Back to course 'BUS301: Human Resource Management'

Topic outline

  • Unit 2: Strategic Human Resource Planning and Staffing

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    Now that we have discussed the core components of HR strategy, let's explore how to identify human capital by assessing and defining all the jobs within an organization. Recognizing the best people to hire can be difficult. Job descriptions often do a poor job of detailing the employment environment. By conducting a proper job analysis of all of the roles within a firm, hiring managers can best identify the abilities future employees should possess for specific jobs. The keys to success often depend on your ability to learn on the job, correct mistakes, and manage a stressful situation rather than your knowledge of a particular computer program. In this unit, we explore how to translate the demands of a job into an accurate job description.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • determine the role of strategic human resource planning;
      • explain how to conduct a job analysis;
      • discuss the role of a job analysis in supporting key human capital functions; and
      • describe effective techniques for attracting talent.

    • 2.1: Overview of a Job Analysis (JA)

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        Recruitment Book
        Students must
        Mark as done

        This chapter will be important for Unit 2 and Unit 3, as it discusses job analysis, job description, relevant recruitment laws, and strategies for effective recruitment in depth. Make the connection between what you learned about critical HRM planning in the previous unit and its effect on HRM recruitment, which is the focus of this unit. Pay attention to Figure 4.1., which describes the job analysis process. Note how a company's culture can be used as a recruiting tool to attract candidates.

    • 2.2: People (Human Capital)

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        Protecting Human Capital Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Watch this video, which introduces the value of human capital. While many organizations have a strategy for developing and nurturing their leaders, they must also create strategies to manage their employees.

        This video discusses an income statement, a financial statement that illustrates the revenue and expenses a business incurs during a specific period. Businesses should monitor the income and losses recorded on this statement daily to ensure the business is profitable. A balance sheet is a financial statement that illustrates its assets, liabilities, and owner's equity.

        Businesses need to focus on increasing the value of their assets. When managing human capital, certain C-jobs and C-employees, and even certain B-jobs and B-employees, affect your income statement the most. These employees' daily functions help an organization meet its goals and objectives and are often the most important. The A-jobs and employees have a high degree of risk (asset or liability), making their impact more strategic.

    • 2.3: Competency Modeling and KSAs

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        Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Read this article, which discusses knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) and the qualifications and attributes a job candidate will need to perform for a particular position. The authors focus on obtaining a job in the U.S. federal government, but you can apply their insight to identify and apply KSAs to any position opening.

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        The Dunning-Kruger Effect Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        This article discusses the Dunning-Kruger Effect, noting that poor performers often fail to learn from their mistakes. This inability to self-critique and self-correct poses obstacles for HR. While HR can provide feedback channels for employees to learn from, employees must also possess the skills to identify and remedy weaknesses in their performance. Make the connection between these obstacles and the important task of HR to properly assess knowledge, skills, and abilities to find valuable human resources.

    • 2.4: Job Description and Specification

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        The Recruitment Process Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Briefly revisit this section, which you read at the outset of this unit. Pay particular attention to the sample job analysis questionnaires in Figure 4.2 and the sample job description in Figure 4.3. Complete the exercises at the end of this section, and spend sufficient time on the second question. By the end of this activity, you should be able to list the four components of a job description and give tips for writing an effective one.

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        How to Write a Job Description Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Watch this brief video explaining some of the most important points to consider in writing a job description.

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        Job Descriptions vs. Job Postings Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        This video compares and contrasts job descriptions and job postings, which overlap but are not the same thing.

    • Unit 2 Assessment

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        Unit 2 Assessment Quiz
        Students must
        Receive a grade

        Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.

        • This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
        • You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
        • You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.