3co04 assignment covers the fundamentals of people practise, including the employee lifecycle, policies, regulations, and laws. It delves into a variety of specialist subjects essential for a career in people practise, such as recruitment, talent management, rewards, and learning and development. Importantly, this unit empowers practitioners to apply their knowledge and skills, enhancing their confidence and capability to practise progressively.

Case study

Clean Quarter Ltd is a small start-up business set to open to the public in two months. Friends Jaspreet and Caroline identified a market gap for a retailer offering plastic-free food products, many of which are organic. They will also sell a range of cleaning and cosmetic products. Customers can bring their own containers to the store to fill with products of their choice. An online delivery service will also be available. To reduce carbon emissions, products will be sourced locally whenever possible. While Jaspreet and Caroline are confident in their business plan and have a strong understanding of their market and products, they feel less assured about the people side of the operation. Knowing that you are studying for the CIPD Foundation Certificate in People Practice, they have asked for your help. As a friend and someone eager to develop your practice, you agree to provide advice and support in various ways.

Task one

AC1.1 Explain each stage of the employee life cycle and the role of the people professional in it.

AC1.2 Explain different ways in which you can prepare information for specified roles.

AC1.4 Explain factors to consider when deciding on content of copy used in recruitment methods.

AC2.1 Explain (two) different selection methods and when it is appropriate to use them. 

AC2.4 Explain the selection records that need to be retained.

AC2.5 Write letters of appointment and non-appointment for an identified role.

Task two

AC2.2 Develop selection criteria and shortlist candidate applications for interview for an identified role.

AC 2.3 Participate effectively in a selection interview and the decision-making process for an identified role.

Task Three 

AC3.1 Explain the importance of work-life balance within the employment relationship and how it can be influenced by legislation.

AC3.2 Explain the concept of wellbeing in the workplace and why it is important.

AC3.3 Summarise the main points of discrimination legislation.

AC3.4 Explain what diversity and inclusion mean and why they are important.

AC3.5 Explain the difference between fair and unfair dismissal.

Task Four

AC4.1 Explain the purpose and components of performance management.

Example:

Performance management refers to continued feedback between people, professionals and employees to ensure company goals and objectives are fulfilled. It can also be defined as the ongoing process through which employee performance is identified, measured and developed in the organisation (Lalwani, 2020). One of the purposes of performance management is ensuring employees are provided with the resources they require to develop, are offered rewards and recognition to ensure they are motivated and are held accountable for the achievement of company goals.

AC4.2 Explain factors that need to be considered when managing performance.

Example

Organisational systems

When managing team and individual performance, it is important to consider how well the organisational systems support the achievement of desired performance. The aforementioned include whether there are clear organisational goals, effective leadership, supportive line managers, adequate financial resources and realistic workloads.

AC4.3 Explain different methods of performance review.

Example

Performance appraisals are the systematic evaluation of workers’ job performance and how they contribute to the organisation. It is also a means for understanding employees’ abilities and future opportunities for growth.

Management by objectives

Management by objectives refers to an appraisal method where the performance and progress of each employee are monitored and evaluated against set objectives. The underlying assumption of the approach is that when employees are more involved and communicate with managers regularly when identifying, planning, and organising goals and objectives, they are more likely to achieve them.

AC5.1 Explain the key components of an effective total reward system.

Example

A total rewards system is an amalgamation of all efforts by employers in recruiting, motivating and retaining employees (Dirks, 2020). A total reward system comprises both the financial and non-financial components, including compensation, benefits, professional development, recognition and work-life balance.

Compensation encompasses the base salary employees receive for their contributions to the organisation. It also includes both short-term and long-term incentive pay.

On the other hand, benefits include not mandatory, and employer options are provided to employees in addition to compensation. They may include paid leave, health insurance and pension (Dirks, 2020).

AC5.2 Explain the relationship between reward and performance.

Example

Vroom’s expectancy theory explains the relationship between employee reward, performance and motivation (Channell, 2021). The theory notes that while individuals may have different goals, they can be motivated when there is a positive correlation between their efforts and performance and when their performance results in a desirable reward that satisfies their needs and makes their efforts worthwhile.

As a result, employees who are offered intrinsic and extrinsic rewards in the organisation will be motivated to be more creative and productive than those who receive no rewards for their efforts. Some rewards to improve employee motivation and performance include growth, pay raises, perks, bonuses and benefits. Nevertheless, professionals need to ensure that rewards offered have an element of consistency, fairness and equality.

AC5.3 Explain the (two) reasons for treating employees fairly in relation to pay.

Example

One of the reasons for treating employees fairly in relation to pay is ensuring compliance with the rules and regulations governing pay in the UK. For instance, employers are supposed to provide Equal and a minimum wage. In addition, organisations are required to report on their gender pay gap information.

Compensating employees fairly has a positive impact on employee productivity and job satisfaction. Employees who are offered competitive pay that is proportional to their efforts and contributions to the organisation feel more valued and appreciated. This leads to improved motivation and productivity. On the other hand, employees who perceive discrimination in relation to pay become demotivated and can leave the organisation.

Task Five

AC6.1 Explain why learning and development activities are of benefit to individuals and organisations.

Example

The existence of change in the organisation and the market implies that the skills and competencies required to execute job responsibilities effectively are also changing. This leads to developing skills and competency gaps that organisations must address using training and development and following a needs analysis (Hayden, 2021).

Learning needs may occur as a result of technological development. For instance, there is an increased need for an organisation to embrace collaboration and cloud technology in the workplace. As a result, employees may have to undertake training to apprise themselves of the technologies and how to utilise them.

AC 6.2 Describe different types of learning needs and reasons why they arise for individuals and organisations.

Example

Facilitation

Facilitation is a method of delivering learning where learners are more involved in the process. During facilitation, trainers oversee and provide learners with the required training resources. Learners are then allowed to engage in discussions and consultations with each other as they develop solutions and apply solutions to common work problems. Some of the advantages of facilitation are that it allows employees to discuss and evaluate issues related to the workplace. However, facilitation is expensive since it requires trained professionals to offer facilitation. Furthermore, where the role of the facilitator is not clearly defined, the facilitation process may be challenging.

AC 6.3 Summarise different face-to-face and blended learning and development approaches including:

• facilitation

• training

• coaching

• mentoring

Example

 Accommodating the needs and presences of individuals when designing and delivering learning and development initiatives is an effective way of improving its outcomes. Notably, this may be achieved in several ways, including by conducting a needs assessment and setting learning objectives. A needs assessment allows learning and development professionals to determine what gaps exist, what the learning program should entail, and what the outcomes should be like.

In addition, learning and development professionals should consider the different learning styles that are available and those that are effective for the learners. For example, while some learners may prefer visual learning, others may prefer auditory learning.

AC 6.4 Explain how individual requirements and preferences must be accommodated in the design and delivery of learning and development.

Example

The Kirkpatrick Taxonomy Model

The Kirkpatrick taxonomy model can be used to evaluate learning and development initiatives. The model evaluates learning and development across four levels, including reaction, learning, behaviour and results (Neendoor, 2022). The first level in the model evaluates the reaction of participants to the initiative, while the second level evaluates what the participants have learned. The third level evaluates the change in participants’ behaviour following training, while the last step evaluates results. This includes whether or not the stakeholder’s expectations have been met.

AC 6.5 Discuss how learning and development can be evaluated.

Example

References

Channell, M., 2021. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory: How to Motivate Staff and Increase Performance | TSW Training. [online] TSW Training. Available at: <https://www.tsw.co.uk/blog/leadership-and-management/vrooms-expectancy-theory/> [Accessed 22 August 2022].

Dirks, E., 2020. What Are the Components of a Total Rewards System?. [online] HRSoft. Available at: <https://hrsoft.com/what-are-the-components-of-a-total-rewards/> [Accessed 22 August 2022].

Hearn, S., 2019. What is the Purpose of Performance Management? | Clear Review. [online] Clear Review. Available at: <https://www.clearreview.com/what-is-purpose-of-performance-management/> [Accessed 22 August 2022].

Lalwani, P., 2020. What Is Performance Management? Definition, Process, Cycle, and Best Practices for Planning | Spiceworks. [online] Spiceworks. Available at: <https://www.spiceworks.com/hr/performance-management/articles/what-is-performance-management/> [Accessed 22 August 2022].

Task six References

CIPD, 2021. Evaluating Learning & Development | Factsheets | CIPD. [online] CIPD. Available at: <https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/people/development/evaluating-learning-factsheet#gref> [Accessed 22 August 2022].

Hayden, D., 2021. Identifying Learning & Development Needs | Factsheets | CIPD. [online] CIPD. Available at: <https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/people/development/learning-needs-factsheet> [Accessed 22 August 2022].

Indeed Editorial Team, 2022. The 8 Best Types of Training Methods for Your Employees. [online] Available at: <https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/best-types-emploee-training-methods> [Accessed 22 August 2022].

Neendoor, S., 2022. Training Evaluation – 5 Best Ways to Evaluate Training Effectiveness and Impact. [online] Kitaboo. Available at: <https://kitaboo.com/training-evaluation-evaluate-training-effectiveness-impact > [Accessed 22 August 2022].

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