Text b forcasting employment needs Part 1. Recruiting Candidates

Planning assists in implementing strategy by translating the organization's goals into the workers needed to achieve them. The organization forecasts its human resource requirements in order to determine the number of employees to hire and the types of skills they will need. Forecasting employment needs includes current and future assessment.

The manager wants to make sure that the number of employees matches the workload. In the current assessment, managers take a human resource inventory to assess what talents and skills are currently resident in the organization, and conduct a job analysis to define the tasks and the behaviors necessary to perform them. Job analysis provides the information for a job description - a written description of job content, environment and conditions of employment, and job specification -- knowledge, skills and abilities needed to do the job effectively. Future assessment determines the firm's future human resource requirements by looking at the overall organizational goals derived from strategic planning. Assessing current capabilities and future needs reveals areas where the organization is overstaffed and estimates of human resource shortages.

The organization develops a pool of job candidates from which to select qualified employees. Information gathered through job analysis can guide recruitment to fill skill and personnel gaps. The local labor market, the type or level of position and the size of the organization determine which source is used to find potential job candidates. Recruitment efforts include running newspaper ads, contacting employment agencies, and visiting colleges. Many organizations are turning the Internet to recruit a workforce. Benefits of online recruiting include reduced cost-per-hire, less time-to-fill, and a larger pool of quality candidates. Decruitment is a reduction in the organization's labor force through firing, layoffs, attrition, and early retirement, or maintaining employees through transfers, reduced workweeks or job sharing.

After employees are selected, they enter an orientation program to be formally introduced to their jobs. Orientation is a program that introduces new employees to the organization as a whole, their work unit and co-workers, and their job duties. It helps to reduce initial anxiety over starting a new job by facilitating the outsider-insider transition, expands on information received by the employee during the selection process. Employees are informed about benefits, policies, and procedures. Specific duties and responsibilities and performance evaluation are clarified. During orientation, the manager has the opportunity to resolve any unrealistic expectations held by the employee.

Part 2.Productivity

Organizations are concerned with productivity. Productivity is output per unit of input, usually expressed as a ratio. Measurement of productivity helps managers examine critical aspects of production. It is usually determined by a single-factor index, such as output per hour of labor or output per amount of capital invested, or a combined-factor index which integrates different inputs into one overall measure.

An important influence on productivity is the quality of the work force. A major investment necessary to productivity is training. In order to meet new challenges, even the best-educated employees need to increase and adapt their skills. Training refers to improving an employee's knowledge, skills, and attitudes so that he or she can do the job. All new employees (or current employees in new jobs) should be trained. Cross training prepares an employee for a job normally handled by someone else. Also, training is advisable when new processes, equipment or procedures are introduced into the workplace.

Training starts with an organization analysis. By focusing on strategy and examining sales forecasts and expected changes in production, distribution and support systems, employers can determine which skills will be needed and to what degree. A comparison with current skill levels is used to estimate staff and training needs. Task analysis identifies the elements of current or future tasks to be done. Personal needs analysis involves asking employees and managers, either in an interview or in a self-administered questionnaire, to analyze their training needs. In general, agreement between managers and employees tends to be low, so it is important that both parties agree to decisions about the training of employees.

Training can enhance most inherent abilities and can improve employee performance. An assessment of ability should be made during the job-matching process by screening applicants against the skill requirements of the job. Employees must be given the technical and personnel resources to effectively perform assigned tasks. Motivation is represented by an employee's desire and commitment and is manifested as effort.

Exercise 15. Comprehension. Say if the statements are true or false. Correct the false variant.

1. Current assessment determines the firm’s future human resource requirements.

2. The organization forecasts its human resource requirements in order to determine the number of employees to hire and the types of skills they will need.

3. Job analysis provides the information about potential candidates.

4. Assessing current capabilities and future needs reveals whether the organization is overstaffed or not.

5. As there’s a vast opportunity to find qualified employees the organization does not need to develop a pool of job candidates.

6. Online recruiting has no benefits.

7. An orientation program helps new employees be formally introduced to their jobs.

8. During orientation, all the unrealistic expectations held by the employee come true.

9. An important influence on productivity is the quantity of the work force.

10. Personal needs analysis analyzes the employees’ training needs.

11. Employees must be given a casual leave to effectively perform assigned tasks.

Exercise 16. Crossword puzzle. All the terms are taken from the text.

ACROSS

1. Output per unit of input.

5. Introduces new employees to the organization.

7. Training for a job handled by someone else.

8. Something that moves a person toward a goal.

9, Conscious recognition of a need.

DOWN

2. Improving knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

3. Specific position held by an employee.

4. Additional job-related training.

6. Anything required, desired or useful.

	1										2
			3			4
			5										6
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				9

8

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Exercise 17. Say what you’ve learned from the text about

a). recruiting candidates;

b). an orientation program;

c) an organization analysis.

Exercise 18. Discussion.

A. How do you see your future profession? What kind of work are you interested in? Why?

• well paid work;

• interesting work;

• work in a large and famous company;

• quiet work;

• work in an industry which has future prospects;

• prestigious work;

• a kind of work such as not to sit the whole day in the office;

• to travel a lot;

B. Please, discuss advantages and disadvantages of your future profession.

• Do you think that your future profession is prestigious?

• Do you think it will be still prestigious and well paid by the time you graduate?

• How difficult is it to find a good work in your field?

• Is there competition in your group?

• Do you think that competition among your coeds is a good stimulus to study well or just makes communication between you more difficult?

Describe the results in a summary essay fashion.

Exercise 19. Supplementary reading for further discussion.

People work for fulfillment, appreciation and companionship. This applies to volunteers and professionals alike.

Employees need to receive money from their jobs, that is part of having a life. But it isn’t the most important part of a job. If people are going to be dedicated to a task then the task has to be worthy of them and they need to feel they are special. Dedication comes from understanding the job and from being able to feel the results of personal efforts.

People will apply for and accept paying jobs that do not necessarily turn them on. They feel dedication will come later. It is like marrying a friend and hoping love will emerge. Sometimes it does, but usually it doesn’t.

Before people come to an organization, they have their own ideas about what happens inside it. It is absolutely vital to give them a complete orientation as soon as they arrive so that they will know what really goes on and what their role is to be. New employees should be placed with their immediate supervisor, who explains the business and requirements. Here they learn that their position is key to helping others do their jobs.

As they absorb all this information, the newcomers will want to hear about the future and their personal opportunity. And they need an assignment, work to do right away. Real work.

Dedication is initially aimed at organization itself and will continue that way if everything has been represented accurately.

Exercise 20. Give your own comments on the following.

1. Monetary rewards are important to people.

2. People need to feel they are special.

3. It is vital to tell the newcomers all the truth about the organization.

4. The newcomers must be aware of all the requirements for their job.

5. Dedication is initially aimed at organization itself.

Exercise 21. Think and answer.

• What’s your understanding of a “worthy task”?

• Are you dedicated to what you do? Why (not)?

• Do you agree that it is vital to give newcomers real work at the start? Why (not)?

• Can dedication influence the internal environment?

• Is it possible to bring dedication up?