Workforce Planning

Question 1

Internal recruitment is…

Answer 1

Advertising within the organisation through staff newsletters, article, email, staff intranet

Question 2

Advantages to internal recruitment are…x4

Answer 2

Staff members are already known so you know whether they will be suitable and fit the job
Reduces advertising costs
Vacancy can be filled quickly and they don’t need to travel as they’re already there
Employees feel noticed and motivated

Question 3

Disadvantages to internal recruitment is…

Answer 3

Limited pool of candidates and job might not be suitable for anyone
Promotion in gone employee over others can create demotivation and conflict
Creates another vacancy
Missing out on fresh ideas and skills

Question 4

External recruitment is…

Answer 4

Advertising out with the organisation
Newspaper, job centre, websites, recruitment agencies

Question 5

Advantages of external recruitment are…x4

Answer 5

Fresh ideas brought into business= competitive edge
Wider pool of candidates leading to more variety in workplace
Avoids creating further vacancy because they didn’t have a job within previously
Avoids jealousy due to new members and recruited externally

Question 6

Disadvantages to external recruitment are…x4

Answer 6

Takes time and finance to advertise to wide area to find the right person
Vast pool of candidates makes it difficult to find the right person
Existing staff can become demotivated as they aren’t give the chance
Don’t know the candidates which is risky and creates uncertainty of new staff

Question 7

Internal and external recruitment differences are…x4

Answer 7

I recurring existing employees
E recruiting new employees
I advertise within firm through intranet, email, staff newsletter
E advertise externally through job agencies, newspapers, websites
I can motivate staff as they have chance of promotion
E demotivated staff as positions are filled by new staff
I narrow pool of candidates and may not result in good selection
E vast pool which takes longer to select

Question 8

Advantages to motivated staff are…x4

Answer 8

Retains the workforce as staff are happy and less likely to leave for other work which reduces recruitment and training costs
Attracts high quality applicants for the job. This is because happy staff give the employer a good reputation.
Happy staff can be more productive and make less mistakes. This ensures high quality which reduces complaints and increases profit
Reduces staff absenteeism which reduces overtime costs and reduces need for temporary workers

Question 9

Disadvantages to demotivated staff are…x3

Answer 9

Less productive with less care over work which means more mistakes will be made. This increases wastage and customer complaints.
Staff may leave for other job opportunities which increases recruitment, training and selection costs. This can also reduce productivity whilst vacancy is being filled
Unhappy staff at work can spread negativity about firm which damages their reputation. Can struggle to find new staff.

Question 10

Autocratic leadership is when…

Answer 10

Authority and control is retained by the leader meaning managers tell employees what to do

Question 11

Autocratic advantages are…x3

Answer 11

Cleaner expectations of what needs to be done
Decisions can be made quickly
Works well when manager is most knowledgeable and skilled in team

Question 12

Autocratic disadvantages are…x3

Answer 12

Employees ideas and creativity may not be considered
Employees become demotivated by lack of input or responsibility
Amount of decision making can be stressful for managers

Question 13

Democratic is when…

Answer 13

Communication between managers and employees is key as managers let employees have input in decision making

Question 14

Democratic advantages are…x3

Answer 14

Highly motivated employees feel empowered
Employees are better prepared for promotion
Employees more accepting of change within org

Question 15

Democratic disadvantages are…x3

Answer 15

Time-consuming decision making process
Strong leader is required to the discussions with supervising please
Mistakes can be made if workers are not skilled experience to not to participate in decisions

Question 16

Laissez-faire leadership means…

Answer 16

Managers don’t issue instructions or supervise staff but let them carry out their own jobs

Question 17

Laissez-faire advantages are…x3

Answer 17

Effective in situations where staff are highly skilled and motivated
Employees may feel empowered by their new responsibility which reduces staff turnover
Leaves room for innovative decision-making to solve complex problems

Question 18

Laissez-faire disadvantages are…x3

Answer 18

Inexperienced staff making decisions can lead to objectives not being met due to lack of direction
Employees feel pressured with no support which increases stress and the motivation
It is unclear who takes responsibility

Question 19

Factors effecting leadership style are…x7

Answer 19

Corporate culture- open and relaxed organisations may have a laissez-faire approach
Task involved- complex task may need more direction, creative task may need hands off approach
Time available- time constraints may need autocratic controlled by leader to meet deadlines
Staff- highly skilled staff are motivated staff so usually need less motivation= laissez-faire approach
Availability of finance- Lack of finance may require an autocratic approach to reduce wastage others may be able to delegate more
Leadership on personality- readers may lack specific qualities to be democratic and too friendly to be autocratic
Group size- large groups require clear autocratic style. Democratic style can lead to confusion in large numbers

Question 20

Induction training is…

Answer 20

Offered to new employees when they join an organisation and usually includes tour of premises, health and safety info, introduction to colleagues

Question 21

On the job training is…

Answer 21

Training that is undertaken in your place of work within shadow of experience people or through learning from other departments .

Question 22

Off the job training is…

Answer 22

Training that is undertaken outside of the workplace such as colleges or training centres

Question 23

Training advantages are…x4

Answer 23

Employees become more competent which increases productivity and reduces mistakes which results in higher quality service
Staff become more flexible due to new skills and can cover the work of others which means they can adapt to take new jobs
Increase motivation a staff feel valued which reduces staff turnover and helps retain staff which reduces recruitment costs
Can attract high-quality candidates due to good reputation

Question 24

Disadvantages to training are…x4

Answer 24

Once staff are trained they could leave for a better paid job which may mean HR have to offer better wages to retain workforce
Financial costs of training process e.g. travelling, time away from work, course costs
Output and productivity is lost whilst training is taking place
Quality of the training must be high to ensure it’s worthwhile

Question 25

Corporate training schemes are…

Answer 25

Offered by organisations to employees within the company to learn new skills to improve quality of their work or advance within the organisation

Question 26

Costs of corporate training schemes are…x2

Answer 26

Can be time-consuming to carry out the training required
Can be costly for the organisation to provide training and wage rises

Question 27

Benefits of corporate training schemes are…x2

Answer 27

Standard of work can improve their training
Employees will be more motivated

Question 28

Work based qualifications are…

Answer 28

Where employees learn the skills required to gain the qualification while carrying out their job

Question 29

Costs of work based qualifications are…x3

Answer 29

Qualifications can take a long time to complete on part-time basis
Employee may leave the organisation once qualification is gained
Costly to pay for people to carry out training

Question 30

Benefits to work based qualifications are…x3

Answer 30

Training is specifically tailored to suit firms needs
Employees can gain a recognised qualification
Standard of work improved through training

Question 31

Continuing professional development is…

Answer 31

Training that takes place through a career to ensure that employees stay up-to-date with the knowledge and skills required to do their job or advance in their career

Question 32

Costs of continuous professional development are…x2

Answer 32

Meditate people away from their work in order to complete training which means output and productivity can we lost
Can cost the organisation to send workers on training courses

Question 33

Benefits of continuous professional development are…x3

Answer 33

Improve the skills of staff which can lead to better quality goods or service
Motivate staff as they’re able to do their job and feel valued as the company is investing in the training
Ensures the org keep staff up-to-date with mandatory training requirements

Question 34

Graduate training programmes are…

Answer 34

Programs offered by companies to people who have recently gained a degree qualification from university and allows them to experience different aspects of the business

Question 35

Graduate training programme advantages are…x3

Answer 35

Gives graduate experience of working environment
Graduates can gain skills required to work permanently for org
Org can decide where best to employ graduates at the end of the training scheme

Question 36

Graduate training programme disadvantages are…x3

Answer 36

No guarantee of a job at the end of training scheme
Can be time-consuming to carry out the on the job training required
Graduate might leave once training is completed

Question 37

Apprenticeship is…

Answer 37

When formal qualifications are gained while working in learning on the job combined with days at college

Question 38

Costs of apprenticeships are…x4

Answer 38

Time-consuming due to high level of supervision from experience staff members
Apprentices may make mistakes in the training which can harm the reputation of org
Apprentices paid a wage while they train
No guarantee of job security once completed

Question 39

Benefits of apprenticeships are…x3

Answer 39

Professional qualifications can be gained
Training is specifically tailored to suit the firms needs and job role
Less costly as training takes place while performing the job