Purpose and Functions of HRM in Sainsbury's

This report discusses the purpose and functions of HRM in Sainsbury's, including workforce planning, managing employees, increasing efficiency, and effectiveness. It also evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of recruitment and selection approaches.

Human Resource
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1; Purpose and Functions of HRM............................................................................................1
P2: Strengths and Weaknesses of approaches to recruitment and selection................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
P3: HRM practices.......................................................................................................................5
P4: Effectiveness of HRM practices............................................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
P5: Importance of employee relations.........................................................................................8
P6: Employee legislation.............................................................................................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
P7: Application of HRM practices...............................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management refers to making the use of right strategies and tactics so
that the managers of a particular company are able to attain goals and objectives by effectively
motivating the employees to ensure that they work to their maximum potential (Delery and
Roumpi, 2017). The HR Department has to play a major role in the organizations which ensures
that these organizations are able to get the best performance out of the workers and are able to
care about their well-being. For this report, Sainsbury's has been chosen. It is a multinational
company which deals in various types of products related with the customers. In this report,
focus will be made on explanation of the purpose and scope of HRM, evaluation of the
effectiveness of its elements, analysis of different types of factors. Additionally, application of
HRM practices in a work-related context will also be discussed as a part of this project.
TASK 1
P1; Purpose and Functions of HRM
Workforce planning is a process in which the HR department of the organizations
prepares the right strategies and tactics to be used in order to ensure that they are able to plan in a
better manner regarding their manpower (Fei and Aun, 2019).
The stages of Workforce Planning are as follows-
 Defining of goals- For the HR department it is necessary to make the goals and priorities
quite clear. In the context of Sainsbury's it is important that its HR department sets clear
goals.
 Collection of data- After the goals have been defined it is essential to collect the data in
an effective manner. For Sainsbury's this becomes quite essential so that the HR
department is able to gather data.
 Collection of internal data- It is essential for the companies to collect the internal data
in an effective manner. In the context of Sainsbury's, it becomes crucial that its HR
department is able to collect the internal data.
 Identification of workforce needs- Workforce needs are to be identified by the HR
department so that it is able to take the correct decisions. For Sainsbury's this is very
much important.
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 Identification of gaps- The HR department should be able to identify the gaps to be able
to address the needs and requirements related to the staff . In the context of Sainsbury's,
this is very crucial.
 Creation of strategies- The HR department should be able to create strategies which will
enable the fulfilment of these gaps. In Sainsbury's, this must be done.
Functions of HRM-
Management Perspective-
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 The HR department has to ensure that it is able to manage the employees of a particular
organization (Greenfield and et.al., 2019). This needs to be performed by the HR
department of Sainsbury's.
Purpose- The purpose of this function of HR department is to ensure that it is able to
make sure that there is no problems and issues in managing the workers of an
organization in an effective manner. Thus, in Sainsbury’s there is a requirement from the
HR department to be able to perform it in an effective manner.
 The HR department has to make sure that it is able to increase the overall efficiency and
effectiveness within the company's employees. This needs to be performed by the HR
department of Sainsbury's.
Purpose- This function of HR has a purpose of raising the overall productivity level
within the organization. Thus in this way the management of Sainsbury’s makes sure that
it is able to achieve its various goals as well as objectives without facing problems and
issues.
From operations perspective-
 It is the duty of HR department to ensure that the employees are able to manage the
operations of an organization effectively (John and Taylor, 2016). This needs to be done
by the HR department of Sainsbury's.
Purpose- This function of HR is needed because when operations of an organization are
managed in the right manner this leads towards attainment of higher-level of efficiency as
well as effectiveness. Thus in the HR department of Sainsbury’s this can be very much
helpful.
 HR department has the duty of making sure that the workers are able to bring the required
efficiency and effectiveness in the operations. This is needed in Sainsbury's.
Purpose- This function of HR is needed because when the overall efficiency and
effectiveness of the workers increases it leads towards more productivity. Thus, in
Sainsbury’s this can be very helpful in ensuring that the employees are able to contribute
towards the success of the organization.
P2: Strengths and Weaknesses of approaches to recruitment and selection
Recruitment- It is a process which is conducted by the organizations so that they are
able to identify, attract, screen and shortlist the different candidates for a particular position
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within the organization (Kellner, 2017). By making its use they will be able to select the right
candidates for the job. The types of recruitment are Internal as well as External. In Internal
Sources, the organization identifies the talented people within the firm to make sure that ample
opportunities are provided to them to excel in higher positions. For example- Promotion,
Upgradation, Transfer and Employee referrals are the various Internal sources of recruitment.
Also the use of External Sources is made so that a company is able to identify the right people
for its different positions. For example- People joining in an organization, employment agencies,
advertising and Contractors are the various External sources of recruitment. In Sainsbury's the
following approaches to recruitment can be used-
Internal Sources- In the approach of internal sources the company can aim to identify
the talented people within it so that it is able to promote them for higher roles in the future time
period. Sainsbury's can use it so that it is able to get the right candidates within the organization
itself.
Strengths-
 Saves Costs- By making use of this approach the company can make sure that it is able
to save the costs effectively and efficiently. This is beneficial for Sainsbury's.
 Saves Time- When this approach is used by the firms they can make sure to save the
time taken in the process of recruitment. For Sainsbury's, this can be advantageous.
Weaknesses-
 Use of biased approach- When a company makes the use of these sources it may lead to
the use of biased approach in the process of selection. For Sainsbury's, this can lead to
different problems and issues.
 Lack of efficiency- When this approach is used by the organizations this may lead to the
lack of efficiency within the company. Therefore, in the context of Sainsbury's this can
create problems and issues.
External Sources- The use of external sources can be made by the firm so that it can
identify the right candidates outside the organization (Lee and et.al., 2019). A company like
Sainsbury's can make their use so that they are able to select the best talented people for their
work.
Strengths-
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 Skilled Candidates- When external sources are used a company may select skilled
candidates for its work. Therefore for a company like Sainsbury's this creates an
advantage.
 No Biased Approach in selection- The use of external sources in the process of
recruitment leads to the selection of the best candidates without the use of biased
approach. For Sainsbury's, this is an advantage.
Weaknesses-
 Lack of preference to the people within organization- This approach leads to lack of
preference given to the employees of the enterprise. Therefore for Sainsbury's this creates
a disadvantage.
 Higher expenditure involved- The use of this approach involves higher expenditure.
Thus this creates disadvantage for Sainsbury's.
Selection- It refers to a process in which the organizations are able to select the best
candidates through the adoption of a particular method (López-Fernández, Romero-Fernández
and Aust, 2018). In Sainsbury's, the following approaches can be used-
Written Test- In this approach of selection, the candidates are judged through a
particular written test. Sainsbury's can make use of this approach to select the employees.
Strengths-
The use of Written Test can make sure that the managers of Sainsbury's can apply the best
criteria for the selection of candidates. Also this ensures that they are able to get the best talented
candidates.
Weaknesses-
Written Test cannot be used to judged all the attributes of a candidate's personality. Also
conduction of Written Test involves a lot of expenditure. Thus for Sainsbury's these are the
disadvantages of this approach.
Interview-
Interview can be used by the companies so that they are able to make the correct
judgements regarding the candidates who have to be chosen for the requirements of the
company. In the context of Sainsbury's the following are strengths and weaknesses of this
approach-
Strengths-
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The use of Interview should be made by the firms so that they are able to
comprehensively judge a candidate. Also it can help the companies to make sure that they can
select the best candidate.
Weaknesses-
Interview cannot make use of all the parameters for the judgement of a candidate's
personality. Also it cannot be used for all the posts available within an organization.
TASK 2
P3: HRM practices
HR practices refer to the strategic operations of HR (A Comprehensive Guide to HR Best
Practices You Need to Know This Year [Infographic], 2018). They are helpful for the
organizations to make sure that they are able to set a right example in front of their employees by
making the right use of these practices. Thus it is the responsibility of the HR department of
Sainsbury's to use the right HR practices for increasing the level of efficiency and effectiveness
within the organization.
Training and Development-
The use of this HRM practice must be made by the organizations so that they are able to
train and develop the employees using the right techniques and methods. Thus for an
organization like Sainsbury's the use of this method can be beneficial. For the employer the use
of this practice can be beneficial as it will help in upgrading the skills of the employees. For the
employees this practice can be useful in performing challenging goals and tasks.
Motivation-
The use of this HRM practice should be made by the firms so that they are able to get the
best performance out of the employees (Mammadova, Jabrayilova and Mammadzada, 2016). In
Sainsbury's the use of this method should be made for getting the best out of the workers. For the
employer the use of this practice can be helpful in ensuring that they are able to motivate the
workers to perform at their best. For the employees this is useful so that they are able to achieve
up to the best of their potential.
Reward Management-
This HRM practice can be useful in the context of the organizations because it helps them
in the rewarding of the best workers. For the managers of Sainsbury's, this technique is useful in
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getting the desired results. For the employer, this practice is beneficial because they can ensure
higher-level of motivation of their employees by providing them suitable rewards. For the
employees, this practice can create an advantage because they will get their dues for the work
which they have done.
Performance Appraisal-
The use of this HRM practice must be made by the organizations so that they are able to
identify the ways through which the performance can be improved. In Sainsbury's, this can be
very helpful. For the employer, the use of this practice is useful because it helps in performing a
thorough assessment of the performance. For the employees, this practice can create an
advantage as it helps them in improving their performance.
Flexible Working-
In this HRM practice, the employees are given flexibility to work from anywhere and
according to their own time. Thus in this way their level of productivity, efficiency and
effectiveness increases which can be quite beneficial for them. Thus it can be said that by
making the use of these methods the organizations like Sainsbury's can motivate their workers to
perform in a better manner for the achievement of the goals and objectives. For the employer,
this practice can create an advantage because it helps them in saving a lot of expenses. For the
employees, this practice is beneficial as it is helpful for them in attaining the required flexibility
of working from anywhere.
P4: Effectiveness of HRM practices
Training and Development-
Strengths-
 With the use of Training and Development the organizations can aim to improve the
overall efficiency and effectiveness of the employees. This can help Sainsbury's.
 When Training and Development is used the firms can make sure that they are able to
raise the overall level of productivity easily. In this way it helps Sainsbury's.
Weaknesses-
 The use of Training and Development is quite costly for organizations. Thus the expenses
of Sainsbury's can increase.
 Conduction of Training and Development requires a lot of time. Therefore it can be a
disadvantage for Sainsbury's.
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Motivation-
Strengths-
 The use of motivation helps the organizations in getting best performance out of their
employees in the correct manner (Muñoz-Pascual, Galende and Curado, 2020). Thus this
is advantageous for Sainsbury's.
 Motivation should be able to help the enterprises in making sure that the overall
productivity is raised. In this way it helps Sainsbury's.
Weaknesses-
 The use of motivation requires higher-level of skills from the managers in a particular
organization. Some of the managers of Sainsbury's may not have these skills.
 Motivation cannot be used in every situation. Thus for the management of Sainsbury's,
this creates a disadvantage.
Reward Management-
Strengths-
 The use of Reward Management helps in getting the best out of workers as they get
incentive for performing better (Onnis, 2019). This can help Sainsbury's.
 The technique of Reward Management may be used by the managers to raise the
efficiency and effectiveness level.
Weaknesses-
 Reward Management can lead to allegations of the use of biased approach by the
managers. Thus this creates disadvantage for the managers of Sainsbury's.
 The use of Reward Management may not sufficiently reward the workers according to
the talent which they possess. For Sainsbury's this can create a disadvantage.
Performance Appraisal-
Strengths-
 Performance Appraisal can help in giving adequate reward to the workers who are
performing in a better way (Peccei and Van De Voorde, 2019). This can help Sainsbury's.
 The use of Performance Appraisal can also help the employees in making sure that they
are able to get the right reward which they deserve for their performance. For
Sainsbury's, this is useful.
Weaknesses-
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 Performance Appraisal techniques requires comparison of employees with each other.
This can lead to rivalry. In Sainsbury's, this is a disadvantage.
 The use of Performance Appraisal techniques can put allegations on the management
related to use of a biased approach. For Sainsbury's, this can create a disadvantage for the
managers.
Flexible Working-
Strengths-
 This practice helps the employees by allowing them to work from anywhere. For
Sainsbury's it creates an advantage because it boosts efficiency, effectiveness and
productivity.
 This practice is helpful for the employers as more performance can be expected from the
employers. In Sainsbury's, this can create an advantage because it can help them a lot in
achieving the desired results.
Weaknesses-
 This practice is not useful when the employees do not concentrate sufficiently on their
given tasks and allocated work. In Sainsbury's, this creates a disadvantage.
 This practice is not useful as it can lead towards carelessness from the employees as they
can take their work lightly. In Sainsbury's, this can lead towards a disadvantage.
TASK 3
P5: Importance of employee relations
There is an importance of maintenance of good relations with the employees. This can be
explained in the following manner-
Getting the work done- When the employers maintain good relations with the workers
they will be able to get the required work done effectively and efficiently (Sekhar, Patwardhan
and Vyas, 2018). For the management of Sainsbury's this offers an advantage as they can get the
results which they want by correctly making the use of right approaches.
Maximum potential of the workers- By maintaining the right relations with the
employees the managers will be able to make the workers work upto their full potential. In the
context of Sainsbury's, this can help the management a lot to achieve their various types of goals
as well as targets effectively and efficiently.
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Creation of a personal touch- By maintaining good relations with the employees the
companies are able to create a personal touch. For Sainsbury's, this can be highly useful for the
managers in making sure that the employees work in a better manner.
Use of better HRM practices- When the right relations are made between the employer
and the employee this can help the employees in making sure that they are able to achieve their
goals and objectives easily (Kianto, Sáenz and Aramburu, 2017). Thus in Sainsbury's, this is
beneficial for both the employers and the employees.
Solving of problems- In a big organization there are several problems which can be
faced by the employees of the organization. In a company like Sainsbury's the HR managers
must be able to set good relations with the workers so that the employees can tell them the
problems which they are facing which will help in finding out the solution to them ensuring that
the work is carried on smoothly.
Collective bargaining- When good employee relations are maintained by the HR
department of an organization it allows the workers to collectively bargain for a common
demand. In Sainsbury's, this can be quite beneficial for the employees to be able to ensure that
they are able to achieve their specific tasks and objectives.
Trade union- Maintaining good employee relations by the HR department offers
employees an opportunity to form a trade union. In Sainsbury's, this can help the employees to
raise a common demand in an effective manner.
P6: Employee legislation
Sexual discrimination refers to the use of certain tactics which can lead to differentiation
between the workers of an organization. In a positive organizational culture, this should not
happen. For preventing it there are certain acts which are made as per the law. These are
explained as follows-
Sex Discrimination Act 1975-
This act is one of the oldest acts in United Kingdom regarding the sexual discrimination.
The use of this act can be made by the different companies so that they are able to maintain the
equality between genders at the workplace without problems and issues. In Sainsbury's, the
provisions of this act is applied in the correct manner so that the organization is able to maintain
equality.
Equal Pay Act 1970-
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This act is also one of the oldest acts in United Kingdom (Shen and Benson, 2016).
Companies can make use of this act so that they pay equally to their workers regardless of their
gender. Therefore, in the context of Sainsbury's, this act is applied in the organization by making
the fair payment of salaries and wages to the workers regardless of their gender. In the firm the
use of this act is useful for the reduction of sexual discrimination.
United Kingdom Employment Equality Law-
This law requires that equal opportunities related to employment should be provided in
the workplaces. In Sainsbury's, the provisions of this act is applied by ensuring that both men
and women are given a fair chance for displaying their talent to get employment. In the company
the use of this act is highly useful for removing sexual discrimination.
The Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) Regulations 2005- This law has
different provisions for the equality to be provided in the employment by the companies
regardless of sex. In Sainsbury's, this law is used so that there is no disparity created between the
workers. Thus this helps in preventing sexual discrimination.
Employment Rights Act, 1996-
This is an important law in U.K. which has various provisions regarding the rights of the
employees. Thus this act is quite useful for the workers to raise demands for their rights to be
fulfilled within an organization. In Sainsbury's, the managers are required to ensure that they are
able to implement its various provisions in an effective manner and ensure the fulfilment of the
rights of the workers.
TASK 4
P7: Application of HRM practices
Different types of documents can be prepared by the organizations for filling up the
positions which they have by selecting the right candidate (Voegtlin and Greenwood, 2016).
Skill gap in the organization- The position of Cashier is vacant in several stores of
Sainsbury's across U.K. The organization looks for a suitable candidate who is able to manage
and maintain the cash in an effective manner which will ensure that the company will be able to
maintain the cash balance appropriately.
Interview questions to be asked to the candidate-
Q1- What is your name?
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Q2- What are your educational qualifications?
Q3- Do you have any relevant work experience?
Q4- Why do you want to work for Sainsbury's? Give reasons.
Job Advertisement-
Job Advertisement for the position of Cashier
Sainsbury's, a leading company is looking for recruiting Cashiers for its different stores across
U.K. It is looking for skilled candidates who are willing to take up the challenge of this role and
perform to the best of their capabilities. The details regarding the position is as follows-
Position- Cashier
Educational Qualifications- Atleast a Graduate in Commerce Stream.
Working Hours- 8 hours a day in different shifts.
Salary Offered- 25,000 pounds per month + Added incentives
Work Location- Different stores across London.
The interested candidates can report for interview process with the required documents.
The candidates are requested to wear formal wear when they report for the interview.
Senior HR Manager
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Job Description-
Job Description of Cashier-
Job Title- Cashier
Reports to- Accounts Head of the Store
Job Overview- Maintaining the cash transactions of the company on a day-to-day basis and
making clear daily reports for the management.
Job Purpose- To maintain the records of inflows and outflows of cash and to conduct cash
transactions in a fair manner.
Experience- At least a year's experience is required in management of cash.
Educational Qualifications- At least a graduate in the Commerce Stream is preferred for this
position.
Responsibilities-
 To maintain the daily record of cash by registering the inflows as well as outflows of
cash.
 To make daily reports of the cash transactions done and to report it to the Accounts Head.
 To maintain the petty cash balance.
 To conduct transactions in a transparent manner.
Physical abilities-
Should have a smart personality and must have good physical attributes. Must be able to
welcome customers with a smile.
Senior HR Manager
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Person Specification-
Person Specification for the position of Cashier-
Qualifications- At least a graduate in Commerce is desired for this position.
Experience- At least a year’s experience in handling of cash in any organization is desired for
this position.
Skills-
 Cash handling
 Preparing reports
 Management skills
 Book-keeping skills
 Accounting skills
Physical attributes-
The candidate should have good personality and must be able to welcome the customers with a
smile. The candidate must be energetic and should have a handsome personality and must be
able to please the customers by satisfying them and handling their queries.
Personal attributes-
The candidate must be able to display full commitment, dedication and focus towards the job
role. The candidate must ensure that the various types of cash transactions are handled in a
proper manner.
Competencies-
The candidate must be able to work in a proper manner by displaying cooperation and
coordination with the other members of the staff. The candidate should be able to handle and
manage the cash in the organization.
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Offer Letter for the role of Cashier
Dear Will,
We are pleased to inform you that you are selected for the role of Cashier in Camden Road Store
of Sainsbury's. Your skills and talent have surely impressed the higher-level management. We
hope you are familiar with the roles and responsibilities of the job and the job profile has been
explained to you in detail.
The summary of your offer letter is as follows-
Position- Cashier
Working Hours- 8 hours a day
Work Location- Camden Road, London, United Kingdom
Starting Salary- 25,000 pounds per month + Added incentives
We hope that you will find your job role challenging as well as interesting and you will be able
to make significant contributions to our organization. If you agree with the contents of this letter
please sign it and provide the same to the HR department so that your joining formalities can be
completed.
With Regards,
Senior HR Manager
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CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be said that Human Resource Management is a diverse field
which involves making the use of different types of approaches for the management of workers
in an organization. It has specific purpose and various functions. The approaches to Recruitment
and Selection have strengths and weaknesses. HRM practices offer varied benefits to the
employers and employees. They are also very effective in raising of organizational profit and
productivity. There is an importance of employee relations for the employers. Employment
legislation has several laws which are required to be followed by the employers. The application
of HRM practices can be made in work-related context through the use of appropriate
techniques.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:

Online
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