Human Resource Management: A Comprehensive Analysis of HRM Practices at Cambridge Satchel

This assignment delves into the multifaceted world of Human Resource Management (HRM) by examining its purpose, functions, and practices within the context of Cambridge Satchel, a renowned British leather goods company. It explores the strengths and weaknesses of different recruitment and selection approaches, analyzes the benefits of HRM practices for both employers and employees, and evaluates their effectiveness in boosting profitability and productivity. The assignment also investigates the crucial role of employee relations in influencing HRM decision-making and examines the impact of key employment legislation on HR practices. Through specific examples, it illustrates the application of HRM practices in a work-related context, highlighting the importance of performance appraisal and training and development programs in fostering employee growth and organizational success.

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................2
TASK 1..............................................................................................................................................3
P1- EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE AND THE FUNCTIONS OF HRM, APPLICABLE TO WORKFORCE
PLANNING AND RESOURCING.....................................................................................................3
P2- EXPLAIN THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION...................................................................................................6
P3- EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF DIFFERENT HRM PRACTICES WITHIN AN ORGANISATION FOR
BOTH THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE.......................................................................................7
P4- EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT HRM PRACTICES IN TERMS OF RAISING THE
CHOSEN ORGANISATIONS PROFIT AND PRODUCTIVITY.............................................................9
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................11
P5- ANALYSE THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS IN RESPECT TO INFLUENCING HRM
DECISION MAKING FOR THE CHOSEN ORGANISATION.............................................................11
P6- IDENTIFY THE KEY ELEMENTS OF EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION AND THE IMPACT IT HAS
UPON HRM DECISION-MAKING.................................................................................................12
P7- ILLUSTRATE THE APPLICATION OF HRM PRACTICES IN A WORK-RELATED CONTEXT, USING
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES...................................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................16
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INTRODUCTION
Human resource management can be defined as the term that is devised for the proper
management of an organization. It is a strategic approach for the effective management
system; in which the staff workers and the entire employees may do their work in an effective
manner towards gaining competitive advantages (Cascio, 2018). Majorly the policies and rules
of HRM have been proposed for maximizing the performance level of employees. The roles and
responsibilities of HRM have to be considered in three parts such as staffing, compensation and
the definition of work. In this assignment, different purpose and function of the HRM according
to the workforce planning and resourcing will be discussed. Strengths and weaknesses of the
different approach such as recruitment and selection procedure will also cover the area.
Further, benefits of HRM practices and the effectiveness of these approaches in terms of
increasing effectiveness and productivity of the organization will also cover the area. In the end,
the significance of different legislation and employee relations will highlight the part that can
influence the decision-making process of the organization.
The chosen organization for this assignment is Cambridge Satchel, which is British company that
provides satchel and leather bags to the people. It was founded in 2008 by Julie Deane and her
mother Freda Thomas in England. They served their products and services worldwide in over 86
countries with the four physical stores in the UK (McNamara, 2015). The estimated turnover in
2011 was 8 million. They focus on Women regarding goods or services but after 2015, they have
launched a product for the man with the physical stores.
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TASK 1
P1- EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE AND THE FUNCTIONS OF HRM, APPLICABLE TO
WORKFORCE PLANNING AND RESOURCING
The major responsibility of HRM department is to increase the productivity and working
performance of the employees. The working criteria of HRM are categorized into three parts
such as staffing and recruiting, compensation and benefits, defining or designing the vision.
Recruitment and selection procedure is the vital responsibility of HRM in order to enhance
effectiveness and profitability of the company. It is an imperative function that focuses on
managing, directing, staffing and organizing the working culture or environment accordingly.
Apart from that, compensation, rewards, the safety of the employees, payroll, training and
development program are to be considered as the important functions of HRM practices.
Figure: HRM Practices
[Source: https://www.vacancycentre.com/advice/hr-management]
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It believes in maintaining sustainability within the organization and helps the people to improve
their working performances in order to gain advantage and achieve goals.
Purpose of HRM-
Within the Cambridge Satchel, the major purpose of HRM is to manage the workforce and
provides to them required services and goods, so that they can easily do their work in an
effective manner towards accomplishing the goals. In order to increase efficiency and
productivity of the company, they formulate several policies and regulations as well as comply
with the legal requirements accordingly. By recruitment process, they select the deserving
candidate for their organization, who can be able to perform better. Further, the training and
development program is also one of the major practices of HRM. They conduct effective
training and development program so that the people can develop their skills and abilities
accordingly. Compensation, performance appraisal, benefits and other practices also included
in the working practices of HRM; by which they can motivate the staff members for their
certain working criteria and helps in enhancing the productivity or effectiveness respectively.
Functions of HRM-
The functions of HRM are categorized into three parts such as managerial function, operational
function and the advisory function.
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Figure: the function of HRM
 Managerial function: it includes planning, managing, directing, controlling, performance
appraisal and the training or development programs. It can measure the individual’s
performance and also helps them to attain goals and objectives. Quality management,
the motivation of employees by giving to the rewards, incentives and bonuses are also
considered in these criteria.
 Operative function: it majorly comprises of the acquisitions, training and development
program, motivation, maintenance, remuneration, working conditions, industrial
relations and the separation processes. They also responsible for monitoring
performances of an individual and helps them to deal situations. Salary, incentives,
bonuses and other rewards are also controlled by the management of Cambridge
satchel.
 Advisory function:
The HRM department of Cambridge satchel firstly analyzes the issues and checks the
performance of employees individually. After analyzing the issues, they make plans for
developing the abilities of people and teach them that how to deal with the tough
situations accordingly.
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FUNCTIONS
OF HRM
Managerial
function
Advisory
function
Operative
function

Workforce planning in human resource management-
Figure: Workforce Planning Model
[Source: https://www.vskills.in/certification/tutorial/hr-staffing/process-of-workforce-
planning/]
It can be defined as the continuous process that is utilized by the organization for aligning the
needs and priorities of the workplace. It can also ensure the legislative regulatory, production
and the service requirements with the organizational objectives accordingly. It defines the gap
between workforce and the human capital needs.
P2- EXPLAIN THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES
TO RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
Recruitment and selection process is the major function of HRM practice; by which they can
hire the deserving candidate for their organization, who can be able to perform better towards
the accomplishment of goals and objectives. There are several methods for recruiting and
selecting the people within the organization and each has some strengths and weaknesses.
Different approaches to recruitment and selection procedure are described below-
External recruitment: in this process, the HR management allows the outsiders for giving
interviews in order to grab the opportunities of employment. As this company have the several
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physical stores, so it is important for the organization to make policies according to operate the
functions. They set quality and qualification standards for selecting the people. The people can
get the information of vacancy through the web page of the company, social sites and other
print media. The Cambridge satchel adopts the method of walk-in interview and gives
information about the vacancy through a different channel of media. It is the best way to
analyze the abilities of people directly but it is also a time-consuming and expensing process.
Internal recruitment: it is the suitable method in which the management of HRM refers to the
hire internal stakeholders and allows them to get new chances and promote themselves
according to their experiences and knowledge. It is majorly based on the skills, working abilities,
qualification and performances of employees. The promotions of the people are based on their
working criteria. It is also helpful for motivating them and saves the time accordingly. With
these processes, the employees can feel more valuable and do their work effectively towards
accomplishing the goals and objectives. Training is also conducted by the HRM for developing
the skills set and abilities. Apart from that, diversity, stagnation and the potential animosity are
some of the weak links of this process.
Direct interview: in this process, an individual is allowed to give interview directly to the
management of the company. It is the useful method by which they can analyze the abilities
and personal skills of the people and selects them according to the needs. An individual can
forward their C.V. and then they asked to give an interview to the different departments of the
company according to the level of qualification. Apart from that, it is a biased method and also
time-consuming.
Assessment centre: the advisory firms are responsible for giving the information to the people
and they also conduct some of the seminars and training session, by which the people can
easily develop their abilities and skill set. It is helpful for the candidates for performing better
according to the accomplishment of goals and objectives. It can also identify the experience or
skills of people and helps in selecting right or deserving candidate for the organization but
comparatively time-consuming and energy consuming process.
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P3- EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF DIFFERENT HRM PRACTICES WITHIN AN
ORGANISATION FOR BOTH THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE
As mentioned above that the HRM practices play an imperative role in managing, organizing,
directing and controlling the operations of an organization. They manage the working
operations effectively and also conducts training and development programs for the staff
members and employees so that they can easily develop their skills and abilities and perform
better towards the attainment of goals and objectives. They also ensure the effectiveness and
safety of the staff members. Effective training performance, hiring and payroll practices are to
be considered as the effective functions of the HRM department of Cambridge Satchel. They
make their strategies and policies for providing benefits and advantages to the employees and
employer both, which helps in maintaining sustainability.
Following are the benefits of HRM practices are described below-
Resolution of conflicts:
By maintaining sustainability within the organization with the strong communicational practices
and relationship among the workers, it will help to maintain the healthy work culture. Proper
communication helps in reducing the conflicting situations and other problematic situations.
Employee satisfaction:
Performance appraisal rewards and motivation of the employees might be helpful for
increasing the satisfaction level of employees and also enhances the quality standards of
services and goods accordingly.
Training and development:
It is the major function of HRM that they conduct for developing the skills and abilities of
employees and staff members. With the proper training and development programs, the
satisfaction of employees can be increased.
Motivation:
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They work according to encourage and motivate the staff members by rewarding them so that
they can do their work more passionately. Incentives, bonuses, performance appraisal and
promotion are some of the tactics to motivate the employees.
Improves performance:
With the effective decision-making processes and use of available resources, it will be easier to
improve the performance of an individual. The HR department of Cambridge satchel openly
communicates with the staff members that maintain the healthy work environment and
improves the performances of people accordingly.
Promotes positive behaviour:
They work according to promote positive behaviour and environment within the organization
so that each and everyone can easily do their work in an effective manner.
P4- EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT HRM PRACTICES IN TERMS
OF RAISING THE CHOSEN ORGANISATIONS PROFIT AND PRODUCTIVITY
There are various methodologies and approaches have been utilized by the Cambridge Satchel
for improving the performance and increasing the effectiveness of an organization. These
methods facilitating the changes and develop the working criteria. As they support the staff
workers for improving their abilities and skills in order to enhance the effectiveness and
productivity. The HRM practices are to be considered as support authorities, who can be able to
maximize the performance level as well as reduces the issues and problems accordingly. One of
the major goals of human resource management is to recruiting and staffing for their
organization in order to increase productivity and profitability as well. They also influence the
working criteria and motivate the people for gaining positive outcome accordingly.
The effectiveness of different HRM practices for increasing the profit rate and productivity of an
organization called Cambridge Satchel are described below-
Recruitment and selection:
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The recruitment and selection procedure is one of the most common practices of HRM
department that hires the candidate according to their level of qualification and experiences.
The abilities and skills of the people have been analyzed by the HRM, who can be able to do
work properly and in manner towards accomplishing the goals and objectives.
Rewards policies:
It is most important for the organization to maintain sustainability, healthy work environment
and positive behaviour within the workplaces. In order to encourage and motivate the people,
they used to give rewards, bonuses, performance appraisal, incentives and other reward points.
It helps to increase the efficiency level as well as enhances the productivity of an organization.
Open communication:
For the development and growth of the organization, it is more important to maintain the
strong relationship between the workers and employees. The communication skills should also
be clear and ineffective manner so that the people can share their views and opinions with each
other properly. It also helps in reducing the conflicting situations as well as enhances the
effectiveness of an organization. With the effective communication skills, it is easier to
understand the vision, mission and values of the company; by which the people can also make
their own strategies and policies according to perform better towards accomplishing the goals
and objectives.
Incentives and motivation:
As it is mentioned above that the motivation is the much more required action for performing
passionately towards gaining success. Incentives, bonuses and rewards are to be considered for
motivating the employees that increase their performance level as well as helps in enhancing
the effectiveness accordingly.
Training and development:
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Effective training and development program conducted by the HRM helps the people to
increase performance level as well as enhances effectiveness accordingly. With this process, the
people can easily develop their skill set and abilities according to the needs and demands.
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TASK 2
P5- ANALYSE THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS IN RESPECT TO
INFLUENCING HRM DECISION MAKING FOR THE CHOSEN ORGANISATION
Employee relations can be defined as the term that is used by the organization to maintain a
healthy working culture and the strong relationship between the staff workers and employees.
It is important to maintain the strong or healthy relationship among the workers so that they
can easily do their works in an effective manner and also share their views and opinions with
each other. It helps in resolving conflicts and other problematic situations accordingly. It has a
wide impact on the decision-making process of an organization. It is also helpful for increasing
the productivity as well as effectiveness. It majorly refers to the process by which the
interaction between the people can be acquired in order to mitigate the conflicts and other
issues within the workplace.
Within the Cambridge Satchel, the HRM department widely emphasized on the level of
performance of the workers; by which they can establish the healthy working culture and
environment. As it provides fair and consistent treatment to all the working staff members that
major aim is to prevent and resolve the issues and problems arising within the industry. It helps
the people to be more productive and efficient for gaining positive outcome with the high
proficiency. A positive and strong relationship among the workers may help in increasing the
profitability rate and also maintains sustainability within the workstation. Apart from that, the
cooperation among the workers helps in the effective decision-making process by which they
can easily accomplish the goals and objectives. As Cambridge Satchel provides the leather
goods to the people and after 2015, they have been launched the leather goods for the men
too and also open their physical stores accordingly. With the effective use of resources and
training programs, they can easily gain success and enhances the effectiveness of the
organization accordingly.
As it is well known that the employees of the organization are a major key source, who can be
able to manage the healthy working environment and strong relationships. The HRM of the
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Cambridge Satchel also involves their staff members in the decision making process. It helps to
feel them more valuable part; by which they can do their work effectively and in the proper
manner towards accomplishing the goals and objectives. The stability can also be maintained by
the effective decision making and the strong relationship among the staff workers that can also
enhance the productivity and efficiency.
P6- IDENTIFY THE KEY ELEMENTS OF EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION AND THE
IMPACT IT HAS UPON HRM DECISION-MAKING
Employment legislation can be defined as the protection rights of employees; it comprises of
the protection measures. It is the external factor that put their impacts on the decision-making
process of the human resource management. The major goal of the legislation is to govern the
employment within the workplace. Different types of legislation and laws are to be considered
for protecting the rights of employees and the staff workers so that they can easily do their
work and feel safe, secure and comfortable accordingly. Minimum wages, job security,
resolving of disputes, statutory holidays, and meal breaks, weekly day of rest, overtime,
vacation pay, hours of work, deductions, maternity leave, annual vacation and probationary
periods, payments of earning and many other standards are to be considered in this for
ensuring the better working environment and fulfilling the needs of everyone accordingly. With
the help of this laws and legislation, different roles and responsibilities are also allocated to the
staff members and the employees that cover a wide range of these above-mentioned
standards.
The human resource management of Cambridge Satchel Company is widely established and
maintains sustainability within the organization by keeping strong relationship among the
workers. There are various kinds of methodologies and practices that can enhance the
employee relationships and establish the better environment with the positive behaviour of
employees and workers. Some of the following aspects are recognition and rewards, proper
communicational strategy, effective training and development program, resolving issues and
many others.
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These standards laws have put the impacts on human resource management and decision-
making process of the organization. These laws also affect the labour retention, employee
criminal records, reimbursement records and requirements of the employees that changed the
arena of business as well as minimize the organizational liabilities of HR practices. The Anti-
discrimination act, wage and hour act, leave provision and medical disability act is applied by
the HR professionals of an organization in order to ensure the safety of the employees and staff
workers as well as maximize the quality standard criteria accordingly.
P7- ILLUSTRATE THE APPLICATION OF HRM PRACTICES IN A WORK-RELATED
CONTEXT, USING SPECIFIC EXAMPLES
The different practices and responsibilities of the human resource management have been
described above in which, training and development, recognition and rewards, performance
appraisal, recruitment and selection and many other practices are described. The major
working responsibility of the HRM is to maximize the performance level as well as enhancing
the effectiveness of an organization. The most important and effective approach to HRM
practices i.e. performance appraisal will be described in this task. In order to motivate the
people and increasing the level of their performance; this method is used by the HRM. Bonuses,
incentives, rewards, promotion and many other practices are the effective way to encourage
the employees and entire staff workers so that they can do their work effectively and in manner
towards accomplishing the goals and objectives.
For the development and growth of the organization, the HR departments of Cambridge Satchel
have been used many of the approaches and methodologies towards making effective
decisions. As they evaluate the performance of employees and then gives them appraisal
according to their working level and experiences accordingly. It also helps in developing the
abilities of employees and increases the level of their working performances accordingly. It also
gives relevant information and data to the management department of the company regarding
requirements, needs, behaviour and the performance of the staff workers. The proper
application of performance appraisal will have the positive and negative both the impacts
related to the career planning and decision-making process.
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On the other hand, training and development program conducted by the HRM has put positive
impacts on the organizational culture and also helps the people to develop their skills and
abilities. With the effective training, the candidates can develop their skill set according to the
needs and demands of the organization as well as enhances the effectiveness. They first analyze
the weak areas of an individual and then provide them with such required things and services
by which they can easily do their work in an effective manner towards the accomplishment of
goals and objectives. Proper evaluation of the performance is much more required for the
further developments and growth of the people with the proper skills and abilities. These
methods help the organization to increase the productivity of the company with the proper
satisfaction of customers accordingly.
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CONCLUSION
The aforementioned assignment depicted the study of human resource management, which is
the foremost part of an organization that effectively manages and controls the working
operations accordingly. Different HRM practices and the functions of HRM with the major
purposes have been described in the manner in reference to Cambridge Satchel. The
significance of workforce planning and the appropriate resourcing purpose has been described
as fulfilling the objectives of an organization. Further, the strengths and weaknesses of different
recruitment and selection methods are cover the area that defines the diverse range of
recruitment methodology used by the company for selecting a new candidate. Furthermore,
the benefits of different HRM practices within the organization have been discussed in a
manner that can benefit the employees and employer both accordingly. The employment
legislation and the importance of employee relations have been also explained that can helps in
maintaining sustainability as well as enhances the effectiveness.
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