Assessment brief/activity
You are required to provide written responses to each of the following seven questions:
Evidence to be produced/required
Answers to each of the seven questions of approximately, 3800 words in total (divided appropriately across the questions)
You should relate academic concepts, theories and professional practice to the way organisations operate, in a critical and informed way, and with reference to key texts, articles and other publications and by using organisational examples for illustration.
All reference sources should be acknowledged correctly, and a bibliography provided where appropriate (these should be excluded from the word count).
Question 1
Your organisation is based in two different countries (the UK and another country of your choice).
Write a short account which briefly assesses the labour market trends in each country.
In your account, briefly explain the significance of tight and loose labour market conditions and how organisations position themselves strategically in competitive labour markets.
Assessment 1 guidance
(1.1)For this assessment criteria you need to provide comparisons of different labour market conditions You must provide a comparison of two countries and two distinct areas of comparison need to be explored which could be taken from the list below:
Inequalities in wage levels
Public and private sector differences
Different types of employment contract
Types of skills required
Demographics
Geographical economic differences North vs South divides
Economic growth/decline sectors ie decline of manufacturing in the U.K, increase in the service industry
(1.2)
This part of the submission must link in the concept of “Employer of Choice”.
This could be explored in terms of the types of benefits provided by the employer.
There could be a discussion around career progression & development.
Definitions could be provided, and you could also link in the Higgs Model of Employer of Choice.
This part of the submission should aim to show understanding of how an organisation should position themselves in terms of retaining talent.
(1.3) You must explain the “significance” of tight and loose labour market conditions and levels of employment/unemployment.
Stephen Taylors model of tight vs loose market conditions could be used to help your discussions.
For this part of the submission you can provide a definition and provide a discussion around the overall area of tight and loose labour markets. Discussions can include definitions and an overall understanding of what tight and loose mean. You have the option to link to an industry to support your ideas.
Question 2
Give a brief description of the role of government, employers and trade unions in ensuring future skills needs are met.
Describe the role of government, employers and trade unions in ensuring future skills needs are met.
Question 2 Guidance
For this part of the submission, you must provide a short discussion of the role of the government, employers and trade unions in ensuring future skills needs are met.
Please note a short summary should be provided of all three – government, employers and trade unions.
Discussions could include some of the following areas:
- Government funding for more apprenticeships
- Development of employer-led professional standards e.g. ‘trailblazers’
- Contribution of union learning representatives
Question 3
Briefly describe the main principles of effective workforce planning and give some examples of any tools that may be used for this.
Question 3 Guidance
2.1 Describe the principles of effective workforce planning and the tools used in the process
For this part of the submission you must briefly describe the main principles of effective workforce planning.
Include One of the following principles to support your answer:
- Setting strategy
- Key stakeholder involvement
- Determining key skills
- Competencies required
- Building human capacity.
You Must also provide Two tools that can be used in practice, which could include any of the following methods:
- Workforce strategy maps
- Scenario planning
- Span and gap analysis
- Organisational benchmarking
This is not an exhausted list – there are more to choose from.
To add further value to your submission, link the principles to a working example.
Question 4
- Develop and provide a basic succession and career development plan
- Provide evidence to show your contribution to plans for downsizing an organization
- Provide evidence to show your contribution to the development of job descriptions, person specifications and competency frameworks.
2.2 Develop basic succession and career development plans
Assessment criterion: 2.3 Contribute to plans for downsizing an organisation
Assessment criterion: 2.4Contribute to the development of job descriptions, person specifications and competency frameworks.
Guidance
These ACs require practical application of the ideas, and you need to show H.R planning in practice.
For this part of the submission you have the option to provide your own examples or create your own documents.
(2.2)
This part of the submission you Must provide a working example of a Basic succession plan/framework & Basic Career development plan.
You Must also provide a short summary of the purpose of the document in the main body of the assessment, examples can be placed in the appendices.
Your succession plan could include the following:
- Future needs
- Linking current staff to future roles
- Competencies & Skills
Your Basic Career development plan/framework could include:
- Methods
- Goal setting
- Pathways
(2.3)
This part of the assessment requires a short discussion on the role of HR in contributing to downsizing plans.
Discussions could include Two of the following:
- Communicating
- Educating
- Providing leadership
- Ensuring equity and fairness
- Maintaining a managed approach.
(2.4)
You are required to provide examples of the following:
- Job description
- Personal specification
- Competency framework
You Must also provide a short summary of the purpose of the document in the main body of the assessment, examples can be placed in the appendices.
Question 5
Explain some of the main legal requirements in relation to recruitment and selection and briefly assess the strengths and weaknesses of at least two different methods of recruitment and selection.
Question 5 Guidance
2.5 Explain the main legal requirements in relation to recruitment and selection.
2.6 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different methods of recruitment and selection.
2.5 You Must give examples of Two of the main pieces of relevant legislation and may cite:
- Equality Act (2010)
- Data Protection Act (1998)
- May 2018 GDPR update.
You must provide a summary of the purpose of the legislation to the context of recruitment and selection.
(2.6)
You Must give examples of the relative merits of two different recruitment and selection methods:
For example:
advertising in the media v using a recruitment agencies
Or individual interviewing v assessment centres.
Any example from Recruitment or Selection can be used. It is recommended that one method for recruitment and one method of selection should be assessed.
Question 6
Briefly explain briefly why people leave or remain with organizations and provide a summary of some of the costs associated with dysfunctional employee turnover. Go on to assess the strengths and weaknesses of at least two different approaches to retaining talent.
Assessment criterion: 3.1 Explain why people choose to leave or remain employed by organisations and the costs associated with dysfunctional employee turnover.
Assessment criterion: 3.2 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to the retention of talent.
Guidance
(3.1)
You Must give examples of why people leave or stay with organisations and summarise the costs associated with dysfunctional employee turnover which could include some of the following:
- Increased costs in replacing the member of staff
- Selection costs
- Costs to the business if productivity is affected.
(3.2)
You Must assess the relative merits of at least two different approaches to retaining talent:
- Financial benefits
- Flexible working
- Job enrichment
- Workplace environment
- Recognition
There are plenty to choose from, the above examples are just a sample.
Question 7
Provide a brief summary of the advice you would provide to your organization on good and lawful practice for managing dismissal, retirement and redundancies.
Assessment criterion: 4.1 Advise organisations on good practice in the management of redundancies and retirements that complies with current legislation.
Guidance
(4.1)
You Must cover all the three areas (dismissals, retirements and redundancies)
You Must cover how to carry out good and legal practice, which could include two examples which could include:
- Keeping up to date with legal updates
- Following legal process and guidelines
- Conducting HR practice in an Ethical way, i.e. not discriminating
- Following and keeping up in house policies up to date
This is not an exhausted list – there are more to choose from.
Redundancies – discussion must include:
- Fair reasons for redundancies. (Bullet points are fine)
Retirement– discussion must include:
- No law linked to enforcing the retirement age
- Relevant legislation such as Equality Act 2010 (discrimination).
Dismissal – must include:
- 5 fair reasons for dismissal. (bullets are fine)