HR exam 1

attitude survey

A survey that focuses on employees' feelings and beliefs about their jobs and the organization

core competency

A unique capability that creates high value for a company

affirmative action

Proactive employment practices to make up for historical discrimination against women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities

job rotation

Process of shifting a person from job to job

Innovation

Process whereby new ideas are generated that create value for an organization

Retaliation

Punitive actions taken by employers against individuals who exercise their legal rights

Full HR audit

Reviews all of the above plus any and all other HR functions

I-9 audit

Reviews compliance with immigration regulations and the I-9 form requirement

Benefit programs audit

Reviews regulatory compliance, benefits administration, and reporting

Specific program audit

Reviews specific HR subareas such as compensation, EEO, or training

Hostile environment

Sexual harassment occurs when an individual's work performance or psychological well-being is unreasonably affected by intimidating or offensive working conditions

Quid pro quo

Sexual harassment that links employment outcomes to the granting of sexual favors

undue hardship

Significant difficulty or expense imposed on an employer when making an accommodation for individuals with disabilities

person with a disability

Someone who has a mental or physical challenge that greatly reduces the ability to perform important life functions, who possesses a record of such a challenge, or who is thought to have such a challenge

contingent worker

Someone who is not a full-time employee but is a temporary or freelance worker for a specific period of time and type of work

Intellectual property assets

Specialized research capabilities, patents, information systems, designs, operating processes, copyrights, and so on

HR metrics

Specific measures of HR practices

Focusing on the future

Strategic planning requires leaders to think about the future based on past experiences.

Workflow analysis

Study of the way work (inputs, activities, and outputs) moves through an organization

job analysis

Systematic way of gathering and analyzing information about the content, context, and human requirements of jobs

Effectiveness

The ability of a program, project, or task to produce a specific desired effect or result that can be measured

Strategic HR management

The appropriate use of HR management practices to gain or keep a competitive advantage

environmental scanning

The assessment of external and internal environmental conditions that affect the organization

human capital

The collective value of the capabilities, knowledge, skills, life experiences, and motivation of an organization's workforce

organizational mission

The core reason for the existence of the organization and what makes it unique

Efficiency

The degree to which operations are carried out in an economical manner

organizational commitment

The degree to which workers believe in and accept organizational objectives and want to remain employed at a company

Motivation

The desire that exists within a person that causes that individual to act

Employee engagement

The extent to which an employee's thoughts and behaviors are focused on his or her work and their employer's success

Productivity

Measure of the quantity and quality of work done, considering the cost of the resources used

Reduction in Work Hours or Compensation

managers may temporarily reduce work hours. Selected groups of employees may have their workweek reduced, or all employees could be asked to take a day or week off without pay.

Understanding what to measure

Metrics are a vital part of assessing success, which means identifying metrics that are linked to business goals.

nepotism

Practice of allowing relatives to work for the same employer

organizational core values

Principles that create the operating philosophy for organizational decisions

business necessity

A practice that is necessary for safe and efficient organizational operations

The role of HR as a strategic business partner is often described as

"having a seat at the table" and contributing to the strategic direction and success of the organization. That means HR is involved in devising and implementing strategy.

Generation Z

- Born since the mid-1990s. - This cohort highly prizes workplace flexibility and student loan repayment benefits, and these workers expect employers to utilize social media platforms as a primary communication method. - - As this generation enters the workforce, intergenerational diversity issues will become even more complex, requiring greater adaptability of HR practices.

Four important factors in changing culture include the following

- Define the desired behaviors. Provide behavioral examples of how people are expected to act and tie these behaviors to the performance management system, - Deploy role models. Select leaders who exemplify the desired behaviors and make them visible throughout the organization, Provide meaningful incentives. - Reward the role models with recognition to reinforce their behavior and to signal to the rest of the organization. - Provide clear and consistent messages. Align what you say with what you do and reward Continued change efforts are needed to bring all employees to a one organization mentality.

HR must be involved during workforce adjustments to ensure that the organization does not violate any of the nondiscrimination or other laws governing workforce reductions.

- Selection criteria for determining which employees will be laid off must comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as well as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The risk of social media is

- Some fear that its use will lead to disclosure of trade secrets such as customer lists and many other problems. - Some managers also worry that negative comments made by employees will harm a firm's reputation.

Mobile devices

- The HR department should also work closely with IT professionals to establish practices that will be the most beneficial. There should be a close working relationship between the Chief Information Officer and Chief Human Resource Officer. - companies need to be selective about what types of information are available on mobile devices. - They should select apps that make information easily accessible and can be used with multiple devices.

Expectancy Theory

- This theory of motivation suggests that motivation is influenced by what people expect. - If expectations are not met, people may feel that they have been treated unfairly and consequently become dissatisfied. - This theory states that individuals base decisions about their behaviors on their expectations that one or another alternate behavior is more likely to lead to desired outcomes

Questionnaires

. A survey instrument that identifies job factors is developed ahead of time by human resource professionals and/or other managers, and this questionnaire is given to employees and managers to complete.

HR forecasting should be done over ____ planning periods

3

Offshoring

A company's relocation of a business process or operation from one country to another

Due diligence

A comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the business being acquired

affirmative action program (AAP)

A document that outlines proactive steps the organization will take to attract and hire members of underrepresented groups

HR audit

A formal research effort to assess the current state of an organization's HR practices

balanced scorecard

A framework organizations use to report on a diverse set of performance measures

reasonable accommodation

A modification to a job or work environment that gives a qualified individual an equal employment opportunity to perform

Strategy

A plan an organization follows for how to compete successfully, survive, and grow

For instance, when the following programs exist, an ethical culture often develops, and ethical behavior is encouraged

A written code of ethics and standards of conduct, Training on ethical behavior for all executives, managers, and employees, Advice to employees on ethical situations they face, often given by HR, Systems for confidential reporting of ethical misconduct or questionable behavior, Public recognition and commendation when employees behave ethically

VUCA

An acronym standing for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous

gig economy

An economy where most work is performed by freelance workers rather than full-time employees

Organizational trust

An employee's feeling of confidence that the organization will act in a way that benefits rather than harms him or her

HR analytics

An evidence-based approach to making HR decisions on the basis of quantitative tools and models

exit interview

An interview in which individuals who are leaving an organization are asked to explain their reasons

stay interview

An interview that focuses on why employees want to continue working for the organization

multinational corporation (MNC)

An organization that has facilities and other assets in at least one country other than its home country

phased retirement

Approach that enables employees to gradually reduce their workloads and pay levels

Loyalty

Being faithful to an institution or employer

Job simplification

Breaking a more complex job into relatively small subparts

Job enlargement

Broadening the scope of a job by expanding the number of different tasks that are performed

Physical assets

Buildings, land, furniture, computers, vehicles, equipment, and so on

Financial assets

Cash, financial resources, stocks, bonds or debt, and so on

Job redesign

Changing existing jobs in different ways to improve them

bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)

Characteristic providing a legitimate reason an employer can exclude persons on otherwise illegal bases of consideration

Compliance audit

Checks recordkeeping on state and federal documentation requirements

Strategy

Companies feel they do not communicate their strategy clearly, finding it difficult to be flexible as they expand to other markets.

Having a seat at the strategic table

Companies must include HR professionals in discussions about strategy and encourage them to provide input.

Complexity

Complexity arises as standardization of processes clashes with local needs, and sharing the cost of distant centers increases the expense of local operations.

unit labor cost

Computed by dividing the average cost of workers by their average levels of output

triple bottom line

Considers the organization's impact on three major areas—economic, social, and environmental

Organizational culture

Consists of the shared values and beliefs that give members of an organization meaning and provide them with rules for behavior

Operational and employee advocate

Managing HR activities based on the strategies and operations that have been identified by management and serving as "champion" for employee issues and concerns

glass ceiling

Discriminatory practices that have prevented women and minority status employees from advancing to executive-level jobs

task

Distinct, identifiable work activity comprised of motions that employees perform

Marginal job functions

Duties that are part of a job but that are incidental or ancillary to the purpose and nature of the job

Work

Effort directed toward accomplishing results

Prioritizing business goals

Efforts that have the greatest impact on the business and its objectives are emphasized first.

Risk

Emerging market opportunities expose companies to unfamiliar risks that may be difficult to analyze, which results in sometimes rejecting approaches they perhaps should have taken.

Involuntary Turnover

Employees are terminated for poor performance or work rule violations, or through layoffs

Voluntary Turnover

Employees leave by choice

status-blind

Employment decisions that are made without regard to individuals' personal characteristics

Equal employment opportunity

Employment that is not affected by illegal discrimination

Internal Supply

Estimating internal supply considers the number of external hires and the employees who move from their current jobs into others through promotions, lateral moves, and demotions. It also considers that the internal supply is influenced by transfer and promotion policies, and retirement policies, among other factors.

People

Executives feel their companies are not good at transferring lessons from one country to another and are not sufficiently effective at recruiting, retaining, training, and developing people in all geographic locations.

Direct competitors

Failure to consider the competitive labor market and to offer pay scales and benefits comparable to those of organizations in the same general industry and geographic location may cost a company dearly in the long run.

the balanced scorecard measures performance in four areas

Financial measures, Internal business processes, Customer relations, Learning and growth activities

Benefits associated with having a dedicated HR department

Firms that implement effective HR practices tend to have better outcomes such as higher profits, increased stock price, and greater productivity, than those that do not use such practices.

Administrative

Focusing on clerical administration and recordkeeping, including essential legal paperwork and policy implementation

net migration

For example, in the past decade, the populations of some U.S. cities in the South, Southwest, and West have grown rapidly and provide sources of labor. However, areas in the Northeast and Midwest have experienced declining populations or net outmigration, which affects the number of people available to be hired.

essential job functions

Fundamental job duties

international competition

Global competition for labor intensifies as global competitors shift jobs and workers around the world, something that is seen when jobs from the United States are outsourced to countries with cheaper labor.

Job

Grouping of tasks, duties, and responsibilities that constitutes the total work assignment for an employee

Being knowledgeable about business operations

HR professionals must understand how the business works and know why certain strategies are important components.

Strategic

Helping define and implement the business strategy relative to human capital and its contribution to the organization's results

Churn

Hiring new workers while laying off others

Job enrichment

Increasing the depth of a job by adding responsibility for planning, organizing, controlling, and/or evaluating the job

protected characteristics

Individual attributes that are protected under EEO laws and regulations • Age • Color • Disability • Genetic information • Marital status (some states) • Military status or experience • National origin • Pregnancy • Race • Religion • Sexual orientation (some states and cities)

Competencies

Individual capabilities that can be linked to enhanced performance by individuals or teams

Human assets

Individuals with their talents, capabilities, experience, professional expertise, relationships, and so on

Dysfunctional Turnover

Key individuals and high performers leave

duty

Larger work segment comprised of several tasks that are performed by individuals

Functional Turnover

Lower-performing or disruptive employees leave

Managerial Straitjacket

Managers and supervisors may be concerned that the job analysis and job descriptions will unrealistically limit their flexibility. Since workloads and demands change rapidly, managers and supervisors may elect to move duties to other employees, cross-train employees, and have flexible means available to accomplish work.

person-job fit

Matching the characteristics of people with the characteristics of jobs

prevalent myths and realities around turnover that exist

Money is the main reason people leave, Hiring has little to do with retention, If you train people, you are only training them for another employer, Do not be concerned about retention during organizational change, If high performers want to leave, the company cannot hold them.

Alternate work arrangements

Nontraditional schedules that provide flexibility to employees

Responsibilities

Obligations that individuals have to perform certain tasks and duties within a job

Organizational citizenship behavior

Occurs when an employee acts in a way that improves the psychological well-being and social environment of an organization

Disparate impact

Occurs when an employment practice that does not appear to be discriminatory adversely affects individuals with a particular characteristic so that they are substantially underrepresented as a result of employment decisions that work to their disadvantage

disparate treatment

Occurs when individuals with particular characteristics that are not job related are treated differently from others

Social media

Online communities where users create and share content and participate in networking

self-directed team

Organizational team composed of individuals who are assigned a cluster of tasks, duties, and responsibilities to be accomplished

special-purpose team

Organizational team formed to address specific problems, improve work processes, and enhance the overall quality of products and services

virtual team

Organizational team that includes individuals who are separated geographically but who are linked by communications technology

Job design

Organizing tasks, duties, responsibilities, and other elements into a productive unit of work

External Supply

The external supply of potential employees available to the organization can be ascertained. Government estimates of labor force populations, trends in the industry, and many more complex and interrelated factors must be considered. •Net migration into and out of the area •Individuals entering and leaving the workforce •Individuals graduating from colleges and other schools •Changing workforce composition and patterns •Economic forecasts for the next few years •Technological developments and shifts •Actions of competing employers •Government regulations and pressures •Circumstances affecting persons entering and leaving the workforce

Pay equity

The idea that pay for jobs requiring comparable levels of knowledge, skill, and ability should be similar, even if actual duties differ significantly

Job Incumbent

The individual currently working in the job is an obvious starting point for collecting job information. The job incumbent should know the details of tasks and duties that he or she is performing, the tools and equipment used, and all other aspects of the job. However, the job incumbent may not be performing all the tasks and duties that are expected, possibly due to lack of skills or training. Therefore, additional information should be obtained from others who know the job.

Immediate Supervisor

The individual who supervises the job being analyzed has an important perspective on the job. The supervisor is aware of what constitutes adequate job performance, the worker attributes that lead to success, and the conditions under which the job is supposed to be performed.

short range

The most used planning period of six months to one-year forecasts for the immediate HR needs of an organization.

Equity

The perceived fairness of what the person does compared with what the person receives for doing it

labor force participation rate

The percentage of the population working or seeking work

job satisfaction

The positive feelings and evaluations derived from an individual's employment in a job

Turnover

The process in which employees leave an organization and have to be replaced

Human resource planning

The process of analyzing and identifying the need for and availability of people so that the organization can meet its strategic objectives - The focus of HR planning is ensuring that the organization has the right number of people with the right capabilities at the right times and in the right places.

Benchmarking

The process of comparing an organization's business results to industry standards or best practices

Strategic planning

The process of defining organizational strategy, or direction, and allocating resources toward its achievement

Succession planning

The process of identifying a plan for the orderly replacement of key employees in the organization hierarchy

psychological contract

The unwritten expectations employees and employers have about the nature of their work relationships

coordination waste

The use of poor business approaches such as bureaucratic policies, poorly managed meetings, and low teamwork and collaboration can cause much of this decreased productivity

Work Sampling

This method allows a job analyst to determine the content and pace of a typical workday through statistical sampling of certain actions rather than through continuous observation and timing of all actions. Work sampling is particularly useful for routine and repetitive jobs because the factors of work do not change significantly from one day to the next.

Clients or Customers

Those individuals who are served by the jobholder can also offer a unique perspective as they have a notion of what they expect the individual to do when serving them. For example, a customer at a bank would have an important idea of what a teller should do when handling transactions and interacting with the customer.

Outsourcing

Transferring the management and performance of a business function that the business might have done itself to an external third-party service provider

Triangulation

Two (or more) methods are used in a study to increase validity of the results

HR leaders can provide their perspectives and expertise to operating managers by doing the following

Understanding what to measure Having a seat at the strategic table Being knowledgeable about business operations Focusing on the future Prioritizing business goals

Sexual harassment

Unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work environment

Forecasting

Using information from the past and present to predict future conditions

burden of proof

What individuals who file suit against employers must prove to establish that illegal discrimination has occurred

O*Net

an online database containing information on a wide range of jobs and occupational characteristics. Functional job analysis uses a competency approach to job analysis, and a functional definition of what is done in a job can be generated by examining the three components of data, people, and things.

Racial and ethnic minorities such as Hispanics and African Americans

account for a growing percentage of the overall labor force. Immigrants will continue to expand that growth. An increasing number of individuals characterize themselves as multiracial, suggesting that the American "melting pot" is blurring racial and ethnic identities.

HR leaders can address these issues by

adopting an interdisciplinary business approach (e.g., working with marketing, operations, and finance staff), connecting with outside constituencies, identifying critical organizational challenges, and facilitating organizational change.

The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act

an amendment to the ADEA and protects employees who sign liability waivers for age discrimination in exchange for severance packages during reductions in force.

Employee Fears

an analysis of their jobs will limit their creativity and flexibility by overly formalizing their duties. They may also be concerned about pay deductions or even layoffs as a result of job analysis. - However, having accurate, well-communicated job descriptions can assist employees by clarifying their roles and the expectations within those roles. One effective way to handle anxieties is to involve employees in the revision process so that there is some employee input and ownership of the compiled information.

The starting point for evaluating internal workforce readiness is

an audit of the jobs that are expected in the planning period. A comprehensive analysis of all current jobs provides a basis for forecasting what jobs will need to be done in the future. • What jobs exist now, and how essential is each job? • How many individuals are performing each job? • What are the reporting relationships of jobs? • What are the critical KSAs needed in the jobs? • What jobs will be needed to implement future organizational strategies? • What are the characteristics of those anticipated jobs?

The Rehabilitation Act was passed in 1973 and represents the earliest law regarding individuals with disabilities.

applies only to federal contractors and requires them to take affirmative action to employ workers with disabilities based on steps outlined in the contractor's AAP. The OFCCP established a rule that federal contractors should set a utilization goal of 7 percent for people who have disabilities

Frederick Herzberg's motivation/hygiene theory

assumes that one group of factors, motivators, accounts for increases in individual motivation because of enrichment and other positive work characteristics. Alternatively, hygiene factors can cause employees to become dissatisfied with work if these basic expectations are not adequately addressed; however, hygiene factors do not directly motivate employees.

Feedback

is the amount of information employees receive about how well or how poorly they have performed.

Significant issues facing contemporary organizations include

building the "organization of the future," delivering a superior employee experience, and capitalizing on diversity and inclusion.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act states that

it is illegal for organizations to discriminate in any way based on a person's sex, race, national origin, color, and/or religion. Coverage includes hiring decisions, terminations, promotions, demotions, compensation, working conditions, and many other personnel actions.

Employee Surveys

can be used to diagnose specific problem areas, identify employee needs or preferences, and assess employee perceptions of HR activities.

Performance-reward linkage

considers individuals' expectations that high performance will actually lead to rewards. The performance-reward relationship indicates how instrumental or important effective performance is in producing desired results.

Workforce Downsizing

cutting employees. Layoffs on a broad scale have occurred with frightening regularity in recent years. Trimming underperforming units or employees as part of a plan that is based on sound organizational strategies may make sense. - research shows that it frequently fails to produce improved financial results and, in some cases, leads to even worse performance than if the layoffs had not taken place.

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

displaced workers can retain their group medical coverage for up to 18 months for themselves and for up to 36 months for their dependents, if they pay the premiums themselves.

Voluntary Separation Programs

employees volunteer to leave, organizations can reduce the workforce while also minimizing legal risks. Firms often entice employees to volunteer by offering additional severance, training, and benefit payments.

Effort-performance expectations refer to

employees' beliefs that working harder will lead to high performance. If people do not believe that working harder leads to high performance, then their efforts may diminish.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), enacted in 1986, requires that:

employers verify the employment eligibility status of all employees, while not discriminating because of national origin or ethnic background. Regardless of company size, every employer must comply with the provisions of the act and may not knowingly hire unauthorized workers for employment in the United States.

The EEOC

enforces employment laws for employers in both private and public workplaces. For example, the EEOC provides insight into how companies should use job candidates' criminal history to make hiring decisions, specifying that information should be used consistently across individual cases and be evaluated for job-related reasons.

The OFCCP

enforces employment requirements set out by executive orders for federal contractors and subcontractors. Yet, there can be boundaries to such enforcement.

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act

ensures that employees have adequate notice of plant closings or mass layoffs. This law requires private and commercial organizations that employ 100 or more full-time workers who have worked more than six months in the previous year to give a 60-day notice before implementing a layoff or facility closing that involves more than 50 people.

hygiene factors

factors that eliminate job dissatisfaction but don't motivate • Interpersonal relationships • Company policy/administration • Supervision • Salary • Working conditions

The DOL

has broad enforcement power and oversees compliance with many employment-related laws.

different ways in which HR professionals can help firms be more competitive

hiring good employees, placing them in the right jobs, and rewarding them fairly.

Value of rewards refers to

how valuable the rewards are to the employee. One determinant of employees' willingness to exert effort is the degree to which they value the rewards offered by the organization.

Job Analyst

individuals whose sole job is analyzing other jobs. While they lack discipline-based knowledge of each job, they are familiar with a variety of work settings in which they have seen similar jobs and can provide comparative information about the job under study.

Organizational restructuring

involves eliminating layers of management and changing reporting relationships as well as cutting staff through downsizing, layoffs, and early retirement buyout programs;

Human resource management

is designing formal systems in an organization to manage human talent for accomplishing organizational goals.

There is/is no legal requirement to provide severance benefits, and loss of medical benefits is a major problem for laid-off employees.

is no

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

may be former jobholders, technical experts, or even college teachers who prepare individuals for certain jobs. SMEs can provide insight into technical aspects of a job and may have knowledge of how the particular job is handled in other organizations. SMEs are especially useful when there is no current job incumbent.

Aligning HR activities

means ensuring that HR efforts and practices are consistent with organizational efforts to improve productivity and satisfy strategic goals; and

A second need-based theory was developed in the 1960s by David McClelland. His three needs theory states that individuals are driven by three primary needs

need for power need for affiliation need for achievement

long-range forecast

plans extend beyond three years.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967, amended in 1978 and 1986

prohibits discrimination in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment against all individuals age 40 or older employed by organizations having 20 or more workers

Outcomes

received by a person are the rewards received in exchange for their inputs. Includes pay, benefits, recognition of achievement, prestige, and any other rewards received. Can be either tangible, which can include economic benefits (such as money) or intangible (such as recognition or achievement).

Millennials (also called Generation Y) are an emerging group of workers in organizations today

represent 75 percent of the workforce by the year 2025. These individuals value jobs that allow them to make a social impact, offer retirement investment options, respect their time for family, and provide for their personal development.

Interviewing

requires a manager, job analyst, or human resource specialist to talk with individuals who are knowledgeable about the job. A standardized interview form is often used to record the information and ensure greater consistency. Both the employee and the employee's supervisor should be interviewed to obtain complete details about the job.

Employee Diary/Log

requires employees to "observe" their own performance by keeping a diary/log of their job duties, noting how frequently those duties are performed and the time required for each one.

OWBPA

requires employers to disclose the ages of both terminated and retained employees in layoff situations, and a waiver of rights to sue for age discrimination must meet certain requirements. The worker must be given something of value ("consideration"), typically severance benefits, in exchange for waiving the right to sue. When a group of employees is laid off, workers over age 40 in this group must be granted 45 days in which to consider accepting severance benefits and waiving their right to sue.

The primary reasons HR functions are outsourced are to

save money on HR staffing and to take advantage of specialized vendor expertise and technology.

Maslow's well-known hierarchy of needs theory specifies the following five levels of human needs

self-actualization needs esteem needs belonging and love needs safety and security needs physiological needs

The two main enforcement bodies for EEO

the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

Autonomy

the extent of individual freedom and discretion in the work and its scheduling. More autonomy leads to a greater feeling of personal responsibility for the work.

Task identity

the extent to which the job includes a recognizable unit of work that is carried out from start to finish and results in a known consequence. For example, when a customer calls with a problem, a customer specialist can handle the stages from maintenance to repair in order to resolve the problem.

Skill variety

the extent to which the work requires several activities for successful completion. For example, higher skill variety exists when a production line worker performs many different tasks when assembling products such as adding components, inspecting item quality, and packaging

Task significance

the impact the job has on other people and the organization as a whole. A job is more meaningful if it is important to other individuals and the company.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and most state wage/hour laws require that

the percentage of time employees spend on manual, routine, or clerical duties affects whether they must be paid overtime for hours worked in excess of 40 hours a week. To be exempt from overtime, employees must perform their primary duties as executive, administrative, professional, or outside sales employees. Primary has been interpreted to mean occurring at least 50 percent of the time.

Human Capital

the skills and knowledge gained by a worker through education and experience

Intermediate range forecast

usually project one to three years into the future

Inputs

what a person brings to the organization, including educational level, experience, productivity, loyalty, knowledge, and other skills or efforts.

Attrition and Hiring Freezes

when individuals quit or retire and are not replaced. no one loses a job, but those who remain must handle the same workload with fewer people. Unless turnover is high, attrition will eliminate only a relatively small number of employees in the short run, but it can be a viable alternative over a longer period.

Redesigning work

which often involves making changes to the way work gets done by focusing on the characteristics of jobs and altering how tasks are structured and coordinated;

Outsourcing analyses

which require the HR department to conduct cost-benefit assessments that indicate the overall positive or negative impact of outsourcing—HR then manages outsourcing efforts if they occur.

The following should be considered when developing HR metrics and analytics

• Accurate data can be collected. • Measures are linked to strategic and operational objectives. • Calculations can be clearly understood. • Measures provide information valued by executives. • Results can be compared both externally and internally. • Measurement data drive HR management efforts.

Motivators

• Achievement • Recognition • Work itself • Responsibility • Advancement

Any organization meeting one of the following criteria must comply with rules and regulations that specific government agencies have established to enforce the act

• All private employers of 15 or more employees • All educational institutions, public and private • State and local governments • Public and private employment agencies • Labor unions with 15 or more members • Joint labor-management committees for apprenticeships and training

Companies may avoid liability if they take reasonable care to prohibit sexual harassment, which can include the following steps

• Establish a sexual harassment policy. • Communicate the policy regularly. • Train employees and managers on issues related to sexual harassment. • Encourage reporting with a positive culture. • Investigate when complaints are voiced and take appropriate action.

HR strategic contributions

• Evaluating mergers and acquisitions for organizational compatibility, potential structural changes, and future staffing needs; • Conducting workforce planning to anticipate the retirement of employees at all levels and identify workforce expansion in organizational strategic plans; • Leading site selection efforts for new facilities or transferring operations to international locations on the basis of workforce needs; • Instituting HR management systems to reduce administrative time, equipment, and staff costs with technology; • Working with organization leaders to change organizational culture; and • Identifying organizational training opportunities that will more than pay back the costs.

Additional HR management efforts that can enhance productivity are detailed in Figure 1-3. Among the major ways to increase employee productivity are

• Organizational restructuring • Redesigning work • Aligning HR activities • Outsourcing analyses

The areas of difficulties are as follows

• Strategy • People • Complexity