Tell us an incident where you had a problem with your team-mate. How did you handle it?

What is ESAC? What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it? What are the benefits of a merit pay plan? HR Interview Questions & Answers For Freshers Tcs Mba Hr Interview Questions What has been your greatest achievement in terms of employee relations? Are you a team player? What is more important to you: the money or the work? what is recruitment lifecycle? What is an ASO? The Best Job Interview Questions by HR What are the methods of recruitment? what are the things you want to improve yourself? Sample Job Interview HR Questions With Answers. what is databank in recruitment process? Can you tell us any time how much we've paid out in employee benefits or salaries at any given point in a year? Do you charge any extra for direct deposits? what is 360 degree performance appraisal? Tell me about your ability to work under pressure. If an employee has a technical question does Human Resources, Inc. answer it? Human resources interview questions Imagine yourself as a manager of tisco,jamshedpur,how will you motivate the employees to achieve more in production ? why do we reject you ? Why outsource human resources duties to a PEO? What do you think of your previous boss? If you had enough money to retire right now, would you? What if an employee's pay status changes or the employee receives a bonus? Can HRI deal with those issues? What is NAPEO? What is the pay philosophy? o Pay-for-Performance? o Seniority? o Pay-for-Knowledge? Explain how you would be an asset to this organization What is the Certification Institute? What is wages? What is Co-Employment? How do we communicate with Human Resources, Inc.?

How would you define HRD?

Answer HRD is matching the organizations needs for human resources with the individuals needs for career growth and development.

What is the scope of HRD?

Answer 1. HRD aims at anticipating the needs of the organization and meeting them in a planned way. 2. It includes developing the capabilities of line managers to handle development, grievances, performance appraisal and punishment of their team. 3. It emphasizes on motivating the employees and building up a good work culture.

What is the importance of HRD?

Answer HRD helps in:

1. Developing competent employees and committed work force 2. Establishing role clarity 3. Generating great trust and respect 4. Minimizing resistance to change 5. Facilitating Human Resource Planning 6. Increasing productivity, Cost effectiveness etc.

What are the problems faced by HR departments in India?

What is HRP?
Answer HRP-Human Resource Planning is the subsystem of HRM. It is planning for the future personnel needs of an organization taking into consideration the internal activities and factors in the external environment.

What would happen in absence of HRP?

Answer In absence of HRP, estimation of an organizations human resources need is reduced to a guess work. 1. You will not be able to ascertain future manpower requirements without HRP 2. Adjusting to environmental changes and competition would become difficult. 3. Developing talented human resources internally would be difficult. 4. Your wont have the required information to perform personnel functions. 5. There will be much resistance to change. 6. HRP helps in developing managers to handle the organizational needs. Without HRP it would be difficult to anticipate such requirements. 7. HRP helps in working on the global strategies and meeting the staffing requirements.

What factors can affect HRP?

Answer HRP depends upon following factors: 1. Type of organization, its culture and strategies. 2. Social, political and economic environment in which the organizations operate. 3. Time period for which HRP plans are to be implemented decide whether short term pr long term plans should be made. 4. Type of openings to be filled which arise on account of retirement, promotion, retrenchment, switching over etc. 5. Outsourcing-If company plans to outsource a particular assignment, HRP is not required for it.

What is job analysis?

Answer Job analysis is the process of studying and collecting information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job. It comprises of job description and job specification.

What is the difference between job description and job specification?

Answer Job description comprises of the job title, location, job summary, duties & responsibilities, tools that will be used to perform the job and the working conditions. It is a written statement which includes the above information. A proper job description helps in advertising the vacancy effectively and attracting the right talent while Job specification comprises of the qualification that a particular job seeks in the candidate. It includes educational qualifications, work experience, personal qualities etc.

What are the various methods used to perform Job Analysis?

Answer

Various methods to perform Job Analysis are: 1. Observation: This means observing the employees while they perform their job and taking the notes. 2. Individual interview: Asking questions to individuals performing a role and summing up the various answers you get. 3. Group interview: Interviewing many candidates performing the same role in a group and recording the answers. 4. Questionnaire: Developing a structured questionnaire and asking the employees to fill it up. 5. Diary: This method requires asking the employees to record their daily activities as they perform them.

Why do you think you qualify for a human resource executive's/manager' position?
Answer While asking this the interviewer wants to see, how do you identify yourself yourself with the job role. Relate your educational qualification, work experience and personal qualities with the role to answer this question. A possible answer could be, the role of a human resource manager needs the person to connect with others on a human level and help them meet their aspirations while following the company's policies, structure and rules. I think with an experience of 'X' years, I know well how to deal with humans and my last employment has given me a good insight into the rules and regulations an HR manager has to keep in mind while operating.

What are your strengths and weaknesses as HR professional?

Answer You may find this question asked in different forms during the interview. The purpose of asking the same question in same way is to judge the consistency of candidates answers. Ensure that you have read the job specifications properly before you appear for the interview. While answering this question, identify the qualities a person needs as an HR Manager and see how you fit into them. Take out the qualities which make you a strong candidate for this position and offer them to the interviewer. The qualities which are usually sought in the candidate for this role are: Knowledge, Intuition, Versatility, Flexibility, Focus and above all a human touch in every thing you do. If you have any extra qualification like the knowledge of a software useful in handling the job, you can discuss that also during the interview. It is absolutely OK to accept that every human being has weaknesses but if you can make your weaknesses work to your advantage that makes you a winner. A probable answer to this question could be, while dealing with the employees problems at times I get very attached to them but I think this helps me in understanding their problems better and offering them a solution while being within the company limits. I have experienced that this attitude of mine towards the staff help them being more open to me and loyal to the company.

What according to you are the qualities that an HR Executive/Manager must have?
Answer Knowledge, Intuition, Versatility, Flexibility, Focus and above all a human touch in every thing you do

Why did you choose HR as your career?

Answer While answering this question, dont simply say that I love to work with people and that is the reason I am into HR. This is the most common answer and moreover something which makes the interviewer burst into laughter. This answer easily makes them understand that you are saying this just to get the job. A better way would be to identify some work areas that an HR manager has to perform in his daily routine and relate them to your interest. A possible answer could be, I liked to be a part of the recruitment team which can identify right people and put them into right places. An employment into recruitment slowly developed into a full fledged HR profession.

What do you think are the roles and responsibilities of an HR Manager?

Answer The purpose of this question is to understand your knowledge of the role. The responsibilities of an HR manager include:

Recruitment, Training, Organizational Development, Communication, Performance development and management, Salary and benefits, Team Building, Building Employee relationship, Developing Leadership, Motivational exercises, Developing companies policies and procedures, Managing the health care program for employees etc. Depending on the size of the organization, the HR manager has a team performing each of these roles.

Why did you decide to get into HR after you graduation in computers/commerce/physics?
Answer There are many people who actually get into HR after graduating in a totally different stream. To some people it just happens while for others it is a deliberate move. If it just happened to you, you can say that I was on a look out for a job when I got the first opportunity in HR. I took it up and slowly realized that I have started liking it. I brushed up my skills by keeping myself updated about the new developments in the field and acquiring a professional degree (If you have got one.) If it was a deliberate move, you can discuss your reasons for moving into this role.

What is Personnel Management?

Answer Personnel management is managing welfare and performance of persons who are a part of the operations.

What is the difference between Personnel Management and HRM?

Answer Usually these two terms are used interchangeably but there does lie a difference between the two.

Personnel management is reactive in nature and includes administrative tasks while HRM is proactive in nature and requires continous develpment in policies and functions of the organization for a better tomorrow. Personnel management is more of an independent task than HRM which needs to involve the managers of all departments for developing a better team. Personnel mangement believes that satisfied employees yield better performance while HRM believes that a good performance provides satisfaction to employees. HRM works around developing startegies to improve the performance of employees. Personnel mangement works around motivating employees with compensation, bonuses, rewards etc. Actually Personnel management can be considered as a subset of HRM. Here you have to bear in mind that if you are offered the position of a Personnel Manager, you may be required to perform HRM functions and vice versa.

What are the responsibilities of a personnel manager?

Answer Some of the responsibilities of a personnel manager include: coordinating benefit programs and employee training,managing the recruiting process, conducting exit interviews and salary surveys,coordinating recordkeeping and payroll, and administering personnel policies.

What do you mean by Management? Describe the essential functions of management.

Answer Management in simple terms can be understood as the process of bringing people together to achieve the desired goals. The essential functions of management include: Planning, Organizing, Budgeting, Resourcing, Directing, Controlling and Reviewing.

What is the difference between salary and incentive?

Answer Salary can be termed as the fixed remuneration you are offered for your services while incentive means some extra benefits that you are offered based on your performance. Incentive can be in cash or kind.

What is 'Span of Management'?

Answer Span of Management or Control in easy terms means, number of subordinates a manager manages.

What are the diffrent factors that determine the 'span of Management'?
Answer Following factors determine the Span of Management: 1. Size of the organization 2. Different tasks that are performed to keep the work going 3. Complexity of the production process 4. Extent to which IT can help in the process.

What do you mean by Fringe Benefits?

Answer Fringe benefit can be defined as the benefits provided by the employer to its employees in addition to the regular salary. These include health plans, paid holidays, cafeteria, company transport etc.

1.What is industrial relations system?

Industrial relations are the relations between employees, employers, government and trade unions within the organizational structure. The industrial relations system is a system of relationship between all the parties involved. A sound IR system will create an environment conducive for organizational growth and labour welfare.

2. Name the various parties involved in IR system?

The main parties involved in the IR system are: i.) Employers They are the ones who possess the rights to hire the employees and remove them. They also possess the rights to relocate, close or merge the business. They can opt for technological changes as and when they see it in the interest of business. ii.) Employees They are actually the ones who keep the business moving. They possess the rights to voice their opinions and feelings while striving for betterment. They usually form the unions to negotiate with the employers. iii.) Government Government is the one who influences the IR system with laws, rules, agreements, awards of court etc. They also include third parties & labour and tribunal courts to manage the IR system.

3. Why is it important to have an IR system in place?

It is important to have an IR system in place - To ensure that the workers are not over powered and used by the employer. - To ensure that the workers do not blackmail the employers with unnecessary demand leading to a loss of production - To ensure that the economy keeps growing - To ensure that even if a problem arises, it is solved amicably.

4. What are the benefits of having an industrial relations system in place?

Following are the benefits of having an effective IR system in place: - Continuous production - Continuous employment for all - Smooth flow of income for workers and businessman - Lesser number of disputes between employees and employers like strikes, lock outs, grievances etc. - Higher level of motivation in the employees as they consider themselves to be a part of the organization - Less wastage of time, man, machine and material - Lesser cost of production - Optimum utilization of resources leading to higher profits for employers and employees - Economic growth of the society

5. What are the main objectives of industrial relations system?

The main objectives of an Industrial relations system are: - To protect the interest of employees and employers by building up a congenial relationship. - To avoid the human conflicts which can harm the business, the employees and the economic growth of the country. - To increase the productivity. - To improve the economic conditions of the workers - To reduce the number of industrial disputes like strikes, lock outs etc.

6. Name the three factors Dunlop's theory advices to consider while conducting an analysis of management-labour relationship.
The three factors that Dunlops theory advices to consider while analysing management-labour relationship are: - Environmental factors Socio-political, technological, legal. - Characteristic and interaction of key parties employee, employer, government - Rules obtained from the interactions that govern the employment relationship

7. Explain the unitary perspective of IR from employer point of view.

The unitary approach believes that the employees and employers share the same objectives, interests and purposes. They work hand-inhand for the betterment of the organizations. However, this system expects loyalty from the employees. From employers perspective, unitary approach means: - The staffing policies should be exercised to unify the efforts. They should motivate the employees. - The objectives of the organization should be discussed with the employees. - A reward system should exist to secure loyalty and commitment from the employees - Line managers should take the responsibility of their team. - Staff-management conflicts arise form lack of information and inadequate presentation of management policies. - Personal objectives of the employees should be integrated with the overall objectives of the organization.

8. Explain the unitary perspective of IR from employee point of view.

The unitary approach from employees point of view means that:

- The purpose of a union is to act as a means of better communication between all the parties. - All the parties should focus on good relationships and good working terms and conditions - There should be flexibility in working practices. - Employees should have a participation in workplace decisions. This promotes teamwork, creativity, problem solving abilities. - Employees should have a feeling that the skills of their managers support them in their work.

9. What is the pluralistic perspective of IR system? What are the implications of this approach?
- Pluralism perspective views the organization being made up of two groups Management and trade unions. Both of them are considered strong. - It sees the conflicts over distribution of profits as normal and unavoidable. - It believes that the role of management is more of persuading and co-ordinating - Conflict is not viewed as a bad thing and is dealt with through collective bargaining - Trade unions are viewed as legitimate representatives of employees. The basic implications of this approach are: - Union recognition is encouraged. - Calls for an independent external arbitrator for resolution of conflicts. - It calls for collective agreements to be negotiated with the trade unions - Calls for appointment of IR specialists to advise managers in staffing and matters related to trade unions.

10. What is marxist perspective of IR system?

- The focus of Marxist perspective of IR system is on fundamental division of interest between capital and labour. - It assumes that the conflict at work place is a reflection of conflict in the society. - Trade unions are deemed as a natural response from workers to protect themselves against exploitation.

11. Explain collective bargaining. What are the different types of activities which comprise collective bargaining.
Collective bargaining means a process of negotiations between employers and a group of employees. The purpose is to reach an agreement to regulate the working conditions. The collective bargaining mainly comprises of 4 types of activities: i.) Distributive bargaining Also termed as conjunctive bargaining, this form of bargaining aims at re-distribution of benefits between the management and the group of workers. In this form of bargaining, one group gains while the other looses something. ii.) Integrative bargaining Also termed as co-operative bargaining, this form of bargaining is for overall improvement in the working of the organization. No party looses here, so, the level of co-operation is more. iii.) Attitudinal restructuring This type of bargaining mainly aims at developing a change in the attitude of the management and the employees. The purpose is to reduce the bitterness and develop a congenial atmosphere. iv.) Intra-organizational bargaining This kind of bargaining aims at achieving the consensus within the trade union and management group.

12. What are the characteristic features of collective bargaining?

The main features of collective bargaining are: - It is a group process involving at least two parties.

- It is a process of negotiations through mutual discussions and compromise. - It is a formal process in which employers and formal trade unions participate for discussions. - It is a flexible process consisting of various steps. - The process works on the basis of mutual trust and understanding between the two parties. - It is a complementary process where each party has something to offer to each other. - It is a constructive ongoing process.

13. List down the major steps of collective bargaining.

The major steps of collective bargaining are: - Preparatory In this stage the negotiation team is formed which comprises of the members of both the teams. Both the sides need to take a stock of their situation to find the matters which they need to take up discussion, their stand on it. - Discussion In this stage the ground rules governing the negotiation process are set with the agreement of both the parties. - Proposal The issue for which the meeting is called is defined and the possible solutions are put forth. - Bargaining This is the phase where actual bargaining takes place and its nitty gritties are decided. - Settlement After a consensus is reached, this stage consists of effective joint implementation of the agreement.

14. Explain CBA.

CBA Collective Bargaining Agreement is the result of collective bargaining procedure. These agreements can be in one of the two forms: i.) Procedural agreement ii.) Substantive agreement Procedural agreements They usually deal with the relationship between employees and employers to resolve individual and group issues. These are usually filed in the companys rule book. Substantive agreements This kind of an agreement deals with specific issues like basic pay, leave policy, bonus payment etc.

15. What is the importance of collective bargaining to employees and employers?

Importance of collective bargaining to employees: - It increases the strength of employees as a group. - It helps in boosting their self respect and level of motivation - It increases their sense of responsibility - It helps in reaching a quick and fair settlement for employees issues. Importance of collective bargaining to employers: - Its easier for management to deal with group issues rather than individual issues. - It leads to an increase in the level of trust among employees and employers benefitting the overall business - Reduces absenteeism and labour turnover which increase productivity and reduces the cost and wastage - It helps in settling the issues at an initial level before they turn into disputes

16. Name the three levels at which collective bargaining works.

The three levels at which collective bargaining works are: i.) National level ii.) Sector/ Industry level iii.) Company level

17. Why are trade unions formed? What services do they provide to the members?
- Trade unions are formed to protect their members from the exploitation by their employers. - They negotiate with the management the issues affecting the employees working in the organization. - They intervene in the decisions which affect the workers directly like transfer, lay off etc. Trade unions provide following services to their members: - They educate workers about their basic rights and train them with professional skills. - They provide legal assistance to the worker when needed - They offer financial loans on mortgages to their members - They offer financial help to members when they are invalid or unemployed.

18. Classify and explain the functions performed by trade unions.

The functions performed by trade unions can be classified into two groups: i.) Militant Functions ii.) Fraternal Functions Militant functions ------------------------These activities include strike, lock outs, gherao etc which means putting up a fight with the management. Hence, they are called militant functions. They are carried out for following purposes: a.) Rise in wages b.) Rise in the status of workers c.) Protection against injustice Fraternal functions --------------------------These functions are carried out by the trade unions for the welfare of their employees which includes: a.) Measures to boost up the workers morale b.) Foster self confidence c.) Develop sincerity and discipline d.) Protection to women workers against discrimination

19. Which major factors motivate employees to join trade union?

The major factors which motivate the employees to join trade union are: i.) Increase in bargaining power ii.) Lesser discrimination iii.) Higher sense of security and belongingness iv.) Stage for self expression v.) Ability to participate in management activities giving a sense of involvement

20. Name some central trade union organizations existing in India.

Some of the central trade unions in India are: i.) AITUC - All India Trade Union Congress ii.) BMS - Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh iii.) CITU - Centre of Indian Trade Unions iv.) HMKP - Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat v.) HMS - Hind Mazdoor Sabha vi.) IFFTU - Indian Federation of Free Trade Unions vii.) INTUC - Indian National Trade Union Congress viii.) NFITU - National Front of Indian Trade Unions ix.) NLO - National Labour Organization x.) TUCC - Trade Unions Co-ordination Centre

xi.) UTUC - United Trade Union Congress xii.) UTUC - LS - United Trade Union Congress - Lenin Sarani

21. Classify Indian labour market.

Indian labour market can be mainly classified into 3 categories: i.) Rural workers ii.) Organized iii.) Unorganized

22. What do you mean by Industrial dispute?

Industrial dispute can be defined as conflict between management and workers regarding payments or conditions related to work.

23. What are the main causes of Industrial dispute?

Following are the main causes of industrial dispute: i.) Wages/ Allowance/ Bonus/ Work Load ii.) Leave/ Working hours/ Work conditions iii.) Retrenchment/ Lay offs iv.) Indiscipline/ Violence

24. What is strike? What are its various types? What are its major causes?
When workers collectively stop to work in an industry with an intention to make the management agree to their demands, they are said to be on strike. Strike can be classified into following types: i.) Economic strike for demands like wages and bonus ii.) Sympathetic strike to support the strike in other units. iii.) General Strike Strike by all the unions in an industry or region. iv.) Sit down strike Workers come to the work place but do not work v.) Slow down strike Workers work but at a low efficiency vi.) Sick A large number of members call in sick on the same day. vii.) Wild cat strikes Carried out with the consent of unions.

25. Explain Lockouts.

Lock out is a managements tool in which an employer prevents the workers from working. This is a pressure tactic used by the management.

26. What measures do you propose to develop congenial Industrial Relations?

Following are certain measure to promote congenial industrial relations: i.) Personnel policies acceptable to all These should be formulated in conjunction with representatives of employees, clearly stated and uniformly implemented across the organization. ii.) Will to sincerely implement the agreements reached together by the management and unions iii.) Participation of workers in managerial decisions iv.) Mutual trust and respect within employees and employers v.) Compromising attitude vi.) Strong and stable unions

vii.) Governments role as a peacemaker when the employees and employers are not able to solve the issues themselves.

1. Explain Employee Motivation.

Motivation can be defined as the enthusiasm of an employee which causes him to take actions at work.

2. Which non-monetary factors do you think help in building up the motivation level of employees?
Following are some of the effective ways to motivate employees: i.) Respectful treatment ii.) Recognising the individual and performance iii.) Training iv.) Regular performance and behavioural feedback v.) Clear communication from the management vi.) Involvement in activities that desire responsibility vii.) Challenges viii.) Clearly defined goals and plan of action

3. What kind of work culture do you think increases the motivation level of an employee?
Following are some of the characteristics of the culture that increases motivation level of an employee: i.) Suggestions and feedback from the employees are heard ii.) Employees are well informed about the things affecting them iii.) Communication among the team members and with the superiors is open in nature iv.) Employees are trusted and treated with respect v.) Employees work and deliver as a team vi.) Employees see a path to grow and are regular trained for development

4. Explain Taylor's theory of motivation.

Frederick Taylor put forward a theory about workers motivation. Its main features are: i.) Workers do not enjoy work. ii.) They need constant supervision iii.) They are motivated mainly by the salary

5. What are the main points of Mayo's theory of motivation?

Mayos theory believes that money is not the only motivation for workers. They are highly motivated by factors like: i.) Communication between them and managers ii.) More involvement of manager in their work life iii.) Working in teams

6. How is Mayo's theory different from Taylor's theory of motivation?

i.) Taylors theory focuses on the negative aspect of a workers behaviour while Mayos theory focuses on positive aspects. ii.) Taylors theory treats money as the biggest motivation while Mayos theory lays more emphasis on non-monetary factors.

7. Explain Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs. Do you think it applies in real life?
- Maslows theory of hierarchy of needs believes that each individual has some needs arranged in hierarchical order. Only when a lower need is satisfied, does the higher need come into picture. - Thus the incentives offered to the workers at each level have to be different. These needs are classified as grouped as below:

Level 1 Basic needs Food, clothes, shelter Level 2 Safety needs Security and protection Level 3 Social needs Level 4 Esteem needs Level 5 Self actualization

8. What is Herzberg's theory of motivation?

Herzberg came out with two-factor theory of motivation which believed that there are certain factors which enthuse motivation in workers while others de- motivate them. The factors demotivating the workers are called the hygiene factors. Motivators are the factors that give satisfaction. For e.g. - Recognition - Challenges - Responsibility The other set of factors are hygiene factors their presence doesnt motivate the employees but their absence surely de-motivates them. For e.g. - Work conditions - Salary - Job security etc.

9. Who proposed theory X and Y of motivation? What were the major differences between X and Y observations?
Theory X and Y of motivation was proposed by Douglas McGregor. The major difference between these theories are: - Theory X takes a negative view of the employees while the Theory Y takes a positive view. - Theory X believes that employees are lazy and do not like work while Theory Y believes that employees enjoy work. - Theory X believes that money is the only motivation for work while Theory Y believes that the satisfaction that employees achieve after doing a work well is a bigger motivation. - Theory X believes in doing the business in an authoritarian way while Theory Y tries to remove the barriers employees find in the way of their work.

1.What is Recruitment ?
- Recruitment is the process of identifying, screening and hiring the most suitable candidate for a job vacancy. - The candidate might be hired internally or from external sources - The process must be performed in timely and cost effective manner - It can also be termed as a process linking the employers and the employees

2. Explain the purpose and importance of recruitment.

The purpose of recruitment is to: - Attract the maximum number of candidates to the organization and encourage them to apply - Create strong database and select the best candidate for the position - Ascertain the current and future manpower requirements of the organization - Make the hiring exercise a cost effective one Importance of recruitment is: - To identify the potential candidates within the organization for future man power requirements - To identify the outside candidates and hire them to meet the man power requirements - To establish various sources of candidates - To help in increasing the success of hiring process

3. Explain recruitment process.

The recruitment process tries to get the best manpower for the organization. It can be considered as the first strategic step towards the success of an organization.

The process consists of following major steps: - Identifying the vacancy - Preparing the job specifications and description of the potential candidate - Advertising the requirement - Receiving and managing the applications - Short listing the candidates - Arranging the interviews - Conducting the interviews and deciding on the candidate

4. What are the various internal and external sources of recruitment?

There can be two kinds of sources of recruitment for organizations - internal and external. Internal recruitment - It means getting the candidate from within the organization to fulfil a vacancy. Internal recruitment can be done by: - Transfer - transferring an employee from one location/ department to other. - Promotion - Taking the employee higher up in the hierarchy - Ex-employees - These could be the retired or retrenched employees - Demotion - Lowering the position of an employee in the hierarchy for various reasons

External recruitment - It means getting the absolutely new candidate to the company. The sources of these employees could be many: - Job notifications in the print/ online media - College campuses - Placement agents - Unsolicited applicants - Employee referral program - Employment exchange - Labour contractors

5. Explain the internal and external factors affecting recruitment.

There can be various internal and external factors which affect the recruitment process. Internal factors - The factors which are under the control of organization are called internal factors. These could be i.) Recruitment policy of the organization ii.) Human Resource Planning iii.) Expansion plans iv.) Cost of recruitment External factors - These are the factors which are not under the control of the organization. These could be i.) Availability of talent ii.) Brand image of the organization iii.) Politico-social environment iv.) Legal conditions v.) Economic condition of the market vi.) Recruitment policy of the competitors

6. What should be the focus of recruitment policy of a company?

A good recruitment policy helps the organization in developing an effective recruitment process. It can be termed as the first step in developing an efficient recruitment process. A recruitment policy defines the recruitment objectives and clearly defines the framework to work within. A good recruitment policy should focus on: - Being unbiased towards all candidates

- Recruiting the best talent - Helping the employees identify their potential - Promoting transparent, merit based selection - Developing cost effective recruitment process - Appointing an authority for final decision - Being socially, politically, legally and economically friendly

7. List some factors that affect the recruitment policy of a company.

Various factors which can affect the recruitment policy of a company are: - Its objectives - Policies of the competitors - Government laws - Social and economic - Political environment - Cost of recruitment - Time available - Preferred recruitment sources

8. What are the main components of a recruitment policy?

The main components of a recruitment policy are: - Terms of recruitment - Sources of recruitment - Using the services of placement agents - Payment terms and conditions for placement agents - Recruitment of contractual employees - Obtaining requirements from departments - Selection process - Employment terms and conditions

9. What are the advantages of outsourcing the recruitment services?

Many organizations outsource their recruitment services to the placement agencies. The main advantages of doing so are as follows: - It allows the organizations to focus on core and strategic activities - It leads to optimal use of resources and time - It provides access to the expertise of the placement agents - Reduction in recruitment cost

10. Explain Poaching/ Raiding.

Poaching in recruitment means hiring the employee of a competitor who is working in the same capacity as desired by you. This is a major challenge faced by the HR managers as it causes the leakage of talent from an organization and effects its productivity. The employee is usually hired by offering him better salary and perks.

11. List the e-recruitment techniques. What are the advantages of e-recruitment?
E-recruitment means using internet for the recruitment services. Three main techniques used in e-recruitment are: - Advertising on job portals - Building a recruitment section on company's website. - Screening the database of candidates on job portals The advantages of e-recruitment are: - Lower cost of advertising the job openings - Helps in saving time - Large pool of candidates to choose from - Day in - day out access to the database

- Screening the database brings in only relevant candidates - Paper less process - more organised

12. Differentiate between recruitment and selection.

- Recruitment aims at searching for the talent and promoting the candidates to apply for the position while selection is the process of screening the candidates to fill a position with the most suitable candidate. - Recruitment process get a pool of candidates for the selection process to work and choose the best one. - Recruitment encourages more and more people to apply while selection eliminates unsuitable candidates to zero down on the best one. - There is no contractual agreement between the employee and the employer in the recruitment process while after the selection a contract is agreed upon by the employee and the employer.

13. What is recruitment management system? What are its features and benefits?
- Recruitment management system is a tool for effective management of recruitment process. It helps in quick, reliable, accurate and unbiased processing of various applications. - The system helps in efficient management of system by automatically maintaining the database of candidates. - It works as a good interface between various parties involved in the whole process - It helps in better communication.

14. How would you maximize your ROI on recruitment?

Recruitment is a time and money consuming activity. In order to maximize the ROI through recruitment activities, a company should keep following things in mind: - Clearly define the achievements you expect from the recruitment process. Establishing the clear goals doesn't leave a place for confusion in the system. - Develop effective ways to measure critical results. - Precise estimation of time and cost of recruitment. - Ensure that the people working in the recruitment process are well trained. - Estimate the tangible and intangible benefits that have come from the recruitment exercise.

15. Explain the process of recruitment through placement agents.

The process of recruitment through placement agents consists of following steps: - Brief the consultant about the profile and the candidate - Placement consultant shortlist some candidates and sends the CVs - Company's representative shortlists the CVs sent by consultants - Interview is scheduled by the agent - Interview conducted by the company's representative - If the candidate is selected, he is given an offer after the negotiation else the consultant sends another candidate

16. What qualities would you look for in consultants before getting them on board for your recruitment activities?
If a company decides to outsource its recruitment activities, it looks for a consultant to do this job. Following are the important qualities, a company should look for in the consultant before hiring them - Experience and expertise in the sector - Resources they possess - Achievements in the last projects - Flexibility and adaptability - Result orientation

17. What are the elements of an effective recruitment strategy?

The purpose of a recruitment strategy is to hire the best talent a company desires in a timely and cost effective manner. Following are the main elements of an effective recruitment strategy: - Identifying the jobs - Type of candidates required depending on their - performance, experience, domain knowledge. - Sources to tab - job portals, campuses, competitor's employees, employee referral - Assigned recruiters - Process to evaluate and hire candidates

18. What challenges have you faced as a recruiter?

Major challenges a recruiter faces are: - Lack of candidates in some particular domain - Changing trends of the market - Lack of self motivation - Lack of agility in the process - Lack of job prioritization - Lack of proper job analysis

19. If you are required to recruit expats, what qualities will you try to judge during the interview?
When there is a shortage of skills and talents at a particular geographical location, the company tries to hire people from other geographical locations. These people are called expats. Sometimes the companies require only expats for certain positions - depending on their recruitment strategy. While hiring expats it is important to judge following qualities in them: - Professional qualifications and expertise - Adaptability and Flexibility - Cultural sensitivity - Family conditions - Open mindedness - Any past international work experience - Level of self-motivation

21. What do you understand by "Equal Employment Opportunity"?

Equal employment opportunity means an equal and fair treatment for all people. There is no discrimination among the employees or candidates on the basis of: race, age, sex, marital status, disability, sexuality, pregnancy etc. Equal employment Opportunities help in overall development of both the society as well as the organization. They help the organizations in creating a good image for themselves and discharging their social responsibilities.

1. What is the importance of communication within an organisation?

Communication within an organization is one of the key elements responsible for its success and congenial atmosphere. Better communication in an organization brings following results: 1. Better employer employee relationship 2. Lesser confusions within the employees and with the management 3. Better productivity as the goals are clearly stated and conveyed with a clear work path 4. Better communication helps in implementing changes easily 5. Its boosts up the confidence level of the employees 6. The employees in an organization with clear communication are better motivated 7. Employees will have lesser grievances in a clear communication environment

2. How can better communication help in effectively implementing the change management?
Communication plays an extremely important role in the process of implementing change. Resistance to change occurs because of:

- Fear of change - Not being a part of the change process - People moving away from their comfort zones - Low level of trust In being able to manage change - Wrong information about the need for change However, all these problems can be better managed with open and clear communication.

3. What is the role of HR department in internal communication in an organisation?

In small to medium size organization usually it is the HR department which initiates and establishes the process of internal communication. HR department is the one that lays down various employee related policies and has the complete information about their implementation. So, HR department play a vital role in the implementation of internal communication system in an organization.

4. What are the various tools that can be used for an effective internal communication?
Various tools which can be used for an effective internal communication are: i.) Small Group meeting ii.) Big group meetings iii.) Open House iv.) Notice boards v.) E-mails vi.) Internal newsletters vii.) Intranet viii.) Blogs ix.) Videos x.) Targeted desktop messages xi.) Effective screen saver messages

5. What is the role of communication in implementing an effective disciplinary system?

Every organization requires some work ethics and disciplinary system to be followed for efficient working and maintaining work culture. However it is a big challenge to ensure that the disciplinary system is properly implemented. Communication plays an effective role in efficient implementation of the system. Some of the activities that can be done to ensure the implementation of an effective disciplinary system are: i.) Putting up the notices on the notice boards ii.) Updating the guidelines and putting them on the intranet iii.) Communicating them through the email.

6. What is the importance of communication while taking a disciplinary action?

A disciplinary action can invoke a feeling of mistrust among not only the employee against whom the action is being taken but also his fellow employees. In order to avoid this feeling of mistrust against the employer, it is important to: - Document the disciplinary procedure and communicate it to all the employees - Provide a clear reference to the activities and the disciplinary action they call for according to the guidelines. - Ensure that the employee against whom the action is being taken understands and accepts his behaviours against which the action is being taken. And, all these can be achieved only if you have clear communication system in place.

7. What makes effective internal communication difficult?

The major difficulties faced by the organizations in implementation of an effective internal communication system are: - Gap in receiving the information - Geographically divided work force

- Using ineffective and inefficient way of communication - Message falling on deaf ears and blind eyes

8. What tools do you propose to use for communication with virtual work force?
Tools which you can use to communicate with virtual work force include: i.) E-mails ii.) Instant Messengers iii.) VOIPs iv.) Telephones v.) Blogs vi.) Forums vii.) Intranet viii.) Videos ix.) Online document management systems x.) Virtual Private Network

9. Which tools do you propose should be used for communication during crisis?
Tools which you can use for communication during crisis are: i.) Internal/ External social media depending on the issue ii.) Executive Blog iii.) Forums iv.) Addressing large groups of employees v.) Press Conference

1. What are the objectives of performance appraisal system?

The main objectives of a performance appraisal system are: i.) To increases the employee effectiveness by helping them understand their role better. ii.) To help the employees understand their strengths and weakness in the current role. iii.) To help the managers in identifying the training needs of their sub-ordinates. iv.) To improve the relationship between the line manager and his team members by making them realize that they are dependent on each other for better performance. v.) To help the line mangers and their team members in improving the communication by discussing the problem in achieving the targets and finding the potential solutions. vi.) To provide the employee an opportunity for self evaluation and self development which are important to achieve the goals. vii.) To prepare the employees for higher roles. viii.) To create a positive work atmosphere. ix.) To collect the information about each employee through personal meeting which is useful in making managerial decisions.

2. Why do performance appraisal systems fail?

The main reasons for performance appraisal system to fail are as below: i.) Many a times the performance appraisal system tries to assess the personality traits of its employees through their line manager. There are two types of problems in this: a.) The employees do not open up as they do not want any negative personality trait to be recoded in official records. b.) The line managers are not fully trained and capable of assessing the personality traits of employees.

3. What are the important components of an performance appraisal system format?

The important components of a comprehensive performance appraisal system format are: i.) Identification of KPIs and target setting periodically through a discussion between the employee and his line manger ii.) Identification of personal qualities required for the current and higher roles and developing them iii.) Self appraisal by the appraisee iv.) Identification of factors which have helped and hindered in achieving the set goals. v.) Discussion about the performance and counselling of the appraisee by the appraiser vi.) Identification of training needs for current and higher role. vii.) Setting up the goals and plan of action viii.) Assessment by the superior training and development needs, any rewards or punishments.

4. What are KPIs?

KPI Key performance indices, as the name suggests is a list of parameters against which the performance of an employee is measured. These indices are usually quantifiable in nature.

5. What are major criteria to assess the performance of employees?

The major criteria to assess the performance of employees are: i.) Job Knowledge ii.) Planning iii.) Ability to organise and utilize resources iv.) Communication skills v.) Relationship with superiors, peers, subordinates & associates vi.) Ability to make decisions vii.) Winning instinct Can do attitude viii.) Team working capabilities

6. How is appraisal system used as a tool to chalk out employee's career progression?
- Performance appraisal system assesses the candidates performance in various areas. - It also helps in identifying the training needs of an employee - The line manager gets an idea about the area of interest of the candidate in which he wants to grow, his ability to take more responsibilities etc. All these put together help in chalking out the employees career progression in the organization.

7. How does appraisal help in counselling interview?

The purpose of the counselling interview conducted by the line manager is to help his subordinate in objectively analyzing his performance. The information collected through the performance appraisal form and interview helps the manager in conducting this counselling interview. It helps the employee in: i.) Understanding himself ii.) Improving his behaviour which helps his professional and interpersonal competence. iii.) Setting future goals and formulating an action plan iv.) Finding out the alternatives to deal with problems.

8. Explain: a.) 180 degree peformance appraisal system. b.) 360 degree peformance appraisal system.
a.) 180 degree peformance appraisal system. - It is single-tier appraisal and feedback system. - Candidate performs the self appraisal seperately - His line manager performs the appraisal separately - They hold an appraisal meeting to discuss their reviews and agree on the ratings in various areas. - This is followed by identifying the training and development needs and an action plan to improve the performance. b.) 360 degree peformance appraisal system. - It is a multi-rater appraisal and feedback system. - The individual is assessed by a number of people superiors, subordinates, peers, customers etc. - The assessment is performed on a specially designed questionnaire which measures behaviours critical for the performance in the role. - The appraisal is performed anonymously by various people - The assessments are consolidated and shared with the candidate.

9. What can you aim to achieve through 360 degree performance appraisal system?
We can aim to achieve the following through 360 degree performance appraisal system: i.) Information about the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate in a particular role. ii.) Identification of training and development needs to perform better in the current role and prepare for the higher role. iii.) Collect data as an objective basis for rewards and other decisions iv.) Basis for performance based pay or awards v.) Aligning individual and organizational goals.

10. What are the pre-requisites of a 360 degree appraisal system?

The main pre-requisites of a 360 degree appraisal system are: i.) Commitment from the top management to continuously develop the competencies of the employees ii.) Proper implementation of various HR systems iii.) Willingness of the management to let the employees learn from each other and their own mistakes. iv.) Willingness of the management to spend time in providing feedback to their sub-ordinates v.) Willingness of the management to accept the feedback from their sub-ordinates and peers. vi.) Not too many status barriers and ego issues vii.) Openness of the people to accept feedback and use it for development viii.) Feedback is not used for political advantage ix.) Emphasis on teamwork in the organization x.) HR department is highly credible xi.) High degree of process orientation in the organization xii.) High value to the values in the organization xiii.) Emphasis on building competencies

11. What are the main phases of a 360 degree appraisal system?
Following are the main phases of a 360 degree appraisal system: i.) Orientation Information about the importance and details of the process is passed on to the participants. Ii.) Questionnaire distribution iii.) Monitoring and follow up iv.) Data feeding and report generation v.) Conducting the workshop vi.) Counselling of employees

12. What do you know about following appraisal systems?

a.) Graphic Rating Scales - This method is also called as linear rating scales or simple rating scales method - Judgement about the performance are recorded on a scale

- The appraisers are given the forms which carries the various criteria on which the employees are to be rated - It is a simple and quick method, which makes it popular b.) Ranking method - The employees are rated from best to worst on some characteristics - The rater chooses the best and the worst employees from a group and rates them. -He then chooses the second best and worst set and goes on - The reliability and validity of this method is under doubt as it may suffer from raters bias, fluctuating performances or varying standards. c.) Paired comparison method - Under this method each employee is rated against all the members in the group. - It could be fairly applied where the number of employees are less. - This method is time consuming. - The performance is compared to other employees rather than specific job criteria d.) Forced distribution method - This method is developed to prevent the raters from rating too high or too low. - In this method, the raters are required to spread their employee evaluations in a prescribed distribution. - It eliminates central tendency and leniency biases

1. What is a grievance?
a.) Grievance is formal complaint which demonstrates any kind of dissatisfaction in an employee, arising out of the factors which are related to his job.

2. How can a grievance be communicated?

The communication of grievances should be done formally. It can be communicated via: - A written document - E-mail. The organizations which allow the employees to see the top level executives directly with their grievances are called to have Open Door Policy. Many of the lower level employees do not find it very comfortable to approach the top executives directly. The organizations in which the employee is required to talk to his immediate senior about his grievances, who either offers a solution or escalates the grievance are called to have Step Ladder Policy for grievance handling.

3. Why is it important to have a grievance handling procedure?

Grievance handling process gives the aggrieved employees an opportunity to communicate their feelings and problems to the concerned people. These people can then address the grievances as per the policies. A good grievance handling system brings following benefits to the organization: a.) It develops the trust of employees in the organization, its motives and policies b.) It helps in addressing the employees problems before they become too big c.) It helps in improving the over all work conditions and atmosphere d.) It helps in developing a committed work force and improving the productivity e.) It helps in identifying the areas of improvement and taking the required actions

4. What are the important steps in grievance handling procedure?

The important steps in grievance handling procedure are: i.) Accepting the grievance and acknowledging it ii.) Carefully listening the problem iii.) Understanding the redefining the problem to ensure that both the parties are at the same level of understanding iv.) Gathering the information all facts and figures .

vi.) Offering the best solution vii.) Follow up

5. What can be the causes of grievances?

The factors causing the grievance can be divided into: i.) Management policies ii.) Working conditions iii.) Interpersonal factors Grievances due to management policies can be sub-divided into: a.) Salaries b.) Overtime c.) Leave policies d.) Lack of growth in career e.) Conflicts in the roles f.) Unmatched skills and responsibilities g.) Disciplinary action Grievances due to working conditions can be sub-divided into: a.) Unhygienic work environment b.) Safety issues c.) Insufficient equipments d.) Indiscipline and wrong approaches to discipline e.) Unrealistic expectations f.) Transfer Grievances due to interpersonal factors can be sub - divided into: a.) Inability to get along with superiors b.) Poor relations with team members c.) Ego d.) Impractical approach to life

6. Explain the effects of grievances on: a.) Employees b.) Management c.) Work
Following are the effects of grievances on each of the above mentioned parties: a. Employees -----------------i.) Frustration ii.) Demotivation iii.) Aloofness iv.) Low productivity b.) Management ----------------------i.) Labour unrest ii.) Absenteeism iii.) Indiscipline iv.) High labour turnover c.) Work

------------i.) Low productivity ii.) High wastages iii.) Increased costs

7. What are the main objectives of having a grievance handling procedure?

The main objectives of having a grievance handling procedure are to: i.) Solve the problems when they are really small rather than letting them grow big and becoming insolvable ii.) Improve the overall work conditions iii.) Develop a happy work force iv.) Keep the concentration on productivity v.) Tackle human problems like absenteeism, demotivation etc.

8. What are the important features of a good grievance handling procedure?

The important features of a good grievance handling procedure are: i.) It confirms with existing legislation ii.) It is fairly acceptable to all it provides justice to the employees, reasonable authority to the manager and allows adequate participation of the union. iii.) It is simple and easily understood by all. Employees have sufficient information about the process and the authorities who can be approached in case of a problem. iv.) It is not a very long process v.) It is prompt and quick takes as little time as possible. vi.) The supervisors and union leaders are well trained to handle it.

9. What are the different ways to discover a grievance?

Different ways to discover a grievance are: i.) Open door policy ii.) Exist Interviews iii.) Suggestion boxes iv.) Opinion surveys

10. Why is it important to handle the grievances in a timely manner?

It is extremely important to handle the grievances in a timely manner. Justice delayed means justice denied. - The delay in settlement frustrates and de-motivates the employee - The delay reflects badly on the managements intentions and seriousness to settle - It affects the overall work atmosphere - It lowers the productivity - It increases the cost and wastage

11. What precautions would you suggest to the HR Manager to make the grievance handling process more effective?
- Give the employee an opportunity to speak openly - Conduct the meeting in private - Listen carefully with sincere interest without interruption or arguments - Dont just go by the symptoms try to establish the actual reason - Check the policy and records dont jump to conclusions - Provide a timeline for the solution and act within it dont delay - Provide an amicable, mutually acceptable solution - Do not publicise.