Case
You are a member of the people practice team within “Sun Energy”. You have been asked to help the team understand labour market trends and the impact the changing labour market has on resourcing decisions.
We have worked to embed this sustainability commitment into our strategy, our business processes and decision-making.
We aim to provide more and cleaner energy solutions in a responsible manner – in a way that balances short- and long-term interests, and that integrates economic, environmental, and social considerations.
To become more competitive in the global energy sector, “Sun Energy” is moving into more sustainable energy sources and therefore needs to reconsider its resource and talent planning needs.
The main objective of sustainability is to reduce environmental impact in ways that are sustainable for the earth and for the person.
The oil and gas industry are making progress on becoming more sustainable, using innovative technologies such as wind, solar or hydrogen that will cut costs and reduce their carbon footprint.
Using “Sun Energy” as an example for this assignment let`s assume they currently have two main people practice objectives:
- The first is to recruit staff who have the capabilities and skills to help “Sun Energy” move into these new areas of business.
- The second is to retain existing staff who are being poached by competitors.
Preparation for Tasks:
- Plan your assessment work with your assessor at the start of the assignment. Where appropriate, agree milestones so they can help you monitor your progress.
- Refer to the indicative content in the unit guide and support your evidence.
- Pay attention to how your evidence is presented. Remember you are working in the people development team for this task.
- Ensure that the evidence generated for this assessment remains your own work.
You will also benefit from:
- Acting on formative feedback from your assessor
- Reflecting on your own experiences of learning opportunities, training and continuing professional development
- Taking advantage of the CIPD Factsheets, Reports and Podcasts, and any other online material on these topics
Your evidence must consist of: Written response in 3600 words +/- 10%. Please use the assessment criteria numbers as your headings.
Task – A written response to the following questions
You will also need to carry out your own research into the changing labour market conditions across the UK and what different energy companies are doing to retain staff. The following links may help you:
Personnel Today Awards 2019: SAP celebrates Employer Branding Award success
SAP Winning Employer Brand Award
The People Practice Manager of “Sun Energy” has asked you to produce written responses to the following questions:
1) An explanation of how “SAP” strategically positions itself in the competitive marketplace. Focus on the characteristics of employer of choice, employer branding and organisational image, then explain how "Sun Energy" could position itself in a competitive labour market. (AC1.1)
High Pass:
- Confident explanation of how “SAP” strategically positions itself in the competitive marketplace with some focus on the characteristics of an employer of choice, employer branding and organisational image.
- Explain how "Sun Energy" could position itself in a competitive labour market.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well argued, and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the question.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
2) Explain the changing labour market conditions in the UK, refer to at least two examples and the impact they are having on resourcing decisions. Make sure to discuss the differences between tight and loose labour market trends. (AC1.2)
High Pass:
- Confident explanation of at least two examples of changing labour market conditions in the UK and the impact they are having on resourcing decision in the energy sector.
- Make sure to discuss the differences between tight and loose labour market trends, focussing specifically on the energy sector.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well argued, and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
3) A discussion of the role of the 1) government, 2) employers, and 3) trade unions in ensuring future skill needs are met. (AC1.3)
High Pass:
- Confident discussion of the role of the government, employers, and trade unions in ensuring future skill needs are met.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, and well argued, directly respond to what has been asked.
4) An analysis of the impact of effective workforce planning, you must include detail on how workforce planning can help to forecast demand for labour and determine where to source it from. (AC2.1)
High Pass:
- Confident analysis of the impact of workforce planning in terms of forecasting demand for labour utilising both internal and external sources of supply.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, and well argued, directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Either confident application and link to workplace practice or includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer.
5) An evaluation of the effectiveness of techniques which are used to support the process of workforce planning. (AC2.2)
High Pass:
- Confident evaluation of the effectiveness of promotion/demotion rates, employee turnover rates and critical incident analysis techniques which are used to support the process of workforce planning.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- A good overall judgement has been offered of the points presented.
- Answers are clear, concise, well argued, and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
6) An explanation of how appraisals can be used in both succession and contingency planning; to help identify talent and those who are interested in progression, and how this helps us to mitigate workforce risks. (AC2.3)
High Pass:
- Confident explanation of how appraisals can be used in both succession and contingency planning; to help identify talent and those who are interested in progression, and how this helps us to mitigate workforce risks.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well-argued, and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
7) An assessment of social media and job boards to recruit employees and an assessment of interviews and job references as methods of selection. (AC2.4)
High Pass:
- Confident assessment of including the strengths and weaknesses of:
- An assessment of social media and job boards as methods of recruitment.
- An assessment of interviews and job references as methods of selection.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well-argued and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
8) An examination of how motivational issues and management styles can impact retention and turnover rates within organisations. (AC3.1)
High Pass:
- Confident examination of how motivational issues and management style can impact retention and turnover rates within "Sun Energy”.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well- argued and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
9) A comparison of different approaches to developing and retaining talent at both an individual and group level. (AC3.2)
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High Pass:
- Confident comparison of two examples which can be used at an individual and two which can be used a group level.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well-argued and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
10) An evaluation of how coaching initiatives and performance reviews can be used to build and support different talent pools. (AC3.3)
- High Pass:
- Confident evaluation of how coaching, and performance reviews can be used to build and support different talent pools.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well-argued and directly respond to what has been asked.
- A good overall judgement has been offered of the points presented.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
11) An evaluation of two benefits that diversity can bring with regards to building and supporting talent pools. (AC3.4)
High Pass:
- Confident evaluation of two benefits that diversity can bring with regards to building and supporting talent pools.
- Consider the challenges in building diverse talent pools.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- A good overall judgement has been offered of the points presented.
- Answers are clear, concise, well-argued and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, and coherent and focuses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
12) An explanation of the direct and indirect costs associated with dysfunctional employee turnover. (AC3.5)
An explanation of how “SAP” strategically positions itself in the competitive marketplace. Focus on the characteristics of employer of choice, employer branding and organisational image, then explain how "Sun Energy" could position itself in a competitive labour market
High Pass:
- Confident definition of dysfunctional employee turnover offered.
- Confident explanation of the direct and indirect costs associated with dysfunctional employee turnover.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well-argued and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, and coherent and focuses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
13) An assessment of zero-hour and contractor contracts “Sun Energy” could use for the new staff it is hoping to recruit. (AC4.1)
High Pass:
- Confident assessment of two different types of contracts "Sun Energy” could introduce for the new staff it is hoping to recruit e.g. zero-hour, contractor contracts.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well argued, and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice
14) Differentiate between the main types of contractual terms in contracts (express and implied terms) and explain what custom and practice means. (AC 4.2)
High Pass:
- Confident discussion on the differences between express and implied terms of contracts and what is meant by custom and practice.
- Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link and support the answer well.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well-argued and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
15) An explanation of at least two components of an effective onboarding
High Pass
- Confident explanation of two components and two benefits of onboarding.
- Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative organisation.
- Answers are clear, concise, well-argued, and directly respond to what has been asked.
- The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and focusses on the need of the questions.
- Includes clear evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help inform answer or a confident application and link to workplace practice.
