Unit Title: Human Resource Management Guided Learning Hours: 160 Level: Level 5 Number of Credits: 18

Learning Outcome 1
The learner will: Understand the importance of a professional approach to HRM as an essential means for optimising the performance and commitment of an organisations employees.

Assessment Criteria The learner can: 1.1 Explain the importance of people as a key corporate resource, and the changing focus of the HR/personnel function (from welfare to business partner).

Indicative Content

1.1.1 Definition of HRM. 1.1.2 People as an organisations key resource. The contribution of HRM to high performance and organisational success. 1.1.3 The history of HRM.

1.2 Outline the fundamentals of what it means to be a professional, both as an HR practitioner and also as a manager with accountabilities for people performance including the ethical, legal and duty of care dimensions of the managerial role.

1.2.1 The professionalisation of HRM. 1.2.2 Ethics in HRM and the employers duty of care to employees. 1.2.3 The law and HRM. 1.2.4 The responsibilities of the employer and the employee for maintaining a safe and healthy working environment. 1.2.5 Work-related stress and work/life balance. 1.2.6 Equality and diversity and their significance for business success, legal compliance and corporate social responsibility. 1.2.7 Whistleblowing and whistleblowers.

1.3 Define the nature of the psychological contract between employer and employee, and assess the evolving features of this contract in an increasingly turbulent business world.

1.3.1 Psychological contract: nature, history, current significance and future development.

1.4 Describe the evolving relationship between managers, the workforce,

1.4.1 The respective roles of and developing relationship between the individual employee, the line manager, the HR professional and other specialists carrying out people

and the HR (personnel) function.

management activities.

Learning Outcome 2
The learner will: Understand the role of effective and efficient people resourcing (HR planning, recruitment and selection) in securing a workforce with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes, enabling them to contribute to organisational goals.

Assessment Criteria The learner can: 2.1 Explain the purposes and process of HR planning.

Indicative Content

2.1.1 The definition, purposes and mechanics of Human Resource Planning (HRP). 2.1.2 Hard and soft HRP.

2.2 Examine the relevance of HR planning in todays highly competitive, globalised and increasingly unpredictable environment.

2.2.1 The importance of HR planning in a turbulent world. 2.2.2 The definition, purpose and processes for handling redundancy situations.

2.3 Identify the principal elements in the processes of recruitment and selection (including erecruitment).

2.3.1 The meaning of recruitment and selection and the stages involved. 2.3.2 Defining the vacancy and job analysis (job descriptions and accountability profiling) and specifying the personal attributes, capabilities and attitudes required (person specifications and competency frameworks). 2.3.3 Advertising internally and externally. 2.3.4 The application form. 2.3.5 E-recruitment.

2.4 Assess the reliability and validity of specific techniques for selection, and design suitable selection methods appropriate for a variety of occupational and corporate scenarios.

2.4.1 Selection methods: the range of techniques available including e-selection. 2.4.2 The significance of authenticity, reliability, sufficiency, validity and cost, with special reference to selection interviewing. 2.4.3 Employee references and making a job offer.

Learning Outcome 3
The learner will: Understand the theory and practice related to the full range of HRM functions (learning, performance management, reward/recognition and employee relations).

Assessment Criteria The learner can: 3.1 Apply learning theories to the design and delivery of cost-effective induction and occupational training/development events.

Indicative Content

3.1.1 Learning theories and their use in helping to design and deliver learning. How adults learn and different preferred ways of learning. 3.1.2 The differences between learning, development, training and education and the adoption of these different approaches. 3.1.3 What learning is designed to change and its limitations. 3.1.4 The delivery of learning through different methods (on and off the job). 3.1.5 Employee induction.

3.2 Evaluate suitable methods in performance management (objective setting and systematic performance review) and for managing performance (control/monitoring systems, absence control and the design of disciplinary procedures).

3.2.1 Methods of performance management including objective-setting and systematic performance and development review (appraisal). 3.2.2 360-degree appraisal. 3.2.3 Methods of monitoring and controlling employee absence. 3.2.4 The definition, purpose and content of disciplinary and grievance policies and procedures. The principles behind them. 3.2.5 Gross misconduct and formal vs. informal action.

3.3 Describe alternative approaches to reward and recognition in organisations, including total reward.

3.3.1 Employee reward and recognition. 3.3.2 The mix of financial and non-financial rewards. The total reward package.

3.4 Explain the methods available for promoting positive employee relations in the organisation.

3.4.1 Methods promoting positive employee relations.

Learning Outcome 4
The learner will: Understand the content and significance of key developments in the HRM arena, especially High Performance Working (HPW), employee engagement, employer branding, and self-managed learning.

Assessment Criteria The learner can: 4.1 Explain the importance of High Performance Working (HPW) as a defined set of business methodologies, and evaluate the application of HPW techniques within specified organisational settings.

Indicative Content

4.1.1 The nature and importance of High Performance Working (HPW). 4.1.2 The application of HPW techniques to a range of different organisational situations.

4.2 Describe the benefits to be gained for both organisations and employees from a culture of employee engagement, and understand the mechanisms which make a high engagement culture possible.

4.2.1 The nature and significance of employee engagement and methods for promoting engagement. High engagement cultures.

4.3 Assess the advantages of employer branding and identify the factors which contribute to the authentic development of the organisation as an employer brand.

4.3.1 The nature and significance of employer branding. 4.3.2 The factors which contribute to the authentic development of the organisation as an employer brand.

4.4 Explain the importance of personal development throughout an organisations workforce, and how to promote selfmanaged learning both as a practical principle for individual conduct and as a corporate practice for continuous improvement throughout the business.

4.4.1 The nature and importance of employee development in each part of the workforce. 4.4.2 How to promote continuous (lifelong) self-managed learning by both the individual employee and the organisation. 4.4.3 Knowledge management and the learning organisation. 4.4.4 Career management and development.

Assessment: Assessment method: written examination (unless otherwise stated). Written examinations are of three hours duration. All learning outcomes will be assessed. Recommended Reading: Human Resource Management ABE Study Manual. Please refer to the Tuition Resources section of the Members Area of the ABE website (www.abeuk.com) for further recommended reading.