PRDV226: Introduction to Human Resource Management

Read this article and consider the performance culture in your own organization, or an organization you are familiar with. Are employees in this organization made to feel that they are part of a team? Are high-achieving employees treated differently from employees who display average performance? Is there an appropriate level of pressure placed on employees to perform well? Does the corporate culture recognize that accomplishments take time to achieve, or does it encourage workplace shortcuts as the norm?

Read this chapter, which includes detailed information on recruitment strategies and how to manage the recruiting process. Be sure to complete all the activity worksheets within the text. These exercises will help you delve into the recruitment process from the perspective of an individual seeking employment as well as from the perspective of an organization seeking employees.

Read this chapter, which discusses how companies choose the criteria from which they will select employees, including pre-selection strategies and how candidates are evaluated. Be sure to complete all the activity worksheets within the text. These exercises will help you delve into the pre-selection process from the perspective of an individual seeking employment as well as from the perspective of an organization seeking employees.

Read this chapter, which focuses on the last phase of the employee selection process, including the interview process, selection strategies, and making an offer. Be sure to complete all the activity worksheets within the text. These exercises will help you delve into the selection process from the perspective of an individual seeking employment as well as from the perspective of an organization choosing employees and making job offers.

Read the introduction and section 7.1, which introduce strategies for employee recruitment, motivation, and retention. In today's world of doing more with less, managers at all levels of an organization have the responsibility of knowing how to successfully implement foundational human resource concepts. This section discusses the discipline of human resource management and illustrates how managers develop and potentially implement plans associated with human resources.

Read this section, which introduces you to three major concepts as they are applied within the framework of human resources: diversity; training and development; and new employee orientation. Globalization in the 20th and 21st centuries has produced a multicultural and varied workforce. Age, gender, ethnicity, religion, and other factors have created a broad workforce landscape. It is very important to understand these elements, as no manager can achieve organizational success without fully utilizing employee capital. As you read, be sure to pay close attention to the sections of the text that discuss the mutual benefits of formal and informal on-the-job training.

Reflect on the article you have just read about training and the development of employees. Often, employees feel that job training is ineffective or unnecessary. What experiences have you had with employee training that were beneficial, or, in contrast of little value? Share your thoughts on this question in the course discussion forum by clicking on the link above and creating a free Saylor Foundation School account (if you have not already done so). Read the responses that other students have posted and post your own comments on the forum. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with your peers and to receive meaningful feedback of your own.

Read this section, which provides additional examples of employee motivation techniques. Earlier in this course, you were introduced to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. This section will provide you with an expanded illustration of how Abraham Maslow's motivational theory can be applied in the workplace. Pay particular attention to the visual diagrams presented in this section; these will aid your expanded analysis of motivation techniques. Also, pay attention to this section's in-depth discussion of different motivational theories.

Read this section, which discusses how compensation and benefits help create a satisfying workplace environment for employees. This section also provides you with an in-depth discussion about the ways in which companies help their employees strike a balance between their jobs and their personal lives. Because every employee requires a different level of work-life balance, companies must be creative in how they determine their work-life policies.

Read this section, which covers the topic of performance appraisals. Conducting employee performance reviews is a key part of a manager's job. The feedback a manager gives about an employee's work may or may not align with the organization's expectations for that employee; thus, a manager's input is highly influential in directing the course of an employee's career at a company. This section discusses how a manager can correct poor performance as well as how a manager can work to retain valuable employees.

Read this section, which discusses labor unions. In some workplace environments, a manager may have to work with a labor union. This section will introduce you to the foundational principles that a manager should understand when dealing with unions and union activities. As you read, focus in particular on the sections of the text that explain collective bargaining, negotiation breakdowns, and the future of unions in the United States, particularly in light of the decline in overall union membership.

Read Section 2, "Recruitment and Selection", which explains various ways to recruit and select high-quality employees.

Read this article and consider your own past interviewing experiences. How do they compare with this depiction of the interview process at Google? Which process do you prefer? Would you want to work at Google, given what you have read in this essay?

Read the introduction and section 16.1, which discuss how the company Kronos Inc. has used technology to help screen potential candidates and reduce employee turnover. As you know from your coursework thus far, managers are charged with making strategic decisions, often with minimal time to respond. This case study provides an example of a solution that one company created in order to improve decision-making among management.

Read this section, which provides information on the strategic nature of human resources and the significance of a manager's need to focus on and support an organization's human capital. As a manager, the focus of all of your efforts should direct you towards achieving a particular outcome.

Read this section, which discusses how to attract and keep employee talent within your organization. There is a direct correlation between the concept of talent management and the financial performance of an organization.

Read this section, which provides examples of effective selection and placement strategies for human capital. Every company has its own personality and philosophy, and it is essential for companies to hire individuals whose needs and ethics match those of the organization.

Read this section, which discusses the elements of a pay system from both an individual and a company perspective. How and at what level a manager sets pay for an employee is a critical component in creating incentives and communicating expectations for that employee's performance.

Read this section, which discusses how to harness technology in order to improve performance. By creating workplace systems that increase the likelihood of great performance, companies are able to optimize and streamline many of their services. This section also provides information on how to create and support succession plans, which are career tracks and advancement protocols that incentivize an organization's human capital.

Read this section, which discusses the balanced scorecard method and how it can be applied to HR. This section also emphasizes the importance of measurement systems as a way to determine employee results.

Watch this video interview with Dick Beatty, a professor of human resource management at Rutgers University. Beatty explains how to identify the most important positions in your company and how to get your most talented employees into those positions.

Read this article and consider the idea that employees should be viewed in the same way that companies view supply-chain management principles. Do you think it is inevitable that employees will move from one company to another throughout their careers? Should companies cultivate more of their employees with the hope that good talent will stay with and will benefit the organization? If a company views employees as commodities, will such a view discourage workers from commitment and dedication to the organization?