Workforce Flexibility and Employee Management, Summaries of Business Mathematics

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Activity 1: Human Resources

Before we get started on Learning Aim C, let’s see what you already know about

Human Resources. Answer the questions below.

1. What is meant by the term Human Resources?

2. What do you imagine a member of staff in the human resources department

does?

3. Do you want to work in HR in the future? Justify your decision either way.

Potential answers could include: Human resources are the people who are employed by a business to bring value and help the business achieve its aims through their skillset, experience, and ability. Potential answers could include :  Hiring and firing employees  Developing employees through training etc.  Developing policies relating to employees  Supporting managers to make decisions and develop strategies for employees Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended.

Activity 3: Labour Market Analysis

You work in the HR function of a recruitment agency business and the owner has asked you to read two reports and create a presentation (6 slide max) which summarises the key findings and how the business may be impacted. The reports are:

1. Labour Market Outlook: Autumn 2020
2. Labour Market Overview: November 2020 Once you have created the presentation you should add screenshots of each slide into space provided below. Slide 1 Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Slide 2 Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Slide 4 Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Slide 6 Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended.

Activity 4: The Impact of Globalisation

on Human Resource Planning

Watch the video which investigates the cost of globalisation and complete the tasks below. Video link: The Cost of Globalisation

1. In your own words, define globalisation and explain how it links to human resource planning.
2. Businesses such as Coca Cola and Apple operate on global basis with a worldwide workforce. What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation on the Human Resource Planning for businesses such as Coca Cola and Apple?
3. Is using a global workforce in the supply chain to produce a product such as the iPhone ethical? Justify your point of view either way. Slide 5 Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Slide 3 Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Potential answers could include:  "the process enabling financial and investment markets to operate internationally, largely as a result of deregulation and improved communications" (Collins)  It increases the amount of employees a business has to choose to employ if they operate on a global scale, providing them with greater employment opportunities, but also a vast array of cultures and diversity from employees all over the world which can cause problems if not managed correctly. Potential answers could include: Advantages:  Access to a bigger labour market  Cheaper labour  Relaxed employment laws  Increased efficiency Disadvantages:  Could be deemed unethical  Potential for pressure groups to campaign and bad press  May lose customers to competitors who produce all their products in the country it is sold. Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended.

3. Compare the skills required for a range of roles at Tesco (minimum of 3) and identify any common themes across the roles and skills Tesco are looking for in their employees. (research the roles so you have a better understanding).
4. Evaluate and justify the role which you believe you are most suited to personally according to your current skill level.
5. Critique the importance of HR continually assessing the skillset of their employees against what is required from the role. Potential answers could include: This is dependent on the 3 different roles the students choose, however common themes could include:  People skills  Communication  Listening  Patience  Decision making  Time keeping  Initiative  Resilience Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Potential answers could include:  To ensure the business has the right mix of people to meet the standards required for he business to meet the needs and wants of its target market e.g. Tesco need to ensure they are the right mix of skills within the workforce, ranging from people skills for customer facing employees so customers have a good shopping experience to logistical skills for people working in distribution.  Business is continually changing and evolving at a rapid pace; therefore businesses need to ensure their people evolve and develop the skills to keep up. For example, the coronavirus pandemic has meant businesses such as Tesco currently require more skilled employees on the logistical and technological side of the business due to the rise of online shopping.

Activity 6: Experience

Complete the following tasks below on the importance of experience in business.

1. What is your current level of experience in the workplace? i.e. what have you done before in the workplace? Do not just list the job title, ensure you include your role, responsibilities, and types of tasks that you have experience of completing (you may have no experience).
2. Find two jobs vacancies that your current level of experience would make you suitable for and one which you do not currently have the required level of experience for. Once you have identified the three job vacancies, clarify your viewpoint on the required levels of experience for each vacancy, is it a fair expectation or unjust? Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended.

Activity 7: Educational level

Complete the following tasks focused on levels of education below.

1. what educational level do you want to get to and why?
2. Identify your dream job or career, what education requirements does this have at entry level and does this change as you progress up the career ladder?
3. Which is better for developing your educational level: an apprenticeship or university? Critique both options, consider the benefits and drawbacks and come to a justified conclusion. Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended. Potential answers could include: Apprenticeship advantages:  Learning real life skills on the job  Can get support from experienced colleagues  Already in work and started your career Apprenticeship disadvantages:  Only available in specific industries  Can be very rigid i.e. you may only work for one business in one role  Funding requirements Degree advantages:  Increased earning potential  Extracurricular activities to develop skills  Can do multiple work placements alongside the course to test different industries or jobs Degree disadvantages:  Can have a lack of direction i.e. degrees can be quite broad  Very competitive jobs market for graduates  Potential to be over qualified and student debt. 

Activity 8: The Nature of the Work and the Characteristics Required to Perform

Work Roles

Examine and compare the characteristics required to work in the two differing roles at McDonald’s outlined below:

• The first role is a Degree Apprenticeship Programme
• The second role is a Customer Experience Leader Your task is to write a short report to the HR team at McDonald’s outlining how the two roles differ, providing a rank order and justifying the importance with examples of the skills, qualifications, aptitudes, and education levels required for each role. Potential answers could include: Degree Apprenticeship Programme:  Study a Business Management degree whilst learning how to become a leader on the job  Previous education required to get onto the programme due to requirement of studying at university  Earn while you learn with the potential to become a store manager Customer Experience Leader:  Study a Customer Service Apprenticeship (Level 2). This qualification is equivalent to five GCSEs grade A*-C (level 4-9) whilst working.  Leading on the customer service and experience in store.  No previous education required. Skills and aptitudes for both roles are similar, however the Customer Experience Leader top requirement is excellent customer service skills, whereas the Degree Apprenticeship programme top requirement is leadership skills. Both roles include the following:  People skills  Communication  Listening  Patience  Decision making  Time keeping  Initiative  Resilience

Activity 10: Zero Hours Contracts

Read the news article about Sports Direct from 2013 when 90% of their employees were on zero hour contracts and write an open letter to Mike Ashley which covers the following points:  Acknowledges the benefits of having 90% of staff on zero-hour contracts for both the employees and Sports Direct as a business.  Critiques the approach, emphasising the drawbacks of utilising zero-hour contracts, especially on such a vast scale. Ensure you include supporting examples of the potential impact it could have on employees and the performance of the business in general.  Conclude and make a justified recommendation for change if you believe it is required. Potential answers could include: Advantages of zero-hour contracts at Sport’s Direct  Help the business to manage and reduce the cost of labour in periods of slow trade  A variety of zero-hour employees to choose form when hours are required and available  Provides Sports Direct with vast amounts of power as an employer through pressure tactics such as potentially taking bonus away or not offering hours in the future to employees who did not take them when offered.  Provides flexibility for staff who may require it for personal reasons. Disadvantages of zero-hour contracts at Sport’s Direct  Bad press  Poor staff morale leading to decreased employee motivation and productivity  Increased staff turnover  Poor quality standards  May lose customers to competitors who deem zero-hour contracts to be unethical etc.

Activity 11: Need for Flexibility in the Workforce

Complete the crossword below based on the different types of employees and contracts available to support flexibility in the workforce.

Activity 13: Labour Turnover (expressed in words and numbers)

The table below shows the workforce structure of a local supermarket chain. A restructure took place in 2017 and the HR manager has asked you to complete the table by calculating the labour turnover rates for both Managers and Shop Floor Staff between 2015 and 2019 (round percentages to two decimal places), before providing clarification and advice on the following queries underneath the table of data. 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Managers 16 16 10 10 10 Full-time Shop Floor Staff

Part-time Shop Floor Staff

Number of Managers Which Have Left

Number of Shop Floor Staff Which Have Left

Staff Turnover (%) Managers

(1/16 x 100)

(1/16 x 100)

(6/10 x 100)

(4/10 x 100)

(4/10 x 100) Staff Turnover (%) Shop Floor Staff

(6/60 x100)

(7/64 x 100)

(6/68 x 100)

(10/71 x 100)

(16/71 x 100)

1. Identify any key changes or trends in the data above which should be bought to the attention of the HR Manager? List any factors you identify below with a supporting reason.
2. Analyse what has happened to the labour turnover rate for both Managers and Shop Floor Staff over the 5 years of data available, explaining any factors which could have influenced the rates along the way and what impact it could have on the future of the business. Potential answers could include:  A huge increase in staff turnover of managers in 2017 which has stayed at high levels since.  Staff turnover for shop floor staff was relatively steady for the first three years but has increased dramatically in 2018 and 2019. Potential answers could include:  The increased staff turnover could be due to serious issues within the business such as: o Poor working conditions. o Management styles, o Increased workload and expectations for managers and potentially shop floor staff since the restructure.  If this trend continues over the long term, it could have a very detrimental impact on the business such as: o Development of a poor workplace culture, within which the business may struggle to attract and hire new employee. o Decreased employee morale, motivation, and productivity leading to the business performing poorly and profit levels reducing. o Increased costs due to ongoing recruitment needs and employee training.

Activity 14: Skill Shortages

If a business faces a skills shortage should they recruit new employees or train existing employees? Make comparisons between the two options, analysing the benefits and drawbacks of each, with supporting examples where either option may be suitable. Potential answers could include: Advantages of recruiting new employees:  Should already have the skills and experienced required, therefore reducing training time and they will in turn make an impact quicker and increase productivity immediately.  May have fresh ideas to improve the business, potential to see things differently. Disadvantages of recruiting new employees:  May not have worked in the specific industry before, so would need to learn all the processes and expectations etc.  May need time to adapt and adjust to the culture of the business.  May come with a premium cost due to their skillset. Advantages of training existing employees:  Experienced in the business’ specific setting, so may already know most processes etc.  Already aware of the business’ culture etc.  No recruitment costs and may not need to pay a market premium. Disadvantages of training existing employees:  Increased training costs.  Lost productivity until training is complete and the necessary skills have been developed.

3b. Mabel has requested to cancel the additional hours she has agreed to work and has also requested to take two weeks off as holiday which is not usually acceptable due to it being the busiest period of trade for the business. If the manager allows Mabel to cancel the overtime or accepts the holiday request, the business will struggle to keep up with the demand of customers. However, Mabel is extremely stressed, and her performance will suffer, and it may even result in her going off sick if her requests are not accepted. What do you think Mabel’s Manager should do? Justify your response, ensuring you consider the short and long-term benefits and potential drawbacks of recommendation/s. Potential answers could include: If Mabel’s Manager does accept Mabel’s request, she may feel valued and grateful that the business supported her when she needed it the most. Therefore, over the long-term, Mabel’s commitment to the business may increase when she returns, which could lead to improved levels of productivity and quality in her work. However, in the short term the store may struggle to meet the demands of its customers during the busy Christmas period. If Mabel’s Manager does not accept Mabel’s request, she may come into work which increases the likelihood of the store meeting the customer demand over the Christmas period in the short term. However, as Mabel is stressed her performance may suffer as a result and the customer experience could be poor. Also, this may lead to Mabel going off sick over the Christmas period anyway or soon afterwards, ultimately increasing the chances of her leaving as she does not feel valued and supported, thus increasing labour turnover.

Activity 16: Absenteeism (expressed in words and numbers)

Answer the following question about absenteeism.

1. Compare how absenteeism directly impacts a business in comparison to its employees.
2. Either choose a business you have worked at or one where you have studied at and answer the following questions:  Is/ was absenteeism an issue or not?  What impact does/ did absenteeism have?  What policies and management practices did they have in place to manage absenteeism and would you change anything? Potential answers could include: Impacts a business:  Decreased productivity and quality across the business as they have less employees working.  Increased costs through covering the employee’s shift aswell as paying sick pay etc.  Customer experience may suffer if the business cannot adequately cover the employee’s absence. Impacts its employees:  Increased expectations and workplace stress for staff who must cover the absent employee’s role.  Decrease in morale and motivation.  Potential to make mistakes and quality to be impacted. Task is based on student’s opinion; therefore, peer discussion/assessment and tutor feedback are recommended.