unit 4 - human resource management

Question 1

what is HRM

Answer 1

human resource management is concerned with the management of people in an organisation

Question 2

what is manpower planning

Answer 2

manpower planning involves having the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time throughout the business

the HRM manager must audit present manpower resources, forecast manpower needs and then make a plan to either increase or decrease manpower

1. preform a human resource audit- look at how much staff the business currently has in different departments
   2.estimate future human resource needs- plan how much staff you will need in different departments in the future.
2. make a plan to either increase/decrease manpower- done through recruitment or redundancies
   4.implications of being understaffed - a business should not be short, so quality and supply of product/ service should not be impacted.
   5.implications of being overstaffed- it should reduce the chances of having too much staff in place which aren’t needed. this will reduce the costs and chances of workers becoming bored and unmotivated.

Question 3

what is recruitment and selection

and steps involved in recruitment and selection

Answer 3

recruitment and selection is concerned with finding or attracting potential candidates with the appropriate skills and then picking the most suitable candidates for employment.

steps involved in recruitment and selection
1. the HRM manager must draw up a job description and person specification
2. advertise the position ( internally and/ or externally)
3.the applicants must be screened(short listed)
4. selection is usually by means of an interview process ( possibly with aptitude tests)
5. the job is offered and unsuccessful candidates are infromed.

Question 4

describe the difference between job description and person specification ?

Answer 4

job description - refers to the role of the position rather than the person required to for it. it outlines duties, responsibilities, job title, who you would report to, salary, expectations.

person specification- refers to the person required rather than the role of the job. it outlines qualifications, skills, experience and personal attributes required of the candidate.

Question 5

what is a job interview ?

Answer 5

a process in which a potential employee is evaluated by an employer on their ability to do the job, get along with other employees, work in teams and contribute to the business.

Question 6

what is an interview panel ?

Answer 6

this is where there are a number of interviewers interviewing one candidate in order to reduce the effect of a single interviewers personal bias and have a greater gender balance.

Question 7

what are the benefits of internal recruitment

Answer 7

1. morale improves in business as staff have greater variety and promotion opportunities - career progression.
2. employee’s skills, capabilities and attitude to work will be well known by management.
3. employee will have working knowledge of how the firm operates- cultures, policies and work practices, this reduces the need for and cost of induction training.
   4.less disruption within the business/ vacancy can be filled quicker and cheaper/ reduced costs of advertising.

Question 8

what are the challenges of internal recruitment

Answer 8

1. no “ new blood”, no new thinking so company may not get fresh ideas.
2. the best person for the job may not be the internal appointment.
3. promotion from within can have a negative effect on levels of co-operation between employees.

Question 9

what are the benefits of external recruitment?

Answer 9

1. best candidates for the job can be recruited due toa wider range of candidates.
2. new employees bring fresh ideas/ more open to change.
3. wide ranging experience from previous employment / better skill set/ higher calibre.
4. no existing relationships in the business may reduce chance of conflict / less tension among existing staff.

Question 10

what are the challenges of external recruitment ?

Answer 10

1. introduction training needed so unproductive time is spent with the new employee.
2. there may be a clash of cultures if the new employee isn’t a good fit for the business.
3. staff may resent the external person if they have been overlooked for a promotion.
4. it may send a message to existing staff that there is no promotional path for them, reducing morale and motivation among existing staff.

Question 11

what is training ?

Answer 11

training is concerned with improving the employees ability to preform their job in an effective manner. It involves supplying the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed by employees to do their job better.

Question 12

what is introduction training ?

Answer 12

it is necessary to help new employees fit into the business by familiarising the new employees with the job, the business, its policies and rules, it employees and it systems and procedures,

Question 13

what is on the job training?

Answer 13

when employees are trained internally. it mean teaching the skills and knowledge required for the job in the actual workplace by observing experienced employees preforming their duties.

eg staff showing other staff how to use google drive.

Question 14

what is staff development ?

Answer 14

it prepares existing employees for new responsibilities and greater challenges in the workplace to help improve their general skills in leadership to help towards their professional/career progression

Question 15

what are the benefits of training and development ?

Answer 15

1. better quality service to customers, resulting in fewer complaints and returns.
2. improved quality of production, less mistakes are made by skilled staff.
3. staff is better cared for and well motivated/ less industrial relation problems
   4.lowerlabour turnover rates due to high staff morale/ good reputation of the firm and thereby attracting quality staff.
4. flexible and adaptable more trained labour force allows for changes to take place/ new work methods and technologies are facilitated. the business is more adaptable.

Question 16

what are performance appraisals?

Answer 16

this is the process of evaluating the performance, progress, contribution and effectiveness of an employee over a period of time.it ensures high performance standards in the business leading to organisational success.

• regular meetings are held with employees to review their progress and set goals to be achieved within a period of time, with a reward agreed for them.

it provides for two-way communication, feedback is provided for employees on performance to enable improvements to be made

Question 17

why do management carry out performance appraisals

Answer 17

1.to review the progress of employees in order to determine the appropriate rewards.
2. goals can be set for the future performance and these targets can be agreed by employees.
3. to provide employees with feedback so their productivity can increase.
4. to improve staff motivation by recognising staff achievements and giving appropriate rewards
5. management can obtain feedback from employees on what resources they require such as training and additional supports

Question 18

what are the benefits of performance appraisals for employees in a business

Answer 18

1. increased job satisfaction - important for staff motivation, communicating and fostering a positive relationship between management and staff helps improve morale.
   2.industrial relations - potential conflicts may be highlighted through performance appraisals. this enables the business to help address and solve problems/ issues between management & employees and helps improve industrial relations in the workplace.
   3.feedback- it provides an opportunity for employees to give and receive feedback, which may improve the employees job satisfaction and motivation.
2. training and development - the performance appraisal interview can identify training and career development needs for employees and to provide appropriate training to help make them more productive.
   5.rewards - it may be used to determine pay increases for employees and other rewards such as share option schemes, benefit in kind,etc.

Question 19

benefits of performance appraisals for a business

Answer 19

1.opportunity to review rewards - it may ne used in determining pay increases or promotion. it can help a business to review & reduce the costs of rewards and benefit packages such as pension schemes.

2. increased productivity - performance appraisals are important for staff motivation, attitudes and behaviour development, communicating and fostering a positive relationship between management and staff. this leads to greater productivity rom employees
3. retain the right staff/ identify poorly preforming staff - helps identify top talent and ensures that these employees are retained and promoted. can identify employees who are not reaching their potential.
4. improves industrial relations - conflicts in the workplace may be highlights so businesses can try solve problems between management and employees and helps improve industrial relations as a result.

Question 20

explain the financial rewards
- time rate
- piece rate
- commission
-salary
- benefit in kind (if taxable)
-bonus
-profit sharing scheme
- employees share purchase plan

Answer 20

1.time rate - a fixed amount per hour for a fixed number of ours. hours worked over and above the fixed number of hours are paid at a higher rate called overtime eg time and a half or double time
2. piece rate - the employee is rewarded per item produced/ job completed. this may lead to quality control problems if staff try to produce lots of items to increase their earnings.
3. commission - the employees are paid a percentage of total sales they have achieved. normally paid in addition to a flat payment. directly encourages staff to increase sales.
4. salary - it is paid to employees in equal amounts across the year, either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
5. benefit in kind( if taxable ) - the use of an asset as a form of reward eg a company car available for private use. it could include preferential loans, free accommodation, etc.
6. bonus - a sum o money paid for reaching a certain target eg producing units above an agreed limit.
7. profit sharing scheme - some business profits are paid to employees to motivate them to become more productive so the business profits increase and they get more.
8. employee share purchase plan - employees can buy shares in the company at a discounted price. increases the motivation of employees as it is in their interest to work hard and make the business successful so the share prices rises, increasing the value of their shares.

Question 21

non financial rewards
- benefit in kind perk / fringe benefit
- flexi time
- job sharing
- job satisfaction/ job enrichment/ job enlargement

Answer 21

1. benefit-in-kind-perk/ fringe benefit - a good/service given to employees rather than money eg a meal vouchers, gyms in work or free parking
2. flexi time - staff choose their own work hours within an agreed time frame eg workers may have to be in the workplace between 10am and 1pm only. this allows employees to work from home and organise for example their childcare arrangements more efficiently.
3. job sharing - this involves employees sharing a position eg two employees have a job split between them. this is a flexible approach to employment and recognises that employees may wish to prioritise leisure time over work time, so that they can work less.
4. job satisfaction/ job enrichment/ job enlargement - employees are rewarded because the job satisfies their social needs ( teamwork) and self actualisation needs ( opportunity to do further study ). the nature of the work( vocation) and the opportunities it presents( travel) reward the employee

Question 22

how to help achieve good employer/ employee relations

Answer 22

1. clear grievance procedures to be followed for disputes.
2. open communication between managers and staff.
3. valuing employees contributions
4. using teamwork to boost morale

Question 23

benefits of improving/ maintaining good employer/ employee relations

Answer 23

1. employees are motivates to work to the best of their ability.
2. all personnel are working towards the same goal.
3. flexibility is increased.
4. lines of communication are open and clear

Question 24

what are the functions of the human resource manager ?

Answer 24

1. man power planning - this involves having the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time throughout the business. it involves doing a human resource audit on present staff and then forecasting future staff needs, to decide to increase or decrease staff levels.
2. recruitment and selection - the HRM would try to attract potential candidates with the appropriate skills and then picking the most suitable candidates for employment. the HRM draw up a job description and person specification and then advertise the position. the applicants would be screened then selected through an interview process.
3. training and development - improving the employees ability(skill/knowledge) to preform their job better. introduction training helps new employees fit into the workplace( learn company policies)other types include internal ( on the job training) and external training(off the job training).development prepares existing staff for leadership roles by improving general skills.

4.performance appraisals - this is the process of evaluating the performances, progress, contribution and effectiveness of an employee. it provides for two - way communication, feedback is provided for employees on performance to enable improvements to be made. regular meetings are held with the employees to review their progress and det targets for the future.

5.rewarding - offering staff monetary and non- monetary rewards to motivate them to work well. monetary may include wages, salaries, bonuses, benefit in kind, share options. non- monetary rewards may include job rotation, job enlargement, flexitime, work-from-home.

6.managing employer/employee relations - the HRM promotes and maintains positive industrial relations within a business. They work to open communication between levels and develop grievance procedures so staff are treated fairly in situations