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Question 1- The success of HR plans depends on the accuracy of HR forecasts. What is the
meaning of this HR forecasting? Describe the following HR forecasting techniques: (a) Index/Trend
analysis and (b) Expert forecasting
Answer: Forecasting means predicting future analyzing past and present records. Therefore HR
forecasting means predicting the future of demand for manpower/skills and supply of manpower/skills at
organization. It helps to make sure that organization takes accounts of employees as contribution to
success by recognizing their unique contribution in the organization. It uses several mathematical tools to
produce information that could then be used to predict the future of demand and supply of human skills in
the organization.
There are several HR forecasting techniques. They are as follows
I. Index/trend analysis:
This technique uses organizational index as the basis for forecasting employments requirement. It
forecast the requirement for additional manpower by projecting trends of past and present to the future. It
makes use of operational indices for this.
Historical relationship between the operational index and the demand for labor
Operational indices used are:
Sales
Number of units produced
Number of clients serviced
Production/Direct Labor Hours
Trend analysis can be used for forecasting overall organization, sub units, or direct and indirect
manpower requirements.
It involves following steps;
Select the appropriate business/operation index
Track the index over time
Track the workforce size over time
Calculate the average ratio of the business index to the workforce size
Calculate the forecasted HR demand
II. Expert forecasting:
It is the systematic collection of expert opinion in varying stage using feedbacks using feedbacks
to develop new forecasts. This methods is essentially a group process to achieve a consensus forecast.
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This method calls for a selection of a panel of experts either from or outside the organization. A series of
question is prepared from the Response received from a prior set of question in sequencing manner. The
procedure of Delphi technique involves the following steps:
1. To start with, it requires selection of a coordinator and a panel of experts from both within and
outside of organization.
2. The coordinator then circulars questions in writing to each such experts.
3. The experts then writes their observation.
4. The coordinates then edit those observation than summarizes, without however disclosing the
majority opinion in his summary
5. On the basis of his summary, the coordinates develops a new set of questionnaire and circulates
those among the experts.
6. Experts then answer such set of questions.
7. The coordinator repeats the process till such time he is able to synthesize the opinion of the
experts















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Question 2- Write a brief note on:
I. Selection test:
Various selection test are as follows:
1. Intelligence test:
Intelligence test is generally used to test the mental ability to form concept, acquire information,
solve problem, reason and other intellectual operation.
2. Aptitude test:
Aptitude test is design to test the ability to acquire knowledge and develop skills.
3. Achievement test:
Achievement test helps to measure the knowledge and understanding of applications in their job
subject related field that they have achieved. It simply test what you already know.
4. Situation test:
Applicants are provided with real life business situation where they have to perform and make
decision. Their performance are recorded and judge accordingly.
5. Interest test:
Interested individuals are likely to perform well. So this test help to find out interested applicants
willing to work for the organization .
6.Personality test:
Personality test helps to find out individual characteristic and reveal psychological makeup. It
helps to access individual norms, values system, emotions and maturity.
7. Polygraph test:
In this test they monitor physical change in the body as applicants answer series of question .
This helps to find out if the applicants is speaking truth or not.
8. Graphology:
In this test individual handwriting is examined to find out personality/characteristics.


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ii. Interviews:
Interviews are widely used in selection process. It includes various steps, They are:
1) Preparation:
One should be prepare for the interview so that it runs smoothly and effectively.
2) Setting:
The setting should be done according to the need and should be comfortable.
3) Conduct interview:
Disturbance or error should not occur between the interview and should focus on the objectives
of interview.
4) Closing the interview:
Interview should be concluded properly and some signal should be used to indicate the end of
interview.
Types of interview:
1) Preliminary interview:
It is conducted to eliminate the unqualified applicants for the job.
2) Selection interview:
Selection interview can be both structured or unstructured interview. It is where applicants skills,
knowledge, personality are evaluated.
3) Stress interview:
It is conducted to check the ability to perform under stress.
4) Group interview:
Group of candidates are interviewed together.
5) Panel interview method:
Experts from different department form a panel to interview a candidate.
6) In depth interview:
In this interview candidates in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subject is tested.


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7) Decision making interview:
This is the final interview where the selected candidates are interviewed by HR function and
departments heads.

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Question 3- What do you mean by management development? what are its objectives and methods?
Answer: Management development is a continuous process of learning and developing skills and
knowledge in individual for the better performance in an organization. It is systematic and planned to
improve the behavioral and mental ability and inherent better qualities for effective and efficient
performance. This is future oriented and helps manager to keep up with the technological development
and cope with the change in organization and build high morale at different level.
Objectives of management development are:
develop skills of managers.
helps to improve individual and organizational performance.
helps manager cope with the change.
helps manager to keep up with technological development, overall perspective about
organization to build high morale at different level.
helps in development of intellectual, managerial and human management skills of manager.
Management development methods are as follows:
1) On-the-job development method:
It is the most common approach used in an organization. In this development method, supervisor
/experienced coworker gives instruction and trains at work station. This methods helps to bring
employees to at least minimal acceptable standard of performance in the short time period.
several on-the-job development method used are:
Coaching: Experienced coworker is called upon to help another person to develop skills.
Job rotation: Employees are exposed to many functional area within an organization.
Understudy assignment: Senior manager selects and trains his/her subordinates who will be
handling senior manager's responsibilities.
Multiple management: This enables junior manager to experience meeting conference normally
attainted by senior managers.
2) Off-the-job development method:
In this development method employee leaves their workstation and devote their time in the
development program.
Types of off the job development methods are:
Simulation exercise:
In this simulation exercise participants goes through an assessment center vary from one center to
another, based on the job analysis of a focal positions. The different types of off the job development
methods are: Case study, Business games, Role play, incidental method, In basket method.

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sensitivity training:
It is a method which helps to change the behavior through unstructured group interaction.
Transactional analysis:
This is a theory of personality development which provides an approach for defining and analysis
the interaction between people. The basic theory behind transactional analysis is that an
individual's personality comprises three ego state, namely, the parent, the child and the adult ego
states.





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Question 4- Suppose you have joined as HR executive in a software company. The first task you
have been assigned to work on carrier planning. What are the various carrier planning will you
consider?
Answer: The various carrier planning that I would consider are as follows:
Work - family programs:
It focus on supporting employee manages their personal as well as work related challenges in a
balanced manner. Increasing Use of flexible work schedule, work from home options, opening of more on
site or company sponsored child care centers, and greater use of paid leave for fathers and adoptive
parents are some comm. practices on this area.

Relocation assistance and hiring practices:
These practices address the challenges associated with employee relocation on account of a career
move. Opportunities within the company, linking the with job placement consultants as well as
sponsoring the cost of re-training or picking up a new skill. The amount and nature of supporting could
vary from company to company.

Work life balance seminars and flexible HR practices:
Through these practices, organizations design programmes to help employees manage their work
family conflicts and coping strategies. Especially prevalent in the business process outsourcing
organizations where the work life balance is a concern. This practice is now part of most organization
where the increasing work pressure is driving companies to help employees cope with personal pressure.

Flexible work schedules:
Flexible work schedule are being increasingly instituted at the workplace. These include flexi
time, job sharing, part time work, working from home, compressed workweeks, temporary workweeks,
etc. Such programs enable employees to address their work and family concerns and reduce their potential
stress of conflicts between their various life roles.

Outplacement programs:
During retrenchment and downsizing is a professionally managed process in most organization.
The objectives here is to assist the affected employees in making the transition to a new employment. It
could involve re-skilling for new, more relevant skills per market demand, so finding a new job is easier.
Companies might tie up with training institute and provide such training.
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Special programs for women, minorities and employees with disabilities:
With organizations increasingly tapping into this critical talent pool, more employees in these
special categories are entering the work life. This calls for special focus on the importance f assisting their
employees with their career needs.

Fast track employees:
Fast track employees are now being increasingly identified as star with high potential for bright
future in the organization. The identification and development o these employees required organization to
exert efforts to build and monitor special programs that cater to this special audience. These employees
are identified in a formal process and are placed on a fast track program. the objectives here is to enable
them to move to senior position quickly. As is with all other such initiative, this initiative helps n
retaining this critical talent. Among their activities that target this group they are offered quicker job
changes and ore challenging job assignments.


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Question 5-Define performance review. What are the types of appraisal methods? Describe the
ways to evaluate an employee individually.
Answer: Performance appraisal is the way to evaluate the job performance of the employee. It is done in a
systematic way so as to maintain records with the aims of growth and development of employees carrier.
It is done on the basis of tasks performed during specific period of time and the outcome or result
produced. For example, it can me target like number of unit sold, sales revenue to be obtained, number of
customer handled by customer service etc.
Types of appraisal method:
Trait-based appraisal
-Behavior-based appraisal
-Result-based appraisal
Ways of evaluating an employee individually are as follows:
- Graphic rating scales: It is most widely used performance rating technique.(e.g., 3,4,5 or even 10point
rating scale). In this technique, the evaluator is presented with a list assessment characteristics and asked
to assign a number rating to the employee on each of the characteristics listed. The number of
characteristics might vary from a few to several dozen. It aims to measure the quality of performance and
ability to do the present job.
- Forced choice: In forced choice method, the evaluator must choose from a set of descriptive statements
about the employee. The two-, three-, four- statement items are grouped in a way that the evaluator cannot
easily judge which statements apply to the most effective employee.
- Essay evaluation: In the essay technique of evaluation, the evaluator is asked to describe the strong and
weak aspects of the employee's behavior in the form of an essay. In very few organization, the essay
technique is the only one used, in other the essay is combined with another form, such as a graphic rating
scale. The essay summarizes and elaborates on some or all of the ratings or discusses added dimensions
which are not captured by the scale. This method is a supervisor oriented method that does not provide
sufficient room for the employee's comments, therefore, it is not very popularly used.
-Management by objectives: Management by objectives is a process of determining the essential
objectives within the organization so that all employees understand what is required of them in the
organization. This process measures the employee's actual performance against the set standards. This is
the most popular methods of performance methods of performance appraisal for individual.
- Critical incident technique: It is a set of procedure used for collecting direct observations of employees
that have critical significance and meet methodically define criteria. These observation are then kept track
of as incident , which then used in performance appraisal of individual employees.
- Checklists and Weighted checklists: Checklist is a set of objectives or descriptive statement of job-
related characteristics or behavior. If the manager checks the items, if not it is left blank. The number of
items selected from the list is the score of the employee. A recent variation is the weighted checklist.
Manager or HR specialists familiar with the job of evaluation, prepare a large list of descriptive statement
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about effective and in effective behavior on jobs, Similar to the critical incident process. Raters rate the
elected items on a scale from excellent to poor. The employees evaluation is the average of sum of the
scores on the items checked by all raters.


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Question 6- Many organization maintain a disciplinary policy or system to regulate the behavior of
the employees and deal with acts of indiscipline. Describe such various disciplinary action-penalties
in business organization.
Answer: The commonly practiced disciplinary actions are :
- Oral reprimand: It is just verbal warning given due to employees indiscipline action in an organization.
Most of the time small lecture may solve the problem but if the offence is more serious than reprimand
may recorded in written form.
- Written warning: If the oral warning does not produce the required result than the written warning is
issued by the manager. This is more severe than the oral warning since it is recorded permanently. This
action will also harm in the growth of employees since it gives the negative image.
- Denial of increments, promotion and pay hikes: This is the punishment given by the manager for certain
incidents. The manager may refuse the pay hike, promotion or even blacklist the employee for specific
period of time. This is done when written warning does not provide required result or if the offence is
very severe.
- Pay reduction and disciplinary demotions: This is more severe punishment because in this employees
loses his part of benefits and privilege from the organization. This is due to the severe indiscipline action
performed by employee. This type of punishment helps to maintain discipline in organization. Due to the
severe punishment employee tries to avoid such indiscipline action.
- Suspension: If the behavior or offence is continued after the warning and the punishment than this
action is taken or sometimes if the offence is very severe then this action may be taken for those action.
The decision of suspension is generally taken by the higher authorities of an organization.
- Discharge or dismissal: This is the last punishment that can be given and the severest punishment of all.
This means termination of employment permanently.