KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (COLLEGE OF ART AND SOCIAL SCIENCES)

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

(DEPARTMENT OF MANAGERIAL SCIENCE)

COURSE: MAS 553 - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

RESOURCE PERSON: MR. J.K. TURKSON (SENIOR LECTURER)

COURSE OUTLINE UNIT 1- INTRODUCTION History/evolution of Personnel/Human Resource Management; Factors that have affected the growth of Personnel/Human Resource Management; Some perceptions about Personnel/Human Resource Management. UNIT 2- DEFINITIONS OF PERSONNEL/HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Difference between the two; Controversies in HRM; Scope/Content of HRM General Managerial Scope/Content; General operative scope/ Content UNIT 3 STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Strategy; Definition UNIT 4 HUMAN RESOURCE (MANPOWER) PLANNING Definitions; Key issues in human resource planning; Elements of Human resource planning future labour requirements, acquisition ability, retention ability. UNIT 5 RECRUITMENT Process of Recruitment Job Analysis job description, job specification, job classification, (Other dimensions/components of job) Sources of recruitment internal and external Application forms/blanks (Curriculum Vitae)
2

UNIT 6 SELECTION Process of selection Screening/shortlisting Test administration the various types Medical examination Interviewing objectives, types, problems, guide to good interview practice Background investigation Medical report Final selection Job offer/appointment letter/contract of employment

UNIT 7 POST EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES Assumption of duty Induction/Orientation/Indoctrination coverage Placement Follow up Transfer reasons for it Promotion and demotion reasons for them, why some people refuse promotion Termination, dismissal and vacation of post {Refer to the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651)}. UNIT 8 EDUCATION, DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING Definitions and relationships among education, development and training Management development methods of developing managers Career development Training policy, needs assessment, performance gap, training cycle, benefits, transfer of knowledge from training, training evaluation, types/methods of training

UNIT 9 COMPENSATION AND REWARDS Difference between wages and salaries Methods of paying wages/salaries Various forms of incentives/rewards/fringe benefits etc. Considerations/factors in payment of wages/salaries Job analysis Job evaluation systems/methods Performance appraisal

UNIT 10 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Definitions Phases Workplan Corrective action plan Performance management process planning, execution, Assessment/review Employee Performance appraisal purpose/benefits, methods/types, weaknesses/problems. UNIT 11 HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE Issues relating to employees health, safety and welfare. Refer to the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651). UNIT 12 OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS IN HRM Labour turnover, absenteeism, tardiness, lay-off, recall, redundancy

steps,

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE The following are the main objectives of the course: 1. To expose postgraduate students, particularly, the non-HRM students to general issues in human resource management.
4

2. To enable postgraduate students in human resource management appreciate the fact that human resource management is a course that permeates every aspect of functional management. Therefore, every functional manager, irrespective of his department needs it, hence being a core course for all MBA and other postgraduate programmes at the university and other tertiary institutions. ASSESSMENT FORMULAR 1. End of semester examination 60 marks 2. Continuous assessment (40 marks). This may cover the following: (a) Project work/Term Paper/Assignments/Quizzes etc. 35 marks (b) Class attendance/Class contributions etc. 5 marks NB. Every absenteeism constitutes one mark reduction from the marks (5) allocated for attendance.

UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION All organizations, whether industrial, commercial, educational or social are made up of people who have different aspirations and sentiments. For this reason, it is necessary to have in such organizations trained personnel who are knowledgeable in human relations or personnel matters who will ensure that there is cordial interaction among the people in such organizations or institutions. Because of this, Personnel/Human Resource Managers are needed not only in business organizations but also in other organizations where people come together to interact among themselves to achieve organizational objectives. Accordingly it is important for organizations such as the Ghana Armed Forces, Achimota College, the Lions Club of Ghana, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club to have Personnel/Human Resource Managers. Personnel/Human Resource Managers in such organizations are expected to ensure that there are harmonious human interactions and relationships. The presence of people in such organizations requires a sound human relations practice to be addressed by Personnel/Human Resource Mangers. An expert (Owiredu Yeboah 1983), in Personnel Management once remarked There is a misconception of the role of Personnel Administration in Ghana to the extent that even some heads of department and organizations do not exactly know the value or accept Personnel Administration as an integral part of an administrative set up. It is now a misconception to regard Personnel/Human Resource Manager as a person who only provides jobs through recruitment and selection, administers wages and salaries, liaises between labour and management and performs other traditional functions associated with the position of Personnel/Human Resource Management. This has led to some misunderstanding between Personnel Management and Human Resource Management. Technological development has brought about the need for qualified and well-trained personnel to handle personnel and human resource-related issues. This has led to a functional shift from the traditional functions of Personnel Management to that of Human Resource Management. For this reason, the term Human Resource Management has become
6

preferable to Personnel Management. This is because Human Resource Management is not only concerned with the traditional functions of a Personnel Manager or a personnel department, neither is it concerned with the head count of the number of people in an organization but it also deals with the management of human resources in an organization. That is Human Resource Management is concerned with the management of human attributes or human assets such as skills, abilities, physical strength, knowledge, intelligence, talents, initiative, innovations, creativity and other intangible assets inherent in human beings. History/Evolution of Personnel/Human Resource Management Personnel/Human Resource Management has existed since the inception of the industrial revolution. The need for PM/HRM becomes very paramount when people of diversity come together in a work environment to collectively work towards the accomplishment of organizational objectives. History or evolution of anything tells what has happened before the changes that have taken place. Every academic subject has a history and evolves over time. Even the subject History has a history since it has evolved over time. The same historical and evolutionary principles apply to Personnel/Human Resource Management as a subject. The history of Personnel/Human Resource Management deals with the various changes that have taken place in the field of Personnel/Human Resource Management. The history of Personnel/Human Resource Management is analyzed under the following four time phases. 1. Late 19th Century (1875) During this period, PM/HRM activities were haphazardly carried out. There was nothing like Personnel Management or Human Resource Management. All issues that related to PM/HRM were not given any important attention like the other areas of functional areas of management. Consequently, labour-management relationship was full of antagonism and misunderstanding. Disputes and grievances were the order of the day without any effective system or mechanism for resolution. Working conditions were not attractive and there was no avenue for redress. There was lack of co-operation between the government and the labour.
7

This led to frequent confrontations among the three actors of labour labour, management and the government. The collective effect of all the undesirable workplace practices was low productivity. The role of Robert Owen (The Founder of Personnel Management Robert Owen, who was regarded as the Founder of Personnel Management showed concern for the unhealthy and appalling practices within the industrial setting and fought against them. He started by conducting some experiments on how best to eliminate or minimize the problems that frustrate effective PM practices. 2. First Quarter of the 20th Century (1925) This period saw the emergence of trade union activities. The emergence of trade union activities gave new dimensions to PM/HRM. The century saw new developments in the field of PM/HRM. F. W. Taylor who was regarded as the Father of Scientific Management emerged on the scene. The role of Frederick Winslow Taylor (The Father of Scientific Management) (a) Trade unions emerged through the role of F.W. Taylor which gave a new dimension to Personnel/Human Resource Management. (b) Taylor was concerned with making effective use of human resources and other resources. (c) Was also concerned about critical, scientific and objective way of doing things. (d) Also advocated for one best way of doing things and providing attractive compensation package. The century also saw the emergence of large industrial organizations which led to work complexities. This also led to the need to find the most effective way of managing labour.

It is worth noting that all the personalities who made contributions to the development of PM/HRM were concerned with improving on what had been done by their predecessors. In this direction, Taylor improved upon the existing compensation package with a view to motivating workers to work hard. The century saw the emergence of large industrial organizations. This led to work complexities and the need for effective PM/HRM became paramount. Labour became very difficult to handle. This also led to the need to find the most effective way of managing labour. 3. Second Quarter of the 20th Century (1950) This period witnessed a remarkable improvement in the field of PM/HRM due to the contributions of Robert Owen and F.W. Taylor. The World War II did a devastating blow to labour. As a result, revolutionary changes were carried out to repair the damage done to labour. Such changes included the formulation of rules and regulations to guide the actions and behaviours of workers, management and governments at workplaces. The introduction of rules and regulations to a large extent minimized industrial disputes and conflicts. The period also saw the introduction of policies in the key areas of HRM/PM. For example, the need for policies to guide the proper selection of employees through screening, tests and interviews was emphasized. This paved the way for universalistic ethos of meritocracy rather than particularistic criteria. Emphasis was also placed on good human relations as a way of promoting harmony between labour and management. The period witnessed dramatic increase in industrial disputes. Governments and business owners recognized labour unions as formidable forces to reckon with. This period also saw the emergence of Elton Mayo F.J. Roethlisberger and W.Dickson The role of Elton Mayo, F.J. Roethlisberger and W. Dickkson (1939) (a) They conducted the famous Hawthorne Experiments. i. The experiments changed the commodity concept of labour to that of social concept. The commodity concept of labour literally
9

ii. iii.

iv.

implies regarding labour as any ordinary commodity that could be bought on the market with money and used anyhow without any human feeling or touch. The social concept treats workers as fellow human beings who have to be treated with care and empathy. The experiments also highlighted on the importance of informal groups, decent and humane leadership. The experiments further revealed that employees feelings, emotions and sentiments were strongly affected by such work conditions as group relationships leadership styles and support from management and such feelings could have significant impact on productivity. Furthermore, the experiments delved into the impact of illumination on worker performance and productivity.

In spite of the efforts by the pioneers in the field of PM/HRM, the period witnessed a dramatic increase in industrial disputes. This was, as already stated, due to industrial complexities and the fact that workers became enlightened and resisted the arbitrary boss whose aim was to marginalize the worker in crucial decision making processes which affected the worker. Workers also resisted all forms of cheating. As a result, government and business owners recognized labour unions as partners and formidable forces in promoting industrial democracy NB. Read on the details of Hawthorne Experiments in any management book 4. Present Era (After 1950) The period after 1950 has seen a tall list of contemporary practitioners in the field of PM/HRM who have built on the works of the pioneers. For example, Michael Armstrong is one of such contemporary personalities who have made great strides in the field. The period equally experienced a proliferation in industrial disputes between labour and management. Since PM/HRM is considered to be the frontline among all the functional areas of management in resolving industrial conflicts and disputes, it became a very important course to be pursued in educational institutions. The course also assumed inter-disciplinary dimension borrowing ideas from Law, Sociology, Psychology, Economics and other fields of social science. The

10

implication is that PM/HRM practitioners should have basic knowledge in the above areas to be able to perform creditably. From 1950, the industrial revolution led to the growth in the size of labour force. This posed a great challenge to HRM/PM practitioners as a result of multiplicity of industrial disputes and conflicts. This also led to the proliferation of trade unions since workers began to assert their rights within the labour front. These developments required a new approach to PM/HRM in dealing with labourmanagement problems Factors that have affected the growth of Personnel/Human Resource Management (a) Increased complexities of organizational set-ups and their activities. As already stated above, the industrial revolution brought in its trail, a myriad of labour-management problems which required a new approach to dealing with such problems. Since it is PM/HRM that is capable of dealing with such problems, the growth and importance of PM/HRM became obvious. It is for this reason that the course PM/HRM has become one of the important functional areas of management which people pursue in educational institutions. (b) Proliferation of trade unions and federations. Effective PM/HRM thrives on the existence of trade unions and federations of labour and the role of the government since the three are the key actors in the labour front. Trade unions and federations are the means through which workers can asset their influence over decisions that affect their collective interest. When workers come together to form trade unions and federations, the establishment of a Department on Personnel Management or Human Resource Management promotes role complimentality in fostering cordial labour-management relationships. (c) Revolution in the industrial sector As already stated, the industrial revolution led to the establishment of many productive work related activities. This required the intervention of people who have the skill in dealing with human related problems that arise out of revolution in the industrial sector.
11

(d) Changes in technical development There cannot be technological development without human input. It should be noted that PM/HRM is, among other things concerned with identifying the assets (talents, skills, knowledge, abilities etc.) embedded in human beings. Human beings are required to promote changes in technical development. It is PM/HRM that is capable of doing this. (e) Government attitudes on policies on labour The role of the government in promoting the importance and growth of PM/HRM cannot be taken for granted. This is because government policies on labour can go a long way to impact either positively or negatively on the labour front in which PM/HRM is an important actor. (f) Socio-cultural and managerial techniques Socio-cultural and managerial techniques can go a long way to affect the growth of PM/HRM. The socio-cultural environment for example can influence the recruitment and selection practices. The socio-cultural practice in some organizations on recruitment and selection is that the PM/HRM should be the only department to be in charge of filling vacancies. Managerial techniques such as the way a manager relates to his subordinates could also affect the growth of PM/HRM. Reference: Ahuja, K.K., Advanced Personnel Management Some misconceptions about Personnel/Human Resource Management It is interesting to note that the course Personnel/Human Resource Management has in some circles not been handled with the required importance as it is the case with other courses such as Finance/Accounting, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Production/Operations, Marketing. The end result of this unfortunate situation is square pegs put in round holes. That is unqualified people with irrelevant qualifications such as any of the above and others are pushed to perform Personnel/Human Resource Management functions. This is done to the detriment of the organization since such people lack the expertise required to effectively deal with human resource-related issues such as labour-management
12

relationship. This to a large extent accounts for the numerous strikes that often characterize many organizations. It is for this and other reasons that students who pursue non-management programmes, among other courses in higher institutions of learning are exposed to basic principle of Human Resource Management. This practice is absolutely desirable because all functional managers require basic knowledge in Human Resource Management since they deal with human beings. Also such functional managers need basic human resource management issues such as human resource planning, performance management, motivation, training and development and welfare issues in their respective departments. It is for this reason that the course has been designed in such a way to address such critical issue.

13

UNIT 2 SOME DEFINITIONS OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION One of the controversies in the field of Management is the difference between Personnel Management and Human Resource Management. Various authorities in the field have made many attempts at distinguishing between the two. In some cases, the attempts have led to confusion. Some definitions of Personnel Management Dale Yoder It is that phase of management which deals with the effective control of manpower as distinguished from the other sources of power. Adwin Flippo Personnel function is concerned with the procurement of the personnel of an organization in major goals and objectives. E.F.L Brech Personnel management is that part of management process which is primarily concerned with the constituents of an organization. Society of Personnel Management (America) The art of acquiring, developing and maintaining the competent workforce in order to achieve and accomplish the organizational goals with maximum efficiency and economy Institute of Personnel Management (UK) Personnel management is that part of management concerned with people at work and their relationship within an enterprise. General definition That aspect of functional business management which seeks to maintain human relationships in a favourable atmosphere and ensuring the physical and social well-being of all categories of employees so that they can give their maximum contribution to the objectives of their organizations.

Missing link in all the above definitions

14

 No mention is made of human assets skills, talents, abilities, knowledge, energy, intelligence, capability, initiative, innovation, creativity and other intangible human attributes. It is the proper utilization of these assets for the achievements of organizational goals that completes the definition of Personnel Management. Almost all the above definitions have ignored the important assets embedded in human beings. The above missing link has made Human Resource Management (HRM) a more preferred concept since it takes care of all human assets. Some definitions of Human Resource Management Byars and Rue (1994) Human resource management encompasses those activities designed to provide for and co-ordinate the human resources of an organization. Donnelly, James H. Jr. et al (1992) The process of accomplishing objectives by acquiring, retaining, terminating, developing and properly using the human resources in an organization. Armstrong, Michael (2006) A strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organizations most valued assets the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business. Schuler (1995) cited in IEBM Handbook of HRM (2001), HRM is the use of several activities to ensure that human resources are managed effectively for the benefit of the individual, society and the business. The importance of human beings is addressed by the following statements by their respective personalities: Thomas J. Watson You can get capital and erect buildings, but it takes people to build a business. A leading American industrialist We do not manufacture automobile, areoplanes, refrigerators, radios, televisions but we manufacture men and the men in turn manufacture the goods.
15

 Ms. Obiogeli Ezekwesili (World Bank Vice-President for Africa) the success of the country (Ghana) in the 21st century does not lie in the oil and gas or any other mineral resource but in developing the human resource capacity to help improve the economy. ( Source Daily Graphic No. 18695 of 19th November, 2011 p.13) These statements and several others indicate the importance of human beings. Difference between Management Personnel Management and Human Resource

It has already been established above that the emphasis on Personnel Management is on the physical being and what he does. However, Human Resource Management emphasizes on the resources human beings have. The definitions of Personnel Management do not emphasize on human assets skills, talents, abilities, knowledge, energy, intelligence, capability, initiative/innovation, and other intangible human assets Personnel Management emphasizes on the management of the physical being. Human Resource Management emphasizes on the human assets identified above in addition to the normal scope of meaning of Personnel Management Human Resource Management is an all-embracing term of which Personnel Management is a constituent part (Byars and Rue 1994). Torrington and Hall regard Personnel Management as workforce-centred directed mainly at an organizations employees and Human Resource Management as resource-centered directed mainly at management needs for human resources to be provided and deployed as cited by Mullins (1996). Human Resource Management is an all-embracing concept dealing with the optimum number of employees, their functions and most importantly the proper development and utilization of human assets inherent in people. Personnel Management on the other hand is mainly concerned with the general management of people and the conditions in which they work but Human Resource Management goes further to develop all the human attributes and talents. Indeed, Human Resource Management is broader in scope than Personnel Management
16

Some controversies in Human Resource Management Whether HRM should be integrated into all departments or should be given a distinct department. Whether HRM should deal with the physical being or the intangible human assets/attributes Whether HRM is a science or an art Whether HRM is a line or staff function The above controversies sometimes make people marginalize or disregard the importance of HRM. This is because, some people sometimes perceive HRM to be an activity that could easily be performed by other functional/departmental managers such as Finance Managers, Production Managers, Marketing Managers etc. This accounts for the numerous labour-management antagonisms leading to strikes and demonstrations. This is because such non-HRM experts do not have the competencies to deal with human-related problems. Scope/Content of HRM Scope or content of HRM basically deals with the coverage of HRM The scope is so wide that it requires people who have knowledge in many social science subjects such as Sociology, Economics, Psychology, Anthropology, Labour Law, Principles of Management etc. The scope knows no bound so far as human relations and development are concerned The scope also covers the following: General managerial scope Planning, Organizing, Directing, Controlling etc. General operative scope: - Policy initiation/ formulation - Control over other departments on human resource matters - Advisory services to the other departments
17

- Auditing services enforcing compliance to human resource rules and regulations - Service functions to the entire organization. The functions are basically the key roles every HRM plays Human resource planning, Recruitment, Selection, Training and Development, Wage and Salary Administration, Performance Management, Health, Safety and Management, etc.

18

UNIT 3 STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (SHRM) Introduction The success story of every manager, whether in human resource, marketing, finance/accounting, production/operations etc. depends on the managers strategies in getting things done. Successful managers have ways and means of getting things effectively done. This has brought to the fore the subject Strategic Management. Every manager needs Strategic Management to be able to strategize to achieve success in his field. This makes strategy every managers game plan. Without a strategy, a manager would not have a road map to follow and no action plan to produce the desired results. To understand the concept of Strategic Human Resource Management, it is necessary to understand the principle of strategy. Strategy According to Johnson and Scholes (1993), strategy is The direction and scope of an organization over the longer term, which ideally matches its resources to its changing environment, and in particular, to its markets, customers and clients to meet stakeholder expectations. A strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an organizations major goals, policies and action sequence into a cohesive whole. A well-formulated strategy helps marshal and allocate an organizations resources into a unique and viable posture based on its relative internal competencies and shortcomings, anticipated change in the environment, and contingent moves by intelligent opponent (Quinn 1980). According to Armstrong (2006), strategy determines the direction in which the organization is going in relation to its environment. It is the process of defining intentions ( strategic intent) and allocating or matching resources to opportunities and needs (resource-based strategy). Business strategy is concerned with achieving competitive advantage. The effective implementation of strategy depends on the strategic capability of the organizations managers. This requires the capacity to create an achievable vision for the future, to foresee longer-term developments, to envisage options (and their probable consequences), to select sound courses of action to rise above the day-today detail, to challenge the status quo. Strategy is expressed in strategic goals and
19

developed and implemented in strategic plans through the process of strategic management. Strategy is about implementation, which includes the management of change, as well as planning (Armstrong 2006). An important aspect of strategy is to achieve strategic fit. A strategy whether it is a human resource strategy or any other kind of management strategy must have two key elements: there must be strategic objectives (ie things the strategy is supposed to achieve), and there must be a plan of action (ie the means by which it is proposed that the objectives will be met). Application of any strategy should be linked to the defined vision, mission and the objectives of the organization. Definitions of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) Making those decisions that define the overall mission and objectives of the organization, determining the most effective utilization of its resources, and crafting the executing the strategy in ways that produce the intended results. (Grobler et al, 2005) Hendry and Pettigrew (1986) have provided the following four meanings for SHRM: (a) The use of planning; (b) A coherent approach` to the design and management of personnel systems based on an employment policy and manpower strategy and often underpinned by a philosophy; (c) Matching HRM activities and policies to some explicit business strategy; (d) Seeing the people of the organization as a strategic resource for the achievement of competitive advantage. Cited from Armstrong (2006). Formulating and executing human resource policies and practices that produce the employee competencies and behaviours which the company needs to achieve its strategic aims (Gary Dessler, 2008, 11th Ed.). Definition (c) by Hendry and Pettigrew above addresses the real import of SHRM. The definition ensures that all human resource activities dovetail or synchronize into the overall activities of the organization. That is, all activities and programmes
20

in the HR Department should aim at facilitating the achievement of the overall corporate objectives. In the opinion of Dessler (2008) Strategic Human Resource Management is Formulating and executing human resource policies and practices that produce the employee competencies and behaviors the company needs to ahieve its strategic aims. It also implies that all the sub-strategies of the HR Department should fit into the overall strategic plan of the organization. It is not only HR strategies that should fit into the overall strategy of the organization but also the strategies of all the functional departments such as Finance/Accounting, Marketing, and Production/Operations etc. should fit into the general strategy of the organization.

21

UNIT 4 HUMAN RESOURCE (MANPOWER) PLANNING Introduction At certain stages of every organizations development, there are changes in the structure of its employee base. The changes can take the form of employment of new employees; development/training of the new and existing employees; measures to maintain employees through attractive motivational factors; and existing out the employees when they become less productive. A common feature of many organizations is that many people are underutilized leading to redundancy. From another dimension, there are shortages of labour to deal with a large volume of work leading to work overload for some staff. These and other related matters require human resource planning which is a human resource management activity aimed at ensuring that human resources/assets are effectively utilized. Human resource planning ensures that plans are made for the recruitment and selection of the required number and type of people at the right time. It also involves the analysis of the skill, selection and employment of human resource requirement of an organization or the economy as a whole. Unemployment situation in every economy may be how human resource planning is carried. Policy directions from the government is important in ensuring that educational institutions admit students into programmes such as medicine in which there is shortage of personnel. Admission of students into programmes that would breed unemployment should also be discouraged. Definitions Human resource planning determines the human resources required by an organization to achieve its strategic goals (Armstrong, 2006). It is the process for ensuring that the human resource requirements of an organization are identified and plans are made for satisfying those requirements (Bulla and Sco tt, 1994). HR planning is based on the belief that people are an organizations most important strategic resource. HR planning also deals with issues relating to the was in which people are employed and developed in order to improve organizational

22

effectiveness. It is also the process of anticipating and providing for the movement of people into, within and out of the organization (Snell and Hohlander 2010). Human resource planning answers questions such as: What type of skilled labour is needed to do this particular work? Where should the particular type of skilled labour be found? What type of training /development/education should be adopted to develop the labour force? For how long will a certain category of labour force be required? What sort of compensation should be given in case of premature termination of appointment? If a certain category of labour will not be required after a certain period, can it be easily redeployed? The above questions and issues should form the recruitment, selection and employment policy of an organization for the purpose of addressing the benefits that should be derived from employees. This approach is referred to as a dynamic or a systematic approach to human resource planning as opposed to the static system which does not take into account all the above questions and other related issues If we know that, by a particular target year such as 2015, we shall require a certain number of people in each of a number of crucial employment categories, and if we make certain assumptions about the duration and type of education required for each category, the we can theoretically set about adjusting the education system to ensure that the required labour force will be available at the appropriate time. This means that human resource planning is very crucial at the national level in relation to the educational system. Ghanas bold attempt to restructure her educational system particularly at the primary, junior and secondary levels to suit the social-economic conditions is quite laudable. At the macro level, it is very much essential for the government ministry in charge of human resource planning to set in motion an effective and dynamic manpower planning strategies to ensure that there is optimum utilization of labour force at the national level.
23

Elements of human resource planning Human resource planning involves three main activities or elements. These are stated below. (a) Future labour requirements Future labour requirements of an organization depend on such factors as: Market demand for an organizations product Intention to expand by adding another product line to the existing line Intention to reduce the volume of operation by deleting a product line Technological changes which may demand the employment and deployment of a new type of labour

(b) Acquisition ability Acquisition ability refers to the capability of an organization to employ the right type of labour force. The success of this depends on speculative factors such as: Availability of alternative jobs elsewhere Opportunity for advancement Compensation package Structure of the population as regards age group, ratio of male to female Structure of the organization if it is the tall organization structure type, there appears to be hope to rise along the organization ladder.

(c) Retention ability Manpower retention ability refers to the ability of an organization to keep the existing human resource. This also depends on factors such as: Compensation package Avenue for promotion Rewards and benefits Opportunity for further studies

Some of the above factors for acquisition and retention and several others are applicable to each other.
24

Human resource planning has now become one of the important functions of every Human Resource Manager since it gives them the opportunity to forecast or project for the right number of people with the appropriate skills, knowledge and potential to be employed to work at the appropriate time. Human resource planning also helps management to satisfy its labour requirements promptly and with a minimum degree of cost. It also helps an organization to carry out a systematic audit of its human resources with a view to maintaining an optimum number of qualified employees needed by an organization. It also helps to tailor training requirements to the labour needs of an organization. This will create a balance between inflow and outflow of human resources in an organization. Succession planning A very important aspect of human resource planning is succession planning. More often than not, organizations do not put contingency arrangements in place to fill unexpected vacancies resulting from vacation of post, dismissal, retirement, incapacitation resulting from protracted sickness etc. Succession planning is basically a plan for identifying who is currently at post and who is available and qualified to take over in the event of retirement, resignation, dismissal or sickness (Cole, 1993). The objective of succession planning is to ensure that the organization is prepared to fill key positions when the incumbents leave for any reason (Jackson et al, 2009). For employees, succession planning provides useful information about the direction their career is likely to take if they continue to work in the organization. According to Sneel and Hohlander (2010) succession planning is The process of identifying, developing, and tracking key individuals for executive positions.

25

UNIT 5 RECRUITMENT Introduction Some people loosely refer to recruitment as employment. This is technically wrong. Recruitment does not imply that employment has taken place. Recruitment is an integral part of the employment process. The employment process is technically made up of recruitment and selection. The process is so winding and cumbersome that few employers could take the pain to go through. Many organizations outsource their employment requirements to professional consultants. Definitions Jackson et al (2009) Recruitment involves searching for and obtaining qualified applicants for the organization to consider when filling job openings Snell and Bohlander (2010) Recruitment is the process of locating potential individuals who might join organization and encouraging them to apply for existing or anticipated job openings. The above definitions are clear indications that recruitment does not amount to having selected a job seeker to fill a vacancy but a facilitative process of ensuring that a qualified person is employed. Process of recruitment The recruitment process involves a tall list of activities. The activities may cover job analysis (job description, job specification and job classification), identification of the sources of labour, job posting, job bidding (invitation for application forms/submission of curriculum vitae). The recruitment process ends at the stage where the job seekers have submitted their filled application forms or curriculum vitae.

26

Job analysis A job is made up of a collection of tasks. For example, the job of manufacturing sitting room furniture is made up of various tasks such as machining (cutting of parts), sanding (smoothening), polishing and upholstering. Job analysis is made up of job description, job specification and job classification. Job analysis refers to the determination of the skills, talents, knowledge, abilities, qualifications, responsibilities, experiences, and other human attributes required to do a piece of work. It also helps to determine the working relationships among workers in terms of who should perform a particular type of work. It also helps to differentiate one job from the other. Components of job analysis i) Job description It is a summary of all the basic tasks to be performed on a job. Job description is regarded as task centered since the emphasis is on the job rather than on the person doing the job or task. Jo description is the process of determining what a job entails in terms of specific duties and responsibilities, working conditions, how the job is to be done, title of the job, location etc. According to Jenks (1991), Properly drawn job descriptions can help in the recruitment, selection and hiring of new workers, supervisors, managers and technical personnel because they spell out the exact qualifications, education, skills and experience candidates need in order to be successful on the job. The major advantage of job description is that it avoids overlapping of jobs since each employee gets to know what is expected from him. It may also be used to give new employees orientation towards basic responsibilities and duties. The major disadvantage is that it may not give an accurate reflection of the jobs particularly at the higher level. Sometimes, a disagreement may arise between superiors and subordinates on the content of a job description.

27

ii) Job specification Job specification deals with the human or personal characteristics required to do a particular work. It is thus regarded as person-centred. Such human or personal characteristics include qualifications, educational and training attainments, experiences, interests, aptitudes, personality required, ambitions and other human traits. iii) Job Classification Another extension of job analysis is job classification which deals with categorizing jobs into different grades and assigning appropriate wage or salary to each grade. For example, a job requiring a high degree of initiative and discretion may be grade as A. This is usually at the managerial level. A job requiring middle level initiative may be classified as B that is, sub-managerial or supervisory in nature. A job requiring middle level technical knowledge especially at the artisan grade may also be classified as grade C and a job requiring a low level of initiative and no technical knowledge may also be classified as D that is at the menial level. Sources of recruitment Sources of recruitment otherwise known as sources labour supply refer to the various avenues from which a Human Resource Manager may identify a person for employment. There are two main sources of recruitment. These are internal and external. a) Internal Internal source of recruitment deals with recruiting from within the same organization. The following are the main sources of internal recruitment: i. Job posting

Job posting is concerned with prominently displaying current job openings to all employees in the organization. It is usually done through bulletin boards, word of mouth, intranet, telephone, memorandum and other means of internal
28

communication. When the job has been posted, the next stage is bidding that is applying for it. The main advantage of internal recruitment is that it boosts the moral of the affected employee(s). It also reduces the hiring costs of new employees. In addition, the process is less winding compared to the external source and also recognizes the value of experience and the length of service an employee has serviced. b) External External source of recruitment deals with recruiting prospective employees from outside the organization. The following are some of the external sources of recruitment: i. Institutions of learning Institutions of learning refer to educational institutions such as schools, colleges, polytechnics, universities and other institutions of learning. The main problem or disadvantage associated with this source is that prospective employees may lack the required working experience. ii. Unsolicited applicants Job seekers sometimes apply for non-existing jobs. There might not be any vacancies for them to apply but they do apply. Application letters of such job seekers when properly preserved, may serve as future source of external recruitment. iii. Advertising Advertising is the most popular source of external recruitment of labour. This is often done through the print and the electronic media. Some advertisers strategically conceal their identities by providing advertising number in the care of the advertising institution/consultant. The main reason among others is to prevent people from making advanced contacts for employment favours.

29

iv. Employee recruiting Employee recruiting is sometimes referred to as employee referrals. It is an external recruitment practice where employees are encouraged to locate and recommend qualified personnel to management for recruitment. This method of recruitment is selective since the exiting recruiting employee will inform only their friends and relatives to the detriment of non-acquaintances who may be better qualified and experienced. This method of recruitment is likely to breed clique and this is s very dangerous to an organization. v. Private employment agencies/consultants In recent times there has been a proliferation of private employment agencies. Employers who cannot go through the cumbersome process of recruitment may engage an employment agency or consultant upon the payment of the prescribed fee to do the recruitment on their behalf. In this case, the employer is required to supply some vital information such as the required qualifications, years of experience, minimum salary and some basic conditions of service. With the required information, the private employment agency or consultant will go through all the recruitment and selection practices to get the required employee for the client. vi. Public employment agency This is a public institution established under an Act charged with the responsibility of matching job seekers against employers who have vacancies to fill. In Ghana, the legal requirement is provided in the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651). In Ghana is source of external source of recruitment is patronized by artisans and other low grade job seekers. High profile job seekers such as Accountants, Engineers, Lawyers and the like will rarely seek for employment through this source. vi. Notices at the main gates of factories, offices and shops Some organizations post advertisements at their main gates to attract job seekers. Such job seekers may either walk in and make enquiries about the job vacancy and may write applications for consideration if they are interested.

30

vii. Internet (Online) An emerging trend these days is for organizations to recruit through the internet or online. It is the most fastest and convenient way of getting an application to the employer. Application form/blank or curriculum vitae When a job seeker has identified the appropriate source of recruitment, the next stage is either to pick a blank application form from the organization intending to recruit, fill and submit or submit a curriculum vitae. The choice of any of these two is a matter of policy and preference. However, it is possible for an organization to demand the two for the sake of comprehensive data about the job seeker.

31

32