Please answer the following questions. Be sure to cite your sources, even if you only use the textbook.
What are ways that the organization can ensure that KSAO deficiencies do not occur in its workforce?
Why are decisions about job categories and levels so critical to the conduct and results of HR planning?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of succession planning for all levels of management, instead of just top management?
What is the purpose of each type of job analysis, and how can the three types described in this chapter be combined to produce and overall understanding of work in an organization?
Why do you think employees tend to be only moderately satisfied with many of the job rewards that are most important to them? What are the implications for creating the employee value preposition?
What are the advantages and disadvantages to using multiple methods of job analysis for a particular job?
It has been suggested that “ethical conduct” be formally incorporated as a general competency requirement for any job within the organization. Discuss the pros and cons of this suggestion.
Assume you are assisting in the conduct of job analysis as an HR department representative. You have encountered several managers who want to delete certain tasks and KSAOs from the formal job description having to do with employee safety, even though they clearly are job requirements. How should you handle this situation?
Read the following minicase on Forecasting Demand and answer the questions below.
TechFriend provides advice to customers on how to use a wide variety of consumer electronics. Its tagline is “Helping you find your way through the digital maze.” The advice it provides is designed to fill in a gap in typical manufacturing customer assistance. One specific way that TechFriend differentiates itself is by providing in home consultations with individuals. Its services are also designed to ensure cross device compatibility and integration. For example, TechFriend employees might show a family how to keep their Internet service, smartphone, and computers all working together. They also can provide impartial advice on purchases (as they receive no commissions for sales).
TechFriend has established itself in the twelve largest metropolitan areas in Georgia and Florida, with several small offices in large cities such as Atlanta, Miami, and Tampa. In total, there are 39 offices, with staffing levels for customer service agents ranging between 50 and 80 FTEs per office. These levels of staffing have evolved over time to match customer demand, so they are close to the capacity for each area. TechFriend intends to expand its reach to 10 new offices in urban areas in South Carolina and Tennessee, and it wants to develop forecasts of how many individuals will be needed in each area.
To estimate the needed staffing levels, central HR representatives worked with their operations team to estimate a regression equation, in which the optimal number of FTE service agents per location was predicted by population data (in thousands) for different regions. Population figures were taken from census information and divided into group A (18 to 24 years old), group B (25 to 44 years old), group C (45 to 65 years old), and group D (65+ years old). The following regression equation was estimated:
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This regression equation can be used to predict the number of FTE service agents needed to meet customer demand. For example, in one expected service area of the Nashville metropolitan area, the approximate population is about 50,000 in group A, 170,000 in group B, 100,000 in group C, and 60,000 in group D. The estimated regression equation is then:
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which equals:
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So, this region would need about 72 FTEs. Using this information, answer the following questions:
How many FTE customer service agents are needed in another region of the Nashville metropolitan area that has a population of potential customers that equals approximately 40,000 in group A, 120,000 in group B, 80,000 in group C, and 40,000 in group D?
How many FTE customer service agents are needed in a region of the greater Charleston metropolitan area that has a population of potential customers that equals approximately 60,000 in group A, 180,000 in group B, 120,000 in group C, and 60,000 in group D?
Is there any other information that you might want to incorporate into your estimate of how many FTE customer service agents are needed in these regions? Where might you find out what other factors should be taken into account for staffing these regions?
How would you incorporate managerial judgment into your estimate of staffing levels? How would you communicate your conclusions to TechFriend managers?