This paper is the final written assignment in the course and is worth 25 points. Write a paper reflecting on the top five things you learned in the course. The paper needs to be at least one full page, each of the five items/concepts need to be thoroughly explained in your own words and in separate paragraphs, and you should include why you think these items/concepts are important. How have you applied these concepts in your personal/professional life and how might you use these concepts in your future? Please do not just list five things and say they are important because you will need to know them in your career. I am looking for well-thought out and supported responses. Please attach your paper as a Microsoft Word document. Video Tutorial | How to Submit an Assignmen Chap 1-2 summary Human resource management is the process of employing people, training them, compensating them, developing policies relating to the workplace, and developing strategies to retain employees. Three certification exams, which are offered by the Human Resource Certification Institute, can be taken to show HRM skills and become more marketable. Human resource management involves seven main areas: (1) staffing, (2) workplace policies, (3) benefits and compensation, (4) retention, (5) training, (6) employment laws, and (7) employee protection. Human resource managers need many different types of skills. Being able to organize, multitask, and communicate effectively, as well as having specific job skills, such as how to run a particular computer program, and a sense of fairness and ethics, is crucial to a successful career in HRM. There are many contemporary challenges associated with HRM. First, it is up to everyone in the organization to contain costs. HR managers need to look at their individual departments and demonstrate the necessity and value of their functions to the organization. HR managers can also help contain costs in several ways, such as managing benefits plans and compensation and providing training. The fast-changing nature of technology is also a challenge in HRM. As new technologies are developed, employees may be able to implement innovative ways of working such as flextime. HR managers are also responsible for developing policies dealing with cyberloafing and other workplace time wasters revolving around technology. Employee stress and lack of work-life balance are also greatly influenced by technology. Awareness of the changes in the economy allows the human resource manager to adequately plan for reductions and additions to the workforce. The aging and changing workforce is our final factor. As baby boomers retire, there likely will not be enough people to replace them, and many of the skills the baby boomers have may be lost. In addition, having to work with multiple generations at once can create challenges as different expectations and needs arise from multigenerational workforces. Human Resource Management (umn.edu) The essence of management and strategy is making sense of reality: human, organizational, and situational. And, more critically, to be able to act on that insight. From both an executive management and human relations management standpoint, strategy is about alignment: alignment of the mission, core values, culture, competitive strategy and supporting infrastructure, including policies and practices. As Jim Collins and Jerry Porras phrase it in Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies: “Building a visionary company requires one percent vision and 99 percent alignment.” Alignment also requires an understanding of human motivation and how to inspire a belief in and commitment to that vision. To quote Simon Sinek: “If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.” The following table summarizes both the strategic planning process and the implications for human resource strategy Chap3-4 The recruitment process provides the organization with a pool of qualified applicants. Some companies choose to hire internal candidates—that is, candidates who are already working for the organization. However, diversity is a consideration here as well. A job analysis is a systematic approach to determine what a person actually does in his or her job. This process might involve a questionnaire to all employees. Based on this analysis, an accurate job description and job specifications can be written. A job description lists the components of the job, while job specifications list the requirements to perform the job. IRCA stands for Immigration and Reform Act. This law requires all employers to determine eligibility of an employee to work in the United States. The reporting form is called an I-9 and must be completed and kept on file (paper or electronic) for at least three years, but some states require this documentation to be kept on file for the duration of the employee’s period of employment. The Patriot Act allows the government access to data that would normally be considered private, for example, an employee’s records and work voice mails and e-mails (without the company’s consent). The HR professional might consider letting employees know of the compliance with this law. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency charged with ensuring discrimination does not occur in the workplace. They oversee the EEO set of laws. Organizations must post EEO laws in a visible location at their workplace and also include them on job announcements. Related to the EEOC, the bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) makes it legal to discriminate in hiring based on special circumstances, for example, requiring the retirement of airline pilots at a certain age due to safety concerns. Disparate impact refers to a policy that may limit a protected EEO group from receiving fair treatment. Disparate impact might include a test or requirement that negatively impacts someone based on protected group status. An example is requiring a high school diploma, which may not directly impact the job. Disparate treatment refers to discrimination against an individual, such as the hiring of one person over another based on race or gender. HR professionals must have a recruiting plan before posting any job description. Many organizations use recruiters. Recruiters can be executive recruiters, which means an outside firm performs the search. For temporary positions, a temporary or staffing firm such as Kelly Services might be used. Corporate recruiters work for the organization and function as a part of the HR team. Campus recruiting can be an effective way of recruiting for entry-level positions. This type of recruiting may require considerable effort in developing relationships with college campuses. Almost every profession has at least one professional association. Posting announcements on their websites can be an effective way of targeting for a specific job. Most companies will also use their own website for job postings, as well as other websites such as Monster and CareerBuilder. Social media is also a popular way to recruit. Usage of websites such as Twitter and Facebook can get the word out about a specific job opening, or give information about the company, which can result in more traffic being directed to the company’s website. Recruiting at special events such as job fairs is another option. Some organizations have specific job fairs for their company, depending on the size. Others may attend industry or job specific fairs to recruit specific individuals. SIGs or special/specific interest groups are usually very specialized. For example, female project managers may have an interest group that includes a discussion board for posting of job announcements. Employee referrals can be a great way to get interest for a posted position. Usually, incentives are offered to the employee for referring people they know. However, diversity can be an issue, as can nepotism. Our last consideration in the recruitment process is recruitment costs. We can determine this by looking at the total amount we have spent on all recruiting efforts compared to the number of hires. A yield ratio is used to determine how effective recruiting efforts are in one area. For example, we can look at the number of total applicants received from a particular form of media, and divide that by the number of those applicants who make it to the next step in the process (e.g., they receive an interview) Chapter 6 A compensation package is an important part of the overall strategic HRM plan, since much of the company budget is for employee compensation. A compensation package can include salary, bonuses, health-care plans, and a variety of other types of compensation. The goals of compensation are first to attract people to work for your organization. Second, they can be used to retain people who are already working in the organization. Compensation is also used to motivate employees to work at their peak performance and improve morale of the organization. Employees who are fairly compensated tend to provide better customer service, which can result in organizational growth and development. Several types of pay systems can be implemented. A pay grade system sets up specific pay levels for particular jobs, while a going rate system looks at the pay throughout the industry for a certain job title. Management fit gives maximum flexibility for managers to pay what they think someone should earn. HR managers can also develop pay systems based on skills and competency and utilize a broadbanding approach, which is similar to pay grades. Another option might include variable pay. There are several motivational theories in regard to pay. First, the equity theory says that people will evaluate their own satisfaction with their compensation by comparing it to others’ compensation. The expectancy theory says people will put in only as much work as they expect to receive in rewards. Finally, the reinforcement theory says that if high performance is followed by a reward, high performance is likely to happen in the future. Other pay considerations include the size of the organization, whether the company is global, and the level of communication and employee involvement in compensation. HR managers should always be aware of what others are paying in the industry by performing market surveys. There are several laws pertaining to pay. Of course, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ensures that pay is fair for all and does not discriminate. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets a minimum wage and establishes standards for child labor. The Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) requires employers to pay unemployment taxes on employees. The Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) ensures that federal employees receive certain benefits. Besides salary, one of the biggest expenses for compensation is medical benefits. These can include health benefits, vision, dental, and disability benefits. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act(COBRA) was enacted to allow employees to continue their health insurance coverage, even if they leave their job. There are three main types of health-care plans. A fee-based plan allows the insured to see any doctor and submit reimbursement after a visit. An HMO plan restricts employees to certain doctors and facilities and may require a copayment and/or deductibles. A PPO plan is similar to the HMO but allows for more flexibility in which providers the employee can see. Pension funds were once popular, but as people tend to change jobs more, 401(k) plans are becoming more popular, since they can move with the employee. Profit sharing is a benefit in which employees receive a percentage of profit the organization earns. Stock ownership plans are plans in which employees can purchase stock or are granted stock and become an owner in the organization. Team rewards are also a popular way to motivate employees. These can be in the form of compensation if a group or the company meets certain target goals. Social Security and unemployment insurance are both required by federal law. Both are paid as a percentage of income by the employee and employer. Depending on the state, workers’ compensation might be a requirement. A percentage is paid on behalf of the employee in case he or she is hurt on the job. Paid time off, or PTO, can come in the form of holidays, vacation time, and sick leave. Usually, employees earn more days as they stay with the company. Communication with employees is key to a successful benefits strategy. This includes communication before implementing the plan as well as communication about the plan. Chap 8 Employee training and development is a necessity in today’s work environment. Training and development can lead to lower turnover and increased motivation. There are four basic steps to employee training: employee orientation, in-house training, mentoring, and external training. Different types of training can be delivered, each falling into the steps of employee training. These include technical or technology training, quality training, skills training, soft skills training, professional training, team training, managerial training, and safety training. Within the types of training, we need to determine which method is best for the actual delivery of training. Options include on-the-job training, mentor training, brown bag lunches, web-based training, job shadowing, job swapping, and vestibule training. Development of a training development framework is the first step in solidifying the training. Considerations and steps to developing the training framework include determining the training needs, delivery modes, budget, delivery style, audience, content, time lines, communication of the training, and measurement of the training. Career development programs can be an essential piece to the training puzzle. A comprehensive program or plan, either developed by employees or administered by HR, can help with motivation and fill the gap when people in the organization leave or retire. It can also be used as a motivational tool. Chapter 10-11 Performance issues in the workplace are common. Examples of performance issues include constant tardiness, too much time at work handling personal issues, mishandling of proprietary information, family issues, drug and alcohol problems, nonperformance, theft, and conflicts in the workplace. Employees choose to leave organizations for internal and external reasons. Some of these may include a mismatch of career goals, conflict, too high expectations, time-management issues, and a mismatch between job and skills. HR professionals should develop a set of policies that deal with performance issues in the workplace. The advantage to having such policies is that they can eliminate wrongful termination legal action. A mandated issue is usually one that deals with safety or legal issues that go beyond the workplace. An infringement of this type of issue requires immediate attention. A single incident may include a misstep of the employee, and the employee should immediately be spoken with about it, to ensure it doesn’t happen again. A behavior pattern occurs when an employee consistently exhibits a performance issue. This type of issue should be discussed with the employee and actions taken, such as providing more training, to ensure it does not continue. A persistent pattern occurs when an employee consistently exhibits a performance issue and does not improve, despite HR’s talking with him or her. At some point during the persistent pattern, disciplinary action will likely need to be taken. It is important to develop consistent procedures on how to record and handle disciplinary issues. Employee separation occurs in one of three ways. First, the employee resigns from the organization. Second, the employee is terminated for performance issues, and third, an employee absconds. Absconds means the employee abandons his or her job without submitting a formal resignation. In some cases, a severance package may be offered to the employee upon his or her departure from the organization. Rightsizing is a term used when an organization must cut costs through layoffs of employees. Development of criteria for layoffs, communication, and severance package discussion are all parts of this process. Employment at will means that an employer can separate from an employee without cause, and vice versa. Even though we have employment at will, a wrongful discharge can occur when there are violations of public policy, an employee has a contract with an employer, or an employer does something outside the boundaries of good faith. Whistleblowing is when an employee notifies organizations of illegal or unethical activity. Whistleblowers are protected from discharge due to their activity. A constructive discharge means the conditions are so poor that the employee has no choice but to leave the organization. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) is a law that requires companies of one hundred or more employees to notify employees and the community if fifty or more employees are to be laid off. A retaliatory discharge is one that occurs if an employer fires or lays off an employee because of a charge the employee filed. For example, if an employee files a workers’ compensation claim and then is let go, this could be a retaliatory discharge. The privacy of employees is an issue that HR must address. It is prudent to develop policies surrounding what type of monitoring may occur within an organization. For example, some organizations monitor e-mail, computer usage, and even postings on social network sites. Drug testing is also a privacy issue, although in many industries requiring safe working conditions, drug testing can be necessary to ensure the safety of all employees. A union is a group of workers who decide to work together toward a collective bargaining agreement. This agreement allows workers to negotiate as one, rather than as individuals. The Wagner Act, passed in 1935, addresses many issues related to workers’ unionization. The process of collective bargaining means to negotiate a contract between management and workers. HR is generally part of this process. Interest based bargaining occurs when mutual interests are discussed, rather than starting with a list of demands. Once an agreement is reached, HR is generally responsible for knowing the agreement and implementing any changes that should occur as a result of the agreement. One such example is understanding the grievance process. CHAPTER 11 SUMMARY A performance evaluation system is a systematic way to examine how well an employee is performing in his or her job. The use of the term systematic implies the process should be planned. Depending on which research you read, some believe the performance evaluation system is one of the most important to consider in HRM, but others view it as a flawed process, which makes it less valuable and therefore ineffective. The first step in designing a performance appraisal process is to determine how often the appraisals will be given. Consideration of time and effort to administer the evaluation should be a deciding factor. Many companies offer pay increases as part of the system, while some companies prefer to separate the process. Determining how this will be handled is the next step in the performance appraisal development process. Goals of the performance evaluation should be discussed before the process is developed. In other words, what does the company hope to gain from this process? Asking managers and employees for their feedback on this is an important part of this consideration. After determining how often the evaluations should be given, and if pay will be tied to the evaluations and goals, you can now sit down and develop the process. First, determine what forms will be used to administer the process. After you have determined what forms will be used (or developed), determine who will be the source for the information. Managers, peers, and customers are options. A 360 review process combines several sources for a more thorough review. There are some errors that can occur in the process. These include halo effects or comparing an employee to another as opposed to rating them only on the objectives. Performance evaluations should always be based on the actual job description. Our last step in the development of this process is to communicate the process and train our employees and managers on the process. Also, training on how best to use feedback is the final and perhaps most important step of the process. When developing performance appraisal criteria, it is important to remember the criteria should be job specific and industry specific. The performance appraisal criteria should be based on the job specifications of each specific job. General performance criteria are not an effective way to evaluate an employee. The rating is the scale that will be used to evaluate each criteria item. There are a number of different rating methods, including scales of 1–5, yes or no questions, and essay. In a graphic rating performance evaluation, employees are rated on certain desirable attributes. A variety of rating scales can be used with this method. The disadvantage is possible subjectivity. An essay performance evaluation will ask the manager to provide commentary on specific aspects of the employee’s job performance. A checklist utilizes a yes or no rating selection, and the criteria are focused on components of the employee’s job. Some managers keep a critical incidents file. These incidents serve as specific examples to be written about in a performance appraisal. The downside is the tendency to record only negative incidents and the time it can take to record this. The work standards performance appraisal approach looks at minimum standards of productivity and rates the employee performance based on minimum expectations. This method is often used for sales forces or manufacturing settings where productivity is an important aspect. In a ranking performance evaluation system, the manager ranks each employee from most valuable to least valuable. This can create morale issues within the workplace. An MBO or management by objectives system is where the manager and employee sit down together, determine objectives, then after a period of time, the manager assesses whether those objectives have been met. This can create great development opportunities for the employee and a good working relationship between the employee and manager. An MBO’s objectives should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, results oriented, and time limited. A BARS approach uses a rating scale but provides specific narratives on what constitutes good or poor performance. There are many best practices to consider when developing, implementing, and managing a performance appraisal system. First, the appraisal system must always tie into organization goals and the individual employee’s job description. Involvement of managers in the process can initiate buy-in for the process. Consider using self-evaluation tools as a method to create a two-way conversation between the manager and the employee. Use a variety of rating methods to ensure a more unbiased result. For example, using peer evaluations in conjunction with self and manager evaluations can create a clearer picture of employee performance. Be aware of bias that can occur with performance appraisal systems. Feedback should be given throughout the year, not just at performance appraisal time. The goals of a performance evaluation system should tie into the organization’s strategic plan, and the goals for employees should tie into the organization’s strategic plan as well. The process for managing performance evaluations should include goal setting, monitoring and coaching, and doing the formal evaluation process. The evaluation process should involve rewards or improvement plans where necessary. At the end of the evaluation period, new goals should be developed and the process started over again. It is the HR professional’s job to make sure managers and employees are trained on the performance evaluation process. Standards should be developed for filling out employee evaluations, to ensure consistency and avoid bias. The HR professional can assist managers by providing best practices information on how to discuss the evaluation with the employee. Sometimes when performance is not up to standard, an improvement plan may be necessary. The improvement plan identifies the problem, the expected behavior, and the strategies needed to meet the expected behavior. The improvement plan should also address goals, time lines to meet the goals, and check-in dates for status on the goals. It is the job of the HR professional to organize the process for the organization. HR should provide the manager with training, necessary documents (such as criteria and job descriptions), instructions, pay increase information, and coaching, should the manager have to develop improvement plans. Some HR professionals organize the performance evaluation information in an Excel spreadsheet that lists all employees, job descriptions, and due dates for performance evaluations. There are many types of software available to manage the process. This software can manage complicated 360 review processes, self-evaluations, and manager’s evaluations. Some software can also provide time line information and even send out e-mail reminders. The performance evaluation process should be constantly updated and managed to ensure the results contribute to the success of the organization. Chapter 12 & 13 Union membership in the United States has been slowly declining. Today, union membership consists of about 11.9 percent of the workforce, while in 1983 it consisted of 20 percent of the workforce. The reasons for decline are varied, depending on who you ask. Some say the moving of jobs overseas is the reason for the decline, while others say unions’ hard-line tactics put them out of favor. The United States began its first labor movement in the 1800s. This was a result of low wages, no vacation time, safety issues, and other issues. Many labor organizations have disappeared, but the American Federation of Labor (AFL) still exists today, although it merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and is now known as the AFL-CIO. It is the largest labor union and represents local labor unions in a variety of industries. The United States has a low number of union members compared with other countries. Much of Europe, for example, has over 30 percent of their workforce in labor unions, while in some countries as much as 50 percent of the workforce are members of a labor union. Legislation has been created over time to support both labor unions and the companies who have labor unions. The Wagner Act was created to protect employees from retaliation should they join a union. The Taft-Hartley Act was developed to protect companies from unfair labor practices by unions. The National Labor Relations Board is the overseeing body for labor unions, and it handles disputes between companies as well as facilitates the process of certifying new labor unions. Its job is to enforce the Wagner and Taft-Hartley acts. The Landrum Griffin Act was created in 1959 to combat corruption in labor unions during this time period. To form a union, the organizer must have signatures from 30 percent of the employees. If this occurs, the National Labor Relations Board will facilitate a card check to determine whether more than 50 percent of the workforce at that company is in agreement with union representation. If the company does not accept this, then the NLRB holds secret elections to determine if the employees will be unionized. A union has two goals: to add new members and to collect dues. The checkoff provision of a contract compels the organization to take union dues out of the paycheck of union members. In a union shop, people must join the union within a specified time period of joining the organization. This is illegal in right-to-work states. Made illegal by the Taft-Hartley Act, a closed shop allows only union members to apply and be hired for a job. Collective bargaining is the process of negotiating the contact with union representatives. Collective bargaining, to be legal, must always be done in good faith. There are three categories of collective bargaining issues. Mandatory issues might include pay and benefits. Permissive bargaining items may include things such as drug testing or the required equipment the organization must supply to employees. Illegal issues are those things that cannot be discussed, which can include issues that could be considered discriminatory. The collective bargaining process can take time. Both parties prepare for the process by gathering information and reviewing the old contract. They then set time lines for the bargaining and reveal their wants and negotiate those wants. A bargaining impasse occurs when members cannot come to an agreement. When a bargaining impasse occurs, a strike or lockout of workers can occur. These are both strategies that can be used to encourage the other side to agree to collective bargaining terms. Some tips for working with unions include knowing and following the contract, involving unions in company decisions, and communicating with transparency. The grievance process is a formal process that addresses any complaints about contract violations. The grievance process varies from contract to contract. It is an important part of the contract that ensures a fair process for both unions members and management. HRM is normally involved in the grievance process, since it has intimate knowledge of the contract and laws guiding the contract. The grievance process can consist of any number of steps. First, the complaint is discussed with the manager, employee, and union representative. If no solution occurs, the grievance is put into writing by the union. Then HR, management, and the union discuss the process, sometimes in the form of a hearing in which both sides are able to express their opinion. Management then expresses its decision in writing to the union. If the union decides to escalate the grievance, the grievance may be brought to the national union for a decision. At this point, an arbitrator may be brought in, suitable to both parties, to make the final binding decision. There are four main types of grievances. First, the individual grievance is filed when one member of the union feels mistreated. A group grievance occurs when several members of the union feel they have been mistreated and file a grievance as a group. A principle grievance may be filed on behalf of the union and is usually based on a larger issue, such as a policy or contract issue. A union or policy grievance may be filed if the employee does not wish to file the grievance individually. Grievances should not be taken personally and should be considered a fair way in which to solve problems that can come up between the union and management. —- Every year, 4,340 fatalities and 3.3 million injuries occur in the workplace in the United States. The Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970, with the goal of providing a safe and healthy work environment for all US workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is part of the US Department of Labor and was created as a result of the act in 1970. OSHA applies to some specific industries such as construction, shipyards, and marine terminals. However, some of the regulations of OSHA apply to all industries. Some states may also have safety requirements, which may be more stringent than federal Laws. Right-to-know laws refer to a material data safety sheet, which discusses the types of chemicals, proper handling and storage, and first aid in case of an accident. These data sheets should be made available to the general public and employees. Right-to-know laws also require specific reporting to local and state agencies on chemicals used in certain quantities for some industries. OSHA requires recording keeping for all workplace accidents or illness. The record keeping is usually the responsibility of HR; OSHA Form 300 is used for reporting purposes. OSHA can inspect any site without prior notification. Usually, it will gather information, visit the site, and ask for a representative. The representative is normally the HR person. The site visit
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