Syllabus: Pearson Edexcel AS Business
Module: Managing People
Lesson: 1.4.1 Approaches to Staffing

Introduction

This lesson on Approaches to Staffing sits within Theme 1: Marketing and People, part of the Pearson Edexcel AS Business course. It introduces students to how businesses view and manage their workforce – whether as a cost or an asset – and how flexible working practices can help firms adapt in competitive markets. These ideas underpin later lessons on motivation, leadership, and organisational structure, and are directly linked to Paper 1 assessment objectives.

Understanding this topic helps students grasp how strategic HR decisions impact costs, productivity, morale, and business outcomes. It supports AO1 (knowledge and understanding), AO2 (application), and AO3 (analysis), with opportunities to stretch into AO4 (evaluation) through debates around ethical staffing practices and workforce flexibility.

Key Concepts

According to the specification, students should develop an understanding of:

• Staff as an Asset vs a Cost:
  • Asset-based view: investing in training, offering job security, developing long-term employee relationships.
  • Cost-based view: prioritising efficiency, reducing staff overheads through temp contracts or outsourcing.
• Flexible Workforce:
  • Types of flexibility: part-time roles, remote working, job-sharing, multi-skilling.
  • Benefits: cost efficiency, responsiveness to demand, improved work-life balance.
  • Risks: potential morale issues, loyalty concerns, coordination challenges.
• Distinctions between Redundancy and Dismissal:
  • Redundancy: role no longer required due to business restructuring.
  • Dismissal: employee removed due to misconduct or poor performance.
• Employer/Employee Relations:
  • Importance of good communication and consultation.
  • Role of trade unions and collective bargaining.

These concepts set the stage for more detailed work on motivation (1.4.4) and leadership (1.4.5), where the human element of business management takes centre stage.

Real-World Relevance

Staffing decisions are high-stakes in the real world. Consider:

• Amazon: frequently cited for its high productivity expectations and use of seasonal contracts in fulfilment centres. These practices highlight a cost-based approach to staffing – but not without criticism over working conditions and retention.
• John Lewis Partnership: known for its asset-based approach, giving staff ownership stakes and prioritising development and wellbeing. It’s often used as a counterpoint to Amazon in discussions of employee engagement and loyalty.
• UK flexible work trends: The post-Covid shift has brought hybrid working, job-sharing, and compressed hours into mainstream debate. Businesses that adapted early (e.g. PwC, Spotify) have seen boosts in productivity and retention, particularly among younger employees.

These examples bring life to the debate: what works, what doesn’t, and who benefits.

How It’s Assessed

This content is most likely to appear in Paper 1, under the Marketing and People theme.

Common command words:

• Explain: e.g. “Explain one benefit to a business of viewing its employees as assets.”
• Analyse: often in the form of a case-study scenario – e.g. “Analyse the impact on business performance if a firm increases its use of zero-hour contracts.”
• Evaluate: seen in longer questions – e.g. “Assess whether a flexible workforce always benefits a business.”

Typical structures:

• 10- and 12-mark questions that ask students to apply their understanding to a business scenario.
• Expectation to show balance – benefits vs drawbacks – and offer justified recommendations.

Encourage students to revisit real-world case studies for AO2 application, and to structure AO4 evaluation clearly using phrases like “This depends on…” or “In the long term…”

Enterprise Skills Integration

This lesson naturally connects with several Enterprise Skills:

• Decision-Making: choosing between staffing models is a strategic judgement. Students can use MarketScope AI to model staffing cost implications under different growth scenarios.
• Problem-Solving: how to respond to a rise in staff absenteeism or morale issues using different HR approaches.
• Adaptability: understanding flexible working is crucial for students’ own future careers – and they can explore which models work best in different business types (start-ups vs corporates).
• Communication: links well with leadership and employee relations topics. Pitch Deck Analyser can support activities where students propose staffing strategies as part of a wider business plan.

Careers Links

This lesson supports Gatsby Benchmarks 4 and 5:

• HR Officer: needs to balance staff development with cost control – core to this topic.
• Operations Manager: must understand the impact of flexible contracts on scheduling and productivity.
• Entrepreneur: particularly in start-up phases, they must decide whether to invest in staff or minimise costs.
• Union Rep / Employment Law Advisor: connects to employee rights, dismissal, redundancy, and consultation processes.

This also opens up discussions around the ethics of gig work, which is increasingly relevant across sectors like logistics, delivery, and tech.

Teaching Notes

For teachers looking to maximise engagement and depth:

Quick Start Activity:

• Give students two profiles – “Amazon Warehouse Associate” and “John Lewis Customer Partner”. Ask them to highlight how each company views its staff. Use this as a springboard into the ‘cost vs asset’ debate.

Stretch Task:

• Ask students to propose a staffing strategy for a fictional business (e.g. a growing café chain) and justify choices around part-time vs full-time, outsourcing vs in-house, etc. Introduce budget constraints to make it realistic.

Common Pitfalls:

• Students often confuse dismissal and redundancy – be precise with definitions.
• Asset-based vs cost-based approaches can seem abstract. Bring in case studies or even local examples (e.g. students’ part-time jobs).
• Overlooking the context in evaluation. A flexible workforce might work well in retail, but not necessarily in specialist engineering.

From the empathy map:
Teachers and SLT want tools that save time and slot into what they’re already doing – not another bolt-on. This lesson works best when tied to real assessments and linked to careers and leadership discussions. Careers Leads, especially, will value activities that allow students to reflect on their own future work preferences and rights.