MS-23    june-2011

MS-23 : HUMAN RESOURCE  PLANNING

 

1. Briefly describe various forecasting techniques.  Explain how these techniques are being used in  human resource planning with suitable examples.

2.  Explain the concept of job analysis. Briefly  describe various steps in the job analysis process.

3. Discuss the objectives and uses of the performance  appraisal system. Briefly describe M.B.O as the  methods of performance appraisal and its merits  and demerits.

4.  Explain the concept of HR Audit. Describe  various essential steps in Auditing process.

5.  Write short notes on any three of the following :

(a)  Job - evaluation.

(b)  HR I.S.

(c)  Succession planning.

(d)  Induction training.

(e)  Competency mapping.

 

6.   Read the following case and answer the  questions given at the end.

Popat Engineering Company was a large heavy-engineering unit. It attached great importance to  the recruitment and training of its senior  supervisors. Apart from selecting them from  within the organization, the company recruited,  every alternate year, about ten young engineering  graduates and offered them training for a period  of two years, before they were appointed as senior  supervisors. Such appointments were made to  about 40 per cent of the vacancies of senior  supervisors that occurred in the organization. This  was considered necessary by management as a  planned programme of imparting vitality to the  organization. Besides, many of the old-timers,  who had risen from the ranks, did not possess  the necessary academic background with the  result that they could not keep pace with the  technological changes. Management also believed  that in the rapidly changing conditions of  industry, a bank of technically competent  supervisors played a pivotal role, besides serving  as a pool from which to select future departmental

managers.

    Engineering graduates were selected from  amongst those who applied in response to an all-India advertisement. For the selection of one  engineer, on an average, eight applicants were  called for interview. A selection committee  consisting of the General Manager, the Production  Manager, the Personnel Manager and the  Training Officer interviewed and selected the  candidates. The selection interview was preceded  by a written test and only those who secured 40  per cent marks qualified for interview.  The engineers thus selected had to undergo  a two -year intensive theoretical and practical

training. A well - staffed and equipped Training  Institute was directly responsible for the training  of the graduate engineers, besides training trade  apprentices and operatives required by the  company. Lectures on theoretical subjects were  given at the Training Institute and practical  training in all the works departments under the  guidance of qualified and experienced instructors.

A few lectures by senior officers of the company  were also arranged to acquaint them with the  company policies on different matters. During the  last quarter of their two -year training programme  they were deputed to work full-time to familiarize  themselves with the conditions in departments  where they were to be absorbed eventually.

    On successful completion of training, the  graduate engineers were offered appointments,  depending on their performance and aptitude as  revealed during training. On placement in the  works departments however, most of them faced  some difficulty or the other.

According to management , some of the  heads of departments„ who were themselves not

qualified engineers, did not have sufficient  confidence in these younger men. They preferred  the subordinates who came up horn the ranks to  hold positions of responsibility. A few discredited  them saving that it would take years before these  youngsters could pick up the job. Besides, some  of the employees, whose promotional

opportunities were adversely affected by the  placement of graduate engineers, tried  - their best  to run down the latter as a class, sometimes  working on the group feelings of the workers.

Some of the supervisors who were not graduate  engineers also spoke derisively of them as "the  blue-eyed boys" of the organization. Management  knew that many of the graduate engineers were  not utilized according to their Capacity or training,  nor was any attempt made to test or develop their  potentialities. They also knew that many of the  graduate engineers  were,  therefore, dissatisfied  with their work life. Some of them who did not  get equal promotional opportunities as their  colleagues placed in other departments, were  looking for better jobs elsewhere.

    On the other hand, according to  management, the young graduate engineers were  themselves partly responsible for the hostile  attitude of others in the organization. Some of  them failed to appreciate that a newcomer invited  hostility in the beginning and it took time before  he was accepted as a member of the work-group.  They did not realize that they would be fully  productive only after gaining about five to seven  years' experience in the organization. A few  thought that they belonged to a superior cadre  and threw their weight around. They did not  bother to understand and appreciate the problems  of the rank - and - file of employees who worked.  under them.

In spite of these drawbacks, the General  Manager of the company felt that these men were  a set of disciplined supervisors. They had a sense  of pride in their profession, and with the extensive  training they had received, they would be able to  take up any responsible position in the  organization in course of time.

The General Manager could not allow the  situation to continue especially when it was a

difficult and costly process to recruit and train  young engineering graduates of the requisite type  and calibre. He knew that the prosperity of the  company, to a large extent, depended on these  young men. In addition, a large number of  lucrative employment opportunities were  available to these young engineers elsewhere and  there was a systematic raid on them. He,  therefore, called a meeting of all heads of  departments to review the situation.

Questions :

(a)  Identify the issues related to manpower  planning as evident in the case.

(b)  Discuss the strategies to tackle the  percentage of internal promotion at the

organizational level.

(c)  What type of additional training  programmes should be imparted for direct

entrants ?

(d)  Suppose you are the head of the personnel  division, what would be your suggestions  in the meeting, which has been called by  the General Manger ?