worker is away from work
- Improving a worker’s skills may make it possible for them to get work in another business
What are the discrimination laws?
The Equality Act 2010 - a person cannot be treated differently on the grounds of their gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs
A business must not:
- pay workers differently for doing the same work
- favour certain types of people when recruting workers unless an exception in law has been made
- discriminate when promoting or training workers or making them rednundant
- allow workers to be mistreated by other workers because of, for example, their skin colour, sexual orientation or religion.
What is discrimination?
- unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age or sex
Why does a working environment motivate employees?
- positive environment = positive work
- NOTHING TO DO WITH SAFE ENVIRONMENT
- big influence on attitude and productivity employees so work well
- temperature, lighting, personal space, noise levels, quality of air
3.7 Employment law
Describe what may happen to a business if they choose to discriminate agaisnt their workers.
- Staff may become less motivated, which may affect performance of the business
- Workers decide to leave, so the business must recruit new employees.
- It develops a poor reputation, which colour reduce sales and affect recruitment.
- It can be fined and made to pay compensation to employees.
