Unit 1
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Human Resource Management (HRM) is the term used to describe formal structures devised for the management of people inside an organization. The responsibilities of a human resource manager fall into three primary areas: staffing, employee compensation and benefits, and defining/designing work.
Essentially, the motive of HRM is to maximize the productiveness of an organization by optimizing the effectiveness of its employees. This mandate is unlikely to change in any fundamental way, despite the ever-increasing pace of change in the business world. As Edward L. Gubman discovered in the Journal of Business Strategy, "the basic mission of human resources will always be to acquire, develop, and retain talent; align the workforce with the business; and be an excellent contributor to the business. Those three challenges will never change."
- Human Resource Management: Meaning, Objectives, Scope and Functions
Meaning:
Before we define HRM, it looks pertinent to first define the term ‘human resources’. In common parlance, human resources mean the people. However, different management experts have described human resources differently. For example, Michael J. Jucius has described human assets as “a whole consisting of inter-related, inter-dependent and interacting physiological, psychological, sociological and ethical components”.
According to Leon C. Megginson “From the national point of view human resources are knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents, and attitudes obtained in the population; whereas from the view-point of the individual enterprise, they represent the total of the inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills as exemplified in the skills and aptitude of its employees”.
Sumantra Ghosal considers human resources as human capital. He classifies human capita into three categories-intellectual capitals, social capital and emotional capital. Intellectual capital consists of specialized knowledge, tacit knowledge and skills, cognitive complexity, and learning capacity.
Social capital is made up of network of relationships, sociability, and trustworthiness Emotional capital consists of self-confidence, ambition and courage, risk-bearing ability, and resilience. Now it is clear from above definitions that human assets refer to the qualitative and quantitative aspects of employees working in an organisation.
Let us now define human aid management.
In simple words, HRM is a method of making the efficient and effective use of human resources so that the set goals are achieved. Let us also consider some necessary definitions of HRM.
According to Flippo “Personnel management, or say, human resource management is the planning, organising, directing and controlling of the procurement development compensation integration, 4intenance, and separation of human sources to the end that individual, organisational and social objectives are accomplished”.
The National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM) of India has defined human resource/personnel management as “that part of management which is concerned with humans at work and with their relationship within an enterprise. Its purpose is to deliver collectively and boost into an advantageous employer of the men and ladies who make up an organization and having regard for the well-being of the persons and of working groups, to enable them to make their best contribution to its success”.
According to Decenzo and Robbins “HRM is concerned with the humans dimension in management. Since every organisation is made up of people, acquiring their services, developing their skills, motivating them to higher levels of performance and making sure that they proceed to hold their commitment to the organisation are essential to achieving organizational objectives. This is true, regardless of the type of organisation-government, business, education, health, recreation, or social action”.
Thus, HRM can be described as a procedure of procuring, creating and keeping competent human resources in the organisation so that the goals of an organisation are completed in a positive and efficient manner. In short, HRM is an art of managing people at work in such a manner that they give their best to the employer for achieving its set goals.
- Objectives:
The primary objective of HRM is to ensure the availability of right people for right jobs so as the organizational goals are achieved effectively.
This primary objective can further be divided into the following sub-objectives:
- To help the agency to attain its goals effectively and effectively through providing able and motivated employees.
- To utilize the available human assets effectively.
- To increase to the fullest the employee’s job pride and self-actualisation.
- To develop and keep the quality of work life (QWL) which makes employment in the organisation a proper private and social situation.
- To assist maintain moral policies and behaviour inside and outside the organisation.
- To establish and keep cordial relations between employees and management.
- To reconcile individual/group dreams with organisational goals.
- Scope:
The scope of HRM is, indeed, very vast and wide. It includes all things to do starting from manpower planning till worker leaves the organisation. Accordingly, the scope of HRM consists of acquisition, development, maintenance/retention, and manage of human resources in the organisation (see figure 1.1). The same forms the subject matter of HRM. As the subsequent pages unfold, all these are discussed, in detail, in seriatim.
The National Institute of personnel Management, Calcutta has specified the scope of HRM as follows:
1. The Labour or Personnel Aspect:
This is concerned with manpower planning, Selection, selection, placement, transfer, promotion, training and development, lay-off and retrenchment, remuneration, incentives, productivity, etc.
2. Welfare Aspect:
It offers with working conditions, and amenities such as canteen, creches, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities, etc.
3. Industrial Relations Aspects:
This covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining, complaint and disciplinary actions, settlement of disputes, etc.
Functions:
We have already defined HRM. The definition of HRM is primarily based on what managers do. The functions performed by managers are frequent to all organizations. For the convenience of study, the function carried out through the resource management can generally be classified into two categories, viz.
(1) Managerial functions, and
(2) Operative functions (see fig. 1.2).
These are mentioned in turn.
(1) Managerial Functions:
Planning:
Planning is a predetermined course of actions. It is a manner of figuring out the organisational goals and method of policies and programmes for reaching them. Thus planning is future oriented worried with simply charting out the desired path of business things to do in future. Forecasting is one of the important factors in the planning process. Other functions of managers rely on planning function.
Organising:
Organising is a process through which the structure and allocation of jobs are determined. Thus organising involves giving each subordinate a specific task establishing departments, delegating authority to subordinates, establishing channels of authority and communication, coordinating the work of subordinates, and so on.
Staffing:
TOs is a process through which managers select, train, promote and retire their subordinates This involves deciding what type of people should be hired, recruiting potential employees, selecting employees, setting performance standard, compensating employees, evaluating performance, counseling employees, training and developing employees.
Directing/Leading:
Directing is the technique of activating group efforts to achieve the favored goals. It includes activities like getting subordinates to get the job done, retaining morale motivating subordinates etc. for attaining the goals of the organisation.
Controlling:
It is the system of setting standards for performance, checking to see how actual performance compares with these set standards, and taking corrective actions as needed.
(2) Operative Functions:
The operative, additionally called, service features are these which are relevant to specific department. These features vary from branch to branch depending on the nature of the department Viewed from this standpoint, the operative functions of HRM relate to ensuring right people for right jobs at right times. These functions include procurement, development, compensation, and maintenance features of HRM.
A brief description of these follows:
Procurement:
It involves procuring the right variety of people in suitable number to be placed in the organisation. It consists of activities such as manpower planning, Selection, selection placement and induction or orientation of new employees.
Development:
This feature involves activities meant to improve the knowledge, skills aptitudes and values of employees so as to enable them to perform their jobs in a higher manner in future. These functions may comprise training to employees, executive training to improve managers, enterprise development to strike a better fit between organisational climate/culture and employees.
Compensation:
Compensation function involves determination of wages and salaries matching with contribution made by employees to organisational goals. In other words, this function ensures equitable and honest remuneration for employees in the organisation. It consists of activities such as job evaluation, wage and salary administration, bonus, incentives, etc.
Maintenance:
It is concerned with protecting and promoting employees while at work. For this reason virus advantages such as housing, medical, educational, transport facilities, etc. are provided to the employees. Several social security measures such as provident fund, pension, gratuity, group insurance, etc. are also arranged.
It is important to note that the managerial and operative features of HRM are performed in conjunction with each other in an organisation, be large or small organisations. Having discussed the scope and functions of HRM, now it seems pertinent to delineate the HRM scenario in India.
Business consultants note that modern human resource management is guided by means of several overriding principles. Perhaps the paramount principle is a simple recognition that human sources are the most essential property of an organization; a business cannot be successful besides efficiently managing this resource. Another essential principle, articulated by way of Michael Armstrong in his book A Handbook of Human Resource Management, is that business success "is most possibly to be achieved if the personnel policies and strategies of the enterprise are closely linked with, and make a major contribution to, the achievement of company targets and strategic plans." A third guiding principle, similar in scope, holds that it is the HR's responsibility to find, secure, guide, and develop employees whose talents and desires are compatible with the working needs and future goals of the company. Other HRM factors that shape corporate culture, whether with the aid of encouraging integration and cooperation across the company, instituting quantitative performance measurements, or taking some different action: are also commonly cited as key components in business success. HRM, summarized Armstrong, "is a strategic strategy to the acquisition, motivation, development and management of the organization's human resources. It is dedicated to shaping an appropriate corporate culture, and introducing programs which reflect and help the core values of the organization and ensure its success."
- POSITION AND STRUCTURE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Human resource department responsibilities can be subdivided into three areas: individual, organizational, and career. Individual management entails helping employees identify their strengths and weaknesses; right their shortcomings; and make their best contribution to the enterprise. These obligations are carried out through a variety of activities such as performance reviews, training, and testing. Organizational development, meanwhile, focuses on fostering a successful system that maximizes human (and other) assets as section of larger business strategies. This essential responsibility also consists of the creation and protection of a change program, which allows the organization to respond to evolving outdoor and interior influences. Finally, there is the responsibility of managing career development. This entails matching people with the most suitable jobs and career paths within the organization.
Human aid administration is therefore focused on a number of major areas, including:
- Recruiting and staffing
- Compensation and benefits
- Training and learning
- Labor and employee relations
- Organization development
Due to the many areas of human resource management, it is normal for professionals in this area to possess unique expertise in one or greater areas. Just a few of the related career titles for HR authorities include:
- Training development specialist
- HR manager
- Benefits specialist
- Human resource generalist
- Employment services manager
- Compensation and job analysis specialist
- Training and development manager
- Recruiter
- Benefits counselor
- Personnel analyst
A Closer Look at Human Resource Management
Human resource management entails developing and administering programs that are designed to expand the effectiveness of an corporation or business. It includes the whole spectrum of creating, managing, and cultivating the employer-employee relationship.
For most organizations, agencies, and businesses, the human sources department is responsible for:
- Managing job Selection, selection, and promotion
- Developing and overseeing employee benefits and wellness programs
- Developing, promoting, and enforcing personnel policies
- Promoting employee career development and job training
- Providing orientation programs for new hires
- Providing guidance concerning disciplinary actions
- Serving as a main contact for work-site injuries or accidents
Human resource management is about:
Addressing current worker concerns: Unlike company managers who oversee the day-to-day work of employees, HR departments deal with employee issues such as benefits, pay, employee investments, pension plans, and training. Their work may also include settling conflicts between employees or between personnel and their managers.
Acquiring new employees: The human resource administration team recruits potential employees, oversees the hiring manner (background checks, drug testing, etc.), and offers new employee orientation.
Managing the employee separation process: The HR management team must complete a unique set of tasks if an employee quits, is fired, or is laid off. Paperwork need to be completed to make sure that the process was completed legally. Severance pay might also be provided or negotiated, advantages should be settled, and access to business enterprise resources ought to be severed via the series of keys, badges, computers, or sensitive materials from the employee.
Improving morale: Effective HR groups encourage enterprise employees to do their best, which contributes to the universal success of the company. Their work often involves rewarding employees for good overall performance and creating a positive work environment.
The Changing Shape of Human Resource Management
Human resource management entails each strategic and complete strategies to managing people, as nicely as workplace culture and environment.
The role of human resources specialists is to make sure that a company’s most important asset—its human capital—is being nurtured and supported through the introduction and management of programs, policies, and procedures, and by fostering a nice work environment via effective employee-employer relations.
The idea behind human resource management is that personnel who are problem to fine human useful resource management are in a position to extra efficiently and productively make a contribution to a company’s universal direction, thereby making sure that corporation desires and goals are accomplished.
Today’s human resource management team is responsible for much more than traditional personnel or administrative tasks. Instead, members of a human resource management team are more focused on adding value to the strategic utilization of employees and making sure that worker programs are impacting the business in positive and measurable ways.
An August 2014 Forbes article explored the moving goal of today’s human resource management teams. More specifically, the article found that HR teams focused on things that don’t add true cost to the organization are often deemed reactive, uncreative, and lacking basic business understanding. On the different hand, HR professionals who choose to be identified as true business companions need to see themselves as business humans who specialize in HR, now not as HR people who advise a business.
Todays’ human resources managers/business companions must understand the workings of the business and be capable to comfortably speak the language of business leaders in order to have a measured and proven impact on commercial enterprise objectives.
The Agenda of Today’s Human Resource Management Team
Today’s HR management crew should focus their efforts on five, critical areas, according to the Forbes article:
Define and align organizational purpose: A company’s employees should be able to clearly articulate why the company exists in order to attain a purpose-driven, sustainable, high-performing organization. Employees must additionally apprehend how their efforts connect, or align, with the organization’s purpose.
Recruit the best talent by creating, marketing, and selling an Employee Value Proposition (EVP): False marketing and misconceptions about an organization are some of the major reasons why the employer-employee relationship fails. Therefore, companies ought to create, market, and sell an EVP that is actual and correct as to now not mislead possible employees.
Focus on employee strengths: Companies should make every effort to understand what candidates and employees do best and put them into roles where they can play to their strengths as much as possible.
Create organizational alignment: Achievements ought to align with the organization’s objectives so as to construct a successful and sustainable organization.
Accurately measure the same things: All inside departments and employees have to be measuring the same matters as to achieve a definitive organizational end result and to make sure that anybody is aware of precisely the place the enterprise is at all times.
Definitions of Human Resource Management/Personnel Management:
1. According to National Institute of Personnel Management, India, ‘personnel management, labour management or staff management capability the task of dealing with human relationships within an organisation.
The three aspects of personnel administration are:
- welfare function,
- personnel function and
- industrial relations function.
All these elements are concerned with human element in industry as distinct from the mechanical’.
2. According to Wendell L. French, ‘the human resource management refers to the philosophy, policies, procedures, and practice related to the management of humans within the organization’.
3. Edwin Flippo defines, “Personnel administration is the planning, organizing, directing and controlling of the procurement development, compensation, integration, maintenance and separation of human resources to the end that individual, organizational and societal objectives are accomplished
1. Application of Management Principles:
Human resource management includes application of different principles of management for performing the versatile functions right from procurement of human resources to maintaining cordial industrial relations.
People-oriented Process:
The basic goal of human resource management is to get the work done through available human resources at their optimum capacity and achieve the goals of individuals and the organization as a whole.
2. Integrated Decision Making:
Decisions taken relating to various aspects of employees have to be consistent with the important human resource policies and procedures.
3. Skilled Process:
Human nature is highly unpredictable. It is important to deal with employees skillfully by considering their feelings and expressions.
Better Results for Organization:
Any decision related to human resource should result into satisfaction on the part of customers, employees and the organization.
4. Continuous Activity:
Human resource management is an endless process as the issues related to human resources keep on emerging and they need to get resolved at appropriate time to avoid the severe problems in the organization.
5. Applicable to Non-Business Organization:
Human aid management functions are not limited only to business however also applicable to the non-business organization such as education, health, trusts and recreation.
6. Traditional HR Management
In a traditional HR management role, the HR professional is reactively working. They do not educate workers about responsibilities or how their work will be done; they assume their managers will go over their work and that the employee will pick up the training while on the job.
In general, they are working to solve employee problems, manage labor relations, and keep their employees happy.
Examples of traditional HR management tasks:
• Placing ads for jobs when a department requests a role to be filled
• Responding to questions employees have on benefits and payroll
• Terminating employees
Because this role is reactive, the tasks may sometimes want to be rushed or fragmented.
7. Strategic HR Management
In contrast, strategic human resource management (SHRM) has a broader approach. A strategic HR manager is focused on forming a long-term strategy. For example, when they are looking to rent for a position, they are considering future increase projections and goals of the company.
While traditional HR managers work reactively, strategic HR managers work proactively.
Examples of strategic HR management tasks:
• Recruiting employees based on long-term goals
• Training employees
• Creating the employee handbook
• Developing ways to help employees reach the company’s goals
Human resource planning is a process via which the right candidate for the right job is ensured. For conducting any process, the foremost vital task is to develop the organizational objective to be achieved via conducting the said process.
Six steps in human resource planning are presented in Figure 5.3.
1. Analysing Organizational Objectives:
The objective to be achieved in future in various fields such as production, marketing, finance, expansion and sales gives the idea about the work to be done in the organization.
2. Inventory of Present Human Resources:
From the up to date human aid information storage system, the current number of employees, their capacity, performance and potential can be analysed. To fill the various job requirements, the internal sources (i.e., employees from within the organization) and external sources (i.e., candidates from various placement agencies) can be estimated.
3. Forecasting Demand and Supply of Human Resource:
The human resources required at different positions according to their job profile are to be estimated. The available internal and external sources to fulfill those requirements are also measured. There be proper matching of job description and job specification of one particular work, and the profile of the man or woman should be suitable to it.
4. Estimating Manpower Gaps:
Comparison of human aid demand and human aid supply will furnish with the surplus or deficit of human resource. Deficit represents the number of people to be employed, whereas surplus represents termination. Extensive use of proper training and development programme can be performed to upgrade the skills of employees.
5. Formulating the Human Resource Action Plan:
The human resource plan depends on whether there is deficit or surplus in the organization. Accordingly, the plan may be finalized both for new Selection, training, interdepartmental transfer in case of deficit of termination, or voluntary retirement schemes and redeployment in case of surplus.
6. Monitoring, Control and Feedback:
It often involves implementation of the human resource action plan. Human assets are allocated according to the requirements, and inventories are up to date over a period. The plan is monitored strictly to identify the deficiencies and remove it. Comparison between the human resource plan and its authentic implementation is done to ensure the appropriate action and the availability of the required number of employees for various jobs.
A job may be defined as a sum total of tasks, duties and responsibilities which is assigned to individual employees.
After definition of job, FIR manager needs to undertake job analysis. Job Analysis is the starting point of recruitment and selection. It is a systematic process of collecting and studying information about the various jobs in the organisation.
Edwin Flippo defines "lob analysis is the process of studying and collecting information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job,"
Job analysis consists of two areas:
- Job Description
- Job Specification
I. Job Description
Job description gives details of the job in respect of job title, duties and responsibilities, location of the job, working conditions, and other relevant details describing the job. It is an overall summary of job requirements.
According to Edwin Flippo "a job description is an organised, Tactual statement of duties and responsibilities of a specific job. In wne, it should tell wohat is to be done, how it is done and why. It is a standard of function, in that it defines the appropriate and authorised content of a job."
The job description describes every aspect of the job. Job description once prepared is reviewed periodically and revised in the light of changing conditions.
- Contents of Job Description:
1. Job identification:
It gives details relating to the job title, code number of the occupation, location, name of the division/department, location and the unit where the job exists. This part of job analysis helps to identify the job and to provide designation to job holder.
2. Job Summary:
It gives brief details of the job contents in terms of tasks or activities to be performed. Also, brief details are stated relating to the hazards and discomforts relating to the job.
3. Duties and Responsibilities:
It indicates the duties to be performed-what, how and why of a job. It also describes job responsibilities relating to custody of valuables and records, supervision and training of subordinates, and other responsibilities towards effective performance of the job.
4. Relationship with Other Jobs:
It indicates internal (within the organisation) relationship of the job with other jobs that are horizontal, vertical and diagonal. It also indicates external relationship such as relationship with customers, dealers, Government officials, trade associations, etc.
5. Machines and Tools:
It states the type of machines, tools and equipments that are to be used for the performing the job activities, Therefore, candidates who can handle the machines and tools properly are considered for selection.
6. Supervision:
It indicates the extent of supervision which the job is subject to from higher levels, and the extent of supervisions which the job holder has to exercise over subordinates. Designations of immediate superior and subordinates may also be stated.
7. Social Environment:
The social environment prevailing in the organisation may be stated in the job description. Such description enables to job holder to adjust with the social environment at the work place
8. Working Conditions:
The working conditions are also a part of the job description. The working conditions include:
- Health hazards such as ventilation, illumination, nerve strain, eye strain, noise, heat, dust and other occupational hazards.
- Location such as factory/office, inside/outside, solitary team oriented, underground/on-ground, etc.
- Posture such as standing, sitting, lifting, walking, stopping etc.
- Rest Period such as the number of rest periods, and the duration of each rest periods or breaks.
- Speed of work such as fast or moderate or slow.
- Timings such as single shift, rotational shift, day, night, overtime, peak loads, etc.
- Uses of Job Description:
- It facilitates job grading and classification.
- It provides the base for preparing job specification, thus facilitating recruitment and selection.
- It enables the newly appointed candidate's decision to accept or reject the job.
- It ensures proper orientation to the newly selected employees.
- It enables proper placement of employees on the job.
- It facilities proper performance appraisal.
- It enables promotion and transfer of employees.
- It enables employees to adopt health and safety measures.
- It helps to develop work procedures.
- It assists in career planning and development of employees.
- It facilitates employee counselling and guidance.
- It enables the organisation to design compensation and incentive plans.
- It helps to develop effective training and development programmes.
- It helps to avoid or minimise accidents.
- It helps to reduce employee grievances.
II. Job Specification
It gives details of the candidate who is supposed to do a particular job with reference to qualities, qualifications, experience, gender, family background, etc. It is an overall written summary of employee requirements.
Job specification provides a standard of an employee for possessing the required qualities and qualities to perform the iob efficiently and effectively.
Edwin Flippo defines "job specification is a statement of the minimum acceptable human qualities necessary to perform a job properly."
- Contents of Job Specification
- Mental Characteristics - includes general intelligence, aptitude. mental alertness, ability to concentrate, analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, creativity and innovativeness, etc.
- Personal Characteristics-includes age, gender, education, work experience, leadership qualities, pleasing personality and manners, communication skills, dispute solving skills, technical skills, conceptual skills, etc.
- Physical Characteristics - includes height, health, hearing, vision, voice, poise, motor coordination, physical stamina, etc.
- Social and Psychological Characteristics - includes emotional stability, cooperativeness, human skills, conversational skills, social relations, introvert/ extrovert, social citizenship behaviour, etc.
The elements included in job specifications differ from organisation to organisation, and from job to job. However, elements like age, gender, education, health, experience, and skills are invariably included in job specification for all types of jobs in all organisations.
- Essential and Desirable Elements:
Experts broadly divide the elements of job specification in two groups:
- Essential characteristics which are generally mandatory in nature, such as the minimum and maximum age of the job applicant, minimum qualifications (especially in public/Govt. i organisations), and height and weight (military). There is no flexibility in modifying such characteristics.
- Desirable characteristics which are generally flexible in nature, such as experience, family background, and gender. The desirable characteristics are flexible in nature. However, such characteristics are desirable for satisfactory performance of the job.
- Uses of Job Specification:
- It facilitates selection of the employees depending on the mental, physical, and personal qualities.
- It helps in providing training to improve the knowledge and skills of those candidates who lack the same for effective performance of the job.
- It enables the organisation to design compensation plans based
- on qualifications and experience of the candidates.
- It helps in proper placement of the candidates on the job depending upon the qualities and qualifications.
- It enables the organisation to provide proper designation to the employees based on their qualifications and experience.
- It facilitates in counselling the employees to acquire higher qualifications, thus facilitating career planning and succession planning.
People spend a great deal of time on the job. Therefore, it is important to design the jobs so that employees feel good about their work, which in turn improves the overall performance of the organisation. Job design is technique of defining and structuring the jobs to meet the needs of the employees and that of the organisation. Harold Koontz and Heinz Weihrich state "Job design refers to appropriate job structure in terms of content, function and relationships."
Fred Luthans in his book Organizational Behaviour' defines "Job design as the methods that management uses to develop the content of a job including all relevant tasks as well as the processes by which jobs are constructed and revised."
George Milkovich and John Boudreau define " Job design integrates work content (tasks, functions, and relationships), the rewards (extrinsic and intrinsic), and the qualifications required (skills," knowledge, and abilities) for each job in such a way that meets the needs of the employees and the organisation."
The main objective of job design is to develop a proper match between the job and the job holder so that the job is performed efficiently and effectively. The job holder experiences job satisfaction and puts his best efforts for improving job performance.
Efforts to design jobs began since Industrial Revolution of 1760 Adam Smith in his book "Wealth of Nations' published in 1776, stated that the assembly of straight pins can be considerably increased if each worker was assigned a small and repetitive task. One individual held the job of wire straightener' and a second one a wire cutter third worker held the job of sharpening the pin head, and so on This type of specialised job design increased productivity and set i the stage for scientific management movement led by FW Taylor Efforts are made even today to design the jobs in such a way that jobs are performed efficiently.
- Approaches/Techniques of Job Design
Job design or work design is the specification of contents, methods and relationship of jobs in order to satisfy organizational requirements as well as the social and personal requirements of the job holder. The efforts to design jobs have resulted in the development of two major approaches of job design:
• Traditional Job Design
• Motivational (Modern) Job Design
I. Traditional Job Design
Traditional job design is based on scientific management led by F W Taylor and followed by Henry Gantt, Frank Gilbreth, Lillian Gilbreth, and others. Traditional job design takes into account only the technical aspects of a job, and it does not take into consideration human aspects of a job.
Traditional work design place emphasis on work simplification in such a way that it is simple, safe, and minimizes the mental and physical demands on the worker. A complex job is divided into simple tasks and a worker is assigned only a specific task, which leads to specialisation.
However, extreme specialisation of simple, routine and repetitive work leads to monotony and boredom, and consequently lower productivity and increased costs. It may also lead to increase in worker’s absenteeism and turnover.
The traditional job design is based on time, motion and fatigue studies:
1. Time Study: The jobs are designed taking into consideration the time required to complete a particular job. The time study was initially developed by F W Taylor in 1880s. It finds out the time required to perform particular job with the help of stop watch technique.
Adjustments are made for rest, personal needs of the worker unavoidable machine delays, etc. The time taken by a qualified worker is considered as the best time to perform the work.
2. Motion Study: The jobs are designed by eliminating unnecessary or wasteful movements. It was introduced by Frank Gilbreth and his wife Lillian Gilbreth in early 1900s. Motion study studies motions or movements of workers in performing certain work.
Gillbreths initial motion study was concerned with brick layers (construction industry) movements. The study pointed out that the wasteful movements can be eliminated to increase productivity.
3. Fatigue Study: The jobs are designed with an emphasis to reduce Fatigue (tiredness) of the workers in order to improve productivity. It was first conducted by Frank Gilbreth and Lillian Gilbreth in 1919.
This study states that workers performing certain types of work get tired. Therefore, rest is to be provided to the workers. When the workers get rest, they work more productively.
II. Motivational (MODERN) Job Design
The motivational job design places emphasis on the human aspects of a job. It is concerned with the psychological as well as technical aspects of the job.
The various techniques of motivational job design are as follows:
1. Job Simplification:
The jobs are divided into smaller sub-parts. Each sub-part is assigned to certain workers. The worker may repetitively perform the sub-part of the job assigned to him. Thus, the worker gains proficiency, and as such the productively of the worker and that of the organisation increases. For example, in a restaurant a particular worker may perform the job of waiter, another one may perform the job of cleaning the table, and another worker may perform the job of cleaning the floor, and so on.
- Advantages:
- Job simplification leads specialisation due to repetitive performance of the same sub-task.
- Job simplification leads to higher productivity. (c) The training costs are almost nil because the workers are performing simple sub-part of the job on a continuous basis and secondly, the simple tasks require low level of skills.
- The speed of performing the task is quick, and therefore, the quantity of production can increase per worker.
- The quality of work performance may improve due to specialisation.
- Disadvantages:
- By performing the same task on a repetitive basis may lead to monotony and boredom.
- Job simplification may be possible in the case of routine and lower level jobs, but not in the case of higher level jobs.
- There may be low job satisfaction, and consequently, the productivity may decrease and the cost per unit may increase.
- The worker may face the problem of isolation or alienation.
- Boredom may lead to mistakes and accidents. (f) Due to lack of motivation, workers may remain absent, and there may be increase in employee turnover.
2. Job Rotation:
Job rotation may be an answer to monotony and boredom under job simplification. Job rotation refers to the movement of an employee from one job to another. A worker doing routine job may be transferred to another job for certain period, and may then return back to the original job.
Under job rotation, the jobs remain the same. The jobs are not i changed or redesigned; only the worker is transferred from one routine job to another. For example, a cashier in a bank may be transferred to the data entry job in the accounts department.
- Advantages:
- It reduces monotony of doing routine jobs.
- It improves knowledge, and skills of different jobs. Therefore, It gives more flexibility to management in scheduling work adapting to changes, and filling vacancies.
- It may help to identify the most suitable person for a particular job, which means it can support effective job placement.
- Job rotation may generate higher job satisfaction, and consequently improvement in performance.
- Job rotation may reduce absenteeism and labour turnover.
- Disadvantages:
- Frequent job rotation is not advisable as it may create problem of adjustment with different types of jobs.
- (b) Some workers may refuse to accept job rotation, which may affect employee-management relations.
- (c) When employees are shifted to another job in another department, they may lose the social network of the previous department.
- (d) Members of the work group have to adjust to new employee who is transferred to their work group.
- (e) Employees who prefer challenging assignments may feel frustrated because they are rotated on routine and repetitive jobs.
- (f) It increases training costs, and employees who are rotated needs to be given training of the new job.
- (g) Supervisors may have to spend more time in monitoring the work of newly rotated employees.
3. Job Enlargement:
It refers to horizontal expansion of the job. It increases the scope of the job. More tasks are added to the existing job. For example, a sales man whose job is to obtain orders may be given additional job of securing payment from credit sales and handling customers complaints.
- Advantages:
- Job enlargement may bring in more rewards to the employee because of additional work.
- It may reduce boredom and monotony of doing the same routine and repetitive work, as the worker can handle additional tasks.
- It may bring job satisfaction to some employees.
- Some employees may take pride in performing variety of jobs and they may even boast of the same to insiders and outsiders.
- Increasing the number and variety of tasks results in more job diversity. Instead of only one task, the employees handle diversified two or more tasks.
- Disadvantages:
- Generally, most employees may resent job enlargement as it puts additional burden on them.
- It may lead to fatigue of the workers, and therefore, the productivity may be affected.
- c) At times, it may lead to stress on account of work overload.
- There are chances of errors and mistakes because of confusion over different types of jobs.
- In most organisations, efforts at job enlargement met with less than enthusiastic results. As Stephen P Robbins in his 'Organisation Behaviour writes that one employee who experienced job enlargement remarked 'Before l had one lousy job. Now through enlargement, I have three.'
4. Job Enrichment:
Job enrichment refers to vertical expansion of the job. It is a direct outcome of Fredrick Herzberg's Two Factor Theory, whereby Herzberg lists out Job motivators as a means of motivating the employees. The job motivators of Herzberg include enriching and challenging tasks.
For example, a junior manager who implements a particular plan framed by the superior may be given additional charge of preparing the plan, implementing it, and periodic monitoring of the same. The junior manager gets a chance to generate ideas to plan, implement and control the activities of a particular project.
Job enrichment is a vertical expansion of a job by adding more responsibility and freedom to do it. It is based on the assumption that employees can be motivated when the job provides opportunities for achievement, recognition, and career development.
- Advantages:
- Job enrichment increases job depth, which refers to the degree of control that employees can have over their work.
- Job enrichment can improve the quality of work output, and employee motivation.
- It brings higher recognition and rewards to the employee, including opportunity for promotion.
- It leads to employee loyalty towards the organisation, and therefore, there is reduced absenteeism and employee turnover.
- Interesting and challenging tasks can be a source of increased job satisfaction.
- It leads to more positive attitudes towards the job and the organisation. The employee also develops a better self-image due to autonomy and freedom in performing the task.
- Disadvantages:
- It is difficult to implement at worker’s level, and therefore, it is mostly followed at managerial level. It is also difficult to implement in Govt. organisations.
- Job enrichment requires greater authority and freedom to the employees. Thus, some of the employees may misuse the authority.
- Job enrichment requires additional costs in respect of training and development. However, the benefits to the organisation outweigh the training and other costs.
- Some selfish managers may not encourage job enrichment as they may feel a threat to their position.
5. Job Flexibility:
Nowadays, in certain organisations, employees have the flexibility in designing the nature of their work performance. The organisation is more interested in the results rather than mere activities. The employees may not follow certain formalities that create an independent for satisfactory performance of their jobs.
For instance, in a college, the professors are given certain syllabus to complete within a certain time frame. Some colleges may give complete freedom and flexibility to the professors to cover up the syllabus in any method with which they are more comfortable and at the same time that makes more effect on the students. The professor has the flexibility to use any or many of the methods of course content delivery such as lecture method, case study method group discussion, quiz method, external field visits, and so on.
There is hardly any interference on the part of the top management in the methods adopted by the employee. However, the top management may intervene only when the quality of work outcome is adversely affected.
The greatest advantage of this method is the employee can gain high level of job satisfaction. The greatest disadvantage of this technique is that some employees may misuse the flexibility to their own advantage, which may adversely affect the interest of the organisation.
- MEANING
Recruitment is a process of searching and attracting candidates to apply for jobs in the company. Recruitment facilitates selection of employees.
In the words of Edwin Flippo, "Recruitment is a process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for jobs."
- SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT
The sources of recruitment refer to the areas of recruitment from which the potential employees can be attracted to apply for the job and accordingly get selected. The sources of recruitment can be broadly divided into two groups:
I. Internal Sources
The internal sources refer to sources from within the company. Their various internal sources are as follows:
1. Transfers:
The vacancy can also be filled through internal transfers. An existing executive who is experienced and capable of handling the duties in the new department can be transferred.
2. Retired Managers:
At times, retired managers may be recalled, especially for a short duration, when it is difficult to find a suitable candidate for the post from which the manager has retired. Also, young mothers may retire early to take care of kids. Once the kids grow up, their company may recall such employees.
3. Internal Advertisements:
The company may also display on its notice boards or on its website or inform the departmental heads of a vacancy at executive levels. Accordingly, interested candidates may apply for the position.
4. Promotions:
When a vacancy arises at a higher level, qualified and experienced employee from within the company can be promoted at the higher level. For instance, an understudy candidate may be promoted to the post of his superior who has retired or promoted or transferred.
- Advantages of Internal Sources:
- It improves morale of the company personnel.
- There is no need for induction training especially in respect of company-related information.
- It develops loyalty of the employees towards the organisation. The internal candidates are familiar with rules and policies of the organisation.
- It is economical as there is no need to advertise the jobs in external media.
- It is also time saving as there is need to conduct interviews of several candidates.
- Demerits of Internal Sources:
- There may be bias or partiality in promoting or transferring personnel from within the company.
- It prevents outside candidates with innovative ideas, fresh thinking and dynamism from entering the company.
- It offers limited scope for selection and there is a possibility of not finding the required executive within the company.
- It may generate discontent among those who are not promoted.
- It requires well maintained confidential reports of employees so that the right executive is promoted or transferred.
II. External Sources
It refers to sources from outside the company. It includes:
1. Consultants:
Firms may take the help of consultants to select executive manpower for their organisation.
2. Campus Recruitment:
The company's recruitment committee may visit campus of educational institutions and recruit the candidates.
3. Advertisements:
Advertisement of the vacancy can be inserted in newspapers or business magazines. The ads can also be placed on the job related web-sites on the internet such as naukri.com monsterindia.com, etc.
4. Recommendations:
The company may also recruit executives on the basis of recommendations from existing managers or other reference.
5. Other External Sources:
There can be various other external sources, such as head hunting, deputation of personnel by parent company, etc.
- Advantages of External Sources:
- There may be less bias in selection as outside candidates have less scope in influencing selection decisions.
- It encourages outside candidates with talent and innovative ideas to join the organisation.
- It offers wider scope in selection as large number of candidates may appear for the selection process.
- It does not require well maintained confidential records.
- Demerits of External Sources:
- It may affect loyalty of the existing manpower towards the organisation.
- It requires induction training to the new recruits.
- It is time consuming due to tests and interviews of large number of candidates.
- It is also expensive because of advertisements and other expenses.
Selection is a process of choosing right person for the right job. The selection process consists of a series of steps as follows:
The flow chart indicates major steps in selection process.
1. Job Analysis:
The first step in selection process is analysing the job. Job analysis consists of two parts:
- Job Description, and
- Job Specification.
Proper job analysis helps to advertise the job properly by clearly stating the duties, qualifications, experience, salary, etc. Accordingly, the right candidates may apply for the job, thus saving time and effort of the selectors.
2. Advertising the Job:
The next step is to advertise the job. The job can be advertised through various media such as newspapers, internet, etc. The right details about the job and the candidate requirements must be given in the advertisement.
3. Initial Screening:
The initial screening can be done of the applications and of the applicant. Usually, a junior executive does the screening work The executive may check on the experience, age, qualifications family background of the candidate. The candidate may be informed of salary, working conditions, etc.
4. Application Blank:
It is a company's format to obtain standard information of every candidate in respect of biographic, academic, references, work experience, etc. The application blank provides:
- Inputs for the interview.
- The basis to reject candidates who do not meet eligibility criteria.
5. Tests:
Various tests are conducted to judge the ability and experience of the candidates. The type of tests depends upon the nature of job. An important advantage of tests is that large group of candidates can be tested at a time. The various tests are:
- Personality test
- Intelligence test
- Performance test
- Stress test, etc.
6. Interview:
It is face to face exchange of views, ideas and opinions between the candidate and interviewer(s). There are various types of interviews such as:
- Panel Interview
- Individual Interview
- Group Interview
- Exit Interview, etc.
7. Reference Check:
Candidate may be asked to provide references to confirm about the applicant s past life, character and experience. Reference check helps to:
- Know the character and other details of the candidate.
- Cross check false information supplied by candidate, if any.
8. Medical Check:
Medical check of the candidates is undertaken to:
- Check physical fitness of the candidate.
- Ensure the health and safety of other employees.
9. Final Interview:
Before making a job offer, the candidates may be subjected to one more oral interview to find out their interest in the job and their expectations. At this stage, salary and other perks may be negotiated.
10. Job Offer:
This is the most crucial and final step in selection process. A wrong selection of a candidate may make the company to suffer tor a good number of years. Company should make a very important decision to offer right job to the right person.
The E-Selection refers to Online selection of employees. It is the process of hiring the potential candidates for the vacant job positions, i using the electronic means, mainly the internet.
Nowadays, companies use internet to reach to a large number of job seekers and hire the best talent for the company. The time and cost in e-selection is comparatively as compared to physical selection process.
E-Selection includes the process of identifying the prospective candidates, conducting tests and interviews online, and selecting the right candidates as per the job requirement.
Generally, the job vacancies are advertised on the World Wide Web www) by the potential recruiters. In response to the online recruitments ads, the potential applicants send their CVs or resume online for the consideration of the potential employers for the purpose of selection.
- Methods/Techniques of E-Selection:
1. Online Applications:
Potential candidates can make job applications online with the qualifying details with reference to biological data, qualifications, experience, etc. The online application details are the candidates is then transferred on the employer's data bank in a particular format as desired by the employer.
2. Key Word Search:
It is the method of screening the applications received online with the help of software to locate key words that may be used by the candidates in the resume. For example, the key words may relate the experience of the candidate in terms of number of years, qualifications that are relevant to the job, (for marketing manager- MBA in marketing), institution where the candidate acquired the qualification (for CA- Institute of Chartered Accountants of India), graduate level work experience or volunteer level experience, topic of research, etc.
The best example of KWS is by submitting CV on LinkedIn with the key words, which the recruiters may be looking for. The potential recruiters may screen the key words and short list the candidate.
The KWS software would be executed on a large number o CVs received and screen them to short list the candidates for further selection process which may include online tests and online interviews.
This technique of screening is really quick as the applicants who did not use the key words in their CVs would be weeded or sorted out quickly. However, there are certain drawbacks in this technique - some the qualified applicants may use some other words rather than the actual key words, and therefore they may be rejected.
3. Online Testing:
Under online testing, applicants can access test questions on a web site, answer and summit their responses to the prospective employers.
Various tests can be conducted online depending on the type of the job. The various tests may include:
- Performance Test
- Aptitude Test
- Perception Test
- Interest Test, etc.
The online test is quick as large number of candidates can long in at the same time to answer the test. Also, the results can be processed quickly with the help of computerized assessment. However, the online assessment is criticized as the candidates may adopt malpractices. For instance, a proxy candidate may get appear for the online test or the actual candidate may get assistance for responses from another person sitting close by (not facing the camera of the computer).
Online Interviews: Communication technology enables live interactions between
the candidate(s) and the interviewer(s). The candidates can answer various types of online tests, which may include:
- Formal and Informal Interviews
- Individual and Group Interviews
- Structured and Unstructured Interviews
- Panel Interview, etc.
The technologies used to conduct applicants interviews online are video-conferencing technology (such as Skype Video Call, WhatsApp Video Calling, etc.), which allow for video and audio streaming between different locations across the globe.
5. Online Reference Check:
The candidate provides references (name, address, contact number, e-mail address of two or three persons holding good positions in the society and known to the candidate) in their application so that the recruiter can check candidate s bona fides or credentials.
The potential employer may check online or through telephone with the references about the character, experience, qualifications or any other information known to them about the potential candidates. If the references give response in favour of the candidate, the potential employer may select the candidate for employment.
6. Final Online Interview:
The employer may conduct a final online interview before the job offer. This interview may be conducted by a panel of experts or executives of the company. In the final online interview, the terms and conditions of job offer are discussed and finalized. In India, a good number of firms would prefer a combo final interview before the final job offer. The combo final interview is a combination of online interview and face-to-face interview. The face-to-face interview is specially desired when the candidate has limited or no job experience.
In the face-to-face interview, the interviewers can judge properly the body language of the candidate and also there is a personal touch to the interview.
- Advantages of e-Selection
It is cost-effective as lot of time, money and effort of the employer is saved.
Time and effort of the interviewee is also saved. For instance, the interviewee need not travel to the physical place of the interview.
The information about the vacancy can reach to a wider section of potential candidates.
There is a wider choice of selection of candidates even from distant geographical locations.
Facilitates the selection of right type of people with the required skills.
Online selection helps the potential employers to weed out their unqualified candidates in an automated way.
On-line ads of vacancies have a longer life as compared to ads in newspaper and magazines, because the vacancy ad will remain on the website until the potential employer removes it from the website.
The potential employer can modify the vacancy ad as and when it is required as changes can be easily made in the online vacancy ad on the website.
Reference-
- manan prakashan - commerce 6
- wikipedia
- your article library
- management study guide