Business · Year 12

Active learning ideas

Analysing Human Resource Performance

This topic gives students the analytical tools to assess a business's most crucial asset: its people. Move beyond theory and into the practical, data-driven world of modern Human Resource Management.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• AQA AS-Level Business (7131): 3.6.2 Analysing human resource performance

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Case Study Analysis: The Revolving Door Cafe

In small groups, students analyse a short case study of a cafe with high labour turnover and low morale. They must identify the likely causes using business theory and propose three costed, justified strategies to improve staff retention.

Analyse the causes of high labour turnover in the hospitality industry.

Facilitation Tip

Provide a structured worksheet with prompts for analysing causes, consequences, and potential solutions.

What to look for

Use mini-whiteboards for a quick calculation challenge where students work out productivity and turnover from a simple data set.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Pairs

Productivity Data Challenge

Students are given fictional data sets for two competing businesses (e.g., output, number of employees, hours worked). In pairs, they must calculate the labour productivity for each and write a paragraph explaining which business is more efficient and why.

Explain how a business can calculate and interpret its labour productivity data.

Facilitation Tip

Ensure students are confident with the formula first by completing a worked example as a whole class.

What to look for

A multi-part exam-style question based on a case study with HR data, requiring students to calculate figures, analyse trends, and evaluate a proposed solution.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 25 min · Pairs

Absenteeism Role-Play

Assign students roles as either a 'line manager' or an 'employee' returning to work after an absence. The manager must conduct a return-to-work interview to investigate the reasons for absence, practising communication skills while applying their knowledge of the causes of absenteeism.

Evaluate the usefulness of absenteeism figures as a measure of employee morale.

Facilitation Tip

Give the 'employee' a confidential card with a reason for their absence to make the scenario more realistic.

What to look for

Students use a 'green, amber, red' system to rate their confidence in defining, calculating, and analysing each of the key HR metrics.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Ground the topic in reality by using examples from sectors where students may have part-time jobs, like retail or hospitality. Always start by establishing why these numbers matter to a business's bottom line. Ensure you scaffold the calculations with clear, worked examples before asking students to interpret the data and evaluate its significance.

Upon completing these activities, your students will be able to confidently calculate key HR metrics and use the data to analyse workforce performance and justify strategic business decisions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• High labour turnover is always a bad thing for a business.

  While high turnover is often negative due to recruitment and training costs, a certain level can be healthy. It can introduce new ideas, remove underperforming staff, and create opportunities for internal promotion.

• Labour productivity can only be improved by making employees work harder or longer.

  Productivity is about working smarter, not just harder. It is a measure of efficiency that can be improved through investment in new technology, better training, more efficient production processes, and improved employee motivation.

• Absenteeism just means employees are 'skiving' or taking unauthorised days off.

  Absenteeism covers all unplanned absences, including genuine illness, injury, or personal emergencies. Businesses analyse the overall rate and patterns to identify underlying issues like work-related stress, low morale, or poor health and safety, not just to punish individuals.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis