Human Resource Strategy (A Level) (Cambridge (CIE) A Level Business): Exam Questions

Redwood (RW)

Redwood (RW) is an accountancy practice in country H employing 240 accountants across five offices.

Accountants are currently told at the start of each year that they should "work hard and look after clients". Their pay rise is decided by a partner at the end of the year, and staff say they do not know what the rise is based on.

Table 1.1: RW selected data

RW's senior partner has proposed introducing Management by Objectives, with each accountant agreeing three measurable objectives with a manager every six months.

Ashford (AF)

Ashford (AF) assembles electronic control units for washing machines and ovens in country D. It employs 520 people and supplies four large appliance manufacturers.

AF's largest customer has warned that it will review the contract unless quality improves.

Table 1.1: AF selected data

AF's production manager says the failures are concentrated among a group of assemblers who have not met the required standard for several months.

Bellfield (BF)

Bellfield (BF) owns 62 clothing shops in country S and employs 1,100 sales assistants.

Sales assistants are paid the minimum wage. There is no training after an initial half-day induction, and no route to promotion except waiting for a supervisor to leave.

Table 1.1: BF selected data

BF's new HR director has $900,000 a year to spend on improving performance.

Amberley (AM)

Amberley (AM) is a retail bank in country K employing 6,800 people across 240 branches and two head offices.

AM receives around 19,000 applications a year for its graduate training scheme, from which it recruits 120 trainees. Applications are currently read by a team of eight HR staff.

AM is considering using an AI system to screen applications and rank candidates before any are read by a person.

Table 1.1: AM selected data

Vinehall (VH)

Vinehall (VH) provides catering for weddings, conferences and corporate events in country R. Demand is highly seasonal, with around 60% of its work falling between May and September.

VH employs 90 permanent staff and takes on up to 400 casual workers during the busy season. Casual staff are recruited afresh each year, given a two-hour briefing, and paid by the shift.

Table 1.1: VH selected data

VH's operations director argues that better-trained returning staff would reduce complaints. VH's finance director argues that casual labour must stay cheap and flexible because demand collapses in winter.

Kingsmere (KM)

Kingsmere (KM) is an estate agency with 31 branches in country B, employing 280 negotiators who value homes and sell them.

Negotiators are currently judged only on the number of properties they sell each month, and a monthly bonus is paid to the top ten performers.

Table 1.1: KM selected data

KM's HR director proposes judging negotiators on a combination of sales completed, valuation accuracy and customer satisfaction.

Thornbury (TB)

Thornbury (TB) supplies gas and electricity to homes in country W. It employs 4,000 people across a head office, three regional centres and a field engineering team.

TB's HR department keeps personnel records on paper at each location. Holiday requests, training records and absence data are held separately and are not shared between sites.

Table 1.1: TB selected data

TB's finance director notes that the system would take almost five years to repay its cost.