Human Resources – Organisational Structures, Recruitment & Selection, Motivating Employees, and Training (Video Notes)

Organisational structure

The way a business arranges itself to carry out its activities.

Organisational chart

A plan showing the roles of, and relationships between, all the employees in a business.

Director

Responsible for overarching goals and long-term planning.

Managers

Work on short- and long-term goals; responsible for a function and efficient use of resources.

Team leaders/supervisors

Report problems, help achieve targets, and make some day-to-day decisions.

Shop floor workers

Carry out the business’s basic activities.

Line manager

An employee’s immediate superior or boss.

Authority

The power to control others and to make decisions.

Span of control

The number of employees directly managed by a supervisor.

Levels of hierarchy

The layers of authority within a business.

Chain of command

The line of authority along which communication passes.

Delayering

Removing one or more levels of hierarchy from an organisation’s structure.

Delegation

Passing down of authority to more junior employees.

Flat organisational structure

Wide span of control and few levels of hierarchy; managers oversee many juniors and delegate more.

Tall organisational structure

Narrow span of control with many levels; easier to monitor but less decision-making power at lower levels.

Most appropriate structure

Depends on skills of the workforce, management style, and competition.

Communication

Exchange of information between two or more people.

Downward communication

Information moving from the top of the organisation to the bottom.

Upward communication

Information moving from the bottom to the top of the organisation.

Horizontal communication

Information passed at the same level in the hierarchy.

Methods of communication

Meetings, video conferencing, telephone, emails, intranets, letters.

Decentralisation

Distributing decision-making authority to employees in all areas of the business.

Advantages of decentralisation

Reduces pressure on senior managers; motivates employees by giving authority; can lead to faster, more specific decisions.

Challenges of decentralisation

Requires clear overall aims and good communication; may require training and alignment with business goals.

Recruitment

The process of finding and appointing new employees.

Diversification

Selling new products in new markets.

Retention

The proportion of a business’s workforce who remain with the business over a period (usually one year).

Internal recruitment

Filling a job vacancy from within the existing workforce.

External recruitment

Filling a job vacancy from outside the business.

Job analysis

The collection and interpretation of information about a job.

Job description

States the duties and tasks that make up a particular job.

Person specification

Outlines the qualifications and skills required for a job.

Job advertisement

A public announcement of a job opening.

Job title

The name or title of a job.

Hours and place of work

The location and scheduled hours for the job.

Duties and tasks

The main tasks and responsibilities of the job.

Qualifications

Formal credentials required for the job.

Professional qualifications

Recognised professional credentials relevant to the role.

Ability to work as part of a team

Teamworking skills and suitability.

Experience

Prior work experience required or preferred.

Recruitment process

Steps: need for new employees, job description/person spec, job ad, applications, shortlist, interviews/assessments, select, inform candidates.

Productivity

Quantity of goods or services produced by an employee over a period.

Quality

The extent to which customers’ requirements are met.

Customer service

Activities aimed at meeting customers’ needs as fully as possible.

Contract of employment

Legal document stating hours, pay, duties, and other employment conditions.

Full-time employment

Hours equal to the normal working week (typically 35–40 hours).

Part-time employment

Fewer than the normal number of working hours per week.

Job share

Two or more employees share responsibilities of a single job.

Zero hours contract

Allows employers to hire staff without any guaranteed hours of work.

Motivation

Range of factors that influence people to behave in certain ways—financial and non-financial.

Job enrichment

Designing a job to give interesting and challenging tasks.

Fringe benefits

Extras beyond pay, such as a company car or subsidised gym membership.