Unit 30 - Business Resources

1. Unit 30 - Business Resources OCR Cambridge TEC - Level 3 Certificate/Diploma IT LO1 - Know how human resources are managed

2. Unit 31 Scenario • Learners could be asked to use a job advertisement for an organisation with which they are already familiar, such as through part-time employment, work experience or as a customer. They could then work in small groups to identify all of the stages involved in the process prior to issuing the job advertisement, as well as a list of the stages involved after the job has been advertised. This could be followed up with research and the collection of various examples of recruitment documents. Learners could then use these to create a set of documents which could be used by the organisation advertising the job. A great deal of information is likely to be available on the organisation’s website, but it would be helpful if a visit from someone who works in a Human Resources department could be arranged. • Learners could select a job advertisement that interests them, and undertake research into the skills that are required for the chosen role. This would provide an opportunity for learners to find out more about a role that they have an interest in, and allow them to compare their skills with those required by the job role they have chosen. It would be useful for learners to visit careers advice organisations and careers websites in order to find out the particular skills that are required for certain jobs. Some websites provide an interactive facility that enables learners to gain a profile of their own skills which they should find interesting to do.

3. LO1 - Assessment Criteria

4. Assessment Criteria – P1, P2 and M1 • For P1 and P2, Learners could produce a guide for applicants on the recruitment documentation used within a selected organisation. The guide should use a specified job role as an example and describe the recruitment documentation and the main employability, personal and communication skills required when applying for the specified job role. • For Merit criterion M1, learners could create a report for the management team which analyses the recruitment documentation that is used by the selected organisation.

5. P1.1 - Human resources - Recruitment • Human resources is “the function within a business organisation that monitors the availability of qualified workers; recruits and screens applicants for jobs; helps select qualified employees; plans and presents appropriate orientation, training, and development for each employee; and administers employee benefit.” (www.minnesotalife.com/about/glossary_pages/glossary_h.asp) • In short Human Resources is a department within every company that deals with the needs of the employees and staffing needs within a company. Within this function there are sections of control that Human resources deal with. • Recruitment and retention of staff – When a company needs new staff, more staff or is struggling to keep the current staff, Human Resources will be the people within the business who deals with this. In terms of finding new staff this could mean Job Agencies, placing adverts, interviewing potential staff or recruiting from within. This is a large part of their daily work. Think of a school and the staff turnover, the promotions, all the interviews going on. What you see is just a part of this, for every new member of staff there are 4 people on average to interview, check references, applications to read and that is just those who are called. Similarly for retention, it could be promotion, more money, different duties etc.

6. P1.1 - Human resources - Recruitment • Contracts of Employment – When a company needs new staff, more staff or change the levels of a current member of staff, Human Resources, with the consent of management, draw up a Contract of Employment that states legally the terms and conditions of employment for that member of staff. This is a legal document, and states the roles and duties the staff member will be held to. • At the date of hiring that employee will have the right to negotiate the terms of the contract. For instance part of a Teaching contract is Parents Evening attendance, hours of duty, Subject specifics, Pay and a list of other things. Anything added to the contract after acceptance can again be negotiated and refused. • Job Descriptions – Human Resources will draft the job description on behalf of the management and HOD. This will be agreed with all parties before a job advert is placed and is available to the prospective employee or applicant. This Job description outlines the duties of the member of staff, and is usually global in its expectation. Prospective employees read this by prospective employees to see if they are up to the task. For instance a checkout person might be expected to stock shelves as well, the job description will make this clear.

7. P1.1 - Human resources – Monitoring and Standards • Resource requirements– there are 2 kinds of resources within companies, human and physical, Human resources organise and manage the Human side of this but will play a part in the physical side of this if it benefits the Human side. Have not got enough computers, Human resources will look into it, rooms, facilities, technical resources etc. if it benefits staff and their daily job then HR will deal with it. For instance, if I need an SEN for a lesson, HR will deal with it along with the SEN department. If I need to take the day off, then HR will allocate replacements. • Relationships with other departments – HR is seen as the gel between departments, they are the go to people, when it comes to internal conflicts, work being slow because of others, reliant jobs not getting done, departments do not face each other off, HR does this. On a larger scale this is called Industrial and Employee Relations and HR works with Unions to resolve or manage problems. They are also responsible for giving confidential advice to internal 'customers' in relation to problems at work.

8. P1.1 - Human resources – Monitoring and Standards • Monitoring of performance – Within every company staff are monitored, to make sure they are doing their job right, to make sure they are behaving, to make sure they are getting on with other and with customers. When any of this is not happening right, Human resources are responsible for the management of training needs for these staff, organising internal or external training, cataloguing the success or failure of that training and improving the efficiency of the company. For instance in a school we would find training, fill in the application, give it to Human Resources, they would confer with Admin, Management and HOD’s and agree to this or dismiss it. It is their duty to organise it but not justify it. • Setting standards of behaviour– Internal conflicts happen, one staff member does not like another, disagrees, cannot work with, struggles to compromise etc. The larger the company and the departments, the more this is likely to happen., the more likely this is going to affect the business functions. Human resources, along with the members of staff, HOD’s and management will arrange conference on the disputation, find the solutions, organise the post decision and evaluate the success of the decision.

9. P1.1 - Human resources: • Incentives – HR is responsible for managing the incentives Management offer to staff. If pay needs a bonus added, HR organise with Admin the payments and transfers from other funds, if a member of staff takes on additional duties, HR organise with management the new salary. For some companies incentives include Allocated Car Parking, Bonuses, Petrol Money, time off, Crèche, stock discounts etc. It all depends on the company. Incentives give staff a reason to stay when more pay is not forthcoming, HR organise this with finance. • Sourcing - internal, external - Not all vacancies within a company can be filled from internally but a lot can. If a HOD position comes up within a school, HR will handle the internal applications, sort out who is best, organise interviews etc. If there is no internal candidate good enough, they will manage external candidates. They might source these from Job Sites, overseas sites, from other schools etc. Similarly when it comes to other resources, HR will source internally and then externally for equipment, training, support staff, replacements, covers etc. Whatever it takes to keep the business functioning. P1.1 – Task 01 – For a medium sized business, describe the functions of a HR department.

10. P1.2 – Recruitment Documentation • All companies with more than 20 staff will source internally and externally for staff suitable for an IT job position. Using the company selected for Task 1, you will need to source and store the recruitment documentation for a job you are familiar with. This information should include: • The Job Advertisement • A Job Application Form • A Job Description • An equal opportunities form • Or a Recruitment Pack • Once you have downloaded these you will need to produce a guide for applicants on the recruitment documentation used within your selected organisation. • The guide should use a specified job role as an example and describe the recruitment documentation and the main employability, personal and communication skills required when applying for the specified job role. P1.2 – Task 02 – Identify and discuss all of the stages involved in the process prior to issuing the job advertisement, as well as a list of the stages involved after the job has been advertised. • These will include the functions of HR prior and during the application process.

11. P1.3 – Recruitment Documentation • Using the information from the Job application and recruitment documentation found, you have been asked to produce a guide for internal staff of your company to explain the recruitment processes. For this you will need to evidence examples of the process from the documentation and explain the importance of each document found and the purpose of that document in finding the appropriate member of staff for the job. • For this guide you might use the following sections: P1.3 – Task 03 - Produce a step by step guide for internal staff of your company based on recruitment documentation to explain the recruitment processes.

12. M1.1 – Recruitment Documentation • Not all documentation and procedures work well. Look at the turnover of your own school, do staff stay longer than 5 years, have you had classes where you have different teachers every few months. There are also teachers who have stayed for 30 years or more. Is this down to the recruitment policies, or does the school choose ambitious teachers and then is surprised when they move on. M1.1 – Task 04 - Create a report for the management team which analyses the recruitment documentation that is used by the selected organisation, suggesting improvements to the procedures. • For example:

13. P2.1 - Employability and personal and communication skills • Within every Job expectation there are skills that are necessary to gain or demonstrate. These are not necessarily qualifications gained through courses or from School and University. Qualifications are important, they get you to the interview door, when there are a lot of applicants the company will first narrow down the pile to those qualified, if the pile is still large (10 or more) then they will narrow it down to those suitable. • For this task you will need to keep the documentation found for the specific job you are interested in or can discuss. Going through the documentation you will need to explain and show evidence of where the application asks for job skills. From these you will need to explain the main employability skills and personal communication skills the applications and job specifications are asking for. You should show this through the application form as well as the job specification and interview process to demonstrate understanding. P2.1 – Task 5 - Describe the main employability and personal and communication skills required when applying for a specific job role.

14. P2.1 - Employability and personal and communication skills • Qualifications - These are important in any job application, not only does it show that you know the work but it also demonstrates what kind of applicant you are. If your grades are C standard at GCSE and there are few of them, this indicates to the company that you are the kind of person who did not try hard in the past. And if you’re A Level grades or predicted grades match these, then this indicates that you are still that kind of student. This may not be true, there may be circumstances but you do not get to decide or argue this in the application pool. In terms of employability what are they asking for, what standards are indicated. • Experience – This is the counter balance to qualifications and makes up for the lack. If you have industry experience, this shows that you have tried in the past, that you have decided that this is where you want to be and is not some new fad you are thinking about. The more experience in the same field the better, this shows ambition, enthusiasm, willingness. A complete lack of relevant experience does not show willing, and can indicate that you are a short termer, in it for the money. In terms of employability, would a company want to hire someone without experience, train them and then go through the process when the employee realises they do not like it.

15. P2.1 - Employability and personal and communication skills • Knowledge – This can be gained through Qualifications, Experience or self promotion. Jobs tend to list a series of things they would prefer you know about, MS Office, Photoshop, certain kinds of Machines, EPOS etc. But knowledge can be ethereal as well, customer care, data handling, dealing with clients, world affairs, oversees knowledge etc. Hard to prove so they do not ask for evidence but they will ask for a paragraph in the letter of application, something they will then question at the interview. Specifically they are looking for knowledge that can be adapted, qualification in French might mean adaptable knowledge of Italian, Qualification in Geography might mean knowledge of transport infrastructures. • Negotiation – A lot of jobs will expect negotiation in terms of staff and customers. Suppliers negotiate all the time, dealing with them means compromise, persuasion, industry knowledge, firmness, integrity etc. With staff, specifically when it comes to team work, negotiation is linked heavily to compromise. As an employability skills this is difficult to prove at interview, or demonstrate on an application form. For some jobs like share trading, certain sales and business positions, this will be a necessity.

16. P2.1 - Employability and personal and communication skills • Interpersonal skills – This can cover a range of things like knowledge and is hard to prove and always questioned. This will show up at an interview and can cover a range of things such as: • Punctuality - always being on time or having things ready on time • Respectful • Honesty - acting truthfully at all times • Integrity- Adheres to standards and procedures, maintains confidentiality and questions inappropriate behaviour / acting in a way that is open and honest / not being influenced by others to act inappropriately • Fairness - sticking to the rules without having a negative effect on others • Dependability- people know you will do the job and do it well • Reliable- people can trust you and in your work • Flexibility - Adapt successfully to changing situations and environments • Determination • Hard Working - taking care with your work and persevere to complete tasks • Drive - Determination to get things done; make things happen and constantly looking for better ways of doing things • Career Minded • Personal Impact/Confidence - Presents a strong, professional, positive image to others which inspires confidence and commands respect • Lifelong Learning - Continues to learn throughout life. Develops the competencies needed for current and future roles • Professionalism - Pays care and attention to quality of work / supports and empower others • Stress Tolerance - Maintains effective performance under pressure

17. P2.1 - Employability and personal and communication skills • Ability to work as part of a team– All jobs will involve working as part of a team sooner or later and knowing that you can work with others is a necessity. Like negotiation this is hard to prove and always questioned. This will show up at an interview and can cover a range of things such as: • Work and Team Playing ability – Being able to manage a situation for the best results • Having the ability to work confidently within a group and to inspire a work ethos in co-workers in order to achieve a goal • The ability to work with others (including different ages, cultures, work ethics etc.) to deliver results as planned to customers and clients who may be from different backgrounds and at different stages of development, skill sets or levels of interest • Working with management and administration staff in order to achieve the best results that compromises company and customer needs • Commercial Awareness – To understand commercial realities and restrictions affecting the business • Knowing current trends (sales/ technologies/ government guidelines/ legislation/ customer needs/ short and long terms goals/ the market place and market trends) • Being aware of the style and ability of immediate rivals, taking this into consideration in terms of analysis and preparation • Pro-active – Being able to making things happen, pre-empting situations, showing initiative including active participation and contributions. Not everyone can be the team leader but everyone can contribute. • Co-operative – Being able to work well with others to get job done, compromising situations for a time planned result, knowing when to let go or take control, working parties, development groups, sharing company objectives through a wider scope of activity. • Responsibility - Being able to accept ownership of a situation, clarifying what you have done, owning the decisions and actions made so the action and responsibility can be attributed either successfully or unsuccessfully.

18. P2.1 - Employability and personal and communication skills • Interviewing skills – Interviewing skills works both ways, demonstrating that you have interviewing skills to interview others is a good employability skill but difficult to prove without experience but demonstrating your own skills is more vital. Some people are just good at interviews, listeners, being able to ask the right question, standing out without being too loud, answering questions directly, knowing how to answer questions they do not know the answer to. In interviews a lot of questions reoccur such as: • Why do you want to work here • What do you feel you can contribute to the company • Where do you see yourself in 5 years • These are designed to make you think outside the box, to test your ability to answer when there is no real acceptable answer. • Time Management –Again difficult to show, it may appear on your references, this is about completing tasks as well as attendance. There are those who always complete things on time but not necessarily to a high degree, there are those who work overtime to get it done, putting in the hours, and there are those who organise until there is no time left to achieve the task. There is nothing on your CV except your personal statement that might indicate this so demonstrating it is all down to interview techniques. This includes meeting deadlines, leaving time for evaluation, being reliable, putting your job ahead of your social life, being able to allocate tasks and responsibilities for the greater good.

19. Assessment Tasks – P1, P2 and M1 P1.1 – Task 01 – For a medium sized business, describe the functions of a HR department. P1.2 – Task 02 – Identify and discuss all of the stages involved in the process prior to issuing the job advertisement, as well as a list of the stages involved after the job has been advertised. P1.3 – Task 03 - Produce a step by step guide for internal staff of your company based on recruitment documentation to explain the recruitment processes. M1.1 – Task 04 - Create a report for the management team which analyses the recruitment documentation that is used by the selected organisation, suggesting improvements to the procedures. P2.1 – Task 5 - Describe the main employability and personal and communication skills required when applying for a specific job role.