Human Resource Management (Level 4) Diploma Course

Course Structure

The Level 4 in Human Resource Management course is divided into 10 comprehensive modules:

Module 1: Management and the role of the HR department This module begins by firstly examining the general role of management and the forming of corporate strategy before moving on to discuss the specific role of people management and how it has developed into Human Resource Management (HRM).

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Understand the general role of management and how it is performed
• Explain what is meant by corporate strategy and how it is shaped
• Understand the concept of HRM and how it differs from traditional personnel management
• Understand the role of the HR department and the contribution it makes

Module 2: Employee planning, recruitment and selection This module explains the key HRM processes and activities of human resource planning, recruitment and selection, the purpose of which are to ensure that an organisation is staffed with the right kind of people to meet the needs of the business.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Explain the principles and use of human resource planning
• Understand the decision process when a job vacancy arises
• Explain the various activities involved in the recruitment procedure
• Explain the available techniques of employee selection
• Carry out an effective employee selection interview

Module 3: Contract of employment and employee induction This module will consider the issues relating to the drawing up of a contract of employment and the factors that need to be considered when preparing an effective induction programme.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Understand what is meant by a contract of employment and how a contract of employment is formed
• Identify the sources of the terms within a contract of employment
• Explain the constituents of an effective employee induction process
• Identify the roles of those involved in an employee induction programme

Module 4: Managing performance and employee appraisal This module discusses the scope of performance management and explores the many factors that may be attributed to an employee’s performance levels.

The process of employee appraisal is given specific attention by explaining the importance of having in place a formal forum that is consistent throughout the organisation for constructive discussion with employees regarding past performance, future expectations, development needs and any other issues that impact on employee contribution to the achievement of business objectives.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Define performance management and explain its purpose and key aims
• Explain how performance levels may be measured
• Identify the available methods to improve individual performance
• Explain the process of employee appraisal
• Understand how to conduct an employee appraisal meeting

Module 5: Workplace learning and employee development This module discusses the importance of developing people and the need to clearly promote the use of effective employee development practices.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Understand what learning is and how it takes place
• Identify the conditions for effective workplace learning
• Explain what is meant by employee development
• Explain the stages of the complete employee development process
• Understand what is meant by the terms coaching and mentoring

Module 6: Managing people and developing relations This module looks at the broad management of people and covers a range of issues such as the different approaches to managing people, dealing with difficult situations and building effective working relationships.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Identify and understand the different approaches to managing people
• Understand the process of organisational change and the reasons why change may be resisted
• Describe how team work provides benefits to the organisation and to individuals who work in teams
• Understand what is meant by conflict and describe the various other types of difficult situations that may arise in the management of people
• Understand what is meant by equal opportunities and diversity

Module 7: Employee retention and commitment This module examines labour turnover and the damaging effect that unacceptably high levels can have on an organisation, particularly if the causes of high levels of turnover are due to deep underlying issues which may indicate some fundamental and serious organisational problems.

Some attention is given to the available strategies to retain people, whom an organisation has of course previously spent some degree of resource in recruiting in the first place.

This module also discusses the subject of employee engagement by exploring employee needs and expectations, and the issues that affect employee commitment and subsequent long-term loyalty to an organisation.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Explain what labour turnover is and why it should be monitored
• Examine the ways in which labour turnover may be measured
• Identify the impact that labour turnover has on organisations
• Understand the reasons why people leave organisations
• Identify how to improve employee commitment

Module 8: Employee absence and well-being This module explains all the various types of employee absence, but concentrates mainly on sickness absence which costs the UK economy several billions of pounds each year, and is the category of employee absence that causes most problems for organisations regardless of the size, type of operation or industry.

Effective sickness absence management involves finding the right balance between providing support to help employees with genuine health problems to stay in and to return to work, and also taking consistent and appropriate action against those employees that attempt to take advantage of an organisation that cares for its workforce.

This module also looks at the obligation that organisations have to look after the health, safety and welfare of employees and the main responsibilities placed on them through legislation.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives in this module are to:

• Identify the various categories and types of employee absence
• Understand the importance of managing employee absence effectively
• Understand how absence can be measured and the causes analysed
• Explain how employee absence may be controlled and improved
• Outline the legislative requirements and procedures for employee health, safety and welfare

Module 9: Employee grievance and discipline This module explains the activities of employee discipline and grievance and examines the procedures that should be swiftly enacted to effectively deal with these difficult issues as soon as they arise.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Understand the aim and purpose of an employee discipline procedure
• Explain the steps to take when handling a disciplinary situation
• Identify the situations that may be deemed as being acts of gross misconduct
• Understand the aim and purpose of an employee grievance
• Explain the steps to take when handling a situation of employee grievance

Module 10: Termination of employment This module discusses in some detail the subject of employee dismissal which is one the most difficult and unpleasant tasks that is faced by an organisation’s HRM department, and one that is governed very closely by employment legislation.

In particular, the subject of redundancy is given some attention as it is one of the most common reasons for termination of employment due to the competitive nature of business and the turbulent and ever changing employment conditions under which organisations of today have to operate.

Learning Objectives The learning objectives of this module are to:

• Understand how the employment relationship may be terminated
• Explain what is meant by dismissal
• Identify the situations and circumstances where a dismissal may be fair
• Identify the circumstances where a dismissal is automatically unfair
• Explain the procedures to follow in situations of redundancy

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