Smu I Year Hrm Exam Notes Essay Example

Smu I Year Hrm Exam Notes Essay Example Smu I Year Hrm Exam Notes Essay Smu I Year Hrm Exam Notes Essay Explain the objectives and process of HRP? Human resource planning or manpower planning is essentially the predetermine process of getting the right number of qualified people into the right job at the right time. In Other Words Human resource planning is a process by which an organization should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position.Through planning, management strikes to have the right number and right kinds of people, at the right places, at the right time, doing things which result in both the organization and the individual receiving maximum long-run benefit. Process of HRP: 1. Assessing Human Resources The assessment of HR begins with environmental analysis, under which the external (PEST) and internal (objectives, resources and structure) are analyzed to assess the currently available HR inventory level. 2. Demand Forecasting HR forecasting is the process of estimating demand for and supply of HR in an organization.Demand forecasting is a process of determining future needs for HR in terms of quantity and quality. 3. Supply Forecasting Supply is another side of human resource assessment. It is concerned with the estimation of supply of manpower given the analysis of current resource and future availability of human resource in the organization. 4. Matching Demand and Supply It is another step of human resource planning. It is concerned with bringing the forecast of future demand and supply of HR. The matching process refers to bring demand and supply in an equilibrium position so that shortages and over staffing position will be solved. . Action Plan It is the last phase of human resource planning which is concerned with surplus and shortages of human resource. Under it, the HR plan is executed through the designation of different HR activities. The major activities which are required to execute the HR plan are recruitment, selection, placement, training and development, socialization etc. Objectives of HRP: 1. To recruit and maintain the HR of requisite quantity and quality. 2. To predict the employee turnover and make the arrangements for minimizing turnover and filing up of consequent vacancies. 3.To meet the requirements of the programs of expansion, diversification etc. 4. To anticipate the impact of technology on work, existing employees and future human resource requirements. 5. To progress the knowledge, skill, standards, ability and discipline etc. 6. To appraise the surplus or shortage of human resources and take actions accordingly. 7. To maintain pleasant industrial relations by maintaining optimum level and structure of human resource. 8. To minimize imbalances caused due to non-availability of human resources of right kind, right number in right time and right place. . To make the best use of its human resources; and 10. To estimate the cost of human resources. Q2. What are the factors affecting recruitment? What are the sources of recruitment? Definition of Recruitment: The process of finding and hiring the best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organization) for a job opening, in a timely and cost effective manner. The recruitment process includes analyzing the requirements of a job, attracting employees to that job, screening and selecting applicants, hiring, and integrating the new employee to the organization.The recruitment function of the organizations is affected and governed by a mix of various internal and external forces. The internal forces or factors are the factors that can be controlled by the organization. And the external factors are those factors which cannot be controlled by the organization. The internal and external forces affecting recruitment function of an organization are: Internal Factors 1. Size of the organization Recruitment process is affected by the size of the organization to a large extent. Experience suggests that larger organizations recruits more candidates than small ones. . Recruiting Policy The recruitment policy of the firm also affects the recruitment process. This policy is concerned with candidates from outside the organization, whereas others want to recruit from internal sources. 3. Image of the organization Image or goodwill of the organization also affects the recruitment. Organizations having good image can attract potential and competent candidates to a large extent. 4. Image of job Jobs having good image in terms of better remuneration, working condition, promotion, career development opportunities etc. an attract the potential and qualified candidates to a large extent. External Factors 1. Demographic factors A demography is the study of human population in terms of age, sex, occupation, religion, composition, ethnicity etc. The demographic factors have profound influence on recruitment process. 2. Labor market Labor market constitutes the force of demand and supply of labor of particular importance. For instance, if demand for a particular skill is high relative to its supply, the recruitment process evolves more efforts. Contrary to it, if supply is more than demand, the recruitment process will be easier. . Unemployment situations Unemployment rate of particular area is yet another influencing factor of recruitment process. If the unemployment rate is high, the recruitment process will be simpler and vice versa. 4. Social and political environment The forces of social and political environment also influence recruitment policy. For instance, the change in government can have a direct impact upon recruitment policy of the company due to change in government rules and regulations. Sources of Recruitment The different sources of recruitment are classified into two categories, viz.Internal: sources of recruitment are from within the organization. External: sources of recruitment are from outside the organization. Internal Sources 1. Promotions Promotion means to give a higher position, status, salary and responsibility to the employee. So, the vacancy can be filled by promoting a suitable candidate from the same organization. 2. Transfers Transfer means a change in the place of employment without any change in the position, status, salary and responsibility of the employee. 3. Internal Advertisements Here, the vacancy is advertised within the organization.The existing employees are asked to apply for the vacancy. External Sources 1. Public Advertisements The Personnel department of a company advertises the vacancy in newspapers, the internet, etc. This advertisement gives information about the company, the job and the required qualities of the candidate. 2. Campus Recruitment The organization conducts interviews in the campuses of Management institutes and Engineering Colleges. Final year students, whore soon to get graduate, are interviewed. Suitable candidates are selected by the organization based on their academic record, communication skills, intelligence, etc. . Recommendations The organization may also recruit candidates based on the recommendations received from existing managers or from sister companies. Q3. What are the main objectives of training? Explain on-the job and off the job training? Training is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of skills, concepts, rules, or changing of attitudes and behaviors to enhance the performance of employees whereas development is the act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining and future growth. Objective of Training To impart basic knowledge and skill to new entrants required for intelligent performance of definite task in order to induct them without much loss of time. To assist employees to function more effectively by exposure of latest concepts information and techniques and development of skills required in specific fields including production, purchase, marketing, logistics, information technology etc. To broaden minds of supervisors. Sometimes, narrowness of outlook may arise in supervisors because of specialization. In order to correct this narrowness they are provided with opportunities and interchange of experience. To build second line of competent employees and enable them to occupy more responsible positions as situation emerge. To prepare employees to undertake different jobs in order to enable redeployment and maintain flexibility in workforce so that ever changing environment of market can be met and downturns can be managed without losing experienced employees. To provide employees job satisfaction, training enables an employee to use their skill, knowledge and ability to fullest extent and thus experience job satisfaction and gain monetary benefits from enhanced productivity. To improve knowledge, skills, efficiency of employees to obtain maximum individual development. To fulfill goals of organization by securing optimum co-operation and contribution from the employees. On the Job-Training On-the-job training is training that takes place while employees are actually working. It means that skills can be gained while trainees are carrying out their jobs. This benefits both employees and the business. Employees learn in the real work environment and gain experience dealing with the tasks and challenges that they will meet during a normal working day. The business enefits by ensuring that the training is specific to the job. It also does not have to meet the additional costs of providing off-the-job training or losing working time. Methods of providing on-the-job training Coaching – An experienced member of staff will help trainees learn skills and processes through providing instructions or demonstrations (or both). Mentoring – Each trainee is allocated to an established member of staff who acts as a guide and helper. A mentor usually offers more personal support than a coach, although the terms mentor’ and coach’ are often used interchangeably. Job rotation – This is where members of staff rotate roles or tasks so that they gain experience of a full range of jobs. Sitting next to Nellie’ – This describes the process of working alongside a colleague to observe and learn the skills needed for a particular process. Off the Job-Training Off-the-job training is provided away from the immediate workplace. This might be at a specialist training center or at a college or at a company’s own premises. This type of training can be particularly useful for developing transferable skills that can be used in many different parts of the business.It may be used, for example, to train employees in the use of new equipment and new methods or to bring them up to date with changes in the law. Methods of providing off-the-job training Lecture In lecture method trainers used to communicate with spoken words which they want the trainees to learn, it is primarily one way communication of learned capabilities from trai ner to audience. Audio Visual Techniques Audio visual instruction includes overheads, slides and video. Video can be used for improving communication skills and customer service skills, it can also illustrate how procedures can be followed. Simulations It represents real life situations regarding trainees decisions resulting in outcomes that reflects what would happen if they were on the job. Simulations allow trainees to see impact of their decisions in an artificial, risk free environment. Case Studies This method involves studying cases from all perspectives, analyzing the various options available to the company for solving problems or address issues and arriving at most suitable answers. Q4. Define performance management. Write a brief note on 360 degree appraisal?Performance Management Performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. Performance management is a whole work system that begins when a job is defined as needed. It ends when an employee leaves your organization. Many writers and consultants are using the term performance management as a substitution for the traditional appraisal system. I encourage you to think of the term in this broader work system context.Meaning of 360 Degree Appraisal An appraisal made by top management, immediate superior, peers, subordinates, self and customers is called 360 Degree Appraisal. Here, the performance of the employee or manager is evaluated by six parties, including himself. So, he gets a feedback of his performance from everyone around him. This method is very reliable because evaluation is done by many different parties. These parties are in the best position to evaluate the employee or manager because they are continuously interacting and working with him.This method is mostly used to evaluate the performance of the employees. However, it is also used to evaluate other qualities such as talents, behavior, values, ethical standards, tempers, loyalty, etc. Six Parties in 360 Degree Appraisal Top Management Immediate Superior Peers / Co-workers Subordinates Self-Appraisal Customers 360 degree feedback appraisal The 360 degree feedback appraisal systems collect information from a variety of people with whom the employee has frequent contact.The evaluation asks each participant questions about the employee’s behavior across a broad array of job related competencies. Its confidential nature and broad perspective make this appraisal tool more credible to many employees than traditional performance appraisal systems. Significance The performance evaluations utilize multiple anonymous sources to obtain honest feedback regarding an employee’s performance. The anonymous nature and multiple sources make the final findings harder to ignore.If an employee receives the same or similar feedback from the multiple sources, he cannot simply brush it off as an anomaly. Criteria Assessed The 360 degree appraisal process assesses the skills, behavior and knowledge of the employee, usually a manager. More specifically, the survey questions on knowledge assess how well the employee knows his job, the company and the industry in general. The skills portion evaluates the employee’s time management and organization skills, communication skills, specific job competencies and customer satisfaction. TrainingParticipants in the evaluation process should receive training regarding the interpretation of survey questions, the importance of confidentiality and the importance of complete honesty in ratings. Proper training of evaluators is critical to the success and validity of the 360 degree appraisal system. Planning Employees must view the performance appraisal process as credible and valid for the results to have any positive impact on their future performance. Warning The 360 degree feedback performance appraisal process works best when survey questions are customized to the company using it.Human resources can purchase pre-made, generic questions, but these often do not collect information relevant to that company’s specific operations. Q5. What is meant by job analysis? Explain its purpose and methods? Job Analysis Job analysis is the process of analyzing jobs. It is very broad concept. Therefore Before describing the meaning and nature of the job analysis, it is important to discuss about the meaning of the job. Job- job is the bundle of related task. For example, inspecting resume of a job seeker is a task. The whole lot of tasks relating to recruitment constitutes job.Job Analysis- it is the process of collecting job related information. Such information helps in the preparation of job description and job specification. There are two outcomes of job analysis: Job description Job specification Job Description- it indicates what all a job involves. For example, job title, location, job summary, duties machine, tools, equipment’s, material and forms used, supervision given and received and working conditions. Job Specification- the capabilities that the job holder should possess form part of job specification.For example, education, training, experience, judgment, initiative, physical effort, physical skills, communication skills and emotional characteristics. Purpose of Job Analysis Job Analysis plays an important role in recruitment and selection, job evaluation, job designing, deciding compensation and benefits packages, performance appraisal, analyzing training and development needs, assessing the worth of a job and increasing personnel as well as organizational productivity. Recruitment and Selection: Job Analysis helps in determining what kind of person is required to perform a particular job.It points out the educational qualifications, level of experience and technical, physical, emotional and personal skills required to carry out a job in desired fashion. The objective is to fit a right person at a right place. Performance Analysis: Job analysis is done to check if goals and objectives of a particular job are met or not. It helps in deciding the performance standards, evaluation criteria and individual’s output. On this basis, the overall performance of an employee is measured and he or she is appraised accordingly. Training and Development: Job Analysis can be used to assess the training and development needs of employees. The difference between the expected and actual output determines the level of training that need to be imparted to employees. It also helps in deciding the training content, tools and equipment’s to be used to conduct training and methods of training. Compensation Management: Of course, job analysis plays a vital role in deciding the pay packages and extra perks and benefits and fixed and variable incentives of employees.After all, the pay package depends on the position, job title and duties and responsibilities involved in a job Job Designing and Redesigning: The main purpose of job analysis is to streamline the human efforts and get the best possible output. It helps in designing, redesigning, enriching, evaluating and also cutting back and adding the extra responsibilities in a particular job. This is done to enhance the employee satisfaction while increasing the human output. Job Analysis Methods Most Common Methods of Job Analysis are: Observation Method: A job analyst observes an employee and records all his performed and non-performed task, fulfilled and un-fulfilled responsibilities and duties, methods, ways and skills used by him or her to perform various duties and his or her mental or emotional ability to handle challenges and risks. However, it seems one of the easiest methods to analyze a specific job but truth is that it is the most difficult one. Why? Let’s Discover. It is due to the fact that every person has his own way of observing things.Different people think different and interpret the findings in different ways. Therefore, the process may involve personal biasness or likes and dislikes and may not produce genuine results. This error can be avoided by proper training of job analyst or whoever will be conducting the job analysis process. This particular method includes three techniques: direct observation, Work Methods Analysis and Critical Incident Technique. The first method includes direct observation and recording of behavior of an employee in different situations.The second involves the study of time and motion and is specially used for assembly-line or factory workers. The third one is about identifying the work behaviors that result in performance. Interview Method: In this method, an employee is interviewed so that he or she comes up with their own working styles, problems faced by them, use of particular skills and techniques while performing their job and insecurities and fears about their careers. This method helps interviewer know what exactly an employee thinks about his or her own job and responsibilities involved in it.It involves analysis of job by employee himself. In order to generate honest and true feedback or collect genuine data, questions asked during the interview should be carefully decided. And to avoid errors, it is always good to interview more than one individual to get a pool of responses. Then it can be generalized and used for the whole group. Questionnaire Method: Another commonly used job analysis method is getting the questionnaires filled from employees, their superiors and managers. However, this method also suffers from personal biasness.A great care should be takes while framing questions for different grades of employees. Q6. What are the benefits and objectives of employee welfare measures? Employee welfare means anything done for intellectional physical moral and economic betterment of the workers, whether by employers, by Government or by other agencies, over and above what is laid down by law, or what is normally expected on the part of the contracted benefits for which workers may have bargained. Following features of employee welfare can be identified:Employee welfare is a comprehensive term including various services, facilities and amenities provided to employees for their betterment. Welfare measures are in addition to regular wages and other economic benefits available to employees under legal provisions and collective bargaining. Welfare measures may be provided not only by employers but by the government, trade unions and other agencies too. The basic purpose of employee welfare is to improve the lot of the working class and thereby make a worker a good employee and a happy citizen.Employee welfare is an essential part of social welfare. It involves adjustment of an employee’s work life and family life to the community or social life. Employee welfare measures are also known as fringe benefits and services. Benefits of Employee Welfare Compliance As a business owner, you are required by law to provide certain benefits for the welfare of your employees. You have to match the Social Security taxes your employees pay and obtain a workers compensation insurance policy. If ou terminate an employee, you have to provide Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) funds to extend his health insurance. Recruitment and Retention The benefits an employee receives from his employer for his welfare are often a significant reason why he decides to accept a job offer. As such, providing employee benefits allows you to compete with other businesses to recruit and retain qualify employees. If other employers offer better benefits, good employees may choose to go there. Employees Well-BeingBy providing a plan thats good for employees welfare, you show them that you value them. This can help make them feel welcome and happy in your company, motivating them to work harder. If your health plan has wellness coverage and preventative care, employees are more likely to stay healthy, cutting down on absenteeism and sick days. Company Image Providing a good employee welfare plan reflects well on your business, building a good company image. It may even earn you some press coverage, giving you free publicity to improve awareness among potential customers.This may boost your sales and increase your profits. Objectives of Employee Welfare Production One of the primary concerns of employee welfare promotion is to create happy employees. However, this type of objective has a greater purpose and is not always due to the benevolence of the employer. Instead, good employers both genuinely care for their employees and do so because they know that a happy employee is one that will be productive and do his job correctly. In careers ike sales where production is essential to making money, employers who promote employee welfare know that employees will make more money for themselves and for the company. Loyalty Another reason to promote the well-being of an employee is that it can improve employee loyalty. In the long run, employees who are taken care of by their employers are less likely to jump ship and change companies or careers. Even in situations where it might be possible to make more money with a different company, the employee who feels accepted and needed by their employer may not even consider other job offers when they come along.Organizational Improvement Because employee welfare deals specifically with the well-being of employees, employee welfare programs adopted by employers are more effective when the wants and wishes of employees are taken into consideration. In organizations where employees are well-cared for and employees are asked to provide suggestions as to how to better improve the company, employees feel as if they play an important role in the improvement of the organization. HealthHealth promotion is another major objective of most employee welfare programs. Prior to the rise of labor unions in the United States, most employees did not have health insurance or any type of programs to promote preventative health measures. However, the health of an employee is integral to the success of a company. Employees who are happy and healthy show up to work every day and do their jobs correctly, whereas those that are in poor health and have no means to change the situation will miss work and slow production.