I. The Legal Framework of Human Resource Management in Canada
A. Avoid intentional discrimination (deliberately using prohibited grounds for decisions) and unintentional discrimination (unfair practices that adversely impact specific groups).
B. The Employment Standards Act sets out minimum standards for the private sector.
C. The Canadian Human Rights Act covers all organizations under federal legislation. It prohibits discrimination on many grounds such as age, race, sex, etc.
D. Each province and territory has health and safety regulatory bodies. There are several federal pieces of legislation that relate to this topic.
II. Strategic Human Resource Management
A. Human resource management includes activities needed to attract and retain workers and ensure they perform at a high level. Strategic human resource management is the process by which managers design an HRM system.
B. Human Resource Planning – forecasting current and future human resource needs. Personnel replacement charts can be used for succession planning.
C. Needs may be filled by outsourcing to enhance flexibility and save costs.
D. Job Analysis – determining the job description and the job specifications
III. Overview of the Components of HRM
A. The five components influence each other and must fit together and complement structure, strategy and control systems.
1. Recruitment and selection -- attracting and hiring new employees
2. Training and development – ensuring that employees develop the skills and abilities that are needed to perform their jobs
3. Performance appraisal and feedback - for control and development purposes
4. Pay and benefits - to motivate and retain high-performing employees
5. Labour relations - develop and maintain good relations with the unions
III.1. Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment includes developing a pool of qualified candidates for a position, and selection deals with the decision of which applicant to hire.
A. External and Internal Recruitment
1. External recruitment deals with hiring workers who have not worked with the organization yet. Provides a larger applicant pool and newcomers with a fresh approach, but is costly and candidates are unknown.
2. Internal recruiting deals with hiring current employees for new positions through lateral moves or promotions. May boost morale and leads to known candidates already familiar with the organization.
B. The Selection Process
All techniques must be valid (measure what they are intended to – likely performance) and reliable (consistent results when repeated over time).
1. Background Information – education, work experience, etc.
2. Interviews –ask questions of applicants and expect them to answer appropriately and provide a realistic job preview (RJP).
a. situational questions (how they would deal with a situation) or behavioural questions (how they have dealt with past situations)
b. structured interview (each one asked same questions) or unstructured (like an ordinary conversation).
3. Testing
a. paper-and-pencil for ability or personality, physical ability, and performance tests and assessment centers
4. References – recommendations from former employers or others
III.2. Training and Development
A. Needs assessment deals with determining which employees need which type of skills or knowledge to do their jobs.
B. Training deals with teaching workers how to perform their current jobs; might be classroom instruction or on-the-job training
C. Development focuses on building knowledge and skills needed for future jobs; varied work experiences, mentoring, or formal education
D. Transfer of Training and Development to the actual work situation is vital.
III.3. Performance Appraisal and Feedback
Performance appraisal is the evaluation of employees' job performance and contributions to the organization. Performance feedback is the process where the performance appraisal information is shared and development plans are made.
A. Types of Performance Appraisal
1. Trait Appraisals assess skills, ability or personality have many disadvantages: use only when accurate & directly related to performance.
2. Behaviour Appraisals assesses "how" and provides actionable feedback.
a. Graphic Rating Scale Method is most popular. Appraiser scores several performance characteristics then calculates a total score.
3. Result Appraisals assesses "what" actual outcomes were, e.g. sales.
4. Objective (based on facts, numbers) assess what and Subjective (based on perceptions) Appraisals assess how work is performed.
B. Who Appraises Performance?
1. Self, peers (co-workers), subordinates, and clients: not always objective.
2. 360-degree appraisals –performance is evaluated by self, peers, subordinates, superiors, and sometimes clients.
C. Effective Performance Feedback – formal appraisals are conducted at fixed times during the year. Informal appraisals are unscheduled and ongoing.
1. Focus on specific behaviours and agree to an improvement timetable.
2. Approach as problem solving and provide frequent informal feedback.
3. Praise, don't criticize, and express confidence in ability to improve.
III.4. Pay and Benefits
Pay includes base salary, raises, and bonuses, while benefits include sick days, vacation days, and medical and life insurance.
A. Pay Level – how the worker's pay relates to the pay of other workers in the same industry who perform similar tasks on the job
B. Pay Structure – categories of jobs within the organization that require similar levels of skills
C. Benefits – include required (workers' compensation, social insurance, employment insurance) and optional (health insurance, dental insurance, vacation time, pension plans, life insurance, and flexible working hours). A cafeteria-style benefit plan allows employees to choose the benefits they want (within set limits).
III.5. Labour Relations – ensuring good relations between labour unions and managers
A. Unions – represent workers' interests in the organization. A united group has more power to demand improvements.
B. After a successful campaign for union certification, the union engages in collective bargaining to create a collective agreement outlining working conditions, wages, job security, etc.
C. Trends. The percentage of workers in unions has declined in Canada. Legislation that hinders the impact of unions has been passed, although the impact is still considerable.
