Question 1. Define Human Resource planning (HRP).Explain the objective and process of HRP.

Answer:

Human Resource Planning (HRP) can be defined as the method of ensuring the right number of qualified people, in the right job at the right time to bring the results in an efficient and effective manner.

In simple words, HRP is understood as the process of forecasting an organisation’s future demand for, and supply of, the right type of people in the right number. It is only after this that the HR department can initiate the recruitment and selection process. HRP is a sub system in the total organisational planning. Organisational planning includes managerial activities that set the company objectives for the future and determines the appropriate means for achieving those objectives

'Manpower planning consists of projecting future manpower requirements and developing manpower plans for the implementation of the projections.'

Objectives of the human resource planning are:

to maintain the required quantity and quality of human resource required for an even and well-organised functioning of the organisation.

to forecast the turnover/attrition rates. to plan to meet organisational human resource needs at the time of expansion or diversification.

Steps in human resource planning The basic steps of HRP include the following:

Considering the effect of organisational strategy and objectives on different units of the organisation in terms of the human resource requirement.

Forecasting the manpower requirements of the organisation by involving the line managers to decide and finalise the human resource needs of their respective department. Forecasting may be carried out using mathematical projection tools or judgements.

Forecasting the quality and quantity of human resource required by each department/division.

Creating an inventory of present manpower resources.

Matching the current human resources position incumbents incumbents in the organizationWith the numbers required in the future.

Developing an action plan to meet the future requirements in terms of addition or separation , in a planned and phased manner. It involves planning the necessary programs of recruitment, selection, training, development, utilisation, transfer, promotion, motivation and compensation to ensure that future manpower requirement are properly met.

Question 2. What are the factors affecting recruitment? What are the sources of recruitment?

Answer:Recruitment is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to apply

for the jobs in the organisations. It is the process of seeking and attracting a pool of people from which qualified candidates can be chosen for job vacancies. Recruitment, as a process, starts with identification of the need for human resources and ends with getting the prospective employees to apply for the vacancies available

There are many factors that affect the recruitment programme. These factors can be classified as organisational or internal factors, and environmental or external factors.Organisational factors include the following:

Reputation of the organisation-an organisational reputation depends on its size, area of business, profitability, management, etc.

The organisational culture and the attitude of its management towards employees. Geographical location of the vacant position as potential candidates might not be

eager to work in a remote place unless they belong to that place. The amount of resources allocated. The channels and methods used to advertise the vacancy. The salary that the company offers also influences the decision of a candidate.

Environmental factors includes the following: The situation in the labour market, the demand for manpower, the demographics,

the knowledge and skill sets available. Stage of development of the industry to which the organisation belongs. Culture, social attitudes and beliefs also impact on recruitment. Law of the land and the legal implication.

Sources of Recruitment :

The objectives of recruitment are more likely to be achieved if the recruiting sources used are suitable for the kind of position that is to be filled. The selection of recruitment sources should be economical as well. Different sources of recruitment can be employed, depending on various factors like the level of the position, number of people required, time available and the funds allocated for recruitment.Sources of recruitment may be internal or external.

Internal SourcesMany organisations try to identify employees from within the organisation, to be grooming to take on higher responsibilities. Organisations which go in for an internal search normally announce the vacancy and display in the notice boards, send circulars to different departments or inform through the company website.Candidates from within the organisation respond to job posting by sending in their applications. Promotions and transfers are also internal sources of recruitment as candidates are identified within an organisationSome advantages of internal sources are:

It helps in maintaining good employee relations. It boosts the morale of the employees (feel important and valued). It encourages competent and ambitious individuals, as their performance will be rewarded. Cost of recruitment is minimal. Complete information about the employee will be available

External SourcesAn organisation will have a greater choice in human resources if it decides to go in for external recruitment. There are various methods of recruiting from external sources. Some popular methods are advertisements, campus recruitments, employee referrals, employee exchanges, HR head hunters etc

There are various external sources:Advertisement – Employment advertisements may be given by an organization in newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, posters and banners. The important information that has to be furnished in an advertisement are:

Nature of business and size of the business Nature of job Location

Task and responsibilities Emoluments, benefits and other facilities Requirements of the job Last date to respond Ways to respond – e-mail, phone or by post

Employee referrals – Employee referrals form a very good source of recruitment especially for middle and lower level management. Employees who are already working in the organisation recommend their friends or acquaintances for the vacant positions in the organisation. Some companies in competitive industries, where it is difficult to find suitable candidates, even pay their employees if the candidates referred by them are selected.

Employment agencies – Based on the type of clientele they serve, employment agencies can be broadly classified into public or state agencies, private agencies and head hunters:

Public agencies – Few years ago, employment exchanges were extremely popular in India. Today somehow they have become out-dated. With changing market needs and demands for different skills sets, more and more companies and job-seekers are looking at other options of recruitment. Private agencies – Private agencies do well in dynamic job markets, where companies explore aggressively for talent and potential candidates. They invite applications from interested candidates, short listing them or interview them for a second round of short listing and finally arriving at the list of suitable candidates for the vacant position.

Educational institutes – During the placement season, educational institutes turn into hunting grounds for organisations looking for fresh talent. These educational institutes offer placement to their students by trying to get few good companies in the market to their campus for recruitment.

Interested applicants – One of the sources of recruitment for an organisation might be unsolicited applications of candidates interested in working with the organisation. Such candidates send in their applications to the management either through post or e-mails and express their interest to join the organisation.

Question 3: What are the main objectives of training? Explain the on the job and off the job training?

Answer:

Training enhances the skills and capabilities of employees in an organisation. A successful training programme improves the performance of an employee which in turn enhances organisational performance. Training is an essential part of the orientation programme for new recruits in an organisation. The main objectives of training are: Improving employee performance: When an employee is recruited by an organisation, he might not have all the skills required to carry out his job. Training at this stage helps him learn his job faster and ensures better performance.

Updating employee skills: It is important for the management to continuously evaluate and adopt any technological advances that can help the organisation function more effectively and efficiently.

Avoiding managerial obsolescence: Managerial obsolescence is the failure to adopt new methods and processes that can improve employee and organisational performance. Rapid changes in technical, legal and social environments have an impact on the way managers perform their jobs. Preparing for promotion and managerial succession: Training helps an employee acquire the skills required to assume greater responsibilities.

Retaining and motivating employees: One way to motivate and retain employees is through a systematic programme of career planning and development. Employees feel cared. Creating an efficient and effective organisation: A manager who has well trained and well equipped employees needs to spend less time supervising them.

On-the-job training:

It’s a real job environment where the trainee is exposed to actual work situations. The major advantage of this method is that the trainee gets hands-on experience of the job that has to be performed. The different types of on-the-job training are: Job instruction training: In this method trainees can discuss the problems in performing the job immediately with the trainer. Apprenticeship and coaching: Individuals seeking to enter skilled trades, like those of carpenters, electricians etc, are required to go through formal apprenticeship under experienced employees, before they join their regular job. Job rotation: In this method the trainee is placed on various jobs across different functions in the organisation. The trainee gains cross-functional knowledge and is equipped to take up different jobs. Committee assignments: In this method, a group of employees are assigned an actual organisational problem and are asked to find a solution. The trainees develop their team-management skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills and leadership skills while solving the problem as a group.

Off the job trainingOff the job training refers to training imparted away from the employee’s immediate work area.When training is performed on the job, any mistake by the trainee might result in damage to the organisation. Hence, off the job training can be conducted to minimise this damage. The different types of off the job training are:(i) Classroom lectures: This approach is widely used for helping the employees. The trainer should actively involve the trainees and make the session more interactive.(ii) Simulation exercises: In this method of training, the trainee is exposed to an artificial work situation that closely resembles the actual situation. Simulation exercises are of great help to the employee to learn the task on hand. It can be in the form of case exercises, experiential exercises, complex computer modelling, Vestibule training and role play. Following are a few types of simulation exercises:o Case exercise – In case study a real life problem encountered in the organisation is presented to the trainees.o Experiential exercise – In this method, the trainer simulates situations where the employees are exposed to actual work problems. The trainer can create a situation where employees are asked to work in teams. After the exercise is complete, the trainer discusses the behaviour of the employees during the exercise, with the group. He appraises the trainees about their performance, and discusses the exercise with the help of theoretical concepts.o Computer modelling – Computer modelling is a technique whereby the dimensions of the job are programmed into the computer. Computer modelling helps in learning directly. In this training, trainees get real life experience by working on a computer.o Vestibule training – In this method, the actual work conditions are simulated and the equipment used by the trainees is similar to what is used in job.o Role playing – Role play is described as a method of human interaction involving realistic behaviour in an imaginary situation.

Question 4: Define performance management .write a brief note on 360degree appraisal.

Performance management is a process of aligning an organisation’s goals with the employee goals. It is an on-going and interactive process that helps employees enhance their capability and facilitate productivity. To put it simply “It is the means, by which employee’s work behaviour is aligned with the organisation’s goals.”

performance appraisal has been limited to a feedback process between employees and managers. However, with the increased focus on teamwork, employee development and customer service, the emphasis has shifted to employee feedback from multiple sources as depicted in figure 1. This multiple-input approach to performance feedback is called "360 degree assessment."

Figure 1.

A variety of rating sources in addition to that of the manager help in getting a broader view of the employee’s performance as well as to eliminate biases. Research has proved that assessment approaches with multiple rating sources provide more accurate, reliable and credible information. Hence, HR department supports the use of multiple rating sources as an effective method of assessing performance for formal appraisal and other evaluative and developmental purposes

The feedback from multiple sources consists of managers, peers, subordinates, customers and oneself. It is not necessary, or always appropriate, to include all of the feedback sources in a particular appraisal programme. The organisational culture and mission must be considered and the purpose of feedback will differ with each source. The objectives of performance appraisal and the particular aspects of performance that are to be assessed must be established before determining which sources are appropriate.

Superiors Evaluations by superiors are the most traditional source of employee feedback. This form of evaluation includes both the ratings of individuals by managers on elements in an employee's performance plan and the evaluation of programmes and teams by senior managers.

Contribution of superiors

The first-line manager is often in the best position to effectively carry out the full cycle of performance management: Planning, Monitoring, Developing, Appraising and Rewarding. The manager may also have the broadest perspective on the work requirements and be able to take into account shifts in those requirements. So, the highest contribution to the performance feedback is from the first-level managers.

Subordinates

An upward-appraisal process or feedback survey (sometimes referred to as Subordinates Appraising Managers (SAM)) is among the most significant and yet controversial features of a "complete" performance evaluation programme. Both managers, being appraised, and their own superiors agree that subordinates have a unique, often essential, perspective. The subordinate ratings provide particularly valuable data on performance elements concerning managerial and managerial behaviours

Question 5: what do you meant by job analysis? Explain its purpose and methods.

Answer:

Job analysis is the process of determining and recording all the pertinent information about a specific job, including the tasks involved, the knowledge and skill set required to perform the job, the responsibilities attached to the job and abilities required to perform the job successfully.

An important concept of job analysis is that the analysis is conducted of the job and not the person. While job analysis data may be collected from incumbents through interviews or questionnaires, the product of the analysis is a description or specifications of the job, not a description of the person.

Purpose of job analysis

The purpose of job analysis is to establish and document the 'job relatedness' of employment procedures such as training, selection, compensation and performance appraisal. Job analysis is a recording of all the activities involved in a job and the skill and knowledge requirements of the performer of the job.

Job analysis assists in the following HR activities:

Recruitment Selection Job design Estimating job worth Training Appraisal

These activities depend on job analysis and its end products for their own functioning. Job description and specifications are end products of job analysis (from the basis for recruitment).

Methods of Job analysis

The following are the methods of job analysis:

Observation methods

In this method, individuals performing the job are observed and relevant points are noted. It includes what was done and how it was done. Time and motion study is the best example of observation method. In this method, the

observer knows what has to be noted and what can be ignored. Otherwise whole observation method can result in a lengthy but superfluous document.

Individual interview method

This method is employed when the job in question is complex and has varied tasks. It is effective when the interview is structured and the analyst is clear about what information has to be obtained from the interview. An unstructured interview might help in gathering all the information about the job but it will be very time consuming.

Group interview method

In this method the employees performing the same job are interviewed in groups. Information which might have been missed during individual interview will come up during group interview. It is less time consuming. Sometimes group dynamics might affect the direction of the interview.

Questionnaire methods

In this method, the analyst gives a long structural questionnaire to be filled by the employees. Both objective and open-ended questions are included. It is a good method to take the information from employees without disturbing them on their job. Sometimes the analysis part becomes problematic, especially when there is no clarity. Sometimes the analyst might fail to convey what kind of information exactly they want to gather from incumbents.

Technical conference methods

This is a method of gathering all the job related information from ‘Experts’ (Supervisors) and not from the employee(s).

Diary method

In this method, incumbents of that particular job make immediate note of the activities they perform. A lot more information can be gathered about the job from this method. This exercise takes longer time to complete as there are many activities which take longer time intervals.

Question 6: What are the benefits and objectives of employee welfare measure?

Answer:

Employee welfare measures are one of the key inputs to bring about the desired level of employee satisfaction, motivation and productivity of the organisation. The basic objective of welfare measures is to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the employee.Employee welfare is a comprehensive term including various services, benefits and facilities offered to employees by the employer. Through such generous fringe benefits, the employer makes life worth living for employees. The welfare amenities are extended in addition to normal wages and other economic rewards available to the employees as per legal provisions.

The very logic behind providing welfare schemes is to create an efficient, healthy, loyal and satisfied labour force for the organisation. The purpose of providing such facilities is to make the employees’ work life better and also to raise their standard of living. The important benefits of welfare measures can be summarised as follows:

They provide better physical and mental health to workers and thus promote a healthy work environment. Facilities like housing schemes, medical benefits, education and recreation facilities for workers’ families

help in raising their standards of living. This makes workers to pay more attention towards work and thus increases their productivity.

Employers get stable labour force by providing welfare facilities. Workers take active interest in their jobs and work with a feeling of involvement and participation.

Employee welfare measures increase the productivity of the organisation and promote healthy industrial relations, thereby maintaining industrial peace.

The social evils prevalent among the labourers, such as substance abuse, are reduced to a greater extent by the welfare policies.

Objectives of employee welfare: The most important purpose of employee welfare measures is to improve the employer-employee relationship within an organisation. However, an organisation can also achieve multiple objectives while developing employee welfare measures. An organisation aims at accomplishing both the long term and short term objectives through employee welfare measures.

Employee welfare has the following objectives: 1. To provide better life and health to the workers. 2. To make the workers happy and satisfied. 3. To relieve workers from industrial fatigue and to improve intellectual, cultural and material

conditions of living of the workers.