People in business

• The human resources (HR) function identifies and meets the business's need for staff. It handles recruitment, training, retention and keeping to the law.
• A structure shows who is in charge of whom. Chain of command is the line of authority from top to bottom. Span of control is the number of people a manager is directly responsible for.
• The best communication method depends on the message. A text suits a quick reminder. A meeting suits a group discussion. A letter suits formal notice. Digital methods are fast but can be less private.
• Selection methods include interviews, tests, group activities and references. A practical task that measures skill is a test.
• Financial motivation includes pay and profit sharing. Non-financial motivation includes praise and award schemes. Retention means keeping good staff.
• Training includes induction, on-the-job training (at the workstation) and off-the-job training (away from it). Apprenticeships are paid jobs that include training towards a qualification.
• Employment law gives workers rights such as a contract, equal chances when applying (no discrimination), paid holiday and limits on working hours.
• Structures can be tall (many levels) or flat (few levels). Delegation means passing authority for a task to someone below you. Ways of working include full-time, part-time, flexible, temporary and self-employed.
• Businesses recruit to replace leavers, to grow, or to fill skill gaps. Recruitment can be internal or external. Fringe benefits, such as a staff discount, are financial motivation. A good working environment is non-financial.

Human resources (HR)

The business function that finds, trains and looks after staff.

Span of control

The number of workers a manager is directly responsible for.

Chain of command

The line of authority from the top of a business down to the workers.

Profit sharing

Giving employees a share of the profit as a reward.

Apprenticeship

A paid job that includes training towards a qualification.

Discrimination

Treating someone unfairly because of a personal feature, such as gender. It is against the law in recruitment.

Delegation

Passing authority for a task to someone below you.

• Putting HR tasks in the wrong function. Recruiting is HR, pricing is marketing, accounts are finance, and making the product is operations.
• Calling an apprenticeship unpaid work experience. Apprentices are employed and paid while they learn.
• Writing "morale" or "happy staff" as the whole analysis. You must go on to say what that means for the business, such as lower staff turnover or better service.
• Saying part-time workers have no right to holiday. Employment law protects them too.

7 questions, 16 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.