What this topic covers
Human resources has 4 subtopics:
- Organisational structures
- Recruitment and selection of employees
- Motivating employees
- Training
← Back to topics
GCSE AQA Business · Topic 4 of 6
Human resources – GCSE AQA Business revision notes
Choose a subtopic. Human resources covers Organisational structures, Recruitment and selection of employees, Motivating employees, and Training in GCSE AQA Business. 11 lessons in 4 subtopics.
Revise Human resources for GCSE AQA Business, including Organisational structures, Recruitment and selection of employees, Motivating employees, and Training.
11
Lessons
4
Subtopics
Human resources lessons by subtopic
11 lessons, grouped by subtopic.
Organisational structures
- Intro to Organisational Structures: An introduction to what organisational structures are and why businesses need them.
- Centralisation, Span of Control & Chain of Command: Explore centralisation vs decentralisation and internal organizational structures, span of control, and chain of command.
- Tall vs. Flat Structures and Communication: This lesson covers how tall or flat organizational structures impact business management and communication.
Recruitment and selection of employees
- Why Recruit? Internal vs External: Explore the need for recruitment, the differences between internal and external methods, and their respective benefits and drawbacks.
- Recruitment Process and Selection Methods: Learn about the stages in the recruitment and selection process, including job analysis, job description, person specification and selection methods.
- Contracts of Employment and Effective Recruitment: Understand different types of employment contracts and the benefits of an effective recruitment process for a business.
Motivating employees
- Why Motivation Matters: Explore why motivated employees are essential for business success and understand the impact of staff retention and high productivity.
- Financial Motivation Methods: Learn about different financial methods to motivate staff, including salary, wage, commission, and profit sharing.
- Non-Financial Motivation Methods: Discover non-financial ways to motivate employees, such as management styles, training, increased responsibility, and fringe benefits.
Training
- Why Train? Types of Training: Explore the importance of workforce training and the different types of training businesses use.
- Training Methods: Induction, On & Off the Job: Understand the various methods of training, including induction, on-the-job, and off-the-job training.
More in this course
Go back to the full GCSE AQA Business topic list, or practise this topic with past-paper questions.
Frequently asked questions
What is Human resources?
Human resources covers Organisational structures, Recruitment and selection of employees, Motivating employees, and Training in GCSE AQA Business. 11 lessons in 4 subtopics.
What is a zero-hours contract?
A zero-hours contract is one where the employer offers work as and when it is available, with no guaranteed minimum hours, and the employee can accept or decline the work offered. The Contracts of Employment and Effective Recruitment notes cover this in full.
What is an organisational structure?
An organisational structure is the system that defines how roles, responsibilities and authority are arranged within a business. The Intro to Organisational Structures notes cover this in full.
What is a matrix structure?
A matrix structure is one where employees report to more than one manager, for example both a project manager and a department head simultaneously. The Intro to Organisational Structures notes cover this in full.
What are the different management styles?
The four management styles are autocratic, where the manager makes all decisions; democratic, where employees are involved but the manager still has the final say; laissez-faire, where the manager delegates fully with minimal supervision; and paternalistic, where the manager makes decisions but considers employee welfare and explains their reasoning. The Non-Financial Motivation Methods notes cover this in full.
What is commission?
Commission is a payment linked directly to the value of sales an employee generates, usually a percentage of the sale price and often paid on top of a basic salary. The Financial Motivation Methods notes cover this in full.
What is the chain of command?
The chain of command is the formal line of authority showing the path through which instructions pass from senior managers down to front-line workers, and through which information flows back up. The Centralisation, Span of Control & Chain of Command notes cover this in full.
What is delegation?
Delegation is the process by which a manager assigns responsibility and authority for a specific task or decision to a subordinate, while retaining overall accountability for the outcome. The Centralisation, Span of Control & Chain of Command notes cover this in full.
How do you calculate labour productivity?
Labour productivity = total output ÷ number of workers. The Why Motivation Matters notes cover this in full.