BUSINESS: U1: CH 14: approaches to staffing

hard HR model

Human Resources are managed as a cost

soft HR model

Human Resources are managed as an asset

hard HR model characteristics

-low pay / near minimum wage

-temporary / zero hour contracts

-lack of job security

-minimum holidays and fringe benefits

-minimum investment in training

soft HR model characteristics

-investment in attracting the right type of people

-investment in training and development

-job security through permanent contracts

-competitive pay structure, profit sharing

impacts of soft HR model

-better skilled workforce

-increased staff retention / lower staff turnover - reduces recruitment and selection costs

-improved motivation from workforce

impacts of hard HR model

-easier to adapt size of workforce according to business needs and demand

-lower short-term operating costs

-high staff rotation increases recruitment and training costs

-lower motivation of workforce

multiskilling

involves workers being able to take on a variety of different roles

multiskilling benefits and drawbacks

+increases in productivity from greater utilization of employees

+reduction in disruption to production caused by staff absence

+greater employee motivation created by more varied and challenging tasks at work

-potential loss of production as workers switch between diff tasks

-greater training requirements and costs

-workers reluctant to acquire new skills

part time employees

workers working less than the traditional 40 hour week, hired on a permanent or ongoing basis

part-time & temporary employees advantages and limitations

+cost control for the business

+work-life balance for the employee

-lack of job security for employee

-not very motivated
-expensive training required

-potential quality and productivity issues for the business

zero hour contracts

zero hour contracts are when employers are not obligated to provide a minimum number of working hours to employees and they aren't required to accept any work offered

zero hour contracts advantages and limitations for employer/business

+flexibility, ability to adjust workforce according to demand fluctuations

+cost-effectiveness: reduced labour costs and overhead expenses

-difficulty in building company culture, challenges in establishing consistent values and practices

-administrative complexity

-inconsistent quality

-lower employee loyalty, reduced commitment from workers affect performance

zero hour contracts advantages and limitations for employee

+flexibility, freedom to accept/decline as it suits their schedule

+work-life balance, manage time effectively

+supplemental income

-income instability, unpredictable earnings due to variable hours

-job insecurity, lack of guaranteed work affects quality

-limited benefits like paid leave or pension schemes

outsourcing

when a business delegates tasks to external providers rather than performing them in-house

outsourcing adv. and disadv.

+cost savings

+avoiding government regulation

+improved efficiency and productivity

-high degree of oversight required

-potential security risks

-negative PR impact

-lack of job security for employees

flexible working CHEK W BOOK

employee arrangements that allow employees to have greater control over when, where and how they work deviating from the traditional 9-5.

flexible working adv. lim employer/business perspective

+allows business to adapt to current market conditions

+reduce overheads/operating costs
+increased productivity/efficiency cuz choose own hours

-increased communication issues and team building issues

-more complex management issues

-increased training costs

-potential decreased quality issues

-decreased employee loyalty

flexible working adv. lim employee perspective

adv.

-work-life balance

-improved motivation

-greater employee satisfaction

-lower stress levels

limitations.

-limited pay opportunities

-decreased training opportunities

-decreased opportunities for promotion

-decreased job security

-increased stress levels

dismissal

when an employee is terminated from their job for reasons such as breaking company rules or violating the terms of their employment contract

redundancy

an employee is terminated from their job due to changes in the business or external factors, not because of the employees fault

delayering

process of removing any layers of management from an organizations hierarchical structure

trade union

organisations that represent people at work which exist to protect the rights of workers

collective bargaining

the process of trade union representatives negotiating on behalf of their worker member for better pay and conditions

collective bargaining adv. and disadv.

+may be more cost effective than individual negotiations

+rules and terms will more likely be respected by both parties

-negotiations can last long

-failure to agree consequence of strikes