Human Resource Management in ASDA

This document provides an overview of ASDA, a leading supermarket in the UK, and explores the purpose and roles of HR functions in the context of workforce planning and resourcing. It evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of various HRM practices within the company and discusses the approach to development and training, rewards systems, and other activities. The document also highlights the benefits of HRM practices in increasing organizational profitability and productivity and emphasizes the importance of employee relations in influencing HRM decision making. Additionally, it discusses key elements of employment legislation and their impact on HRM decision making in ASDA.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
ACTIVITY 1....................................................................................................................................3
Overview of ASDA................................................................................................................3
Purpose of human resource functions and its roles in context of workforce planning and
resourcing...............................................................................................................................4
3) Strengths and Weaknesses of varied HRM practices within company for employer &
employee.................................................................................................................................4
4) Approach to development and training, rewards systems and other activities..................5
5) Benefits of HRM practices with reference to increasing organizational profitability and
productivity.............................................................................................................................6
6 Importance of employee’s relation in respect to influencing HRM Decision making........7
7 Key elements of employment legislation and its impact upon HRM decision making......8
8) Critically evaluation of human resource practices that influenced decision making.........9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
Appendix..............................................................................................................................13
Activity-2.......................................................................................................................................13
Application of Human resources management practices in work related context...............13
Evolution of process and rationale for conducting appropriate HR practice.......................15
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INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is the most important organizational function that manages
all issues or conflicts related to workers in a company. It includes compensation, performance
management, recruitment, selection, safety, communication, wellness, training and policy
administration. The current assignment will be based on ASDA, which falls under list of leading
supermarkets in UK. This study will describe overview of company, explanation of HR functions
purpose and its roles as well as accountabilities to firm. This study will evaluate strengths and
weakness of varied human resource management practices within company in context of
employee and employer. It will define approach to workforce planning, development & training,
resourcing recruitment & selection, rewards systems and performance management with
reference to ASDA.
Furthermore, this report will explain benefits of HRM practices in regard to raise
productivity and profit and will also examine effectiveness of workers relations and engagement.
This assignment will justify statement on acceptance of flexible company and effective activities
and employer of choice. It will clarify key area of employ legislation and its affect on decision
making. Moreover, this study will design job specification, CV, documentation of preparatory
notes for interviews, job offer and evaluation of procedure. It will describe rationale for
conducting right practices of HR.
ACTIVITY 1
Overview of ASDA
ASDA is the Britain’s leading and well known retailer in UK, they have very committed
employees who are capable to serve target consumers from its network of supermarket chains
and online services, including superstores, petrol filling stations, supermarkets, livings outlets
and depots across the United Kingdom (Corbet and McMullan, 2018). Supercentres are the
biggest stores of organization where management providing their range across non food, food
and George. At company, managers have more than 145,000 skilled and talented workers who
are serving more than 18 million buyers who shop in ASDA stores every week and get
appropriate satisfaction.
According to their aim, organization work effectively as they want to reduce plastic
packaging and consider every option to achieve this goal. The mission of firm is to be the most
trusted and global retailer in the whole world, by helping people to “Save money and Live
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better”. Providing quality products or services is the main objectives of its business. They want
to offer affordable and cheaper item to customers. Organization has gained one million new
buyers and retained their identity by selling quality goods to target market across UK.
Purpose of human resource functions and its roles in context of workforce planning and
resourcing
The main purpose of HRM functions is to improve productivity of ASDA and increase
workforce abilities in effective manner by using varied suitable approaches and techniques.
Workforce planning-
It is one of the best human resource management functions in ASDA. Workforce
planning role is to analyse, predict and plan related to workforce supply and demand & indentify
target talent management interventions to assure that firm has skilled applicant (Ayandibu and
Kaseeram, 2020). Main accountability of this function is to balance staffing levels with degree of
work being produced. Human resource manager for workforce planning function can analyse
current and further needs of workforce by conducting a small survey at workplace or by
communicating with leader to known any further needs of human capital.
Resourcing-
This function is can be defined as part of employee development and personnel which
concentrate on recruitment and release of workers from ASDA and management. Resourcing
function role in ASDA supermarket is to hire and recruit talented workers with appropriate skills
(Onnis, 2019). It is responsible for developing workforce within company includes integration of
development and learning as well as relationships.
HRM for resourcing ASDA can recruit and hire people it helps firm to work productively
and effectively more than its competitors, operating in same industry since for so long. Selection
and recruitment function of HRM play vital role in ASDA in term of increasing number of
talented and knowledgeable applicants who are able to perform even better and understand
market as well as business environment appropriately. HRM is accountable for selecting and
hiring people who are suitable for specific job role with required skills and abilities.
3) Strengths and Weaknesses of varied HRM practices within company for employer &
employee
Recruitment
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This practice of human resource management within ASDA supermarket focused on
hiring workers who can benefit both employer and company (Stahl and et.al., 2020).
Strengths-
 Recruitment is beneficial for employees in company in term of improving their abilities
and making them able to accomplish each project or task.
 It can be said that this practice benefits employer as well by permitting them to gain
desire outcomes with talented people who can work more hard and in timely manner.
Weaknesses-
 The weak point of this practice is that it consumes a lot of time of employer and HR
manager who are accountable for overall recruitment procedure.
 Sometimes experience of recruiting people is stressful and unpleasant for HR manager
and others workers.
Selection-
It is another HRM practice conducted in ASDA to strengthen their team or workforce
effectively (GÜLER and AKYOL, 2017).
Strengths-
 The best thing about selection practice in context of employees within supermarket is that
it helps to increase their productivity.
 This practice benefits employer as well by enabling them to hire experience holder who
aid to give tough competition to competitors by working better than before.
Weaknesses-
 The main weakness of this practice is that is consumed energy and time of employer.
 It increases unsatisfaction among workers when one person can be promoted after
working similar in workplace.
4) Approach to development and training, rewards systems and other activities
Workforce planning-
Effective workforce planning can assure employer that they have a team of right size with
right workers, skills and values organized in right way within accessible budget (Bryant and
Ward, 2017). Systems integration approach can be utilized to workforce planning in ASDA as it
helps to make easier for management to work from a single system.
Resourcing-
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Employee resourcing is concerned with varied of approaches and methods utilized by
employers in resourcing their ASDA in such a manner as to make them able to meet their key
aims and objectives. For this HRM function, staffing, performance management and change
management approach can be use.
Selection and recruitment-
Employee selection is procedure of putting right women or men on right job in ASDA.
Online screening and short listing approach can be use to selection function of HRM, which is
quite beneficial for employer. There are different approaches HRM can use to recruitment
function such as internal and external recruitment.
Development & training-
Human resource management is accountable for managing training programme for new
applicants and existing workers who needs to enhance their skills. Workshop and mentoring are
the best approaches of this HRM practice that increase productivity and profitability.
Performance management-
In order to manage their performance of staff in workplace, HRM can establish clear
aims in front of all workers. It is one of the best approaches manager can use for performance
management.
Reward systems-
This method is quite beneficial for employer and employee, for example by providing
incentives to staff employer can retain people for longer period. It can benefit applicants by
increasing their motivation and morale.
5) Benefits of HRM practices with reference to increasing organizational profitability and
productivity
It can be said that, human resource management within ASDA supermarket conduct
different types of practices like training and development, performance management, recruitment
& selection etc. All these practices can provide varied benefits to firm in term of increasing
profitability and productivity. For instance, training cater benefits to employer by improving and
developing set of skills among workers, which make them able to perform even better and
delivery quality products on timely manner which turn into increasing sales.
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6 Importance of employee’s relation in respect to influencing HRM Decision making
Employee relationship is a term that explained about mutual bond and effective
coordination among employees and employer or management that are working for growth and
success of enterprise. HRM manager in order to retained strong relationship between employees
and employer has promoted open, transparent and fair communication that helped in
accomplishment of task and attainment of objectives (Importance of Employee Relations - Why
Employee Relations at Workplace?, 2019). There are various benefits of strong relationship
between employee’s and employer.
ASDA by adapting to flexible organisation, flexible work practices can provide ease and
comfort to employees to perform their task in the best possible manner. Flexible working hour
practice of HR manager of ASDA have enhanced job satisfaction level and improved life balance
as they can work as per their convinces. Several benefits of adaptation of flexible working can
be illustrated as follows:
Increased productivity: One of the biggest benefits of flexible work hours is that employees of
ASDA can come to office earlier as possible and make best utilisation of their capabilities and
skills for growth and success of firm. Flexible working hour practices used by HR manager of
ASDA has motivated and inspired large number of individuals to work hard for achievements of
company goals in best possible manner (ARMSTRONG and TAYLOR, (2014). Thus, it reduces
stress level of employees and inspired individuals to give its best for benefit of organization.
Helps in bringing new innovation: It can be stated that flexible organisation and work practice
have provide chance to employees to think out of box or bring more innovative ideas to complete
specific task. Thus, ASDA is able to bring innovative idea or promotional method to cater needs
of diverse individuals so that company can earn more profit margins.
Staff retention: Another importance of employee’s relationship and flexible working practices
is that employees want to work for organisation for longer time frame. They are less interested to
take leave as they have option of working in flexible hours so it has contributed in building
strong brand image of ASDA.
“Choice of employer” can be defined as enterprise that is able to retained and attracted
best and highly qualified employees with company values, ethics, culture or enhance their
engagements level. Salary is not enough to improve performance of employees and retained their
interest but working culture, leadership styles has also impact on behaviour of individuals.
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Therefore, ASDA HR manager have always emphasis to provide healthy, safe and secure
working environment to employees so that they can be motivated to be part of firm for longer
term (BRATTON and GOLD, 2012). There are several benefits of choice of employer being
used by ASDA HR manager to improve employee’s engagement, commitment and relationship
such as:
More talented employees want to be part of organisation: ASDA is well-known enterprise in
retail sectors that offers heavy discount to customers which have contributed in growth and
expansion of business within limited time frame. Therefore, strong brand image have helped HR
manager to attracted best candidate out of pool of individuals for right position so that company
can gain competitive advantages.
Healthier work place: Another benefit of Employer of your choice for ASDA is maintenance
of strong relationship as it helps in retaining healthy work place thus contribute in better
coordination between diverse individual that are working in enterprise. HR manager have always
ensured that employees are provided support, guidance and direction about the way task need to
be performed so that less chance of errors and mistake can be happened for rendering maximum
value to customers (TORRINGTON and et al., 2011). So, employer of choice strategy has also
contributed in more employment engagements and productivity for effective satisfaction of
customers’ needs.
7 Key elements of employment legislation and its impact upon HRM decision making
Government of United Kingdom have make several rules and regulation related to
employees so that they cannot be forced by employees to worked overtime or in less amount of
wages. All these regulation and laws are passed by government and trade union which helps in
resolving conflict so that no harm can be caused to other person (A comprehensive list of
employment legislation in the UK, 2019). HR manager of ASDA have abided to all rules made
by government in order to prevent company from several penalties or extra charge. Some of the
legislation that impact on decision-making of HR manager are discussed below:
Equality act 2010: It is act that stated company need not discriminate among employees on
basis of gender, caste, religion or any other basis. So, HR manager in its decision making have
ensured that all employees are provided equal chance and opportunities to being selected,
promoted, transferred, wages, training and development programs or any other benefits. It has
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also made protocol and policies that each and every individuals needs to be given same respect,
recognition thus it have lead in inspiring employees to be part of such a organisation.
Health and safety act: This law implies that HR manager needs to ensure health and safety of
various individuals that are working in enterprise so that no harm or threat can be caused to their
personal life. There may be several places which can be dangerous for health and safety of
people in ASDA stores so HR manager have taken crucial steps to protect employees such as
medicine box and insurance policy of people. Manager has provided them instruction about place
which might cause harm to their health thus it helped in ensuring health and safety of employees
and better operation of business.
Equal pay act 1963: This law stated that company should make payment of equal and
appropriate wages to all employees that have work hard for growth of enterprise. Therefore HR
manager in its decision-making have ensured that it provide equal payment or wages to all
employees whether male or female (O’riordan, 2017). So it has contributed in maintain equality
among employees and enhance their satisfaction level to make optimum utilisation of their
capacities so that ASDA can gain competitive advantages.
Working time regulation and holiday: There are many enterprises that forced employees to
work overtime or even at holidays so that company can earn maximum profitability. So,
government in order to protect employees from mental and physical stress have made laws
related to work time and leave that are rights of individuals. ASDA HR manager have described
in employment contract about number of working hours that is 8 hours in day that they have to
work for enterprise. It has also explained about number of leave they are entitled to take such as
paid, family and sick leave which have satisfied employees needs and requirements in effective
manner.
8) Critically evaluation of human resource practices that influenced decision making
It can be evaluated that recruitment as HRM practice influence decision making of
company in positive manner. For example, with the help of appropriate recruitment plan human
resource manager can take better judgement to hire talented workers. But this practice can affect
negatively on decision making procedure, when manager do not analyse current employee’s
needs and make tactic or plan. As it makes recruiter unable to identify workplace requirement
and affect his or her decision in negative manner.
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CONCLUSION
From above analysis, it has been concluded that human resource management by
recruiting and selecting skilled workers in ASDA enhancing business performance and
productivity level effectively. By using workforce planning, performance management,
development and training approach, HRM contribute in gaining competitive edge. Furthermore,
it has been summarized that with the help of employee staffing, compensation and other
practices, human resource manager provide several benefits to ASDA as they help to raise
profitability along with productivity. By summing up above discussion, it has been identified that
good relationship between workers and employers create productive environment at workplace.
It helps to increase motivational level even better and minimize employee absenteeism in ASDA
Company, which is quite beneficial business in term of all aspects.
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REFERENCES
Book and Journals
ARMSTRONG, M. and TAYLOR, S., 2014. Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource
Management Practice. 13th Ed. London: Kogan Page.
Ayandibu, A.O. and Kaseeram, I., 2020. The Future of Workforce Planning. In Human Capital
Formation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (pp. 127-156). IGI Global.
BACH, S. and EDWARDS , M., 2013. Managing Human Resources. Oxford: Wiley.
BRATTON, J. and GOLD, J., 2012. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. 5th
Ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Bryant, B. and Ward, M., 2017. A strategic approach to workforce development for local public
health. Canadian Journal of Public Health. 108(4). pp.403-408.
Coelho, P. M and et.al., 2020. Sustainability of reusable packaging-Current situation and
trends. Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X, p.100037.
Corbet, S. and McMullan, C., 2018. Stock market reaction to irregular supermarket chain
behaviour: An investigation in the retail sectors of Ireland and the United
Kingdom. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 43. pp.20-29.
de Brito, R. P. and de Oliveira, L. B., 2016. The relationship between human resource
management and organizational performance. Brazilian Business Review, 13(3). pp.90-
110.
GÜLER, M.E. and AKYOL, E.M., 2017. Role of competencies in employee selection function: a
fuzzy analytical hierarchy process approach. Ege Akademik Bakış Dergisi. 17(2). pp.201-
214.
Kurz, L., Jost, L., Roth, K. and Ohlhausen, P., 2019. Focusing Sustainable Human Resource
Management—Framework for Sustainability Management in Research Organizations.
In Social Responsibility and Sustainability (pp. 57-73). Springer, Cham.
O’riordan, J., 2017. The practice of human resource management. Research paper. 20.
Onnis, L.A., 2019. Human resource management policy choices, management practices and
health workforce sustainability: remote Australian perspectives. Asia Pacific Journal of
Human Resources. 57(1). pp.3-23.
Santhanam, N and et.al., 2017. Impact of human resource management practices on employee
turnover intentions. Journal of Indian Business Research.
Stahl, G.K and et.al., 2020. Enhancing the role of human resource management in corporate
sustainability and social responsibility: A multi-stakeholder, multidimensional approach
to HRM. Human Resource Management Review. 30(3). p.100708.
Tariq, S., Jan, F. A. and Ahmad, M. S ., 2016. Green employee empowerment: a systematic
literature review on state-of-art in green human resource management. Quality &
Quantity, 50(1). pp.237-269.
TORRINGTON, D, et al., 2011. Human Resource Management. 8th Ed. London: Prentice Hall.
Yusliza, M. Y and et.al., 2019. Top management commitment, corporate social responsibility
and green human resource management. Benchmarking: An International Journal.
Online
A comprehensive list of employment legislation in the UK. 2019. [Online]. Available
Through:<https://www.peninsulagrouplimited.com/guides/employment-laws-uk-list/>.
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Importance of Employee Relations - Why Employee Relations at Workplace?, 2019. [Online].
Available Through:<https://www.managementstudyguide.com/importance-of-
employee-relations.htm>.
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Appendix
Activity-2
Application of Human resources management practices in work related context
HR manager of ASDA have prepared job specification for role of HR assistance in
company so that highly talented employees can be retained and their performance can be
increased for growth of firm.
Job specification
Qualification
Graduation and diploma course in human resource management.
Experienced
Having experienced of 2 – 3 years
Training
On job training will be provided to employee.
Skills
There are certain skills and capabilities that needs to be present in HR assistant
 Effective decision making skills
 Creative thinking
 Written and verbal communication skills
 Positive attitude
 Administrative and reporting skills
 Presentation skills
Responsibilities
 Major responsibility of HR manager is to answer all questions of employees.
 Collecting information related to time and attendance for decision of payroll.
 Maintenance of employee’s information.
 Conduct administrating testing, maintained records, orientation and schedule
appointment in order to support HR manager.
Emotional characteristics
 Positive attitude
 Charming personality
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CV
Janet Miller
848 Abbott road
[e-mail]
HR assistance
 Effective communication and interpersonal skills
 Knowledge about recent technology
 Ability to take correct decision
Education
I have done graduation in Human resources management
Hobbies
 Reading books
 To manage diverse individuals or work in team.
Interview notes
HR manager of ASDA have make certain notes while carry out interview in order to note
down keys skills and qualities that are presented in particular individuals for completion of task.
I have also specified about selection process that will be used to recruit and select particular
individual from pool of candidates. For selecting best candidate for HR assistant post it has
decided three stage that need to be passed by individuals such as application form for knowing
about background of candidate, test to know mental ability and knowledge and last interview to
know about person personally for better decision. It has also prepared some of the question
which need to be asked in interview such as:
 What are roles and responsibility of HR manager?
 The way conflict can be resolved between employees?
 What motivate you to have job in ASDA organisation only?
 Tell some strategies to manage attendance and performance of employees?
Therefore, candidate that will answer all such question in appropriate and right manner will
be selected as HR assistant in ASDA. It can be justified that all these three process were best
for selection of best and highly talented candidate for organisation.
Job offers letter
XYZ
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We are happy to inform you that ASDA have selected you for position of HR assistant from 8
Septmeber2020 so kindly provide us various detailed such as email id, education, experienced
so that we can proceed further.
Evolution of process and rationale for conducting appropriate HR practice
It can be evaluated and analysed form above HR practices that it has make use of
appropriate strategies in order to select right candidate for organisation. Test help in identifying
existing knowledge and capabilities of individual so that they can performed task in best possible
manner. Interview process helps HR manager of ASDA to effectively or personally judge
whether the candidate is suitable for particular post or not. So, select and recruitment process
used by HR manager of ASDA was effective.
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