Part 1. Recruiting Candidates

Planning assists in implementing strategy by translating the organization's goals into the workers needed to achieve them. The organization forecasts its human resource requirements in order to determine the number of employees to hire and the types of skills they will need. Forecasting employment needs includes current and future assessment.

The manager wants to make sure that the number of employees matches the workload. In the current assessment, managers take a human resource inventory to assess what talents and skills are currently resident in the organization, and conduct a job analysis to define the tasks and the behaviors necessary to perform them. Job analysis provides the information for a job description - a written description of job content, environment and conditions of employment, and job specification -- knowledge, skills and abilities needed to do the job effectively. Future assessment determines the firm's future human resource requirements by looking at the overall organizational goals derived from strategic planning. Assessing current capabilities and future needs reveals areas where the organization is overstaffed and estimates of human resource shortages.

The organization develops a pool of job candidates from which to select qualified employees. Information gathered through job analysis can guide recruitment to fill skill and personnel gaps. The local labor market, the type or level of position and the size of the organization determine which source is used to find potential job candidates. Recruitment efforts include running newspaper ads, contacting employment agencies, and visiting colleges. Many organizations are turning the Internet to recruit a workforce. Benefits of online recruiting include reduced cost-per-hire, less time-to-fill, and a larger pool of quality candidates. Decruitment is a reduction in the organization's labor force through firing, layoffs, attrition, and early retirement, or maintaining employees through transfers, reduced workweeks or job sharing.

After employees are selected, they enter an orientation program to be formally introduced to their jobs. Orientation is a program that introduces new employees to the organization as a whole, their work unit and co-workers, and their job duties. It helps to reduce initial anxiety over starting a new job by facilitating the outsider-insider transition, expands on information received by the employee during the selection process. Employees are informed about benefits, policies, and procedures. Specific duties and responsibilities and performance evaluation are clarified. During orientation, the manager has the opportunity to resolve any unrealistic expectations held by the employee.

Part 2.Productivity

Organizations are concerned with productivity. Productivity is output per unit of input, usually expressed as a ratio. Measurement of productivity helps managers examine critical aspects of production. It is usually determined by a single-factor index, such as output per hour of labor or output per amount of capital invested, or a combined-factor index which integrates different inputs into one overall measure.

An important influence on productivity is the quality of the work force. A major investment necessary to productivity is training. In order to meet new challenges, even the best-educated employees need to increase and adapt their skills. Training refers to improving an employee's knowledge, skills, and attitudes so that he or she can do the job. All new employees (or current employees in new jobs) should be trained. Cross training prepares an employee for a job normally handled by someone else. Also, training is advisable when new processes, equipment or procedures are introduced into the workplace.

Training starts with an organization analysis. By focusing on strategy and examining sales forecasts and expected changes in production, distribution and support systems, employers can determine which skills will be needed and to what degree. A comparison with current skill levels is used to estimate staff and training needs. Task analysis identifies the elements of current or future tasks to be done. Personal needs analysis involves asking employees and managers, either in an interview or in a self-administered questionnaire, to analyze their training needs. In general, agreement between managers and employees tends to be low, so it is important that both parties agree to decisions about the training of employees.

Training can enhance most inherent abilities and can improve employee performance. An assessment of ability should be made during the job-matching process by screening applicants against the skill requirements of the job. Employees must be given the technical and personnel resources to effectively perform assigned tasks. Motivation is represented by an employee's desire and commitment and is manifested as effort.