| Date | November 2017 | Marks available | 4 | Reference code | 17N.2.HL.TZ0.5 |
| Level | Higher level | Paper | Paper 2 | Time zone | Time zone 0 |
| Command term | Explain | Question number | 5 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Green Clean (GC)
Green Clean (GC) is a private limited company controlled by the Hitta family. Its unique selling point (USP) is offering high-quality, reliable cleaning services by teams of professional cleaners who clean offices and houses.
GC has strong ethical objectives. They only use eco-friendly cleaning products and pay their employees fair wages. Labour turnover is low and many cleaners have worked for the company for over two decades.
However, the cleaning market has become very competitive. GC has been slow to react. Other cleaning companies are beginning to offer a wider range of services. GC’s management has decided to introduce a gardening service to maximize profit.
GC will recruit professionally trained gardeners. As it is very difficult to find professional gardeners in the market, GC will pay them 20 % more than its cleaners. GC prefers to use external recruitment. GC’s management will also offer cleaners the opportunity to become gardeners even though off-the-job training costs are very high. If most of GC’s cleaners choose training, the company could fall short of workers to meet the demand for cleaning services.
The cleaners are becoming demotivated because they are unhappy about the difference in pay between cleaners and future gardeners. They believe that gardeners are not more skilled than cleaners but just have a different skill set. Human resource managers are concerned about the potential impact of demotivated cleaners and are looking for ways to improve morale. One option they are considering is to offer cleaners an employee-share ownership scheme. Shareholders, however, are opposed to this proposal.
Explain one advantage and one disadvantage to GC of having low labour turnover.
Explain two possible steps in the recruitment process of gardeners for GC.
Markscheme
There is sufficient information in the stimulus for the candidates to apply. See below. The use of GC or a reference to “cleaners” does not constitute an application.
Low labour turnover has created a loyal workforce at GC. Recruitment costs are reduced and induction training will be minimal. Given that some workers have been at GC for nearly two decades. This kind of working environment creates a culture of trust and thus productivity and motivation. Evidence from the stimulus clearly show that GC’s USP is based on the reliability and quality of its employees.
However, low labour turnover may not allow for fresh new thinking or ideas to be introduced. This very advantage may render GC as an organization where some employees and their representatives may have become complacent and clearly there is evidence of inertia as GC was slow to react to the competitive forces. Also, there is the perception of resistance to change perhaps given the current culture of employees who have been working together for two decades. Given the new competition and slow reaction times, GC is in danger of stagnating.
Mark as 2+2
- For an identification or a description of an advantage/ disadvantage with or without application [1].
- For explanation of an advantage/ disadvantage with no application [1].
- For explanation of an advantage/ disadvantage and application [2].
Establish the nature of the job and create job analysis/job description/person specification – it is very important for GC to carry out a detailed job analysis/description and person specification as this will be the first time that gardeners’ jobs have been created. In order to attract the most suitable gardeners such analysis is required. This makes the recruitment process quicker and more efficient and is likely to attract only the most suitable candidates.
Prepare a job advertisement:
As GC is going to recruit gardeners from wide geographical areas, they will have to advertise their new positions in a number of different media locations. Local job centres close to GC will not be suitable. GC should advertise nationally or even internationally through the internet or through gardening associations, as it is looking for professionally trained gardeners.
As GC has limited experience in this area, GC may have to find a recruitment agency external to the business to guide and manage the recruitment process. As GC is paying new gardeners 20 % more than cleaners and possibly spending on a recruitment agency, GC will want to ensure that they hire the most professionally trained gardeners. The agency will be able to screen potential candidates and select the best for GC’s management to consider. This will minimize possible recruitment mistakes. Accept this point even if it seems more like a method rather than a step. This is more like subcontracting the process:
Short list applicants.
- Conduct interviews.
- Conduct testing.
- Issue a contract.
Accept any other possible step in recruitment as long as it is applicable.
Candidates must fully explain and find some relevant application to the nature of the job/ the types of employees/ experience of the organisation of recruiting new types of employees and so on.
The later examples above are more generic so credit candidates who refer to the gardeners or the nature of the job.
- For an identification or a description of a step in the recruitment process with or without application [1].
- For explanation of a step in the process with no application [1].
- For explanation of a step in the recruitment process and application [2].
