PRDV226: Introduction to Human Resource Management

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.

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?