What is Hard HRM?
Where staff are treated as a resource that has to be managed in order for the business to control costs and output. (staff are a cost)
What is Soft HRM?
Where staff are treated as an asset, to a business that can contribute and help the business achieve its objectives
Components of a flexible workforce
- Multi skilled
- Part time and temporary
- Flexible hours and home working
- Outsourcing (getting someone to do the job)
Strengths of Soft HRM
- More motivated therefore productivity rises
- Flexible hours
- Relaxed environment - increases creativity
- More likely to work well in a team
Strength for Hard HRM
- No distractions
- Efficient workload that has to be completed
- Fixed term contracts
- Less costs
Weaknesses for Soft HRM
- More potential distractions in the workplace
- More costs
- Hard to monitor progress
Weaknesses for hard HRM
- Bad reputation
- High labour turnover therefore less experienced staff
- Recruitment costs
- Stressful atmosphere
What is redundancy?
Form of dismissal when an employee’s contract of employment is terminated due to the job no longer existing
Potential factors causing redundancies
- Closure
- Restructuring
- Relocation
- New technology
- Rationalisation
What are the benefits of a trade union?
- Enhances business performance
- Improves international competitiveness
- Implements change
- Lower labour turnover
- Increases motivation
What is primary and secondary picketing?
Primary
- Demonstrating outside of YOUR place of work
Secondary
- Demonstrate outside of ANOTHER place of work
What is a work council?
A group of managers and representative employees who meet regularly to discuss issues relating to the workforce and business
What is Arbitration?
When a neutral third party makes a decision on a dispute between the employer and employee (s)
What is conciliation?
When there is a disagreement between an employer and a group of employees, a conciliator helps both parties find a solution however doesn’t make the final decision.
What are the benefits of internal recruitment?
- Lower recruitment costs
- Improved promotion prospects
- Known abilities of candidates
- Quicker process
- Shorter induction period
Disadvantages of internal recruitment
- Reduces talent available
- Limits the number of applicants
- Can cause friction between internal candidates
What are the benefits of external recruitment
- Increases the talent available
- Can provide new sources of ideas to the firm
- Increases the number of applicants
- Increases potential creativity and authenticity
Disadvantages of external recruitment
- Higher recruitment costs
- May upset the internal candidates that have been overlooked
- Unable to see candidates at work over a period of time
- Potential productivity risk
What are the costs of recruitment?
- Time it takes to draw up job descriptions and person specifications
- Advertising costs in newspapers, journals, online etc.
- Fees paid to a recruitment consultancy
What are the costs during selection?
- Managers time shortlisting and interviewing
- Candidate expenses if reimbursed for interviews
- Fees paid to assessment centres
What are the features of ON the job training?
- At the place of work +
- Can focus on specific skills +
- Potential distractions -
- Teacher may teach the new employee incorrectly -
What are the features of OFF the job training?
- Away from the work environment
- Lectures / Seminars
- Theoretical training
- Less pressure / distractions +
- Expensive -
What are the costs of training?
- Productivity time lost by employee receiving training
- Productivity time lost by a second employee if training is provided on site
- Fees paid to an external training provider plus employees travel costs
What is organisational structure?
Is the way in which the workforce within a firm is organised, including job roles and communication flows
