By Karen Morrison, Programme and External Links Manager at Strathclyde Business School
How can Human Resource Management students help support and develop your organisation?
If you offer an HR placement or project, our post-graduate students can help your organisation find a solution to an HR issue you are experiencing or help you prepare for change. Students carry out research (no payment is received) and provide you with a report, including future recommendations.
This can lead to process improvements resulting in time or money saved or a plan to implement a future initiative. Organisations who have offered placements in the past have benefited from having a student’s external viewpoint to reinforce their future plans, implemented evidence-based recommendations from students, and used the report to justify securing an increased budget for the HR Department. In addition to the benefits to your organisation, you will be supporting a student’s development of employability and work-ready skills.
About the students and projects
Students are required to actively research a live HR issue related to an organisation as part of their studies. As a result, they have up-to-date knowledge and insight into current HR trends and challenges. Students are proactive and will make the most of the opportunities you provide. They will maintain professional standards and observe the confidentialities of your organisation at all times. The calibre of students is high - recent graduates have been shortlisted and awarded HR Graduate of the Year and HR Assistant on the Year.
The topic chosen must be in the human resource management field. The report will relate to an issue within the organisation. It will have been commissioned or have the support of your organisation. It should not be the work of a consultant or committee. Ideally, it shouldn’t be a time-critical issue but something that isn’t urgent but of importance to the organisation.
Examples of past student placements/research projects:
- The development and introduction of an induction programme for effective employee integration.
- Reviewing and redesigning HR policies for expansion.
- Improving recruitment and selection practices.
- Critically exploring the benefits to employees by moving to a 4-day working week.
- The connection between leadership and low training uptake.
- The impact of Covid-19 on the organisation of work and employee experience.
- Effectiveness, satisfaction and preference around company communications strategies.
About the Department of Work, Employment and Organisation
Providing a placement/project is an excellent opportunity to collaborate and engage with the Department of Work, Employment and Organisation and Strathclyde Business School to share good practices and solutions.
Teaching staff within the Department of Work, Employment and Organisation advise a variety of business, government and civil society organisations, including the Scottish and UK Government and their agencies. We are winners of the HR Network Award 2018 for Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR. This award recognised our longstanding and sustained contribution to the Scottish HR profession and our positive level of engagement with the HR community in Scotland and beyond through teaching, research and knowledge exchange. The department is also home to the highly regarded Scottish Centre for Employment Research.
Find out more with SFHA Live!
30 November, 14:00 – 15:00
To find out how an HR placement could help support your business through student projects, book your place at the SFHA Live! webinar on Tuesday 30 November.
