Human Resourses

1 Generally, what has influenced the Human Resource Management function over the past ten years toward serving in the role of a strategic partner or leader in the organization? See in item three you will provide more specific influences that will continue to impact the function.

2. What could be holding HR professionals back from serving in the strategic HR role?

3. List at least two items for the positive contextual influences and two items for the negative contextual influences that will impact the HR function from today forward.

2 Write a memo to the CEO of HSS in which you justify HR's role in drafting a strategic plan. The report should be written using language the CEO will understand and can relate. The document should be complete enough to convince the CEO of the importance of a professional HR function being part of the strategic plan at HSS.

3 Share why job analysis is crucial to the effective management of organizations. Include the following in your answers:

1. How does a job analysis help managers do their jobs better?

2. How does a job analysis relate to job descriptions and job specifications?

3. Why is it beneficial to have someone from outside the organization conduct the job analysis?

4 Knowing that EEO laws and regulations greatly impact the HR environment, share how job descriptions and job specifications serve HR toward compliance with the laws and regulations. Include at least two of the following major functions of HRM: organizational design, staffing, training, compensation and performance management.

5 We have many methods for recruiting employees. In recent years, with the advances of information technology and the world wide web, new methods are now available that were not used even ten years ago. List three methods for recruiting entry level managers, share what you see as the advantages, disadvantages and risks of each of the three methods for recruitment. 

6  review the following situation and provide your thoughts.

We are using, once again, the case study from the module provided. In your readings about the company we call HSS.

There is a possibility that HSS will receive a large new contract with a firm in the Portland, Oregon, area. This new contract will require the opening of a new facility for HSS that will require at least 30 people to fully staff the office.

The founders want to know whether it will be better to move experienced people from HSS headquarters in Maryland to manage the facility or to hire new people to manage the facility in Oregon.

Prepare a memo in which you address the advantages and disadvantages of both internal and external staffing methods of a new office that is remote from the main office. Make sure the memo has bullet points for both the pros and cons of each alternative.

7 Select three methods for conducting an evaluation of an employee's performance.

Tell us what level of employee (management, administrative, clerical, laborer, etc.) would you use this method to evaluate.

Finally, provide the advantages and disadvantages for each method.

8 Answer the following:

The acting head of software development advises you that she wants to develop an effective performance appraisal system for her department. She remembers, from having taken a human resource management class as an undergraduate, that there are a number of different ways to measure performance and she wants your guidance in selecting one. 

She also wants to make sure that the method chosen to conduct performance appraisals fits the technical nature of the workers she supervises who work in teams. Knowing what an individualistic society the USA is, she suggests there be an individual and a team component. 

Write and share a memo that outlines the different alternatives that you recommend as the most effective for appraising the performance of software developers working in teams. Share at least three alternatives with the pros and cons of each alternative you suggest.

9 Give a short description of the method, which audiences it best serves (leaders, managers, administrative staff, production workers, customer service employees just as some examples). 

Finally, provide the advantages, disadvantages and at least two metrics for evaluating the training.

10 Answer the following:

The board of directors of HHS thinks a training program and a process is required to project what skills and certifications will be needed in the future at HSS. They have provided a list of questions that they feel should be answered before developing this training program. These questions are:

• How will the organization's training needs be determined?
• How will HSS know if the training program is being effective?