1.4.1 - Approaches to staffing Flashcards
(75 cards)
1
Q
What is staff
A
- Staff are the employees in a business
2
Q
What is staffing
A
- Staffing is the process of hiring, training and supervising employees in an business.
3
Q
What is staff as an asset (value)
A
- Staff can be viewed by the business as an asset
- An asset is: a useful or valuable thing or person
- Staff which support the manufacturing process (1) or who give great customer service (2) can both contribute to the value of the output – add value to the product
4
Q
What is staff as an asset (developing staff)
A
- Treating staff as an asset means that they are developed with training and seen as a benefit to the business
- A member of staff will have been recruited, trained and developed and as such has unique skills relevant to the business
5
Q
What is staff as an asset (participation in decision making)
A
- Advantages to the business of treating staff as an asset is:
- Staff are allowed to participate more in decision making
- The business is more able to respond quickly to market changes
- Staff have more autonomy over their work, which is more motivating for the staff and will increase retention rates and reduce absenteeism
6
Q
What is staff as a cost (cost of recruitment)
A
- The costs of recruitment can be high.
- A business may carry out the recruitment themselves, costs add up, from the advert for the job to the employee time away from their job to carry out interview
- If a business decides to use an agency to hire their staff this can mean a payment of up to £2,000 per employee that they take on
7
Q
What is staff as a cost (Cost of training)
A
- Staff training is often viewed as a cost rather than adding value, however companies with
innovative learning and development programmes are increasing sales revenue and retaining their staff for longer - Training is an ideal way to close the skills gap in a business
8
Q
What is staff as a cost (minimum wage)
A
- A business in the UK is bound by employment laws
- One of these laws is the minimum wage law, businesses must pay these rates or higher to their workers - if the don’t they face high fines and “naming and shaming”
9
Q
What is a salary
A
- A salary is paid to permanent staff and is usually a year’s salary divided into 12 equal monthly amounts e.g. £1,200 a month
10
Q
What is a wage
A
- Wages are paid to staff on an hourly basis e.g. £7.83 an hour
11
Q
What is staff as a cost (cost of staff welfare)
A
- Staff welfare is an umbrella term that can mean anything and everything from facilities and benefits, to working conditions and retirement pension rates.
- An employee who is well cared for will be more fulfilled and satisfied in their job so are less likely to leave
- For example staff who work off site need to be provided with suitable toilet facilities , which is why you may see a port-a-loo on a building site
12
Q
What is staff as a cost (cost of redundancy)
A
- Employees are made redundant when the job no longer exists. In comparison being fired is when an employee does not do their job correctly.
- Employees may be entitled to redundancy pay and this depends on how long they have been employed
13
Q
What is multi-tasking
A
- This means having a workforce that can be moved around from one job to another.
14
Q
What are the advantages of multiskilling
A
✓Less staff are needed, those that are employed are used to capacity not standing around
✓More interesting jobs for the workers as there are a variety of tasks
✓This can increase efficiency, quality and productivity while reducing costs
15
Q
What are the disadvantages of multiskilling
A
- Workers become a “Jack of all trades master of none”
- Businesses lose the benefits of having specialist staff
16
Q
What is full time work
A
- There is no specific number of hours that makes someone full or part-time, but a full-time worker will usually work 35 hours or more a week
17
Q
What are the advantages of full time work
A
✓May be more highly paid per hour than part-time
✓Access to more holiday entitlement
✓Employees are committed to the business and may be more productive
✓Loyalty to the business
18
Q
What is part time work
A
- A part-time worker is someone who works fewer hours than a full-time worker.
- So this is someone who works less than 35 hours a week
- Part time workers should get the same benefits as a full-time worker on a “pro rata” basis
- Example part-time jobs; delivery driver, accountant, graphic designer, shop worker
19
Q
What are the advantages of part time work
A
✓ Good way to keep costs down while a business is growing
✓ Part-time jobs attract a wide pool of applicants with experience and skills who might not want a full-time job
✓ Flexible to respond to seasonal changes in demand
✓ Part-time employees have the same employment rights as full-time employees
✓ The availability of part-time work can attract skilled workers who are unable to work full-time
20
Q
What are the disadvantages of part time work
A
- Employees might not give the business the commitment and loyalty that a full-time worker would
- Employee may work more than one job which would make them inflexible
- Employee might leave if they find a full-time job
21
Q
What is temporary work
A
- A temporary (temp) job is one where the employer only needs extra staff to cover a seasonal period
- If you ever had a supply teacher – this was a temporary job
- Other examples are Christmas staff in retail stores and holiday reps in resorts
- The business can cover staff shortages and keep their costs low
- Temporary staff can be employed directly by the business or can be employed from an agency
22
Q
What are the advantages to temporary work
A
- Ideal for a business that needs extra workers for a special project
- Useful to meet seasonal demands, and work fluctuations
- Useful to meet employee shortages
- Agencies may complete all the paperwork
23
Q
What are the disadvantages of temporary work
A
- Agency staff may be expensive but it may be cheaper than hiring permanent staff
- Injury rates are higher in temp workers
- All staff will need some kind of training to get them started, this costs time and money
24
Q
What is permanent work
A
- A permanent contract is the most common type of employment, an indefinite contract whereby you are employed by the company until either the employee leaves is fired or made redundant
25
What are the advantages of permanent work
* Staff will be very focussed on the business, they will look to the long term to build up their professional development profile with the business.
* Higher staff morale as they know they have a secure job
* Employees have loyalty to the business which reduces absenteeism and increases productivity
26
What are flexible hours
* Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, e.g. having flexible start and finish times, or working from home
* All UK employees have the legal right to request flexible working - not just parents and carers
* Work is divided up into “core” and “flexi time”
27
What are the advantages of flexible hours
✓From a business perspective flexible working can keep valuable staff from leaving and can also cover busy periods
✓Can accommodate the work life balance needs of employees with busy lives and families
28
What are the disadvantages of flexible hours
* Can sometimes confuse suppliers or customers who may want to speak to the same member of staff
* The business may need extra staff to cover unmanned periods
29
What are zero hour contracts
▪ Zeros hours contracts means that employees are “on call” to work when you need them, but they have no fixed hours of employment
▪ The employer does not have to provide the employees with work
▪ The employees can say no if the employer calls and offers them work that day
▪ 910,000 employees in the UK are on zero hours contracts; hotels, fast food, Sports Direct etc.*
▪ Zero hour contracts are banned in New Zealand (fact)
30
What are the advantages of zero hour contracts
✓Great for a business where work can be unpredictable
✓Ideal where staff are needed at short notice
✓Gives the employer great flexibility, no staff standing around with nothing to do
31
What are the disadvantages of zero hour contracts
- Employees might not give the business the commitment and loyalty that a full-time worker would
- Employees may become unhappy with the zero hours and leave to find more permanent work
32
What is home working
* Over the last decade in the UK home working has gone from unusual to quite normal for a number of industries
* The employer lowers their overhead costs by not having to provide offices and supervision
* The employee cuts out the cost and stress of a commute and can set their own work hours
33
What are the advantages of working from home
1. Fit a business round a family, gives a good work-life balance
2. The owner can work hours that suit their lifestyle
3. No commute, so reduction in costs of travelling
4. No expensive premises to pay for, so a reduction in fixed costs
5. Less stress from travelling and tension with colleagues
34
What are the disadvantages of working from home
1. No socialisation with other workers, so business owner may not have anyone to bounce ideas off
2. Work is all around the business person so they may find it hard to switch off
3. The business owner may find that they work more hours than a regular job as they don’t keep track of the time that they work
4. Needs lots of self discipline to avoid distractions
5. Too easy to be lazy and not work
35
What is outsourcing
* As a company grows it cannot afford to be an expert in lots of areas and job roles.
* It may not want to take on staff on a full time permanent basis. The outsourcing of non-core activities to the business is important way for them to achieve greater efficiency and productivity.
* Think of it as “plug and play” solutions.
* This is a third party company that specialises in the role and can be hired on a contract (rather than permanent basis)
36
How can you outsource production
* Production; Some motor
manufacturers now outsource
not only parts but complete
assemblies – steering,
transmissions, engines, interior
assemblies
37
How can you outsource payroll
* Payroll is the function of the finance department that makes sure that all the staff get paid the right amount, on time
* Payroll; is the one of the most common task that companies outsource. Services include weekly/monthly/quarterly payroll and normally attending to the completion of the (many) Government returns
38
How can you outsource IT
* Purchasing and maintaining information systems; hiring and evaluating IT staff and training users can all be very difficult. By outsourcing the information systems function, the business can obtain the latest technology and suitably skilled personnel
* An IT helpdesk could be anywhere in the world
39
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
40
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
41
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
42
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
43
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
44
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
45
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
46
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
47
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
48
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
49
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
50
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
51
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
52
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
53
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
54
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
55
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
56
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
57
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
58
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
59
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
60
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
61
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
62
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
63
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
64
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
65
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
66
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
67
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
68
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
69
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
70
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
71
how can you outsource delivery
* Delivery; Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet.
* Either way, the business can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off their desk
72
What are the advantages of moving a call centre to India
* India is a hub of talent. It has skilled call centre professionals who can provide businesses with efficient services at fraction of the UK cost.
* Indian call centres utilise the best of technology, software and infrastructure.
* The time zone difference between western countries and India makes it possible for companies to offer customers quality services on a 24x7 basis.
* A vast majority of the Indian population speaks English. They also have workers who can speak other foreign languages like French, German, Spanish.
* India also has a growing pool of technical talent, making it an ideal location to outsource call centre services to.
* India's highly advanced satellite based telecommunication network helps in high-speed transfer of voice and data from all over the world.
* The Indian government is very supportive of the IT industry and does all it can to nurture it.
73
What are the disadvantages of moving a call centre to India
* One of the biggest disadvantages of outsourcing is the risk of losing sensitive data and the loss of confidentiality.
* Losing management control of business functions mean that businesses may no longer be able to control operations as well as if the were in domestic markets.
* Problems with quality can arise if the outsourcing provider doesn't have proper processes and/ or is inexperienced in working in an outsourcing relationship
* Since the outsourcing provider may work with other customers, they might not give 100% time and attention to a single company. This may result in delays and inaccuracies in the work output.
* Hidden costs and legal problems may arise if the outsourcing terms and conditions are not clearly defined.
* Not understanding the culture of the outsourcing provider and the location where the business outsources to may lead to poor communication and lower productivity.
74
What does dismissal / fired mean
Worker may be dismissed or fired from a job for:
* Absenteeism
* Gross misconduct (showing up drunk)
* Theft of company money or property
- Worker is not entitled to a payout from the business if dismissed
* This may also be called being
“fired” or “sacked”
75
What is redundancy
* Worker’s job no longer exists possibly due to lack of business or restructuring
* Redundancy is sometimes: voluntary – where some staff close to retirement take voluntary redundancy to gain a pay-out
* Compulsory redundancy is where a member of staff must leave a job
