Unit 8

• Human Resources department

  Responsibilities:

  Recruit and select workers

  Have a say in wages

  Dealing with industrial relationships with trade unions

  Design training programmes

  Assure health and security for employees

  Be partially in charge of redundancy and retirement of employees or dismissal
• HR must always comply with laws of redundancy
• Recruitment


  The process of identifying what the business needs
• Selection


  The process in which HR and the manager of the department select a candidate
• In a large business, the HR department is in charge of the recruitment and selection process. In small businesses, owners and managers do this
• Recruitment process

  1. Vacancy arises

  2. Job analysis

  3. Job description

  4. Job specification

  5. Job advertisement

  6. Application forms and short-listing

  7. Interviews and selections

  8. Vacancy filled
• Job Analysis


  Study tasks and activities carried out on the job
• Job Description


  Conditions of employment, training offered, opportunities for promotion
• Job Specification


  Level of education required, amount and type of experience, special skills and knowledge required, particular aptitude, personal characteristics
• Internal Recruitment

  • Advertised in the company's noticeboard, newspaper or email
  • Advantages: saves money and time, candidate knows the business, candidate knows what is expected, motivates employees
  • Disadvantages: no new ideas, jealousy and rivalry among existing employees
• External Recruitment

  • Local newspapers
  • National newspapers
  • Specialist magazines and journals
  • Recruitment agency
  • Centres run by the government
• Job Advertisement


  Should include duties involved, qualifications, salary, working conditions, schedule
• CV/Résumé

  A summary of a person's qualifications, experience and qualities, written in a standard form
• Letter of Application


  Should include why the applicant wants the job and why they feel they would be suitable
• Interviews


  Assess applicant's ability, personal qualities, general character and personality. Can include skill tests, aptitude tests, personality tests, group situation tests
• Contract of Employment

  Should include name of employee and employer, job title, date when the job begins, hours to be worked, rate of benefits and other benefits, when payment will be made, holiday entitlement, amount of notice to be given to terminate the employment
• Part-time workers

  Work fewer hours than full-time workers. Advantages: more flexible, easier to extend business hours, fits in for employees looking after children. Disadvantages: less likely to be trained, take longer to recruit, less committed, less likely to be promoted, more difficult to communicate with
• Types of Training

  • Induction training
  • On-the-job training
  • Off-the-job training
• Induction Training


  Carried out when an employee is new in the post. Advantages: helps employees settle in quickly, may be a legal requirement, less likely to make mistakes. Disadvantages: time-consuming, wages paid but no work done
• On-the-job Training


  The new employee is trained by watching more experienced workers. Advantages: individual tuition, ensure some production, costs less. Disadvantages: trainer less productive, trainer may have bad habits, not necessarily recognised qualifications
• Off-the-job Training


  Worker goes away from the workplace to be trained. Advantages: broad range of skills, courses outside working hours, uses expert trainers. Disadvantages: high costs, wages paid for extra hours without output, additional qualifications may lead to employee leaving
• Situations requiring workforce downsizing

  • Automation
  • Failing demand
  • Factory/office/shop closing
  • Relocating factory abroad
  • Business merger or takeover
• Dismissal


  When a worker is told to leave their job because their work or behaviour has been unsatisfactory
• Redundancy

  When workers are no longer needed through no fault of their own, they may be given compensation for losing their job
• Factors helping decide who to make redundant


  • Workers volunteering
  • Length of time employed
  • Workers with essential skills
  • Employment history (attendance, performance, punctuality)
• In several countries, the law assures equal employment opportunities regardless of factors like sex, race, religion, disability
• Employees need legal protection against discrimination, unsafe working conditions, unfair dismissal, and wage exploitation
• Minimum Wage

  Advantages: prevent exploiting unskilled workers, encourage training, encourage people to seek work, allow low-paid workers to spend more. Disadvantages: increases business costs, may lead to job losses, may lead to demands for higher wages above minimum