Workforce planning and the human resource flow

What is a form of staff development?

A A job description

B A person specification

C An apprenticeship

D An award scheme

A toy manufacturer wants to improve the way the business promotes itself. So far, it has been unable to do so due to a skills gap.

Which option would fix this problem?

A Advertise for more production workers so that more toys can be made

B Encourage the most innovative toy designers to apply for new roles

C Order better raw materials to improve the quality of the toys

D Recruit a marketing specialist with experience in the toy industry

Text 2 _{Adapted from www.denbypottery.com/all-about-denby?srsltid=AfmBOoqCmocamsMH7YokKTzrUcPD76_Yb_lZHqS-OTu8re8Rckdj-bKS and rocketreach.co/denby-pottery-company-ltd-profihttps://nohat.cc/f/common-daisy-clip-art-flower-clip-art/6481725316136960-201812162124.htmlle_b5d79652}Denby Pottery Company Ltd (Denby)

State two methods of selecting new employees.

Explain three reasons why Denby trains its production employees.

Analyse one advantage for Denby of using price skimming.

Analyse one impact on Denby of a shareholder objective.

Analyse one impact on Denby of a customer objective.

Recommend whether Denby should focus more on the objectives of shareholders or the objectives of customers. Give a reason for your answer.

What is not a benefit to a golfing equipment retailer of training its sales assistants?

A To help staff give advice on which golf clubs to buy

B To increase the sales of golf umbrellas and waterproof clothing

C To motivate staff to assist customers who are trying on golf shoes

D To reduce the time it takes to make golf bags and golf trolleys

Text 2 C & J Clark International Ltd (Clarks)

Clarks is a successful UK footwear brand with ranges for children, women, and men. Their market is very competitive. Clarks employs specialist designers who create new shoe styles in response to fast-changing fashion trends. The designers interpret quantitative data carefully when planning new shoe styles.

The designers work closely with employees from other functional areas of the business, such as marketing, finance, and retail, to ensure that the new shoe styles meet customers’ needs profitably.

Clarks works hard to retain its team of designers, as they are central to its success. However, Clarks sometimes needs to recruit new designers and uses several selection methods to help find the best person available to fill the vacancy.

State two aspects of employment law that may affect a business.

Analyse one advantage for Clarks of interpreting quantitative data when designing new products.

Explain three reasons why employee retention is important for Clarks.

Analyse one advantage for Clarks of using interviews to select new designers.

Analyse one advantage for Clarks of using references to select new designers.

Recommend whether using interviews or references is likely to be more effective for selecting new designers. Give a reason for your answer.

What would be included in the job description for a hospital doctor?

A A list of the medical qualifications required

B An ability to listen carefully to patients’ concerns

C Previous experience of working in a hospital

D The main duties of medical staff when working in a hospital

Text 2

HSBC

HSBC offers a range of banking and financial services for personal and business customers. The bank has branches in many cities and towns across the UK.

Employing the best people is important to HSBC. It uses several methods to select new employees. Once appointed, all employees are offered training and development opportunities that include studying for academic qualifications such as degrees and professional diplomas.

Over 70% of HSBC’s call centre employees in the UK have begun working from home permanently. Before this change the employees worked together in a busy call centre. The tasks performed by call centre employees are varied, but include taking telephone calls from customers and completing administrative work, such as opening new bank accounts. Senior managers are now considering whether to introduce working from home for all of its UK call centre employees.

State two methods that a business can use to select new employees.

Explain three methods of training HSBC may use.

Analyse one benefit for HSBC’s employees of studying for academic qualifications.

Analyse one advantage for HSBC of its UK call centre employees working from home.

Analyse one disadvantage for HSBC of its UK call centre employees working from home.

Recommend whether HSBC should introduce working from home for all of its UK call centre employees. Give a reason for your answer.

A business requires job applicants to submit a CV rather than an application form.

Which of the following is an advantage for the business of requiring a CV?

A Applicants are less likely to leave out essential information

B Applicants can explain why they are suitable for the job

C It requires the applicant to provide the names of two referees

D It shows an applicant’s ability to organise relevant information

A brewery wishes to start selling its beers directly to the public via the Internet. It has been unable to launch its own website due to a skills gap.

Which of the following actions would help to solve this problem?

A Employ more workers to increase the brewery’s output of beer

B Provide training to improve the staff’s product knowledge of the beers

C Purchase more computers and install the latest marketing software

D Recruit an IT specialist with experience in online trading

Text 1

Dyson

Disappointed with the performance of vacuum cleaners on the market, James Dyson thought he could design a better product. He started to create his first vacuum cleaner in the late-1970s. In 1984, after trying thousands of designs over several years, James Dyson launched a bagless vacuum cleaner in partnership with Amway, a US consumer goods manufacturer. This partnership did not work out, so James Dyson formed his own company in 1991.

Today, Dyson Ltd produces a range of home appliances including vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, heaters, hair dryers and lights. Creating new and innovative products continues to be important for the company, as seen by its expanding product range. The company has over 12 000 employees worldwide. Dyson Ltd has a unique organisational structure.

All new employees of Dyson Ltd go through an induction training programme. In addition, the company encourages employees to progress by offering apprenticeships and other staff development opportunities. James Dyson promotes careers in engineering, both in schools and in universities.

Explain one reason why businesses have different organisational structures.

Explain three entrepreneurial characteristics that have supported James Dyson’s success.

Analyse one likely reason why Dyson Ltd puts all new employees through an induction training programme.

Dyson Ltd offers apprenticeships as a method of staff development.

Identify two other methods of staff development that a business could offer.

Evaluate whether or not Dyson Ltd should continue to offer apprenticeship opportunities.

The manager of a petrol station uses on-the-job training to train new employees.

Which one of the following is a disadvantage of using on-the-job training to train three new sales assistants?

A Likely to be more expensive than sending the employees on a training course

B Motorists may experience lower standards of customer service

C No petrol can be sold while the training takes place

D The employees will be trained on different equipment to that at the garage

Which of the following is not a form of staff development?

A Academic qualifications

B Apprenticeships

C Induction

D Vocational qualifications

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Text 1

Waitrose

Waitrose is a supermarket chain with over 300 stores throughout the UK. Waitrose specialises in good quality food, targeted at customers with high levels of income. The company is owned by its employees, who receive a range of benefits including profit sharing. Waitrose continues to offer profit sharing to its employees, even though another UK supermarket chain has replaced this type of benefit with higher rates of pay.

Waitrose has over 50 000 employees. Many employees are recruited externally. As part of the selection process, potential employees take part in lengthy interviews, group activities and tests. References are requested for all new employees. Once appointed, all employees receive regular training.

The supermarket industry is very competitive, so new product development is important to Waitrose. Qualitative market research data is collected using methods including focus groups and customer trials. This data then needs to be communicated effectively between employees at Head Office.

Explain what is meant by a focus group.

Explain one advantage for Waitrose of using customer trials.

Explain one benefit for Waitrose of having good business communication between employees at its Head Office.

Explain one advantage for Waitrose of using external recruitment.

Analyse one likely reason why Waitrose provides its employees with regular training.

Waitrose is always considering new ways of motivating its employees.

Identify two non-financial methods of motivating employees.

Evaluate whether or not Waitrose should continue to offer profit sharing to its employees.