Explain why it is vital for organisations to have HR plans. What might be the problems if they do not?

It is vital to have plans within organisations to avoid having difficulties from the start of hiring somebody, of which is of some high costs to organisations, as well as lost time. To prevent complications from happening within a business or organisation a plan is to be followed to make it easier for that business or organisation to select the right individuals who posses the right skills from the start and are able to do the specified job.

Using Rodger’s seven point person specification (in Foot and Hook) draft a person specification for a university lecturer.

1. Physical make-up
health, physique, appearance, bearing, speech (exclude discriminatory features such as accent)

2. Attainments
education, training, experience, achievements

3. Intelligence
Cognitive ability, learning capacity, analytical ability, ability to synthesise

4. Special aptitudes
e.g. construction, equipment, dexterity, mathematical, IT ability etc

5. Interests
intellectual, practical, active, social

6. Disposition
maturity, self-reliance, compassion, humour

7. Circumstances
geographical mobility (excluding discriminatory factors such as age, children, marital status etc - unless specifically relevant to job)

PERSON SPECIFICATION-University lecturer

A University lecturer needs to have the following:

• A good presentable appearance
• Various achieved Attainments
• An intelligence
• Have specified Special aptitudes for example in IT
• An interest in what the job involves
• Disposition in maturity, being a role model

(http://www.bola.biz/recruitment/rodger.html)

If Waitrose were considering opening a new store in High Wycombe, what are the key labour questions they would need to ask. Give at least 5 answers...

1. Labour costs?
2. Competition of the area?
3. Skill shortages within the area?
4. Unemployment level of High Wycombe?
5. Patterns of employment?