Question 1
Read the scenario below and answer the questions that follow: (25 marks)
Thomas Thabo is feeling very unsure about his new job, he just successfully completed his
Diploma in Business Management. After applying for several jobs, he decided to accept a position
as a Human Resources Officer at the head office of Fashions Company specialising in African type
design garments particularly informal African shirts. The company has been very successful since.
The company manufactures its own clothes and distributes them to different boutiques around the
country. The head office is located in the capital city.
On reporting for duty on Monday morning, nobody seemed to know exactly what Thabo was
supposed to do. He had been referred from one person to the next without getting any information
on his job duties. Someone dumped the company’s strategic plan, received from an outside
consultant on his desk and told him to read through it. “ Hopefully you will be able to find
something in there on what a Human Resources Officer is supposed to do”, he was told.
Jane Malebogo, the company HR Manager was also a new employee. The first thing she found
was the haphazard way in which human resources matters were dealt with within the company.
Because of the rapid expansion of the company, the appointment of an HR Manager was done at
a very late stage. Ms Malebogo decided to conduct a climate study to find out how the employees
feel about the company. She also included a number of HR questions on the survey. The results of
the survey were disappointing. Apparently no formal HR policy existed, which left employees
DIPLOMA Sessional Examination
January-June BHM612 – Human Resources Management
© BOU 2024 Page 8 of 10
feeling very insecure. One of the biggest problems seemed to be the lack of proper job descriptions.
Stella identified the following job categories within the company; Managing Director, Marketing
Manager, Financial Manager, Production Manager, Human Resources Manager, Human
Resources Officer and Sales Assistant. However, each of these needed to be subjected to some job
analysis exercise before developing job descriptions.
Required
a) Identify two (2) human resources functions that were poorly executed due to the delay in
appointing a Human Resources Manager. (4 marks)
b) As an advisory, please outline four (4) key responsibilities of a Human Resources
professional for Thabo's role as a Human Resources Officer in the company. (4 marks)
c) List any five (5) problems Malebogo is likely to face in the process of collecting
information for the job description. (5 marks)
d) As a Human Resource Specialist, identify any six (6) job analysis methods you could
recommend to Malebogo. (6 marks)
e) Identify any six (6) components which should be included in the written job descriptions
of the various job categories. (6 marks)
a) Two human resources functions that were poorly executed due to the delay in appointing a Human Resources Manager are:
1. Development and implementation of formal HR policies
2. Establishment of proper job descriptions
b) Four key responsibilities of a Human Resources professional for Thabo's role as a Human Resources Officer in the company are:
1. Recruitment and selection of suitable candidates for various positions
2. Employee orientation and onboarding
3. Performance management and appraisal
4. Employee relations and conflict resolution
c) Five problems Malebogo is likely to face in the process of collecting information for the job description are:
1. Lack of clarity on job roles and responsibilities within the organization
2. Resistance from managers and employees to participate in the job analysis process
3. Limited availability of current job descriptions or job analysis data
4. Time constraints due to other HR responsibilities
5. Difficulty in identifying essential job functions and qualifications
d) Six job analysis methods that could be recommended to Malebogo are:
1. Questionnaires or surveys
2. Interviews with managers and employees
3. Observation of employees in their roles
4. Review of existing job descriptions and duties
5. Job performance evaluations
6. Task analysis and competency modeling
e) Six components that should be included in the written job descriptions of the various job categories are:
1. Job title and department
2. Job summary or purpose
3. Essential job functions and responsibilities
4. Qualifications and experience required
5. Reporting relationships and supervision
6. Performance expectations and key performance indicators (KPIs)