Unit 2( P 15) Meeting HR Requirements: Job: Analysis, Description, Specification

Job Analysis:

1. Job analysis is the formal process of identifying the content of a job in terms activities involved and attributes needed to perform the work and identifies major job requirements.
2. The main purposes of conducting job analysis is to prepare job descriptions and  job specifications and job evaluation which in turn helps hire the right quality of workforce into an organization. The general purpose of job analysis is to document the requirements of a job and the work performed.
3. It is a systematic procedure for gathering, documenting, and analyzing information about the content, context, and requirements of the job. It demonstrates that there is a clear relationship between the tasks performed on the job and the competencies required to perform the tasks.

Advantages of Job Analysis:

1. Job analysis helps at the time of recruitment and selection of right man on right job.
2. It helps to understand extent and scope of training required on the job.
3. It helps in evaluating the job in which the worth of the job has to be evaluated.
4. To avoid overlapping of authority- responsibility relationship so that distortion in chain of command doesn’t exist.
5. It also helps to chalk out the compensation plans for the employees.
6. It also helps to undertake performance appraisal effectively in a concern.

Job Description:

1. A job description sets out the purpose of a job, where the job fits into the organization structure, the main accountabilities and responsibilities of the job and the key tasks to be performed.
2. Job description is an organized factual statement of job contents in the form of duties and responsibilities of a specific job. The preparation of job description is very important before a vacancy is advertised. It tells in brief the nature and type of job. This type of document is descriptive in nature and it constitutes all those facts which are related to a job such as:
• Title/ Designation of job and location identification in the concern.
• The nature of duties and operations to be performed in that job.
• The nature of authority- responsibility and relationships.
• Reporting responsibilities: who is the immediate boss of the job holder? 
• Relationship of that job with other jobs in a concern.
• Subordinates; who reports directly to the job holder?
• Term of employment
• The provision of physical and working condition or the work environment required in performance of that job.

Advantages/ Importance of Job Description:

1. It helps the supervisors in assigning work to the subordinates so that he can guide and monitor their performances.
2. It helps in recruitment and selection procedures.
3. It assists in manpower planning.
4. It is also helpful in performance appraisal.
5. It is helpful in job evaluation in order to decide about rate of remuneration for a specific job.
6. It also helps in chalking out training and development programmes.

Job Specification :

1. The job specification describes the personal requirements you expect from the employee. Like the job description, it includes the job title, which the person reports to, and a summary of the position. However, it also lists any educational requirements, desired experience and specialized skills or knowledge required. Include salary range and benefits. Finish by listing any physical or other special requirements associated with the job, as well as any occupational hazards.
2. It is a statement which tells us minimum acceptable human qualities which helps to perform a job. Job specification translates the job description into human qualifications so that a job can be performed in a better manner. Job specification helps in hiring an appropriate person for an appropriate position. The contents are 
• Educational qualifications for that title
• Physical and other related attributes
• Physique and mental health
• Special attributes and abilities
• Maturity and dependability
• Relationship of that job with other jobs in a concern.

Advantages of Job Specification :

1. It is helpful in preliminary screening in the selection procedure.
2. It helps in giving due justification to each job.
3. It also helps in designing training and development programmes.
4. It helps the supervisors for counseling and monitoring performance of employees.
5. It helps in job evaluation.
6. It helps the management to take decisions regarding promotion, transfers and giving extra benefits to the employees.

Job Evaluation:

1. Job evaluation is a systematic way of determining the value/worth of a job in relation to other jobs in an organization. It tries to make a systematic comparison between jobs to assess their relative worth for the purpose of establishing a rational pay structure.
2. Job Evaluation is a technique to rank jobs in an organization on the basis of the duties and responsibilities assigned to the job.  The job evaluation process results in a job being assigned to a pay grade.  The pay grade is associated with a pay range that is defined by a minimum and a maximum pay rate.
3. The objective of job evaluation is to determine which jobs should get more pay than others. 

Advantages of job evaluation:

1. It offers a systematic procedure for determining the relative worth of jobs. Jobs are ranked on the basis of rational criteria such as skill, education, experience, responsibilities, hazards, etc., and are priced accordingly.
2. Employees as well as unions participate as members of job evaluation committee while determining rate grades for different jobs.
3. An unbiased job evaluation tends to eliminate salary inequities by placing jobs having similar requirements in the same salary range.
4. Helps in the evaluation of new jobs.
5. Harmonious relationship between employees and manager
6. Understand the relative value of new jobs in a concern.

Information associated with a job analysis can be gained from the following sources:

1. Supervisor/manager of the proposed/established position,
2. The current incumbent (or a staff member who has undertaken the duties in the past),
3. Team members of the proposed/established position,
4. A staff member from another work area with a similar position,
5. Managers who employ similar positions,
6. Performance plans and key performance indicators of current incumbent
7. Workforce plans,
8. Program timetables or customer feedback forms

Questions to Review:

1. Write a job description and job specification of a Human Resource Manger.
2. Job analysis is not a one time process, it needs to revised continuously. Clarify.

Unit 2( P 14) Meeting HR Requirements: HRIS, HRI, Succession Planning

Human Resource Information System:

• HRIS is a data base device for systematically tracking HR information. It is designed to collect, analyze, store, retrieve, and disseminate information about jobs and employees. It is computer based system developed form employee and pay-roll records.
• HRIS is a systematic procedure for collecting, storing, maintaining, retrieving, and validating data needed by an organization about its HR. It is part of the organization MIS. It has huge areas of applications.
• HRIS is the data base in which organization collects, maintains, analyzes, and reports information on people and jobs.
• HRIS refers to software packages that address HR needs with respect to planning, employee information access, and employer regulatory compliance. 
• Thus, HRIS refers to application software, which is part of organization MIS. It is designed to collect, analyze, store, retrieve, and disseminate information about jobs and employees. It allows companies to cut costs and offer more information about employees in a faster and more efficient way.

It contains the following data about each employee:

1. Personal Data module  
• Identification particulars 
• Educational particulars 
• Technical qualification, if any 
• Special skills, if any 
• Earlier experience 
• Special privileges category, such as:  ex-serviceman, handicapped, scheduled caste/ scheduled tribe, etc. if any 
2. Recruitment module 
• Date of recruitment 
• grading in aptitude tests 
• grading in leadership tests 
• Overall grading 
• Job preferences and choices, if any 
3. Job Experience module  
• Placement history 
• Grade promotions 
• Tasks performed grade-wise 
• Significant contribution, etc. 
4. Performance Appraisal module  
• Performance appraisal at each job held 
• Job experience evaluated in the light of job description 
• Communication rating of inter-personal relationships 
• Ratings of behaviors in a group 
• Commitment to corporate goals, etc. 
5. Training and Development module  
• Nature of training received at each level 
• Individual’s evaluation of effectiveness of training 
• Current training assignment, if any 
• Future training requirements, if any 
6. Miscellaneous module  
• Record of compensation and benefits received 
• Health status 
• Personal problems calling attention, if any 
• Security needs, etc.

Importance and Uses of HRIS

1. Support in HR planning and analysis
2. Helps to maintain employee and labor relations
3. Ensuring equal employment
4. Determining compensation and benefits
5. Know the present HR development stage
6. Information regarding attendance, sick leave, health, safety, and security can be monitored

Human resource Inventory

1. HRI is a skills, ability and capacity inventory of human resources currently employed in the organization. It helps manager to know what individual employees can do. It is based on HRIS
2. The human resources of the organization are divided into managerial and non-managerial categories, the skills inventory is related with non-managerial employees and the management inventory is related with the managerial personnel.
3. The profile of the human resource inventory can provide information for identifying current or future threats to the organization's ability to perform .It is necessary for a firm to identify the current capability and skills of their employees
4. Skills inventories include: personal data, skills, special qualification, salary and job history, company data, Special preference of individual
5. Management Inventories include: personal data, career goals, promotional potential, work history, strengths, weakness, number and types of employee supervised, total budget managed, previous management duties.

Succession planning:

1. The need of good HR manager is always critical and perpetual, in consideration to situation of expansion or contraction of total workforce in an organization. Succession planning is a process whereby an organization ensures that employees are recruited and developed to fill each key role within the company.
   
2. Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key business leadership positions in the company. Succession planning increases the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume these roles as they become available
3. Succession planning is nothing more than having a systematic process where managers identify, assess and develop their staff to make sure they are ready to assume key roles within the company.
4. Succession planning assesses the likely turnover in key posts, identifies suitable candidates to fill these posts in future, and ensures that they have the right training and exposure for their future work.
5. Having this process in place is vital to the success of the organization because the individuals identified in the plan will eventually be responsible for ensuring the company is able to tackle future challenges. These "high potential" candidates must be carefully selected and then provided training and development that gives them skills and competencies needed for tomorrow's business environment.
6. Thus, it is a process of identifying, assessing and developing internal people to fill key role or business leadership positions within a company. It focuses to meet the likely turnover in key posts and to equip internal individuals with skill and competencies to meet future business environment.

Long Questions:

1. "Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people to meet the future vacant manger level position". Clarify with the process.

Short Question:

1. List two importance of HRIS to the organization, which is not mentioned above.

Unit 2( P 13) Meeting HR requirements: HRP process

Human Resource Planning Process (HRPP)

• Organizational Objectives and Policies: HR plan must be derived from organizational objectives, specific requirements in terms of number and characteristics of employees. Organizational objectives are defined by the top management and the role of HRP is to sub serve the overall objectives by ensuring availability and utilization of human resources.
• Once the organizational objectives are specified, communicated and understood by all concerned, the HR department must specify its objectives with regard to HR utilization in the organization.

HR Demand Forecast: Demand forecasting is the process of estimating the future quantity and quality of people required. The basis of forecast must be annual budget and long-term corporate plan, translated into activity levels for each function and department. There are several good reasons to conduct demand forecasting

• Quantify the jobs necessary for producing a given number of goods
• Determine what staff-mix is required
• Asses appropriate staffing levels in different parts of the organization
• Prevent shortages of people
• Monitor compliance with legal requirements with regard to reservation of jobs

HR Supply Forecast: Personnel demand analysis provides the manager with the means of estimating the number and kind of employees that will be required. The next logical step for the management is to determine whether it will be able to procure the required number of personnel and the sources for such procurement. This information is provided by supply forecasting. Supply forecasting measures the number of people likely to be available from within and outside an organization, after making allowance for absenteeism, internal movements and promotions, wastage and changes in hours, and other conditions of work. Reasons for supply forecast are:

• Helps quantify number of people and positions expected to be available
• Helps clarify staff mixes that will exist in the future
• Assess existing staffing levels in different parts of the organization
• Prevents shortage of people
• Monitors expected future compliance with legal requirements of job reservations

HR PROGRAMMING/ HR Plans and strategies: Once an organization’s personnel and supply are forecast, the two must be reconciled or balanced in order that vacancies can be filled by the right employees at the right time. The need forecast and the supply forecast gap determines what strategies need to cope with the challenge of procuring the required HR for the organization. The strategies are developed in all aspects of Human resource management functions

HR PLAN IMPLEMENTATION: Implementation requires converting an HR plan into action. A series of action programmes are initiated as a part of HR plan implementation.

• Recruitment, Selection and Placement – after the job vacancies are known, efforts must be made to identify sources and search for suitable candidates. The selection program should be professionally designed.
• Training and Development – The training and development program should cover the number of trainees required and programmes necessary for existing staff
• Retraining and Redeployment – new skills are to be imparted to existing staff when technology changes
• Retention Plan – retention plan covers actions which would help reduce avoidable separations of employees.
• Downsizing – where there is surplus employee, trimming of labour force will be necessary

CONTROL AND EVALUATION: Control and evaluation represents the fifth and the final phase in the HRP process. The HR plan should include budgets, targets and standards. It should also clarify responsibilities for implementation and control, and establish reporting procedures, which will enable achievements to be monitored against the plan. The evaluation ends up in answering whether or not HRP planning was successful in selecting, retaining and developing right people to meet the organizational objective.

Long Question:

"Human Resource Planning process helps in determining right employee for future". Explain

Unit 2 (P 12) :Meeting HR Requirement: HR Planning concept and importance

"Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you".   Warren Buffet

Human Resource planning concepts 

• It is the process of forecasting an organizations future demand for, and supply of, the right type of people in the right number and what must be done to ensure HR with the necessary skills when they are required in future. It is a sub-system in the total organizational planning. HRP facilitates the realization of the company’s objectives by providing the right type and the right number of personnel.
• HRP is the process of assessing an organization’s human resource needs in relation to organizational goals and making plans to ensure that a competent, stable workforce is employed.
• HRP ensures that the organization knows and gets what it wants in the way of the people needed to run the business now and in the future.
• HRP ensures that organization has the right number and kinds of people, at right place, at the runtime, capable of effectively and efficiently completing those tasks that will help the organization to achieve its overall strategic objective.
• Thus, HRP is the process of forecasting an organization future demand for and supply of , the righty type of people in the right number and to ensure , what must be done to have necessary system in the total organization planning.

Importance of Human Resource planning 

1. Future HR needs: It helps to determine the future HR needs; surplus or deficiency in staff strength is the result of the absence of or defective planning.
2. Coping with change: HRP helps to cope with changes like, competitive forces, markets, technology, products, and government regulations. These changes generate changes in job content, skills demands, and number and type of personnel. 
3. Creating highly talented personnel: It helps to create pool of talented personnel by establishing different training programs according to the changing environment. HR succession planning ensures what type and when the talented personnel are required.
4. Ensure employment opportunities: The government equal employment opportunity and affirmative action’s regulations to protect the weaker sections of society is given due priority while recruiting and selecting.
5. Base for the HRM functions: HRP provide essential information’s for designing and implementing HRM functions. It is blue print that how HR will be selected and nurtured in the organization.
6. Trend of increasing investment in HR: Investment in HR is valued as one of the important aspects of employee development. HRP in this contest help to define the amount of investment to be made in order to achieve adequate return as organization has expected. 
7. Creating flexibility to change: HRP helps to define the criteria’s under which individual employees are nurtured to make them adjust to the changes coming in future.
8. Support decision making: HRP helps organization to make long term decision in the light of information of future situation of HR. It will guide organization to make more realistic and attainable goals.
9. IHRM: HRP will grow increasingly important as the process of meeting staffing needs form foreign countries and the attendant cultural, language and development considerations grow complexities while filling key jobs with foreign nationals and the re-assignment of employees from within and across national borders.

Long Question:

"Proper Human Resource planning is foundation for all  functions of HRM". Explain.

Short Question:

State any two importance of HRP, which is not mentioned above.

Unit 1 (P 11) HRM in Context: Case Study to Analyze

Journal of Human Resources Education 28 Volume 4, No. 4, Fall 2010

BUSINESS ETHICS AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:

AN ETHICAL DILEMMA FOR NEW EMPLOYEES

Chris Sharp is a junior consultant with Change Technology (CT), a management consulting firm. Chris joined CT six months ago, after receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. With limited experience in consulting, Chris was proud to land the job and survive CT’s rigorous two-month orientation and training program. Over the past few months Chris has been performing research and analysis for Sharon Spade, Managing Principle in CT’s corporate home office. Chris loves the in-house experience and new corporate contacts but is most eager to get on the road with some “real world” customer assignments. Because Chris has worked very hard, Sharon has recommended Chris for a big assignment. Today Chris will visit Colossal Engineering, a prospective client, along with Phil Pompous, Senior Consultant. Phil is CT’s biggest earner and Chris is eager to observe him in action. Chris doesn’t know too much about the sales presentation. Basically Chris is going along to observe the meeting and to do Phil’s “grunt work.”

Running to the airport, Chris bumps into Sharon. She holds the elevator door while Chris fumbles with all of the materials that Phil needs for the trip. Sharon congratulates Chris for landing the big assignment and for being assigned to Phil’s team. When Chris look puzzled, Sharon says, “Oh, didn’t Phil tell you that he is your new boss? You’ll be assigned to him permanently!” Chris mumbles that Phil sends lots of texts and voice messages, but they mainly concern tasks directly related to the sales presentation at hand. Phil did say that he would talk with Chris more during the visit to Colossal Engineering.

On the plane, Chris sits back and tries to relax but the flight is crowded with tourists and Chris is unable to calmly assess his situation with Phil. At baggage claim Phil appears, freshly scrubbed and looking polished and ready for his big presentation. As Chris grabs the materials for the sales visit from the baggage cart, Phil explains the set-up for the day. There will be two hours for Phil to make the presentation. All the top players from Colossal Engineering will be present, armed with questions and pricing concerns. It’s a competitive bid and CT’s biggest competitor will be there too. In fact, the competitor will be on stage in the morning, Colossal will take a one hour lunch break and then Phil will make CT’s presentation after lunch at 1:00 p.m. Phil asks Chris for help and gets a bright gleam in his eyes.

“Your main job today is to help me get set-up, run the presentation, and handle any technical glitch while I’m speaking. Make sure there are plenty of handouts for the client. Try to read the audience, in fact, take notes while I’m speaking. Oh -- there’s one other thing …

”Get a copy of our competitors’ proposal and pricing materials sometime during the day. These meetings are hectic and disorganized – people come and go – there will be an opportunity at some point while the Colossal big shots are out of the room during lunch. Just grab one of the packets and throw it in your briefcase – they’ll never miss it. We’re going head-to-head here; I need any advantage I can get.”

The two arrive at the airport taxi stand. Phil edges toward the curb and is waving for the next car. Chris realizes that the new boss has just asked for something that doesn’t feel quite right. Colossal Engineering headquarters is a short twenty-minute cab ride away.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1.      Put yourself in the shoes of Chris Sharp. What would you do? Why?

2.      Is this an ethical dilemma? If so, what kind?

3.      What are the risks of proceeding with Phil’s request?

4.      Put yourself in the shoes of Chris’ colleagues, Sharon Spade and Phil Pompous. How might they think about the issue?

5.     Imagine that you are Vice President of HR for Change Technology in charge of business ethics and employee conduct. How do you think about the issue?

6.      Evaluate the case in terms of cognitive moral development and locus of control. What does this analysis tell you about your own ethical decision-making style?

7.      Evaluate the case in terms of organizational culture and ethical leadership.

8.   What type of training can HR provide to help new employees understand what to do if faced with this situation?

Unit 1 (P10) HRM in Context: Question to Review for Examination

to be uploaded soon...

Unit 1 (P 9) HRM in Context: International HRM and HRM Strategic Perspective

International perspective of Human Resource Management

1. International Human Resource Management (IHRM) is the process of procuring, allocation, and effectively utilizing human resources in an international business or scenario. It is the interplay among the three dimensions- HR activities, types of employees, and countries of operation.
               
• The three broad activities of IHRM, namely procurement, allocation, and utilizing cover all the six activities of domestic HRM. The six functions of domestic HRM. HR planning, employee hiring, training and development, remuneration, performance management, and industrial relations.
• The three national or country categories in IHRM are: host country, home country and other countries.
• Three types of employees of IHRM are host country nationals, parent country nationals, and third country nations.
2. Comparisons of domestic and IHRM
• More HR activities.
• Need for a border perspective
• More involvement in employee personal lives
• Change in emphasis as the workforce mix of expatriates and local varies
• Risk exposure
• More external influence.

Human Resource Strategic Concept and Perspectives

1. Strategic HRM is an approach to making decisions on the intentions and plans of the organization in the shape of the policies, programmes and practices concerning the employment relationship, resourcing, learning and development, performance management, reward, and employee relations. The concept of strategic HRM is derived from the concepts of HRM and strategy. 
2. Strategic HRM is an approach to the strategic management of human resources in accordance with the intentions of the organization on the future direction it wants to take. What emerges from this process is a stream of decisions over time that form the pattern adopted by the organization for managing its human resources and which define the areas in which specific HR strategies need to be developed. These focus on the decisions of the organization on what needs to be done and what needs to be changed in particular areas of people management.
3. The effective development and implementation of strategy depends on the strategic capability of the organization’s managers. This means the capacity to create an achievable vision for the future, to foresee longer term developments, to envisage options (and their probable consequences), to select sound courses of action, to rise above the day-to-day detail, to challenge the status quo. 
4. Strategy is about implementation, which includes the management of change, as well as planning. An important aspect of strategy is the need to achieve strategic fit. This is used in three senses:
• matching the organization’s capabilities and resources to the opportunities available in the external environment;
• matching strategy human resource management, to the business strategy; and
• ensuring that different aspects of a strategy area cohere and are mutually supportive.

Long Question:

1. Discuss how strategic approach to HRM is applicable to organization.
2. Discuss the possible challenges faced by the organization while addressing International HRM

Short Question:

1. List perspective on application of strategic HRM