Managing Human Resources

Question 1

human resource management (HRM)

Answer 1

activities undertaken to attract, develop and maintain an effective workforce within the organisation

Question 2

three key elements of the strategic approach to HRM

Answer 2

• all managers are involved in managing human resources
• employees are viewed as assets
• HRM is a matching process, integrating the organisation’s strategy and goals with the correct approach to managing human capital

Question 3

three broad HRM activities

Answer 3

• find the right people
• manage talent
• maintain an effective workforce

Question 4

innovations in HRM

Answer 4

• branding the company as an employer of choice
• using temporary and part-time employees
• promoting work-life balance

Question 5

employer brand

Answer 5

aims to make the organisation seem like a highly desirable place to work

Question 6

using temporary and part time employees

Answer 6

for organisations, the primary goal is to access specialised skills for specific projects, enabling the company to maintain flexibility and keep costs low

Question 7

telecommunication

Answer 7

using computers and telecommunications equipment to perform work from home or another remote location

Question 8

three broad goals of HRM

Answer 8

finding, developing and maintaining an effective workforce

Question 9

finding the right people

Answer 9

• recruiting
• assessing jobs
• realistic job previews

Question 10

human resource planning

Answer 10

the forecasting of human resource needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies

Question 11

recruiting

Answer 11

the activities or practices that define the desired characteristics of applicants for specific jobs

Question 12

assessing jobs

Answer 12

basic building blocks of HRM include job analysis, job descriptions and job specifications

Question 13

job analysis

Answer 13

the systematic process of gathering and interpreting information about the essential duties, tasks and responsibilities of a job

Question 14

job description

Answer 14

the concise summary of the specific tasks and responsibilities of a particular job

Question 15

job specification

Answer 15

an outline of the knowledge, skills, education and physical abilities needed to adequately perform a job

Question 16

realistic job previews

Answer 16

a recruiting approach that gives applicants all pertinent and realistic information about the job and the organisation

Question 17

selection

Answer 17

the process of determining the skills, abilities and other attributes a person needs to perform a particular job

• application form
• interview
• employment test

Question 18

application form

Answer 18

a device for collecting information about an applicant’s education, previous job experience and other background characteristics

Question 19

interview

Answer 19

there are a variety of approaches to get a more reliable picture of a candidate’s suitability for the job. These include:

• structured interviews
• non-directive iterview
• panel interview

Question 20

structured interviews

Answer 20

uses a set of standardised questions that are asked of every applicant so comparisons can be made easily

Question 21

non-directive interview

Answer 21

interviewer asks broad, open-ended questions and permits the applicant to talk freely with minimal interruption, in an attempt to bring to light information, attitudes and behavioural characteristics

Question 22

panel interview

Answer 22

where the candidate meets with several interviewers who take turns asking questions

Question 23

employment tests

Answer 23

assess candidates on various factors considered important for the job to be performed and include cognitive ability tests, physical ability tests and personality tests

Question 24

training and development

Answer 24

the process of improving an employee’s skills and knowledge to allow them to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively than before.

• on-the-job training
• social learning
• mentoring and coaching
• corporate university

Question 25

on-the-job training

Answer 25

a type of training in which an experienced employee 'adopts' a new employee to teach him or her how to perform job duties

Question 26

social learning

Answer 26

learning informally from others by using social media tools

Question 27

mentoring

Answer 27

when an experienced employee guides and supports a less experienced employee

Question 28

coaching

Answer 28

a method of directing, instructing and training a person with the goal to develop specific management skills

Question 29

corporate university

Answer 29

an in-house training and education facility that offers broad-based learning opportunities for employees

Question 30

performance appraisal

Answer 30

the process of observing and evaluating an employee''s performance, recording the assessment and providing feedback to the employee

Question 31

360-degree feedback

Answer 31

a process that uses multiple raters, including self-rating, to appraise employee performance and guide development

Question 32

performance evaluation errors

Answer 32

- stereotyping | - halo effect

Question 33

stereotyping

Answer 33

occurs when a rater places an employee into a class or category based on one or a few traits or characteristics

Question 34

halo effect

Answer 34

a type of rating error that occurs when an employee receives the same rating on all dimensions regardless of his or her performance on individual ones

Question 35

approach to overcome performance evaluation error

Answer 35

use a behaviourally anchored rating scale

Question 36

behaviourally anchored rating scale

Answer 36

a rating technique that relates an employee's performance to specific job-related dimensions

Question 37

maintaining an effective workforce

Answer 37

- compensation / rewards structures - benefits - rightsizing the organisation - termination

Question 38

compensation

Answer 38

monetary payments and non-monetary goods and commodities used to reward employees - wage and salary systems - compensation equity - pay-for-performance

Question 39

rightsizing the organisation

Answer 39

reducing the company's workforce intentionally so that the number of employees is deemed to be right for the company's situation

Question 40

termination

Answer 40

ending of the employment relationship

Question 41

exit interview

Answer 41

an interview conducted with departing employees to determine reasons for their departure and learn about potential problems in the organisation

Question 42

branding the company as an employer of choice

Answer 42

organisations that are branded as an employer of choice are those that have developed leading workplaces that maximise the full potential of their workforce through practices that demonstrate effective employee recruitment, engagement and retention.

Question 43

contingent workers

Answer 43

people who work for an organisation, but not on a permanent or full-time basis, including temporary placements and contracted employees