Student Details
| Name: | |
| Student ID: | |
| Course: | Business Administration |
| Tutorial Group: |
Mid-Term Test Details
Release Date: ________________
Submission Date: ______________
*Important Note: Submission of Mid-term test is the responsibility of the candidate
For Examiner Use
| Marker Name | |
| Mid-term Test Marks | / 100 Marks |
| Final Marks | / 40 Marks |
Human Resource Management
Marking Scheme For Mid-Term Test
| No | Assessment | Marks Allocation | Marks Awarded |
| 1 | Question 1 In the context of HR, provide arguments how staffing function can provide retention initiatives. | 20 marks | |
| 2 | Question 2: Discuss whether it is possible to have training when only a minimal budget is available and provide reasoning. | 20 marks | |
| 3 | Question 3: With examples, discuss how HR can provide organizational values to the entire business operations during the pandemic. | 20 marks | |
| 4 | Question 4: In your opinion, to what extent are the benefits effective in achieving this objective? Analyze. | 20 marks | |
| 5 | Citations and references | 10 marks | |
| 6 | Formatting, grammar and overall quality | 10 marks | |
| Total Marks | 100 marks
| ||
Comments: _______________
Name of marker: _________________________
Signature of marker: _____________________
Date: _________________________
Grading Rubric for Each Question
| Grading Category | 0-5 marks Below Basic | 6-10 marks Basic | 11-15 marks Proficient | 16-20 marks Goal | Marks awarded for Q1 | Marks awarded for Q2 | Marks awarded for Q3 | Marks awarded for Q4 |
| Ideas | Topic needs to be developed | Focus needs to be expanded and supporting details are needed | Informative with clear focus | Informative with clear focus and supporting details | ||||
| Contents | Content is not sound | Content is sound and solid; ideas are present but not particularly developed or supported; some evidence, but usually of a generalized nature | Well-presented and argued; ideas are detailed, developed and supported with evidence and details, mostly specific | Exceptionally well presented and argued; ideas are detailed, well developed, supported with specific evidence & facts, as well as examples and specific details. | ||||
| Organization | Description and sequencing needs major revision | Description needs some work
Sequencing is limited | Engaging description
Adequate sequencing of details | Strong and engaging description
Sequencing of details are effective and logical | ||||
| Sentence Fluency | Sentences are difficult to read and do not flow | Sentences need to flow | Sentences mostly flow | Sentences flow throughout piece | ||||
| Total Marks divided by 4 (Total marks/4) (Note: Total Marks / 20 marks) | ||||||||
Mid-Term Answer
The staffing process comprises recruitment, selection, training, development, transition, promotions and employee rewards. Personating is a core managerial function. Each supervisor is actively engaged in carrying out the task of staffing. He is deeply involved in recruiting, selecting, training and valuing his colleagues. Staffing function can provide retention initiative by mentoring. Associating a new worker with an advisor is a great component to add to their ongoing process of embarking. Mentors could even make recommendations to newcomers and be a perfect partner, welcoming them into the corporation. So it’s a win-win: new members of the team learn from seasoned workers about the ropes so, in exchange, new hires give the mentors a unique perspective. It’s extremely important for companies to offer compensation and benefits in this competitive work environment. That involves, of course, wages, and furthermore bonuses, compensated time off, health insurance and pension plans. Every staff member should really have a filled awareness of the advantages the organization receives from the beginning to the end. Consider investing in the professional development of any staff a priority, and explore opportunities for them all to expand. Several other corporations charge employees fees and travel to attend meetings or business events per year, provide compensation for tuition fees or pay for technical training exercise. Everybody clearly feels respected for their work. Make the effort when they go the extra mile to thank your direct reports, for certain if it’s with a respectful email, a gift card or an additional day off. Illustrate how their working hard benefits the organization, as you show your gratitude to workers. A few companies are setting up systematic benefits package that encourage excellent creativity and solutions, even on a small group with a limited budget, people can institute recognition programs. Hoping employees to spend extra shifts daily and to be at their beck and call is not helpful to retention of employees. For job satisfaction, a healthy work-life balance is incredibly important, and people need to realize that their managers understand that they have lives out beyond work. Allow employees to take their holiday leave and if you need to wrap up the work late in the night, see if you can give latecomers or an additional weekend off to reimburse for this. (Half, 2020)
Yes, it is possible to have a training when limited budget is available. We can organize the training programme through online for those employee. Online training seems to be the practice of transmitting information over the Internet, from anywhere in the world to specific audiences who want to explore a particular matter. There are two forms of online training courses-free and paid versions. Some organizations provide training programs before workers in their positions are made permanent. This preparation will not stop until the work begins: it is then continued by focusing heavily concepts and emerging technology through online classes. Technology continually needs latest upgrades and quicker systems. And through the continuous preparation and learning will this be done. Virtual training programs can be accessed anywhere, anywhere. An internet access will be the sole prerequisite. This offers versatility in terms of both time and energy. Having to meet multiple individuals and entering groups will not end at social networking sites. Persons with the same interests or with the same performance objectives will enter a group that actively connects and shares questions, doubts and ideas. Taking part in these classes will provide a more comprehensive insight into where the course leads. Courses online help trainees with impressive figures, photos, legible characters, film clips, animated explanations, and more, to retain and remember the details. Examples from real life are also provided to help illustrate the concepts. Presenting knowledge in well-crafted ways contributes more to a better understanding of the substance of learning than writing notes with paper and a pen. Professional training is certainly a major money saver for companies, as even qualification courses come with a premium price tag compared to free online classes. (Ali, 2018) Online training means they can lower operating price of recruiting expenses, meals and location, not to mention the costs of facilitators and equipment for physical exercise, such as stationary. Quick online feedback results help workers determine how well they are performing and what pieces of learning content they can really have to revisit before moving on. Furthermore, gratification apps that include leader boards, awards and qualifications include a feeling of fulfilment and accomplishment that inspires workers to know. Timely and automatic reviews and appreciation is not only important for workers but also for their supervisors and the company. It is because the necessity manual reviews and marking is reduced. (Andriotis, 2018)
The disease outbreak has caused enormous disruption in life and industry, and human resources (HR) are crucial to sustaining companies and catalysing workforce changes. Companies need to reinvent, re-imagine and revisit how to nurture creativity, provide programs and improve their companies through with a forward-thinking HR approach about how to offer the most effective work experience. The situation is complex, which include organization-wide support for employees, employee engagement, salaries and benefits, and shifts, and business alliances. For example, Starbucks Company takes a range of precautions to secure the safety and very well-being of their customers and partners and to monitor the spreading of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in compliance with expert advice from the CDC and national public health agencies. The core value of Starbucks Company is to build a community of comfort and connection where all are welcome. Trying to act with courage and calling into question the established order. To be present, to connect with honesty, integrity and respect. To give their very best in all that they do, to keep themselves responsible for outcomes. They are guided by results, through the human eye. HR management of Starbucks are trying to act warmth and belongings to the community, bring their organizational value for their customer. Starbucks HR management create a thanking front-line responders. Any customer identifying as a front-line respondent to the COVID-19 outbreak would also obtain a tall brewed coffee (hot or iced) provided free by May 31 as another one way of saying thank you. Until now, the organization has given over one million cups of free drink to first aid and front-line responders who assist the healthcare sector. With the global coronavirus pandemic triggering high levels of unemployment and food poverty rising exponentially everywhere, Starbucks is partnering with Feeding America to bring food to the homeless who need it the most with a $1 million donation from The Starbucks Foundation to the COVID-19 response fund for Feeding America and $25,000 to the New York City Food Bank. Starbucks provides full assistance and personalized services to its COVID-19-impacted customers, with disaster-paying emotional and sick leave insurance, childcare assistance and much more. They pay to support partners affected by modified operating hours, organizational changes, or a sudden closure, and resupplying partners to many other stores and/or covering for disasters. Starbucks HR also offers a new temporary food incentive for any and all partners and a partner offer. Starting on May 4, an expansive disaster pay will also be enhanced to May 31 for partners who have also been successfully treated or subjected to COVID-19 so that they can stay at home and disassociate themselves. They will also manage to be have disaster pay accessible during May for partners whose stores will have shut or remain closed. Team members also have the capacity to take an apparent lack until September 30 and maintain their existing benefits while determining what’s safest for them. (Peiper, 2020)
In my opinion, the area of the benefit in achieving objectives it available in a range of shapes and sizes, based on industry and organizational size. Rewards differ widely from organization to organization, and it can be as basic as workplace health benefits or as complicated as flexible work hours or day-care on campus. The bigger the company, therefore more advantages become extended and varied, while smaller companies often lack the ability to provide enhanced benefits packages as well as the staff to handle these. (Patricia, 20 examples of benefits for church employees, 2016) All workplace compensation programs include handling them by a designated person and maintaining records of employee information. Most employers are interested in paying a portion of insurance costs, although the portion of expense contribution varies by company. Companies use a compensation plan to describe how it defines and administers the salaries and benefits of workers. The plan acts as a reference and therefore should be presented in a formal document clearly articulating the organization’s approach to determining compensation for workers. The efficient plan for compensation motivates existing workers and is used as a method for recruiting new ones. For example, A formal Paid Time Off (PTO) program allows workers the freedom to use how they see fit their paid time hours and to decrease the amount of wrongful termination. Pay-off plans will include an incentive for workers to take sick days, holiday pay and deals with personal problems by deciding whether when and how to use their bank of hours. The balance of hours incorporates sick days, personal days and holiday days and allows workers to be using banked hours away from work for every paid period. Compared with conventional sick leave and holiday accruals, the benefit of a paid time off program is that it provides workers with the freedom to make their own choices on whether to use personal time away from work. (Patricia, Paid Time Off, 2016) In addition to wages, many companies are using compensation programs to recruit and retain workers. Their aim is to compete with fitness, retirement, reimbursement of tuition and other incentives, as they recognize that it could be the decisive factor for a job seeker who chooses whether to take a position with a company or a worker who is contemplating quitting. For example, workers who remained with organizations also because rewards have been too nice to walk away. (Lotich, 2017) In the past couple of decades healthcare has improved drastically. Employee health is a common topic. There was a time when the purpose of healthcare was to support people get better when they come across an illness or accident. Today the focus is somewhat different and has moved to awareness and prevention for wellness. Wellness benefits may be aspects like: free cessation of smoking plan, on-site gymnasium for staff, lunchtime, biking programs, free flu vaccines, fitness programs, and lunch and wellness topics, blog healthy lifestyle tips, free blood pressure , cholesterol and diabetes safety tests and nutritious snacks. (Patricia, Employee wellness, are you paying attention?, 2017)
References
- Ali, J. (2018, January 24). 9 Advantages of Online Training. Retrieved from eLearning industry: https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-of-online-training-9
- Andriotis, N. (2018, August 22). Benefits of online employee training and development. Retrieved from talentims: https://www.talentlms.com/blog/benefits-of-elearning-in-the-workplace/
- Half, R. (2020, February 6). 14 Effective Employee Retention Strategies. Retrieved from roberthalf: https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/management-tips/effective-employee-retention-strategies
- Lotich, P. (2017, March 29). 7 keys to an effective compensation startegy. Retrieved from the thriving small business: https://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/compensation-strategy/
- Patricia. (2016, August 31). 20 examples of benefits for church employees. Retrieved from smart church management: https://smartchurchmanagement.com/example-benefits-for-church-employees/
- Patricia. (2016, March 16). Paid Time Off. Retrieved from smart chruch management: https://smartchurchmanagement.com/paid-time-off-policy/
- Patricia. (2017, March 15). Employee wellness, are you paying attention? Retrieved from smart church management: https://smartchurchmanagement.com/employee-wellness-paying-attention/
- Peiper, H. (2020, March 17). What customers need to know about Starbucks response to COVID-19. Retrieved from stories.starbucks: https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/what-customers-need-to-know-about-starbucks-response-to-covid-19/