topic 21 - workforce planning

Question 1

state the reasons for workforce changes

Answer 1

staff may be employed to:
- to meeting increasing demand for existing products
- to develop new products to satisfy demand
- to assist in opening new stores/factories
- to help enter new markets
- to respond to flexible working arrangements
staff may be removed or leave to:
- respond to falling sales/demand for products
- to take up positions with competitors or other local employers
- because employees retire, take sick leave, go on maternity leave, and so on
- the business needs different employees with new skills

Question 2

state the benefits of workforce changes

Answer 2

• will allow organisation to analyse the labour market. they can then predict shortages in suitably skilled staff in the future
• helps to avoid overstaffing
• gaps in current staffing can be identified
• relevant training can be given

Question 3

state the first step in workforce planning

Answer 3

the organisation analyses the potential demand for its goods/services and decides how many staff are needed and what skills are required to meet this demand. The organisation will take external factors (PESTEC) into account.

Question 4

state the second step in workforce planning

Answer 4

the organisation will conduct a staffing forecast to highlight if any staff are due to leave (maternity leave, retiring, etc) and if there’s a shortfall or surplus of staff.

Question 5

state the third step in workforce planning

Answer 5

the organisation analyses the profile of its current workforce to determine the need for new staff and the skills that need to be developed in existing staff.

Question 6

state the fourth step in workforce planning

Answer 6

if there’s surplus of staff then they may have to be removed; if there is a shortfall the the organisation ‘closes the gaps’ to ensure that it has the workforce required to provide the goods/services to meet their objectives by a) recruiting and selecting new staff, b) training existing staff and c) retaining existing staff through motivation methods.

Question 7

state the fifth step in workforce planning

Answer 7

review process and make changes if necessary.

Question 8

examples of internal job advertising methods

Answer 8

• staff noticeboard
• organisations intranet
• internal email to all or selected staff
• company newsletter

Question 9

examples of external job advertising methods

Answer 9

• job centre
• newspaper adverts
• websites (e.g. s1 Jobs or Monster)
• recruitment agencies

Question 10

advantages of internal recruitment

Answer 10

• the vacancy can be filled quickly
• the employee knows the organisation which saves on induction training costs and time.
• the employee is known to the organisation and can be trusted to do a good job
• the organisation saves money on external advertisement costs
• employees will be more motivated as they know there is a chance of promotion

Question 11

disadvantages of internal recruitment

Answer 11

• applicants are drawn from a very limited pool so the organisation may not hire the best person for the job
• promoting one employee will consequentially create a vacancy in their old post.
• the organisation misses out on a chance to bring in fresh, new ideas and new skills to the organisation.
• employees can resent a fellow colleague being promoted over them. this can cause conflict and relation to become strained.

Question 12

advantages of external recruitment

Answer 12

• fresh, new ideas and skills are brought into the organisation
• there is a wider pool of candidates to choose from
• it avoids creating a further vacancy in the organisation
• it avoids the jealousy and resistance that is often created by one employee being promoted over others

Question 13

disadvantages of external recruitment

Answer 13

• candidates do not know the organisation so induction training will have to be carried out, taking up production time and costing money
• such a potentially vast pool of candidates can mean it takes longer to choose suitable applicants for interview
• the organisation does not know the successful candidate which carries a risk that they may not be suited for the job, or worse are untrustworthy.
• existing staff may be demotivated as they perceive that there is no chance of internal promotion

Question 14

describe application forms and CVs

Answer 14

an application form is a document, produced by the employer, containing questions that applicants answer to provide details of their skills, experience and qualities. This is often more useful than a curriculum vitae (CV), which is usually a two page document listing a persons work experience, qualifications and personal experiences. By using an application form, every applicant answers the same questions, making it easier to compare their answers with those of another applicant than with a CV.

Question 15

describe interviews

Answer 15

all interviews are designed to compare the applicants responses to questions against set criteria. Interviews can take various forms: with one manager (one-to-one), with a single manager, one manager after another (successive) or in front of a number of people at the same time (panel).

Question 16

advantages of interviews

Answer 16

• interviews find out how an applicant reacts under pressure
• interviews give an indication of the applicants personality and character

Question 17

disadvantages of interviews

Answer 17

• some applicants can train specifically for interviews and say what the interviewers want to hear but may not be the best person for the job
• interviews can be highly stressful. This means an organisation may miss out on quality employees who underperform in the pressure of an interview

Question 18

describe testing

Answer 18

tests provide information about an applicant, however there are disadvantages.

Question 19

disadvantages of testing

Answer 19

• they can be time consuming to carry out
• they may put applicants under too much pressure to perform as they would once they got the job
• candidates may be more prepared on the day and once hired not perform to the same levels evident in the test

Question 20

describe attainment tests

Answer 20

this allows an applicant to demonstrate their skills, e.g. ICT skills by completing a typing testing. Performance of candidates can be directly compared.

Question 21

describe aptitude tests

Answer 21

this assesses if a candidate has the natural abilities and personal skills for the job, e.g. a prospective customer service assistant roleplaying a scenario with an angry customer.

Question 22

describe psychometric tests

Answer 22

this assesses an applicants personality and mental suitability for a job. there are no right or wrong answers, instead, the test gives an insight into how an applicant thinks and of they would fit into the organisation

Question 23

describe intelligence/IQ tests

Answer 23

this measures a candidates mental ability; used for jobs where candidates may be solving problems.

Question 24

describe medical tests

Answer 24

this measures physical fitness levels which may be required for certain jobs, e.g. the fire service, armed forces, etc.

Question 25

describe assessment centres

Answer 25

organisations use assessment centres to see a large number of applicants at the same time. applicants take part in a variety of team-building and role-play exercises as well as a number of tests. This allows for an organisation to scrutinise applicants, to assess their suitability for the job, as well as how they interact with others.

Question 26

advantages of assessment centres

Answer 26

- allows an organisation to really scrutinise applicants over a longer period of time' - assesses how applicants interact with others - assesses how applicants react to role-play scenarios that mimic real work situations - reduces the chance of interviewer bias as the results are a true reflection of each applicants abilities and not just what one manager thinks

Question 27

disadvantages of assessment centres

Answer 27

- a venue will need to be hired, if an organisation doesn't have its own assessment centre, which is expensive - several managers will need to be sent to the centre to conduct and supervise the tests, losing production time. - such tests require careful planning and preparation, all of which takes time.

Question 28

describe references

Answer 28

this is using references, or information from referees. these are used to confirm that the candidate is who they say they are, and that they are reliable. References are usually requested from previous employers and/or someone else with authority, such as the head teacher at the candidates school.

Question 29

describe trial periods

Answer 29

this involves an applicant being employed for a short period of time, a day, a week or longer, before they are offered the position permanently, to make sure they are capable of doing the job, and that they are reliable and trustworthy. this avoids an organisation making a mistake by offering a job to someone who isn't suitable, and potentially having to go though lengthy discipline and dismissal procedures.