Human resource planning is essential to a businesses organisation therefore it should be taken into consideration but there can be problems due to the fact that the data needed is mainly predicted from past data.
Recruitment
Recruitment is needed within a business to attract the right type of potential employees. The human resource management team when promoting a job needs to make clear about:
- What the job entails
- What qualities are required
- What rewards are needed to retain and motivate workers
Before employees are to be recruited the human resource department need to do an analysis on what the job entails for example skills, training and pay. In order to give the possible employees the correct information about the job, human resources need to find what the different type of people concerned with the business think about their job, these people are:
- The occupants of the job – they will have the most knowledge about what the job requires
- The job holders superiors – they will know less about this job although they will have an idea of it
- Subordinates - they may have an idea of the job due to observing over time.
A job description is needed so that the potential employee knows what the job entails therefore human resources needed to provide an attractive job description, which attract employees. Also a person specification is needed in order for the business to show what type of employee they want for the business for example a business may want an employee with certain skills.
There are two ways in order to recruit employees it can be done through internal or external recruitment. Internal recruitment is done through finding potential employees for this job within the business, the advantages of recruiting this way are:
- Gives employees a chance to develop their career
- The employee is already familiar with the business
- The abilities of this employee is already known therefore it is easier to know if an employee is suitable for the job
There are also disadvantages:
- Limits the number of applicants if only advertised internally
- Different applicants may have been of better quality
External recruitment is done through many different ways:
- Commercial employment agencies – these agencies are of good quality as they provide certain employees when needed as they have a lot of experience.
- Job centres – these find applicants quickly and easily
- Visiting universities – this is an advantage as employees are found with a graduate standard and is fairly inexpensive
The job can be found, shown who is needed and where to get the employees but in order for potential employees to be found they need to know about the job therefore the job needs to be advertised. Advertisement is done though finding the most appropriate media, with the most effective advertisement. Advertising is expensive therefore it has to be done correctly and effectively.
Training and Development
Training is very important to a business because if the employees are not correctly trained then they will be inefficient and cause the business not to run smoothly and loose profit. If employees lack in training customers will recognise this and will feel that the business is not sufficient for their needs. Not only will customers recognise the employees lack of training but the employees themselves too, they may feel that their business has no time to train them, which will discourage them within their work and they will not work to their best ability. Also less training will prevent the business from working their employees to the best of their ability to increase work efficiency. The aims of training are:
- Well trained workers will be more productive
- Help to create a more flexible workforce if the employees are trained in different areas of the business
- It should lead to increased job satisfaction for employees
- Accidents should be reduced if employees are trained in health and safety
- May improve the image of the business
- It can improve the employees chances of being promoted
Training is needed within a business, it is needed at different stages within a business:
- The organisational level – employees may need to be retrained if there have been changes made to the businesses aims and objectives
- The department level – an indication of training needed may be shown through absence levels, turnover levels, production levels and customer complaints.
- The individual level – different employees may lack in different areas of training, employees usually are able to recognise their own training needs.
As shown as the need for training has been identified a business needs to decide how and when they will fulfil the training needs. There are two different ways in which a business can provide training these are internal and external training. Internal training, also known as on-the-job training can be done through:
- Experienced workers demonstrating to the inexperienced worker how to do the job
- A coach can guide the inexperienced employee though the job, showing exactly what needs to be done
- Job rotation is done through large businesses where different skills need to be taught, the employee works in different departments for short periods of time in order to get an idea of the different skills needed
- Apprenticeships work in the business for a short time until they qualify for the job and become members of the business
External training, also known as off-the-job training can be done through:
- In house courses – this can be done through booklets, videos and computerised work, which will give the employees all the information they need in order to work within the business
Training will overall improve the abilities of the employees, which will increase the effectiveness of the business by better quality work being produced therefore keeping the customers happy, which will increase sales.
Performance Management
Within a business if employees are unhappy then they will not work to the best of their ability therefore in order to gain effectiveness from the employees they have to be recognised for their work. There are many ways in which appraisal can improve a business:
- Improve performance
- Provide feedback
- Increase motivation
- Identify training needs
- Identify potential for promotion
- Award salary increases
- Set out job objectives
- Provide information for human resource planning
The performance of an employee will improve through many different motivation methods, below are a few examples:
- Appraisal – this can be done through many different people, for example:
- Superiors
- Self appraisal
- Peer appraisal
- Subordinates
When employees are appraised for their work they feel that they are appreciated and have done their work well. Once being appraised an employee will carry on the good work in order to achieve more recognition.
- Award salary increases – if an employee is noticed for their good work and given a salary increase they will continue their good work in order to keep the increase. If the work of this employee suffers then they will risk the possibility of a decrease in salary, they will not want this to happen therefore they will work to their best ability.
- Increase motivation – employees need to be motivated in order to work to their best ability therefore a business needs to find out what is demotivating employees and how to motivate them. There are many ways in which a business can motivate their employees for example:
- Better quality environment to work in for example cleaner, better lighting and a more modern setting.
- Increased responsibility will give an employee a sense of achievement and they will work hard to keep this responsibility.
- Job rotation will help employees not to be bored or tired of doing the same job. If they are given different tasks to do then they will work harder because when an employee is doing the same job for a long time they will not work to their hardest.
If an employee can come to work feeling good due to being given different ways of increasing their performance they will be able to feel they have achieved something.
If a business can achieve all these points of human resource management they will be able to provide themselves with the right employees, the right training and the right performance they wish for. With completing all these points they will overall provide an effective workplace.
