Explanation and Implementation of Contemporary HRM Practices in Singapore Airlines

This essay analyses human resource management of Singapore Airlines (SIA) which deals in airline industry based in Singapore. It evaluates and explains three major components of HRM and how they can be successfully applied to SIA.

INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION(S)

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Explanation and implementation of contemporary HRM practices in Singapore Airlines
The commercial airline sector has become very competitive, highly technological and
safety-sensitive industry. People and employees related to the airline industry needs to
manage by managers in a way that reduces issues among people and teams as human
resource management has not been limited to manage human resources only(Wilton, 2016).
The connotations behind managing human resources in contemporary organisations are
various and persistent that affects organisation’s strategy, structure and culture along with
other abundant operational activities. Yet, HRM is the most significant part of businesses as
they are responsible for growth and success of the company. This essay will analyse human
resource management of Singapore Airlines (SIA) which deals in airline industry based in
Singapore. SIA is a public limited company that includes many subsidiaries related to airline
industry. Presently, SIA is considered as one of the major passenger aircraft worldwide since
the organisation hires best suited employees for improving the services offered by
company(Wirtz et al., 2008). HRM of companies deals with developing, attracting and
retaining quality workforce with its key functions like selection, recruitment and rewarding.
Therefore, this essay will make an evaluation and explanation of three major components of
HRM and how they can be successfully applied to SIA.
The provision of good quality services and goods can begin with sound recruitment
process. Recruitment can be defined as an activity and a process for obtaining sufficient
amount of qualified staff at the correct position and time so that organisational goal and
objectives can be gained in effective manner(Richardson, n.d.). Success in recruitment
process can be gained by proper employment forecasting and planning for which
contemporary manager’s follow a recruitment plan to acquire talented workforce from

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internal and external sources. Before implementing recruitment process in any organisation it
is necessary to consider few factors regarding organisation’s size, country’s economic
condition, availability of desired talent, firm’s salary structure and organisation’s growth
rate(MSG, n.d.). Since SIA is a big organisation gaining huge turnover, salary and working
condition issues might not be a huge problem. Also, Singapore is a developed country with
high economic standard; the company can gain advantage from it and get most of the desired
people(Singapore Airlines, 2018). Big organisations need large manpower and thus look for
more people that comprise complex recruitment processes. In aviation industry there are
several departments that deal with special skilled people like flight attendants, co-pilots,
cabin crew, customer care department etc. The availability of desired people for correct
placement becomes issue while making recruitment strategies and thus application of
successful recruitment process becomes necessary in airline industry(Heracleous et al., n.d.).
Since this essay is using SIA as a case study, recommending sound recruitment process will
help the company if implemented under following procedure.
Traditional recruitment process begins with job description where manager’s starts
looking for desired candidates according to it; however, since this essay deals with aviation
industry, it requires recruitment process to be designed in more strategic manner(Martin,
2016). Prior to recruitment procedure, SIA must first identify the vacancy rate and evaluation
of need for the vacant position. The company must consider making a thought over whether
their operation will be affected if vacancy is not filled or is there any requirement for making
the position opens to be taken over by someone. If the reasoning is sufficient, then the
recruitment process shall be stated immediately by HRM of the company(Wahl, n.d.). First
step of the recruitment process starts with making a job analysis of the desired position to be
filled. This step will make SIA’s human resources managers hire a manager and other
management people to evaluate the job position along with mentioning a systematic manner

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through which job analysis can be done in effective manner. Second step involves in building
a job description as managers must be sure what it needs and whom it desires actually. There
may be requirements of placements that are not included in present job designing. Hence,
creating a new job description is desired(Becker & Huselid, 2010). An appropriate job
description for airline industry includes necessary information regarding job title and other
general information regarding position(Argue, 2015). The purpose behind recruitment and
organisational goals are also mentioned along with essential functions required in the job.
Basic qualification and requirements are even mentioned to avoid unnecessary cluster of
people. Once job description is created, it must be reviewed thoroughly to ensure accuracy in
the plan and whether the plan is feasible or not. The basic propose behind reviewing initial
plan is to ensure consistent improvement in SIA’s organisational structure and evaluate
competency for each position.
Next step involves in sourcing talent for the company and let other know about job
opening. Advertisements can be made through various modes like internet, print media and
social networking and job posting made internally as well as externally by making
announcements regarding job offerings(Roth, 2014). Since SIA is a reputable firm, its
publicity itself can attract large number of people to apply for a position in the company and
SIA can even capitalise on making advertisements regarding job recruitment. Before making
selection of desired candidate, screening of applicants is necessary that again involves few
steps. Preliminary screening can be done which will shorten the application list and make
easier for managers dealing with them individually. Interviewing of passed out of preliminary
screening can be done virtually or via telephones. Since SIA deals in many countries, it
becomes difficult for managers to deal with interviewing process simultaneously in all the
countries, therefore they can take help of internet and video conference to find out relevant

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people for the open position. Selection can be made after making preparations for final
interview depending on the position of job and discussions made by candidate.
In human resource management, selection process plays a significant part as it is
responsible for providing companies with desired people for enhancing company’s sale and
fulfilling its demand for desired candidate. The consideration for talented people becomes
important in big organisation as any small error made by them can effect entire reputation
made through wrong selection. Many organisations of 21st century are selecting and hiring
people into their integral part after considering basic elements during selection
process(Appelbaum & Fewster, 2002). The selection process is strategically planned and
approved by top management and professionals to be implemented following recruitment
process. The process of selection begins with evaluation of applicants, which are sometimes
made with the help of selection tools to make easier for managers in doing screening of job as
well as applicants. The job of managers becomes crucial as they need to make arrangements
for adapting screening tools, interviews, background affirmation, tests, and check references
before beginning to accept job applications. The selection criteria are also significant where
the ultimate goal of HR mangers becomes making best match for job duty with company’s
culture(Kokemuller, 2018). Since aviation industry and public companies need to follow
various guidelines from organisational as well as governmental point of view, they need to
consider legal factors critically. Any misalignment between selection criteria and job can
make applicant claim discrimination and hence can pave way for infringement laws.
Therefore, selection process in airline industry possesses more complex analysis than other
form of industries for which managers need to follow a plan which act as a guide for
themselves. The following selection process can be implemented in SIA’s HRM while
making selection process analysis.

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After the completion of recruitment process, there are plenty of recruited people from
which selection process can begin. The selection process helps in finding right people for the
right job and thus human resource mangers make job analysis before starting selection
process. In SIA, the human resource team responsible for making selection process shall be
trained professional who can mange several steps involved in selection procedure like
developing criteria, preparation of interview questions, reviewing resumes, and weighting
candidates. During the implementation of selection criteria, sourcesthat can be used are
determined along with finding out the ways selected sources can prove beneficial in entire
process(Chattopadhyay, 2018). Culture, personal and other development criteria are
investigated after making a close discussion with candidates regarding their skills, aptitude
and special characteristics that are required for the specified job. Second step involves
reviewing and evaluating resumes. This step can be performed through different procedures
like computer programming, manual selection, making close comparisons etc. Interviews can
be made by SIA’s HR managers to make confirmation about applicant’s qualification and
other personal traits, style and presentation(Edwards & Holland, 2013). A sound firm will
always prefer in making further medical examination of candidates to avoid further disruption
in work flow. These tests may include physical tests, drug test and cognitive tests. Once this
process narrows applicants, SIA can offer job position to pass out candidates through e-mails
or letters. Compensation, allowance and other benefits shall be discussed before making final
agreements with the job applicants to avoid further issues.
Third most important role performed by HR managers in airline industry is to manage
reward system in organisation to retain its qualified staff. Reward management is system
through which businesses implements and forms strategies to reward its employees for
performing fairly and in accord with organisational values(Bagga & Srivastava, 2014).
Reward management steps involve business analysis and controlling of employees

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remuneration by giving other benefits to its employees. The designing, implementing and
maintenance of reward system are dealt by HRM of companies to improve business
performances by motivating employees to work more effectively. Absenteeism in
organisation is avoided along with increasing loyalty among staff members. Cooperation
among people along with team participation is also implemented as most of the reward
policies signify team spirit among people to work collectively(Nduka, 2016).
In airline industry, reward system can be managed by implementing and applying
reward management that includes all the necessary guidelines according to which people are
rewarded. SIA can implement reward system after classifying rewards into three significant
categories like intrinsic /extrinsic rewards, financial/non-financial rewards and performance-
based/ membership-based awards(Human Resource Management, 2018). Intrinsic reward can
be described as a state when employee experiences sense of achievement or growth from the
job and is labelled to get intrinsic reward. While extrinsic reward includes promotions,
money and other benefits. Usually these rewards are given in the form of promotions or
increments in organisations. Financial rewards are the ones that relates directly with giving
employees financial benefits like bonuses, wage increments and profit sharing schemes. Non-
financial rewards does not enhances financial position of employees directly but makes job
attractive like inclusion of pensions, providing with medical aids, sick leaves, maternity leave
and other counselling services(Yousaf et al., 2014). Lastly, SIA can implement performance
based rewards also in which employees are provided with rewards based on performances
like piecework payment, commissions, incentive schemes or merit pay for particular
performance. Membership based plans includes benefits and salary increment, ranking and
other credential or future prospective(Eerde, 2015). Since SIA is a large organisation, its
HRM need to make its rewarding system in a criteria that suites its different department
accordingly. Any single reward system cannot satisfy its rewards management and therefore

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above mentioned reward applications can be successfully implemented in SIA’s operations to
maximise its outputs.
Retaining, acquiring and managing talented and qualified people are critical for
organisations as job market is becoming competitive day by day. The required skills make
managers recruit in diverse places and have become more selective in their preferences
because poor recruiting can make negative effects in long term processes. Selecting best and
desired people can minimise training and developing costs to the organisations while gaining
high turnover through better performances. Earlier people used to criticise bad services and
use of under-qualified staff but the society have transformed into more critical and arguable
for which public organisations like airline operation must seek possible boulevard for
improving their operations and satisfy their customers with deserved and required services.
Moreover, reward management has made simpler for organisations to retain their qualified
staff and prevent them from loss of valuable employees. Although Public organisations,
especially airline industry, does not need to concern much about market shares as they deal
with monopolistic environment still, new trends in marketplace has forced them taking close
attention while delivering services due to increase in customer expectations. The above essay
has made an implementation plan in human resource field of SIA after analysing its present
market situation. The steps mentioned in the essay can help SIA gaining top position in
airline industry as it contains necessary information regarding human resource management.

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