Human resources Human resource management (HRM) Up toa few decades ago, the term ‘human resources’ did not exist. Recruitivent, compensation and training was done by individual departments, and there would be a small ‘personnel department’ that was responsible for clerical jobs such as Keeping stalf records and processing: the payroll. This situation has changed dramatically, mainly because jobs nowadays involve higher ievels of knowledge and skill, ane qualified labour isin short supply Inereasing’y, the modern company sees is Auman capital its employees ~ as one ofits most impartant assets, and most large companies today have an HR strategy. But iti Still often true that HIM is seen as having lower status than other areas af management Determining staffing needs The key area of HR is staffing (~ manpower planning) There are many issues to consider when trying to find qualified canstidates: © The choice between internal secrsitment (less expensive recruitment process, boosts morale} and external secruitinent (brings new ideas and skills, wider selection} © Logal issues such as equal opportunities (no discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, age, disability ete), @ Finding the right balance between permanent, full-time employees (who provide continuity of knowledge and company cutee, as well as stability for families in the local community} andi other employees hired on a moze fexible basis, Amongst the Hlexible satting options are: © Part-time staff on permanent contvacts: This option can include ob shaving’ ~ often of interest to a parent with a ‘young child €@ Sta on temporary contracts, perhaps leases from an outside agency (eg secretaries, hotel and catering staft shudents working throuigh college, etc). These people ‘temp’ and are ‘temps’ (verb and noun) 1 Professional freelancers (sometimes called ‘consuiltants’) brought in for individual projects, Often these jobs replace ones that were previously done ‘in-house’ by permanent stat Recruitment and selection Steps in the process tor Hiring employees are: 1 Identify job requitements, perhaps by drawing up a job description’ and then a ‘person specification’ 2 Choose the sourees of candidates: promotion from within, referrals from existing employees, classified aris (AmB want ads), online recruitment, recruitment agencies, evecetive search {= heeadlrinting) ob fairs, walkcins, ete 3 Review applications andl CVs (AmaE resurees), This initial sereening process is called ‘longlisting 4 Interview a number of candidates on the lengli. 5 Conduct employment tests and check fe 6 Decide on a ‘shortlist’ of strong candidates and hold follow-up interviews. 7 Select acandidate and negotiate the package: compensation and benefits, job performance expectations, ete The selection process cast be complex and mistakes expensive (for higher level managers there may be a-whole relocation package to negotiate). The company needs the best person, both in terms of skis andi of fitting in with the company culture, So ‘0 avoic making a mistake HR makes use of © Assessment centres where groups of Fenple do rele plays, take psychological tests etc. This is. common for younger candidates without a track record. © Chocks on a candidate's background, © Trial (~ probationary) periods before » permanent contract is offered. Compensation and benefits Your basic compensation is Your say twice aff) or wage We colar stat, and usod 10 payoent on an hou!) tx porwr bass. Additonal fnancal inemtnes ned Performance elated bonuses 1 Commiscion (or stan the sas tn ® roti sharing © Stock options (= the chance to buy company shares the fuse at a fixed price! © Pay rises tor additional skills and qualifications. Employees ean also receive a whole range of other benefits, ringe benefits/ perks} such as sick-leave and holiday pay. reliremen: (= pension) plans, health insurance, child care and ele: care, raining, company car laptop, mobile device, subsidized canteen, the chance to travel, ete:‘11 HUMAN RESOURCES Determining stafling needs > Aalaction process involving ‘advertising, C5, interviewing, etc Monitoring the cate of staff ftarnoner, and conducting "Bait interviens* to 502 why peel leave Conduct lead negotiations with trade unions Ensure that agreements are interpreted | fod oplenanted corractly Deal with individual grievances, disciplinary \daues, absanteciin, ec Monitor ‘health and safety? issues Monitor arrangements for Joint Sarureaten™ = areas where workers participate in decision-making See, “a a, “fement ag HUMAN RESOURCES Compensation ans benafita: basi salary OF may perhaps rising by increments evar tine Adi tionat nancial wcentives | ‘Po — | 2 \ Mectivation thraagh job s | Se satisfaction ~ san Onit 4 Bion Initial orientation for new enployees Te identify talent and help to alige individ! gots with Company pals To yet direct suggestions for improving work procedures To provide an inpat inte decisions about grontion, etc On-thezjob training Ayprenticeship roqrans Coaching and mentoring Understudy / assistant positions Goering Closely with the bose and folng sous of ‘their pbs ~ also called “shadowing > : Ba eps. Stages in performance appraisal 4, Eetablish performance standards 2, Evauuate performance Coften annually 3. Disewss results with each emaloyee, giving pe wrepee aisle cerrertie feedbace and sting Yor suggestions Classroom instruction Computer-based training ( ¢-learning? Managentn: training throngh longer, Soteored cuttas ach ss MBE promotions, compensation, additional training, oh transfers, ete © wet gue com © wwarhrmguide co.uk (> HA Topics} © warwacce-team.com © sewwbusinessballs com f performance aporaiseis) 49Human resources: Exercises 11.1 Fill in the missing letters. + Ast ofall employees and how ‘much each one earns is galled the"p_ 2 “Equal opportuniues' means making sure that everyone has the sare chance to get a job or get promoted One af the mast commen forms of ‘disc ction’ (= treating 2 eran type of person unfairly) is 07 the grounds of ds (= a physical proslom that makes someone unable to use @ part af theie bady proserly) are often brought it te do jobs that were fone ih (by employees of the Freelan previous’ pany 4 The actiuty of discretely approaching employees of ane ompany ard asking them if they want to work for another's called “f_______ing’ 5A srall group of job candidates wno have gone through to the final ntersiew stage is called the 's_ mebody’s work history, and in particular thelr successes and failures, scaled their kr 7 The Rarmal process by whieti an employee's perfarmance is, measured and discussed by a supervisor is called the 2 al process! 11.2 Put the HR activities 1-6 into the most appropriate category below, 1 apprenticeship dealing with siscpnary sues identifyng talent and rewarcing perlormence neat end satiety coaching and mentaring pro getting suggestions for iro procedures Aporial process CO Training and development: [] [] Worker management relations: EJ CI 11.3 Compete each explanation with 2 pair of words from the box. The words may not be in the right order. ‘bonus / commission candidate “ appicant coaching / mentering emplovees staff retirement pension wage salary Ais pai month, but a is pale nourly or by piecework 's one of the people being wwheress 2 / an 2 Arar actively considered for a job — has sent a completed form ang C¥ but is not necessarily being considered is where an employee fs ‘pated’ with a more experienced employee who supervises and guides ther lend = ca” take place over a long time period? ts a more limited term, and is wanere someone is traned under active supervision to use a piece of equipment or cary out a particular process 30 The word refers 10 all the peaple who ‘work im-an organization: the word an have exactly the sate meaning, out it can algo refer just to nor-managenial workers seve a fixed percentage of every sale you make you geta —__, it you (or your team or your company) performs well, then at she end of the year yo. 5 Your ____is the periad of your Ife after you stop working (eq after 65); you ____ isthe. money you receive during this time {from the gaversment, your come ny, oF private plan 11.4 Match the words in the box to their definitions below, Clue: if the word appears in 2 definition, it won't be the anowor, whites aptitude background ceiperience — knewledge competence ‘uaiifation si 1 something you are capable of doing, else the quality of doing something well _abilty 2 (formal) the ability to do something wall, also legal power that a body has to deal with something al) the 3.an abllty to ao something well, especially because you have practiced it a 4 knowledge and skill you get from eing in diferent ‘stuations, also samething that happens to you 5 an exam you have passed, especialy at schnol university: often appears 1th cy 5 the type of education, experionce and ‘amily that you have; alsa information about the past that helps you Understand the present 7 che facts, skils and understanding you have gained ‘ough learning or excerience 8 a natural ablty to do something wall or to learn it quickly 11.5 Divide the words in italics inte one of the thnee groups below. te mpohiel Wend Seanpigee Coed te headhuntedbeied -beisiat. be et 90 be rmade redundant be renited cached be ak Group A: get a job be employed —_ Group 8: lose @ job ~ you do sornething wrong be dismissed Group €: lose a job — for economic reasons be laid off41.6 Write one of these words in each space: ability, ‘experience, knowledge, qualification, skills. ‘a formal recognized — 5 a specialist 3 professional have in something | ‘consinerable firsthand hands-on 2 practical valuable wide have sain get of fin seznething ‘a detaled an encyclopedic fist-nand inside a thorough | a veorking have of something intepersonal | marketable —— transferable have sevelop —Tagieat we amamarkable | $ show an gutstanding todo | something Continue. Write one of these words in each space: aptitude, background, competence, experience, knowledge. 6 These matters fall eutside (or come within) te of ths committee This candidate has a strong mrarieeting 8 She has @ lack of (or a wealth of) in masening 9 tid some research to Hn the gaps in my 10 He's got areal for maths (AmE math and accounting "sin his genes? "Discussion topies 1 Peoale tic that =R requis lowestatus ait sls BLt ts HR managers he anprase, negotiate compansation, fre people ard deal with the unions. That's not ‘soft’ Dagree — disagree 2. Shostisting and interviewing should be the responsibility of HR, Other geople (rom the functional department Involved) should only have 4 minimal mput famess and equal opportunites Cage —O disagree 11 HUMAN RESOURCES 17.7 Complete the text about werker-management relations with the words in the box. ‘arbitration boycotts —_calectve bargaining caurt injunction inddual gnevance — layotts Jegaly binding length of service medfation official dsoute picketing strikes he process by which management and unions form ‘an agreoment is calad ' — = ‘Typical issues for discussion are wages, benefits and ‘working senditons. HA znd the union may ala sornelimes discuss an” "where someone ‘hinks thay have bean treated untaiy. And of course negotiations wil be necessary if the company is in tnancial dlficules and has te make *_____ Workers who jose their jobs got a ‘severance package’ {BIE redundancy packags), usually based on thelr 4 in the company. in any dispute, the amplayoes sice wl intially Be lediny aisrion rep (= representative) ~ a work! wht represents the interests of their colleagues on a daily basis. Then, i the conflict escalates and lsacomos an 5 there might be invotvernent ‘of afultime union oficial. The union side has various tacties it can use, including © (Boonie stop working)? {persuading others not to work by standing atthe factory gatesjand®§ gating consumers to stop buying the company’s products} The management side will usually be lod by somacne inside the HR department, Management tactics include hiring replacement worke's, and in extrame circumstances obiaining a*@_________ which directs ‘weorko%s 1986 (or net do) Parecular mativives The proce for resolving confict goes through various ‘stages’ Fst, managers and workers wil hold direct talks to fy to resolve the problem. If those talks fail, then there may nes involvement ofa third party who can maka suggestions and ty to find a compromise. This is called _____ Firatly i tats maak don, the whole process goes to" This is where a judge (or perhaps a govarraant appointed official) makes a Hecision which is ¥ ‘on both sides. 3 Performance-related pay is a horrible invention that ‘reales enormous stress and insecurity in the workplace agree — O Disagree 44. Most training programmes are a waste of time, You just put the handouts in 2 file and forget about them. agree 9 Disagree 3