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All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without
permission of the copyright owner.

While every effort has been made to ensure that references to websites are correct at time of going
to press, the world wide web is a constantly Changing environment and author cannot accept any
responsibility for any changes to addresses.

The author acknowledges product, service and company names referred to in this publication, many
of which are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks.

CISMDM. The Chartered Institute of Social Media and Digital Marketing, HRMI, Human Resources
Management Institute, United States of America and its logo are all trademarks of Individual
Institute.

The right of Masebinu Olayinka Samuel to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by
them in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act in force or as amended from time to
time.

Technical reviewers:
Professor Martial Lipeb, Vice Chancellor, ESPAM Formation University, Benin Republic, Dr. Aliyu O.
Ilias, MD, Milat Business School, and Mr. Dare Durojaiye for his contribution to Chapter 10.

Published and Printed by:

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Cover Design by: Soetan Olajide,

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ISBN-13: 978-978-56646-38

First Published January 2019

© SAMUEL O. MASEBINU, Esq.

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Table of Contents
Foreword

Chapter 1

1 Human Resources Management

1.1 Meaning of Human Resources

1.2 Human Resources Function
1.3 Organization Culture
1.4 Human Resources Activities in Management
1.5 HR Specialist
1.6 Strategic aspects of HRM
1.7 The HR Manager
1.8 Industrial Relation
1.9 The role of the HR department
1.10 Effects of a good HR policy
1.11 Responsibilities of the HR department

Chapter 2
2 Manpower Planning, Recruitment and Selection
2.1 Expansion of Organization
2.2 HR or Manpower Planning
2.3 Self-Regulatory Manpower Control
2.4 The problem caused by expansion of the Organization
2.5 Scientific Management
2.6 Organization and Method suite (O & M studies)
2.7 Recruitment
2.8 Policy Recruitment
2.9 Recruitment Process
2.10 Selection

Chapter 3
3 Induction, Training and Employee’s Development
3.1 Induction
3.2 Training and Development
3.3 Need and benefit of Training
3.4 Types of Training programmes
3.5 Training and Development method
3.6 Characteristics of a good Training programme
3.7 Designing the Training programme
3.8 Evaluation of Training

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 Chapter 4
4 Health, Safety, Security, and Welfare
4.1 HR departments responsibilities
4.2 Fire prevention and fire fighting
4.3 Medical facilities
4.4 Safety and security officer
4.5 Prevention of theft and pilfering
4.6 Employee Welfare

Chapter 5
5 Motivation, Employee Counseling, Resignation and Retirement
5.1 Motivation
5.2 Style of Management
5.3 Change in Management attitudes
5.4 Contributors and Theorists
5.5 Motivation Strategies
5.6 Managerial style in HR Management
5.7 Disciplinary Action
5.8 Employee counseling
5.9 Equal Opportunity policy
5.10 Resignations
5.11 Retirement

Chapter 6
6 Performance Appraisal
6.1 Purpose of Performance Appraisal
6.2 Importance of performance appraisal
6.3 Steps in appraisal
6.4 Methods, techniques, and tools

Chapter 7
7 Remuneration
7.1 Remuneration policy
7.2 System remuneration
7.3 Standard employee benefits

Chapter 8
8 Personal Records and Statistics
8.1 Need for personnel records
8.2 Information in personnel records
8.3 Formats of personnel records
8.4 Reports
8.5 Learning organization

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 Chapter 9
9 Industrial Relations
9.1 Trade unions
9.2 Collective bargaining
9.3 Industrial action
9.4 Joint consultation
9.5 Staff associations
9.6 The role of HR Manager

Chapter 10
ADDITIONAL TOPIC

10 Curriculum vitae writing, Assessment and Development

10.1 Introduction to Curriculum vitae (cv) writing
10.2 What is Curriculum Vitae?
10.3 Difference between a Resume and Curriculum vitae
10.4 What your Curriculum vitae should include
10.5 Curriculum vitae writing tips
10.6 Cover letters
10.7 Interviewing skills
10.8 Job interview
10.9 Additional tips

11 References

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 FOREWORD
The purpose of this study pack is to provide a standard and unique knowledge
source on the field of human resources to undergraduates, graduates/corp
members, postgraduates and working professionals thinking of having a career
pursue in Human Resource Management (HRM).

This study packs extensively covers almost all topics and issues in the field of
human resources management. It will surely serve as a guide to intending
professional and working professionally on the principles and practices of this
discipline.

All students are expected to read and gain the fundamental concept of this
discipline in preparing for their professional examination and as a guide while
performing their various HRM functions. This pack is written and reviewed by
experts in the field of human resources management. The content of the study
pack is simple to read and easy to comprehend because it is reader-friendly
while the issues discussed are current, with the general treatment of topics
within the contemporary timeframe.

Each chapter addresses a different aspect of the professional field with the
central purpose of not only impacting lives with the general and theoretical
knowledge but to enhance HRM practices in various places.

The Institute expresses her utmost appreciation to our faculty of experts for their
invaluable knowledge contribution of these study pack series.

My appreciation also goes to Dr. Mohamed G. Kafafy, the President of The

Human Resource Management Institute, United States of America and Dr.
Rene Kinee ALLAMAGBO, Sainte Felicite University, Benin Republic for the
partnership and knowledge transfer opportunities.

SAMUEL O. MASEBINU, Esq.

2019

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 Chapter 1

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

1.1 MEANING OF HUMAN RESOURCE

Human resource management is a contemporary, umbrella term used to describe

the management and development of employees in an organization, also called
personnel or talent management (although these terms are a bit antiquated),
Human resource management involves developing and administering programs
that are designed to increase the effectiveness of an organization or business. It
includes the entire spectrum of creating, managing, and cultivating the
employer-employee relationship.

Human resource management focused on activities relating to employees. These

activities normally include recruiting and hiring of new employees, orientation
and training of current employees, employee benefits, and retention.

1.2 HUMAN RESOURCE FUNCTION

In general, human resource management is concerned with hiring, motivating

and maintaining workforce within businesses.

Functions of Human Resource Management Includes:

 Managerial Functions
 Operative Functions

HRM FUNCTIONS

Managerial Functions Operative Functions

(There is a need for a diagram here, showing the functions relations)

1.2.1 Managerial Function Includes:

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1. Planning

Planning a management process, concerned with defining goals for a future

direction and determining on the missions and resources to achieve those
targets. To meet the goals, managers may develop plans such as a business plan
or a marketing plan.

2. Organizing

Organizing is the process of identifying and grouping the work to be performed,

defining and delegating responsibility and authority and establishing
relationships for the purpose of enabling people to work most effectively
together in accomplishing objectives.

3. Directing

This includes activating employees at different levels and making them

contribute maximum towards organizational goal. Tapping the maximum
potentialities of an employee via constant motivation and command is a prime
focus.

4. Controlling

Post planning, organizing and directing, the performance of an employee is

checked, verified and compared with goals. If actual performance is found
deviated from the plan, control measures are taken.

1.2.2 Operative Function Includes:

1. Recruitment/Hiring

Hiring is a process which brings a pool of prospective candidates who can help
the organization achieve their goals and allows management to select the right
candidates from the given pool.

2. Job Analysis & Design

It is the act of describing the nature of the job like qualification, skill, work
experience required for the specific job position. Whereas, job design includes
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outlining tasks, duties, and responsibilities into a single work unit to achieve a
certain goal.

3. Performance Appraisal

Checking and analyzing employee performance is another important function

that human resource management has to perform.

4. Training & Development

It allows employees to acquire new skills and knowledge to perform their job
effectively. Training and development also improve the current or future
performance of an employee by increasing the ability of an employee for higher
level responsibilities.

5. Salary Administration

Human Resource Department also determines pays for different job types and
includes compensations, incentives, bonus, benefits etc. related to a job
function.

6. Employee Welfare

This function takes care of numerous services, benefits, and facilities provided
to an employee for their well-being.

7. Maintenance

Minimizing employee turnover and sustaining best performing employees

within the organization is the key. Minimizing ROI within the HR department is
also a key goal for Human resource management team.

8. Labour Relations

Labour relation is regarded to the workforce who work within a trade union.
Employees in such domain form a union/group to voice their decisions
effectively to the higher management.

9. Personal Research

Research is a vital part of human resource management. It is performed to keep

a check on employee opinion about wages, promotions, work condition, welfare
activities, leadership, employee satisfaction, and other key issues.
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10. Personal Record

This function involves recording, maintaining and retrieving employee-related

information including employment history, work hours, earning history etc.

1.3 ORGANIZATION CULTURE

Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs,

which governs how people behave in organizations. These shared values have a
strong influence on the people in the organization and dictate how they dress,
act, and perform their jobs. Every organization develops and maintains a unique
culture, which provides guidelines and boundaries for the behavior of the
members of the organization.

1.4 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

1) Recruitment: Recruitment is one of the major functions of HRM. To attract

and maintain skilled, experienced, dedicated, and well-motivated employees, a
high level of resources and commitment is essential. Recruitment process
involves various tasks those are developing the job specifications, advertising,
sorting applications, job interviews, and posting.

2) Training and Development: on-the-job and refresher training for new and
existing employees are responsible for HR department. Training enhances
specific skill among personnel of the organization. Training programs might be
specific job skills, communication skills, team building and legal and policy
issues. According to Sharma J.N (2002), people learn skills, attitudes, and
knowledge by training to perform the job effectively. Training and development
are highly essential to prepare organizations to meet future challenges.

3) Payroll: accurate and on time handling compensation and payroll to everyone

at the organization is a chief duty of the HRM. Compensation might be
guaranteed and variable pay. Bonuses or incentive pay is contingent on
performance. Hourly wages or fixed salary is guaranteed pay.

4) Employee and Labour/Management Relations: Managing harmonious

relations between employees and management is a key role of the human
resource management department. Employee rights must be protected whether
they are represented by unions or not. Employee relations function includes
negotiating with the labor unions regarding salaries, working conditions and
solving disputes and grievances.

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5) Human Resource Planning: The key functions of planning are anticipating
future and to avoid predicted problems. HRP can be grouped into two aspects,
one is manpower requirements planning, while the other is manpower supplies
planning. HRP involves identifying future workforce requirements, analyzing
and identifying specific skilled workforce within right time and designing
programmers to achieve human resource requirements.

6) Wage and salary administration: A better wage and salary system in an

organization enables to attract and keep employees long term as well as
motivate them to perform their best. Hence, HRM should design effective pay
system and implement with utmost care. To design efficient pay system HRM
department should be aware of some aspects like Rational Job analysis, proper
job evaluation and depth knowledge about an organization and market factors.

7) Job analysis: Job analysis provides knowledge of manpower planning.

According to Aswathappa (2013) job analysis is a process of collecting job-
related information, which helps to job description and specification. Job
description involves the title of job, location, duties, working conditions,
hazards, duties, machines, and tools. Job specification contains education,
training, communication skills, physical skills, emotional characteristics, and
initiative.

8) Performance appraisal: performance appraisal is a major activity of HRM to

provide training and development, making decisions on promotions, transfer
and increment to their employees. Performance appraisal is an assessment of
individual performance in an organization. It is a systematic way to appraise the
ability of employee related to performing the job. Performance appraisal
process involves establishing and communicating standards, measuring actual
performance, comparing actual performance with standards and discuss with the
concerned employee.

9) Compensation: compensation is an important tool for the HRM department to

attract, motivate and retain employees. Wendell French (1986) Compensation
not only dealing with monitory rewards but also non-monitory rewards like
insurance, travel allowance, maternity benefits, retirement, and other special
benefits. Supply

10) Industrial relations: the progress of any organization depends on labor-

management harmonious relations. Hence, managing industrial harmony is one
of the key functions of HRM department. Employers, employee and
government involved in industrial relations. According to Dale relation arises
out of employment between employer and employee or organization and among
workers in industrial relation. Industrial peace, high morale and reduced
wastage are the outcomes of industrial relations. and demand for labor,
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management philosophy, legislation and paying capability of the organization
are determinants of the compensation.

11) Health, Safety, and Security: health, safety, and security aspects are
important in any organization to work at the safe environment and well-being of
workers. Traditionally organizations concentrate on safety and security issues
like eliminating accidents, injuries, certain hazardous related to machinery and
chemicals at workplace. In modern concept physical as well as mental health
and problems related to substance abuse, job stress, diversity, and
discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence also concern through
employment assistance programmes.

12. Motivation: Intellectual, biological, emotional and social aspects determine

motivation among individuals. Since organization lies on more and more on
people to get a competitive advantage (MuscaluE. and Muntean S.2012)) HRM
department should formulate and implement essential intrinsic and extrinsic
programmes to motivate their employees .lack of motivation leads to loss of
performance effect on organization productivity.

Conclusion: In addition to managing inside of the organization, managers

should consider outside factors like technological and workforce changes,
cost,government policies, lay off and globalization effect to smooth running of
the organization.

1.5 WHAT HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALISTS DO

Human resources specialists recruit, screen, interview, and place workers. They
often handle tasks related to employee relations, compensation and benefits, and
training.

1.5.1 Duties of Human Resources Specialists

Human resources specialists typically do the following:

 Consult with employers to identify employment needs

 Interview applicants about their experience, education, and skills
 Contact references and perform background checks on job applicants
 Inform applicants about job details, such as duties, benefits, and working
conditions
 Hire or refer qualified candidates for employers
 Conductor help with new employee orientation
 Keep employment records and process paperwork

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Human resources specialists are often trained in all human resources disciplines
and perform tasks throughout all areas of the department. In addition to
recruiting and placing workers, human resources specialists help guide
employees through all human resources procedures and answer questions about
policies. They sometimes administer benefits, process payroll, and handle any
associated questions or problems, although many specialists may focus more on
strategic planning and hiring instead of administrative duties. They also ensure
that all human resources functions comply with federal, state, and local
regulations.

1.6 STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Strategic human resource management is the practice of attracting, developing,

rewarding, and retaining employees for the benefit of both the employees as
individuals and the organization as a whole. HR departments that practice
strategic human resource management do not work independently within a silo;
they interact with other departments within an organization in order to
understand their goals and then create strategies that align with those objectives,
as well as those of the organization. As a result, the goals of a human resource
department reflect and support the goals of the rest of the organization. Strategic
HRM is seen as a partner in organizational success, as opposed to a necessity
for legal compliance or compensation. Strategic HRM utilizes the talent and
opportunity within the human resources department to make other departments
stronger and more effective.

1.7 THE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER

Human resource managers plan, direct and coordinate the administrative

functions of an organization. They oversee recruiting, interviewing and hiring of
new staff as well as training for current staff. Human resource managers play an
important role in strategic planning and serve as a liaison between
administrative staff and employees.

Human resource managers are on the front lines of building the staff needed to
help an organization succeed. This includes working with administrative staff to
maximize the value of the employees and to ensure that everyone is working as
productively and efficiently as possible.

On a daily basis, human resource managers may do the following activities and
tasks:

 Coordinate and supervise the work of the human resource staff

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  Meet with other department heads to collect information about their
staffing and training needs
 Plan and oversee employee benefit programs
 Mediate disputes between employees and direct disciplinary procedures
 Supervise recruitment, interviews, selections, hiring, and training

1.8 INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

Definition: The Industrial Relations or IR encompasses the relationship between

the management and workmen and the role of a regulatory body to resolve an
industrial dispute.

As the name implies, Industry Relations comprises of two words, Industry, and
relations. Where industry covers the production activity in which the group of
workmen is engaged in, while the relations show the relationship between the
management and the workers within the industry. IR plays a significant role in
today’s working scenario where the harmonious relationship between employers
and employees is needed to have an uninterrupted production. The Industrial
Relations mainly cover the following:

 Regulatory body to resolve industrial disputes.

 Collective Bargaining.
 The role of management, unions, and government.
 Labor Legislation
 Worker’s Grievance Redressal system.
 Disciplinary policy and practice.
 Industrial Relations Training.

1.9 THE ROLE OF HR DEPARTMENT

The human resources management team suggests to the management team how
to strategically manage people as business resources.This includes managing
recruiting and hiring employees, coordinating employee benefits and suggesting
employee training and development strategies. In this way, HR professionals are
consultants, not workers in an isolated business function; they advise managers
on many issues related to employees and how they help the organization
achieve its goals. Furthermore, the job of HR is not limited to the HR
department, it spans over each and every section of the business. HR role could
be summed up easily into the following statement "Right people with the right
skills at the right time with the right resources" having done this, one could be
assured of good results. it about enabling organizations to get things done
through people.
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1.10 EFFECTS OF A GOOD HR POLICY

With human nature being what it is, employees will test limits and act
"creatively" in workplace situations, so you need a strategy for developing,
communicating and enforcing a set of policies and practices that reflect your
standards of acceptable behavior.

But a successful policies and practices strategy does more than draw
boundaries; it also recognizes and addresses people's needs.

There are many different types of people, and not surprisingly, they react
differently to the need for policies and practices based on those differences. For
example, some people prefer there be a written policy for everything, while
others favor having no policies at all and would leave everything open to
interpretation as situations arise. Neither of these extremes contributes to a work
environment that's conducive to high productivity levels. The answer is found in
between, with the right number and types of policies and practices that are
focused on primary goals and improving individual performance in the
workplace.

When you get to the heart of the matter, the performance improvement is really
about the process of setting expectations and meeting them. The focus in
business is not just about meeting specific goals, but also on how you achieve
them. And the "how" affects the liabilities you create in the process.

The four key elements related to the development and deployment of your
policies are:

1. Roles
2. Rules
3. Consequences
4. Tools.

1.10.1 Roles

People like to have a clear understanding of their role in a company as well as

the roles of others. Every successful team has well-defined positions for its

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members: Everyone knows what he or she is to do, how to do it and how their
performance can impact those around them. In business, this means you need to
have clear reporting structures that spell out who's in charge and how tasks are
to be accomplished in the organization.

This approach applies not only to intradepartmental structures but also to

company-wide or interdepartmental projects. In addition, role definition is a
foundational part of establishing clear performance expectations for each
employee.

1.10.2 Rules

Managers and employees need to share a clear understanding of what is and

what is not acceptable behavior within the company. Unfortunately, in today's
workplace, an employer can be held liable for the bad behavior of an employee,
especially when that bad behavior affects other employees, clients or
individuals. Having a clear set of behavioral expectations is critical to
establishing that you're not contributing to that bad behavior as an employer.

Setting clear and specific behavioral standards in the form of rules establishes a
framework for spotting and addressing violations of those standards. If you rely
on loosely defined general standards that aren't properly documented, then
violations become subjective and open to interpretation. The result of such
ambiguousness is often litigation.

1.10.3 Consequences

It's important that you clearly state consequences for violations of your
behavioral standards so that employees know what to expect and have fair
warning of those expectations. In addition, clear consequences help to ensure
that you aren't limited in your options for dealing with improper behaviors.

To establish these standards and violation consequences, sit down and think
through the over-the-line behaviors that won't be permitted in your company.
It's essential that you know ahead of time what employee actions require an
immediate dismissal. Similarly, you want to know what performance issues may
qualify for a more progressive disciplinary approach, and then define the steps
involved in that approach.

By nature, people are complex beings who will confound you one minute and
astound you the next. And except for violations that warrant immediate firings,
it's usually a wise, compassionate and financially prudent course to help people
18
strengthen their character by overcoming their weaknesses. Also, this approach
provides you with a way to retain experienced employees and recover your
investment in their training.

I've found that managers are often disappointed in an employee's performance

even though the manager never clearly communicated his or her expectations to
that employee. If you don't take steps to set clear expectations, the consequences
you administer for failure to meet those expectations can seem unfair. This is
extremely important because an employee who feels they've been treated
unfairly can create a great deal of liability. In many cases, the key issue is not
whether they were actually treated unfairly but whether the employee feels or
perceives that they were treated unfairly.

And it doesn't stop with the affected employee. If you or your managers haven't
clearly communicated your expectations to one employee, chances are you
haven't done so with other employees as well and they can be quick to
empathize with any affected workers. It's natural for employees to wonder,
"What if that happened to me?" To avoid the negative effect such a chain-
reaction can have on your workplace, be clear about your expectations with all
employees at all times. Most employees will appreciate and respect your
forthright clarity.

Building a great company has a lot to do with how people work together.
Policies and practices can improve the way your employees interact while
minimizing the personal obstacles that often arise in today's workplaces.

1.10.4 Tools

Tools address the question of how you support the people in your company who
manage other employees. When faced with a specific personnel issue, what
resources are available to them? Do they have an employee handbook or a
policy guide? What about regular training in company policies and practices,
coupled with simple, easy-to-use forms to guide them when dealing with
particular issues? Are you giving them a clear directive on working with your
human resources personnel or legal representatives? Are your resources
available online?

Tools like these are vital not just to help avoid litigation, but also to minimize
the time it takes for you to deal with productivity-draining people issues instead
of core business matters. Because many small-business owners lack these
resources and aren't sure where to turn for help, they may use attorneys and HR
consultants on an a la carte basis to address such issues. Other businesses call

19
on professional employer organizations like Admin staff to provide the support
of a full-service human resources department.

Whatever your approach, the key to success is to devote the time and resources
it takes to develop a policies and practices strategy for your business before the
need arises. It's an investment that can pay large dividends in increased
productivity and minimized litigation. And it's an essential component of your
comprehensive people strategy.

1.11 WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF HUMAN RESOURCE

DEPARTMENT

The Human Resources department can be overlooked at new or expanding

businesses. In fact, an effective HR team is among a growing firm’s most
important assets. It can help protect a company from liability, maintain a
satisfied workforce and bring the brightest talent to a company. By its nature,
the HR department will take on a variety of responsibilities that can boost a
company’s ability to grow.

1.11.1 Recruiting and Hiring

More than filling an open position, the recruiter’s job is also to help the
organization define its positions. A recruiter can help determine if a role should
be full- or part-time, as well as evaluating if positions can be outsourced or
handled by contractors. In hiring a new employee, a recruiter can research
similar positions at other companies, helping determine the qualifications and
compensation for the role. Finally, the recruiter plays a key role as a gatekeeper,
assessing whether job candidates will be good fits for the company culture and
justify the company’s investment in hiring and training.

1.11.2 Benefits and Compensation

In start-ups and very small firms but also sometimes in larger companies, HR
responsibilities often center around processing payroll and managing employee
benefits. As a company grows, these tasks can take on a strategic focus. HR
staff can begin to focus on developing systems and choosing vendors who help
contain costs and increase the flexibility of the company. HR can also play a
key role in analyzing a company’s pay scale, track industry trends for

20
compensation and benefits offered to employees, and ensure compliance with
payroll and benefit regulations.

1.11.3 Compliance and Protection

Discrimination, harassment, unfair practices – these terms have become all too
familiar in today’s workplace. Human Resources can help protect a growing
company by developing and enforcing standards that govern how employees
interact on the job. These guidelines, supported by company-wide training on
appropriate workplace behavior, can help protect the company from legal
liability and help create a more pleasant and productive workplace.

1.11.4 Employee Development

In a fast-paced business environment, people are more important than job

descriptions. Organizations may find an employee’s role changing from week to
week, if not day to day. The HR department can take on the challenge of
providing employees with the new information and skills they will need to
thrive as the company changes. The department can also help employees set and
achieve individual career development goals, leading to increased job
satisfaction as workers see opportunities for personal success.

1.11.5 Internal Communication

The Human Resources department can play a key role in communicating an

organization’s goals and expectations of workers. HR staff may produce a
company newsletter or magazine, filled with events, opportunities, news and
useful information that helps employees accept and understand what the
organization needs from its workforce. In addition, HR staff members are able
to keep an ear to the ground, keeping tabs on the company rumor mill and
helping management respond to misconceptions among employees.

21
 Chapter 2

MANPOWER PLANNING, RECRUITMENT, AND SELECTION

2.1 EXPANSION OF ORGANIZATION

Expansion or growth in the business organization simply means an increase in

size and capacity. It also involves product diversification, machinery, a better
package for workers, good network, reduction in downtimes, waste reduction,
disciplined workforce, less accident report, profit maximization, cost saving etc.
The issue of expansion or growth is a mirage without human efforts, which
ranges from operating machines in manufacturing organizations, taking
decisions, movement of goods, the source for raw materials and marketing of
the finished products. Any organization that must embrace expansion or growth
in its business activities must first put the interest of their entire workforce at
heart because they are the pivot for expansion and growth. Without
expansion/growth, organizations stand the risk of collapsing whenever
competitions set in. Expansion/growth makes an organization stand firmly
during adverse conditions as proceeds from other business activities are used as
a supplement to set the ailing firm back on track.

2.1.1 Keys for Expansion/Growth

1. Good Policy/Decision Making: An organization with a good policy /decision

making usually stands the taste of times due to the type of policy or decision
embarked upon by its owners in the day-to-day running of the business. If an
organization embraces a wrong policy or decision in their business activities, its
collapse is imminent.

2. Good Planning: Any organization that does not plan well must collapse. This
involves actions to take when to take and strategies to adopt in the course of
reaching the set objective. An organization with a bad planning method can
never grow because it lacks the technical know how to achieve the required
goal.

3. Strong Financial Base: This is one of the most essential factors that enhances
expansion and growth in the business organization. Without a strong financial
base, company's policies, visions, and aspirations can never be actualized
because about eighty percent of the actions to be taken depend solely on this.

22
Business organizations should endeavor to make money available in pursuance
of its goals and objectives with regard to its expansion policy.

4. Research: Without research, no organization will stand. It involves insight

into the world of possibilities and impossibilities as it affects organizational
progress, growth rate, obstacles, products, market demands, etc. It is a mirror in
which the future of every organization is seen based on the data available from
the day-to-day running of the business. It also shows a trend on which the
company operates in terms of total outputs, product demand, and product
consumption.

5. Accountability: Any organization that does not embrace proper accountability

in their daily activities is doomed. Proper accountability reveals the financial
status of any organization. It is from this that a company knows whether it is
gaining or losing thereby making plans on how to check the anomalies. It also
reveals where a company should intensify effort to maximize profit and curtail
losses.

2.1.2 Things to watch for in a Business Organization's Expansion/Growth

i. Motivation: Every organization must motivate their entire workforce if it

plans to embark on expansion. Every true expansion/growth must start from the
motivation of the entire workforce as this brings out the best in them and make
them work more efficiently. An organization without the motivation of its entire
workforce cannot boast of expansion because they are the brain behind any
move to attain greater heights.

ii. Product diversification: An organization with a lot of goods and services in

high demand credited with its name is without doubt expanding. This is very
important, as profits will be coming in different areas, which enhances its
stability.

iii. Networking/versatility: This is one of the things to watch. It tells about the
locations, involvements and your activities around the globe. Without
networking, a company's expansion policy is never complete.

iv. Affiliations: An organization that has a strong expansion program usually

affiliates with another with such a policy, so that they can share ideas, etc to
attain greater heights.

v. Annual Accounts: This shows a company's profits, losses, access etc. It is a

yardstick to ascertain the financial strength of an organization.

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Advantages of Expansion/Growth

a. It creates popularity, respect, and recognition among business organizations.

b. It maximizes profits when properly harnessed.

c. Proceeds from diverse business activities can be used during adverse

conditions.

d. Business organizations with expansion programmes usually have strong

stable foundations when fully implemented.

e. Development is easily achieved, as the society is flooded with innovations

and basic infrastructures that improve the standard of living.

Disadvantages of expansion/Growth

a. It is very expensive.

b. It creates room for embezzlement if not properly monitored.

c. Decision taking is sometimes delayed in order to consult all the appropriate

quarters.

d. It is very difficult to manage as the various units are scattered in various

locations.

e. Some managers from other units try to be independent, which creates rivalry
among the top echelons of the organization.

No matter the disadvantages of expansion, a business organization must

endeavor to embark on it (expansion) because it is a platform for a solid
foundation and stability.

2.2 HUMAN RESOURCE OR MANPOWER PLANNING

The terms “manpower planning” and “human resources planning” are often
used interchangeably. Both help companies identify future talent needs and plan
ahead to make sure that those skills are available in the workforce. The main
difference is that, while manpower planning is skills-based, human resources

24
planning focuses on talent management: Assuming that the skills are available
in the workforce, how will employers ensure that they’ll be able to hire and
retain the workers who have those skills?

Here’s an example: Let’s say an organization might determine that, in 10 years,

there will be a greater need for employees who know how to gather, structure,
and analyze Big Data. They then try to forecast how many people who will be
in the workforce at that time will have those skills. If there’s a gap, they work
with governments, schools, and private organizations to encourage the
development of those skills. That’s manpower planning. Human resources
planning, on the other hand, would focus on creating a work environment that
would be both attractive to and support of those employees.

To sum it up, human resources planning is the how of achieving the goals
identified through manpower planning. What does that look like? It depends on
a variety of factors, but here are a few possibilities:

 Understanding the priorities of the millennial workforce and constructing

HR policies that support those priorities: flextime, remote working,
work/life balance, etc.
 The millennial workforce has an unprecedented level of
mobility: Research indicates that today’s college graduate will average 12
or more jobs by the time they hit 30. Human resource planning looks at
the factors that motivate employees to leave – boredom, lack of a clear
purpose, etc. – and implements strategies to counteract those factors. One
strategy, for example, could include offering employees the opportunity
to explore several different career paths rather than expecting them to
settle on one from the moment they’re first hired. Another strategy would
be to provide context for the work you ask them to do. While previous
generations might have been content to perform tasks simply because
they were asked to, the next wave of workers wants to know why it
matters: how the tasks you’re asking them to do fit into the overall big
picture.
 Many employers have traditionally held a “you’re lucky to be here”
attitude toward their employees. Human Resources Planning – making
sure you can attract the workers you’ll need for future growth – means
switching to a mindset of “we’re so lucky to have you.” Accepting the
fact that the ball is in the employee’s court is a critical part of attracting
and retaining top talent.
 Another key strategy is to adapt the performance review process to
emphasize the value each employee is adding and the opportunities for
future growth, rather than coaching on areas that need improvement.

25
Human resources planning and manpower planning have the same goal:
ensuring the organization’s ability to compete in the future marketplace. They
just address different sides of the same problem: making sure the skills you
need are available in the workforce and then shaping your work culture to be
attractive to the employees who have those skills.

2.3 SELF-REGULATORY MANPOWER CONTROL

Self-regulation is “control [of oneself] by oneself”

Self-Regulated learning is the process of taking control and evaluating one's

own learning and behavior. This emphasizes control by the individual who
monitors, directs and regulates actions toward goals of information.

“Someone who has good emotional self-regulation has the ability to keep their
emotions in check. They can resist impulsive behaviors that might worsen their
situation, and they can cheer themselves up when they’re feeling down. They
have a flexible range of emotional and behavioral responses that are well
matched to the demands of their environment” (2016).

Self-regulation is what keeps you from yelling at your boss when he’s getting
on your nerves, slapping a coworker who threw you under the bus, or more
benign but still socially unacceptable behaviors like falling asleep at your desk
or stealing someone’s lunch out of the fridge.

Those with high self-regulation skills are better able to navigate the workplace,
which means they are better equipped to obtain and keep jobs and generally
outperform their less-regulated peers.

To help you effectively manage your emotions at work (and build them up
outside of work as well), try these tips:

1. Do breathing exercises (like mindful breathing)

2. Eat healthily, drink lots of water, and limit alcohol consumption
3. Use self-hypnosis to reduce your stress level and remain calm
4. Exercise regularly
5. Sleep for 7 to 8 hours a night
6. Make time for fun outside of work
7. Laugh more often

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 8. Spend time alone
9. Manage your work-life balance (Connelly, 2012)

I know—those are very general tips! But it’s true that living a generally healthy
life is key to reducing your stress, allowing you to keep your energy reserves
maintained for self-regulation.

2.3.1 8 Ways to Improve Self-Regulation

It outlines 8 methods and self-regulation strategies you can use to build your
skills, including:

1. Leading and Living with Integrity: being a good role model, practicing
what you preach, creating trusting environments, and living in alignment
with your values
2. Being Open to Change: challenge yourself to deal with change in a
straightforward and positive manner and work on improving your ability
to adapt to different situations and stay positive through it all
3. Identifying Your Triggers: cultivating a sense of self-awareness will help
you learn what your strengths and weaknesses are, and what can trigger
you into a difficult state of mind
4. Practicing Self-Discipline: commit to taking initiative and staying
persistent in working towards your goals, even when it’s the last thing
you feel like doing
5. Reframing Negative Thoughts: work on your ability to take a step back
from your own thoughts and feelings, analyze them, and come up with
positive alternative thoughts
6. Keeping Calm Under Pressure: practice keeping your cool by removing
yourself from the situation for the short-term—whether mentally or
physically—and using relaxation techniques like deep breathing
7. Considering the Consequences: when you are faced with a strong
temptation towards “bad” behavior, stop and think about the
consequences (e.g., what happened in the past, what is likely to happen
now, what this behavior could trigger in terms of longer-term
consequences)
8. Believing in yourself: boost your self-efficacy by working on your self-
confidence; focus on the experiences in your life where you succeeded
and keep your mistakes in perspective. Choose to believe in your own
abilities and surround yourself with positive, supportive people (Kline,
n.d.)

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2.4 PROBLEM CAUSED BY EXPANSION OF ORGANIZATION

Productivity can decrease. There may be a shortage of cash to meet expansion

costs. Taking on more and more work to generate more income places
additional pressure on your premises and staff. Management may be under
pressure, operating reactively rather than proactively.

Once your business becomes profitable, your next goal is probably to see it
grow. If that growth comes too fast, though, you could run into some unexpected
problems. Here are the top six problems caused by rapid business growth and
advice on how to handle them.

The growth and expansion phase is an exciting time for any small business. The
primary goal of a startup is to get customers, deliver the product or service and
reach the break-even point as quickly as possible. According to the conventional
business plans, once the break-even point is achieved, profitability should
follow. For some small businesses, however, another goal is rapid growth. And,
that can be a problem. Businesses often underestimate the intense pressure that
accompanies rapid business growth.

1. Your business may face a cash flow crunch as it deals with increased demand
for your products or services.

The costs of running a fledgling business can be difficult to manage, especially

coming on the heels of cash outlay to open the business. At this point, your
business may be surviving on credit as you try to grow sales and revenues. As
you push for higher sales, expect monthly expenses to grow and possibly
exceed your monthly revenues. If your collections are on track, that's not an
insurmountable problem. However, a cycle or two of delayed collections could
leave your business in that proverbial spot between a rock and hard place.

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To keep cash flowing anticipate the cash crunch with a realistic plan that
accounts for delays in the collection of receivables. Prepare a back-up plan for
raising cash from personal sources or through a pre-approved line of credit from
your bank. Diversify your client base if possible. If you depend on one big
client as a revenue source, you are leaving your small business vulnerable to the
whims of the client.

2. Operational inefficiency because of uncontrolled expansion will cost your

company time, money and other resources.

When your business starts growing quickly, you will be forced to improvise to
manage increased demand for your products or services. When business buildup
happens too fast and too soon, you will not be able to adhere to your perfect
business plan where your operational processes flow smoothly. You may be
pressured to hire more people sooner than you anticipated, and you may not be
skilled in choosing the right people or you may not have the time to redesign
your workflow to accommodate increased demand. While higher demand
should lead to economies of scale, this may not happen if rapid growth results in
any of these problems:

 Your new employees are poorly trained

 You can't manufacture or buy inventory quickly enough to fill orders
 You haven't accurately determined the cost of delivering your products or
dealing with customers
 Your customer service isn't up-to-par
 Manage the ordering system and the order fulfillment process so that you
will not end up over-promising to your customers. If possible, talk to
owners of other fast-growing businesses to see what problems they
experienced and so you know what to plan for. Ask advisors at a local
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or SCORE chapter for
advice. Their services are free, and they may be able to help you be aware
of problems and solutions for your type of business. Remember, too, it is
better to turn down customers than risk annoying them if you can't deliver
on time or can't deliver quality goods and services.

3. You start receiving a lot of negative feedback due to customer service issues.

 A few customer complaints occasionally are part of doing business, but

when negative feedback starts to pile up, it is an indication that you are
not meeting client expectations. This could be due to a lack of personnel
to manage client interactions. It could also hint at other issues if your staff
is spread too thin and is cutting corners to meet customer demand.

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  Clients who provide positive feedback are bound to be repeat customers.
A host of negative feedback could indicate that you are unable to cope
with the market's expectations in terms of the delivery because you are
overwhelmed. Make sure to monitor your feedback system regularly,
keep an eye on social media mentions of your business, and have a plan
in place for handling both positive and negative feedback.

4. Your employees are overworked, putting in long hours and getting ready to
jump ship.

A vibrant workplace inspires employees to work their hardest, but when work
consumes most of their waking hours, you run the risk of losing your trained
and trusted employees. You may find that your business is a revolving door of
employees in spite of generous compensation and benefits.

Pay attention to the evolving workplace culture as your business grows. Find
the time to discuss the quality of life issues during staff meetings. Make sure to
address personnel matters as needed, but do it expeditiously.

5. You Outgrow Your Office Space

As your business grows the number of employees, desks, filing cabinets, and
amount of inventory you keep on hand are likely to increase, too. If you
outgrow your office space and to move to a new location before your lease is
up, you could be responsible for continuing to pay the lease until a new tenant is
found for space.

The best way to avoid this problem is to plan for it when you are signing a lease
for commercial space. If you’re just starting out, you may want to opt for an
executive suite or space in a business center that you rent by the month or year.
If your business is at the point where it makes sense to sign a more permanent
lease, then you’ll probably want to limit the term (number of years) for your
lease to 3 years if you expect to be growing more. And, if possible have your
attorney negotiate an “out” clause in the lease. This is a clause that would spell
out terms under which you could end the lease early, such as by giving the
landlord 3 months written the notice.

If you are already in a lease that doesn’t have an out clause and you need more
space, ask your landlord if they available space and can work with you. If they
don’t or you don’t want to stay in the same location, see if your lease will let
you sublet your space to someone else, and under what terms.

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6. Your ability to lead and manage falters as your work processes come under
pressure from increasing demand.

As the business grows, the founders eventually transition to a leadership role,

delegating most of the operational decisions and functions to someone else.
However, growing too quickly could make you lose your focus on essential
functions and take on too many tasks, delivering below-par outcomes that lead
to frustration within your company and disappointment for your clients. The
problem escalates when internal business systems and procedures are
mishandled due to everyone being overworked. Inadequate control over
budgeting, inventory management, marketing, and sales programs could derail
your success as a business.

Outsourcing some functions is a viable method to delegate some non-critical

administrative functions. This arrangement can be transitional or permanent,
depending on your needs, but it is important to scale your processes to align
with your growing business. No one is an expert in everything, so this may be
the phase where you bring in the best person you can find to help guide your
company through the changes required to become a bigger and better business.

2.5 SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

HR Administration and Human Relations are the things talked about and written
about whenever the management of worker and work is being discussed. They
are the things the HR Department concerns itself with. But they are not the
concepts that underlie the actual management of worker and work in the
industry. This concept is Scientific Management. Scientific management
focuses on the work. Its core is the organized study of work, the analysis of
work into its simplest elements and the systematic improvement of the worker’s
performance of each of these elements. Scientific Management has both basic
concepts and easily applicable tools and techniques. And it has no difficulty
proving the contribution it makes; its results in the form of higher output are
visible and readily measurable.

Indeed Scientific Management is all but a systematic philosophy of worker and

work. Altogether it may well be the most powerful as well as the most lasting
contribution America has made to Western thought since the Federalists Papers.
As long as industrial society endures, we shall never lose again the insights that
human work can be studied systematically, can be analyzed, can be improved
by work on its elementary parts.

Like all great insights, it was simplicity itself. People had worked for thousands
of years. They had talked about improving work all that time. But few people

31
had ever looked at human work systematically until Frederick W Taylor to do
so around 1885. Work was taken for granted, and it is an axiom that one never
sees what one takes for granted. Scientific Management was thus one of the
great liberating, pioneering insights. Without it, a real study of human beings at
work would be impossible. Without it we could never, in managing worker ad
work, go beyond good intentions, exhortations or the “speed up”. Although its
conclusions have proved dubious, its basic insight is a necessary foundation for
thought and work in the field.

It is one concept that has penetrated the entire world. It is practiced in India and
in the Soviet Union, in Argentina and in Sweden. The Germans have made
pseudo-metaphysics out of it; they call it “rationalization.” The critics of
America everywhere think that they are attacking the “real America if they
attack Scientific Management”. When America started, after World War II, to
give assistance to Western Europe’s attempt to improve productivity, they
thought that is meant primarily the exportation of scientific management
techniques. America preached that “productivity is an attitude” and stressed the
importance of mass distribution, of capital investment, of research. But what
they actually did was to send over industrial engineers equipped with Scientific
Management tools and imbued with its philosophy. And where the European
industrialist, on the whole, turned a deaf ear to their recommendations of mass
distribution, capital investment or research, he took to Scientific Management
techniques with alacrity. For, in common with the rest of the outside world, he
had come to believe – though wrongly – that Scientific Management was the
essence of America’s industrial achievement.

Yet, Scientific Management, too, has been stagnant for a long time. It is the
oldest of our three approaches to the management of workers and works; it rose
together with the new profession of engineering in the last decades of the
nineteenth century. It also ran dry first. From 1890 to 1920 Scientific
Management produced one brilliant new insight after the other and one creative
new thinker after the other Taylor, Fayol, Gantt, the Gilbreths. During the last
thirty years, it has given little but pedestrian and wearisome tomes on the
techniques specialties. But on the whole, there have been oceans of paper but
few if any, new sights. There has been a great deal of refinement, yet the most
mature and most cogent statement on scientific management is still the
testimony Taylor gave before a special Committee of the House of
Representative in 1912.

Before management became a profession, many workers performed a variety of

tasks. This system wasted a lot of time and quite often led to inefficiency in the
performance of some of the assigned tasks. In order to bring improvement in
this system and to increase efficiency, skilled management started re-organizing

32
work in such a manner that each worker performed a single task. It was found
that the workers became more proficient at performing the single task assigned
to them, and the time taken by each worker to perform his task was greatly
reduced.

2.5.1 Division of labor

As the process of each worker performing a single task continued, it was

generally known as 'specialization of labor' or 'division of labor.' A complicated
task was broken down into manageable individual tasks on which individual
workers or groups of workers could specialize. It has been found that as a 'job'
of work is made up of a number of 'tasks,' the fewer tasks a worker does in his
job, the more skilled and efficient he becomes in performing these tasks. The
most well-known example of this specialization is in the automobile industry
where each worker attends to an individual special task, and the various parts of
motor vehicles are passed along an "assembly line" of workers so that each
worker can perform his/her specific task on that part before it is passed on to the
next worker who performs his/her specific task. Today specialization is
practiced in almost every organization. To carry out this specialization, and to
update it periodically, a team of experts might be engaged to perform certain
studies.

2.6 ORGANISATION AND METHOD STUDIES (O&M)

It is a systematic examination of an organization's structure, procedures and

methods, and management and control, from the lowest to the highest. Its
objective is to assess their comparative efficiency in achieving defined
organizational aims.

O & M concerns itself mainly with administrative procedures and employs

techniques such as operations research, work study, and systems analysis. It is
basically the systematic examination of activities in order to improve the
effective use of human and other material resources. Essentially it is a specialist
function that has a primary objective of improving an organization's efficiency
and control. In this way, it can be seen as an essential function that should be
part of the makeup of any organization. For example,

O & M Study might be undertaken to simplify office work and reduce costs. It
may be to reduce paperwork and eliminate unnecessary activity, or eliminating
duplication of time or effort. For this, it may find a solution in recommending
the system of internal e-mail and posting of information on the organization's
network rather than sending out the printed paper.

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O & M Study can provide a basis for the approach to almost any project. The
basic steps that have to be followed can be summarized as follows:

 Select the area/process that requires attention.

 Record the current situation.
 Analyze and examine the current situation.
 Develop, design and evaluate alternative solutions and recommend
improvement opportunities.
 Implement the chosen solution. It can be done on a pilot basis, to begin
with.
 Maintain and monitor the implemented solution. This is to ensure that
what was intended to be implemented has been implemented. It is also to
ensure that benefits are achieved.

2.7 RECRUITMENT

Recruitment is the process of finding suitable job applicants using

advertisements, employment agencies and word of mouth. When an
organization decides to recruit staff, it may choose internal or external
recruitment methods.

2.7.1 Internal recruitment

Internal recruitment (from within the organization) involves considering present

employees as applicants for available positions. This often occurs when a
person is promoted, and it provides a strong motivation for current employees.
Internal searches are effective only if the organization is substantial in size. An
internal search for a candidate allows an organization to use its own employees’
skills. It has the advantage of being low in cost and enables the organizations to
select are placement, which is familiar with its operation. Some organizations
use employee referral schemes. Potential candidates are identified and
recommended by existing employees. If a referral is successful, the employee
will receive a referral bonus for helping the organization find the right person
for the job.

2.7.2 External recruitment

A suitable applicant for a position may be found from outside the organization
(external recruitment). A business will use external recruitment methods when it
wants to bring in people with new or different ideas and attitudes.

The recruitment method chosen will depend on the size of the organization, the
type of position available and the nature of the labor force in the organization’s

34
particular area. The figure below outlines the main sources of employees
available to an organization.
MAIN SOURCES OF EMPLOYEES
FOR AN ORGANISATION
Advertisements in the media

Temporary/casual services

Schools, Universities or Colleges

Internal searches

Public employment agencies for example, Employment National

Private employment/recruitment agencies

2.8 POLICY OF RECRUITMENT

Recruitment and selection policy is a statement of principles, outlining how

your organization should conduct its recruitment and selection process.

The aim of such a policy is to ensure that transparent and unbiased recruitment
and selection process is followed; one that results in the appointment of the best
candidate, based solely on merit and best-fit with your organizational values,
philosophy, and goals.

2.8.1 Five good reasons for having such a policy are to ensure:

 Job descriptions meet business requirements;

 Candidates are assessed against consistent selection criteria at every
stage;
 The recruitment process is lawful;
 The candidate can be confident it is a genuine job offer; and
 The process can be followed by all stakeholders.

2.8.2 Step of the candidate selection process.

1. Suitability

Writing an accurate position description is an important part of the recruitment

process. It describes the primary tasks involved as well as the core
competencies required to perform the role.

35
A good recruitment and selection policy would require those writing job
descriptions to give precedence to the competencies that would make the most
positive contribution to the organization’s business requirements (i.e. flexibility,
initiative, leadership etc.)

2. Consistency

A good recruitment and selection policy will also require that hiring managers
use pre-determined criteria at all stages of the recruitment process, thereby
reducing the risk of bias or discrimination.

In the screening stage, the key selection criteria should have been determined
before the job was advertised and clearly displayed in the advertisement and job
description.

Each candidate would then be evaluated according to those criteria only. When
interviewing candidates, the same interviewers should be present at each
interview and a set of pre-determined questions asked of each candidate,
allowing them equal time to respond.

Reference checks should be conducted before any appointment is made and

should be carried out in a consistent manner (i.e. asking similar questions of
each candidate’s referees and former employers).

It should be noted that treating everyone consistently does not always imply
fairness. If a candidate is at a disadvantage for any reason (i.e. has a disability),
you may need to take their individual circumstances into account, so they are
given an equal opportunity to present their case.

3. Legality

Privacy and equal opportunity legislation requires that the recruitment process is
conducted in a fair and transparent manner and a good recruitment and selection
policy will always make this very clear to recruiters.

During no stage of the recruitment process (from advertisement to interview)

can there be any discriminatory behavior, based on a person’s age, sex, marital
status, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or disability.

A candidate may have recourse to legal action if they feel they have been
discriminated against, so impartiality is not only the right thing to do, it’s also
good risk management practice.

Discrimination may be quite unintentional.

36
For example, using terms in a job advertisement such as ‘young and energetic’
or ‘new graduate’ may seem harmless enough, but should be avoided as they are
implying that you must be young to apply for the job.

Privacy laws also require that a candidate’s application is treated confidentially.

Penalties apply if breaches occur, so here as well, good recruitment and
selection policy help to protect the organization’s best interests.

An example of a privacy breach would be a recruiter discussing the details of a

confidential job application with their family or friends. A recruitment and
selection policy that reminds staff about the implications of possible lapses such
as these can go a long way towards ensuring they never happen.

4. Credibility

Not all job advertisements are genuine.

Some are placed by organizations wishing to build up a ‘talent pool’ or to

simply to test the waters and see what’s out there.

If an organization calls for certain application procedures to be followed,

candidates can feel confident the position they are applying for actually exists
and that their efforts will not be in vain.

Candidates can also see you are a reputable employer by the good practices you
follow and are more likely to want to become an employee of your organization.

5. Transparency

By requiring transparent procedures at every step, the recruitment and selection

policy ensures that all stakeholders in the recruitment process (HR, department
head, line manager etc) are able to follow the process and be confident of the
outcome.

Candidates should be kept informed of the status of their application and

notified if unsuccessful. Reasons for decisions made during the recruitment
process should be documented and a transparent appeals process put in place if
a candidate is unhappy with the outcome.

Conclusion

A good recruitment and selection policy should be based on principles such as:

37
  Respect for diversity
 Ethical decision making
 Selection according to merit
 Equal treatment for all; and
 Procedural fairness.

Adherence to such a policy will not only ensure job applicants are treated fairly,
but will also greatly increase your chances of securing the best possible people
for your organization.

2.9 RECRUITMENT PROCESS

As stated earlier, recruitment is the process of locating, identifying, and

attracting capable applications for jobs available in an organization.

Accordingly, the recruitment process comprises the following five steps:

• Recruitment planning;
• Strategy Development;
• Searching;
• Screening;
• Evaluation and Control.

Recruitment Planning: - The first involved in the recruitment process is

planning. Planning involves to draft a comprehensive job specification for the
vacant position, outline its major and minor responsibilities; the skills,
experience, and qualifications needed; grade and level of pay; starting date;
whether temporary or permanent; and mention of the special condition, if any,
attached to the job to be filled. Strategy Development:- Once it is known how
many with what qualification of candidates are required, the next step involved
in this regard is to device a suitable strategy for recruitment the candidates in
the organization.
The strategic considerations to be considered may include issues like whether
to prepare the required candidates themselves or hire it from outside, what type
of recruitment method to be used, what geographical area be considered, for
searching the candidates, which source of recruitment to be practiced,
(Searching, Screening, Evaluation, and control are not explained)

2.10 SELECTION

Definition: Selection is the process of choosing the most suitable candidate for
the vacant position in the organization. In other words, selection means weeding

38
out unsuitable applicants and selecting those individuals with prerequisite
qualifications and capabilities to fill the jobs in the organization.

Most often, the selection and recruitment are used interchangeably but however,
both have different scope. The former is a negative process that rejects as many
unqualified applicants as possible so as to hire the right candidate while the
latter is a positive process that attracts more and more candidates and stimulates
them to apply for the jobs.

Employee selection may be described as a screening or sifting process. It

involves gathering information about each applicant for a position and then
using that information to choose the most appropriate applicant. Interviews,
tests, physical examinations, and referee and reference checks are all part of this
process. In selecting staff, the idea is to choose the most ‘appropriate’ person
with the qualifications that best match the position, rather than the applicant
with the ‘most’ qualifications.

Employee selection can be an expensive process — not only in terms of the

time and effort put into the screening process but also in terms of the costs of
inappropriate selection.

A poor selection process leads to increased costs and lower productivity by

increasing:
• training costs, if poorly qualified staff are selected
• job dissatisfaction and labor turnover, if the organization or the job does not
meet the expectations of candidates selected
• Absenteeism rate, if staffs feel inadequate on the job or feel under excessive
work pressure
• Accident or defect rates, and fines or claims, if untrained staffs are selected.

2.10.1 Significance of Selection

The company should follow a proper selection procedure as a huge amount of

money is invested in selecting the right candidate for the job. Also, the cost
incurred in training and induction programme is too high that the wrong
selections could lead to a huge loss to the employer in terms of the time, effort
and money.

Absenteeism and labor turnover are the grim situation for any organization and
if the candidates are not selected appropriately, then these problems will
increase and the overall efficiency of the organization will go down.

2.10.2 The trial or probationary period

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It is quite common for people to be offered a post on condition that they will
work an initial 'trial period' or 'probationary period.' This period might be one
month, three months or even longer, depending on the seniority of the post or on
the amount of training necessary so that the work can be performed to the
required standard.

The probationary period allows the employer to assess whether the candidate
selected is actually suitable in a real-life work situation. At the same time, this
period allows the new employee time in which to decide whether he/she will be
happy working for the organization.

At the end of the probationary period, the new employee might be called for a
talk with the departmental or HR manager during which reports on progress
made can be discussed. If both the parties are satisfied, the employee is
'confirmed' in the post, otherwise, he/she needs to be informed and the
employee can be terminated.

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 Chapter 3

INDUCTION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

3.1 INDUCTION

Induction is a process a new recruit goes through to be introduced to the

company and their new role. This includes not only meeting managers and
colleagues, but also getting to know about the building and its layout, being
trained in the use of phone and IT systems, and familiarization with policies and
procedures.

Depending on the size of your company, an initial induction could take as little
as a day. However, in large organizations, there may be a more lengthy process,
involving off-site or centrally-based training and perhaps a series of meetings
and presentations from various parts of the organization.

Beyond the initial days, the induction programme continues for many months,
so that the new employee can fully integrate into life in the company and settle
into their role to become a valuable member of staff.

Finding and recruiting staff is a lengthy and expensive process, so you want to
be sure that you put in the effort to then make them feel welcome and to train
and induct them effectively. Plan the induction programme carefully, and
consider incorporating the following areas.

3.1.1 Manager meeting

The new employee’s direct line manager should spend some time setting out
their expectations, explaining what the role entails and explaining the
responsibilities the new hire will have.

While the first day may be too soon to allocate any initial tasks, the manager
and employee should set aside some time to meet later on to discuss objectives,
assignments, and priorities.

3.1.2 Meeting colleagues

You will want to introduce your new staff member to others in the company. If
you’re a small company, this may mean meeting every one of your employees.
But if it’s a larger organization, then introducing your new joiner to everyone in
their own department, plus some key members in others will be more
appropriate. It can be overwhelming to meet too many people in the first few
days.

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3.1.3 Building tour

A tour of the offices or building will help the new hire to familiarize themselves
and feel comfortable. Have someone show them around and point out facilities
such as the toilets, kitchen and first aid amenities. Vital health and safety
guidance, such as where to find emergency exits and what to do in case of a fire
should also be given.

3.1.4 Practical information and training

A mentor can help the new employee by giving training on the phone and IT
systems. If logins and set-up have been done in advance, then all that is needed
is to train the employee and give them the password and sign-in information.
Show the new colleague where to find the photocopier, printer and stationery
provisions.

3.1.5 HR induction

You should collect any outstanding HR documentation, such as P45, proof of

right to work in the UK, National Insurance number and banking details for
payroll.

If you run an HR system, then show the employee how to sign in and use it, and
sort out any staff passes and permits.

3.1.6 Socialisation

An important part of the induction programme is to assign a “buddy” to your

new employee. They can help with any practical information about the company
and ensure that the staff member is at ease finding their way around in their first
few days. Simple things like accompanying them at lunch for a while and giving
more informal insights into the company can really help an employee to feel
welcomed.

The induction process is vital in giving your new employee a feel for the
company and its culture. A formal programme can help them to get to know
their colleagues and appreciate what the company stands for in terms of its
brand and values. If you give them the knowledge and support they need, they
will feel welcomed and their first real experiences working for their new
employer will be positive ones that will motivate and enthuse them in their new
role.

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3.2 DEFINITION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Training isn’t just important to any company, it is vital.

Although there are many categories of training such as management training

and or sales training, employees with Project Management skills are an
important asset to any organization.

But what do training and development, mean to your organization?

Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all

employees, but many employers in the current climate find development
opportunities expensive. Employees attending training sessions also miss out on
work time which may delay the completion of projects. However, despite these
potential drawbacks, training and development provide both the individual and
organizations as a whole with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile
investment. The return on investment from training and development of
employees is really a no brainer.

3.2.1 Training and Development

Training and Development is a subsystem of an organization which emphasizes

the improvement of the performance of and individuals and groups. Training is
an educational process which involves the sharpening of skills, concepts,
changing of attitude and gaining more knowledge to enhance the performance
of the employees. Good & efficient training of employees helps in their skills &
knowledge development, which eventually helps a company improve.

Training is about knowing where you are in the present and after some time
where will you reach with your abilities. By training, people can learn new
information, new methodology and refresh their existing knowledge and skills.
Due to this there is much improvement and add-up the effectiveness at work.
The motive behind giving the training is to create an impact that lasts beyond
the end time of the training itself and employee gets updated with the new
phenomenon. Training can be offered as skill development for individuals and
groups.

Organizational Development is a process that “strives to build the capacity to

achieve and sustain a new desired state that benefits the organization or
community and the world around them.

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The relationship between Training and Development

There is a relationship between training and development, and there is a clear

difference between the two based on goals to be achieved. Development is
made to answer the training problems:

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

Training is meant for operatives Development is meant for executives

It is a reactive process It is proactive process
AIM: To develop additional skills AIM: To develop the total personality
It is short term process It is a continuous process
OBJECTIVE: To meet the present OBJECTIVE: To meet the future need
need of an employee of an employee
The initiative is taken by the The initiative is taken by an individual.
management

In addition to the above scenarios training and development leads to improved

profitability and more positive attitudes towards profit orientation, it also aids in
organizational development i.e. organization gets more effective decision
making and problem-solving. Training and development help in understanding
and carrying out organizational policies thereby developing leadership skills,
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motivation, loyalty, better attitudes, and other aspects that successful employees
and managers usually display. Training and development demonstrate a
commitment to keeping employees on the cutting edge of knowledge and
practice.

3.3 NEED AND BENEFITS OF TRAINING

Improved employee performance: The employee who receives the necessary

training is more able to perform in their job. The training will give the employee
a greater understanding of their responsibilities within their role, and in turn,
build their confidence. This confidence will enhance their overall performance
and this can only benefit the company. Employees who are competent and on
top of changing industry standards help your company hold a position as a
leader and a strong competitor within the industry.

Improved employee satisfaction and morale: The investment in training that a

company makes shows employees that they are valued. The training creates a
supportive workplace. Employees may gain access to the training they wouldn’t
have otherwise known about or sought out themselves. Employees who feel
appreciated and challenged through training opportunities may feel more
satisfied with their jobs.

Addressing weaknesses: Most employees will have some weaknesses in their

workplace skills. A training program allows you to strengthen those skills that
each employee needs to improve. A development program brings all employees
to a higher level so they all have similar skills and knowledge. This helps
reduce any weak links within the company who rely heavily on others to
complete basic work tasks. Providing the necessary training creates an overall
knowledgeable staff with employees who can take over for one another as
needed, work on teams or work independently without constant help and
supervision from others.

Consistency: A robust training and development program ensures that

employees have a consistent experience and background knowledge. The
consistency is particularly relevant for the company’s basic policies and
procedures. All employees need to be aware of the expectations and procedures
within the company. Increased efficiencies in processes result in financial gain
for the company.

Increased productivity and adherence to quality standards: Productivity usually

increases when a company implements training courses. Increased efficiency in
processes will ensure project success which in turn will improve the company
turnover and potential market share.

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Increased innovation in new strategies and products: Ongoing training and up-
skilling of the workforce can encourage creativity. New ideas can be formed as
a direct result of training and development.

Reduced employee turnover: Staffs are more likely to feel valued if they are
invested in and therefore, less likely to change employers. Training and
development are seen as an additional company benefit. Recruitment costs,
therefore, go down due to staff retention.

Enhances company reputation and profile: Having a strong and successful

training strategy helps to develop your employer brand and make your company
a prime consideration for graduates and mid-career changes. Training also
makes a company more attractive to potential new recruits who seek to improve
their skills and the opportunities associated with those new skills.
Training can be of any kind relevant to the work or responsibilities of the
individual and can be delivered by any appropriate method.

Team spirit: Training and Development helps in instilling the sense of

teamwork, team spirit, and inter-team collaborations. It helps in inculcating the
zeal to learn within the employees.

Skills Development: Training and development help in increasing the job

knowledge and skills of employees at each level. It helps to expand the horizons
of human intellect and an overall personality of the employees.

3.4 TYPES OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

There are several types of training we can provide for employees. In all
situations, a variety of training types will be used.

3.4.1 On-site training

On-site training, also known as on-the-job training is such training programs

which are conducted inside the office’s premises. Under this method, the
inexperienced staffs learn new things by observing and imitating coworkers or
superiors performing the job. Such training is cheaper and easier to conduct, and
the best thing is official works are not disturbed.

On-site training is further divided into various subtypes, which are briefly
described below.

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1. Coaching

Coaching is a one-to-one training, meaning a single employee is trained by a

single senior. Under this training method, the senior first identifies the weak
point of the employee and then focuses on fixing them theoretically or
practically. This method can be adapted to guide operational level employees.

2. Mentoring

Mentoring is similar to coaching as it is also one-to-one training. However, it is

different from coaching as it focuses on developing attitudes of employees
rather than technical skills. Such training is provided to the employee of the
managerial level by the seniors of the company.

3. Job instructional technique (JIT)

Job Instructional Technique (JIT) is a structured training method, under which

the staffs are provided training step by step. Two or more trainers can be
involved in a single JIT.

For an example, let us suppose that there are 4 instructors A, B, C and D. At

first, trainer A provides an overview of the job to the staff. An overview is
concerned with the purpose of the job and the desired output from it. Secondly,
trainer B practically exhibits or explains the job. After that, trainer C observes
how well the staff can comply with their knowledge, and finally, trainer D
provides feedback as well as helps the staff if necessary. All these steps can be
carried out by a single or lesser number of trainers.

4. Job rotation

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 Job rotation is an interesting way of training employees by rotating them
through a series of closely related jobs. Such training allows the employee to
learn many things and make them familiar with different jobs. Also, such a
training program promotes rapport between the workers and is really helpful to
eliminate boredom at the workplace.

5. Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship is the modern approach of training the practitioners. Such a

method of training is adopted while training inexperienced staffs or fresh
graduates, especially from a technical field.

Under this method, the staff at first serves as an apprentice to the superiors or
experts. They do the same task as an ordinary staff would do but under the
guidance or supervision of their superiors.

Apprentices are paid less than other staffs of the same post would receive.
However, it is an expensive method of training because there is no assurance
that the staff will continue to work for the same company.

6. Understudy

Understudy is basically the person who replaces any staff in their absence.
Understudy training is the process in which superior instructs the staff by
considering them as an understudy. The staff then learns from the senior by
observing and experiencing to handle day to day tasks. Such training finally
makes the staff ready to handle full responsibility on his/her own.

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3.4.2 Off-site training

Off-site or off-the-job training are those training programs which are conducted
away from the workplace. It is an expensive but effective way of training staffs.
Some important ways of off-site training are described below.

1. Lectures and conferences

They are the traditional method of training the employees. These programs aim
at training a large audience through verbal presentation and interaction.
Lectures and conferences should be motivating in order to be effective and a
strong speaker is a must to conduct such programs.

2. Vestibule training

Vestibule training is a modern method of training staffs under which the staffs
are trained at prototype environment of specific jobs. Such training makes the
staff ready to work at the real work as the work environment and conditions are
similar to the actual workplace. This training is also known to reduce initial
nervousness.

3. Sensitivity training

A number of people work together in the company and it is very essential for
every staff to consider his/her co-worker's sentiments and feelings. Sensitivity
training is a special training provided to the employees to make them capable of
understanding about themselves and about others reasonably. Such training
aims at developing behavioral flexibility and social sensitivity in the employees,
in an attempt to develop the ability to sense others feelings and opinions. These

49
training also help an individual to realize his/ her personal qualities as well as
issues.

3.5 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT METHODS

Training is a program that helps employees learn specific knowledge or skills to

improve performance in their current roles. Development is more expansive and
focuses on employee growth and future performance, rather than an immediate
job role.

Good training and development programs help you retain the right people and
grow profits. As the battle for top talent becomes more competitive, employee
training and development programs are more important than ever. Hiring top
talent takes time and money, and how you engage and develop that talent from
the time they are first on boarded impacts retention and business growth.

3.5.1 On the job training:

In this type of method, a new or less experienced employee is given some kind
of instructions or advice from a more experienced employee who may be a
supervisor or some kind of special instructor.

The success of how much the person can learn depends on, how the experienced
employee teaches them.

Most of the training includes certain crafts, any technical areas or trades etc.
And for guidance as well as support some skilled or semi-skilled workers are
kept to observe and help them.

A) Advantages:

1. The job is learned by the workers in actual conditions and in a physical

environment other than learning the job in artificial conditions. This helps the
employees to bring motivation within them and learn their job well.

2. This type of training is not very expensive in comparison to other training

and it consumes a less amount of time in learning.

3. This type of training program is under certain supervision of the supervisors

to really see whether or not everything is happening in a proper way as they are
keenly interested in the training program.

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4. Any kind of production isn’t affected or isn’t suffered when such a training
method is adopted.

5. The person or the trainee learns the maximum amount of rules and
regulations when they are learning about the job.

6. This takes less amount of time when it comes to learning a special skill as a
person can acquire a certain skill even in a short period of time.

B) Limitations:

1. This kind of training is mainly disorganized in a big way and things are at
times done in a very haphazard way.

2. At times the person supervising the training may not be ready to willingly
give their time and this may lead to training not taking place in the appropriate
way it needs to be carried out in.

3. Sometimes certainly experienced trainers may not be available at all times.

4. At times when things are not happening in the appropriate way, it leads to the
trainee getting a lack of motivation when they are receiving the training.

3.5.2 Off the job training:

This type of method involves a trainee leaving their work for the time being and
they need to give or devote their entire work time for getting the necessary
training required.

At this time the person does not contribute to any of the production activities
that the company does in that time. This kind of training is mainly provided or
arranged by the company itself or they may use special institutes for this
purpose that provides such kind of training.

Large companies make it a point to provide such training to their employees and
have different departments or institutes in the workplace in comparison to
smaller companies who do not provide such training.

The different kinds of the method under this training are as follows:

1. Lectures or Class Room Method:

In this method, the different aspects of the ongoing program are explained by a
single individual to the others. This is convenient enough as the facts and details

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as well as the special type of information is provided to the people by means of
a lecture.

To make the lecture more interesting and understanding audio as well as video
is added to it to make it more appealing to the people present and a large
number of people are trained at a time to provide more advantages.

2. The Conference Method:

For conveying this type of training, a conference also known as a meeting is

carried out where a certain plan is spoken about to the people and they get their
training and knowledge through it.

It explains all the necessary facts as well as important principles and concepts
needed to be known. Then, later on, all the knowledge is known and shared by
all the trainees present so that a solution is found out soon as different views
help in finding the solution soon.

3. Team Discussion or seminar:

In a seminar type method, the trainees present are made to write papers
regarding the topics focused on. After that, the papers are read at a time and a
discussion takes place where all the people or trainees present, participate in it.

Later on, after all the views are discussed then the chairman present will take all
the views together and make a decision.

At times the material regarding the topic to be discussed may already be

provided to the trainees along with the necessary information so that they are
ready in advance before the actual discussion takes place.

4. Programmed instructions:

This type of method involves providing the necessary knowledge to the trainees
in the form of a printed textbook or with printed notes or some kind of teaching
machine.

The process of breaking down all the information into different categories
making it meaningful and proper arrangement of it is done. At times asking or
presenting certain questions or problems are given to the trainee and certain
feedback is got back by the trainer, in that way the person responds back to
them.

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Apprenticeship Training:

This method is mainly used in industries and can go on for a long time at times
for the duration of about 4-5 years.

After the training is over the worker obtains all the necessary information and
then carries on their work. Knowledge both in the form of practical knowledge
while they do their job and theoretical knowledge from the lectures is obtained
by them.

It is one of the oldest and most traditional methods when it comes to training the
people of the organization.

A) Advantages:

1. Stipend which is also known as a fixed amount of salary is received by the

trainees to some extent during this training.

2. Trainees acquire valuable skills which are highly regarded and valuable and
demanding in the market.

3. When talking about the employer, it is a way of obtaining cheap labor with a
needed skilled workforce still being maintained.

4. This method helps in reducing the cost of labor and production cost.

5. There is ensured the loyalty of the employees of the company.

B) Limitations:

1. The length or the period of the training is very long and at all times the
trainees need regular supervision which can be difficult as the company is at a
large scale.

2. This method is unsatisfactory if the standards are rigid.

3. At times if the person or the worker getting this training fails to learn it
completely after a long duration, then they may not be considered for working
in the company which may lead to labor problems.

4. This method is very expensive in nature.

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Vestibule or Training Center Training:

A vestibule is a place or passage or also a room situated between the outside

door and inside of the building. So under vestibule type training, the trainers
train the workers on certain special machines in a different location like
classrooms and this is known as a ‘vestibule school’ which the Personnel
Department of the firm runs.

The training is provided in certain conditions which are artificial but make it
like real conditions and the remaining theoretical training is given in the
classroom.

A) Advantages:

1. The person who is training the trainees is a special person and has certain
specialization in training to be provided.

2. As the training which is provided isn’t present when the actual job takes
place, the trainees mainly can focus on learning the job.

3. As the instructor or the trainer has no work assigned to them, they can
provide certain attention individually to the trainees.

4. The job is learned by the employee in a short time.

B) Limitations:

1. As the training is provided in an artificial work environment the worker may

not adjust to certain machines when they are actually doing the job in reality.

2. It is expensive in nature as the same duplicate equipment is needed and small

firms cannot afford to provide such training to their employees.

3. If the demand for workers in the firm isn’t continuous then at times the
vestibule can stay unused for a lengthy amount of time.

4. If the responsibilities are split then there can be further problems in the
organization.

Training Via Internship:

There is a lot of advantage of getting trained in an internship. Internship

practically is like working but not for full-term purpose and salary basically is
low and they are called stipend. So training will actually inculcate the skill of

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time management and will balance between the theory part of the studies and
also the practical part of the subject.

The drawback behind this idea is that it can only be used for skilled and works
more of practically oriented goal instead of just sitting and studying. The time
usually depends on the people. Some want to keep the contract for 6 months or
some want to keep it for 2 months only. Therefore, the timing also is not frigid,
they are flexible.

Beginners 1st Level Training:

Such training is given to the individuals who don’t have the advanced level
knowledge about the work. This system actually helps in training such
individuals who are not done a full formal study needed for a position. Such
training helps in at least giving job security instead of no work at hand.

The individuals are trained and then after successfully completing the period the
employer or the agents will fix them with a job which is secured. Workshops,
Seminars, guest lectures are conducted for them so that they can acquire
adequate knowledge.

Training Institute:

The training institutes are actually built to give vocational training and etc so
that they can shape up the one's personality.

Basically, when an employer hires individual he thinks that it is necessary to

send such individual to such training institutes.

The training institutes generally provide soft skills, personality development, IQ

level classes etc so that the person may not only increase my knowledge but
also emotionally and mentally strong. There are many institutes all over the
world who give such training to the employees.

Role Playing:

This is one of the best and effective way for training employees. It is a form in
which a realistic role will be played by a particular person in an imaginary
situation.

Here the person gets into the skin of the role and portrays it creating a realistic
environment.
The main advantage of this role-playing method is to help develop interpersonal
relations and attitudinal improvisations.

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Simulation:

This is another form of training in which the equipment or things needed will be
duplicated to create a realistic environment.

One of the best examples is pilot training, where the trainees will be given an
aircraft like an environment so that they get the feel of flying a real aircraft.

This method helps in developing a better decision-making process for the

trainees. Though this type of training method is expensive but ensures to
provide a better understanding of how to perform the tasks and duties
efficiently.

3.6 CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TRAINING PROGRAMME

Program Management: A quality training program starts with a person, with a

champion. We’ll call this person the Program Manager. An ideal program
manager is curious, open-minded and motivated to develop and execute within
their organization. Other skills needed include problem-solving, business
acumen, communication, and commitment to the vision. Knowledge of the
training industry can be learned and applied based on organizational specific
needs. I also find Program Managers that have success in empowering others to
be motivated to act is a quality that will pay off ten-fold. Program Managers
that are life-long learners and constantly working to improve themselves, lead
by example. Here ideas that you can apply to become smarter every day.

Identify Needs: In getting started, the Program Manager must be able to identify
the needs of an organization. This is where curiosity comes into play- they must
take time to understand the past, present and future direction. This can be
conducted through research, interviews, and assessments. At the core of any
effective training program is correctly identifying what or who needs to be
trained. The training need is the difference between the current performance and
the required performance that can be met through training rather than through
other changes. Here’s a way you can find out more about what employees need
and want out of training.

Alignment: Once needs are identified, they must be aligned with the
organization overall. The Program Manager should build a program to address
problems in the organization or support business goals. By following this
model, employees will be more likely to understand the training, it will be
supported by managers and the impact to the organization is the critical piece.
No one wants to do something just to do it- create the purpose. When linking
training to organizational strategy, you will also be able to easily identify the

56
above or bottom line indicators – meaning are you saving the company money
or making the company money? This is how you develop a return on the
investment. Here are examples of business problems that training can address.

Goals & Metrics: Training is an area that can be difficult to quantify, however,
when the program manager is able to determine organizational needs that are
aligned with the business, they become much easier. When developing goals,
make sure metrics give the whole picture, including quantity, quality, time, cost
and effectiveness. You’ll want to develop a benchmarking strategy for
evaluating your progress towards your goals and ensure that data and reports are
easily available to provide you with the information that you need. Schedule
time to monitor, analyze and review progress towards goals on a regular basis.
This will allow you to become agile and shift strategy as needed.

Leadership Buy-In: One of the keys to a successful training program, and

possibly the most important, is leadership buy-in from the top down. Having
leadership support helps drive the importance of a program, assist with
accountability and establish appropriate expectations. Leadership buys it is
more easily obtained when the Program Manager has been able to identify the
needs of the organization, align them to the business and develop formalized
goals and metrics that will provide results. Leaders want to know that the
programs they support and back are making a difference and have a purpose.
Learn more on how to gain Leadership Buy-In.

Relevant Content: Providing relevant content is a key to a successful training

program, to ensure your learners are engaged and continue to come back for
more. The modern learner today is distracted, overwhelmed and has little time
to spare. Catering content to their needs is not only important, but it's also
critical. The content you present to your employees must be applicable and
timely to help them with their daily duties, expand their mind and provide them
with quick takeaways that can immediately be applied.

Creativity: I have found over the years that programs that have some type of
creative hook elevate the level of importance within an organization. This can
start with a program launch that has a theme – it can be simple like a corporate
university or college layout. By branding, the training initiative with a logo or
mascot can add a level of fun and familiarity as the program continues. Other
creative ploys could include seasonal themes and contests.

Marketing & Communication: Having a marketing strategy is an integral part of

your implementation and an essential component of a successful learning
program. A successful marketing plan includes not only initial launch activities
but also strong ongoing efforts throughout the program. As you build your plan,
remember to keep your program goals and success factors at the forefront of
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your decision-making and tie the activities into these goals. Any communication
sent out to employees should include not only an overview and clearly defined
expectations. You’ll also want to provide the WHY behind it- sharing what’s in
it for them, in other words, what they would gain.

Post Training Reinforcement: Most companies waste thousands of dollars per

year on training programs due to the fact that managers do not reinforce the
learning that their employees receive. As such, the content is forgotten over
time. Training reinforcement is a series of small lessons or learning activities
that support a core concept or skill, and by continuing to teach what was learned
at a seminar, employees will not only remember more, but they will also be
more likely to apply it to their everyday work.

3.7 DESIGNING THE TRAINING PROGRAMME

Designing the training programme with clearly defined objectives is a vital step
in the entire gamut of training activities. Training is a means to achieve an end.
It is not an end in itself. Unless the objectives are clearly defined and
programmes designed in such a way that it leads to the achievement of the
objectives set out, it will only be a wasted effort. The linkage between the
design and the objectives must be carefully thought out by the HR coordinator
before announcing a programme.

3.7.1 POINTS ON THE SUCCESS OF A TRAINING PROGRAMME:

Target a specific role

It’s easy to get bogged down trying to design a training plan that serves every
employee at your company. Even if you’re responsible for training multiple job
functions, don’t settle for a generic training plan. Focus on one role at a time,
and ensure they get exactly what they need to do their best work.

Define three core functions

The focus is essential to designing a great training plan. You won’t be able to
teach—and new employees won’t be able to absorb—everything at once, so
start with the three most important functions needed for success in the role. This
will help you build a concise path to productivity for your new hires.

Determine essential knowledge and skills

Keep your learning focused on the basic skills and knowledge that employees
need, rather than including every piece of information that their role might

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require. The more focused the sample training plan template for employees are,
the better their performance will be.

Set topics for recurring practice

If you look at various examples of training plans for employees—the notion of

practice is often conspicuously absent. But employees and teams that regularly
refresh their knowledge and review essential job skills achieve better
performance and business results. Common practice cadences (or intervals)
includes weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Some skills likely benefit from more
regular practice, while others might only require quarterly or annual review.
Regardless of frequency, identify a few items for your employees to revisit and
practice on a regular basis—it will pay remarkable dividends.

Detail learning systems

Building out the content for each individual employee training plan template is
significantly easier with a plan in place. Start by bundling essential skills into a
larger grouping, like a class or topic. Doing so makes delivering and managing
your learning program more efficient. From there, we recommend a
democratized approach in which you identify subject-matter experts across your
organization who can help create content. This ensures that employees get
training from the most knowledgeable members of the team—and you don’t
have to create it all yourself!

Measure outcomes

Before you put your learning program into the wild, it’s important to decide
what metrics will help gauge the ROL (Return on Learning) of your training
program. Select both business outcomes (such as ARR, demos set, mean time to
resolution, etc.) and learning metrics (lessons completed, quiz scores, etc.) Pick
measurable outcomes and KPIs that will help evaluate the success of both your
employees and your learning program.

3.8 EVALUATION OF TRAINING

"Training evaluation is a systematic process of collecting information for and

about training activity which can then be used for guiding decision making and
for assessing the relevance and effectiveness of various training components."

3.8.1 Types of Evaluation

On the basis of the time dimension, the evaluation may be classified as

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(1) formative evaluation and

(2) summative evaluation.

Raab et al. (1987), however, classified evaluation into four major types:

(1) evaluation of planning,

(2) process evaluation,

(3) terminal evaluation, and

(4) impact evaluation.

Stakeholders of training evaluation involve participants, curriculum developers,

trainers, and training organizer as depicted below:

3.8.2 Objectives of Evaluating Training and Development Programmes

The major objectives are:

• To validate training and development as a business tool

• To justify the costs incurred in training and development

• To help improve the design of the training and development programme

• To help in selecting training and development methods

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3.8.3 Purposes of Evaluating Training and Development Programmes

1. At Macro Level

• To assess the training and development programme's business impact as a

whole.

• To facilitate the selection of a training and development programme’s

performance metrics related to the organization's goals and objectives.

• To get at the business impact measure through direct correlation to

organization’s goals and objectives.

2. At Micro Level

• To measure a specific training and development programme's business impact

• Perhaps looking at the benefit of specific elements of the programme, or of the

training model for a specific issuer

The specific training and development programme's business impact measure

has a visible link to the organization's goals and objectives.

• To combine a number of these to project overall programme business impact.

Trainers:

Careful consideration should be given to the selection of trainers, the scheduling

of training and pilot testing. In selecting trainers, two equally important abilities
must be sought: knowledge of the subject and teaching ability. Not everyone
who has the required job knowledge will necessarily have teaching ability. On
the whole, it is easier for people to acquire knowledge than it is to acquire
teaching ability. In most workplaces, including the shop floor, there will be a
number of people who have a natural teaching ability, and they will have the
advantage of knowing the workplace and being able to understand practical
examples. In small group learning, a "group learning facilitator" may be used in
place of a trainer. In this case, the facilitator is learning along with the group but
has responsibilities for the process of learning.

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The scheduling of training involves several important considerations. For
example, it should be arranged at a time convenient for the learners and when
interruptions can be minimized. Training can also be packaged in self-contained
modules so that it can be spread out over time perhaps a three-hour module once
a week could be scheduled. Not only does this approach sometimes cause less
interference with production, but it also allows time between sessions for
learners to try to apply what has been learned.

CONCLUSION

Every training programme should be pilot tested before initial use. This allows
the programme to be tested against training objectives. Pilot testing should
involve not only the trainers but a representative sample of the prospective
learners as well.

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 Chapter 4

HEALTH, SAFETY, SECURITY, AND WELFARE

The terms health, safety, and security are closely related to each other. Health is
the general state of well-being. It not only includes physical well-being but also
emotional and mental well-being. Safety refers to the act of protecting the
physical well-being of an employee. It will include the risk of accidents caused
due to machinery, fire or diseases. Security refers to protecting facilities and
equipment from unauthorized access and protecting.

In organizations, the responsibility of employee health and safety falls on the

supervisors or HR manager. An HR manager can help in coordinating safety
programs, making employees aware of the health and safety policy of the
company, conduct formal safety training, etc. The supervisors and departmental
heads are responsible for maintaining safe working conditions.

4.1 HR DEPARTMENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Most countries enact laws governing health, safety and basic welfare of
employees in the workplace, and it is essential for the HR manager to ensure
that management and employees, as well as HR department staff, are fully
aware of their moral and legal obligations and responsibilities.

These responsibilities include a number of preventive measures which can be

taken under the coordination of HR department.

4.1.1 Employer’s Duties

Under Section 8 of the Act, the employer has a duty to ensure employees’
safety, health and welfare at work as far as is reasonably practicable. In order to
prevent workplace injuries and ill-health, the employer is required, among other
things, to:

 Provide and maintain a safe workplace which uses safe plant and
equipment
 Prevent risks from use of any article or substance and from exposure to
physical agents, noise and vibration
 Prevent any improper conduct or behavior likely to put the safety, health,
and welfare of employees at risk
 Provide instruction and training to employees on health and safety
 Provide protective clothing and equipment to employees

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  Appointing a competent person as the organization’s Safety Officer

4.1.2 Employees’ Duties

The duties of employees while at work are set out in Section 13 of the Act.
These include the following:

 To take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and
of other people in the workplace
 Not to engage in improper behavior that will endanger themselves or
others
 Not to be under the influence of drink or drugs in the workplace
 To undergo any reasonable medical or other assessment if requested to do
so by the employer
 To report any defects in the place of work or equipment which might be a
danger to health and safety

4.1.3 Risk Assessment And Safety Statement

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, every employer are
required to carry out a risk assessment for the workplace which should identify
any hazards present in the workplace, assess the risks arising from such hazards
and identify the steps to be taken to deal with any risks.

The employer must also prepare a safety statement, which is based on the risk
assessment. The statement should also contain the details of people in the
workforce who are responsible for safety issues. Employees should be given
access to this statement and employers should review it on a regular basis.

4.1.4 Protective Equipment And Measures

The employer should tell employees about any risks that require the wearing of
protective equipment. The employer should provide protective equipment (such
as protective clothing, headgear, footwear, eyewear, gloves) together with
training on how to use it, where necessary. An employee is under a duty to take
reasonable care for their own safety and to use any protective equipment
supplied. The protective equipment should be provided free of charge to
employees if it is intended for use at the workplace only. Usually, employees
should be provided with their own personal equipment.

There is a range of measures that employers must take in regard to visual

display units (VDUs). These include examining the reflection and glare, the
operator's position in front of the VDU, the keyboard and the software used.

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Operators must be given adequate breaks from the VDU. In addition, employers
must arrange for eye tests and, if required, make a contribution towards the
purchase of prescription eyeglasses.

4.1.5 Reporting Accidents

All accidents in the workplace should be reported to the employer, who should
record the details of the incident. Reporting the accident will help to safeguard
social welfare and other rights that may arise as a result of an occupational
accident. An employer is obliged to report any accident that results in an
employee missing 3 consecutive days at work (not including the day of the
accident) to the Health and Safety Authority.

4.1.6 Health And Safety Leave

An employer should carry out separate risk assessments in relation to pregnant

employees. If there are particular risks to an employee's pregnancy, these should
be either removed or the employee moved away from them. Under Section 18
of the Maternity Protection Act 1994, if neither of these options is possible, the
employee should be given health and safety leave from work, which may
continue up the beginning of maternity leave. If a doctor certifies that night
work would be unsuitable for a pregnant employee, the employee must be given
alternative work or health and safety leave.

Following an employee's return to work after maternity leave, if there is any risk
to the employee because she has recently given birth or is breastfeeding, it
should be removed. If this is not possible, the employee should be moved to
alternative work. If it is not possible for the employee to be assigned alternative
work, she should be given health and safety leave. If night work is certified by a
doctor as being unsuitable after the birth, alternative work should be provided.
If alternative work cannot be provided, the employee should be given health and
safety leave.

Time spent on health and safety leave is treated as though the employee has
been in employment, and this time can be used to accumulate annual leave
entitlement. The employee is not entitled to leave for any public holidays that
occur during health and safety leave. During health and safety leave, employers
must pay employees their normal wages for the first 21 days (3 weeks), after
which Health and Safety Benefit may be paid.

4.1.7 Health And Safety And Young People

An employer should carry out a separate risk assessment in relation to an

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employee less than 18 years of age. This risk assessment should be carried out
before the young person is employed. If certain risks are present, including risks
that cannot be recognized or avoided by the young person due to factors like
lack of experience, the young person should not be employed.

4.1.8 Bullying

One of the employer’s duties is to prevent improper conduct or behavior (which

includes bullying). An employer should have established procedures for dealing
with complaints of bullying in the workplace and deal with such complaints
immediately. Ignoring complaints of bullying could leave an employer open to a
possible claim for damages by an employee. It is advisable for an employer to
have an established grievance procedure to deal with complaints of bullying.

4.1.9 Harassment

The Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 place an obligation on all employers

to prevent harassment in the workplace. Under this legislation, you are entitled
to bring a claim to the Workplace Relations Commission and your employer
may be obliged to pay you compensation if you are harassed by reason of your
gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, age, disability, race,
religious belief or membership of the Traveller community.

4.1.10 Violence In The Workplace

The possibility of violence towards employees should be addressed in the safety

statement. For example, factors like the isolation of employees and the presence
of cash on the premises need to be taken into account. Proper safeguards should
be put into place to eliminate the risk of violence as far as possible and the
employee should be provided with appropriate means of minimizing the
remaining risk.

4.2 FIRE PREVENTION AND FIRE FIGHTING

Employees should be taught how to operate the organization's own firefighting

appliances i.e. fire extinguishers. Outbreaks of fire which are dealt with swiftly
can prevent major disasters which might occur if it became necessary to wait for
the civic fire brigade to arrive. In addition, the following precautions can also be
taken:

 Flammable materials such as petroleum products, paints, explosives

should be kept in stores specially designed and built for the purpose and
located well away from other areas of the complex.

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  Smoking should be prohibited in areas which are in close proximity to
flammable materials."No Smoking" notices should be placed prominently
in and around such areas.
 Fire alarms should be installed so that in the event of an outbreak of fire,
a warning is quickly given to all concerned.
 Firefighting equipment appropriate to the materials housed or used in the
department should be provided and be readily accessible when needed.
All equipment should be regularly serviced and maintained.
 All personnel must know where firefighting equipment is positioned and
must be taught how to use it. Clear "fire instructions" should be
prominently placed.
 Regular practices, or "fire drills," should be held so that personnel learns
what to do and what not to do in the event of a fire.
 Fire doors and emergency exits must be kept clear and unobstructed.
 Smoke or heat detectors which activate an alarm system should be
installed.
 Sprinkler system which is designed to saturate the area with water can be
installed.

4.3 MEDICAL FACILITIES

A place where sick or injured people are given care or treatment (as a hospital,
urgent care center, or a clinic) HR department must do everything possible to
provide a safe and healthy 'working environment,' in which employees do not
fear that their health will suffer as the result of work they perform, or that they
will be exposed to unnecessary risks of injury during their time of work.

4.3.1 Advantages to employer and employees

One of the main causes of 'lost man-hours' involves accidents and injuries
sustained in the workplace. A good medical scheme, which includes the
availability of first aid facilities, ensures that in the event of an accident or the
onset of illness while at work, employees can receive treatment, and if
necessary, can be transferred to a hospital quickly. This greatly reduces the
chance of minor injuries becoming more serious due to lack of attention or
infection, and thus requiring treatment over a long period, which would result in
lost production from that employee. Moreover, employees and their dependents
will be more content and will feel more secure if they know that their health is
being protected and that any injury sustained as a result of their work will be
speedily treated.

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4.4 SAFETY AND SECURITY OFFICERS

The HR manager of a large organization is usually the head of the safety and
security department. A chief security officer and his assistant are appointed, and
they have a lot of authority about all matters related to safety and security. The
safety officer has full authority to go anywhere on the premises of the
organization. If a machine is spotted operating without an appropriate guard, or
if an employee is seen working without the prescribed protective clothing for
the process being carried out, the chief security officer is empowered to stop
production immediately, complain to the departmental manager or supervisor,
and make out a report which will go to the HR manager.

The security officer will have his staff in uniform. Their duties include manning
the main gate and ensuring that only persons with legitimate business are
admitted to the complex. They might also check the occupants of motor
vehicles for "strangers" trying to drive inside the grounds for unlawful purposes.
Another of their tasks is a routine check of every department. A security guard
might be required to walk through every department at frequent intervals. He
might spot some hazard in an unlit passage and move it if possible, or he might
see a potential fire risk. In such cases, he would be required to report the matter
to the safety officer so that urgent action can be taken to avoid accidents.

4.5 PREVENTION OF THEFT AND PILFERING

Theft in the workplace is more common (and more damaging) than you might
realize – and we’re not talking about stolen lunches. Cash, computers and even
identities could be snatched from right under your nose – in your building – and
the results can be devastating.

Building owners and facility managers need to equip themselves to fight office
crime and protect their businesses with an integrated, careful approach. Find out
who may be stealing from you, and how you can prevent it.

4.5.1 Who Would Steal Items from the Office?

The answer: Anyone could. From serial thieves and desperate employees to
cleaning staff or building visitors, the profile of an office thief varies.

“Theft in the workplace is a serious matter that’s on the rise for a large majority
of facilities,” says Mark Hankewycz, principal at Maryland-based M2H
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Protection “With the current economic downturn, incidents of theft – along with
other criminal activity – are on the rise.”

People desperate to make ends meet, or with other money-consuming hobbies

or addictions, might resort to office theft. “Perpetrators may include vendors or
even thieves off the street who find office buildings an easy mark,” says
McConnell.

“Most crime can be reduced or stopped simply by reducing the opportunity for
it,” says Hankewycz, describing the psychological effect that a lack of
deterrence has. “Most criminals ‘case the joint’ before they commit a theft. If
they feel there’s an opportunity for theft, and the chance is good that they can
get away with it, they’ll likely commit the crime.”

4.5.2 How to Prevent Office Thefts

Hire the right people.

The first step to preventing office theft is to hire the right people – people who
won’t steal from you.

“One of the main strategies to stop the insider is performing background checks
that aim to identify them before they’re hired,” says Hankewycz, who adds that
periodic background checks should be performed in high-risk operations or
businesses.“Criminals know what organizations perform background checks,
and they stay away from them,”

Find weaknesses in building security.

When you know you have the right people on your team, the next step is
figuring out how secure your building is, and where potential weaknesses may
be.

“Thus far, prevention [of office theft] has been an elusive achievement,” says
McConnell. “Facilities managers and building owners can help with internal
and external theft by conducting a security audit and developing a
comprehensive security plan. The audit should examine the facility’s
vulnerabilities, looking for ways to maximize safety and security and minimize
risks. Most security companies will conduct this type of audit at no cost.”

With the information from your security audit, you can reinforce or add security
elements to aspects of your building that might be at risk.

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 Be certain that all windows are secure

 If doors only have a locking knob or lever, install a deadbolt for

additional security.

 Lock steel bars or door barriers with high-security padlocks that have a
hardened steel body and shackle to resist drills, hammers, and
blowtorches and bolt cutters.
 Make sure all doors are solid. Look for sheet steel on both sides of rear
and basement doors. Make sure doorframes and hinges are strong enough
that they can’t be pried open.

 Good locks are the first line of defense. Use high-security locks or
electronic access-control units on all doors. Closets that contain private
information or hazardous materials, outside doors, and basements are a
few to consider.

 Verify that any electronic access-control unit has a secure key bypass. An
access-control unit is only as good as its mechanical override devices.

 Make sure restrooms are locked with high-security locks, and that only
employees have keys.

 Are receptionist desks equipped with a panic button for emergencies, a

camera with a monitor at another employee’s desk, and a high-security
lock on the front door that can be controlled?

 Install motion-sensitive and constant outside lights.

 Illuminate dark places around the building by trimming shrubs, adding

lighting, etc.

 Leave some interior lights on, even when the business is closed.

4.5.33 Basic Solutions for Building Security

1. Access Control
2. Using Surveillance
3. Training Employees and Occupants

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4.6 EMPLOYEE WELFARE

Employee welfare defines as “efforts to make life worth living for workmen”.
“Employee welfare is a comprehensive term including various services,
benefits, and facilities offered to employees & by the employers. Through such
generous fringe benefits, the employer makes life worth living for employees.”

Welfare includes anything that is done for the comfort and improvement of
employees and is provided over and above the wages. Welfare helps in keeping
the morale and motivation of the employees high so as to retain the employees
for a longer duration. The welfare measures need not be in monetary terms only
but in any kind/forms. Employee welfare includes monitoring of working
conditions, the creation of industrial harmony through infrastructure for health,
industrial relations and insurance against disease, accident, and unemployment
for the workers and their families.

Employee welfare entails all those activities of the employer which are directed
towards providing employees with certain facilities and services in addition to
wages or salaries.

The very logic behind providing welfare schemes is to create an efficient,

healthy, loyal and satisfied labor force for the organization. The purpose of
providing such facilities is to make their work life better and also to raise their
standard of living.

These efforts have their origin either in some statute formed by the state or in
some local custom or in a collective agreement or in the employer’s own
initiative:

 To give expression to philanthropic and paternalistic feelings.

 To win over employee’s loyalty and increase their morale.
 To combat trade unionism and socialist ideas.
 To build up a stable labor force, to reduce labor turnover and
absenteeism.
 To develop efficiency and productivity among workers.
 To save oneself from heavy taxes on surplus profits.
 To earn goodwill and enhance public image.
 To reduce the threat of further government intervention.
 To make recruitment more effective (because these benefits add to job
appeal).

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4.6.1 The important benefits of welfare measures can be summarized as
follows:

 They provide better physical and mental health to workers and thus
promote a healthy work environment
 Facilities like housing schemes, medical benefits, and education and
recreation facilities for workers’ families help in raising their standards of
living. This makes workers pay more attention to work and thus increases
their productivity.
 Employers get a stable labor force by providing welfare facilities.
Workers take an active interest in their jobs and work with a feeling of
involvement and participation.
 Employee welfare measures increase the productivity of the organization
and promote healthy industrial relations thereby maintaining industrial
peace.
 The social evils prevalent among the labors such as substance abuse, etc
are reduced to a greater extent by the welfare policies.

4.6.2 Principles of Employee Welfare Service

Following are generally given as the principles to be followed in setting up an

employee welfare service:

 The service should satisfy the real needs of the workers. This means that
the manager must first determine what the employee’s real needs are with
the active participation of workers.
 The service should be such as it can be handled by cafeteria approach.
Due to the difference in Sex, age, marital status, number of children, type
of job and the income level of employees, there are large differences in
their choice of a particular benefit. This is known as the cafeteria
approach. Such an approach individualizes the benefits system though it
may be difficult to operate and administer.
 The employer should not assume a benevolent posture.
 The cost of the service should be calculated and its financing established
on a sound basis.
 There should be periodical assessment or evaluation of the service and
necessary time on the basis of feedback.

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 Chapter 5

MOTIVATION, EMPLOYEE COUNSELING, RESIGNATIONS, AND

RETIREMENT

5.1 The Definition of Motivation

Often, people confuse the idea of 'happy' employees with 'motivated'

employees. These may be related, but motivation actually describes the level of
desire employees feel to perform, regardless of the level of happiness.
Employees who are adequately motivated to perform will be more productive,
more engaged and feel more invested in their work. When employees feel these
things, it helps them, and thereby their managers, be more successful.

It is a manager's job to motivate employees to do their jobs well. So how do

managers do this? The answer is motivation in management, the process
through which managers encourage employees to be productive and effective.

Think of what you might experience in a retail setting when a motivated cashier
is processing your transaction. This type of cashier will:

 Be friendly, creating a pleasant transaction that makes you more likely to

return
 Process your transaction quickly, meaning that the store can service more
customers
 Suggest an additional item you would like to purchase, increasing sales
for the store

In short, this employee is productive and delivers a high-quality output

5.1.1 How to Motivate Employees

There are many ways to motivate employees. Managers who want to encourage
productivity should work to ensure that employees:

 Feel that the work they do has meaning or importance

 Believe that good work is rewarded
 Believe that they are treated fairly

5.2 STYLE OF MANAGEMENT

Management plays an important role in strengthening the bond amongst the

employees and making them work together as a single unit. It is the
management’s responsibility to ensure that employees are satisfied with their

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job responsibilities and eventually deliver their level best.

The management must understand its employees well and strive hard to fulfill
their expectations for a stress-free ambiance at the workplace.

5.2.1 What is Management Style?

Every leader has a unique style of handling the employees (Juniors/Team). The
various ways of dealing with the subordinates at the workplace are called
management style.

The superiors must decide on the future course of action as per the existing
culture and conditions at the workplace. The nature of employees and their
mindsets also affect the management style of working.

5.2.2 Different Management Styles

1. Autocratic Style of Working

 In such a style of working, the superiors do not take into
consideration the ideas and suggestions of the subordinates.
 The managers, leaders, and superiors have the sole responsibility of
taking decisions without bothering much about the subordinates.
 The employees are totally dependent on their bosses and do not
have the liberty to take decisions on their own.
 The subordinates in such a style of working simply adhere to the
guidelines and policies formulated by their bosses. They do not
have a say in management’s decisions.
 Whatever the superiors feel is right for the organization eventually
becomes the company’s policies.
 Employees lack motivation in the autocratic style of working.
2. Paternalistic Style of Working
 In the paternalistic style of working, the leaders decide what is best
for the employees as well as the organization.
 Policies are devised to benefit the employees and the organization.
 The suggestions and feedback of the subordinates are taken into
consideration before deciding something.
 In such a style of working, employees feel attached and loyal
towards their organization.
 Employees stay motivated and enjoy their work rather than treating
it as a burden.
3. Democratic Style of Working
 In such a style of working, superiors welcome the feedback of the
subordinates.

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  Employees are invited on an open forum to discuss the pros and
cons of plans and ideas.
 Democratic style of working ensures effective and healthy
communication between the management and the employees.
 The superiors listen to what the employees have to say before
finalizing on something.

4. Laissez-Faire Style of Working

 In such a style of working, managers are employed just for the sake
of it and do not contribute much to the organization.
 The employees take decisions and manage work on their own.
 Individuals who have the dream of making it big in the
organization and desire to do something innovative every time
outshine others who attend office for fun.
 Employees are not dependent on the managers and know what is
right or wrong for them.

5. Management by Walking Around Style of Working

 In the above style of working, managers treat themselves as an
essential part of the team and are efficient listeners.
 The superiors interact with the employees more often to find out
their concerns and suggestions.
 In such a style of working, the leader is more of a mentor to its
employees and guides them whenever needed.
 The managers don’t lock themselves in cabins; instead walk around
to find out what is happening around them.

5.3 CHANGES IN MANAGEMENT ATTITUDE

Every company has to undergo constant changes in procedures and basic

structural set-ups in order to thrive and cope with the changing conditions.
Sometimes, employees may be resistant to this change because it might affect
their routine or make them feel threatened. Simple changes like changing office
premises or serious ones like changing the organizational structure may affect
anyone’s mindset.

However, the key to coping lies in the managers’ behavior and ability to handle
the staff. It is most important for the managers to handle the entire change,
whatever it may be with a positive attitude. Read on to know why.

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5.3.1 To act as a support to the staff

Any subordinate staff will look to their manager as a lead and guide in time of
crisis or change. It is important to know how to handle the change positively so
that the staff can tide over it without any inhibitions. If the manager himself
starts acting uncertainly and behaving irrationally it might affect the entire
workflow and even the mindset of the staff. Change training is an important
element in the larger scheme of things.

5.3.2 To help make employees understand

When you start making changes within any corporate structure, employees need
time to adjust too. Initially, when you start introducing change, employees may
fear it, they may not welcome it. As a manager, it is your positive outlook that
will help make them understand how the change is important and how it will
benefit the organization as a whole.

A positive talk will additionally help them put the company goals above their
own, thereby helping to adjust to the new points or changes.

5.3.3 To make them comfortable

If you go about leading the way to a new set-up or structure with no proper
counseling or positivity, employees may get uncomfortable; rumors may start
spreading about the instability within the organization, even if there isn’t any.

It is your responsibility to make the staff comfortable during the transition and
to help them cope. It is normal for employees to get used to a certain structure
and new employees, a new work set-up or even changes in the workflow may
severely affect them.

5.3.4 To make the transition smooth

The transition takes time and if it is not handled properly, it might lead to
trouble. The staff at any organization might not be able to learn the new
changes adapt to it or work properly and effectively. While change may be
relevant and even necessary in some cases, it is the smooth transitioning that
will help the employees move forward. This is where your counseling and
positive attitude will help most.

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5.3.5 To save time in adapting

Without the right attitude and level of positivity or counseling, employees will
take more time adapting to the change. It might affect their ability to adapt and
take longer for the organization to start working as per the new structure. It is
the responsibility of the managers to ensure this doesn’t happen with the right
attitude and lots of positivity.

5.4 CONTRIBUTORS AND THEORISTS

Some theorists have significantly contributed to the development of modern-day

management attitudes.

5.4.1 Mayo: The Human Relations Movement

By following the principles of scientific management, managers realized that

this system did not achieve optimum efficiency. They found that people did not
conform to predicted patterns of behavior. That led to an increase in interest in
the 'people' aspect of organizations. Several theorists tried to understand
workplace psychology. Among them, Professor Elton Mayo conducted
experiments to ascertain and record human behavior within organizations. The
study conducted by him and his colleagues at the Western Electric Hawthorne
plant in the USA“ also known as Hawthorne Experiment“ revealed that the most
significant factors in optimizing productivity were related to:

 Workers being organized in small social groups

 Workers feeling important through participation
 Workers having some freedom from strict supervision.

Though this study was production-based research, the findings and conclusions
of this study can be related to other departments. For example, the HR manager
can:

 Organize the layout of the workplace to allow social interaction among

staff
 Allow staff some sort of participation in departmental decision making
 Allow staff to organize their own priorities and activities within the
framework of the overall
direction.

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5.4.2 Maslow: The Hierarchy of Human Needs

Abraham Maslow proposed that there are a 'hierarchy' or scales of human needs
which must be satisfied. Some of these needs are more powerful than others.
Maslow argues that until these most powerful needs are satisfied, other needs
have little effect on an individual's behavior. In other words, we satisfy the most
powerful needs first and then progress to the less powerful ones. As one need is
satisfied and is, therefore, less important to us, other needs come up and become
motivators of our behavior.

Maslow represents a hierarchy of needs in the shape of a pyramid. The most

powerful needs are shown at the bottom, with powerful ones decreasing as
people progress upwards.

 Physiological needs: These include all the basic needs such as food,
clothing, shelter, rest.
 Safety and security needs: People want a safe and organized environment.
They want
physical safety and psychological security.
 Social needs: Generally, people prefer to live and work in groups which
are often larger than their families. They want to be accepted and be part
of something.
 Esteem needs: People want respect from others, and to achieve status in
the workgroup.
 Self-actualization needs: At this stage, people want to reach their
maximum potential, and
like doing their own best thing.

An important aspect of Maslow's theory is that it provides for the constant

growth of the individual. There is no point at which everything has been
achieved. Having satisfied the lower needs, one is always striving to do things
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to the best of one's ability, and best is always defined as being slightly better
than before.

5.4.3 Hertzberg: Motivation-Hygiene Theory

Frederick Hertzberg argued that certain factors lead to job satisfaction while
others lead to dissatisfaction.
He identified these as "motivator" and "hygiene" factors respectively.

 Motivators: According to Hertzberg, typical job motivators are:

o The degree of career achievement
o The intellectual challenge of work
o Recognition by others as being successful
o The actual value of the work
o The actual level of job responsibility
o The opportunity for promotion.

 Hygiene factors: Hertzberg identified hygiene factors as:

o The restriction of management policies and procedures
o Technical/administrative aspects of supervision
o Salary structures
o Job conditions
o Relationship with management
o Work environment.

Hertzberg's motivation-hygiene theory is generally well-received by practicing

managers because of its relatively simple distinction between factors inducing
positive job satisfaction or those causing reduced job satisfaction.

5.4.4 McGregor: Theory X and Theory Y

Douglas McGregor advocated that there are two extremes of management

attitude towards employees in the workplace, and these have a strong influence
on the level of employee motivation.

 Theory X: Characteristic assumptions of managers behaving in this

"mode" are:
o The average person is basically lazy and dislikes work.
o People at work need to be forced, controlled, directed and
threatened.
o The average person avoids responsibility and prefers to be directed.

McGregor states that this style of management is no longer suitable in the

modern organizational setting.
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  Theory Y: Characteristic assumptions of managers in this "mode" are:
o Work is as natural as recreation and rest.
o People will exercise "self-direction and control" to achieve
objectives to which they are
committed.
o Commitment to objectives is related to the satisfaction of
achievement.
o If the conditions are right, the average person at work will seek and
accept responsibility.

In a way, Theory Y is related to what we nowadays call 'participative

management.' Theory Y principles are now generally recognized as being more
likely to achieve optimal employee performance.

5.5 MOTIVATION STRATEGIES

To a large extent, a high level of employee motivation is derived from effective

management practices.
To develop motivated employees, the HR manager should ensure that HR
personnel, as well as other departmental managers, must do the following:

organization are given autonomy, authority, trust, and encouragement to

accomplish a task. Empowerment is designed to unshackle the worker and to
make a job the worker's responsibility.

behavior, the organization

needs to provide an effective reward system. Rewards demonstrate to
employees that their behavior is appropriate and should be repeated. If
employees don't feel that their work is valued, their motivation will decline.
Common examples are pay bonuses, promotions, time off, special assignments,
office fixtures, awards, verbal praise etc.

through the same,

unenthusiastic actions to perform their jobs. These individuals often refer to this
condition as burnout. But smart managers can do something to improve this
condition before an employee gets bored and loses motivation. Redesign
attempts may include the following:

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  - Job enlargement: It increases the variety of tasks a job includes. It may
reduce some of the monotony, and as an employee's boredom decreases,
his/her work performance generally increases.
 - Job rotation: This practice assigns different jobs or tasks to different
people on a temporary basis. The idea is to add variety and to expose
people to the dependence that one job has on other jobs. Job rotation can
encourage higher levels of contributions and renew interest and
enthusiasm. The organization benefits from a cross-trained workforce.
 - Job enrichment: This application includes not only an increased variety
of tasks but also provides an employee with more responsibility and
authority. If the skills required to do the job are skills that match the
jobholder's abilities, job enrichment may improve morale and
performance.

flexibility: Today's employees value personal time. Because of

family needs, a traditional 9 to 5 working may not work for many people.
Therefore, for some categories of employees, 'flexible time' “which permits
employees to set and control their own work hours“ is one way that
organizations are accommodating their employees' needs, e.g. marketing
personnel. Here are some other options organizations are trying as well:

 A compressed work week is a form of flexible time that allows a full-time

job to be completed in less than the standard 40-hour, 5-day work week.
Its most common form is 4/40 schedule, which gives employees three
days off each week. This schedule benefits the individual through more
leisure time and lower commuting costs. The organization should benefit
through lower absenteeism and improved performance.
 Job sharing occurs when one full-time job is split between two or more
persons. Job sharing often involves each person working one-half day,
but it can also be done on weekly or monthly sharing arrangements.
When jobs can be split or shared, organizations can benefit by employing
talented people who would otherwise be unable to work full time. The
qualified employee, who is also a parent of a small child, may not want to
be in the office for a full day but may be willing to work a half day.
Although
adjustment problems sometimes occur, the arrangement can be good for
all concerned.
 Telecommuting sometimes called 'flex place,' is a work arrangement that
allows at least
a portion of scheduled work hours to be completed outside of the office,
with work-at-home as one of the options. Home workers often
demonstrate increased productivity, report fewer distractions, enjoy the

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 freedom to be their own boss, and appreciate the benefit of having more
time for them. Examples of such jobs are computer software development
and telemarketing.

5.6 MANAGERIAL STYLES IN HR MANAGEMENT

An "open" management style is likely to be successful in the HR department.

Team working would enhance performance levels. The HR manager needs to
involve the staff in the departmental decision-making process.

The concept of 'responsibility sharing' would involve consultation, involvement,

and participation. In a team-oriented HR department, responsibility can be
shared in the following areas:

 Interpreting organizational policies;

 Developing organizational procedures;
 Winning the consent of subordinates;
 Organizing meetings;
 Maintaining communication networks;
 Understanding and motivating others.

5.7 DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Managers and supervisors of various departments always try to motivate, guide,

advise, and control their subordinates. In spite of this, occasions will arise when
there is no alternative but to take disciplinary action. Before committing to any
proposed disciplinary action, a manager/supervisor might consult the
HR manager and brief him/her fully on the situation that has arisen and seeks
guidance. After having the full backing of the HR manager he/she must act
firmly and confidently.

Depending on the severity of the offense, disciplinary action takes different

forms. The following procedure may be adopted:

 If it is the first offense, the person should be spoken to and advised. For
example, if a subordinate arrives at work late without a satisfactory
explanation, a counseling session might be beneficial.
 If the same person continues behaving in the same way, for, say, a week,
a formal written warning is needed.
 If he/she still continues committing this offense, a final written warning
needs to be given by the HR department, specifying the penalty if the
employee does not improve his/her behavior within a stated time limit.
 If the employee still does not improve, he/she has to be penalized. The
penalty may be transfer to another section or location, suspension without

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 pay, or dismissal

5.8 EMPLOYEE COUNSELING

A counseling session is a meeting between the supervisor and the employee

which may focus on a specific incident, a particular aspect of an employee's
performance which the supervisor has identified as needing improvement, or the
employee's overall performance or conduct. The counseling process is initiated
and executed at the department level by the supervisor and is not discipline. It is
a face-to-face communication between the supervisor and the employee,
conducted in private, and is intended to have a constructive goal of providing
feedback to the employee to correct the problem.

If the counseling session is to be confirmed in a written memo after it takes

place, generally you must inform the employee during the session that you will
be writing a memorandum summarizing the discussion which will be placed in
the employee's official personnel file.

5.8.1 Guidelines for a Counseling Session

 Speak to the employee, on a timely basis, about the specific reason for the
counseling session. Describe specific, observable, measurable and/or
unacceptable conduct. Be prepared, have the facts in hand before you
meet.
 State the effect of the problem on the work environment or on the
employee's performance.
 Ask for the individual's perception of the problem and what is causing it.
Encourage the employee to speak freely and candidly and listen to the
information given. Keep an open mind.
 Ask the employee for potential solutions after you have explained what
acceptable work is. Consider all options.
 If you think it is necessary, add your ideas also. Give the employee a
reason to improve work attitude. Offer suggestions (for example, EAP) to
help the employee improve/change conduct.
 Reach an understanding of corrective action.
 Make sure you and the employee know what is expected of each other.
 Identify follow-up steps and dates. Meet again with the employee to
review performance. Recognize improvements that have occurred.
 Incorporate unacceptable work performance in performance evaluation.

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5.9 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY

Equality in the workplace means that there is fair treatment for each individual.
Everyone is supposed to have equal access to job opportunities, promotion, and
other benefits. It also means that there should be a system of equal pay for
similar work in the organization.

There should be no discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion or

physical disability. Today a large number of organizations have a policy
referring to discrimination on the above-mentioned grounds.

A good equal opportunity policy includes age, marital status, gender, HIV and
AIDS. The policy should state clearly a commitment to equality in the areas of
recruitment, promotion, training, performance appraisal and pay, transfers,
terms, and conditions, disciplinary procedures and dismissal, rules against
harassment etc.

Policies alone are not enough. There must be a commitment to put them into
practice by specific measures, and this should be the responsibility of HR
management. The policy should be publicized to all staff and job applicants.

An important part of implementing equal opportunity policy is monitoring its

effectiveness. In the case of gender, race or disability, there are usually
arrangements to collect statistics to ensure that these people are represented in
the workforce.

5.10 RESIGNATIONS

Resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. A

resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or
appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or
choosing not to seek an additional term, is not considered resignation.

1. Resignation occurs when an employee decides to terminate his/her

employment with an organization.

2. Whatever a manager may do to retain experienced staff, resignations will

occur.

3.When this happens, it is useful if the HR manager conducts an 'exit interview'

with the employee concerned, to try to ascertain the real reason why he/she is
leaving.

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5.10.1 Unavoidable resignations

In many cases resignation is unavoidable on account of certain circumstances,

for example, illness, accident, marriage, pregnancy, death in the family, or
intention of self or spouse to move to another city, etc.

In such circumstances, the HR manager has no option but to accept the

resignation. However, the loss of a good employee is cause for concern to the
HR department.

On the other hand, there might be a situation when an employee has committed
a serious offense. In such a case, the employee may be given the option of
resigning 'voluntarily' in order to avoid possible serious consequences.

5.10.2 Avoidable resignations

Sometimes resignations may occur on account of lack of motivation, terms, and

conditions of employment, difficult relationships with co-workers or
manager/supervisor, denial of promotion or salary increase etc.

In such situations, it is the HR manager's responsibility to find out the real

reason for resignation through an 'exit interview.' He/she might not be able to do
anything for a particular employee, but he/she can definitely analyze the
situation and make a report to the higher management and give his/her
recommendations for future.

When an employee chooses to leave a position, it is considered a resignation, as

opposed to involuntary termination. Whether an employee resigned or was
terminated is sometimes a topic of dispute, because, in many situations, a
terminated employee is eligible for severance pay and/or unemployment
benefits, whereas one who voluntarily resigns may not be eligible. Some
resignations are given in the "heat of the moment." In such a situation, the HR
manager can arrange a counseling session with the employee concerned, and
prevail upon him/her to continue in the job.

5.11 RETIREMENT

An employee 'retires' from the job when he/she has reached a certain age, and
not because of any other reason but retirement. Retirement is the withdrawal
from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person
may also semi-retire by reducing work hours. An increasing number of
individuals are choosing to put off this point of total retirement, by selecting to

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exist in the emerging state of pre-retirement.

5.11.1 Retirement ages

Ages at which people retire vary from country to country and from one
organization to another. There might also be age differences for retirement
between men and women in certain jobs e.g. air hostesses.

5.11.2 Retirement benefits

At the time of retirement, employees are generally eligible for certain retirement
benefits. These differ as per the laws of the country, and rules of different
organizations. They are usually of the following type:

 Provident Fund: Throughout the period of his/her employment, the

employee contributes a certain percentage of his/her salary, which is
deposited in the bank or relevant government fund, with matching
amount from the employer. At the time of retirement, the employee has
access to this fund.
 Gratuity: In some countries and organizations, when an employee retires,
he/she is given a gratuity. It is calculated on the basis of the number of
years of employment multiplied by the last monthly basic pay drawn. The
total amount is given to the retiring employee.
 Pension: In most countries, as well as some organizations, the retiring
employee is eligible for a monthly pension for life. Sometimes it is linked
to group life insurance, and the employee's pension is credited every
month to his bank account by the insurance company concerned.Planning
and counseling for retirement

It can be a great shock for an employee who has worked for an organization for
many years to suddenly realize that his/her services are no longer required
because he/she has reached a certain age.

It is desirable for the HR department to arrange for counseling related to

retirement well before an employee is to retire. This way the employee can be
gradually prepared to accept psychologically the fact of the forthcoming
retirement, and plan accordingly.

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 Chapter 6

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

Performance Appraisal is the systematic evaluation of the performance of

employees and to understand the abilities of a person for further growth and
development. Performance appraisal is generally done in systematic ways which
are as follows:

1. The supervisors measure the pay of employees and compare it with

targets and plans.
2. The supervisor analyses the factors behind the work performances of
employees.
3. The employers are in a position to guide the employees for better
performance.

6.0 Objectives of Performance Appraisal

 To promote the employees, on the basis of performance and competence.

 To identify the requirement for training and development of employees.
 To provide confirmation to those employees who are hired as
probationary employees, upon completion of the term.
 To take a decision regarding the hike in employees pay, incentives etc.
 To facilitate communication between superior and subordinate.
 To help employees in understanding where they stand in terms of
performance.

Data obtained from the appraisal of performance, are documented and used for
different organizational purposes.

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6.0.1 Performance Appraisal Process

The figure shown above is a standard performance appraisal process that takes
place in an organization, wherein each step is important and arranged in a
systematic manner. The process is conducted periodically, usually twice a year,
i.e. semi-annually and annually called as mid-term review and annual review
respectively.

6.0.2 Advantages of Performance Appraisal

It is said that performance appraisal is an investment for the company which can
be justified by the following advantages:

1. Promotion: Performance Appraisal helps the supervisors to chalk out the

promotion programmes for efficient employees. In this regards, inefficient
workers can be dismissed or demoted in case.

2. Compensation: Performance Appraisal helps in chalking out compensation

packages for employees. Merit rating is possible through performance appraisal.
Performance Appraisal tries to give worth to a performance. Compensation
packages which include bonus, high salary rates, extra benefits, allowances, and
pre-requisites are dependent on performance appraisal. The criteria should be
merit rather than seniority.

3. Employees Development: The systematic procedure of performance

appraisal helps the supervisors to frame training policies and programmes. It

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helps to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of employees so that new jobs
can be designed for efficient employees. It also helps in framing future
development programmes.

4. Selection Validation: Performance Appraisal helps the supervisors to

understand the validity and importance of the selection procedure. The
supervisors come to know the validity and thereby the strengths and weaknesses
of the selection procedure. Future changes in selection methods can be made in
this regard.

5. Communication: For an organization, effective communication between

employees and employers is very important. Through performance appraisal,
communication can be sought for in the following ways:

a. Through performance appraisal, the employers can understand and accept

skills of subordinates.

b. The subordinates can also understand and create trust and confidence in
superiors.

c. It also helps in maintaining the cordial and congenial labor-management

relationship.

d. It develops the spirit of work and boosts the morale of employees.

6. Motivation: Performance appraisal serves as a motivation tool. Through

evaluating the performance of employees, a person’s efficiency can be
determined if the targets are achieved. This very well motivates a person for the
better job and helps him to improve his performance in the future.

All the above factors ensure effective communication.

In conclusion, People work in organizations for monetary and non-monetary

reasons. While monetarily, employees look forward to increasing pay and perks,
they also look for job satisfaction and fulfillment in their jobs. Thus, the
motivators that determine whether a particular employee would stick to the job
or leave the organization are based on the monetary and nonmonetary
incentives.

For instance, monetarily, they might be expecting a pay rise every year in
addition to healthy bonuses. In the same manner, they expect recognition for
their work as well as job satisfaction through challenging assignments. As all
these aspects are determined during the appraisal process where not only the
pay and perks but also the chances for promotion and being given more

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fulfilling work are decided.

Thus, it is clear that performance appraisals must be taken seriously with care
and caution in addition, given the fact that managers also share feedback,
performance appraisals can be occasions for letting the employee know where
they are doing well and which aspects they need to improve their performance.

6.1 PURPOSE OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

Performance appraisal is evaluating an employee’s current and/or past

performance relative to his or her performance standard.

6.1.1 EVALUATION

The major purpose of performance appraisal is to evaluate how well employees

have conducted their duty. Performance appraisal helps to keep a record of each
employee’s job performance, including what efforts they have made and what
have they achieved. Evaluation differentiates employees on the basis of their job
performance, along with other factors like personality, behavior, etc.

Provide continuous feedback

It is essential for employers to know what performance and achievements have

been made by their employees. But, it is also equally important for an employee
to know where they stand, where they are going and how they are going to get
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there. Thus, giving feedback to employees is also a major purpose of
performance appraisal.

Measure performance accurately

Every company has to set mutually acceptable criteria or performance standards

so that it could compare employee’s performance with it. This helps in accurate
measurement of an employee’s job performance which is necessary for the
company to know where it is heading towards.

Provide clarity of expectation and the actual result

Every employee wants them to be told about their duties; what the organization
really wants them to do. However, this is not enough to get good output from
them.

They should also be told how well they have done their duties and how can they
improve their performance. They should be made clear about how near they are
to do their expectation.

6.1.2 Identify area of weakness of employees

All employees may not be an all-rounder. Some employees may have weak
points as well, which if not sorted out in time, might be a liability for the
company. Performance appraisal helps in identifying such weak points.

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Determine training and developmental needs

Only determining weak points is not enough. A company should also make
efforts to abolish them. A properly carried out performance appraisal is a tool to
determine what necessary steps are to be taken in order to help the employees in
improving their performance. The increment in skills and knowledge develop an
overall personality, attitude, and behavior of the employees.

Provide career path

Performance appraisal works as a mirror to employees and it clearly shows what

they are professionally and where they stand.
On the other hand, it helps the company in recognizing employees with
potential. Companies provide career development opportunities to such
employees and pave their way to a successful and stable career.

6.1.3 Determine the promotion of employees

Performance appraisal helps in charting the progress of employees. Such charts

can be used by employers to determine whether or not to promote their
employees. They also help in identifying the employees who most deserves to
be promoted.

Take corrective actions

Performance appraisal distinguishes excellent and poor performing employees.

Results of performance appraisal help the employers in taking corrective

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actions. Such actions may be counseling or warning the poor performers to
improve performance and to prevent the occurrence of undesirable results.

Decide the the retention and termination of employees

Progress report of employees does not only help in determining promotion but
also in determining termination. Employees, with poor reports, are at first
consulted. But, if the supervisors don’t find any growth, they will be forced to
take severe action like termination.

6.1.4 Evaluate effectiveness of HRM functions

Recruitment, selection, employee training, rewarding, etc. are some functions of

human resource management whose effectiveness can only be analyzed when
the performance of employees are appraised.

Decide salary and rewards

Performance appraisal of employees helps the supervisors in knowing their job

performance and the right amount to pay them. The employees will receive
wages as per the contribution they have made. The impressive contributors are
also rewarded by the company as per the organization’s policy.

Reduce grievances

Grievances may occur in the company when employees feel unfairly treated or
biased. For an instance, an employee might feel that his co-worker is being paid
more by the company even though both of them are posted at the same job
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level. During such a situation, employers can use the reports of performance
appraisal to clarify the employees that they are being paid on the basis of their
job performance, rather than the position they hold.

Keep communication lines open

The complete process of performance appraisal includes continuous feedback

from the supervisors. This way, performance appraisal works as a bridge of
communication between employers and employees. Also, open communication
helps in strengthening the employer-employee relationship or superior-
subordinate relationship.

6.1.5 Motivate superior performance

When performances of employees are timely appraised, they are motivated to

make superior performance. It is because

1. They want to enjoy the perk of being an excellent employee or

2. They fear negative reactions from the supervisors.

When employees know that they are heading in the right direction, it develops a
sense of satisfaction in them.

Improve decision-making ability

It becomes easier for the organization to take the right decision when it has

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complete knowledge about what’s going on in their company. Performance
appraisal works as a helping hand to the company in making the right decision
as it is a source of the company’s complete statistical data.

6.2 IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

1. Performance Feedback

Most employees are very interested in knowing how well they are doing at
present and how they can do better in the future. They want this information to
improve their performance in order to get promotions and merit pay. Proper
performance feedback can improve the employee's future performance. It also
gives him satisfaction and motivation.

2. Employee Training and Development Decisions

Performance Appraisal information is used to find out whether an employee

requires additional training and development. Deficiencies in performance may
be due to inadequate knowledge or skills. For e.g. A professor may improve his
efficiency by attending workshops or seminars about his subject. Performance
appraisal helps a manager to find out whether he needs additional training for
improving his current job performance. Similarly, if the performance appraisal
results show that he can perform well in a higher position, then he is given
training for the higher level position.
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3. Validation of the Selection Process

Performance appraisal is a means of validating both internal (promotions and

transfers) and external (hiring new employees from outside) sources.
Organizations spend a lot of time and money on recruiting and selecting
employees. Various tools used in the selection process are application blanks,
interviews, psychological tests, etc. These tools are used to predict (guess) the
candidate's performance on the job. A proper performance appraisal finds out
the validity of the various selection tools and so the company can follow
suitable steps for selecting employees in the future.

4. Promotions

Performance appraisal is a way of finding out which employee should be given

a promotion. Past appraisals, together with other background data, will enable
management to select proper persons for promotion.

5. Transfers

Performance appraisal is also useful for taking transfer decisions. Transfers

often involve changes in job responsibilities, and it is important to find out the
employees who can take these responsibilities. Such identification of employees
who can be transferred is possible through the performance appraisal.

6. Layoff Decisions

Performance appraisal is a good way of taking layoff decisions. Employees may

be asked to lay off if the need arises. The weakest performers are the first to be
laid off. If there is no performance appraisal, then there are chances that the best
men in the department may be laid off.

7. Compensation Decisions

Performance appraisal can be used to compensate the employees by increasing

their pay and other incentives. This is truer in the case of managerial jobs and
also in the case of employees in non-unionized organizations. The better
performances are rewarded with merit pay.

8. Human Resource Planning (HRP)

The appraisal process helps in human resource planning (HRP). Accurate and
current appraisal data regarding certain employees helps the management in
taking decisions for future employment. Without the knowledge of who is

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capable of being promoted, demoted, transferred, laid off or terminated,
management cannot make employment plans for the future.

9. Career Development

Performance appraisal also enables managers to coach and counsel employees

in their career development.

6.3 STEPS IN APPRAISAL

The six steps involved in process of performance appraisal are as follows:

1. Establish Performance Standards
2. Communicate Performance Expectation to Employee
3. Measure Actual Performance
4. Compare Actual Performance with Standards
5. Discuss the Appraisal with the Employee
6. Initiate Corrective Actions.

6.3.1 Establish Performance Standards:

The appraisal process begins with the establishment of performance standards.

The managers must determine what outputs, accomplishments, and skills will be
evaluated. These standards should have evolved out of job analysis and job
descriptions.

These performance standards should also be clear and objective to be

understood and measured. Standards should not be expressed in an articulated
or vague manner such as “a good job” or “a full day’s work” as these vague
phrases tell nothing.

6.3.2 Communicate Performance Expectations to Employees:

Once the performance standards are established, this needs to be communicated

to the respective employees so that they come to know what is expected of
them. Past experience indicates that not communicating standards to the
employees compounds the appraisal problem.

Here, it must be noted that mere transference of information (relating to

performance standards, for example) from the manager to the employees is not
communi-cation It becomes communication only when the transference of
information has taken place and has been received and understood by the

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employees.

The feedback from the employees on the standards communicated to them must
be obtained. If required, the standards may be modified or revised in the light of
feedback obtained from the employees. It is important to note that
communication is a two-way street.

6.3.3 Measure Actual Performance:

This is the third step involved in the appraisal process. In this stage, the actual
performance of the employee is measured on the basis of information available
from various sources such as personal observation, statistical reports, oral
reports, and written reports.

Needless to mention, the evaluator’s feelings should not influence the

performance measurement of the employee. Measurement must be objectively
based on facts and findings. This is because what we measure is more critical
and important to the evaluation process than how we measure.

6.3.4 Compare Actual Performance with Standards:

In this stage, the actual performance is compared with the predetermined

standards. Such a comparison may reveal the deviation between standard
performance and actual performance and will enable the evaluator to proceed to
the fifth step in the process, i.e., the discussion of the appraisal with the
concerned employees.

6.3.5 Discuss the Appraisal with the Employee:

The fifth step in the appraisal process is to communi-cate to and discuss with
the employees the results of the appraisal. This is, in fact, one of the most
challenging tasks the manager’s face to present an accurate appraisal to the
employees and then make them accept the appraisal in a constructive manner.

A discussion on appraisal enables employees to know their strengths and

weaknesses. This has, in turn, impact on their future performance. Yes, the
impact may be positive or negative depending upon how the appraisal is
presented and discussed with the employees.

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6.3.6 Initiate Corrective Action:

The final step in the appraisal process is the initiation of corrective action when
it is necessary. The areas needing improvement are identified and then, the
measures to correct or improve the performance are identified and initiated.

The corrective action can be of two types. One is immediate and deals
predominantly with symptoms. This action is often called as “putting out fires.”
The other is basic and delves into causes of deviations and seeks to adjust the
difference permanently.

This type of action involves time to analyze deviations. Hence, managers often
opt for the immediate action, or say, “put out fires”. Training, coaching,
counseling, etc. are the common examples of corrective actions that managers
initiate to improve employee performance.

6.4 METHODS,TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS

Several methods and techniques are available for measuring the performance of
an employee. The methods and scales differ for various reasons. First, they
differ in the sources of traits or qualities to be appraised. The qualities may
differ because of the difference in job requirements, statistical requirements and
the opinion of the management. Second, they differ because of the different
kinds of workers, viz., factory workers, executives or salespeople. Third, the
variations may be caused by the degree of precision attempted in the evaluation.
Finally, they may differ because of the methods used to obtain a weight for
various traits.

The traditional methods of performance appraisal lay emphasis on the rating of

the individual's personality traits, such as initiative, dependability, drive,
responsibility, creativity, integrity, leadership potential, intelligence, judgment,
organizing ability etc. On the other hand, modern methods lay more emphasis
on the evaluation of work results “job achievements” than on personality traits.
Result-oriented appraisals tend to be more objective and worthwhile, especially
for counseling and development purposes.

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6.4.1 Methods of Performance Appraisal

Traditional Methods

 Straight ranking method: It is the oldest and simplest method of

performance appraisal by which an employee and his performance are
considered as an entity by the evaluator. The relative position of each
employee is tested in terms of his/her numerical rank. It may also be done
by ranking a person on his/her job performance against that of another
member of a competitive group by placing him/her as number one or two
or three in the total group i.e. persons are tested in order of merit and
placed in the simple grouping. But this method has its limitations. Firstly,
it is very difficult to compare a single individual with human beings
having varying behavior traits. Secondly, this method only tells us how a
person stands in relation to the others in the group but does not indicate
how much better or worse he/she is than another. Thirdly, the task of
ranking is difficult when a large number of persons are rated. Fourthly,
the ranking system does not eliminate snap judgments, nor does it provide
us with a systematic procedure for determining the relative ranks of
subordinates.
 Person-to-person Comparison Method: By this method, certain factors are
selected for the purpose of analysis (such as leadership, dependability,
and initiative) and scale is designed by the rater for each factor. A scale
of a person is also created for each selected factor. Then each person to
be rated is compared with the person in the scale, and certain scores for
each factor are awarded to him/her. This method is not of much use
because the designing of scales is a complicated task.
 Grading Method: Under this system, the rater considers features and
marks them accordingly to a scale. Certain categories of worth are first
established and carefully defined. The selected features may be analytical
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 ability, cooperativeness, dependability, self-expression, job knowledge,
judgment, leadership and organizing ability etc. The rating scale may be:

 A Outstanding;
 B Very Good;
 C Good or Average;
 D Fair;
 E Poor.

 The actual performance of an employee is then compared with these

grade definitions and he/she is allotted the grade which best describes
his/her performance. Such type of grading is usually done in the selection
of candidates by the Public Service Commissions.
 Graphic or Linear Rating Scale: This is the most commonly used method
of performance appraisal. A printed form is used for each person to be
rated. The factors to be rated are: employee characteristics and employee
contribution. In employee characteristics are included qualities such as
initiative, leadership, cooperativeness, dependability, industriousness,
attitude, enthusiasm, loyalty, creative ability, decisiveness, analytical
ability, emotional ability, and coordination. In employee contribution are
included the quantity and quality of work, the responsibility assumed,
specific goals achieved, regularity of attendance, leadership offered,
attitude towards superiors and associates, versatility etc. These traits are
then evaluated on a continuous scale wherein the rater places a mark
somewhere along a continuum.

Example:

Attitude:

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Decisiveness:

However, this method suffers from a serious disadvantage for it is arbitrary and
the rating is generally subjective. Another limitation is that it assumes that each
characteristic is equally important for all jobs.

 Forced Choice Description Method: Under this method, the rating

elements are several
sets of pair phrases or adjectives (usually sets of 4 phrases, two of which
are positive, two
negative) relating to job proficiency or personal qualifications. The
evaluator is asked to
indicate which of the four phrases is the most and least descriptive of the
employee.

The following statements are illustrative of the type of statements that are used:

 a) Organizes work well.

 b) Lacks the ability to make people feel at ease.
 c) Makes little effort.
 d) Has a cool, even temperament.
 e) Is dishonest and disloyal.
 f) Is over-bearing and disinterested in work.
 g) Is a hard worker and cooperative.

Two of the above phrases are favourable terms while two are unfavourable. The
others are further examples. The favorable terms earn a credit, while
unfavorable terms get no credit. The employee also gets plus credit if one of the
negative phrases is checked as being the least characteristic.

However, the results of evaluation do not prove useful for counseling and
training purposes because the evaluator is ignorant of how he/she is evaluating
the individual.

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  Forced Distribution Method: This method requires the rater to appraise an
employee according to a pre-determined distribution scale. It is assumed
that it is possible and desirable to rate only two factors, viz., job
performance and chances for promotion. For this purpose, a 5-point
performance scale is used without any descriptive statement. Employees
are placed between the two extremes of 'good' and 'bad' job performances.

For example:

Top 10% Outstanding

Next 20% Above Average
Next 40% Average/Good
Next 20% Fair
Next 10% Below Average/Poor

In addition to job performance, employees are rated for chances of promotion.

A 3-point scale is often used for this purpose:

 a) Very likely promotional material.

 b) May or may not be promotional material.
 c) Very unlikely to be promotional material.

Though this method is very simple to understand and very easy to apply in an
organization, its use in wage administration leads to low morale and low
productivity.

 Check List: Under this method, the evaluator does not evaluate employee
performance. He/she supplies reports about it and the final rating is done
by the HR department. A series of questions are presented concerning an
employee's behaviour. The rater then checks to indicate if the answer to a
question about an employee is positive or negative. The value of each
question may be weighted equally or certain questions may be weighted
more heavily than others. An example of checklist is given below:

1. Is the employee really interested in his/her job? Yes/No

2. Is he/she regular in the job? Yes/No
3. Is he/she respected by his/her subordinates? Yes/No
4. Does he/she show uniform behaviour to all? Yes/No
5. Does he/she keep his temper? Yes/No
6. Is he/she always willing to help other employees? Yes/No
7. Does he/she follow instruction properly?
8. Is the equipment maintained in order?
9. Does he/she ever make mistakes?

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 This method suffers from bias on the part of the evaluator because rating can be
influenced by his own concern for good or bad. Secondly, a separate checklist
must be developed for different classes of jobs. This process can be expensive
and time-consuming. Thirdly, it is difficult to assemble, analyze and weigh a
number of statements about an employee's characteristics and contributions.

 Free Essay Method: Under this method, the supervisor makes a free form,
open-ended appraisal of an employee in his/her own words and puts
down his/her impressions about the employee. He/she usually takes notes
of factors such as:
 a) Job knowledge and potential;
 b) Employee characteristics and attitude;
 c) Production, quality and cost control;
 d) Relation with other colleagues;
 e) Understanding and application of company policies and procedures;
 f) Development needs for the future.

These applications will give specific information about the employee and can
reveal even more about the supervisor. But this method is extremely time-
consuming, particularly in larger organizations.

 Critical Incident Method: This method attempts to measure employee

performance in terms of certain 'events' that occur in the performance of
the employee's job. These events are known as 'critical incidents.' The
basis of this method is the principle that "there are certain significant acts
in each employee's behaviour and performance which make all the
difference between success and failure on the job."

The supervisor keeps a written record of the events (either good or bad) that can
easily be recalled and used in the course of a periodical appraisal. For example,
a Materials Manager may look for the following critical incidents in a
purchasing agent's performance:

1. He treated the salesman in a discourteous fashion.

2. He helped a buyer to prepare an unusually difficult purchase order.
3. He persuaded a local vendor to stock a particularly important material
needed by the company.
4. He rejected a bid that was excessively over-priced.
5. He failed to return an important phone call.

While this method provides an objective basis for conducting a discussion of an

individual's performance, it has limitations. Firstly, negative incidents are
generally more noticeable than positive ones. Secondly, the recording of
incidents is a chore to the supervisor and may be put off and easily forgotten.
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Thirdly, managers may unload a series of complaints about incidents during an
annual performance review session, while they may not be aware of the 'good'
incidents.

 Group Appraisal Method: Employees are rated by an Appraisal Group

consisting of their supervisor and 3 or 4 other supervisors who have some
knowledge of their performance.
The supervisor explains to the group the nature of his subordinates'
duties. The group then discusses the standards of performance for that
job, the actual performance of the jobholder and the causes of their
particular level of performance, and offers suggestions for future
improvements, if any. The advantage of this method is that it is thorough,
very simple and is devoid of any bias, for it involves multiple judges. But
it is very time-consuming.
 Field Review Method: A staff member from the HR department
interviews line supervisors to evaluate their respective subordinates. The
questions are asked verbally and answered. The supervisor is required to
give his opinion about the progress of his subordinates, the level of
performance of each subordinate, his weaknesses, strong points, chances
for promotion and the possible plans of action in a case requiring further
consideration. The appraiser takes detailed notes of the answers, which
are then approved by the supervisor, and files the information in the
employee's personnel folder. The overall ratings are obtained by largely
using a three-way categorization, viz., Outstanding, Satisfactory, and
Unsatisfactory. This is useful for large organizations.

Modern Methods of Appraisal

Most traditional methods emphasize either on the task or the employee's

personality while making an appraisal. In order to bring about a balance
between these two, modern methods have been developed.

Of such methods, the prominent one is Appraisal by Results or Management by

Objective (MBO). This method has been evolved by Peter Drucker. It seeks to
minimize external controls and maximize internal motivation through joint goal
setting between the manager and the subordinate and increasing the
subordinate's own control of his work. It strongly reinforces the importance of
allowing the subordinate to participate in the decisions that affect him directly.

 Objectives of MBO: The objective is to change the behavior and

attitudes towards getting the job done. In other words, it is result-
oriented. It is a performance that counts. It is a management system and 1.
philosophy that stresses goals rather than methods. It provides

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 responsibility and accountability and recognizes that employees have a
need for achievement
and self-fulfillment. It meets these needs by providing opportunities for
participation in the goal-setting process.

 Benefits of MBO programme: It has the following benefits:
o It increases employee motivation.
o Since MBO aims at providing clear targets and their order or
priority, it reduces role conflict and ambiguity.
o It provides more objective appraisal criteria.
o It identifies problems better and early. Frequent performance
review sessions make this possible.
o It identifies performance deficiencies and enables the
management and employees to set individualized self-
improvement goals and thus proves effective in training and
development of people.
o It helps the individual manager to develop personal leadership,
especially the skills of listening, planning, counseling,
motivating and evaluating.

 Drawbacks of MBO: It has the following drawbacks:

o It takes a great deal of time, energy and form-completing on the
part of the managers.
o Executives find it hard to think about the result of work rather
than the work itself. They tend to overemphasize goals that are
easy to quantify, sometimes forgetting that workers behave
almost like children at play. When the game is no longer
challenging, interest is soon lost.
o In many areas such as subordinate development, appraising
performance can be problematic.
o There is sometimes a "tug of war" in which the subordinates try
to set the lowest targets possible and the manager/supervisor the
higher.
o However, MBO can be an effective technique for performance
appraisal and for motivating subordinates by developing
effective communication at all levels.

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 Chapter 7

REMUNERATION
Remuneration is payment or compensation received for services or
employment. This includes base salary and any bonuses or other economic
benefits that an employee or executive receives during employment.

Remuneration is any type of compensation or payment that an individual or

employee receives as payment for their services or the work that they do for an
organization or company. It includes whatever base salary an employee
receives, along with other forms of payment that accrue during the course of
their work, which includes expense account funds, bonuses, and stock options.

7.0 The Amounts and Types of Remuneration

The amount of remuneration an individual receives – and what form it takes –

depends on several factors. First, it’s important to note that remuneration values
and types will differ depending on an employee’s value to the company. Taking
into consideration things like the individual’s employment status (full time vs.
part time) and whether they are in an executive-level position or are an entry-
level member of a company make a significant difference in calculating the
final amount.

Also, remuneration can vary depending on how an individual is typically paid,

meaning, whether they are a salaried worker if they get paid based on
commission, and if they regularly receive tips as a part of the work they do.

It’s also important to note that a lot of companies may try to attract or hire
desirable employees off of another company by offering them better
remuneration, meaning, higher pay, more benefits, and better perks. This
business tactic is known as a “golden hello.”

Minimum Wage

Minimum wage is one type of remuneration. It is the lowest amount that can
legally be offered for a specific position or to do a certain job. It is maintained
by the federal government, and, while minimum wage can vary from state to
state or region to region, the lowest amount offered can’t fall below the
minimum wage set by the federal government. Historically, the minimum wage
tends to rise with inflation, though this isn’t always the case.

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Deferred Compensation

Another type of remuneration is known as deferred compensation. It means that

an employee has part of their earnings withheld in order to receive them at a
future date. The best example of this is a retirement fund. When an employee
signs up for a retirement fund, a portion of their pay is taken and stored in order
to allow them to have funds to rely on once they retire.

Bonuses and Incentives as Remuneration

Employees might be paid bonuses at various times and for various reasons.
Some bonuses are performance-related while others are given to all employees
in the company or to a workgroup at the end of a big project or a particularly
good year. Holiday bonuses are also common.

Incentives are motivational. They're rewards, a "thank you" for work well done
or above and beyond the call of duty. Incentives are often bonuses, but this type
of compensation can also include raises in either salaries or hourly rate,
recognition awards, and service awards.

Incentive programs are a common method used to motivate salespeople and

they can include non-cash gifts such as trips or wellness programs. Many
companies offer both cash and non-cash incentives to executives, including
stock options.

7.1 REMUNERATION POLICY

The Remuneration Policy provides a clear direction and policy regarding the
Company’s remuneration structure and practices consistent with the principles
in the UNITS Regulations and CRD IV. While the general provisions apply to
all employees, some elements of the policy are applicable only to certain
identified staff.

The Board of Directors recognise the importance of the role played by sound
risk management in protecting its stakeholders. Moreover, the Board
acknowledges that inappropriate remuneration structures could, in certain
circumstances; result in situations whereby individuals assume more risk than
necessary.

The Policy takes into account the nature, scale and complexity of its business;
the type of Client, the type of investments, the investment strategies, the
investment location, the distribution model and investor base. Due consideration

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is also given to the resources available within the Company and the resources
and expertise of the various third parties engaged to support the company and
carry out certain functions in its behalf.

Although there is no Remuneration Committee in place, it is important to note

that the ultimate responsibility for the oversight of compliance with this
Remuneration Policy ultimately rests with Board of Directors.

The key areas of the Policy seek to identify individuals whose professional
activities have a material impact on the risk profiles of the Company and the
clients it manages including:

i) Board of Directors of the Company;

ii) ii) Senior Management and
iii) iii) Portfolio Managers.

Other staff that is considered risk takers whereby all staff members whose
professional activities either individually or collectively can exert material
influence on the risk profiles of the Company or of a UNITS it manages. The
Board approves the list of identified staff annually and individuals are notified
of their identification and the implications of this status. It then takes into
account the link between pay and performance for these individuals, which is
based on a number of factors including but not limited to, the performance of
the client, the overall results of the Company and the employee’s commitment
to the team.

The Policy also includes a detailed description of the types of remuneration,

namely fixed and variable remuneration. Whereas the fixed remuneration is
fairly straightforward, the Policy goes into detail on the variable remuneration,
dedicating a section to the structure of the annual bonuses available to certain
staff.

Due to the proportionality principal the Company does not adopt any deferral,
equity measure. Guaranteed variable remuneration is granted only in
exceptional cases to attract highly specialised individuals. In accordance with
regulatory requirements such pay will be granted only in the case of hiring new
staff and for a maximum period of one year.

Remuneration Pay
What It does Key measures
type element
Provides Experience, seniority, education,
Base
Fixed competitive fixed job complexity, duties and scope
Salary
pay of responsibility.

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 Internal and external market
factors
Based on annual financial results,
Provides a
individual conduct and
competitive
performance as well as the
annual cash
Annual company’s and the Client’s
incentive
Variable Cash progress against long term
opportunity to
Bonus strategy, strengthen long term
motivate and
customer relations and generate
reward high
income and shareholder value to
performers
the Clients of the Company

7.2 SYSTEMS OF REMUNERATION

The remuneration system is one of many elements that directly affect the
success of the company. Unfortunately, there is no universal efficient system
applicable to all the specifics of various types of businesses and individuals.
But there are principles which distinguish the better remuneration systems:

7.2.1 Five Principles of Remuneration System

1. Top performance clear definition.

Whatever remuneration system is applied if disclosed to the staff there will be

colleagues angry because of their low salaries. Other colleagues with higher
salaries will also be unhappy because their salaries are not higher enough over
newcomers’ salaries... The objective prerequisite for such behavior is the lack of
a clear picture of what a top performance is. It is the managers’ responsibility to
disclose the criteria for top performance in such a way that each team member
to have a clear idea of what an outstanding performance is.

2. Remuneration should be directly linked to present objectives.

The most common mistake is giving priority to long-term objectives while

setting remuneration based on current earnings.

3. If an employee may get fired for poor performance, she/he must have the
opportunity to get "rich" for top performance.

Colleagues who have excellent performance that exceeds top performance

standards must receive decent salaries.
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4. Extra remunerations.

The remuneration system must allow extra payments for merits. Some of the
most neglected merits are the merits of training newcomers. If you have in your
department employees who teach and train well, you must reward them as they
actually build the company spirit. It is that men’s will - to give more of them
than their duties require - that distinguishes the great companies from the
ordinary ones.

5. Acknowledgment.

Use every bonus or salary increase to personally recognize the contribution of

your top performers. Money cannot buy you loyalty! Loyalty is won by highly
principled and fair treatment.

Employers of choice provide a comprehensive employee benefits package to

attract and retain employees. In addition to a competitive salary, an employee
benefits package is a standard – and expected - part of an employee total
compensation package.

Smaller employers tend to offer fewer components in the employee benefits

package – and sometimes, no benefits at all. But, the majority of large
companies and virtually all public sector government employers provide an
extensive employee benefits package.

Small businesses that are growing and expanding need to plan a careful phase-in
of employee benefits so that as you grow, you continue to attract and retain the
talentyou need for further growth and expansion. Employers can expand this
employee benefits package, as resources allow.

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7.3 STANDARD EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

What are employee benefits? What benefits and perks can you expect to receive
when you're hired by a company? An employee benefits package includes all
the non-wage benefits, like insurance and paid time off, provided by an
employer. There are some standard of employee benefits that are mandated by
law, including minimum wage, overtime, leave under the Family Medical Leave
Act, unemployment, and workers compensation and disability.

There are other standard of employee benefits that companies are not required
to offer, but choose to provide to their employees. There are some benefits and
perks you may be able to negotiate as part of your compensation package when
you've been offered a new job.

1. Employee Benefits

Employee benefits are non-salary compensation that can vary from company to
company. Benefits are indirect and non-cash payments within a compensation
package. They are provided by organizations in addition to salary to create a
competitive package for the potential employee.

2. Mandated Employee Benefits

The following are the compensation and benefits that employers are required by
federal or state law to provide.

 COBRA
 Disability
 Family and Medical Leave Act
 Minimum Wage
 Overtime
 Unemployment Benefits
 Workers Compensation

7.3.1 Types of Employer-Provided Benefits and Perks

In addition to benefits required by law, other benefits are provided by

companies because they feel socially responsible to their employees and opt to
offer them more than is required by law.

Depending on the company, these benefits may include health insurance

(required to be offered by larger companies), dental insurance, vision care, life
insurance, paid vacation leave, personal leave, sick leave, child care, fitness, a
retirement plan, and other optional benefits offered to employees and their

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families.

These standards of employee benefits that are offered are at the discretion of the
employer or are covered under a labor agreement, so they will vary from
company to company. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average
number of annual paid holidays is 10. The average amount of vacation days are
9.4 after a year of service.

Almost half the (medium and large) employers surveyed offered either a
defined benefit or a defined contribution pension plan. About 75%
offered health insurance, but almost all required some employee contribution
towards the cost. It's not hard to look at the averages and see how your
employer or your job offer measures up.

In addition, there is an increasing use of bonuses, perks, and incentives by

employers to recruit and retain employees. Look at the companies rated the best
places to work and you'll discover many offer health club memberships, flexible
schedules, daycare, tuition reimbursement, and even on-site dry cleaning.

1. Employer-Provided Health Insurance Requirements

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), minimum
standards are set for health insurance companies regarding services and
coverage. Most employers with 50 or more employees are required to offer
health care plans, and individuals are required to have coverage. Health care
exchanges have been set up for employees who aren't covered by employers or
who elect to seek coverage outside their employer plans.

2. Health Insurance Options

Most employers present staff with group medical insurance plans to assist
workers with health care costs. Employers often provide a menu of options for
health care plans including Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and
Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs).

Deductibles (how much workers must pay before insurance kicks in) co-pays
required for specific services and premiums for plans vary. HMOs tend to have
lower premiums than PPOs, but more restrictions in terms of the physicians and
providers who can be accessed.

Plans will differ regarding the maximum out-of-pocket expenses that an

employee would need to shoulder during a plan year.

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Health Insurance Coverage

Most plans provide coverage for visits to primary care physicians and
specialists, hospitalization, and emergency care. Alternative medical care,
wellness, prescription, vision, and dental care coverage will vary by the plan
and employer.

Employers are required to provide health care to employees who work at least
30 hours per week. Some part-time workers are covered by employer plans, but
many are not covered.

Some employers provide an incentive for employees to opt out of their plan.

Dental Care Plan Coverage

Companies with dental care benefits offer insurance that helps pay a portion of
the cost for dental treatment and care. Depending on the company’s policy for
dental care benefits, dental coverage includes a range of treatments and
procedures. Most insurance plans cover the basic procedures such as routine
teeth cleaning every six months.

Dental care plans can vary from company to company, but they typically
include three categories: Preventive, Basic, and Major services, which vary
from semi-annual cleanings to oral surgeries. Preventative dental benefits
include exams, x-rays, sealants, fluoride treatments, and children’s basic care.

Basic services would also include fillings, emergency pain relief, root canals,
and dental crowns. Finally, Major services can include bridgework, wisdom
teeth removal, dentures, and other complex procedures. Some plans cover all
practices, like orthodontic work in addition to basic dental care.

The actual benefits of dental care plans are calculated in several ways. Some
companies base their coverage on usual, customary, and reasonable (UCR) fees,
while others consider the inclusions on account of a fixed fee schedule or table
of allowances. Knowing the benefits and exclusions of your Dental Plan can
allow you to evade unexpected fees and co-pays. If you have to pay for dental
coverage through your employer, here's how to determine whether it's worth the
expense.

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7.3.2 More Company-Provided Employee Benefits

These standards of employee benefits that are offered are at the discretion of the
employer or are covered under a labor agreement, so they will vary from
company to company.

 Hazard Pay
 Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave
 Paid Holidays
 Pay Raise
 Severance Pay
 Vacation Leave
 Work Breaks and Meal Breaks

Fringe Benefits and Perks

Other benefits can vary between industries and businesses and are sometimes
referred to as “fringe” benefits. These perks, also known as “benefits in kind”
can include bonuses, profit sharing, medical, disability, and life insurance, paid
vacations, free meals, use of a company car, pensions, stock options, childcare,
gratuity, company holidays, personal days, sick leave, other time off from work,
retirement and pension plan contributions, tuition assistance or reimbursement
for employees and/or their families, discounts on company products and
services, housing, and other benefits and perks that are provided by companies
in addition to the employee's salary.

While these benefits are meaningful and do hold monetary value, the
employee’s salary remains the same, and the employee cannot “cash in” or trade
the offers for a higher salary. Fringe benefits are not required by law and vary
from employer to employer.

Review Your Employee Benefits Package

Whether you are job searching, deciding on a job offer, or happily employed,
it's important to review what benefit coverage is provided by the company and
to decide whether the employee benefits package is one that fully meets your
needs. It's also important to take full advantage of what the company provides to
employees.

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 Chapter 8

PERSONNEL RECORDS AND STATISTICS

Every organization employs staff and creates personnel records. Staffs are
among an organization’s most important, and usually most expensive, assets.
Like any other asset, staffs are a resource that must be deployed to maximum
advantage. The proper management of personnel records can make a significant
contribution to this objective by ensuring that information is available to take
decisions and to protect the rights both of the state and individuals. Moreover,
because personnel systems are closely linked to payroll systems, improved
personnel records will have a positive impact upon payroll management and
thus upon the overall budget of the organization. A personnel records system
should run effectively whether it is in a purely paper-based environment or in
the emerging electronic environment.

Managing Personnel Records aims to help the records manager understand the
role that records play in the whole range of issues involved with personnel
management.
Its goal is to assist both records managers and non-records staff, including line
managers and personnel staff, to manage personnel records in support of public
accountability and good governance. The module will enable them to advise
policymakers and personnel managers about the importance of effective
personnel record management.

8.1 NEED FOR PERSONNEL RECORDS

Personnel Files of Employee Records

A personnel file is maintained for each employee. These personnel files contain
confidential documents and are managed and maintained by Human Resources
staff. Personnel files are the main employee records utilized by the employer,
the employee, and the employee's manager, in some companies.

In others — and this is the recommended approach — access to the employee

personnel file is restricted to HR and the employee under supervision.

Typical documents in a personnel file include the employment application, a

family emergency contact form, documented disciplinary action history, a
resume, the employee handbook receipt employee sign off, at-will employer
sign off sheets, the periodic appraisal, job evaluation, or performance
development plan, training certificates and attendance evidence, and current

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personal contact information about each employee.

Not all personnel files contain the same documents but each personnel file has
some documents that are the same. Documentation of an employee's
performance doesn't belong in the personnel file unless it warranted disciplinary
action, an award, or some other sign of outstanding achievement. Such everyday
performance notes belong in the file that managers keep tracking the
performance, goals, and contributions of their employees.

Payroll Files of Employee Records

Payroll files also maintain employee records. Payroll files contain a history of
the employee's jobs, departments, compensation changes, garnishments, loans,
and other information essential to paying an employee and keeping a copy of
the employee's compensation history.

The payroll file will also contain the history of government forms such as the
W-2, W-4, and social security withholding documents filled out by the
employee. The file will also contain employee benefits information and
permission to withdraw payments from the employee paycheck.

Medical Files of Employee Records

An employee medical file is also maintained by the employer. The employee

records in the medical file are not available to anyone except Human Resources
designated staff and the employee whose records are retained in the file.
Medical files contain doctor's notes, FMLA application paperwork, drug test
information, required physical information, and other such documentation that
relates to an employee's or his family member's medical health.

Medical files, because of the confidentiality of the employee records, receive

the highest degree of safe storage and confidentiality. It is recommended that
the medical files should be kept in locked file drawers that are locked in a room
that is not accessible to employees other than HR designated staff.

I-9 Files of Employee Records

I-9 Files house employee records that are maintained for all employees in one
file that is separate from other employee records. Employers keep this employee
record separate from other employee records to maintain employee
confidentiality from government officials and other entities who are authorized
to review employee I-9s.

Keeping the I-9s in a separate location will ensure that if you are selected for a

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Federal I-9 file review, government employees will not have access to any other
records about the employee or her employment with your organization with the
exception of the actual I-9 form. These investigations are increasing each year
so make certain that your employees have properly filled out I-9 forms or you
can be subject to fines and potentially jail time.

Access to Employee Records by Employees

Employees may view their employee records by contacting a Human Resources

staff person during normal business hours. No employee may alter or remove
any document in his or her records which must be viewed in the presence of an
HR staff person.

You need to have an employee personnel record viewing policy in your

employee handbook and follow it indiscriminately with regard to employee
requests to view their files.

If an employee sends a written request for a copy of their personnel records

after they leave your employment, you are required to send them a copy.

Occasionally, you will encounter an employee who is suspicious about what

kind of employee records are retained by their Human Resources department.
These are the employees who are most likely to request a copy of their
employee files. Again, without discrimination, make a copy of the file and send
it. (You will likely receive feedback that the employee was surprised by how
little documentation the HR staff retained.)

In some jurisdictions, it is lawful to charge the employee for the cost of

duplicating and sending the file.

8.2 INFORMATION IN PERSONNEL RECORDS

An employee's "current" personnel records will contain most or all of the

following particulars:

 Personnel number or code: This is allotted to the employee at the time of

appointment and usually remains unchanged during the entire period of
the employee's stay with the organization. This number must be 'unique'
so that its use will positively and accurately identify the employee
concerned, and enable his/her records to be located immediately.
 Full name: An employee's full name (first name, middle name, and
surname) should be recorded. The employee's gender and marital status
are also usually recorded.
 Full address: This contains employee's residential address, address for

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 communication (in case it is a Post Box Number), telephone/mobile
number, email address etc. Provision must be made for future changes in
any of these details.
 Date of birth: Recording date of birth helps in calculating an employee's
age at any given point in time.
 Date of appointment: This contains date of appointment, dates of trial or
probationary period, and date of confirmation.
 Education and training: This must contain the employee's educational
background, training taken in the organization or workshops attended,
etc.
 Job or position: The job or position of the employee at the time of
appointment must be recorded. Provision should be made for future
changes e.g. change in nature of job, promotion, transfer etc.
 Pay scale: The pay scale (grade and rating) at the time of appointment is
to be recorded. Every change in pay scale is recorded up to the current
time. Current overtime rate or other special rate (where applicable) is to
be mentioned. There needs to be provision for recording changes in
future.
 Current entitlements: These include details of any special benefits and
allowances to which the employee is entitled, number of holidays availed
and due, etc.
 Contribution or deduction numbers: In many counties employers are
required by law to make deductions from the salaries of employees for
income tax, national or social security, contributions to pension or
provident fund etc, and forward the payments so deducted to the relevant
government departments. Employees are allotted, by the government
departments, numbers or codes for each type of statutory deduction.
These must be
recorded here.
 Medical history: Complete medical records of the employee are kept in
his/her personnel folder. These include pre-engagement medical
examination, records of all other illnesses, sickness leave availed, etc.

8.3 FORMATS OF PERSONNEL RECORDS

Personnel Records are records pertaining to employees of an organization.

These records are accumulated, factual and comprehensive information related
to concern records and detained. All information with effect to human resources
in the organization is kept in a systematic order. Such records are helpful to a
manager in various decisions -making areas.

Personnel records are maintained for formulating and reviewing personnel

policies and procedures. Complete details about all employees are maintained in

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personnel records, such as, name, date of birth, marital status, academic
qualifications, professional qualifications, previous employment details, etc.

8.3.1 Types of Personnel Records

1. Records of employment contain applicants past records, list sources,

employee’s progress, medical reports, etc.
2. Wages and salaries records contain pay roll records, methods of wages
and salaries, leave records, turnover records and other benefit records.
3. Training and development contains appraisal reports, transfer cases,
training schedule, training methods.
4. Health and safety records include sickness reports, safety provisions,
medical history, insurance reports, etc.
5. Service Records are the essential records containing bio-data, residential
and family information, academic qualifications, marital status, past
address and employment records.

8.3.2 Purposes of Personnel Records

According to the critics of personnel records, this system is called as wastage of

time and money. According to personnel records, followers of this: Dale Yoder,
an economist of Michigan University, USA has justified the significance of
personnel records after making an in-depth study.

1. It helps to supply crucial information to managers regarding the

employees.
2. To keep an update record of leaves, lockouts, transfers, turnover, etc. of
the employees.
3. It helps the managers in framing various training and development
programmes on the basis of present scenario.
4. It helps the government organizations to gather data in respect to rate of
turnover, rate of absenteeism and other personnel matters.
5. It helps the managers to make salary revisions, allowances and other
benefits related to salaries.
6. It also helps the researchers to carry in- depth study with respect to
industrial relations and goodwill of the firm in the market.

Therefore, personnel records are really vital for an organization and are not a
wasteful exercise.

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8.3.3 Need for Personnel Records

The HR department of an organization is responsible for maintaining and

updating the records of each and every employee of the organization. An
employee's full and up to date records need to be immediately available when
required.

The personnel records of an employee constitute a 'personal history' since the

date of his/her employment in the organization, right up to the time at which the
record is being perused. It also contains details of previous employers, previous
experience, education, and training background etc.

8.3.4 How long should I keep personnel records?

This depends on the state you're based in and the contents of your employee
files. Federal employment laws specify how long you should keep personnel file
folders but the timeline is usually from one to four years, depending on the
document. It's important to adhere to these timeframes to avoid fines.

8.4 REPORTS

Report is a self-explanatory statement of facts relating to a specific subject and

serves the purpose of providing information for decision making and follow up
actions. It is a systematic presentation of ascertained facts about a specific event
/ subject. Report is a summary of findings and recommendations about a
particular matter / problem. Report is for the guidance of higher authorities
including company executives and directors. Reports facilitate timely decisions
and follow up measures.

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8.4.1 What are Features or Characteristics of Report?

1. Complete and Compact Document: Report is a complete and compact

written document giving updated information about a specific problem.
2. Systematic Presentation of Facts: Report is a systematic presentation of
facts, figures, conclusions and recommendations. Report writers closely
study the problem under investigation and prepare a report after analyzing
all relevant information regarding the problem. Report is supported by
facts and evidence. There is no scope for imagination in a report which is
basically a factual document.
3. Prepared in Writing: Reports are usually in writing. Writing reports are
useful for reference purpose. It serves as complete, compact and self-
explanatory document over a long period. Oral reporting is possible in the
case of secret and confidential matters.
4. Provides Information and Guidance: Report is a valuable document
which gives information and guidance to the management while framing
future policies. It facilitates planning and decision making. Reports are
also useful for solving problems faced by a business enterprise.
5. Self-explanatory Document: Report is a comprehensive document and
covers all aspects of the subject matter of study. It is a self-explanatory
and complete document by itself.
6. Acts as a Tool of Internal Communication: Report is an effective tool of
communication between top executives and subordinate staff working in
an organization. It provides feedback to employees and to executives for
decision making. Reports are generally submitted to higher authorities. It
is an example of upward communication. Similarly, reports are also sent
by company executives to the lower levels of management. This is treated
as downward communication. In addition, reports are also sent to
shareholders and others connected with the company. It may be pointed
out that report writing / preparation acts as a backbone of any system of
communication.
7. Acts as Permanent Record: A report serves as a permanent record relating
to certain business matter. It is useful for future reference and guidance.
8. Time Consuming and Costly Activity : Report writing is a time
consuming, lengthy and costly activity as it involves collection of facts,
drawing conclusion and making recommendations

8.5 LEARNING ORGANIZATION

The term "learning organization”, not to be confused with organizational

learning, was popularized by Peter Senge. It describes an organization with an
ideal learning environment, perfectly in tune with the organization's goals. Such
an organization is a place "where people continually expand their capacity to

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create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of
thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people
are continually learning to see the whole (reality) together." (Senge 1992).

This subsection will focus largely on the work of Peter Senge, and it will serve
as a basis for understanding:

 The ideal organizational environment for learning, knowledge

management (KM), innovation, etc, as described through the term "the
learning organization".
 The leadership qualities necessary for promoting and encouraging this
ideal environment.

The Learning Organization

In business management, a learning organization is a company that facilitates

the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. The concept was
coined through the work and research of Peter Senge and his colleagues.

According to Senge, the learning organization depends upon the mastery of five
dimensions:

i. Systems thinking: The notion of treating the organization as a

complex system composed of smaller (often complex) systems.
This requires an understanding of the whole, as well as the
components, not unlike the way a doctor should understand the
human body.Some of the key elements here are recognizing the
complexity of the organization and having a long-term focus.
Senge advocates the use of system maps that show how systems
connect.
ii. Personal mastery:Senge describes this as a process where an
individual strives to enhance his vision and focus his energy,
and to be in a constant state of learning.
iii. Mental models: "Deeply ingrained assumptions,
generalizations, or even pictures and images that influence how
we understand the world and how we take action" (Senge
1990). These must be recognized and challenged so as to allow
for new ideas and changes.
iv. Building shared vision: Shared vision is a powerful motivator.
A leader's vision does not necessarily become shared by those
below him. The key here is to pass on a picture of the future. To
influence using dialogue, commitment, and enthusiasm, rather
than to try to dictate. Storytelling is one possible tool that can be
used here.
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 v. Team learning: The state where team members think together to
achieve common goals. It builds on shared vision, adding the
element of collaboration.

8.5.1 The Role of Leadership

Senge emphasized the role of the leader in the creation of this learning
organization. He defined three leadership roles (1990) that would reshape the
old-fashioned approach to being the boss. These are:

Leader as Designer:Senge likens this to being the designer of a ship rather than
its captain. He defined it in three ways:

 Creating a common vision with shared values and purpose.

 Determining the "policies, strategies, and structures that translate guiding
ideas into business decisions."
 Creating effective learning processes which will allow for continuous
improvement of the policies, strategies, and structures.

Leader as Teacher: The leader here is seen as a coach that works with the
mental models present in the organization. He must understand the (usually
tacit) concepts of reality and restructure these views "to see beyond the
superficial conditions and events [and] into the underlying causes of the
problems."

Leader as Steward: This is the vaguest of the three and refers largely to the
attitude of the leader. He emphasizes the importance of a leader that feels he is
part of something greater; whose desire is first and foremost not to lead, but to
serve this greater purpose of building better organizations and reshaping the
way businesses operate.

The first two roles outlined by Senge shed a lot of light into the requirements of
effective KM and organizational learning.

8.5.2 How to Achieve the Principles of a Learning Organization

The first step is to create a timeline to initiate the types of changes necessary to
achieve the principles of a learning organization.

Timeline: In Order of Appearance

 Stage One is to create a communications system to facilitate the exchange

of information, the basis on which any learning organization is built
(Gephart 1996,40). The use of technology has and will continue to alter

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 the workplace by enabling information to flow freely, and to "provide
universal access to business and strategic information" (Gephart
1996,41). It is also important in clarifying the more complex concepts
into more precise language that is understandable across departments
(Kaplan 1996,24).

 Stage Two is to organize a readiness questionnaire, a tool that assesses

the distance between where an organization is and where it would like to
be, in terms of the following seven dimensions. "Providing continuous
learning, providing strategic leadership, promoting inquiry and dialogue,
encouraging collaboration and team learning, creating embedded
structures for capturing and sharing learning, empowering people toward
a shared vision, and making systems connections" (Gephart 1996,43).
The questionnaire is administered to all employees or a sample of them,
and is used to develop an assessment profile to design the learning
organization initiative (Gephart 1996,43).

 Stage Three is to commit to developing, maintaining, and facilitating an

atmosphere that garners learning.

 Stage Four is to create a vision of the organization and write a mission

statement with the help of all employees (Gephart 1996,44).
 Stage Five is to use training and awareness programs to develop skills
and understanding attitudes that are needed to reach the goals of the
mission statement, including the ability to work well with others, become
more verbal, and network with people across all departments within the
organization (Navran 1993).

 Stage Six is to "communicate a change in the company's culture by

integrating human and technical systems" (Gephart 1996,44).

 Stage Seven is to initiate the new practices by emphasizing team learning

and contributions. As a result, employees will become more interested in
self-regulation and management, and be more prepared to meet the
challenges of an ever-changing workplace (Gephart 1996,44).
 Stage Eight is to allow employees to question key business practices and
assumptions.

 Stage Nine is to develop workable expectations for future actions (Navran

1993).

 Stage Ten is to remember that becoming a learning organization is a long

process and that small setbacks should be expected. It is the journey that

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is the most important thing because it brings everyone together to work as
one large team. In addition, it has inherent financial benefits by turning
the workplace into a well-run and interesting place to work; a place which
truly values its employees.

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 Chapter 9

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Industrial relations has become one of the most delicate and complex problems
of modern industrial society. Industrial progress is impossible without
cooperation of labors and harmonious relationships. Therefore, it is in the
interest of all to create and maintain good relations between employees (labor)
and employers (management).

9.0 Definition of Industrial Relations

Industrial relation is defined as relation of Individual or group of employee and

employer for engaging themselves in a way to maximize the productive
activities. In the words of Lester, “Industrial relations involve attempts at
arriving at solutions between the conflicting objectives and values; between the
profit motive and social gain; between discipline and freedom, between
authority and industrial democracy; between bargaining and co-operation; and
between conflicting interests of the individual, the group and the community.

9.0.1 Concept of Industrial Relations

The term ‘Industrial Relations’ comprises of two terms: ‘Industry’ and

‘Relations’. “Industry” refers to “any productive activity in which an individual
(or a group of individuals) is (are) engaged”. By “relations” we mean “the
relationships that exist within the industry between the employer and his
workmen.” The term industrial relations explain the relationship between
employees and management which stems directly or indirectly from union-
employer relationship.

Industrial relations are the relationships between employees and employers

within the organizational settings. The field of industrial relations looks at the
relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers
represented by a union. Industrial relations are basically the interactions
between employers, employees and the government, and the institutions and
associations through which such interactions are mediated.

The term industrial relations have a broad as well as narrow outlook. Originally,
industrial relations were broadly defined to include the relationships and
interactions between employers and employees. From this perspective,
industrial relations cover all aspects of the employment relationship, including
human resource management, employee relations, and union-management (or
labor) relations. Now its meaning has become more specific and restricted.
Accordingly, industrial relations pertains to the study and practice of collective
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bargaining, trade unionism, and labor-management relations, while human
resource management is a separate, largely distinct field that deals with
nonunion employment relationships and the personnel practices and policies of
employers.

The relationships which arise at and out of the workplace generally include the
relationships between individual workers, the relationships between workers
and their employer and the relationships between employees. The relationships
employers and workers have with the organizations are formed to promote their
respective interests, and the relations between those organizations, at all levels.
Industrial relations also includes the processes through which these
relationships are expressed (such as, collective bargaining, workers’
participation in decision-making, and grievance and dispute settlement), and the
management of conflict between employers, workers and trade unions, when it
arises.

9.0.2 Need for Industrial Relation

Need of Industrial Relation has arisen to defend the interest of workers for
adjusting the reasonable salary or wages. It also helps the workers to seek
perfect working condition for producing maximum output. Workers/employees
are concerned with social security measures through this. Industrial Relations is
also needed for achieving the democracy by allowing worker to take part in
management, which helps to protect human rights of individual.Salaries in India
are much more attractive in Indian subcontinent. As India is having flourishing
economy, the job opportunities are emerging and there is huge scope of
expansion. The salary pattern of India is also growing. Even, the seventh pay
commission is also spreading the way to coming soon. The Salaries of private
sector is also in the upswing mode with the increase of 11% annually. Although,
Inflation is one of the major factor which nullify the increase in the salary. But
still, the inflation is lower than the increase in the salary. So, this can be seen as
increase in the salary.

The National Commission on Labor (NCL)also emphasize on the same concept.

According to NCL, industrial relations affect not merely the interests of the two
participants- labor and management, but also the economic and social goals to
which the State addresses itself. To regulate these relations in socially desirable
channels is a function, which the State is in the best position to perform In fact;
industrial relation encompasses all such factors that influence behaviour of
people at work. A few such important factors are below:

In fact, industrial relation encompasses all such factors that influence behaviour
of people at work. A few such important factors are below:

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Characters

It aims to study the role of workers unions and employers federations officials,
shop stewards, industrial relations officers/ manager, mediator/conciliators /
arbitrator, judges of labor court, tribunal etc.

Institution

It includes government, employers, trade unions, union federations or

associations, government bodies, labor courts, tribunals and other organizations
which have direct or indirect impact on the industrial relations systems.

Methods

Methods focus on collective bargaining, workers participation in the industrial

relations schemes, discipline procedure, grievance redressal machinery, dispute
settlements machinery working of closed shops, union reorganization,
organizations of protests through methods like revisions of existing rules,
regulations, policies, procedures, hearing of labor courts, tribunals etc.

Contents

It includes matter pertaining to employment conditions like pay, hours of works,

leave with wages, health, and safety disciplinary actions, lay-off, dismissals
retirements etc., laws relating to such activities, regulations governing labor
welfare, social security, industrial relations, issues concerning with workers
participation in management, collective bargaining, etc.

9.1 INTRODUCTION TO TRADE UNIONS

A trade union is an organisation made up of members (a membership-based

organisation) and its membership must be made up mainly of workers.

One of a trade union's main aims is to protect and advance the interests of its
members in the workplace.

Most trade unions are independent of any employer. However, trade unions try
to develop close working relationships with employers. This can sometimes
take the form of a partnership agreement between the employer and the trade
union which identifies their common interests and objectives.

Trade unions:

 negotiate agreements with employers on pay and conditions

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  discuss major changes to the workplace such as large scale redundancy
 discuss members' concerns with employers
 accompany members in disciplinary and grievance meetings
 provide members with legal and financial advice
 provide education facilities and certain consumer benefits such as
discounted insurance

Trade union recognition

Employers which recognise a union will negotiate with it over members' pay
and conditions.

Many recognition agreements are reached voluntarily, sometimes with the help
of the Labour Relations Agency.

If agreement can't be reached and the organisation employs more than 20

people, a union may apply for statutory recognition. To do so, it must first
request recognition from the employer in writing. If this is unsuccessful, the
union can apply to the Industrial Court for a decision.

In considering the union's application, the Court must assess many factors
including the level of union membership and the presence of any other unions.
Often, the Court will organise a ballot among the affected workforce to decide
whether recognition should be awarded. Throughout the process, the emphasis
is on reaching voluntary agreement.

9.1.1 Collective bargaining

If a union is formally recognised by an employer, it can negotiate with the

employer over terms and conditions. This is known as 'collective bargaining'.

For collective bargaining to work, unions and employers need to agree on how
the arrangement is to operate. They might, for example, make agreements
providing for the deduction of union subscriptions from members' wages; that is
to represent workers in negotiations and how often meetings will take place.

Both these agreements on procedure and agreements between employers and

unions changing the terms applying to workers (like a pay increase for example)
are called 'collective agreements'.

Your contract of employment will probably set out which collective agreements
cover you.

It's possible that a union may negotiate on your behalf even if you're not a

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member.

Joining a trade union

Some workers join a trade union because they believe that a union can:

 negotiate better pay

 negotiate better working conditions, like more holidays or improved
health and safety
 provide training for new skills
 give general advice and support

Union members have the right to be accompanied to a discipline or grievance

hearing by a trade union representative (although trade unions are not
compelled to provide this). All employees, regardless of whether they are union
members or not, are entitled to be accompanied by a work colleague.

 Grievance procedures
 Disciplinary procedures

Recognised unions also have rights to consultation where redundancies or a

transfer of business are proposed. There is a regular subscription cost for union
membership and different rates may apply to trainees and part-timers. Unions
will not normally help with problems which pre-date membership.

 Employment protection during business transfers and takeovers

 Redundancy pay

9.1.2 How to join a union

If you want to join a recognised union in your workplace, you could approach a
representative for information like the Nigeria Labour Congress to find out
which union is relevant to you.

Trade union-related rights

The law gives you the right to join a trade union wherever you work. This right
applies whether a union has been recognised or not. You're protected from
being disadvantaged for being a union member. Specifically trade union
membership is an unlawful reason for:

 refusing you employment

 dismissing you
 selecting you for redundancy

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  Trade union membership: your employment rights

The law gives you the right not to join a trade union. The same protection
applies to you as it does to union members. In particular, employers are not
permitted to operate a 'closed shop' (that is, make all workers join the
employer's preferred union). An employer can't deduct payments from you, to a
union or charity in lieu of union membership without your permission.

9.1.3 Blacklisting

You can’t be discriminated against because you are in a union or because of

your union activity.

With rare exceptions, it’s also illegal to compile, use, sell or supply a ‘blacklist’
of union members that will be used to discriminate against you.

9.1.4 Trade union activities

When a union is recognised by an employer, members have the right to time off
at an appropriate time to take part in trade union activities. These may include:

 voting in ballots on industrial action

 voting in union elections
 meeting to discuss urgent matters
 attending the annual conference
 Time off for trade union duties and activities

You don’t have the right to be paid for any time spent taking industrial action.

9.2 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

Collective bargaining is the negotiation process that takes place between an

employer and a group of employees when certain issues arise. The employees
rely on a union member to represent them during the bargaining process, and
the negotiations often relate to regulating such issues as working conditions,
employee safety, training, wages, and layoffs. When an agreement is reached,
the resulting “collective bargaining agreement,” or “CBA,” becomes the
contract governing employment issues. To explore this concept, consider the
following collective bargaining definition.

Noun

1. Negotiation of issues or conditions of employment by an organized body

of employees and the employer.

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Origin

First used in 1891 Beatrice Webb, founder of industrial relations in Britain

9.2.1 What is Collective Bargaining

The National Labor Relations Act, or “NLRA,” was established in 1935. The
Act set the standards for U.S. labour laws, which guarantee employees certain
basic rights, such as the right to organize into trade unions, and the ability to
engage in collective bargaining negotiations. The Act requires officials elected
to head a union to meet with the employer to negotiate conditions. Specific rules
in support of collective bargaining include:

 There is a limit of one representative for each unit of employees

 All representatives must promote the practice, and follow all procedures,
of collective bargaining
 Employers must bargain with the employees’ representatives
 Employees and their representatives have the right to discuss wage issues

Not all employers and employees are covered under the act. For example,
independent contractors and government workers are excluded from the NLRA.
However, the Act does stipulate that these workers cannot be prevented from
joining labor unions if they wish to do so.

9.2.3 Unfair Labor Practices

Part of the National Labor Relations Act’s responsibilities includes ensuring

employers do not engage in unfair labor practices. Under the Act, employers are
obligated to follow certain laws, and are prohibited from certain actions,
including:

 Interfering with, coercing, or restraining employees’ right to form, join,

or assist in the formation of labor organizations
 Dominating or interfering with the formation of any labor union
organization
 Discrimination in hiring or tenure of employees in order to discourage
participation in union organization
 Discriminating against any employee who files charges or testifies
against the employer
 Refusing to bargain with the employee’s representative

9.2.4 The National Labor Relations Board

The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) was formed in 1935 to oversee

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compliance with the National Labor Relations Act. This federal agency is
charged with managing legal disputes between employees and an employer. The
agency is also responsible for taking action against employers in violation of the
NLRA.

Good Faith Bargaining

Both employees and employers are required to partake in good faith bargaining.
While this term may involve many issues, it typically includes (1) refusal of
either party to meet and attempt to bargain with the other party, (2) engaging in
sham or misleading negotiations, and (3) making changes to the terms of an
existing CBA without consulting the other party. The NLRB helps ensure all
employers and employee representatives adhere to these conditions as, when
principles of good faith bargaining are not adhered to, the negotiation process
between employer and employees may be more difficult.

Mandatory Bargaining Issues

Employers do not have to engage in good faith bargaining over every issue that
arises as some may be considered trivial and are not covered under the labor
laws. There are some issues, however, that are considered mandatory bargaining
issues for which employers must participate in collective bargaining, including
wages, layoff procedures, and hours. When an employee group desires changes
to be made in an issue subject to collective bargaining, it must give advanced
notice to the employer. If the employer refuses to meet in collective bargaining
over the issue, it may be charged with unfair labor practices, and the NLRB may
step in. This often results in an investigation by the NLRB, and potentially in a
labor strike.

9.2.5 Collective Bargaining Process

The collective bargaining process involves five core steps:

1. Preparation– Choosing a negotiation team and representatives of both the

union and employer. Both parties should be skilled in negotiation and
labor laws, and both examine available information to determine whether
they have a strong standing for negotiation.
2. Discussion – Both parties meet to set ground rules for the collective
bargaining negotiation process.
3. Proposal – Both representatives make opening statements, outlining
options and possible solutions to the issue at hand.
4. Bargaining – Following proposals, the parties discuss potential
compromises, bargaining to create an agreement that is acceptable to both
parties. This becomes a “draft” agreement, which is not legally binding,
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 but a stepping stone to coming to a final collective bargaining agreement.
5. Final Agreement – Once an agreement is made between the parties, it
must be put in writing, signed by the parties, and put into effect.

9.2.6 Continuous Bargaining

Continuous bargaining is a method of collective bargaining in which ongoing

negotiations between the employer and the union representative take place. This
may occur when the employer and union representative have a good working
relationship that enables them to continually make small changes to ensure
positive employment policies.

9.2.6 Concession Bargaining

Concession bargaining is a method of collective bargaining that sometimes

takes place when the employer is in distress. In this situation, the union may
give the employer back a previous agreement in exchange for job security for
the largest number of employees. For example, a union may give up paid time
off in exchange for protection for layoffs.

9.2.7 Benefits of Collective Bargaining

According to studies, employees covered by collective bargaining often have

better working conditions, higher wages, and better benefit packages than
employees who are not members of a labor union. For example, union workers
are more than 18 percent more likely to have affordable health insurance, and
22 percent more likely to have pension coverage. Wage advantages offered by
collective bargaining mostly benefit earners of middle and lower wages,
reducing wage gaps. Membership in labor unions and collective bargaining also
benefits employees by decreasing the wage gap that exists between male and
female employees.

9.2.8 Collective Bargaining in Education

Collective bargaining in education consists of a process in which faculty and the

board of trustees at a school interacts and negotiate terms of employment. The
collective bargaining process in education, similar to other forms of collective
bargaining, results in legally binding agreements that cannot be changed by only
one side. If changes are needed, both parties must participate in negotiations to
reach a new agreement.

Some reasons educational employees are encouraged to engage in the collective

bargaining process include:

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 1. It creates a feeling of shared control over employment issues and the
decision making process.
2. Clearly defined employment policies reduce uncertainty.
3. A fair and effective grievance procedure increases faculty confidence that
problem issues will be handled in a fair and timely manner.
4. A negotiated agreement that addresses faculty concerns provides a sense
of security.
5. The policy of collective bargaining puts pressure on both sides to act in
good faith in regard to employment practices.

9.2.9 Employer Duty to Supply Information

While the employer has an obligation to supply pertinent information to the

union during the collective bargaining process, only certain information is
required to be supplied. For example, if an employer claims it cannot grant a
wage increase request due to financial problems, the union has the right to
request documents supporting the employer’s claims. The employer must also
provide the employees’ current salary rates and benefit information upon
request.

9.2.10 Union Duty of Fair Representation

When an employee is a member of a union, the union has a duty to provide fair
representation to the employee. While the union is not required to act on every
request that an employee makes, it must treat each and every request fairly
regardless of the employee’s race, age, sex, or education. If an employee feels
that the union has breached its duty of fair representation, he may follow certain
procedures to file a grievance. If there are no grievance procedures available,
the employee may hire an attorney to help ensure his rights are protected.
Because employment law can be complex, an attorney experienced with
employment issues is best suited in this situation.

9.2.11 When a Deal is Not Reached

When a collective bargaining dispute cannot be resolved through ordinary

means, the issue falls into the hands of the NLRB. The board investigates the
claims over which a deal was not reached, and looks at information from both
sides in determining whether future proceedings are necessary. The NLRB may
make a decision siding with either party, as long as fair labor laws are not
violated.

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9.2.12 Paying for Representation

In many states, employee union members are required to pay for a portion of the
cost of representation during the collective bargaining process. Employees may
also be required to pay monthly dues, which may be equal to 1% or 2% of their
pay. In some jurisdictions, the dues may not be used for representation during
collective bargaining, while in other jurisdictions the dues are specifically for
such representation.

9.2.13 International Collective Bargaining

Collective bargaining is an international human right recognized in Article 23 of

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The right to international collective
bargaining is promoted through international labor standards, and though not all
countries recognize the National Labor Relations Act or National Labor
Relations Board, many countries have their own associations or agencies that
oversee labor rights.

9.2.14 Related Legal Terms and Issues

 Coercing – persuading or forcing a person to do something through the

use of manipulation or threats.
 Dues – the cost of membership when a person joins a union or club. Dues
many be required weekly, or annually.
 Grievance – a formal complaint filed by an employee or agent. Some
employers or agencies have specific procedures that must be followed.
 Independent Contractor – a person who agrees to do work for someone
else using his own methods.
 Layoff – a permanent or temporary discharge of employees.
 Strike – the act of employees organizing and protesting employment
practices in an attempt to induce changes.
 Union – an organized group of employees that is formed to protect
workers from unfair labor practices.

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9.3 INDUSTRIAL ACTION

Industrial action is an act, done by either an employee or an employer, which

prevents the operation of the contract of employment. Forms of action by
employees include:

 strikes
 go-slows
 overtime bans; and
 work to rule.

The usual form of action by the employer is a lockout.

Whether done by the employer or employees, the act constitutes a breach of

contract, but the law protects both employer and employees in certain
circumstances ('lawful industrial action') from court proceedings.

9.3.1 When is industrial action protected?

Industrial action can legally be taken when bargaining for a new registered
agreement is unsuccessful. This is known as protected industrial action.

Several requirements must be met for industrial action to be protected. These

are that:

 the existing agreement has passed its nominal expiry date

 parties have genuinely tried to reach an agreement
 the action is authorized by a protected action ballot
 the notice requirement for action is met
 the action taken is in support of claims about 'permitted matters
 the action taken is not about unlawful terms
 there is no 'pattern bargaining

9.3.2 What can happen when protected industrial action is taken?

Civil action (eg. being sued) can be taken where the industrial action involves or
is likely to involve:

 injuring someone
 willful or reckless property destruction or damage
 unlawfully taking, keeping or using of property
 Defamation.

The Fair Work Commission can suspend or end protected industrial action that

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might:

 cause significant economic harm to the employers or employees covered

by the registered agreement
 endanger someone's life, personal safety, health or welfare
 Cause significant damage to the Australian economy or an important part
of it.

9.3.3 What can't happen when protected industrial action is taken?

When an employee takes part in protected industrial action, an employer must

not threaten to dismiss or discriminate against the employee.

Civil action cannot be taken against employers, employees and unions who
participate in protected industrial action.

When is industrial action unprotected?

All other industrial action is unlawful, and not protected.

9.3.4 What happens when unprotected industrial action is taken?

The Commission can make an order to stop or prevent unprotected industrial

action. The Commission can make this order by itself or through an application.

Employers, employees and bargaining representatives who take unprotected

industrial action can face other consequences. For example, being sued for
damages for losses suffered as a result of the action, by anyone affected by the
action, such as a business that lost money because it couldn't get hold of goods
it needed.

Where unprotected industrial action breaches the Fair Work Act 2009, we can
also investigate these matters. For example, when prohibited payments are made
during industrial action.

9.3.5 Need help resolving general protections issues?

For employees:

If you've lost your job, contact the Fair Work Commission first if you think you
were sacked because of:

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  discrimination
 A reason that is harsh, unjust or unreasonable
 Another protected right.

You have 21 days starting from the day after you were dismissed to lodge an
application with the Commission. Check the information to find out if you can
apply for:

 Unfair dismissal (not available if you lost your job because of a genuine
redundancy)
 A general protections dismissal
 Unlawful termination.

For other general protections issues:

 consider whether the action taken against you was unlawful after reading
the information on this page
 see our Help resolving workplace issues section for practical advice on:
o Talking to your employer about fixing the problem
o Getting help from us if you still can’t resolve it.

For employers:

Take general protections issues seriously. Speak with your employee to address
the problem after reading the information on this page.

We have resources to help you:

 Take our difficult conversations in the workplace - manager course to

learn how to handle the conversation well and deal with the problem.
 Download our Managing underperformance best practice guide for
information about how to take reasonable management action to make
sure employees are doing their job properly. Disciplinary action should
be carried out by a manager in a reasonable, lawful way.

9.4 JOINT CONSULTATION

Is the process through which employers and trade unions share information and
exchange views within a joint consultative committee (JCC). Joint consultation
differs from collective bargaining in that it addresses issues of shared, not
opposed, interest and does not result in a joint decision. Under joint
consultation, the union (and possibly non-union) representatives have the

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opportunity to influence management decision-making, but actual decisions
remain in management hands. Partly for this reason, it has been viewed as of
limited value by some trade unionists and has often been restricted to less
important issues: tea-towels, toilets, and trivia.

The JCC has specific responsibilities to discuss our strategic plans and budgets,
and also to receive reports on major organisational projects or changes at
Amnesty.
It ensures that we are complying with relevant current legislation and identifies
good practice in human resource management.
The JCC produces a yearly report to the board on employee relations.

9.5 STAFF ASSOCIATIONS

Staff Association Administrative Service

This service provides administrative support to the Staff Association activities,

which include:

- informing the staff about the role and the activities of the Staff Association
- preparing the latest news regarding the Staff Association
- providing help and advice to staff who have special requests (e.g. list of
contacts)
- organising social and cultural activities, such as exhibitions, conferences,
concerts, the children's Christmas, charity sales
- acting as interface to our commercial partners (selling tickets and vouchers,
special offers, etc)
- managing the Staff Association's membership lists (registration, membership
cards, insurance against loss of salary)

9.6 THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER

A human resource manager has two basic functions: overseeing department

functions and managing employees. That's why human resources managers
must be well-versed in each of the human resources disciplines – compensation
and benefits, training and development, employee relations, and recruitment and
selection

Recruitment
This is the one function which is hand in glove with HR. Recruitment has been
one of the major responsibilities of the HR team. It is the job of HR personnel to
plan and devise strategic campaigns and guidelines for recruiting suitable
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candidates for a required job description. They also have to serve as a mediator
between the employer and the candidate and communicate company policies
and terms of the contract to the candidate before he is hired. This is the first
pillar of HR management that every HR manager starts with. It’s probably one
of the most important aspects of any HR professional’s career. The recruitment
function comprises 2 main objectives:

1) Attract Talent

Attracting talent starts with first planning the requirement of manpower in the
organization. Gauging needs of the organization’s human resource
requirements, and accordingly putting a plan of action to fulfill those needs with
placement of “talented professionals”. That’s followed by creating an
“employer brand” which will be representative of the organization’s good
image and portray an attractive impression in the minds of potential candidates.
The employer branding aspects have become very important owing to the new-
age media and awareness of employee rights. Putting the best foot forward is no
longer enough, it needs to be followed through with honest actions in favor of
the employees. And finally… the HR manager needs to them create detailed
recruitment strategies carry out the hiring process.

2) Hire Resources

This is where the recruitment strategies are put in action. In the current age,
there’s ton of competition vying for the attention of the best talent in the market.
The HR manager needs to run all possible engines to go out there in the market
and find that one suitable gem.
This part of the role includes things like finding relevant locations to look in,
reach out to maximum potential candidates using mass communication
mediums, aggregate all responses, filter out irrelevant applications, judge
suitable incumbents and coordinate internally to get them interviewed. Once the
finalists are decided, the HR manager turns into a ‘negotiator’ of sorts, working
as a mediator between the company and the candidate to find that win-win
ground.

Training
Not all is done once you’ve recruited a suitable candidate for the job. Many
organizations perform tasks a tad differently. Training employee is important to
help the new hires get acquainted with the organization’s work pattern. It is
imperative for the HR department to incorporate a training program for every

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new employee based on the skill set required for their job. It will further also
contribute towards employee motivation and retention.
For the training to be effective, every new employee can be subjected to an on-
the-job training for the initial days to get him in sync with the work guidelines
of the organization. This training will not only be of assistance to the employee
but also give the HR team an insight into the employee’s workmanship. On
completion of the training, HR plays a significant role in assessing the results of
the training program and grading employees on the same.

9.6.1 Professional Development

Closely related to training, developing your employees professionally is an

added bonus for the employee as well as the organization. Enrolling the
employee to attend conferences, trade shows, seminars etc that may be in his
personal interest will make the employee feel cared-for and a vital part of the
organization, thus increasing employee engagement. It will be beneficial to the
organization by way of the employee’s added skill set.
In short, it is a win-win. It is the HR head’s job to get to know the employee’s
hobbies and areas of interest and look out for opportunities that will help them
build onto those hobbies. For example, if an employee wants to master the
technique of SEO, the HR could enroll him for seminars and conferences that
talk on the same. However, this should not turn out to be a selfish attempt that
benefits the organization only.

9.6.2 Appraisals

Since HRM is a body meant for the employees, carrying out timely performance
appraisals is a given. Performance appraisals help in employee motivation by
encouraging them to work to their fullest potential. It also enables to give them
feedback on their work and suggest necessary measures for the same. This helps
employees to have a clear view of what is expected of them and what they are
delivering. They can thus, work well towards improving their performance and
achieving targets.
The role of HR (especially the HR manager) in this would be to have a policy of
generating timely appraisal reports and a review of the same by the authorities.
The HR team should communicate individually with employees and give a clear
feedback or suggestion on their performance. A system to reward employees
excelling at their work would help in employee motivation and thus garner a
higher degree of productivity and employee engagement.

9.6.3 Maintaining Work Culture

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It is the duty of the HR to maintain a healthy, safe, and fun work environment to
ensure a level of comfort amongst the employees and eliminate any stressful or
awkward atmosphere that may hinder the performance of the staff. It is vital to
have an efficient work atmosphere, because an individual’s performance a
largely dependent on the surrounding he’s working in.
It would be great to have an open-door policy up to some extent
wherein employees can freely communicateand voice their opinions to be given
consideration. The HR department’s role is to be a friendly body with an open
attitude. By communicating and treating every employee as equal, the HR can
build a rapport with the employees. This goes a long way in increasing
employee engagement and gives a higher job satisfaction.

9.6.4 Resolving Conflicts

Where different people have different views, conflicts are almost inevitable.
Whether the dispute is amongst two or more employees or between the
employee and the management, an HR manager has the right to intervene and
help map out a solution.
The HR should be available at the disposal of the conflicting parties and hear
out their issues without being judgmental. Prior investigations are a must before
passing any judgment. The HR head is not expected to discriminate or play
favorites in this matter and always deliver an unbiased and practical decision. A
reimbursement in case of any loss caused and strict actions against the defaulter
should be practiced for effective conflict resolution by the HRM.

9.6.5 Employee Relations

The Human Resources is called so because its major responsibility is dealing

with the human part of the organization and this involves having great
interpersonal skills. An HR manager who sits in the office all day will not turn
out to be good at building connections with the employees and thus fail to serve
the purpose of being an HR head. As an HR person, employees should feel
comfortable coming up to you with their problems and for that, it is important
that the HR team builds a good public image within the organization.
The HR team has to be proactive and know their employees. An HR personnel’s
job is not a desk job altogether. The HR head’s role is to establish the trust and
confidence of the employees and not have a “don’t mess with me” demeanour.
He should be looked upon as both an HR expert and an employee advocate.

9.6.6 Legal Knowledge

This may seem the least glamorous of all, but is an important aspect of the
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HRM. An HR manager should always be in compliance with the law. Whether
it’s drafting new policies or writing terms of a contract, it is the HR
department’s job to build guidelines keeping the laws in mind. This ensures an
organization’s continued growth and existence. While drafting policies, the HR
should always ensure to be at an upper hand legally and keep the organization’s
practices in tune with the labor laws, tax laws, permissible working hours,
minimum wages, and a no-discrimination policy.

9.6.7 Organization

An HR head is responsible for organizing all functions of the organization. To

start with, it includes employee on-boarding, i.e. welcoming new employees. It
is a must for every HR head to carry out an induction for every new hire, and
give them an orientation regarding the company policies and rules.
The HR personnel should also introduce the new employees to their colleagues
and assign them a mentor. It also involves listing out job expectations and
defining roles and responsibilities, thus getting the new employees in tune with
the working of the organization. The HR personnel are also responsible for
organizing and storing all employee data efficiently and keeping it secure.

9.6.8 Management
Management is the most important job of an HR manager. It is what defines a
good HR manager. Management extends right from managing employees to
managing the employers and the whole HR department as well.
The role of an HR manager is to manage, create, implement and supervise
policies/regulations, which are mandatory for every employee and also have
knowledge of its appropriate functioning. Monitoring attendance and tracking
leaves forms a major chunk of the HR management function. There should be a
proper management of the clock-in/out time to avoid late arrivals and track
overtimes and half-days. As mentioned before, the HR as a department should
also be well managed by the HR head. If the HR department itself is in a state of
chaos, it cannot serve as a peacemaker for the other departments.

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 Chapter 10

ADDITIONAL TOPIC

CURRICULUM VITAE WRITING, ASSESSMENT AND

DEVELOPMENT
10.1 INTRODUCTION TO CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) WRITING
The utmost desire of every graduate is to secure a good job with an
organization that appreciates the efforts of their employees. Job seekers want
jobs to be engaged in, of which the payment which can be in form of allowance,
wages or salary should be sufficient to cover for the basic needs (feeding,
shelter and clothing) and wants.
In respect to Nigeria, the rate of graduates produced by our higher institution
every year is alarming compare to the rate of job available, because of this, the
big question often in the lips of every graduates is “where are the available
jobs”. Due to this incompatible situation, organizations e.g KPMG, PZ
CUSSONS, PRINCEWATER, Banks, companies etc are now placing high their
recruitment requirement to getting and employing the best among the multitude
of available unemployed graduates. There are lots of factors responsible for
unemployed graduates not meeting up with the requirement. Most graduates do
think a poor grade from the higher institutions is the only factors responsible for
not securing good jobs, nevertheless there are still many more factors. The
following are the factors, but not limited to those that will be mentioned
 Lack of basic knowledge of recruitment requirement
 Lack of knowledge on how to design your winning curriculum vitae
 Lack of understanding of the concept “professional self packaging”.
 Misunderstanding of the screening requirement of the organization
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  Bad character and attitude
 Low self-esteem and self confidence
 Lack of Self believing
Employing a new person into any position is an expensive exercise and
firms/companies these days; want to ensure they do it right without any
mistakes. This is exactly the reason why there are thousands of naïve
unemployed graduates walking and roaming round the environment every
single day. To getting a job, there must be an established relationship between
the employer and the employee in terms of contact. The question now is that
what do employers use to select those “best among the multitude” and have the
first contact and establish a relationship with the employee, the first criteria is
either your Resume or your Curriculum vitae.

10. 2 WHAT IS CURRICULUM VITAE?

Curriculum vitae, as its name suggests, is an overview of your life's
accomplishments and achievements relevant to the academic realm, it is
generally also called a CV or vita. A CV is a marketing tool and an important
document which sum up the substance of your work history and education and
indicates a particular career direction. It is also a document that demonstrates
credibility and your career interest.
CV as a personal advertisement, it should convince a potential employer
that you are an outstanding candidate for the job and that you will contribute to
the organization.
Your CV has to sell you in short order. While you may have all the
requirements for a particular position, your CV is a failure if the employer does
not instantly come to the conclusion that you "have what it takes." The first
hurdle your CV has to pass - whether it ends up in the "consider file" or the
"reject file" – may take less than thirty seconds.
The conception or the understanding of what a CV is in the United States

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is different. In the USA, curriculum vitae are used primarily when applying for
academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when
applying for fellowships or grants.
In USA, the curriculum vitae are used almost exclusively when one is pursuing
an academic job, while resume is used for other kind of jobs e.g company jobs.
Kindly note that in USA you are not expected to use a CV when applying to
other type jobs except academic jobs, rather you are to use a resume.
To prepare a successful CV, you need to know how to review,
summarize, and present your experiences and achievements on one page. Unless
you have considerable experience, you don't need two pages. Outline your
achievements briefly and concisely.
Your CV is your ticket to an interview where you can sell yourself!

10.3 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESUME AND CURRICULUM VITAE

There are several differences between a curriculum vitae and a resume.
Let’s start with a quick overview of resumes, since they are more familiar to
most American writers than CVs. A typical resume is a general and concise
introduction of your experiences and skills as they relate to a particular career or
position that you are aiming to acquire. As such, a resume may have to be
altered for each position that you are applying for so as to emphasize those
skills and experiences most relevant to the work. Resumes are usually no more
than one page in length. They are often accompanied by cover letters, which
provide a permanent written record of the transmittal of the resume (what is
being sent, to whom it is being sent, and who sent it).
A curriculum vitae is a longer (up to two or more pages), more detailed
synopsis of your background and skills. A CV includes a summary of your
educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research
experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other
details. You may need different versions of a CV for different types of

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positions.
Like a resume, curriculum vitae should include your name, contact information,
education, skills and experience. In addition to the basics, a CV includes
research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships,
professional associations and licenses, awards and other information relevant to
the position you are applying for. Start by making a list of all your background
information, then organize it into categories. Make sure you include dates on all
the publications you include.
A typical CV for someone in the beginning stages of his or her graduate school
career might only be two or three pages in length, while the number of pages of
a more seasoned researcher’s CV may run into the double digits.
In both CVs and resumes, information within sections is usually organized
chronologically.

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10.4 WHAT YOUR CURRICULUM VITAE SHOULD INCLUDE
Personal data: The only required information is your name, address, phone
number, and e-mail address. Be sure to provide both permanent and current
address, and the telephone numbers.
Career objective: An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you
are hoping to do. A concise statement indicating your career goals is
recommended if you have specific career desires. Otherwise, include your

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objective in your cover letter to a specific employer or for a specific job.
Summary of skills/professional expertise: A concise statement highlighting
your strongest skills and areas of professional expertise can be an advantage to
you, especially if you have a mix of experiences in your career history.
Education: One rule of thumb is that unless you are more than five years out of
school, your education section should precede your experience section. List the
names of the institutions you attended with the most recent listed first. List the
degree received plus your major area of study. Indicate either the degree name
or the degree initials. Indicate the area of specialization or major after the
degree title. Include the thesis topic in italics if it relates to your professional
goals.
It is not necessary to include your grade point average unless requested by an
employer.

Work experience: this section may include separate lists of teaching

experiences, laboratory experiences, field experiences, volunteer work,
leadership, or other relevant experiences. It may be listed in chronological order
however many employers prefer the reverse of chronological order (put your
last job first and work backward to your first). It should include title of position,
name of organization, location of work (town, state), date of employment,
describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and
achievements. When describing work experience, summarize your
accomplishments rather than listing job tasks. Students and recent grads often
fail to make an effective presentation of their experience because they use too
narrow a definition of work experience. First of all, relevant "work" experience
is in no way limited to paid employment. Also consider including nonpaid
work, volunteer work, part-time and temporary positions, internships,
unstructured work, self-employment, odd jobs, and miscellaneous informal
services you may have provided to your academic department or a favored

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professor. Include special programs from your university, such as junior year
abroad, a six-month internship, etc. Work experience Internships and volunteer
experience can be considered in this section if they relate to your professional
goals, or you can create a section called "Additional or Related Experience," or
"Community Service."
Professional Bodies Membership/ Associations: a listing of the professional
organizations of which you are a member, memberships in national, regional,
state, and local professional organizations. If you have held an office or position
in a particular organization, you can either say so here or leave this information
for the experience section. Associate memberships in professional associations
are appropriate.
Publications: List those publications that relate directly to your career goal.
Employers most interested in publications will be teaching hospitals, research
organizations, consulting, and international organizations. It is usually
recommended to create a separate list and indicate on your resume that
publications are available upon request.
Soft skills: It is advisable to provide information about your computer skills,
interpersonal skills, communication skills etc.
Honors and Awards: Receipt of competitive scholarships, fellowships, and
assistantships; names of scholastic honors; teaching or research awards.
Mention academic honors including a brief explanation of honors or awards that
are not self-explanatory, particularly for international students.
Languages: If you are fluent or conversant in several languages, list the
languages you speak and/or write as follows: "Fluent in French, proficient in
Japanese, knowledgeable in Spanish." Think carefully about your level of
proficiency. Do not overrate your skills as you may be asked to demonstrate
your language ability during an interview.
Interests: One or two lines about your outside interests, hobbies, or travels can
sometimes add interesting information to the interview and may spark

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conversation. You may add key or special skills or competencies, leadership
experience in volunteer organizations.
References: You can write "References Available upon Request" if you have
space. Employers will ask directly for references, so prepare a list with names,
titles, addresses, and telephone/fax numbers. Ask people if they are willing to
serve as references before you give their names to a potential employer. Give
careful consideration to your choice of references, as some will be more
appropriate to an employer than others.
Generally, avoid information about your marital status, children, or age in this
section (unless you feel it is relevant to the work you will be expected to do).

10.5 CURRICULUM VITAE WRITING TIPS

10.5.1 Content
• Run a spell check on your computer before anyone sees your CV.
• Get a friend (that is efficient and good in writing and reading English) to do a
grammar review.
• Ask another friend to proofread. The more people who see your CV, the more
likely that misspelled words and awkward phrases will be seen (and corrected).
• The use of power verbs denote that you took action. Examples include words
like "accomplished," "achieved," and "managed." When reviewers see these
action words, they realize that you are a person that takes initiative: you are a
self-starter.
• The use of power words helps measure the result of the actions you took.
Examples of power words are "positive," "results," and "significant."
• Emphasize your recent work experience. In today's changing world, reviewers
don't care what you were doing fifteen-twenty years ago.
• Try to highlight your strengths, and minimize your weaknesses.

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10.5.2 Design
These tips will make your resume easier to read and/or scan into
an employer's data base.
• Use white or off-white paper.
• Use 8-1/2- x 11-inch paper.
• Print on one side of the paper.
• Use a friendly font (Arial, Times or Courier) size of
10 to 14 points
• Use non decorative typefaces.
• Choose one typeface and stick to it.
• Use bolds, italics, underlines, and capitalization to draw attention
• Do not use horizontal or vertical lines, graphics, or shading.
• Do not fold or staple your CV.
• If you must mail your resume, put it in a large envelope
• There is no consensus as to what length your CV should be.
The length depends on the depth and scope of your individual experiences. Try
to keep it to either one full page or two full pages. Leaving it at 1½ pages isn't
as professional as one or two full pages. Use a footer with page numbers and
your last name, in case pages get separated.
• Keep paragraphs brief: no more than five to six lines. If you have a long
paragraph on your CV, break it up into several shorter ones. Eliminate every
unnecessary word.

10.5.3 Putting your resume/CV on-line

Once you are satisfied with your resume/CV you should consider putting it in
one of the CSO’s electronic resume books.
These books can be found at: www.erecruiting.com. Employers are very
interested in viewing resumes/CVs on line when hiring. This will also give a

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larger number of employers the opportunity to view your resume/CV easily and
often.

10. 6 COVER LETTERS

The purpose of a cover letter is to introduce yourself to an employer and to state
your interest in an organization or a particular position. A cover letter is an
opportunity for you to highlight aspects of your background that are especially
relevant to the potential employer. A cover letter should always accompany
your CV.

10.6.1 Cover letters have a standard structure

Opening paragraph: in which you explain why you are writing, what you
would like to do, and the kind of job you want. Explain where you heard of the
opening or why you selected this employer for an inquiry.
Second paragraph: contains your description of how your work experience
and training is related to the job you are applying for or desire. Remember to
mention pertinent data or accomplishments to show that you have specific
qualifications in this field or particular type of work.
Third paragraph explain why you are interested in working for this
organization and in the particular position. Say that your CV is enclosed. State
that you will call in a week or so to inquire about the possibility of an interview
(if appropriate). End with "Sincerely," or another professional closing.

10.6.2 Cover letter writing tips

Research the organization.
Read annual reports, company brochures, and check the organization’s website.
If possible, contact inside people.
Address your cover letter to the person responsible for hiring. You can call the
human resource office or hiring contact and ask for the hiring person's name.

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Avoid addressing a letter "to whom it may concern." Be sure the name is spelled
correctly and the title is correct. A touch of formality is good too: address the
person as "Mr.," "Ms.," "Mrs.," "Miss," "Dr.," or "Professor." (Yes, life is
complicated.)
Write it in your own words so that it sounds like you--not like something out of
a book. Employers are looking for knowledge, enthusiasm, focus.
Mention someone who referred you to the organization (if possible). Utilize
your network of contacts.
Express your professional accomplishments and skills.
However, you should not simply restate points from your CV. Carefully
proofread your cover letter for errors.
Be brief.
Cover letters are preferably three or four paragraphs that fit easily on one page.
Communicate confidence and professionalism. The cover letter, like your cv, is
a marketing tool. It serves as an example of your writing skill and style.
Some common cover letters mistakes:
• Thinking of it as a formality or something extra to attach to a CV.
• Trying to be unique –"I'm the top-notch candidate you're looking for."
• Using gimmicks, literary prose, flashy paper, or colored type.
• Writing lengthy letters (more than one page).
• Not utilizing standard business form

10.7 INTERVIEWING SKILLS

There are important steps to increasing your success at interviewing and
getting hired. First, remember that job interviews are two-way communications.
Not only are they a tool that the employer uses to evaluate you, but they are also
an opportunity for you to assess the job, the organization, and to see if there is a
"fit."
Two keys to successful interviewing are advance preparation and practice. The

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following suggestions will help you prepare for an interview:

10.7.1 Self-evaluation
It is important for you to think about yourself and your past experiences in order
to be ready to articulate what you have to offer an employer. Consider the
following topics:
• How your present and past experience relate to the position
• Your current and future career goals
• What skills and expertise you have to offer
• The skills that you would like to develop or improve
• Location, salary, and lifestyle priorities
• Kinds of people and environments you prefer
• Past experiences you want to highlight such as volunteer work, hobbies, travel

10.7.2 Before the Interview

Research the Company - A company's website is an excellent place to begin. It
usually gives you information on whether it is international or domestic, what
its revenues are, how many locations it has, and the nature of its major products.
Most companies are very proud of their websites. Don't be surprised if one of
the first questions interviewers ask when you arrive is,
"Have you have had a chance to look at our website?"
Practice interviews - Write down a list of possible questions you think you
may be asked, then have a friend act as an interviewer and direct them to you in
a practice interview situation. Don't stop until you feel comfortable answering
each question. Practicing beforehand will make you feel more comfortable and
relaxed during the interview.
Dress Professionally - In today's environment, wearing a suit isn't always
necessary. Contact the HR Manager of the company or your recruiter, and find
out what the dress code is for the company at which you are going to interview.

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Then dress one level above. For instance, if it is business casual, men can wear
dress pants, dress shirt, and sport coat. Women can wear a pantsuit, dress, or a
skirt and blouse. Visual impressions are very important.
Therefore, if in doubt, always dress on the conservative side.
Arrival - Try to arrive at the interviewing location a little early. This gives you
time to determine where you need to go, and a few minutes to collect your
thoughts. DO NOT arrive late. Nothing destroys your chance at impressing an
employer more than arriving late and offering no explanation. If you learn at the
last minute that you are going to be arriving late at the interview, call and let the
interviewer know. Interviewers understand that things can come up suddenly.
You are never considered late if you call and make them aware of the fact.

10.7.3 During the Interview

First impressions - First impressions take only thirty seconds.
Establishing rapport, direct and sustained eye contact, a firm handshake, a warm
smile, good posture, and introducing yourself in a confident manner are
important ingredients. A well-groomed, professional appearance is critical.
Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake, whether it is a woman or a man.
(No one likes a weak handshake.) Always maintain eye contact while shaking
hands.
Smile - A smile denotes confidence in a candidate. Try to smile often. Also,
don't be afraid to use some hand animation while answering questions. This
suggests enthusiasm in a candidate.
Body Language - Use good posture, and look the interviewer right in the eye.
Sit up straight. Never slouch.
Speak Clearly - Don't mumble. It portrays a lack of confidence. Speak with
assurance. This indicates confidence.
Listen Before Answering - Allow the employer to begin the interview, but be
prepared with some opening statements or questions such as, "I understand that

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this position involves…," or "What are you looking for in a job candidate?"
Make sure you understand the question. If not, ask the interviewer to clarify it.
Don't be afraid to take some time to think before answering. Interviewers are
impressed with someone who thinks out an answer before speaking.
Give Brief Answers - Make your answer concise and to the point. Rambling
tends to suggest that you really don't have the answer to the question(s) asked.
Previous Employers - Never, ever say anything negative about your present or
previous employers. No matter how much you may have disliked someone, find
a way to give your experiences a positive spin.
Be Truthful - Don't lie when asked about something you haven't done. The
next question will be "tell us about it."
Know Your Resume - Be prepared to talk about every fact that is on your
resume. Many people embellish their accomplishments on their resumes. Avoid
this, since the only point of reference an interviewer has about you is the resume
you provide to him/her beforehand.
Keep things at a professional level - Sometimes near the end of an interview,
the two parties start feeling comfortable with each other. Don't let this
comfortable feeling lead you to telling them something about yourself that they
really shouldn't know. Always keep things at a professional level.
Look for Something in Common - This is something that has given us an edge
in the past. Try to find a common bond between yourself and your interviewer.
If you are being interviewed in an office, look at how the office is decorated.
Look for something you can identify with. Is his/her college diploma hanging
on the wall? Did you attend a nearby school, or perhaps one in the same
Division? If so, make a quick comment about it: "Did you attend Penn State? I
attended the University of
Michigan. What a great football conference." Interviewers sometimes feel more
comfortable with people with whom they have something in common. This
approach has helped several candidates obtain a position over other qualified

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candidates. Above all, be sincere.

10.7.4 After the Interview

Back in Touch - Ask the interviewer when s/he expects to get back to you on
her/his decision.
Get Everyone's Business Card - Before you leave, be sure to get the business
cards of all of the people with whom you visited. If you cannot do that, ask a
secretary for their names and e-mail addresses.
Thank the Interviewer - Verbally thank the interviewer for taking the time to
interview you, before leaving. Within a day, send thank you letters to all of the
interviewers with whom you spoke. This does not need to consist of a written
letter sent via snail mail; an e-mailed thank-you works just as well.
Do not give up - Sometimes, within ten minutes of the start of an interview,
you will know that the job is not one you want to pursue. If you begin to feel
this way, don't give up on the interview. Continue to interview as if the job was
the most important thing in the world. This provides you with practice for your
next interview, which may be for your dream job! Not all interviews will lead to
offers of employment, but, if you approach every interview as if it's the most
important interview you ever had, you will come out a winner

10.8 JOB INTERVIEW

What is an Interview?
The interview is the last step of the hiring process and the most important. It
offers a job applicant and the employer the opportunity to meet one another,
exchange of conversation between a job applicants and the employer which is
conducted to assess whether the applicant should be hired. and also come to
tentative conclusions about “hiring” one another.
The interview is the opportunity where you can describe your experiences and
skills and can get an idea of what is happening with the company. During an

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interview, an employer’s goal is to gather additional information about you that
is not provided in your resume and cover letter. They will attempt to find out
what motivates you, how well you communicate and if you are a leader or a
follower. The interview is a two-way process. You evaluate the employer while
he/she evaluates you.

10.8.1 Types of Interview

- The Behavioral Interview

- Informational Interview
- Panel Interview
- Group Interviews
- Phone Interviews
- Skype Interview

Everything you Need to Know to Succeed in Job Interviews

Excel in job interviews. A guide to preparing for and succeeding in your job
search and interview. Easy-to-use and practical resources for all job seekers.

The job market is always competitive. It is essential that you have the right job
search and interviewing skills to stand out from the crowd.

You will find all the help and information you need right here to succeed in
your interview and get the job you want. Expert advice for every step of the way
on your journey to job search success.
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Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities - a task is usually defined as a unit of
work or sequence of activities, e.g. prepare a profit and loss statement. Tasks
are sometimes called "functions". Responsibilities are the expected results or
outcomes associated with the job, e.g. resolve accounting discrepancies.

Education and Experience - this includes the required qualifications,

necessary knowledge and practical experience to perform the job. e.g. the
knowledge of accounting principles and previous experience in preparing
financial statements.

Key Competencies - competencies are behaviors (skills and abilities) that the
employee must have to successfully perform the essential job tasks and fulfill
the responsibilities of the job, e.g the ability to analyze information.

As a job seeker the job descriptions provide you with valuable information
about what an employer is looking for in a successful job candidate.
Understanding the job tasks and the requirements for the specific position will
help you to prepare properly for your job interview. As an employer the job
descriptions provide clear role clarification.

10.8.2 How to Prepare for The Behavioral Interview

The behavioral interview is a proven and widely-used method of exploring a

candidate's suitability for the position. It goes beyond just looking at the
candidate's educational and work history to determine the right fit, asking the
candidate for specific examples of past behavior as they relate to the job
requirements.

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This type of job interview is based on the logic that past behavior predicts future
behavior and seeks previous evidence of required job-related behaviors.

What is a behavioral interview?

Behavioral interviewing or competency based interviewing explores workplace

competencies that are required for successful job performance.

If the job requires a person to be able to analyze and find solutions to problems
the interviewer will ask the candidate to provide an example of when they
previously displayed that behavior.

"Tell me about a problem you uncovered in your previous job. What steps did
you take to sort it out?"

It is often difficult to think of good examples within the time constraints and
stressful context of a job interview.

Know which behaviors (sometimes referred to as competencies) are required in

the position.

10.8.3 What is an information interview

This is a meeting that you arrange to talk to someone in the industry, career or
organization that interests you.

Sometimes called a research interview, it is an interview that you initiate and in

which you ask the questions.

The purpose of the meeting is to get information, not to get the job. It is a
valuable screening process to assess whether the career, the work, the industry
or the company are a proper match for your skills and interests.

Benefits of the informational interview

You are able to obtain current and valid information about a career field
firsthand from a person who actually works in the field. You will get tips and
ideas of how to successfully enter a certain career and company and be better
placed to write a convincing cover letter and resume.

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Additionally it provides an opportunity to increase your network of contacts
which will help in your job search.

Who should I conduct the interview with?

First identify the industry and career or job you want to learn more about. Get
valuable company information by doing productive background research and
identify the organizations you would like to know about and the people who can
give you the information you need.

These interviews should only be conducted with people who are actually doing
the work you are interested in finding out about and have sufficient experience
working in your field of career interest.

You can use people you know to give you the contact details of these workers,
such as friends, relatives, colleagues, and professors. You can call the human
resources department of relevant organizations and ask for contact details of
people in the position you are investigating. You can also get names of suitable
workers from career offices, employment agencies and professional
organizations and directories.

An easy resource to use is social media - both LinkedIn and Facebook can help
you with this.

10.8.4 What to Expect in a Panel Interview

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 The panel interview can be intimidating! Know what to expect and prepare to
handle the interview in a professional and winning way.

This type of job interviews are often considered a more time-efficient process
for the employer. A number of those involved in the decision-making process
from different parts of the organization can interview the candidate at the same
time, only one job interview is needed.

Find out what happens during this interview, how to handle it and be ready to
face the panel.

About Panel Interviews

Each panel member will take turns to ask questions relevant to their interests
and after the interview the candidate can be discussed and rated from each
member's perspective.

 Job interviews conducted by a panel are seen to be fair and valid as a number
of different opinions and views are taken into consideration when making the
hiring decision.
 These interviews are considered to be an effective way to determine how well
the candidate handles stress and how the candidate interacts with a diverse
range of individuals.
 This type of job interviews is more likely to be used in larger organizations
where the position reports to a number of different people or has multiple
supervisors.
 This interview tends to be more detailed, thorough and rigorous than a one-to-
one interview as the candidate faces questions from different experts

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 reflecting the different interests of each panel member.

Who will be on the Panel?

Usually it is a mixture of relevant specialists - human resources, technical

experts, line managers and can vary in number anywhere from 2 to 8 people.

Try to find out beforehand who will be on the panel and make sure you know
their names and job titles prior to the interview. Don't be afraid of phoning the
company, usually the human resources department, and asking for this
information.

When preparing for a job interview do your company research to determine

where they fit in the organization and what their perspectives and interests are
likely to be.

Each panelist will have a different role to play during the interview. For
example, human resources will be checking that the candidate is a good fit with
the company culture and people. The line manager will want to know about the
candidate's ability to perform in the job, the job-related skills and abilities that
they bring to the position. The technical experts will be determining if the
candidate has the necessary technical expertise.

How to Prepare for a Panel Interview

These interviews tend to be formal and organized with a standard set of

questions for all candidates. Prepare as you would for a one-to-one interview.
Research the company, prepare good answers to common interview
questions and formulate the questions you want to ask in the interview, keeping
in mind the different individuals you will be talking to.

Behavioral interview questions are frequently asked in these interviews. Be well

prepared for them.

These interviews are sometimes confused with group interviews.

10.8.5 What to Expect in Group Interviews

Group interviews involve getting together with other job candidates to meet
with one or more interviewers. An increasing number of companies use this
type of interview to screen out unsuitable job applicants and it is important to
know what to expect.

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Usually this interview involves a number of interviewers - potential managers
or supervisors, human resources, even future co-workers - and a group of
candidates all together in one room. This type of interview can take a number of
different forms.

What is a group interview?

In its most basic form the group interview consists of a presentation, by the
employer, to the candidates about the company and position. Generally there
will be a question and answer session after the presentation.

These simple interviews serve two purposes. Information is given to all the
candidates in an economical and time-saving manner.
It also gives the interviewers an opportunity to conduct an initial screening of
the candidates as they observe the candidates' behavior and interaction with
each other, their communication skills and the impression they make.

What happens in a group interview?

Group interviews can be more involved than just a presentation. Candidates

may be required to participate in work-simulation exercises. These can take the
form of group problem-solving sessions where each candidate's contribution
and participation is noted. Discussion groups take a similar form.

Other exercises include splitting the candidates into teams and each team is
given a work-related task to complete. Each team then presents their results to
the whole group.

During these team exercises the interviewers closely watch and listen to the

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 candidates. They also ask questions of individual candidates and take notes.

What are employers looking for in candidates?

The skills and behaviors observed include communication and interpersonal

ability, persuasiveness and the ability to influence others, leadership and
delegation, organizational and planning skills and the ability to work and
contribute as a team member.

Other observable behaviors include the ability to handle stress, to deal with
feedback and give feedback and to analyze and problem-solve. Levels of
individual knowledge are also noted.

Sometimes the situational exercise is not work related. Candidates are given a
controversial hypothetical situation, such as deciding how to choose who to
save from a sinking boat.

This type of exercises cause a lot of discussion and argument and interviewers
will observe how people interact, influence and reach decisions.

Tips for Group Interviews

 Before you begin the interview introduce yourself politely to the other
candidates. You will be observed from the word go.
 It is important to be seen as an active participant rather than merely an

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 observer. Contribute your views and ideas while also listening to the other
candidates.
 Appear confident but avoid coming across as aggressive. Avoid dominating
the conversation and don't interrupt the other candidates.
 Make sure that you take criticism and give feedback constructively.
 Give praise when possible and acknowledge valuable contributions from other
candidates.
 Avoid obvious power conflicts as these will make you appear uncooperative
and unprofessional. Stay calm under pressure.
 Be aware of your body language. This is something that will be carefully
observed. Make sure you are sending the right non-verbal message with
your interview body language
 With many candidates all trying to contribute, someone may make your point
first. If this happens, think of a statement that adds to this point. This
demonstrates that you listen actively and think on your feet.
 Prepare meaningful questions to ask. You will be asked at some point if you
have any questions and you will stand out from the other candidates if you
have a list of insightful interview questions to ask
 Do background research on the company before your interview. Find out how
to conduct meaningful interview preparation and stand out as a well-informed
and prepared job candidate.
 Send interview thank you letters to each interviewer as soon as possible
afterwards.
Be ready for the group interview questions you will face in this type of
interview.

View these expert group interview tips and techniques and make the right
impression in your interview.

Know what to expect in a panel interview and be prepared for this type of job
interview. Learn panel interview tips and techniques to help you impress the
interviewers.

Be confident that you are well-prepared for your group interview.

10.8.6 How to Succeed in Phone Interviews

Handle phone interviews professionally and confidently. Often this is the key
first step in the hiring process and with the right interview preparation you can

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 move successfully to the next stage.

Companies use interviewing over the phone to narrow down the initial pool of
job candidates to a more manageable number for a face-to-face meeting. It is a
way of checking that the candidate lives up to their resume and to test the
waters.

These interviews offer a number of advantages to the organization:

minimal cost to the company

A relatively quick process and involves less effort than face to face evaluations

A standardized list of key questions can be used

can be delegated to a more junior employee

screens out obviously unqualified or unsuitable candidates

How to Handle Phone Job Interviews

These job interviews require particular skills from the candidate.

 The very first step is to make sure the interviewer has all the necessary
contact details for you. Your resume and job application should include
accurate contact information for you. List the numbers where you can be
reached and indicate what time of day you will be available. If you are going
away and not going to be contactable for a period you should highlight this on
your resume. Make contacting you as easy as possible.
 The interviewer cannot assess the appearance or manner of the candidate; they
can only listen to your voice, to your answers and to the energy and attitude

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 that you convey. Your communication skills are essential to success in this
type of interview.
 Few people get hired only on the basis of this initial screening. The
standardized key interview questions are designed to determine whether it is
worthwhile to continue the process with the candidate.
 To present yourself in the most positive manner requires good organization
and preparation beforehand. Thinking that you can "wing" the call will
usually end in a poor result.
 Some people find this sort of interview easier than others; however it is
simple to develop good telephone job interview techniques and skills that will
set you up for success.
 A good idea is to carry out a practice interview on the phone with a family
member or friend. You can adapt the mock job interview for this purpose and
ask for honest and constructive feedback. This will help to build your
confidence and ensure that you are ready for the real thing.

The call may consist of a few quick questions or it may be a much longer
evaluation. Whatever the format the candidate needs to successfully get through
it to advance to the next step of the hiring process, the face-to-face job
interview.

10.8.7 Skype Job Interviews

Skype job interviews demand specific interview techniques.

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 The Top Skype Interview Tips

Skype interviews are becoming common practice. They help recruiters and
companies to filter out candidates at an early stage and are inexpensive and
relatively easy to conduct.

Presenting yourself in the best manner during Skype interviews can be tricky
and you need to be well prepared. Find out how to make the right impression
from a distance.

1. Check your equipment

 Check your Skype name - does it give the right impression? A professional
sounding name is better than a jokey or cool name. Create a new Skype

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 account for interviews if you want to keep your informal name for your
friends.

 Download the latest version of Skype to ensure you are getting the best
quality performance.
 Basic Skype interview tips stress testing all your equipment thoroughly and
not just 5 minutes before the call! Make sure your Skype connection is
working properly. Test your camera and microphone the day before the
interview.
 Ensure your internet connection is good enough to handle the video call.
 A headset has a better sound quality than your computer so try and use one.
 Close all other programs and windows on your computer before you take the
call. Receiving email notifications during your interview is unprofessional
and distracting.

2. Create the right environment

 Ensure that where you conduct your Skype interview is businesslike and free
of distractions and interruptions. A neat and tidy room where you can close
the door is best.
 Let others in the house know that you cannot be interrupted and to keep things
quiet for you. Keep your windows closed if there is a possibility of distracting
outside noises such as pets.
 Check what your environment looks like. If it is messy it can give the
impression that you are a disorganized and untidy person. Look at the wall
behind you and remove any distracting pictures or posters. Good Skype
interview tips include keeping your surroundings as neutral as possible.

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 Make sure your desk or table is uncluttered and you are able to easily access
your documents and a pen and paper to take notes.
 A bright window or light behind you means you will appear as a dark
silhouette. Light from above or below can create shadows on your face. Light
should come from in front of you. Have natural light or a lamp aimed at your
face from behind your screen.

3. Practice with a mock interview

Carrying out a practice run with a friend really does help to make you feel more
comfortable and confident. Candidates can feel very self-conscious during this
type of interview.

You can record the Skype interview and study how you come across and where
you can improve. Ask for feedback on your performance.

4. Dress for the interview

 The first impression you make during your Skype interview is key to setting
the tone. Find out the dress code the company expects by doing some research
beforehand. Make sure you dress appropriately and look smart and
professional.
 It's tempting to wear sloppy sweatpants or short pants but it's far better to
dress properly from head to toe. There are a number of instances where
candidates have had to stand up to adjust equipment and have been caught
out! Important Skype interview tips include dressing as though you were
having a face to face interview. This creates the right mindset and improves
your performance.
 Check your interview clothing is clean, properly pressed, has no buttons
missing or tears or stains.
 Stripes, patterns and bright designs can make your clothing appear messy on
the interviewer's screen. Keep it simple. Neutral, solid colors such as blues
and greys look best on video.
 Avoid glittery or jangling jewelry that distracts the interviewer.
 You will be seen in detailed close-up so make sure your makeup is properly
applied and your hair is clean and tidy. Choose a hairstyle that is off your
face, constantly adjusting your hair is distracting. Understated makeup looks
better on the screen than bright colors. Men should ensure that they are
cleanly shaven or have neatly trimmed facial hair.

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10.9 ADDITIONAL TIPS

• Focus on presenting a positive, enthusiastic tone.

• If you are asked to describe a weakness, mention lessons learned, and steer
away from negative descriptions.
• Think about three or four key points that you want to make about your
personal characteristics, skills you have learned, and relevant experiences that
demonstrate that you could perform the job well.
• Find specific, rather than general, examples from your experience that
illustrate important points about yourself.
• When answering questions, focus on experiences that demonstrate flexibility,
adaptability, responsibility, progress, achievement, creativity, initiative, and
leadership.
• If the employer signals the end of the interview and asks you for questions,
and you haven't discussed some key points, say: "There are a couple of points I
would like to mention."
After the interview, write a brief thank you letter. Express your appreciation for
the opportunity to interview and learn about the organization, re-confirm your
interest, and re-emphasize how your background and skills might be of interest
to the organization.

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REFERENCES:

1. Klerck, G. (2009). "Industrial Relations and Human Resource

Management".
2. D. G. Collings & G. Wood (Eds.), Human Resource Management: A
Critical Approach (PP. 238-259). London: Routledge.
3. Michael Armstrong, 10th edition, (1988) A Handbook of Human
Resource Management Practice
4. Manmohan Joshi and Bookboon.com [2013] 1st Edition Human Resource
Management
5. Bharthrajan R. Evaluation of Training and Development, International
Journal of Innovative Research in Science,. Engineering and Technology.
IJIRSET [Vol. 3, Issue 6, June 2014]

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