Chapter 14
The Work of the Human Resources Department:
- Recruitment and Selection:
- The business will first of all have to decide if the employee leaving a job needs to be replaced
- They will also reassess the nature of people’s jobs and consider future requirements
The Recruitment Process
- Vacancy Arrives
- Job Analysis:
Identifies and records the responsibilities and the tasks relating to the job
- Job description:
Outlines the responsibilities and duties to be carries out by someone employed to do a specific job
Title of job, job-holder, purpose of job, main duties, conditions of employment etc.
Makes it easier for the people applying to see if they’re suitable for the job
The new employee would know exactly what they’re meant to do and can be judged accordingly
- Job specification:
Based off of the job description
Outlines the requirements, qualifications, expertise, physical characteristics etc. for a specified job
Level of education, experience, skill needed etc.
- Advertising the Vacancy:
Duties involved, qualifications needed, salary, conditions of employment etc.
Internal recruitment: when a vacancy is filled by someone who is an existing employee of the business
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Saves time and money | No new ideas |
| Reliability and skill pre-known | Jealousy and rivalry |
| Employee already knows how the business works | |
| Motivating factor for labor |
External recruitment: when a vacancy is filled by someone who is not an existing employee and will be new to the business
| Methods | |
| Local newspaper | for low level of skill required such as a clerical/factory position |
| National newspaper | for senior positions looking for skilled, highly paid, mobile labor |
| Specialist magazines | for particular technical people such as scientists |
| Recruitment agencies | for temporary contracts and widely used for their services due to existing database |
| Job centers | run by the government for unskilled and semi-skilled people |
- Government Legislation:
Equal employment opportunities
Paid equal amounts for same work
No discrimination for sex, disabilities, race, religion
If a business discriminates, they would be prosecuted and fined
Promotion on merit only
- Application forms:
Applicants applying in writing
Summary of a person’s qualifications, experience, qualities etc.
The applicants who are the closest match will be invited for an interview
CV (curriculum vitae): name, address, nationality, interests, education, work experience, reference etc.
Letter of application: why applicant wants the job, why he feels he will be suitable
- Interviews:
References needed
Assesses ability, personal qualities, general character
Asked why they want to apply, what hobbies/ambitions they have, what they have to offer and what do they know about the company
Tests | |
| Skills test | ability of a candidate assessed by carrying out tasks |
| Aptitude test | candidate’s potential to gain additional tests assessed |
| Personality tests | particular trait assessed |
| Group situation | each applicant is assessed on the way they work as a member of the team |
- Rejection:
Informed of rejection in a nice way
Thanked for applying
2. Training:
- Introduce new process or new equipment
- Improve efficiency
- Add value to unskilled workers
- Decrease need of supervision
- Improve opportunity for internal promotion
- Decrease chances of accidents
- Tries to increase:
Skill
Knowledge
Attitude/awareness
- Inundation training:
introduction given to a new employee explaining the firm’s activities, customs and procedures and introducing them to their fellow workers
- On-the-job training:
Occurs by watching a more experienced worker doing the job
Only for unskilled and semi-skilled
No travel costs
however
Trainer may not be productive during this period
Trainer may pass on bad habits to the trainee
- Off-the-job training:
Involves being trained away from the workplace, usually by specialist trainers
Broad range of skills can be taught
Multi-skilled
Versatility
Investment in human capital
Increase in productivity and efficiency
3. Workforce planning:
- Business needs to decide on the type and number of employees needed in the future
- Depends on the firm’s sales forecasts, future plans, objectives etc.
- This is planned by:
Finding out all the skills of labor
Counting all those leaving soon
Consulting staff about who wants to retrain
Prepare a recruitment plan
4. Dismissal and Redundancy:
- Dismissal:
Worker is told to leave their job because of their work or behavior being unsatisfactory
- Redundancy:
When an employee is no longer needed and so loses their job.
It is not due to any aspect of their work being unsatisfactory
May be due to merger, takeover, recession, closing down of a branch, new machinery
Given some compensation money
Voluntary redundancy may take place where employees will be willing to be made redundant such as retirement
5. Wages and Salaries
6. Health and Safety
7. Industrial Relations
Business Studies IGCSE