BA-104 Presentation

Human Resource
Policies and Practices
To manage people well, companies should . . . elevate HR to a position
of power and primacy in the organization.
—Jack Welch

Jan Anthony D. Hinos

Human Resource Policies and
Practices
The message of this chapter is that human resource (HR) policies
and practices—such as employee selection, training, and
performance management—influence an organization’s
effectiveness.

Selection Training

Performance management
 Selection Practices

The most important HR function is hiring the right people. How do you figure out who they are? Identifying the
right people is the objective of the selection process, which matches individual characteristics (ability,
experience, and so on) with the requirements of the job. When management fails to get a proper match,
employee performance and satisfaction both suffer.
How the Selection
Process Works
1 Initial Selection
Initial selection devices are the first things applicants
provide to determine if they meet the basic requirements
for a job. Application forms, including recommendation
letters, are examples of these. Background checks can also
be considered initial selection devices if conducted early in
the hiring process, or contingent selection devices if done
later, usually before finalizing the hiring decision.

Application Forms Background Checks

2 Substantive Selection

Written
Tests

Performance-Simulation
Tests

Interviews
 Written Test
Written tests are like exams given to job applicants on paper. They
help employers see if candidates have the right skills and knowledge
needed for the job.

Typical written tests include

(1) intelligence or cognitive ability tests,
(2) personality tests,
(3) integrity tests, and
(4) interest inventories.
 Performance-Simulation Tests
Performance-simulation tests are like practice runs for job tasks. They
let employers see how well candidates can handle real work
situations before hiring them

What better way to find out whether applicants can do a job

successfully than by having them do it? That’s precisely the logic of
performance-simulation tests. .

Work sample tests

are hands-on simulations of part or all of the work that applicants
for routine jobs must perform. Each work sample element is
matched with a job-performance element to measure applicants’
knowledge, skills, and abilities with more validity than written
aptitude and personality tests.
 Interviews Of all the selection devices organizations around the globe use to
differentiate candidates, the interview remains the most common. It
also tends to have a disproportionate amount of influence. Over-
reliance on interviews is problematic, because extensive evidence
shows that impression management techniques like self-promotion
have a strong effect on interviewer preferences even when unrelated
to the job.

Interviews are meetings between employers and job applicants to

discuss the applicant's qualifications, experience, and suitability for
the job. It's like a conversation where both parties get to know each
other better to determine if there's a good fit for the position.
3 Contingent Selection

If applicants pass the substantive selection methods,

they are ready to be hired, contingent on a final
check. One common contingent method is a drug
test.

Drug testing is controversial. Many applicants think testing

without reasonable suspicion is invasive or unfair and say
they should be tested on job performance factors, not
lifestyle choices that may not be relevant
International Variations in
Selection Processes

International variations in selection processes simply mean that

how companies hire employees can differ from one country to
another. These differences come from things like cultural norms,
laws, and what's important in each place. For example, some
countries might focus more on education qualifications, while
others care more about practical skills. Laws also affect what
tests or checks companies can do before hiring someone. And
cultural differences can change how interviews and decisions
are made.
 4 Types of Training

Technical Skills Problem-Solving

Basic Skills
Teaches essential literacy and
numeracy skills needed for job
tasks, bridging gaps in
employee abilities.
Equips employees with up-to-
date knowledge and expertise in
new technologies and job
requirements through specific
instruction.
Skills
Enhances logical thinking,
analytical skills, and complex
issue resolution crucial for
addressing workplace
challenges.
 4 Types of Training
Interpersonal
Skills
Improves communication,
teamwork, and relationship-
building among employees to
foster positive interactions.
Civility Training Ethics Training
While its long-term effect on
Promotes respectful behavior,
values is unclear, ethics training
reduces negative interactions,
can make employees more aware
and creates a positive work
of right and wrong actions and
environment by addressing
boost satisfaction and trust in the
issues like incivility and organization.
bullying.
 5 Training Method
Formal Training
Formal training methods are those that are planned and
structured in advance. They usually involve scheduled sessions
conducted by trainers or instructors who lead participants
through standardized content. These sessions often include
evaluations to measure learning outcomes.
Informal Training
Informal training is often peer-to-peer, with employees sharing
knowledge and skills with each other as needed. Unlike formal
training, informal methods may not have a predetermined
schedule or standardized content, and evaluations of learning
outcomes are usually less formal or nonexistent.
 Evaluating the effectiveness

Evaluating training effectiveness involves looking at satisfaction, learning, job application, and
financial return. However, results may not always align. Motivation plays a big role—individual traits
and support from supervisors and colleagues matter. Effective training not only teaches skills but also
fosters a supportive work environment.
 6 Performance Evaluation
What Is Performance?
Citizenship
Task performance
Actions that contribute to the psychological
Performing the duties and responsibilities environment of the organization, such as
that contribute to the production of a good helping others when not required,
or service or to administrative tasks. This supporting organizational objectives,
includes most of the tasks in a treating co-workers with respect, making
conventional job description. constructive suggestions, and saying
positive things about the workplace.
Performance refers to how well employees do their job. In the
past, it was mainly about completing tasks listed in job
descriptions. But now, it includes three main types of behavior:
Counterproductivity
Actions that actively damage the
organization. These behaviors include
stealing, damaging company property,
behaving aggressively toward co-
workers, and taking avoidable absences.
Purposes of
Performance
Evaluation
Performance evaluation serves several purposes. It helps
management make decisions about promotions, transfers, and
terminations. It also identifies training needs and areas for
development. Additionally, evaluations provide feedback to
employees on their performance and serve as the basis for reward
allocations, such as merit pay increases. In our focus on
organizational behavior, we emphasize performance evaluation as
a feedback mechanism and for determining rewards.
What Do We Evaluate?

Individual Task Outcomes Behaviors

In roles where it's hard to directly link outcomes to
For roles where results matter most, evaluation focuses
individual actions, behavior becomes the focus. For
on outcomes like production quantity, quality, or sales
example, a manager's punctuality or a salesperson's
volume.
number of daily calls may be evaluated.

Traits
Traits like attitude or experience, though weakly
linked to job performance, are still used by
organizations in evaluations. However, they may not
always correlate strongly with positive outcomes.
Who Should Do the Evaluating?
Methods of Performance
Evaluation

Written Essays
A method where an evaluator writes a narrative about an employee's
strengths, weaknesses, past performance, potential, and suggestions for
improvement. It doesn't require complex forms or extensive training, but
the evaluator's writing skill can heavily influence the appraisal. Comparing
essays for different employees can be challenging due to the lack of
standardized scoring.

Critical Incidents
This method focuses on specific instances where an employee executed a
job effectively or ineffectively. The evaluator describes these incidents,
citing specific behaviors. It provides examples to illustrate desirable
behaviors and areas needing improvement.
 Graphic Rating Scales
This method involves evaluating performance by rating specific factors like
quantity of work, knowledge depth, cooperation, attendance, and initiative on
incremental scales, typically ranging from one to five points. For instance,
job knowledge might be rated from "poorly informed" to "complete
mastery." While not as detailed as essays or critical incidents, graphic rating
scales are quicker to develop and use, allowing for quantitative analysis and
comparison.

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales

This method merges aspects of critical incidents and graphic rating scales.
Evaluators rate employees based on specific behaviors observed on the job
rather than general descriptions or traits. To create BARS, participants
provide examples of effective and ineffective behaviors, which are then
translated into a set of performance dimensions with different quality
levels.
 Forced Comparisons
evaluate one individual’s performance against the performance of another
or others. It is a relative rather than an absolute measuring device. The two
most popular comparisons are group order ranking and individual ranking.
Group order ranking
Group order ranking requires the evaluator to place employees
into a particular classification, such as top one-fifth or second
one-fifth. If a rater has 20 employees, only 4 can be in the top
fifth and, of course, 4 must also be relegated to the bottom fifth.
This method is often used in recommending students to
graduate schools
individual ranking
The individual ranking approach rank-orders employees from
best to worst. If the manager is required to appraise 30
employees, the difference between the 1st and 2nd employee is
assumed to be the same as that between the 21st and 22nd.
Some employees may be closely grouped, but no ties are
permitted. The result is a clear ordering from the highest
performer to the lowest
 Suggestions for Improving Performance
Evaluations
The performance evaluation process can be tricky, with
evaluators unintentionally inflating or understating
performance, letting one aspect unfairly influence others
(the halo error), or showing bias towards those similar to
themselves (the similarity error). Some may even use
evaluations to reward or punish based on personal
preferences. While accurate evaluations can't be guaranteed,
certain steps can make the process fairer and more
objective.

Use Multiple Evaluators Evaluate Selectively

More evaluators mean more accurate feedback and higher
employee trust. This concept, seen in sports judging, involves
dropping extremes to determine a final score. Similarly, in
organizations, multiple evaluators, like in 360-degree
appraisals, ensure diverse perspectives for valid evaluations.
Appraisers should assess areas where they have expertise to
increase agreement. Ideally, evaluators should be close in
organizational level to the individual, minimizing
inaccuracies due to distance.
 Suggestions for Improving Performance
Evaluations
Train Evaluators
improves accuracy by aligning their understanding of good
performance. Courses focus on changing their perspective to
ensure consistency across the organization. Encouraging
detailed descriptions of employee behavior during training
helps raters recall performance more accurately, rather than
relying solely on feelings.
Provide Employees with
Due Process
Applying due process to appraisals enhances perceptions of
fairness. This involves providing clear expectations,
allowing individuals to respond to evidence in a fair
hearing, and ensuring final decisions are unbiased. One way
to enhance due process is by posting appraisals online for
employees to review, increasing accountability and
participation in the process.
Providing Performance
Feedback
Many managers find giving feedback unpleasant and may
avoid it. They fear confrontation and employees' defensive
reactions. Additionally, employees often have an inflated view
of their performance. Training managers to conduct
constructive feedback sessions is crucial. Effective reviews
leave employees feeling positive, informed, and motivated to
improve. Specific feedback is important, as people tend to be
more objective about specific areas than overall performance.
Reviews should focus on counseling and evolve from the
employee's self-evaluation.
 Managing Work-Life conflicts in
Organization
Work-life balance has become crucial as work and personal life
intertwine. Initially prompted by women with children entering the
workforce, organizations introduced family-friendly policies like on-
site childcare and flexible schedules. However, work-life conflicts
extend beyond this group due to heavy workloads and increased travel
demands. Organizations are adapting by offering perks such as on-site
childcare and fitness centers. The primary issue is the psychological
impact of work intruding on personal life and vice versa, suggesting a
need to help employees segment their lives effectively. Preferences for
scheduling options vary, but most employees prefer organizations that
support work-life balance, with studies showing that potential
employees, especially women, are attracted to such organizations.
Thank You
For
Attending
Jan Anthony D. Hinos