Human Resource Management Functions

This assignment delves into the crucial functions of Human Resource Management (HRM). It examines various aspects of HRM, including its role in managing employees, fostering customer relationships, and contributing to organizational success. The assignment analyzes different perspectives on HRM, such as strategic HRM, performance management, and employee engagement. Students are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of HRM's core principles and practices.

Human Resource
Management

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Purpose and functions of HRM........................................................................................1
P2. Different approaches of recruitment and selection with their strengths and weaknesses 2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
P3. Benefits of HRM practices to employer and employee of organisation..........................4
P4. Effectiveness of HRM practices in raising productivity and profits of enterprise...........5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
P5. Importance of employee relations to influence decision making process........................6
P6. Elements of employment legislations and its effect on decision making........................7
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
P7. Application of HRM practices in working environment of enterprise.............................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management (HRM) is an important function of every organisation
which focuses on recruitment, selection and performance appraisal of workers. It guides or
provides direction to staff members to work efficiently and effectively. HR manager provides
training and legal advice to entire workforce of enterprise (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). It is the
responsibility of him to ensure growth of firm by delegating roles and responsibilities to every
individual. M&S (Marks & Spencer) is one of the biggest leading firms that deals in variety of
clothes of different age groups. Currently, firm provides its services through more than 915
stores and generate high amount of profits. Present report contains details about main functions
and purposes of human resource function. Manager of M&S can use different approaches of
recruitment and selection for hiring right candidate for performing the job in enterprise that will
be shown in the report. Along with this, main elements of employment legislations will be
detailed here.
TASK 1
P1. Purpose and functions of HRM
Main purpose of HRM is to recruit, select, train or develop the skills of staff members so
that organisational objectives can be achieved. Effective training and development programmes
help in enhancing the skills of workers and providing them opportunity to achieve success. When
capabilities of existing employees get enhanced then it reduces the need of company to hire
candidates from outside. It is a cost effective approach for firm as it helps in utilising the
resources at an optimum level.
This approach helps managers in recruiting right candidate for the right job which saves a
large amount of resources of firm. It is an important function of every organisation because
managers of all departments use this to acquire skilled candidates (Bloom and Van Reenen,
2011). Managers of M&S can use the same function to recruit right candidate so that objectives
can be achieved. This function helps the organisation in adapting changes rise in business
environment.
Functions of HRM Recruitment and selection: Recruitment is an important function of every enterprise and
HRM helps or makes it more effective by providing supporting material to the manager.
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Before executing the process of recruiting every enterprise should make an analysis about
the number of candidates they need. Number of candidates required depends on short and
long term goals of company. Managers of M&S can do this analysis to make their
recruitment process more effective. Build and maintain good working environment: In today's business environment, no
worker wants to work under a risky and hazardous working conditions. So, it is the
responsibility of human resource manager to provide healthy and safe working
environment to employees that will not only motivate the employees but also increase
their productivity (Boxall and Purcell, 2011). Development and training: It is one of the important functions of human resource
management that increases current knowledge and skills of workers and make them able
to face and survive in competitive business environment. Managing good relations with workers: Employees are the base of every enterprise's
success and it is essential for manager of M&S to maintain good relations with workers.
All this increases the productivity or performance of workers.
 Orientation: It is like an induction programme in which company helps new candidates
to learn about the organisational culture and working environment with giving
information on the way they can achieve their long or short term goals (Functions of
HRM, 2017). This program tells newly hired employees about their roles and
responsibilities in enterprise and encourage them to take an active part in the
organisational activities.
P2. Different approaches of recruitment and selection with their strengths and weaknesses
Recruitment and selection both are important functions of every organisation. To make
this process more effective, job specification and job description help the managers (CHUANG
and Liao, 2010). In M&S, managers need to understand the importance of this function to recruit
a right candidate. For recruitment, enterprise can use the following approaches:
1. Eternal approach of recruitment: In this process of recruitment, manager fills the
vacancies from outside the organisation. First he advertises, collects, evaluates and then
collects the best applicant from a large number of potential candidates.
Strengths
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Managers of M&S can be benefited from a large number of advantages by using this
approach. One of the biggest benefits of this approach of recruitment is that it brings new and
innovative candidates for doing the job. It helps in making environment of workplace more
competitive which increases the productivity of enterprise. It provides various options to
manager to choose the best one from large number of applicants as well as it is an economical
approach.
Weaknesses
Weakness of this approach is that it demotivates the existing workers of enterprise. It is a
costly and time consuming method because it takes a long time to invite, collect and conduct
interviews to fill the vacancy (Daley, 2012). This makes the environment of workplace more
complex and conflicts arise among old and existing workers.
2. Internal approach of recruitment: This is opposite from external approach of
recruitment. In this, manager fills the vacancy from people already working in company.
It is one of the economical methods of recruitment because it saves company's cost of
advertising.
Strengths
This method increases the morale and motivate workers to perform their best. It provides
an opportunity to manager to choose the best and deserving candidate. This method helps the
manager in taking hasty decisions.
Weaknesses
This method fails to bring innovation and fresh talent in company as well as demotivates
the workers who fail to achieve promotion. This approach confuses manager for choosing the
right and deserving candidate.
Selection
This is a process of selecting the right individual from pool of applicants. For this,
managers of Marks & Spencer can use the following approaches: Systematic approach of selection: Under this approach, managers follow a sequence to
evaluate the skills of candidate. This helps in selecting the right individual for filling the
vacancy.
 Unsystematic approach: In this approach, manager does not follow a sequence to choose
the individuals for performing their job.
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To hire a right and deserving candidate, enterprise needs to use a systematic approach of
selection.
TASK 2
P3. Benefits of HRM practices to employer and employee of organisation
An enterprise can be benefited from various advantages by applying the concept of HRM.
M&S can do the same to bring coordination among different activities of business. In absence of
this concept, organisation cannot achieve its set targets or objectives (Gruman and Saks, 2011).
These practices provide benefits to both employers and employees of organisation.
Benefits to employers Create positive work environment: Practices of HRM create or make a positive working
environment and increases worker's productivity. This concept encourages ethical
practices in the working environment which helps enterprise in compensating and
treating workers in a fair way. All this helps in creating a positive and healthy atmosphere
to work. Helps evaluate policies: HRM practices provide opportunity to manager in evaluating
policies related with management of human actions at workplace. This helps in making
continuous changes to achieve better outcomes. Building team: It helps the managers in creating mutual goals which give rise to team
building. Productivity or outpost of a team is much better than an individual. It makes the
enterprise able to fulfil its goals with minimum cost.
 Help manager in taking planned decisions at workplace: Manager of human resource
department evaluates the activities and performance of workers or all departments of
company. All this provides useful or relevant information to manager which helps him in
deciding the future actions. M&S can do the same to plan their future activities of
business.
Benefits to employees Create a health work climate: Providing safe and risk free condition to employees for
working is one of the important tasks of every organisation. HRM understands this need
and try to make the workplace free from all risks which not only maximises the
productivity of workers but attract a large number of potential workers.
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 Identify training and development need of staff members: Manager of human resource
department does the performance evaluation of workers working in firm. This helps the
business manager in identifying training needs of workers (Guest, 2011). By conducting
training programmes, manager of M&S can increase skills and knowledge of their
workers.
 Motivate workers: Healthy and positive working environment or good relations with
workers can be achieved by the manager through applying concept of HRM. All this
motivates and encourages workers to perform their best which increases the overall
performance of business enterprise.
Managers of M&S can provide these benefits to employers and employees. For achieving
all these benefits, it is very essential that this concept should be applied in an effective way.
P4. Effectiveness of HRM practices in raising productivity and profits of enterprise
Department and managers of human resource management plays an important role in
increasing worker's productivity and performance of organisation (Huselid and Becker, 2011).
This practice helps in enhancing the profits of company by managing employees and their
activities effectually at workplace. Profits and productivity of every firm reflect the effectiveness
of human resource practices and activities. It brings coordination among various activities of
different departments and decreases the cost of production process along with helping enterprise
in achieving efficiency in all its commercial operations.
Profit is one of the main and important motives of every organisation for which enterprise
conducts number of activities. To achieve the objectives of company, employees are an
important element who play the most important role in organisation (Human resource
management, 2016). It has become necessary for the firm to manage activities of employees and
provide them right direction so that set goals and objectives can be achieved. In this, HRM
practices help managers in assigning roles and responsibilities to workers to accomplish the
tasks.
HRM is an important element of each business enterprise which encourages ethical
practices at workplace and influence the manager to treat all employees in a fair way. This
maximises the performance of workers and they get motivated to achieve the best results. This
makes workplace environment more competitive and interesting which improves the
performance of whole company and help in achieving competitive advantage over rivalry firms
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(Jiang and et. al., 2012). This helps in creating a positive working environment and decreases
employee turnover and cost of organisation as well. Manager of M&S needs to understand the
effectiveness of human resource practices so that they can increase efficiency of their business
operations. This helps in delivering high quality products and services to its customers and
increases the market share of company as well.
In today's business environment, it is very important for firm to satisfy the needs and
wants of workers to get their morale and commitment. Skilled workforce helps the enterprise in
achieving its objectives with ease and at low cost. Human resource practices help managers in
getting commitment and support from workers to attain the organisational goals.
TASK 3
P5. Importance of employee relations to influence decision making process
Workers are the main asset of every firm and play an important role in success of
enterprise. To achieve support and commitment of workers, it is important for the managers to
create and maintain healthy working relations with workers (Kehoe and Wright, 2013). In today's
business environment, no enterprise can achieve success without having support and
commitment of workers and to get this, it is essential for every firm to fulfil the needs and wants
of employees. This will satisfy the workers that will make them give their best efforts to
company. Manager of Marks and Spencer can achieve employee’s commitment by compensating
them in a fair and satisfactory way as well as through making organisational policies as per all
employment legislations. Enterprise who fails to maintain good relations with workers can't
achieve success. Satisfied workers increases productivity of firm and decreases the cost of
organisational process.
To maintain healthy relations with staff members, it is necessary for the managers of
M&S to keep following conditions:
 Feedback of workers should be encouraged so that managers can know about issues and
problems faced by subordinates at workplace and can take the required actions.
 Involvement of workers in decision making process should be encouraged so that mutual
goals can be set.
 Discrimination should be removed from workplace and fair treatment and compensation
should be given to workers.
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 It is the responsibility of employer to treat workers in a friendly manner.
 Effective communication should take place in enterprise so that right decision can be
taken.
 Rewards and appreciation should be given to workers who perform well that will
motivate others also to perform their best.
Managers of M&S can make various efforts to create and maintain a healthy working
environment in firm so company can achieve its goals, objectives or aim in an effectual manner
and within a stipulated time period.
P6. Elements of employment legislations and its effect on decision making
Employment legislations contain various laws and regulations which define basic rights
and duties of employees at workplace. It defines the relationship between employer and
employee. This describes the responsibility of employee toward employer. This contains the
following: Employment rights act: This act define all basic facilities which should be provided by
the employer to an employee at workplace (Lengnick-Hall, Beck and Lengnick-Hall,
2011). It states that employee should be benefited from minimum wage to complete his
basic needs. Other than this, safe and healthy working environment should be maintained
by the employer to increase productivity of workers. All working conditions and terms of
organisation should be communicated to workers before they join the company. Workers discrimination act: This act states that it is the responsibility of employer to
treat all employees in a fair and same manner. Workers should not be discriminated on
the basis of their age, colour, gender or culture. Equal opportunities should be provided to
all for attaining growth and success in their career. Elimination of discrimination will
help the managers of M&S in creating a positive work environment which will enhance
worker's productivity. Equal pay act: According to this, two workers doing the same job should be benefitted
with similar wage. This makes the workers feel to be equally valued as well as they get
motivated to achieve better. This act helps in safeguarding the interest of all workers. Working time directive act: This act tells about minimum working hours a worker needs
to work in a week. To achieve legal existence, an employee is bound to complete his or
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her minimum working duration which is 48 hours in a week. Staff members can work for
more hours at their own will. Minimum wage act: Under this act, government decide the minimum amount of wage
given by employer to all employees (Ployhart and Moliterno, 2011). This amount is
decided according to the inflation rate prevailing in market. This minimum wage helps
workers in fulfilling their basic needs and wants. Employee relations act: This act states that it is responsibility of an employer to maintain
good relations with workers to achieve organisational goals. This can be done by
providing them healthy working conditions and compensating in a fair manner.
Commitment of employees increases the overall performance of organisation.
 Employee disability discrimination act: As per this act, every employer is responsible to
provide the same facilities to disable people who are working in enterprise. This will
improve the performance of M&S and create a positive image of company in the minds
of its customers.
All these legislation can be used by the manager of M&S to make effective and ethical
human resource policies. All this helps in creating a positive and healthy working environment
which maximises the productivity of subordinates.
TASK 4
P7. Application of HRM practices in working environment of enterprise
M&S is one of the leading companies providing variety of clothes to its customers.
Company is now facing a lot of problems like decreasing productivity of workers and increasing
conflicts at the workplace. To solve this problem and to make a productive working
environment, managers of M&S can apply these HRM practices as follows: Human resource planning: Human resource department of enterprise collects relevant
data about all activities of enterprise and helps manager in knowing about the way many
candidates are needed to perform organisational goals. Training and development: Managers of M&S can conduct training programmes for
existing workers of enterprise (Purce, 2014). This will help them in learning new
methods and process of doing the work. All this will increase their productivity and
performance.
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 Maintain quality of business activities: To capture a greater market share and to serve
large number of customers, it is important for every firm to create quality products to
satisfy the needs and wants of customers. HRM helps in making standards of business
activities and then enterprise becomes able to deliver high quality products and services.
 Performance management: Performance evaluation of workers is one of the main and
important elements of human resource function. This helps the managers in knowing
about current skills and knowledge of workers as well as in assigning them duties
accordingly.
HRM activities can be applied on these areas of organisation. Other than this, it helps
managers in knowing about all issues and problems faced by subordinates at the workplace.
Managers than take remedial actions to solve the conflicts arising at workplace to maximize
employee's performance (Wright and McMahan, 2011). Managers of M&S can apply these
practices on important areas of workplace to solve critical issues and to increase the effectiveness
of various activities of all departments. All this can help in making current business situation
much better.
CONCLUSION
From the above information, it can be concluded that managers of Marks and Spencer
need to maintain healthy working relations with workers to increase organisational productivity.
In absence of effective working environment, employees feel dissatisfied and thus, their
productivity reduces. It is the duty of manager of M&S to create HR policies by considering all
laws of employment legislation. This encourages ethical work practices and motivates workers to
perform well. Understanding and managing human resource activities at workplace is one of the
main task of every HR manager. For this, manager can use various tools and techniques. By
applying this concept in all activities of enterprise, M&S can increase effectiveness of its
business operations and can achieve competitive advantage in the market. Practices of human
resources help manager in influencing and directing actions of employees towards the success of
organisation.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Bloom, N. and Van Reenen, J., 2011. Human resource management and productivity. Handbook
of labor economics. 4. pp.1697-1767.
Boxall, P. and Purcell, J., 2011. Strategy and human resource management. Palgrave Macmillan.
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.
Gruman, J. A. and Saks, A. M., 2011. Performance management and employee engagement.
Human Resource Management Review. 21(2). pp.123-136.
Guest, D. E., 2011. Human resource management and performance: still searching for some
answers. Human resource management journal. 21(1). pp.3-13.
Huselid, M. A. and Becker, B. E., 2011. Bridging micro and macro domains: Workforce
differentiation and strategic human resource management.
Jiang, K. and et. al., 2012. How does human resource management influence organizational
outcomes? A meta-analytic investigation of mediating mechanisms. Academy of
management Journal. 55(6). pp.1264-1294.
Kehoe, R. R. and Wright, P. M., 2013. The impact of high-performance human resource
practices on employees’ attitudes and behaviors. Journal of management. 39(2). pp.366-
391.
Lengnick-Hall, C. A., Beck, T. E. and Lengnick-Hall, M. L., 2011. Developing a capacity for
organizational resilience through strategic human resource management. Human
Resource Management Review. 21(3). pp.243-255.
Ployhart, R. E. and Moliterno, T. P., 2011. Emergence of the human capital resource: A
multilevel model. Academy of Management Review. 36(1). pp.127-150.
Purce, J., 2014. The impact of corporate strategy on human resource management. New
Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals). 67.
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Wright, P. M. and McMahan, G. C., 2011. Exploring human capital: putting ‘human’back into
strategic human resource management. Human Resource Management Journal. 21(2).
pp.93-104.
Online
Functions of HRM. 2017. [Online]. Available through: <https://www.keka.com/5-major-
functions-human-resource-management/>. [Accessed on 7th July 2017].
Human resource management. 2016. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/hrm/human-resource-management-functions-
managerial-operative-and-advisory-function/27995/>. [Accessed on 7th July 2017].
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