Q1.

Differentiate between
A. On the job training & off the job training.

(5 MARKS)

Job training is an important Human Resource (HR) function and an

absolute essential in todays competition. Though companies now days make
hard efforts to hire the best available talent but unless this talent is not polished
through training, it can never give the optimum output. Job training is an HR
function which is concerned with enhancing the knowledge, skills and
competencies of employees for a particular job so that they perform to their
best. It is not training should be imparted only to the new recruits in order to
make them learn about their job as well as the organization. But in todays fast
changing business environment training must be a continuous process so that
any changes can be quickly and well adapted by the employees at all levels.
There are different training methods adopted by firms depending on their
varying needs. But broadly the training methods are categorized into on-the-job
training and off-the-job training methods.
Ans :

On the job and off the job training methods

The major differences between these two training methodologies have been
listed here:
1. On the job training involves imparting training in the real work
environment i.e. it believes in learning by doing; while off the job
training involves imparting training outside the real work environment
i.e. the principle of learning by acquiring knowledge is adopted.
2. Under on the job training the training and performance goes
simultaneously so production is not hindered at the time of training; while
under off the job training methods first training is imparted and then the
real performance follows and therefore does not add anything to actual
production during training.
3. On the job training aims at developing the best practices for a specific
job and getting the job done; while off the job training methods aim at
learning basic facts and skills and is more general in nature.

4. On the job training is usually imparted by experienced workers and first

line supervisors at the workplace; whileoff the job training is imparted
usually by the academicians and professionals at any place other than the
real workplace.
5. On the job training methods are suitable when the trainees are limited
in numbers and the job is not hazardous in nature; while off the job
training methods can be utilized to train any numbers of employees and
for jobs that involve risks.
6. On the job training methods are simple and less-expensive because
they utilize the actual workplace and firms supervisors for imparting
training; while off the job training methods are quite expensive as they
need a complete different set-up. Training here is imparted in an artificial
set-up and outside experts are hired for the purpose.
7. Most popular on the job training methods include job rotation and
apprenticeship training; while the popular off the job training methods
include classroom lectures and simulation exercises.
8. On the job training is generally imparted in case of manufacturing firms
for production-related jobs; while off-the-job training is mostly imparted
for managerial and non-production related jobs.

B. Recruitment & Selection.

(5 MARKS)

Ans. Recruitment is the process of searching the candidates for employment and
stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organisation. Recruitment is the
activity that links the employers and the job seekers. Recruitment of candidates
is the function preceding the selection, which helps create a pool of prospective
employees for the organisation so that the management can select the right
candidate for the right job from this pool. The main objective of the recruitment
process is to expedite the selection process.
Recruitment is a continuous process whereby the firm attempts to develop a
pool of qualified applicants for the future human resources needs even though
specific vacancies do not exist. Usually, the recruitment process starts when a
manger initiates an employee requisition for a specific vacancy or an anticipated
vacancy.

Selection means choosing from that number, those applicants who are most
likely to succeed in the jobs. An interview is the most widely used technique for
selection.
Recruitment and selection are the two phases of the employment process. The
differences between the two are:
Recruitment is the process of searching the candidates for employment and
stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization WHEREAS selection
involves the series of steps by which the candidates are screened for choosing
the most suitable persons for vacant posts.
The basic purpose of recruitments is to create a talent pool of candidates to
enable the selection of best candidates for the organization, by attracting more
and more employees to apply in the organization WHEREAS the basic purpose
of selection process is to choose the right candidate to fill the various positions
in the organization.
Recruitment is a positive process i.e. encouraging more and more employees to
apply WHEREAS selection is a negative process as it involves rejection of the
unsuitable candidates.
Recruitment is concerned with tapping the sources of human resources
WHEREAS selection is concerned with selecting the most suitable candidate
through various interviews and tests.
There is no contract of recruitment established in recruitment WHEREAS
selection results in a contract of service between the employer and the selected
employee.
Recruitment process is economical and less time consuming .it has no
restriction upon number of candidates WHEREAS selection is an expensive and
more time consuming process and has only limited number of candidates are
selected.

C. Job Description and Job Specification.

(5 MARKS)

Job Analysis is a primary tool to collect job-related data. The process results in
collecting and recording two data sets including job description and job
specification. Any job vacancy cannot be filled until and unless HR manager

has these two sets of data. It is necessary to define them accurately in order to
fit the right person at the right place and at the right time. This helps both
employer and employee understand what exactly needs to be delivered and how.

Both job description and job specification are essential parts of job analysis
information. Writing them clearly and accurately helps organization and
workers cope with many challenges while on-board

Job description is a full description of the responsibilities and duties that

a job entails. Making a job description is essential for a HR manager
before the organization advertises vacancies. This is to ensure that the
right candidates apply for the job after reading the job description.
Candidates know in advance what their roles and responsibilities would
be once they are selected for the job as also the tasks they would be
required to perform. A job description contains the designation, the work
conditions, the nature of duty, the relationship with other employees and
superiors, qualifications required, and tasks and responsibilities expected
to be done by the candidate.

Thus, job description not only helps in recruitment of the right

employees, but it also helps supervisors to assign tasks and duties to the
employees. It allows a better performance appraisal and helps in better

manpower planning. A good job description is sufficient in itself to decide

on the remuneration for the candidate.

Job specification is a tool that allows management to let applicants know

the skills, level of experience and education, and abilities that they are
required to have to be able to fit easily into a job in an organization. In
fact, a job specification enables the management to have in mind the kind
of candidate they are looking for. Whenever there is a vacancy in an
organization, it is this job specification that helps the management to go
for recruitment as they know the type of candidates they want in the
organization. A job specification is all about the skills and abilities
required in a candidate along with a brief description of the job
requirements.

The difference between Job Description and Job Specification-

While a job description if all about the job and what it entails, a job
specification is all about the attributes the management is looking for in
the right candidate.

Job description tells you what you must do when selected while job
specification tells you what you must have to be selected for a job.

Job description tells all about the tasks and responsibilities expected to
be performed whereas job specification tells the level of experiences and
skills that a candidate must have to be selected for the job.

It is better to call job specification as employee specification as this is

what the organization is looking for in the employees selected for the job.

Q2. What do you mean by Human Resource Planning? Elaborate the steps
involved in Human Resource Planning?
Human resource is the most important asset of an organisation. Human
resources planning are the important managerial function. It ensures the right
type of people, in the right number, at the right time and place, who are trained
and motivated to do the right kind of work at the right time, there is generally a
shortage of suitable persons.
The enterprise will estimate its manpower requirements and then find out the
sources from which the needs will be met. If required manpower is not available
then the work will suffer. Developing countries are suffering from the shortage
of trained managers. Job opportunities are available in these countries but
properly trained personnel are not available. These countries try to import
trained skill from other countries.
In order to cope human resource requirements, an enterprise will have to plan in
advance its needs and the sources. The terms human resource planning and
manpower planning are generally used interchangeably. Human resource
planning is not a substitute for manpower planning. Rather the latter is a part of
the former i.e., manpower planning is integrated with human resource planning.
According to E.W. Vetter, human resource planning is the process by which a
management determines how an organisation should make from its current
manpower position to its desired manpower position.
Through planning a management strives to have the right number and the right
kind of people at the right places, at the right time to do things which result in
both the organisation and the individual receiving the maximum long range
benefit.
Dale S. Beach has defined it as a process of determining and assuring that the
organisation will have an adequate number of qualified persons available at the
proper times, performing jobs which meet the needs of the enterprise and which
provide satisfaction for the individuals involved.
On the analysis of above definitions, human resource planning may be viewed
as foreseeing the human resource requirements of an organisation and the future
supply of human resources and making necessary adjustments between these
two and organisation plans, and foreseeing the possibility of developing the

supply of human resources in order to match it with requirements by

introducing necessary changes in the functions of human resource management.
Here, human resource means skill, knowledge, values, ability, commitment,
motivation etc., in addition to the number of employees. Though
accomplishment of organisational objectives and goals is the primary concern of
the human resource planning, concern for the aspirations of the people and their
well-being has equal importance in it. In fact, the human resources planning
must result in humanisation of work environment.
Features of Human Resource Planning:
1. Well Defined Objectives:
Enterprises objectives and goals in its strategic planning and operating planning
may form the objectives of human resource planning. Human resource needs are
planned on the basis of companys goals. Besides, human resource planning has
its own objectives like developing human resources, updating technical
expertise, career planning of individual executives and people, ensuring better
commitment of people and so on.
2. Determining Human Resource Reeds:
Human resource plan must incorporate the human resource needs of the
enterprise. The thinking will have to be done in advance so that the persons are
available at a time when they are required. For this purpose, an enterprise will
have to undertake recruiting, selecting and training process also.
3. Keeping Manpower Inventory:
It includes the inventory of present manpower in the organisation. The
executive should know the persons who will be available to him for undertaking
higher responsibilities in the near future.
4. Adjusting Demand and Supply:
Manpower needs have to be planned well in advance as suitable persons are
available in future. If sufficient persons will not be available in future then
efforts should be .made to start recruitment process well in advance. The
demand and supply of personnel should be planned in advance.
5. Creating Proper Work Environment:

Besides estimating and employing personnel, human resource planning also

ensures that working conditions are created. Employees should like to work in
the organisation and they should get proper job satisfaction.
Human Resource planning Process
Human resource planning is a process which determines how an organisation
should move from its current manpower/human resources position to its desired
manpower/human
resources
position.
Human resource planning can be defined as the process of identifying the
number of people required by an organization in terms of quantity and quality.
All human resource management activities start with human resource planning.
So we can say that human resource planning is the principle/primary activity of
human resource management.

Human resource planning is important and ongoing because of both internal and
external environmental changes. Internally, businesses are impacted by turnover
and retirements. Externally, they are impacted by changes in technology,
changes in the economy, and changes in the industry and consumer demand that
may require skills that do not currently exist within the company. All of these
impacts have an effect on the type and numbers of employees that are needed
for the business to remain successful

1.Forecasting
Human
Resource
Requirements
This is the very first step in HRP process. Here the HRP department finds out
department wise requirements of people for the company. The requirement
consists of number of people required as well as qualification they must
possess.
2.Forecasting
Human
Resource
Availability
In this step, HR department finds out how many people are actually available in
the departments of the company. The supply involves/includes number of
people
along
with
their
qualification.
3.Comparison:Based on the information collected in the 1st and 2nd step, the HR department
makes a comparison and finds out the difference. Two possibilities arise from
thiscomparison
No difference :-It is possible that personnel requirement = personnel
supplied. In this case there is no difference. Hence no change is required.
Yes, there is a difference :-There may be difference between supply and
requirement. The difference may be
4.Personnel
surplus
:When the supply of personnel is more than the requirement, we have
personnel surplus. We require 100 people, but have 125 people. That is
we have a surplus of 25 people. Since extra employees increase
expenditure of company the company must try to remove excess staff by
followingmethods.
o
o
o
o

Termination
VRS/CRS
No recruitment
Layoff

5.Personnel
shortage
:When supply is less than the requirement, we have personnel shortage. We
require 100 people; we have only 75 i.e. we are short of 25 people. In such case
the HR department can adopt methods like Overtime, Recruitment, Sub-

contracting

to

obtain

new

employee.

The late 20th and early 21st century saw a number of shifts that suggest changes
in the nature of work in the future. These include the growing use of contingent
workers (people who are hired, as needed, to perform specific tasks, but are not
employed by the company), the use of virtual workers (those who may or may
not work for the company but who are not physically located on the company's
premises), and the growing impact of technology on the need for certain types
of employees, which causes increased need in some areas and declined need in
others. Thus HRP can be defined as process which anticipates and maps out the
consequences of business strategy on an organization's human resources. This is
reflected in planning of skill and competence needs as well as total headcounts.

Q3. Define Human Resource Management. Elaborate in detail the role of

HR Managers.
Behind the production of every product or service there is human mind, effort
and man hours (working hours). no product or service can be produced without
help of human being. Human being is the fundamental resource for making or
constructing anything. Today many experts claim that machines and technology
are replacing human resource and minimising their role or effort. But even
machines and technology have been build by the human aid and besides
companies have been continuously in search for talented, skilled and qualified
professionals to further develop latest machines and technology, which again
have to be controlled or used by humans to bring out products.
Human Resource Management is the process of recruitment, selection of
employee, providing proper orientation and induction, providing proper training
and the developing skills, assessment of employee (performance of appraisal),
providing proper compensation and benefits, motivating, maintaining proper
relations with labour and with trade unions, maintaining employees safety,
welfare and health by complying with labour laws of concern state or country.
Why name human resource management?
Human: refer to the skilled workforce in the organisation.
Resource: refer to limited availability or scarce.
Management: refer to maximise or proper utilisation and make best use of
limited and a scarce resource.
Altogether, human resource management is the process of proper and maximise
utilisation of available limited skilled workforce. The core purpose of the
human resource management is to make efficient use of existing human
resource in the organisation. The Best example at present situation is,
construction industry has been facing serious shortage of skilled workforce. It is
expected to triple in the next decade from the present 30 per cent, will
negatively impact the overall productivity of the sector, warn industry experts.
Every organisations desire is to have skilled and competent people to make
their organisation more effective than their competitors. Humans are very
important assets for the organisation rather than land and buildings, without
employees ( humans ) no activity in the organisation can be done. Machines are

meant to produce more goods with good quality but they should get operated by
the human only.
Scope of HRM
The scope of Human Resource Management refers to all the activities that come
under the banner of Human Resource Management. These activities are as
follows.

Human resources planning :- Human resource planning or Human

Resource Planning refers to a process by which the company to identify
the number of jobs vacant, whether the company has excess staff or
shortage of staff and to deal with this excess or shortage.
Job analysis design :- Another important area of Human Resource
Management is job analysis. Job analysis gives a detailed explanation
about each and every job in the company.
Recruitment and selection :- Based on information collected from job
analysis the company prepares advertisements and publishes them in the
newspapers. This is recruitment. A number of applications are received

after the advertisement is published, interviews are conducted and the

right employee is selected thus recruitment and selection are yet another
important area of Human Resource Management.
Orientation and induction :- Once the employees have been selected
an induction or orientation program is conducted. This is another
important area of Human Resource Management. The employees are
informed about the background of the company, explain about the
organizational culture and values and work ethics and introduce to the
other employees.
Training and development :- Every employee goes under training
program which helps him to put up a better performance on the job.
Training program is also conducted for existing staff that have a lot of
experience. This is called refresher training. Training and development is
one area where the company spends a huge amount.
Performance appraisal :- Once the employee has put in around 1 year of
service, performance appraisal is conducted that is the Human Resource
department checks the performance of the employee. Based on these
appraisal future promotions, incentives, increments in salary are decided.
Compensation planning and remuneration :- There are various rules
regarding compensation and other benefits. It is the job of the Human
Resource department to look into remuneration and compensation
planning.
Motivation, welfare, health and safety :- Motivation becomes important
to sustain the number of employees in the company. It is the job of the
Human Resource department to look into the different methods of
motivation. Apart from this certain health and safety regulations have to
be followed for the benefits of the employees. This is also handled by the
HR department.
Industrial relations :- Another important area of Human Resource
Management is maintaining co-ordinal relations with the union members.
This will help the organization to prevent strikes lockouts and ensure
smooth working in the company.
Role of HR Manager

Over the years the roles of HR has undergone a vast change .

From the personnel department to Talent Management and many more.

The role of HR grew in complexity, becoming more involved in business
forecasting, establishing business ROI and executing progress that could be
directly tied to future and current business success. As a result, the role of the
HR professional evolved into a strategic function involving human capital
and organisational development.
The roles and responsibilities of HR in todays world can be summarised
below-

Q4. Discuss the Objectives & uses of Performance Appraisal?

Answer: Performance appraisal may be defined as a structured formal
interaction between a subordinate and supervisor, that usually takes the form of
a periodic interview (annual or semi-annual), in which the work performance of
the subordinate is examined and discussed, with a view to identifying
weaknesses and strengths as well as opportunities for improvement and skills
development. In many organizations - but not all - appraisal results are used,
either directly or indirectly, to help determine reward outcomes. That is, the
appraisal results are used to identify the better performing employees who
should get the majority of available merit pay increases, bonuses, and
promotions. By the same token, appraisal results are used to identify the poorer
performers who may require some form of counseling, or in extreme cases,
demotion, dismissal or decreases in pay. (Organizations need to be awareof laws
in their country that might restrict their capacity to dismiss employees or
decrease pay.)
Performance appraisal for evaluation using the traditional approach has served
the following purposes:
Promotion, separation, and transfer decisions
Feedback to the employee regarding how the organization viewed the
employee's performance
Evaluations of relative contributions made by individuals and entire
departments in achieving higher level organization goals
Criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of selection and placement
decisions,including the relevance of the information used in the decisions
within the organization
Reward decisions, including merit increases, promotions, and other
rewards
Ascertaining and diagnosing training and development decisions
Criteria for evaluating the success of training and development decisions
Information upon which work scheduling plans, budgeting, and human
resource planning can be used
Objectives of Appraisal System:
To give employees the opportunity to discuss performance and
performancestandards regularly with their supervisor.

 To provide the supervisors with a means of identifying the strengths and

weaknesses of an employees performance.
To provide a format enabling the supervisor to recommend a specific
program design to help an employee improve performance.
To provide a basis of salary recommendations.
Salary Administration
Performance Feedback
Identification of Individual Strengths and Weaknesses Recognition of
Individual Performance
Determination of Promotion Identification of Poor Performance
Assistance In Goal Identification Evaluation Of Goal Achievement
Identification of Individual Training Needs
Determination of Organizational Training Needs.

Q. What is training? What are the different methods of training program

within the organization?

Answer - Most of the organizations before never used to believe in training.

They were holding the traditional view that managers are born and not made.
There were also some views that training is a very costly affair and not worth.
Organizations used to believe more in executive pinching. But now the scenario
seems to be changing. The modern approach of training and development is that
Indian Organizations have realized the importance of corporate training.
Training is now considered as more of retention tool than a cost. The training
system in Indian Industry has been changed to create a smarter workforce and
yield the best results.Training can be defined as any planned or structured
activity or approach designed to help an individual or a group of people to learn
as to do things differently or to do different things leading to more effective
performance and results.

The method by which training is delivered often varies based on the needs of
the company, the trainee, and on the task being performed. The method should
suit the audience, the content, the business environment, and the learning

objective. Ideally, the method chosen will motivate employees to learn, help
employees prepare themselves for learning, enable the trainees to apply and
practice what they've been taught, help trainees retain and transfer what they
have learned, and integrate performance with other skills and knowledge.
On-The-Job Training Methods
This is the most common method of job training. The trainee is placed on the
job and the manager or mentor shows the trainee how to do the job. To be
successful, the training should be done according to a structured program that
uses task lists, job breakdowns,
and performance standards as a lesson plan. Common on the Job training
methods include:Demonstration Demonstration is very effective for basic skills training. The
trainer shows trainees how to do something. The trainer may provide an
opportunity for trainees to perform the task being demonstrated.
Panel A panel provides several points of view on a topic to seek alternatives to
a situation. Panel members may have differing views but they must also have
objective concerns for the purpose of the training. This is an excellent method
for using outside resource people.
Projects Projects require the trainees to do something on the job, which
improves the business as well as helps them learn about the topic of training. It
might involve participation on a team, the creation of a database, or the forming
of a new process. The type of project will vary by business and the skill level of
the trainee.
Mentoring A mentor can tutor others in their learning. Mentors help employees
solve problems both through training them in skills and through modeling
effective attitudes and behaviors. This system is sometimes known as a buddy
system.
Off-The-Job Training Methods
In basket Exercise Recently, the in-basket has become a focus of interest
because of its usefulness in selection across a wide variety of jobs .A variety of
techniques have been used to develop in-baskets. In a traditional in-basket
exercise, candidates are given time to review the material and initiate in writing
whatever actions they believe to be most appropriate in relation to each inbasket item. When time is called for the exercise, the inbasket materials and any
notes, letters, memos, or other correspondence written by the candidate are
collected for review by one or more assessors. Often the candidates are then
interviewed to ensure that the assessor(s) understand actions taken by the
candidate and the rationale for the actions. If an interview is not possible, it is
also quite common to have the candidate complete a summary sheet (i.e., a
questionnaire).

Assessment centers Some companies run a series of extended selection

procedures (assessment centers) each lasting one or two days, and sometimes
longer. Usually these are after the first round of interviews and before making
the final selection, but they can be used as an initial selection process. They are
usually held either on company premises or in a nearby hotel, and are
considered by many employers to be the fairest and most accurate method of
selecting staff. This is because they give a number of different selectors a
chance to see you over a longer period of time than is possible with a single
interview, and the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you
can do, in a variety of situations.
Vestibule Training Vestibule training creates a miniature of the department for
which the training program is carried on. It utilizes machinery similar to that in
operation on the production floor. Qualified instructors, usually highly skilled
operators or supervisors, are provided to conduct the program in this special
section. Here the new employees are given a course of training in the particular
machines they will be required to use and on the exact work they will do when
they become a part of the regular production force In the early 1800s, factory
schools were created, due to the industrial revolution, in which workers were
trained in classrooms within the factory walls. The apprentice system was
inadequate due to the number of learners that had to be trained as the machines
of the Industrial Revolution increased the ability of the factory to produce
goods. The factory owners needed trained workers quickly because there was a
large demand for the produced goods. Towards the end of the 1800s, a method
that combined the benefits of the classroom with the benefits of on-the-job
training, called vestibule training, became a popular form of training. The
classroom was located as close as conditions allowed to the department for
which the workers were being trained. It was furnished with the same machines
as used in production. There were normally six to ten workers per trainer, who
were skilled workers or supervisors from the company. There are many
advantages of vestibule training. The workers are trained as if on the job,
but it did not interfere with the more vital task of production. Transfer of skills
and knowledge to the workplace was not required since the classroom was a
model of the working environment. Classes were small so that the learners
received immediate feedback and could ask questions more easily than in a
large classroom.
Lecture A lecture is the method learners often most commonly associate with
college and secondary education. Yet, it is also considered one of the least
effective methods to use for adult learners. In this method, one person (the
trainer) does all of the talking. He or she may use handouts, visual aids,
question/answer, or posters to support the lecture. Communication is primarily
one-way: from the instructor to the learner.

Movies/videos/computer-based training Content for the training experience

comes primarily from a videotape or computer-based program.
Simulations Trainees participate in a reality-based, interactive activity where
they imitate actions required on the job. It is a useful technique for skills
development.
Self-discovery Trainees discover the competencies on their own using such
techniques as guided exercises, books, and research.
Role Playing During a role-play, the trainees assume roles and act out situations
connected to the learning concepts. It is good for customer service and sales
training.
Case Studies A case study is a description of a real or imagined situation which
contains information that trainees can use to analyze what has occurred and
why. The trainees recommend solutions based on the content provided.
Seminar Seminars often combine several group methods: lectures, discussions,
conferences, and demonstrations.
Conference The conference training method is a good problem-solving
approach. A group considers a specific problem or issue and they work to reach
agreement on statements or solutions. When choosing from among these
methods, the trainer must decide which one best suits the trainees, the
environment, and the investments available. Many trainers will choose to
combine methods or vary them. Others will select a single method that works
best for them and never vary. With so many options, a trainer is limited only by
his or her creativity.

The Training Program should be creatively designed so as to meet the

requirements of the industry. For Eg. At Thermax (over 1200 employees nearly
Rs. 600 crore turnover, 6 per cent attrition rate) high-potential individuals are
given greater exposure, high visibility and asked to chart out a career vision
through an ongoing dialogue. Similarly at GCPL: Godrej Consumer Products
Ltds (1052 employees, nearly Rs. 500 crore sales) talent management system
allows bright employees to acquire a wide variety of skills through job rotation
(e.g., sales systems, project management skills, IT skills, Team building skills
etc.). Outstanding performers get salary increase instantaneously.
Q. Distinguish between Training and Development.