Break it Down – Using Information in Human Resources

by Jon Robinson AssocCIPD

BREAK. IT. DOWN.

Unofficial Guide to Completing CIPD Award in Using
Information in Human Resources – 5UIN

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

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Introduction to Using Information in Human Resources
This guide has been written to provide a general introduction to writing a report for
your Using Information in HR module. It outlines the typical structure of a report
and provides a step by step guide to producing reports that are clear and well
structured.

The Learning Outcomes for this module are:

1. Understand the research process and different research approaches.
2. Be able to conduct a critical review of information sources in an area of
HR/business practice and analyse the findings.
3. Be able to draw meaningful conclusions and evaluate options for change.
4. Know how to deliver clear, business-focused reports on an HR issue.

Evidence to be produced/required
A written business report for stakeholders of approximately 2500 words. The title
page, executive summary, reference list and any appendices are excluded from the
word count.

All reference sources should be acknowledged correctly (Harvard) and a reference

list and bibliography provided where appropriate.

Important Note
The CIPD operates what is known as an ‘Assessment Bank’, which includes a
number of different versions of the same assessment. This guide is written using
assessment briefs for ICS, which is also used by a number of other learning
providers. It is important to know that whilst the questions may be different, the
Assessment Criteria will always be the same.

Disclaimer
All guides in my ‘Break it Down’ series are intended to be advice and guidance only;
you will not pass the course solely by reading the guides. You will be required to
complete a number of hours’ independent study and write up each assignment
according to your learning provider’s guidelines.

I am not an employee of CIPD or any learning provider. I am a former level 5

student who has completed the Diploma in Human Resources Management in 2017.
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This Guide has been Created in the Format of a Report
After this introductory section, I have laid out the rest of the document in the style of
the report that CIPD want to see. If you follow my format, you will achieve passes
for some of the assessment criteria. What content you include will help you pass the
remaining assessment criteria.

Don’t Make this Report More Difficult than it Actually is!

Let’s look at the Assessment Criteria. Remember, if you match these, you pass the
module. Simple as that.

AC What I need to Pass each Assessment Criteria Done

2.1 To pass this, you need to identify your chosen area of HR practice that will be the focus of your
literature review.

Explain WHY you have chosen this area and chose good literature to review.
2.2, 1.1 Review your research. The research should be relevant to your area of practice and there should
be a reason why you’ve included it. Don’t waffle. Critique the research as follows:
• Summarise the focus of the source
• What methodology was used (qualitative or quantitative)
• Was the research and the methods used strong enough to persuade you or were there
issues?
4.1, 3,1 Create a Business Report. The report should have the following as an absolute minimum:
• Title page (report title and their name, submission date)
• Executive summary (overview, methods of analysis, findings, recommendations)
• Table of contents (list of numbered sections)
• Introduction (terms of reference)
• Main body (headings and sub-headings – these could be for each information source
reviewed). Candidates should use a mix of narrative and diagrammatic formats where
appropriate to present their findings.
• Conclusion (including major inferences and recommendations for change)
• Reference list using appropriate scholarly convention
• Bibliography if appropriate
• Appendix if used i.e. information supporting their analysis but not essential to its
explanation.

What is a report?
A report varies from the short-answer questions that dominate the CIPD Level 5
qualification in that it has a specific purpose and layout. You will be gathering
research for this report and presenting it in an appropriate manner. You will be
marked on your critical analysis of this report. Your information should be
presented in a clearly structured format making good use of sections and sub-
sections.

What makes a good report?

The first reason that CIPD want you to write a report as a compulsory module in
your qualification is to ensure that you have a valuable business-related skill that is
imperative in the workplace, especially if you want to progress to HR Business
Partner level. The other reason is to see if you can carry out appropriate research at
Level 5 standard; to see if you can gather information, present it and critically
evaluate it.
Break it Down – Using Information in Human Resources

The following table gives you some points to note when creating a good business
4
report:

What Makes a Good 5UIN HR Business Report? Done

I can understand the purpose of the report and adhere to the Assessment Criteria
I can gather, evaluate and analyse relevant information
I am able to structure material in a logical and coherent order
I can critically review my literature pieces
I will be able to present my report in keeping with Assessment Criteria 3.1 & 4.1
I can make appropriate conclusions and recommendations that are supported by the analysis in my report
I can include suitable appendices, surveys and other appropriate information
I can present a strong Appendix and Bibliography section at the end of my report

Selecting your Topic

Whatever you do, have an interest in the topic, and an understanding of the subject
matter! For example, I have an interest in HR analytics, but I can barely use Excel. So
there really wouldn’t be any point in me writing about that. I’m not a big fan of Pay
and Reward or Retention either, so it would be silly of me to pick any of these as a
topic. Here are some popular topics to consider.

Popular Topics
Induction Recruitment
Absence Management Performance Management
Redundancy Discrimination
Retention Termination of Employment
Learning & Development Employee Engagement
Pay & Reward
• This list is not exhaustive, but recommended!
Don’t start getting too complicated with your research at this stage. Just pick a topic
you like. It really is that simple.

From the next page, we move onto the report

layout.

Good Luck!
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Title Page
This should briefly but explicitly describe the purpose of the report (if this is not
obvious from the title of the work). Other details you may include could be your
name, the date and for whom the report is written.

Throughout this guide, these blue boxes will contain advice and guidance on how to complete
each section of your report.

I will be using information that I have written based on a ‘dummy’ 5UIN report. I have also
selected an article on HR Shared Services Centres in the NHS.

An investigation into effective Absence Management

Methods within the nursing social care sector:
A strategic review of ‘Soon Be Dead’ Care Homes Ltd.
by

Jon Robinson
1st April 2019
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Executive Summary (also known as the Abstract)
It’s a Saturday afternoon and you are in WHSmith. Just before the cashier tries to
force a 1kg bar of Dairy Milk into your shopping you look for some books. One book
really takes our eye, but you aren’t sure whether or not to buy it. After reading the
back cover of the book, you decide to read it. Think of your executive summary as
the back of a book. The executive summary is a brief section at the beginning of your
business report that summarises the report. The executive summary should briefly
describe the content of the report, covering the aims, a brief overview of what was
uncovered in your research and a glimpse into your conclusion and
recommendations.

Although the Executive Summary features at the very start of your report, you
shouldn’t write it until the very end. Clearly you won’t know what you are going to
write here until you have completed all of your report writing.

The Intended Audience

The summary is the first part of the report that will be read. You should feel
confident that if your Managing Director only read this page, they would have a
good understanding of what you’ve written inside. It’s not unknown that the further
up the chain your report goes, the less likely it will be read in all of its entirety. By
the time it gets to director level, be thankful if they even read the front page!

As with all writing projects it is important to know your audience. The intended
audience for an executive summary may be quite different from the intended
audience for your report and serves several possible purposes.

People may read the executive summary to find out if they need to read the full
report. This group may include people within the organisation and outside, but the
report is likely to touch on what they do every day. They will often be subject
experts; they just need to know if there is anything new that they should read. This
group will be looking for a broad summary of the contents of the wider paper.

People may want to find out if they’d find the full report interesting and relevant,
even if not strictly essential. Again, this group is likely to be subject experts, but may
also include analysts searching for a particular ‘angle’ on the subject. This group will
also welcome a straightforward summary of the contents.

They may read the executive summary instead of the full report. It’s this group that
you really need to worry about, because they’re likely to include the Board or
executive team of your organisation, as well as journalists. What goes into the
executive summary, therefore, is the message that they’re going to take away, that
may well be spread more widely. For these people, the executive summary is their
window onto the subject and it needs to be transparent, not opaque, if they are to
understand it.

Here’s an example of an abstract from our NHS article. Do you think you get enough
from this to know the report’s contents without reading further?
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This paper examines the shared service model of organizing the human resource management function. It
reports the results from a study of the introduction of human resource shared services (HRSS) in four NHS
organizations. Findings suggest that the HRSS model has a number of advantages for organizations but that
it has difficulty addressing the transformational HR agenda. In contrast, with the exception of a small cadre
of staff, there is few advantages for HR employees themselves in HRSS systems. We suggest that the apparent
neglect of the work experience of HR staff under HRSS models may significantly undermine the potential
for its wider successful implementation.

Keywords Shared services; HR organization; National Health Service.

Redman, T., Snape, E., Wass, J. and Hamilton, P., (2007). Evaluating the human resource shared services model: evidence
from the NHS. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(8), pp.1486-1506.

Here’s an example that I’ve written for my fictional care home company:
Staff absenteeism in social care is notoriously high. With the absence rate in the care sector running at higher rates than
most other sectors including comparable manual labour in factories, it is health and social care employees who regularly
top the lists of those in the various sectors most likely to take a day off sick. In a recent Absence Management survey by
the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Reference) it was found that health, care services and housing
association staff had among the highest rates of absence.

Whilst employers are required to fulfil their responsibilities to sick or disabled employees, most are concerned about the
cost of sickness absence (Reference) There is therefore a potential conflict for employers between their requirement to
provide support to employees who are ill and their desire to reduce absence levels. Workplace and government policies
need to be informed by an adequate evidence base. Understanding the factors which help employees to remain in and
return to work may allow employers to provide policies and support which improve employee wellbeing and work
attendance. However, research on sickness absence is not sufficiently developed to adequately address these issues.

This research proposal will explore what helps employees to reduce their sickness absence either by avoiding it
altogether or by limiting its duration. It will look at three key studies, backed up by supporting evidence and theory from
a further eight sources. The studies are a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research.

This study details the various types of Absence Management Methods (AMMs) that are available, and what appears to
work. The research has helped form a proposal of methods that would be suitable to plan and use within the business.

The research showed that by maintaining a well written Absence Policy and adhering to Trigger Mechanisms like the
Bradford Factor, followed by utilising Return-to-Work interviews, Occupational Health Referrals, Flexible
Working and Incentives, there could be a notable reduction in the levels of absence. The research also suggests that the
Human Resources function need to work in partnership with line managers to ensure that they are knowledgeable about
the procedures to follow and confident to support employees back into work.

Following the research, the recommendations would be to implement a robust Absence Management policy and
introduce a number of key procedures, such as return to work interviews that are linked to disciplinary or occupational
health referral.

My write-up could be seen as too long-winded. Your executive summary should

really only be half a page (Arial 11/12), and you could also include a brief bio of the
company or sector that you are studying. The NHS is one of the world’s largest
employers; therefore, it’s highly likely they will need no introduction, however your
SME or industry might require more information.

Checklist Achieved?
Are you sure that your target audience(s) has been catered for?
Have you addressed it to the target audience?
There is no word count, have you stuck to half a page?
Have you clearly outlined the key messages and any action needed as a result?
Does the executive summary make sense by itself, without the report attached?
I have written the Executive Summary at the END of my writing-up.
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Table of Contents
The contents page should list the different chapters and/or headings together with
the page numbers. Your contents page should be presented in such a way that the
reader can quickly scan the list of headings and locate a particular part of the report.
You may want to number chapter headings and subheadings in addition to
providing page references.

Section Page Number (Word Count)*

Executive Summary XXX ()
1.0 Introduction XXX (250)
1.1 Aims and Objectives XXX (100)
1.2 Key Stakeholders XXX (100)
2.0 Literature Review XXX (1000)
3.0 Critique of Literature Review XXX (500)
3.1 Justifications Of Research Selected? (These subsections aren’t essential, but
3.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Research Carried out worth considering)
(Qualitative v Quantitative Data)?
4.0 Presentation of Proposed Findings XXX (100)
4.1 Line Graphs XXX (50 + table)
4.2 Bar Charts XXX (50 + table)
5.0 Conclusion XXX (250)
5.1 Recommendations XXX (100)
Appendices (Two Surveys) XXX
References & Bibliography XXX

• The word count shouldn’t get included here, I’m just adding in some guidance for you!
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1.0 Introduction to the Report
10% of the word count (~250 words)
Let’s start off with the word count. If you haven’t written a report of essay in a long
time (or ever), then follow the ten per cent rule for your introduction and conclusion.
And think of it this way: with the introduction and conclusion out of the way,
you’ve * only * eighty per cent of your writing left to go…

Based on the base-line of 2,500 words, your introduction can be around 250 words,
increasing to 275 if you add on that extra ten per cent allowance that CIPD offers
you. Don’t be worried if you cannot reach the ten per cent mark. When you start
writing at a higher level, anything between five and 7.5 per cent is acceptable.
Definitely don’t try and write more than ten per cent.

The introduction has one simple aim: it sets the scene for the report. This differs
from the Executive Summary in that you only want to introduce your report, whereas
the summary summarises the entire report. In some business reports you will find the
aims and objectives listed in the introduction, however for this report it is
recommended that you allocate a different section to this.

Here’s a snippet from the NHS article introduction:

This paper contributes to an understanding of HRSS by reporting a study of the development of such an
approach to organising HR in the National Health Service (NHS). We examine the development of shared
HR services in four case organisations and evaluate its practice. The article proceeds as follows. First, we
briefly review the extant literature on shared services. Second, we trace the development of HR shared
services in the NHS and locate this discussion in an analysis of the changing role of HR in the NHS. Third, we
describe our case organisations and the research methodologies employed and report the study’s findings.
Fourth, we conclude by reflecting on the implications for the future organisation of the HR function if the
shared services model is more widely adopted.
• Note that the first time the NHS has been mentioned the writer has described it by its full name. The HRSS model
has already been discussed, hence why it is now abbreviated.
• Redman, T., Snape, E., Wass, J. and Hamilton, P., (2007). Evaluating the human resource shared services model:
evidence from the NHS. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(8), pp.1486-1506.

Checklist Achieved?
Have you discussed that you will be carrying out a comprehensive literature review?
Have you mentioned that you will analyse the research methodologies used?
Don’t forget to highlight that you will write a critique of this research to ascertain if it is of
any use to you.
Will you finish off by mentioning that you will reach a conclusion with recommendations?
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1.1 Aims and Objectives
100 words
You should aim for around 100 words here. As previously mentioned, you should
stick to this template when preparing your report. Here is the example again,
looking at absence management in social care:

The aim of this review is to suggest new ways in which absence can be managed more effectively amongst the care
assistant team at Soon Be Dead Care Home, Birmingham.

The following four objectives have been set:

1. Review the current literature around absence management methods (AMM).

2. Identify and review current AMM within the Care Home.

3. Propose new and dynamic ways in which AMM can be used and implemented at Soon Be Dead.

4. Review after 12 months and include senior management.

Here’s an example for Recruitment issues in a hotel:

The aim of this review is to suggest new ways in which the recruitment and selection process for seasonal domestic staff
can be managed more effectively at Fawlty Towers Guest House, Torquay.

The following four objectives have been set:

1. Review the current literature around recruitment and selection methods, with a focus on seasonal /
bank staff in the hospitality sector.

2. Identify and review current recruitment policy and procedure within the Guest House.

3. Propose new and dynamic ways in which a dynamic recruitment procedure can be used and
implemented at Fawlty Towers.

4. Review after 12 months and include senior management.

Finally, here’s an example for EU workers at a manufacturing plant:

The aim of this review is to suggest new ways in which the HR team can effectively retain or replace EU workers at
Safety Industrial Doors, Yeovil.

The following four objectives have been set:

1. Review the current literature around retention.

2. Identify and review current retention procedures within the business.

3. Propose new and dynamic ways in which retention methods can be used and implemented at Safety
Industrial Doors.

4. Review after 12 months and include senior management.

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1.2 Key Stakeholders
100 words
In this section, you should again write up around 100 words. However, you can add
a table here, which will save some of your word count. See below for an example
table using our Care Home:
Running a safe nursing home requires a high level of commitment from all employed stakeholders to ensure that the
cared-for stakeholder (service user) receives the best level of care. Poor absence management means that the service
users are at risk of catching communicable diseases or being hurt or neglected by unsuitable or non-existent care staff. It
also increases pressure on the qualified nurses to carry out basic care tasks and not monitor the ‘patient’, therefore
increasing the risk of safeguarding incidents.

Stakeholder Level of Reason for interest

Interest
Other care & support Med General attitude towards Absence management needs to improve
workers

Service Users1 High A better performing group of carers ensures that residents can have a
(residents) better quality of life and will be handled safely

Line Manager Med Absence % needs to reduce to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the
nursing home.

Senior managers, Relevant High Happier Service Users, lower staff turnover and associated costs
outside Health
Professionals

Soon Be Dead Group High More proactive HR function, Better PR for the brand, Local Authorities
more likely to place service users in our homes.

Table 1: Stakeholders
1 Note the industry terminology – ‘Service Users’ is the terminology used for residents. I personally don’t like
it, however you need to remember your audience.
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2.0 Literature Review
800 – 1000 words
Now down to the important part of the report. Well, normally this would be the
most important part, but don’t forget that you still get marked for your layout, and
by following my layout guidance you will already have achieved Assessment
Criteria 3.1 and 4.1. Along with the Critiques, this part of the report only covers
Assessment Criteria 1.1 and 2.1. Only…

A literature review is both a summary and explanation of your knowledge on the

topic you are researching. Here you will critically review the reading you have
completed on your chosen topic and will then explain why you selected the sources
you have reviewed. A strong literature review will contain comments on the
research approaches used to produce the source and identify the advantages and
disadvantages of the approaches.

A Good Literature Review… Done

My literature review gives the reader easy access to research on my HR topic
by selecting high quality articles or studies that are relevant, meaningful,
important and valid and summarising them into one complete section
• My literature review highlights key findings
• My literature review provides a constructive analysis of the methodologies
(quantitative / qualitative) and approaches of the researchers

Selecting the Best Research Material

In your literature review you should rely only on academic sources. These can
include: Academic Textbooks, Journals (CIPD/EBSCO and Google Scholar), Trade
Magazines (People Management, HR Magazine, HR Grapevine…) Company
Information, Websites (including the CIPD and ACAS).

Avoid sites such as MindTools, BusinessBalls and Wikipedia. They really cannot be
relied on for accuracy.

You can really go overboard with your research. I think I had about 40 different
pieces of research for my report, and I struggled to cut these down. I think I was
researching for a PhD thesis and not a 2,500 word report! Your CIPD Assignment
Brief may also mention that you only need at least three ‘different information
sources’. This is somewhat vague, as we don’t know if you should only select three
pieces of work for our report, or various journal articles, various academic textbooks
and various websites. Most learning providers recommend that you use around ten
pieces of research for your literature review. Unless your learning provider is
adamant you use three, then go for ten.

Describe any Models or Theories

To show that you actually understand what you are writing about, make sure you
throw in a few details regarding models and theories. Perhaps some history to the
topic also. Using the HR Shared Services model in our NHS article:
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What are shared services?
The exact origin of the shared services model is difficult to establish. Many commentators suggest that its
specific birthplace was in the finance function during the 1980s, and involved separating out financial
administrative services from strategic financial advice and support. However, we can also find earlier
references to the sharing of medical and administrative services in health care in order to contain costs and
expand services (Griffin and Adams, 1981; Schermerhorn, 1973).
An analysis of the definitions of shared services highlights that it appears to be a rather elastic and dynamic
concept. Ulrich’s (1995:14) explanation of the term as ‘ .. . the combining or consolidating of services within
a corporation’, suggests that shared services are a single organizational phenomenon, occurring when separate
business units within a company are brought together. More recently, the definitions offered by Quinn et al.
(2000: 11) and Oates (1998) reflect that that the practice of sharing services had moved beyond the boundaries
of the single organizational unit.
Redman, T., Snape, E., Wass, J. and Hamilton, P., (2007). Evaluating the human resource shared services model: evidence
from the NHS. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(8), pp.1486-1506.

And using our absence management example:

There are a number of theories and models of sickness absence which have come from different disciplines, including
management and economics, and have focused on different elements of absence (Kaiser, 1998), and Steers and Rhodes’
(1978) process model of absence is probably the most well-known. Absence from work has been presented in varying
and conflicting ways, including a cost-benefit analysis (Allen, 1981); a function of personal and workplace influences
(Steers & Rhodes, 1978); a medical issue (Palmer, Brown & Hobson, 2013) or an outcome of workplace culture
(Chadwick-Jones, Nicholson & Brown, 1982). Many of the early models of absence tended to assume that absence from
work was a voluntary behaviour (e.g. Allen, 1981) and focused on job satisfaction (e.g. Steers & Rhodes, 1978).
Allen, S.G. (1981). An Empirical Model of Work Attendance. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 63(1), 77-87.
Chadwick-Jones, J.K., Nicholson, N. and Brown, C.A. (1982) Social Psychology of Absenteeism. New York: Praeger.
Kaiser, C.P. (1998). What do we know about employee absence behavior? An interdisciplinary interpretation. The Journal of
Socio-Economics, 27(1), 79-96.
Palmer, K. (2013) Fitness for work: The medical aspects. Edited by Robin A. F. Cox, Felicity. C. Edwards, and Keith
Palmer. 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Steers, R.M. and Rhodes, S.R. (1978) ‘Major influences on employee attendance: A process model’, Journal of Applied
Psychology, 63(4), pp. 391–407.

Decide on your approach for the reminder of your

literature review
There are now two ways to present the remainder of your literature review. You
could either review each piece of work in turn, or you could review the literature by
outcome. The outcome approach is the better one, as it shows that you can write in
continuous prose, whereas just writing about one piece after another looks
somewhat ‘clunky’. Your writing should be presented in what is known as the
‘Golden Thread’, where you present your work clearly and concisely to the audience
reading it. It should tell a story and have a solid structure, and use up-to-date
sources which are correctly referenced. Most importantly, your work needs to stay
focused on the aims and objectives of your research. Don’t let your research take you
on a tangent.

Here’s an example using our fictional Care Home:

Three pieces of literature to discuss policy
The CIPD (2016) states that over 9/10 organisations have a written absence/attendance management policy, and that over
a quarter have absence management as their greatest people management policy. Whitaker (2001) stresses the importance
of having a ‘robust’ policy to manage absence management, that covers the definition of absence, how the absence
should be reported, and what steps should be taken to manage attendance at an ‘individual’ level. Ford (2014) states that
the policy should encompass the three Ps: preventative, proactive and provision. Ford also argues that in order for the
policy to be effective, it must apply to everyone and be properly monitored.
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From the NHS article:
Three pieces of literature to HR Shared Services Models
Shared HR service models
A key aspect in structuring HRSS is the distinction between three types of HR contribution: transactional,
professional advisory and transformational. In discussing models of HRSS, writers often consider these three areas
of activity as distinct bundles of activities. Whether such certainty can be achieved in practice is not really explored.
In studies of 15 organizations with HRSS systems, Reilly and Williams (2003) found no single dominant model but
several trends are highlighted. In all cases, transformational HR work was always excluded from shared services and
administrative work was always included. The treatment of professional advisory services is the source of the main
variation with some sharing and some separation. This diversity may reflect the different stages of development of
HRSS in the case organizations. According to Quinn et al. (2000), many organizations begin with sharing
transactional processes and move on to professional advisory and services. For example, Arkin (1999)’s describes
a newly emerging ‘professional shared services’ approach to HR, increasingly operating through call-centre
technology.
Three pieces of literature to discuss the location of HR Shared Services Centres
Location
Some writers, (e.g. Ulrich, 1995) argue strongly for HRSS workers not be physically centralised in one centre but to
be co-located with their business teams because, although they have to manage the complexity of being a member of
both the business team and the HR team, visibility within the business is of paramount importance. Where this does
not happen, it is suggested that ‘shadow staff’ emerge – other workers who take on aspects of HR work at a local
level – because the business managers want to deal with someone close by. Reilly’s (2000) study reports both HR
professionals and client organisations grieving for the ‘human touch’ when professional shared services are
centralised, and Keep (2001) reports loss of ‘local focus’ as one of the disadvantages where HRSS has been
introduced in the NHS. Reilly (2000) finds that co-location does take place in practice and calls this ‘virtual shared
services’ and suggests that this method of providing the service misses a lot of the benefits that can be delivered, such
as cost savings by centralising staff in one building.
Redman, T., Snape, E., Wass, J. and Hamilton, P., (2007). Evaluating the human resource shared services model: evidence
from the NHS. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(8), pp.1486-1506.

The Funnel Approach

When gathering your research, it is good to adopt the ‘funnel approach’ to your
work. For example, if you have eight pieces of work relating to Absence
Management Methods, at least six should cover AMM in general, with two covering
Absence Management in your particular sector / industry.
Let’s look at our fictional Care Home. The industry is Health & Social Care, so it
would be wise to obtain some research from that industry, like so:
In an analysis of absence management in the NHS (Johnson, Croghan, and Crawford, 2003)*, there is a stronger
emphasis on the issues that nursing and social care staff go through, including the nature of the role in working with sick
and vulnerable people, high staff turnover, increasing overwork, pressures on patient expectation and litigation, and most
prevalent nowadays, violence against workers. The article suggests that proactively addressing the health and safety
issues of working in healthcare, introducing more flexible working and stress reduction could go a great way in
managing absences. There is also an emphasis on healthcare organisations reporting absence management properly, as
there appears to be a reluctance to generate accurate data.
The authors break down AMM as:
a) Procedural Measures – monitoring absenteeism and absenteeism policies and procedures.
b) Preventative work-orientated measures – Health and safety initiatives, management training, flexible working,
job enrichment and better organisation of work.
c) Preventative person-orientated measures – counselling, stress management, information on bullying, manual
handling.
d) Reintegration measures – Phased return, return to work interviews, reduced hours, occupational health input.

(*Johnson, C.J., Croghan, E. and Crawford, J. (2003) ‘The problem and management of sickness absence in the NHS:
Considerations for nurse managers’, Journal of Nursing Management, 11(5), pp. 336–342.)
Eight pieces of research on
Absence Management

Two pieces of Absence Management

research in your sector
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3.0 Critique of the Literature Review
400 – 500 words
A critical review (or critique) is not to be mistaken for your literature review. A
'critical review', or 'critique', is a complete section of your report discussing your
literature review in more detail. Evaluation is the most important part in a critical
review. Use the literature to support your views. Does the literature help you draw
meaningful conclusions? Do you ‘believe’ the quality of the literature?

From the CIPD website:

…should be a discussion and critical evaluation of published material including books, journal articles, research reports
and discussion papers. Different sources may contradict each other so it’s important to consider the strengths and
weaknesses of each and explore why any differences might occur.
• How to write a persuasive business report, CIPD website

When critiquing your literature review, consider the following:

Critique checklist Done
What assumptions do most/some researchers seem to be making?
Was the research useful?
Why did you select that particular journal or article? Industry specific?
What methodologies do they use? What type of research was conducted?
Can you discuss what other business re doing well that your business is not?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of research?
Evaluate the research findings and conclusions drawn. Would you have done
anything differently?
Note conflicting theories, results, methodologies
Qualitative v Quantitative Data
In your critique you will need to discuss the research methods used in your research.
The research carried out will either be Quantitative or Qualitative.

Qualitative research is based on words, rather than numbers. It will be very in depth
as it is normally associated with interviews, focus groups and written feedback. This
makes it takes longer to analyse the research but is good as a good researcher ill
really ‘split hairs’ and get as much detail from it as possible. Quantitative research is
based on numerical data. Quantitative is the cornerstone of HR analytics. Amazon
are well-known to run their business model mainly on statistics; this is how they can
target warehouse staff with a certain number of orders picked per hour. Quantitative
data is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviours, and other defined variables
Quantitative data can create results from a larger sample population.

3.1 Justifications Of Research Selected?

3.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Research Carried out
(Qualitative v Quantitative Data)?
You don’t have to add subheadings in this section, but feel free to do so if you’d like
to critique the research under specific headings. You might also want to include
what forms of data you would use in your own research.
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4.0 Presentation of Proposed Findings
100 words
Do you remember the table we included in our Stakeholders section? Well it’s time to
use it again, with some modifications. Let’s have a look at it using my fictional Care
Home:

Stakeholder Level of Interest Feedback Method

Line manager Med 1-2-1 meeting

Service Users (residents) High Report in easy read format, service user and family meetings

Other support workers Med Group meetings to cover the main parts and 1-2-1 supervision meetings
in line with statutory requirements

Senior managers, Relevant High Strategic High Level Presentation and Implementation Plan, followed by a
outside Health Professionals round-table discussion on improvements that can be made. Include
Employee Representatives

BUPA Group High Strategic High Level Presentation and Implementation Plan, followed by a
Table 3 – Key Stakeholders – discussion that should lead to approval of the report and the plans
Presenting findings

It is important to remember that senior managers and other stakeholders in an

organisation are busy people, so the information presented bust be in a clear,
relevant and logical manner.

4.1 Line Graphs

50 words + table
Advantages of Bar Charts Disadvantages of Bar Charts
Did you really think that I would list reasons here for you Did you really think that I would list reasons here for you
to copy and paste? to copy and paste?

4.2 Bar Charts

50 words + table
Advantages of Bar Charts Disadvantages of Bar Charts
Did you really think that I would list reasons here for you Did you really think that I would list reasons here for you
to copy and paste? to copy and paste?

You should write a short blurb about the use of bar charts and line graphs, plus
insert a table for each.
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5.0 Conclusion
250 words (although some of this can be shared with 5.1
Recommendations)
As per your introduction, your conclusion should be around 10 percent of your
word count. You should not include any new information or theory here. This is
absolutely important.

Conclusion checklist Done

I have introduced no new information
My conclusion includes a critique of my findings
I have highlighted why I felt it important to carry out this research
I have discussed why my report can add value to the business
I have highlighted all of my key findings
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5.1 Recommendations
100 words (can take some from Conclusion)
Your recommendations section should reiterate what points you raised in your
conclusion. They should be presented as action / bullet points. You should think of
the following when presenting your recommendations: Costs, Benefits, Time,
Resources, Impact on your business. This list is not exhaustive
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Appendices
Please refer to your learning provider’s instructions here, as they vary wildly. Most
providers require you to include two surveys that you have created yourself. These
surveys must be linked to your research proposal. One must be quantitative and one
qualitative. Both surveys must contain at least 20 questions each. Have a look at
surveys that have been carried out by other researchers. There may be some
examples in the research you have already carried out. The surveys, just like your
literature review, should follow the ‘golden thread’ rule, and be clear, concise and go
on a journey from start to finish.
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References and Bibliography
Your reference list will include all of the works that were included in your report.
Your bibliography can also be referred to ‘Background Reading’, which is a way of
demonstrating that you’ve read in-depth but did not feel the need to include some of
this reading in your report. This is normally due to duplication or word count
reasons.

The specific layout of this section will be determined by your learning provider. For
example, some will allow you to put all appendices and extra reading under the title
‘Reference List and Bibliography’. Others will request that you have one section
titled ‘reference List and the other ‘Bibliography’. Your reference list and
bibliography should be in alphabetical order (by author). It is a list of all published
sources referred to in your report.
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Glossary of Technical Terms
It is highly unlikely that you’ll need this section in such a short report. If you need
to, then this section shouldn’t form part of your word count. Here you can list an
alphabetical table that describes certain terms in your report.