QUIZ # 1: ESSAY TEST

1. Briefly Explain the roles and activities of a company’s human resource management function.

Analysis and design of work

 Job analysis is the term used to depict the way toward the process of analyzing a job or
occupation into its different parts, that is, organizational structure, work activities, and instructive
substance. The cycle brings about a significant, ideal and custom-made data set of occupation
related data that can be utilized in an assortment of ways: to create regular, individualized, PC
based and additionally basic episode instruction and preparing projects and materials; to make
and order work titles; to compose sets of expectations; to plan association graphs; to direct time
and movement examines; to decide quality confirmation norms; and to compose both
information and execution related worker assessment measures.

 Two terms often used interchangeably with job analysis are occupational analysis and task
analysis. In the literature, job and occupational analysis most often are viewed as the same.
The process focuses on the analysis of a job into its occupational structure, work activities, and
informational content. Later, the data provided by the analysis guides the organization and
development of the occupational training program

 In contrast, task analysis is an integral part of the job analysis process. More specifically, task
analysis addresses the process of analyzing a particular task into its various elements, that is,
performance steps; performance step details; technical information topics; career and
occupational guidance information topics; standards of performance; frequency, importance,
and complexity; and tools, equipment, materials, supplies and technical references. The
information resulting from the task analysis provides a basis for developing the knowledge- and
performance-based learning activities of the training program.

 Job analysis is an important aspect of strategic human resource planning and through human
resource planning, job analysis in turn plays its essential role in the functions of human resource
management.
Recruitment and selection

 It is an important operation in HRM, designed to maximize employee strength to meet the

employer's strategic goals and objectives. In short, Recruitment and Selection is the process of
sourcing, screening, shortlisting and selecting the right candidates for the filling the required
vacant positions. It is a core function of Human Resource Management. The hiring of the
candidates can be done internally i.e., within the organization, or from external sources. And
the process should be performed within a time constraint and it should be cost effective.

Importance of Recruitment
Recruitment is one of the most fundamental activities of the HR team. If the recruitment process
is efficient, then –

 The organization gets happier and more productive employees

 Attrition rate reduces.
 It builds a good workplace environment with good employee relationships.
 It results in overall growth of the organization.

Here is a list that shows the purpose and importance of Recruitment in an organization:
 It determines the current and future job requirement.
 It increases the pool of job at the minimal cost.
 It helps in increasing the success rate of selecting the right candidates.
 It helps in reducing the probability of short-term employments.
 It meets the organization’s social and legal obligations with regards to the work force.
 It helps in identifying the job applicants and selecting the appropriate resources.
 It helps in increasing organizational effectives for a short and long term.
 It helps in evaluating the effectiveness of the various recruitment techniques.
 It attracts and encourages the applicants to apply for the vacancies in an organization.
 It determines the present futures requirements of the organization and plan according.
 It links the potential employees with the employers.
 It helps in increasing the success ratio of the selection process of prospective candidates.
 It helps in creating a talent pool of prospective candidates, which enables in selecting the right
candidates for the right job as per the organizational needs.
 Recruitment is an important function of the Human Resource Management in an organization,
and it is governed by a mixture of various factors. Proactive HR Professionals should understand
these factors influencing the recruitment and take necessary actions for the betterment of the
organization. When the market condition changes, the organization also needs to monitor these
changes and discover how it affects the resources and analyze these functions for making
recruitment an effective process. We have Internal Factors as well as External Factors that
influence the recruitment process. In this chapter, we will be discussing these factors in detail.

Training and development

 It is a structured program with different methods designed by professionals in particular job. It

has become most common and continuous task in any organization for updating skills and
knowledge of employees in accordance with changing environment. Optimization of cost with
available resources has become pressing need for every organization which will be possible
only by way of improving efficiency and productivity of employees, possible only by way of
providing proper employee training and development conditioned to that it should be provided
by professional

 The difference between training and development; Training is the process of improving and
polishing the required Skills to an employee to make him/her skilled and perfectionist in the job
which he / she does. Training is purely job focused but development is psychology and soft skills
oriented.

 In the field of human resource management, training and development is the field concerned
with organizational activity aimed at bettering the performance of individuals and groups in
organizational settings. It has been known by several names, including employee development,
human resource development, and learning and development.

 Training and development encompass three main activities: training, education, and
development.
 1. Training
This activity is both focused upon, and evaluated against, the job that an individual
currently holds.
2. Education
This activity focuses upon the jobs that an individual may potentially hold in the future
and is evaluated against those jobs.

3. Development

This activity focuses upon the activities that the organization employing the individual,
or that the individual is part of, may partake in the future, and is almost impossible to
evaluate.

Performance management

 It is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee that occurs

throughout the year, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization. The
communication process includes clarifying expectations, setting objectives, identifying goals,
providing feedback, and reviewing results. In short, is the process of reviewing an employee’s
performance during the preceding year or cycle and deciding where he or she stands as far as
their peers in the same band are concerned.
 Overseeing performance and providing feedback is not an isolated event, focused in an annual
performance review. It is an ongoing process that takes place throughout the year. The
Performance Management process is a cycle, with discussions varying year-to-year based on
changing objectives.

The cycle includes Planning, Checking-In, and Review.

1. To begin the planning process, you and your employee review overall expectations,
which includes collaborating on the development of performance objectives. Individual
development goals are also updated. You then develop a performance plan that directs
the employee's efforts toward achieving specific results to support organizational
excellence and employee success.

2. Goals and objectives are discussed throughout the year, during check-in meetings.
This provides a framework to ensure employees achieve results through coaching and
mutual feedback.
 3. At the end of the performance period, you review the employee's performance against
expected objectives, as well as the means used and behaviors demonstrated in
achieving those objectives. Together, you establish new objectives for the next
performance period.

Compensation and benefits

 It refers to the benefits a firm provides to its employees in exchange for their labor.
Compensation and benefits are thus a key part of Human Resource Management.
Compensation and benefits are important for two reasons. First, people will not work for you
without pay. And unless you are a non-profit organization, it’s illegal to ask them to work for you
for free. There is a social contract between the employer and employee, where the employee
puts in the work and the employer rewards this. Compensation and benefits are an important
part of that equation. Other things play a role too – and we will discuss them later – but what the
employee receives is central. In addition to salary, benefits remain a crucial motivator for job
candidates. Second, it is a significant expense with a clear goal so it’s not something businesses
can overlook. Therefore, paying careful attention to a fair compensation and benefits structure
is so important.

Employee and Labor Relations

 Employee and Labor Relations assists with general management regarding developing,
maintaining and improving employee relationships via communication, performance
management, processing grievances and/or disputes as well as interpreting and conveying
University policies. Essentially, Employee and Labor Relations is concerned with preventing and
resolving problems involving employees which stem out of or affect work situations. In addition,
Employee Relations recognizes employees for service contributed to the Pace community and
aids with professional growth. Finally, Employee and Labor Relations is responsible for
negotiation and administration of the Collective Bargaining Agreements for the two employee
Unions on campus. Managers, supervisors and staff experiencing difficulty in their work
environment are encouraged to contact their designated Employee Relations Manager or Labor
and Employee Relations Manager for further assistance and guidance. Pace University
 promotes fostering positive professional involvement that contributes to satisfactory productivity,
motivation, and morale.

Personal Policies

 It helps implement a consistent approach to management. A personnel policy is a preplanned

course of action establishing a guide to work toward acceptable outcomes and objectives.
Personnel policies are the rules that govern how to deal with a human resources or personnel
related situation. They are guidelines to decision making that help keep the system as fair and
unbiased as possible. They outline worker conduct within a broad framework that reflects the
intentions and goals of top management. Personnel policies provide a framework for uniform
and consistent administration. They help employees understand the reasoning behind decisions
and prevent favoritism--real or perceived. Personnel policies outline the hiring procedure,
including whether they should be tested first, information about a trial period or other training
matters. They also outline pay functions, including salaries, commission and bonuses so that
employees have a clear goal and method of reward.

Employee data and information systems

 As technology evolves, so does its impact on strategic human resource planning. Human
resource information systems are electronic systems that compile information in databases to
be easily accessed and analyzed. Some information systems allow automation of processes,
such as payroll tax calculations, while others streamline processes by minimizing the need for
manual data entry and paper records, thus increasing accuracy and efficiency.

 One HR function that can benefit from the use of human resource information systems is total
rewards, which refers to all components of the overall compensation model, including salary and
benefits. Your company’s HR department can more effectively track and plan for changes to
employees’ salary, insurance, retirement and other benefits options using an HRIS. Electronic
records keep track of current expenses, and many systems offer projection models and
calculators that can help you analyze the impact of various changes. This is especially useful
when preparing for annual increases or benefits open enrollment.
 Legal compliances

 Human resources management must comply with all employment, health and safety and other
relevant legislation applicable to the jurisdiction where the organization operates. This includes
federal, state and local laws that pertain to various areas of HR such as recruitment, benefits,
labor relations and termination. Keeping up to date with legislation ensures that the organization
remains compliant and avoids costly penalties. Human resources managers handle the labor
relations and dispute resolution operations of a company. Their role is to ensure that the
organization is familiar with government regulations in regard to wage, labor and equal
opportunity requirements. Strict compliance management can help a company avoid lawsuits
and liabilities when disputes arise between employers and their employees

Support for business strategy

 The term strategy refers to the general or specific elements of a business’ plan which have been
formulated to ensure it achieves a certain goal in the near or distant future. The employees of
an organization assume a significant part in guaranteeing that it meets its business targets to
the market which requests items just as to its financial specialists who request benefits and
development. Business system subsequently has a great deal to do with the accomplishment of
these goals with extraordinary consideration being given to a particular arrangement of
boundaries, for example, financial worth, volumes moved, piece of the overall industry
acknowledged, among others. The work powers of the association ought to thusly be suitably
adjusted to these objectives as this assumes a basic function in the accomplishment of corporate
procedure for the business association. A decent comprehension of the elements that exist
between human asset the executives techniques and of these destinations.

2. Identify how new technology, such as social networking, is influencing human resource
management.

Technology changes the way HR departments contact employees, store files, and analyze employee
performance. Used well, technology makes HR practices more efficient. When used poorly, it can get in
the way of managing the company's human resources. Good HR practices maximize the benefits and
minimize the problems. Technology changes the way HR departments contact employees, store files,
and analyze employee performance. Technology makes it easier to gather and break down data on
employees to get an overall picture. In, Recruiting Transformed by the Internet, before the internet and
email, connecting with job seekers meant phone, face time or a letter. In the 21st century, it is routine for
companies to post openings online, and require job seekers to apply through an online applicant tracking
system. That frees up a great deal of time that HR would have spent dealing with paper resumes or
personal calls. However, HR practices do not always consider how well the system works for the
candidates. Online forms have a standardized format that often makes it hard to tell a star performer from
a slacker. A badly designed system with confusing instructions and slow response times can turn job
seekers off to applying with a firm. Ease of Communication; with email, text, and messaging apps it is
easier than ever for HR staff to stay in touch with the rest of the company. If a manager wants to share
a new schedule with a project team, one email with an attachment or a conversation on Slack can share
the word with a dozen people at once. There is a risk of relying too much on tech as a time-saver though.
Information in a two-page email may be better off delivered to the group face to face. That way everyone
can ask questions and hear the answers. Data Analysis of Employee Performance and Analyzing
employee performance used to depend on personal assessments and obvious standards: Did the
employee finish the task on time? Does their boss trust them? Technology makes it easier to gather and
break down data on employees to get an overall picture. Which tasks do they perform best? Do they
meet all the goals from last year's performance appraisal? If they fell short, was it by 12 percent, 50
percent, or 75 percent? Software programs can even take over much of the work in evaluating
employees. And lastly, securing employee records used to mean locking a file cabinet. In the 21st
century, best HR practices must include security for the digital data. Some security is more an IT matter,
such as a good firewall. HR needs to have good policies in place, though, governing who can access
confidential data, both hard copy and in electronic form