Workforce Management Flashcards

1
Q

Workforce planning

A
  • First step in workforce management process
  • Ensure that workforce size and competencies meet current and future organizational and individual needs
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2
Q

Workforce planning aligns

A

Looks at where human capital is now and where it wants to go in the future

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3
Q

Workforce analysis

A
  • Systematic approach to anticipate human capital needs and data
  • Ensures that appropriate KSAs will be available when needed to accomplish organizational goals and objectives
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4
Q

Workforce analysis process

A
  1. Supply analysis
    1. Where are we now? What do we have?
  2. Demand analysis
    1. Where do we want to be? What do we need?
  3. Gap analysis
    1. What is lacking? What KSAs currently exist or are needed in the future?
  4. Solutions analysis
    1. What can we afford? How will we get what we need?
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5
Q

Supply analysis

A

Looks at skill mix now and the future needs based on attrition and growth or adjustment

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6
Q

Supply analysis is done my

A
  • Starts with line managers to identify how many hours of each type of skilled worker is needed to meet current needs
  • Could be simple calculation
    • # of people in each job, # of people who transfer/leave, # of people to will be left
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7
Q

Turnover

A

Act of replacing employees leaving an organization; attrition or loss of employees

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8
Q

Turnover rate

A
  • Annualized formula that tracks number of separations and total number of workforce employees per month.
  • Formula:
    • Number of separations in the year divided by number of employees for the year divided by 12 months
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9
Q

Common methods to project turnover rate

A
  • Look at past turnover rates and adjust to reflect knowledge of changing conditions such as pay rates and the economy
  • Analyze trends in turnover rates for certain geographic locations or occupations
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10
Q

Flow analysis is done by

A
  • Looking at career development plans
  • Get estimates for each division of transfers and promotions into, out of and within depetments
  • Project future movement through statistical analusis
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11
Q

Demand analysis

A
  • After supply model is done
  • Projections and gaps can be identified including number of employees and gaps of skills
  • Not just projecting the future but also other potential impacts on gaps
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12
Q

Demand analysis techniques include

A
  • Judgmental forecasts
  • Statistical forecasts
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13
Q

Judgmental forecasts

A
  • Use of information from past and present to predict future conditions.
  • Includes information from
    • Industry standards and benchmarks
    • Interviews with management and industry economic experts
    • Questionnares from operational managers
    • Focus groups with managers
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14
Q

Judgmental forecasts require information of

A
  • New positions or skill sets needed
  • Positions to be changed, eliminated or left unfilled
  • Job sharing
  • Job design needs or organizational structure changes
  • Cost of changes
  • Adjustments in overhead, contracted labor and supervison
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15
Q

Types of statistical forecasts

A
  • Regrssion analysis
  • Simulations
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16
Q

Regression analysis types

A
  • Simple linear regression
  • Multiple linear regression
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17
Q

Simple linear regression is

A
  • Projection of future demand based on a past relationship between employment level and a single variable related to employment.
    • Ex: a statistical relationship between gross sales and the number of employees might be useful in forecasting the number of employees needed in the future if sales increase by 25%.
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18
Q

Multiple linear regression

A
  • Projection of future demand based on a past relationship between employment level and a multiple variables related to employment
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19
Q

Simulations statistical forcasts

A
  • Also called what if scenarios
  • GIves opportunity to speculate what would happen if certain courses of actions are persued
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20
Q

Gap analysis

A
  • Compares supply and demand analysis to find differences in staffing levels and competencies needed in the future
  • Establishes goals and objectives for the staffing plan
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21
Q

Types of staffing gaps

A
  • Skill gap
  • Abilities gap
  • Distribution gap
  • Diversity gap
  • Time gap
  • Cost gap
  • Knowledge-sharing gap
  • Succession gap
  • Retention gap
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22
Q

Abilities gap

A

New behaviors are needed to be successful.

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23
Q

Distribution gap

A

Talent is not properly spread throughout the enterprise.

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24
Q

Deployment gap

A

Talent cannot be sent where it is needed most.

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25
Q

Time gap

A

It takes too long to achieve results.

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26
Q

Cost gap

A

Too much money is being spent on talent acquisition and development activities.

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27
Q

Knowledge-sharing gap

A

Organizational learning is not occurring.

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28
Q

Succession gap

A

It is not clear where the next generation of leaders will come from.

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29
Q

Retention gap

A

The best talent is leaving the organization.

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30
Q

Criteria to prioritize gaps to determine which ones should be addressed

A
  • Permanence
  • Impact
  • Control (resources & ability)
  • Evidence (quality of data)
  • Root cause
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31
Q

Defining tactical staffing objectives

A
  • Done after gaps are prioritized
  • Focus on closing high-priority gaps in the near term
  • Specify concrete and measurable terms where gaps must be closed and when
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32
Q

Staffing solution analysis

A
  • Decides to build, buy or borrow
    • How to meet tactical objectives in budget
  • Looks at labor market trends
  • Decides between continuous recruitment program or wait until positions are open
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33
Q

Staffing plan

A
  • Makes workforce analysis data and objectives reality
  • Describes how tactical objectives are going to be achieved through delegation of tasks and application of resources
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34
Q

Staffing plan should be

A
  • Consistent with HR planning initatives
  • Collaborative and easy to understand by all
  • Accepted by those responsible for implementing the plan
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35
Q

Elements of staffing plan

A
  • Statement of purpose (goals and targets)
  • Stakeholders
  • Activities and tasks
  • Team members
  • Resources
  • Communication plan
  • Continuous improvement (review how tactical objectives are achieved and ways to continuously improve plan)
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36
Q

Idenitfying staffing plan stakehholders

A
  • Operational management
  • HR management
  • Line management
  • Other organizational units
  • Union leadership
37
Q

Identifying resources needed to create staffing plan

A
  • Budget
  • Project schedule
  • Staffing plan team of adequate size and availability
  • Knowledge required to shape plan to specific stakeholder circumstances
  • Equipment, facilities and materials
  • Logistical support
38
Q

Components of communication plan in support of staffing plan

A
  • Audience
  • Objectives
  • Required information
  • Modes of communication
  • Resources
  • Timing
  • Responsibility and accountability
39
Q

Common times flexible staff are used

A
  • Shortages of available workers for open positions.
  • Seasonal peak demands .
  • Operational ups and downs that make permanent head count impractical.
  • Special projects that demand specific skills.
40
Q

Types of flexible staff by the organization

A
  • Temporary assignments
  • Temporary employees
  • On-call workers
  • Part-time employees
  • Job sharing
  • Seasonal workers
  • Phased retirement
41
Q

On-call workers

A

Employees who report to work only when needed

42
Q

Job sharing

A
  • Having two different employees preforming the task of one full time position
  • Each person works part-time schedule but accountable for duties of full-time position
  • Communication between the two employees is key
43
Q

Phased retirement

A
  • Any work arrangement that falls between full-time retirement and working full-time
  • Allows mature employees to work reduced or modified basis as they approach retirement
44
Q

Flexible staffing that is outsourced

A
  • Finite temporary help
  • Temp-to-hire programs
  • Contract workers
45
Q

Finite temporary help

A
  • Workers are recruited, screened, and employed by a temporary help firm
  • Temporary firm assigns individuals to work at client sites for a finite duration (e.g., to cover an employee’s medical/maternity leave).
46
Q

Contract workers

A
  • Highly skilled workers (e.g., engineers, data processing specialists) supplied for long-term projects
  • Under contract between the organization and a technical services firm.
47
Q

Considerations when considering flexible staffing arangements

A
  • Function to be performed.
  • Level of supervision required.
  • Time constraints.
  • Financial constraints.
  • Concerns about legal risks and liability.
48
Q

Types of Flexible Staffing Arrangements

A
  • Payrolling
  • Employee leasing or professional employer organization (PEO)
  • Temp-to-lease programs
  • Outsourcing or managed services
49
Q

Payrolling

A
  • Organization identifies specific people and refers them to a staffing firm, which employs them and assigns them to work at the organization
  • Arrangement is usually at a lower cost than traditional (finite) temporary help.
50
Q

Employee leasing or professional employer organization (PEO)

A
  • In an explicit joint venture
  • Organization transfers all or almost all employees at a discrete site or facility to the payroll of an employee leasing firm
  • The PEO leases employees back to the organization while handling most of the HR administrative functions (e.g., payroll, benefits).
51
Q

Temp-to-lease programs

A
  • An organization contracts with two (usually affiliated) staffing firms—generally a temporary service and a PEO
  • The temporary firm assigns long-term temporaries to a client organization and, after a period of time, the employees are promoted to lease status and become eligible for benefits from the PEO.
52
Q

Outsourcing or managed services

A
  • An independent organization with expertise in operating a specific function contracts with an organization has full responsibility for the function (as opposed to just supplying employees)
  • Functions may be peripheral to the core business (e.g., security, food services) or closer to operations (such as managing all flexible staffing programs or the IT function).
53
Q

Co-employment

A
  • Also known as joint employment.
  • When an organization shares responsibility and liability for their alternative workers with an alternative staffing supplier
54
Q

Independent contractors

A
  • Also known as consultants or freelancers
  • Economically dependent worker - self employeed but gets most of their income from one worker
  • Provides greater flexibility and manages uncertainty with entering a new market
55
Q

Guidelines for flexible staffing

A
  • Be cautious of preprinted or standard forms
  • Ensure clarity
  • Negotiate competitive pricing
  • Consider including an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provision
  • Include a simple opt-out procedure
  • Negotiate clear and precise provisions for what happens when the agreement expires or the relationship ends
56
Q

Restructuring

A

Reorganizing the legal, ownership, operational, or other structures of an organization.

57
Q

Drivers of restructuring

A
  • Strategy
    • Could include new divisions/products
  • Structure
  • Downsizing
  • Expansion
58
Q

Organizations may add value of the firm with restructuring by

A

Merger and acquisition (M&A) or by shedding assets that do not contribute to the bottom line through divestotire

59
Q

Due diligence in M&A include identifying these issues

A
  • Structural issues
  • Technological considerations
  • Financial considerations
  • Legal issues
60
Q

Due diligence topics for M&A strategies

A
  • Management
  • Management style
  • Culture
  • General employee info
  • Work environment
  • Community labor enviornment
  • Current HR function
  • HR policies and procedures
  • Effect of future business strategy
  • Hidden costs of acquisition
61
Q

HR’s major role in the M&A process

A
  • Maintain focus on the “people” dimension
  • Conducting HR due dilligence
  • Plans M&A HR integration strategy, implements, monitors and evaluates
62
Q

Planning the M&A process

A
  • Maping and comparing the two organization’s structures and processes to decide how to manage differences
  • Key talent identified with plans on retention
63
Q

HR M&A integration plan should include

A
  • Desnating integration leaders
  • Securing management support and resources
  • Developing integration and communication plans, set objectives and establish timeline
64
Q

Implementing M&A plan

A
  • Communicating honestly and quickly before rumors
  • Make required changes quickly
  • Support efforts to blend or reverse work processes (ex: cross-cultural tax force)
  • Include stakeholders
65
Q

After M&A

A
  • Monitor for problems and respond appropriately
  • Implement initatives to build cohesion
66
Q

Due diligence in divestiture

A
  • Analyze skill and functions of divested unit
  • If gap - determine cost of filling the gap vs the divestiture
67
Q

Reduction in force (RIF)

A
  • Also called downsizing
  • Termination of employment of individual employees or groups of employees for reasons other than performance, for example, economic necessity or restructuring
68
Q

HR’s Role After RIF

A
  • Communicate rationale for new goals and strucutures
  • Provide employees with behaviors that will and will not be tolderated
  • Support leaders and managers in leading by example and helping employees see how new challenges can be met
  • Define job definitions and responsibilities
  • Align rewards to support organizational goals
69
Q

Considerations in RIF

A
  • Laws - national and local
  • Union contracts
  • Skill, work record, seniority
70
Q

Talent management

A
  • Development and integration of HR processes that attract, develop, engage, and retain the knowledge, skills, and abilities of employees that will meet current and future organizational needs
  • Goal - increase productivity by supporting development. engagement and retention of high-value employees
71
Q

Effective talent management requires

A
  • Understanding the business strategy in terms of required competencies
  • Tracking external conditions that affect availability of talent
  • Reflecting on organizational values and commitment to diversity, eqity and employee development
  • Commitment to creating a positive and engaged workforce
72
Q

Talent pools

A
  • Essential to strategic business planning
  • Maximizes and targets employee and career development efforts
  • Tool for identifying and cataloging developmental experiences of employees who are candidates for future international assignments
  • Valuable resource during crisis management
  • Recognizes solid performers
  • Aid in clarifying or guiding compensation decisions
  • Knowledge management tool
73
Q

How to measure talent management effectivieness

A
  • Analyze percentage of positions with internal successors
  • Compare number of external hires to internal promotions
  • Evaluate differention of pay between performance levels
  • Identify high-potential employees and review their corresponding retention rates
  • Track retention and turnover rates at all levels
74
Q

Succession planning

A
  • Talent management strategy
  • Identifyes and fosters the development of high-potential employees or other job candidates who, over time, may move into leadership positions of increased responsibility.
75
Q

Components of successful succession plans

A
  • Visible support from senior leadrship and all members of top management
  • Clearly defined leadership criteria
  • Defined plan to find, retain and motivate future leaders
  • Easy to follow measurable process
  • Use of succesion planning to reinforce organizational culture
  • Process relies but not only on leadership development
  • Process relies on organizational priority
76
Q

Common succession planning mistakes

A
  • Basing staffing needs on only past or current experiences
  • Developing succession plans in isolation
  • Making it once a year event instead of ongoing
77
Q

How to evaluate succession planning effectiveness

A
  • Employee satisfaction with personal development initatives
  • Management satisfaction with employee performance and job readiness
  • Extent of goals achieved and time to fill
78
Q

Knowledge management (KM)

A
  • Process of creating, acquiring, sharing, and managing knowledge to augment individual and organizational performance.
79
Q

Knowledge management programs focus on

A
  • Expertise sharing and organizational learning
  • Knowledge retention and the reduction of knowledge loss due to employee attrition
80
Q

Reference

Types of informantion that can be focus of KM efforts

A
  • Leadership characteristics and behaviors.
  • Supplier management information and techniques.
  • Process control in operations.
  • Information management practices, techniques, and specifications.
  • Problem-solving techniques.
  • Innovation best practices.
  • People commitment procedures, policies, and practices.
  • Customer satisfaction practices, programs, skills, and techniques.
  • New product, service, or technology launch and introduction practices.
  • Change management practices and capabilities.
81
Q

Formal knowledge management systems

A
  • Have a structured, formal procedure for capturing information
  • Specific repository for where information is gathered
82
Q

Informal knowledge management systems

A
  • Come from employees and teams gaining experience and developing ability to recognize and identify critical information, best practices and experiences
  • Very influential and important
  • Based on personal networks and personal contact info
83
Q

Steps to formal knowledge management system

A
  1. Inventory knowledge access
  2. Create knowledge repository and directory
  3. Encourage system use
  4. Update system
84
Q

Inventory knowledge assets step of formal knowledge management system

A
  • Cateloging organization’s tangible assets
    • Papers, proposals, presentations, etc
  • Can include components of information systems
85
Q

Create a knowledge repository and directory step of a formal KM system

A
  • Tool
    • Quick and easy to use
    • May offer ability to forceast information and assign team members
  • Typically on the intranet
86
Q

Encourage system use stage of formal KM system

A
  • Implement communication, training and other processes to get acceptance
  • If system is not seen as essential it will not be successful
87
Q

Update the system step of KM system

A
  • Keep database up-to-date
  • Updates are essential to keep integrity and credibility of the system
88
Q

Resource

Uses of KM systems

A
  • Law enforcement - manage large volumes of information while streamlining and systematizing each step of criminal investigations
  • Knowledge of consumer trends
  • Manage product development and approvial cycles
  • Capture learning from every assignment
89
Q
A