HRM Practices and BT Group

This assignment examines the application of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices within BT Group. It analyzes how these practices contribute to creating favorable working conditions and developing a competent workforce within the company. The document draws upon research and academic sources to support its arguments.

Human Resource Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK...............................................................................................................................................1
1P1. Functions and purpose of HRM which are applicable at workforce..............................1
2P2 Strengths & weaknesses of various selection and recruitment approaches....................3
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................5
1P3 Benefits for employee and employer through HRM practices .......................................5
2P4 Evaluate the responsibilities for generating profits and efficiency of HRM practices.. .6
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................7
1P5 Identify the importance that influence on HRM decision-making in employee relations . 7
2P6 Identify elements of employment legislation which impact on HRM decision-making.8
Task 4...............................................................................................................................................8
1P7 Illustration of application for HRM practices related to work .....................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management (HRM) is concerned with management of people within
the firm and focuses on system or policies. In this, it involves any processes like recruiting,
selecting, training and development, motivation, remuneration etc. It generally supports to
enhance skills and work efficiency that helps in increasing work productivity so it must be
required to utilise proper manpower or human resource in an effective manner (Anderson, 2013).
It major objectives is to attract more new talents and retain key personnel in order to achieve
company's growth and competitive advantages. This report is based on BT group that is British
Telecom which is multinational telecommunications company and situated in London, UK. It
will explain various functions of HRM which are applied on the workers within an organisation.
This report also identifies several advantages and disadvantages of selection and recruitment
approaches. Apart from these, here are some benefits of HR practices for employees and
employer which have been explained in the study. It will help in identifying key elements that
can effect on decision-making process for human resource.
TASK
1P1. Functions and purpose of HRM which are applicable at workforce
HRM is an important part of British Telecom (BT) group as it includes various processes
that helps in managing people within the firm and maintaining their relation for effective
working conditions. HR manager performs his task and plays various roles in which includes
some processes as employees are recruited and trained for developing their personal and
professional skills (Aswathappa, 2013). There are some major processes of HRM as to plan,
develop and design programmes as well as policies to utilise available human resource within the
organisation. Its main purpose is to focus on maintaining relationship with people for better
workforce that helps in achieving business goals and objectives as well as set targets. Human
resource department take responsibilities for managing entire workforce and set the targets for
employees that must be achieved in defined time period.
Objectives of HRM
 Utilisation of available resources such as manpower or human resource
 It helps in building and maintaining healthy relationship between members and
organisation.
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 They always focus on individual's development.
 They take responsibility for development of each employee for achieving desired goals
and objectives of an organisation
Functions of Human Resource Management
HRM perform various functions which are applied on employees in British Telecom. Its
major aim is to identify and enhance worker's skills, knowledge and abilities for attaining the
business goals and targets in an effective manner. There are some main functions such as:
Human Resource planning: It is defined as the planning process of proper human
resource where employees are recruited for job position (Brewster and Hegewisch, 2017).
Manager generally conduct a research or survey activity in which data or information is to be
gathered regarding requirement of employees within an organisation for accomplishing
company's goals and objectives in an effective manner. This activity involve, there are various
strategies adopted for proper staffing and provide training to the people.
Analysis of Job: It helps in identifying the job vacancies within organisation which must
be filled. This procedure involves assessment of recruitment, knowledge, abilities and skills for
performing any particular task or work. The role of HR manager is to prepare a document for
descriptions of job in which included a statement and describe duties and responsibilities of
employees. So, it supports in hiring the best and talented candidate who matches with job profile
or as per the requirement.
Staffing: It is an important part of the human resource as this function is related with
recruitment and selection of people for BT group. It helps in identifying suitable candidates for
the job positions. Recruitment is defined as an activity in which qualified candidates can be
attracted whereas selection is the process which is related to choose the most suitable candidates
and rejects others who are unsuitable.
Orientation: In this, newly appointed people meet with old employees as this function
helps them in adjusting with new job and workplace (Cascio and Boudreau, 2010). So, it
includes procedure or technique in which managers provide information to the employees related
to their pay scale, benefits, working hours and policies of an organisation.
Training and development: It plays a vital role for employees’ development as this
function helps in enhancing their skills, knowledge and abilities for obtaining particular goals
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and objectives. So, manager organises training and development programmes for increasing
work productivity and personal growth of employees.
Performance appraisal: This function is also important in HRM as it is related to
monitor the performance of employees by various appraisal system. It support to identify the
deficiencies in employees while taking corrective actions and working against this by motivating
them for improving the level of performance.
Compensate: This refers to pay roll system and remuneration of workers and it defines
how much to be paid to the employees (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2017). Human resource
department always try to generate high performance so they have to pay for employee’s work,
time and effort as it is the cost to company.
Maintaining good working conditions: It is the major task human resource
management that to manage the workforce and provide good working conditions at the work
place so that employees can perform better in effective environment. They should motivate to all
staff members for achieving organisational goals and targets.
2P2 Strengths & weaknesses of various selection and recruitment approaches
Recruitment and selection process is very important in every business because they have
to take decision regarding appointing the suitable candidate for right job. This procedure is very
effective that helps in reducing costs of any mistakes in which includes engaging incompetent,
unmotivated employees. There can be expensive process in firing the unsuitable candidates and
hiring the new person for effective work.
Recruitment: it is the process in which fresh or multitalented people attracts who have
higher skills and knowledge about particular work. British Telecom focuses on hiring the best
employees by using various methods and procedures which helps in judging their abilities and
attitudes regarding the work. There are several techniques which are used in this process such as:
Internal recruitment: In this method, company recruits existing employees for fulfilling vacant
positions within the firm. There are various companies who adopt this method for proper
recruitment process (CHUANG and Liao, 2010). In this includes promotions, demotions, job
rotations etc. There are strengths and weaknesses of recruitment such as:
Strengths: -
 In this method, there are no require to spend money for advertisement for attracting
outside person, so its a cost effective
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 This process is necessary to retain key personnel as well as good person for long time.
Weakness: -
 It can lead to problems or disputes among workers because they can feel demotivation
and loose their morale for not getting promotions. Internal recruitment prevents to get fresh talent and ideas within organisation.
External recruitment: In such process, company hire candidates from outside. In this involve
job offers which are opening in the organisation and provide information to the people for
attracting them towards job. There are some strengths and weaknesses of external recruitment
such as:
Strengths:-
 This process helps in hiring new as well as talented candidates from outside who are able
to give good ideas to make company more effective. They support in pushing existing workers to work hard for getting promotions.
Weaknesses:-
 This activity can consume more time because several procedures are involved in this.
 It requires more amount for investment so this can be costly for the company. In this, it requires training and development programmes for hiring new person.
Selections: After recruitment, employee's resume and CV are deeply analysed that helps in
understanding their knowledge and skills for particular task.
Strength:
 Selection methods generally support in understanding the capacities of individuals. This help to collect informations of background regarding employees.
Weaknesses:-
 It can be increase cost because expenses can arise during selection process. It is time consuming process.
Interview- This method is generally used for personal interaction between employer and
candidates within organisation (Daley, 2012). Interviewer conduct this process for identifying
and analysing skills, knowledge and abilities of job seekers through several questions.
Strengths:-This process is helpful for meeting personally with all candidates to identify
their knowledge and confidence level.
Weaknesses:-
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 In this method, there are no any written record for interview process and it is also a
time-consuming activity.
Group discussion: It is also a helpful technique that aids in identifying candidate’s skills and
knowledge as in this, people are given a specific topic which they have to discuss within a
particular group. So, company can find the best suitable candidate by observing their
communication skills and knowledge.
Strengths:- With the help of group discussions, the best person can be chosen and it helps
in eliminating unsuitable candidates because it provides information about their skills and
knowledge.
Weaknesses:-
 Participants can become aggressive while group discussions so, it can create conflicts
among people.
Task 2
1P3 Benefits for employee and employer through HRM practices
HRM involves several principles which bring benefits for entire firm. So, here various
benefits for every employee who is working within the company (Fulton, 2011). Various policies
and strategies are included in this that are required for improving performance of workforce. So,
it is very useful for both as employer and employee in British Telecom company. Its
transactional functions includes various benefits administration, keeping and maintain records of
new employees and processing of payroll system within the firm that helps for both as
employees and company.
Benefit to employer
Promote positive behaviour: In any successful organisation, it is required to have a
positive environment for effective working place so human resource practices play an important
role for making good working atmosphere. It helps in providing motivation, workplace
satisfaction and various benefits to the employees. Employer takes responsibility to maintain
positive behaviour within the firm for increasing work productivity.
Developing employees: HRM practices help in developing the employees as well as
encouraging them to work hard (Glendon and Clarke, 2016). Training and development
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programmes are generally offered to the workers for enhancing their knowledge and skills for
achieving competitive advantages by increasing work productivity.
Flexible working environment: HRM principles and practice are very helpful in creating
dynamic and effective work place by designing a good working climate, assignment, time table,
teamwork and communication structure.
Benefits to employees-
Motivation: There are various activities involved in HRM practices to meet personal
needs and desires of people that helps in motivating employees and encouraging them for
performing in better way. So, performance standards can be enhanced which is beneficial to
achieve future growth.
Learning : HR management practices also includes various learning session programmes
that support in enhancing employee's knowledge and skills as well as working abilities which
helps in achieving particular task and goals.
Performance appraisal: It is another benefit of HRM practices as it includes regular
appraisal of performance that helps in maintaining efficiency of workforce (Guest, 2011). It
increases employees’ performance levels and make them more hard-working.
2P4 Evaluate the responsibilities for generating profits and efficiency of HRM practices
HRM is very effective for every organisation as it helps in achieving short-term as well
as long term goals and objectives of British Telecom company. This process is generally
considered as people management to make them more efficient which contributes in business
success. Some benefits of HRM practices for effective organisation are as follows:
Employees engagement: Any organisation with high engagement or involvement rate,
can be increased their revenue growth in effective manner. It also support in increasing
shareholder values as well as strong displays of company's culture.
Skilled workforce- HRM practices focus on recruiting and selecting the best suitable
candidates for accomplishing business goals and objectives in effective manner. So, BT group
selects highly skilled workforce to fill the vacant positions in the company that bring talent pool
within the firm.
Performance appraisal: Manager ensures about the performance of workers through
measurement which analyse deficiencies in their work and identify training needs assessment.
So, this method will support in improving efficiency of the company and generating revenue.
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Conflicts resolutions: HRM practices help in avoiding any chances of conflicts and
making healthy working environment at workplace where employee will concentrate in
completing task and integrity. It is based on coordination that helps in maintaining relations
among employees that bring positive outcomes from various departments within an organisation.
Maintain goodwill: Every organisation wants to build its reputation or market image
among competitors so, HR practices support for maintaining goodwill that attracts many new
talented people and encourage them to come and join the company (Knowles and Holton, 2014).
It also supports to attract more investors for investment by having good market image among
competitors.
Reduce employee’s turnover: HR practices help in reducing employee’s turnover and
retaining existing customers for long time period. Turnover can be prevented by providing
maximum satisfaction level to the workers at workplace. It can increase cost within the firm so,
these practices help in reducing these costs and generating high income.
Therefore, HRM practices are very useful for achieving particular goals and objectives of
an organisation so that it contributes in generating more profits as well as improve the efficiency
of British Telecom company.
Task 3
1P5 Identify the importance that influence on HRM decision-making in employee relations
In successful organisation, it is very necessary to have strong relationship among people
as relations can be built through effective bonding between employees and employers. It support
to develop strengths for to dealing with various problems which may rise within firm (Swanson,
2014). HRM is supportive to manage proper coordination and cooperation among people. This
factor supports in making organisation decision and human resource as well as managers also
ensure about organising training and development programmes for employees which helps in
achieving goals and objectives. It must be required to have strong relations among employees
that reduce the chances of conflicts which can create barriers in attaining such goals and
objectives. These issues directly effects on the profitability and efficiency of workers and can
decrease the productivity as well as profits in the company. There are various strategies which
have been adopted by British Telecom company for managing relations.
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Provide rewards: Rewards system support in motivating to employees for doing effective
work as British Telecom group manage their team workforce and people relations by providing
incentives and rewards for best performance. It also helps in motivating workers for achieving
specific goals and objectives.
Developing career strategies: Organisation has to consider its employees development
for their future growth (Marchington, 2016). So, they should care for workers and form
appropriate policies for their development. It will boost workers morale and they will work
effectively for obtaining goals of firm.
Develop the cooperation among workers: It is necessary to have coordination and
cooperation among employees as they motivate them to cooperate with colleagues which support
to maintain employee’s relations.
Maintain proper communication: In this strategy, manager ensure regarding proper
interactions of employees with employers and co-workers. Communication play vital role in
building healthy relations among workers. This support to share new ideas, opinions, thoughts
and views which are needed for achieving particular targets and objectives.
Managing disputes: It is important and difficult task which must be performed by the
human resource department as to maintain the relations through resolving disputes which may
arise between employers and employees at the work place. So they acts as a consultant or
mediator to sort out all those issues in appropriate manner.
2P6 Identify elements of employment legislation which impact on HRM decision-making
Government and legal bodies formed some employee’s legislation and employment laws
for the purpose of worker’s security and welfare at workplace. So, it is compulsory to follow
these rules and regulations for every organisation (Meredith and Belbin, 2011). British Telecom
company's HR manager have to consider about these laws and ensure about business ethics. It
can affects on the decision-making process of human resource so it is requires to perform all
these practices under rules and regulation. There are some laws and legislation that affects the
business organisation such as:
Equal wage act: In this act, it defined that there is no partiality in providing
remuneration to the workers who are working within organisation on same post. employee's
salary or wages should not be based on their caste, age, gender, race, religion and nationality.
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Payment act: A minimum rate of wage defined in this which is fixed by the government
for specific work or task. BT group has to pay that fixed amount to the employees for avoiding
breach of law.
Rights of employees act: this laws and legislation considered employee's safety and
security while performing any task. So, it is required to give certain rights to the workers within
the firm.
Workmen's compensation act: This legislation is related with any injury or accident if a
worker gets while doing work as well as during the operations in the company so they have to
compensate all these problems or issues by giving sufficient amount to them.
The Disability Discriminations Act, 1995: This act is applied for those organisation who
have 20 people. In this required proper accommodation that needs for disabled and also support
to them by providing transportation facilities and educations.
Task 4
1P7 Illustration of application for HRM practices related to work
HR management perform several functions or activities for managing the workforce and
achieving desired goals and objectives (Purce, 2014). In this, it includes various processes such
as recruitment, selection, performance appraisal etc. in this described as the process of
recruitments for fulfilling the empty position within the firm. HR practices can be effect on the
employees performance because this considered various policies, procedures and practices
related to workers and their relationship with job satisfaction. In this includes several aspects
such as policy, planning, philosophy, recruitment, compensation and placement, motivations,
health and safety of employees at the work place so that good working environment can be
create. British Telecom company can apply these HRM practices in various processes such as:
Job analysis: This is important phase in which identify job position and prepare a
document for job description for attracting suitable persons.
Job description
Name of Company
British Telecom plc
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Profile of job
HR Assistant
Area
London
Report to
HR Administration
Duties and Responsibilities
 HR policy maker.
 Maintain proper record for employees attendance.
 Measurement of performance of workers.
 Assisting process of recruitment and selection.
 Organise learning session of newly joined persons.
Required qualification
MBA (Master of Business Administration)
Required experience
0 to 6 years
Salary structure
8 to 10lac p.a.
After the advertisement of job posting, HR department receive employee's resumes and CV.
Here, is a sample template such as:
Curriculum vitae (cv)
Name of candidate:
Permanent Address:
Phone number:
Email Id:
Career objectives: To utilise my personal and professional skills and knowledge for achieving
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organisation goals and objectives.
Education:
BBA
MBA
Work Experience: 4 year experience in the field of HRM.
Personal skills:
Better communication skills
Leadership skills
Hard worker
Problem solver
Motivational skills
Declaration:
I hereby declare that above informations are true according to my knowledge and experience.
There are various activities which have to be performed by BT group human resource
department as after getting CV of candidates such as:
Recruitment and selections: HR manager analyses the information of applicants as they
decide to take next action which is selection process (Scullion and Collings, 2011). In this, it
includes various rounds such as interviews, group discussions for analysing their skills and
knowledge.
Documentation: In this, documents are collected of selected candidates like experience
letter, professional documents such as mark-sheets etc.
CONCLUSION
From above project, it has been concluded that HR management play vital role in
achieving goals and objectives. Activities of HRM is planning, controlling, staffing, training and
development and performance evaluation. Recruitment and selection method helps in hiring the
best candidates for the organisation. Furthermore, it helps in maintaining good relations among
employees and affects decision-making in HRM. To boost the motivation level of workers,
healthy relations are required for better performance. In addition, some laws and legislation have
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been discussed in this assignment. Moreover, it has been elucidated that BT group can apply
HRM practices for ensuring good working conditions and skilled workforce within the firm.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Anderson, V., 2013. Research methods in human resource management: investigating a business
issue. Kogan Page Publishers.
Aswathappa, K., 2013. Human resource management: Text and cases. Tata McGraw-Hill
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Management: The Price Waterhouse Cranfield Survey. Taylor & Francis.
Cascio, W. and Boudreau, J., 2010. Investing in people: Financial impact of human resource
initiatives. Ft Press.
Chelladurai, P. and Kerwin, S., 2017. Human resource management in sport and recreation.
Human Kinetics.
CHUANG, C.H. and Liao, H.U.I., 2010. Strategic human resource management in service
context: Taking care of business by taking care of employees and customers. Personnel
psychology. 63(1). pp.153-196.
Daley, D.M., 2012. Strategic human resources management. Public Personnel Management.
pp.120-125.
Fulton, E.A. and et.al., 2011. Human behaviour: the key source of uncertainty in fisheries
management. Fish and Fisheries.12(1). pp.2-17.
Glendon, A.I., Clarke, S. and McKenna, E., 2016. Human safety and risk management. Crc
Press.
Guest, D.E., 2011. Human resource management and performance: still searching for some
answers. Human resource management journal. 21(1). pp.3-13.
Knowles, M.S., Holton III, E.F. and Swanson, R.A., 2014. The adult learner: The definitive
classic in adult education and human resource development. Routledge.
Marchington, M. and et.al., 2016. Human resource management at work. Kogan Page
Publishers.
Meredith Belbin, R., 2011. Management teams: Why they succeed or fail. Human Resource
Management International Digest, 19(3).
Purce, J., 2014. The impact of corporate strategy on human resource management. New
Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals), 67.
Scullion, H. and Collings, D., 2011. Global talent management. Routledge.
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