HRM Practices and Employee Retention

The assignment provides an overview of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and their impact on employee retention. It explores the role of organizational culture and employee commitment in retaining employees, and emphasizes the significance of HRM practices in ensuring a satisfied workforce. The document also touches upon the benefits of flexible work practices and the importance of introducing them in the workplace.

Human resource management
1

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...........................................................................................................................................3
1 a) Purpose of HR and importance to the company...................................................................3
1 b) Responsibilities of human resource officer..........................................................................3
1 c) Advantages and disadvantage of current selection methods.................................................4
1 d) Improvements required in current selection methods...........................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................5
2a Person specification for receptionist.......................................................................................5
2 b) Rationale for suitable medium for placing the ad.................................................................5
2 c) Advantage and disadvantage of previous methods of advertising jobs................................6
2 d) Questions to be asked at interview.......................................................................................6
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................7
3a) Benefits of apprenticeship and graduate training schemes offered by Microsoft..................7
3 b) Development opportunities for employees in Microsoft once they get permanent in job
role...............................................................................................................................................7
3 c) Benefits of approaches taken by Microsoft with respect to flexible work practices............7
3 d) How Microsoft motivates employee through job design and reward system?.....................8
Task 4...............................................................................................................................................8
4 a) What is meant by employee engagement?............................................................................8
4 b) Why employee engagement is an integral part of employee relations?...............................9
4 c) Key approaches to engage employees and explain importance in terms of improving
workplace communication...........................................................................................................9
4 d) Key legislations in UK and impact on HR decision making................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11
2

Introduction
Human resource management is all about effectively managing the staff members of a company
so that effective consumer services can be given and overall profitability can be maintained
(Harris, 2017). This aspect should not be overlooked by the company rather emphasis should be
given on creating skilled employees who are a lot more effective than the rival firms. The present
report has given emphasis on studying the human resource practices within Say it with chocolate
and Microsoft firms. Emphasis is given on studying the areas related to scope of Hr. and roles of
HR officer followed by recruitment and selection process in the chocolate company. On the other
hand, practices with respect to employee performance, development, rewards etc. have been
studied with respect to Microsoft Company.
Task 1
1 a) Purpose of HR and importance to the company
HRM of Say it with chocolate (SWC) is most likely to play a key role in it current operations as
well as future plans of the company. These are in form of working on the problem of employee
turnover and finding out the issues that are being faced by them. The HR can thus bring changes
in the company policies with respect to organisational culture, motivation, salary and appraisal
techniques. It can further organise training and development sessions for the employees in
production department so that the issue with respect to quality of chocolates can be resolved
(Anitha and Begum, 2016). The most important function of HR is also to carry out recruitment
and selection activities followed by training the new recruits who join the company. If this
function is carried out in a proper manner then the issue of employee turnover as well as their
failure in probation period itself can be met.
1 b) Responsibilities of human resource officer
The overall responsibility of HR officer in SWC Company is with respect to supervise all the HR
activities that are going on within the company and provide guideline for the same. Seeing the
unemployment rate in the industry and high number of applicants for administrative position the
need on part of officer is to develop proper recruitment and selection processes so that best
employees can be selected. Compensation and benefits packages are also required to be
formulated so that highly qualified applicants can be attracted to the company (Marchington and
et.al., 2016). The officer is also required to work on what kind of training and orientation
3

sessions are to be given to the employees so that their performance and productivity can be
enhanced. The need is also to formulate effective retention strategies and lay focus on resolving
the work place issues so that turnover rate of staff can be reduced. He may further play a role in
formulating orientation session for the employees so that they can be adjusted as per the new
environment. The officer will also be involved in appointing the orienteers for the same.
1 c) Advantages and disadvantage of current selection methods
There is a presence of many strengths as well as weakness about the current selection approaches
used by the company. The assessment test used by the company is advantageous as the company
gets a chance to check the overall English language and basic mathematical skills of the
employee which is a necessary requirement for production and admin jobs. The choice of online
or in person helps to save the time of company followed by the employees as well (Tu, Lu and
Yu, 2017). However the need here is to increase the passing criteria as the need is to select the
best candidates rather than creating a mass number of applications who reach the next stage. The
reference check is also advantageous for the company as it may save the firm from legal charges
on account of hiring negligence and ensuring that employees feel secure in the company
(Ramesh and Ravi, 2017). The interview session carried to by the company was in form of an
informal chat that was advantageous as it assisted in developing a better understanding of the
employee due to lack of nervousness and increase in comfort zone (Shields and et.al, 2015). It
further aided in finding out the real intentions and knowledge levels of candidates. But there is
an increased chance that the interview session may go out of track and selection may then
involve biasness of the interview with respect to caste, colour etc. This scenario somewhere
happened in the company as well because of which the applicants complained of unfair selection.
1 d) Improvements required in current selection methods
Various improvements can be suggested in the current selection technique being used by the
company such as carrying out Psychometric test along with the above ones so as to reduce the
chances of human biasness and increase overall accuracy. Test should be carried out in the office
premises only as online test outside the office may led to finding of answers from the internet.
The informal interview session is a good one but a formal one should also be introduced that
strictly focuses on asking job related questions. Both the session should not take more than 15
minutes for completion (Mooney and Burdon, 2017).
4

Task 2
2a Person specification for receptionist
Person specification
Education and Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Human resource or any related field
Experience:
 0 to 1 year of admin work experience in any company.
 Ability to work on Microsoft office software
Skills and Attributes:
 Good oral and written communication in English language.
 Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
 Ability to form good relations with colleagues and clients.
 Accuracy with attention to details.
Personal traits:
 Should have a pleasing personality
 Should be polite and courteous to the staff and visitors.
 A positive attitude towards personal development.
2 b) Rationale for suitable medium for placing the ad
The Hr. officer at Say it with chocolate company can place the above mentioned advertisement
for the position of receptionist in social media sites such as Facebook and instagram. This is as
Facebook is used by almost all the youngsters and hence an FB page can be created by the
company to attract the applicants towards the company. The Hr can then get in touch with the
applicants on an online basis. Next is instagram where picture of the office premises as well as
the employees working in it can be placed. The happy pictures of employees will depict the firm
as the one which encourages creativity and also has a presence of good working atmosphere.
The above given social media sites have been justified as the company will get a chance to
target the potential applicant being receptionist on the basis of location, career type, interest and
similar such categories (Kritikos, 2014). These platforms not only allow the applicants to see the
job ad but also varied offerings of the company which can further increase business. Recruiting
through Facebook will also give an impression to potential employees that the company is a
5

robust one and is in the growth stage. Hence good applicants would like to connect with the
company. Most importantly, this technique is also quite cost effective for the company and can
be easily afforded without the need to spend too much amount of money (Bolman and Deal,
2017).
2 c) Advantage and disadvantage of previous methods of advertising jobs
The previous methods of job advertising used by the company were in form of utilising bulletin
boards and posing ad on the website. These have their own set of advantages and limitations
which have been discussed in the below mentioned section. For example, bulletin boards will
help in faster generation of applicant as the selection is to be done from within the office. This
also reduces the cost factor as not much amount is spent on printing the job details (Morschett,
Schramm-Klein and Zentes, 2015). The employee can further tell about the job openings to their
friends and family members which increase the credibility of applicant. However, employees
may feel afraid to look at the posting as they may appear to be disloyal to the company. The
reference given by the employees for the position of receptionist may also not be so competent
enough (Peter and et.al., 2014). The job ad for receptionist was also posited on the website of
company which helped to save time and cost of management that was involved in hiring third
party recruiters. But this technique may not generate ample amount of candidates as very few
people refer to website of company for job.
2 d) Questions to be asked at interview
Various questions can be asked to the receptionist that is to be hired for the present job. As
fresher’s are also hired hence questions will be mix of previous job as well as general ones.
These are as follows;
1. What as per you the receptionist brings to the office culture of any firm?
2. How did you deal with the work pressure during busy days?
3. What will be done by you if someone is late for an appointment?
4. What makes you best for the position of receptionist in our company?
5. What do you know about our company and its services?
6. Are you willing to work beyond office hours?
These questions are most likely to aid in testing the knowledge the person has with respect to the
company and his or her work as a receptionist.
6

Task 3
3a) Benefits of apprenticeship and graduate training schemes offered by Microsoft
Microsoft had launched its Apprenticeship programme in the year 2010 which is one of the best
ways to fix the shortage in the technology sector and help the employees to develop a diverse
skill set and experience so as to prepare them for the better future (Microsoft Apprenticeships,
2015). It further helps in unlocking the potential that is present in the new employees who are
passionate about and ready to embark on their career paths. It further saves the company from
recruitment costs and helps to increase the overall profitability (Microsoft wants more students to
‘earn and learn’ in apprenticeships, 2018).
In the same way, the graduate training schemes offered by Microsoft are there to provide the
employees with a potential of increased earning at the early stages of that career followed by job
security for at least a few years of work. The graduate training at Microsoft further ensures
towards overseas placement of employees which is helpful for preparing the person for
upcoming opportunities (Antwi and et.al., 2016).
3 b) Development opportunities for employees in Microsoft once they get permanent in job role
There is a presence of many developmental opportunities for employees at Microsoft once they
get permanent in the job role. These are in form of trainings imparted in classrooms, via video,
mobile apps etc. On-the-job “stretch” opportunities are also provided to the employees for career
advancement. This is followed by ensuring that employees are promoted as per there work
performance (Marchington and et.al., 2016). Customised training sessions are also there for the
managers so that their overall coaching, mentoring and leadership skills can be enhanced.
Microsoft also has a presence of Employee Resource Groups and Employee Networks that
provide career development, networking, mentoring among other through a series of programs
that are inclusive of scholarships, conferences, speaker series among others (Inside Microsoft,
2018). The company further considers the career of an employee to be like an individual
adventure where the manager is always there to coach and assist them not only in a particular
area but many others so that proficiencies can be built.
3 c) Benefits of approaches taken by Microsoft with respect to flexible work practices
Various flexible work practices are taken by Microsoft so as to provide alternative arrangement
to employees in case of niche situations. These initiatives enhance the competitive advantage of
7

the firm by creating an environment where the best people of the world can render best work.
Research studies carried out Microsoft also suggest that these practises have made the employees
more productive and also motivated them to render a better performance. It has further lowered
the overall cost of company which was previously spent on infrastructure such as laptops, chairs
among others (McDonnell, Lavelle and Gunnigle, 2014). The employees feel that they have
more control over the work related responsibilities and have been able to develop a positive
relation with the manager. They have further been able to attain a better work life balance as the
employees are able to meet the family needs, personal obligations as well as responsibilities in a
better manner. This has also brought a reduction in the overall turnover of the valued staff
(Shields and et.al, 2015).
3 d) How Microsoft motivates employee through job design and reward system?
The company has a presence of Stock-based compensation as a key monetary reward system
where the employees get ownership stake with respect to the success of company. The company
further makes use of non-monetary rewards such as providing them with team dinner in an
upscale restaurant; getting T-shirts for being a part of successful projects among others (Anitha
and Begum, 2016). The company has also developed the Manage Rewards tool that assist
manager in evaluating the changes in salary, bonus of employee when they are rewarded which
helps them to stay in budget.
It further motivates the employees through job design strategies such as job rotation,
enlargement, enrichment among others. This is as the above mentioned techniques will assist in
building additional skill set of the employees and will also give a boost to their overall career
(Tu, Lu and Yu, 2017). It will further provide them flexibility in their overall roles and make
them feel motivated to do better work in the firm.
Task 4
4 a) What is meant by employee engagement?
Employee engagement is a workplace approach that is there to create right conditions for the
employees so that they can work as per the best of their abilities and remain committed to
organisational goals (Lindemann, Tepper and Talley, 2017). They thus remain motivated to
contribute towards organisational success and also have an enhanced sense of their own well-
8

being. The process of engagement is based on trust, two way integrity and commitment as well
as communication that occur between firm and the employees.
4 b) Why employee engagement is an integral part of employee relations?
A company can maintain good relations with employees only when it adheres with employee
engagement practices. This is as engaged employees are in a position to maintain better work
environment within the company that will help in managing the employee relations in a better
manner. This can then help in providing essential support to the employees who are in varied
levels of the organisation (Anitha and Begum, 2016). These may help the managers to motivate
as well as build relations followed by resolving the conflict that is there amongst the team
members. Other than employee engagement, relations can also be maintained within the
company through ensuring towards open line of communication, proper handling of grievances
among others.
4 c) Key approaches to engage employees and explain importance in terms of improving
workplace communication
In order to engage the employees, the management at Microsoft increases the awareness of
employees towards company commitments and makes them play a key role in the environmental
initiatives. It further ensures to involve them in bog moments such as annual company meeting
that was once held in Seattle stadium. In order to involve the ones who were not present, the
company webcasted the meeting and also offered giveaways to the online viewers. Employee
engagement also plays an important role to improve the workplace communication as two way
communication is kept with the employees then they are most likely to feel engaged
(Marchington and et.al., 2016). Hence the issues faced by the company should be discussed with
the staff and suggestions for improvement should be taken from them. This should be followed
by providing them a listening ear whenever any problem is faced by them and helping them by a
series of suggestions.
4 d) Key legislations in UK and impact on HR decision making
Microsoft is required to focus on Equality Act 2010 so that employees can be protected form
workplace discrimination and established a firm which is devoid of any unfair treatment.
Disability discrimination act 1995 also puts an impact on HR decision making as the officials are
required to ensure that no discrimination is practiced in the areas of race, caste, creed and color
9

(Tu, Lu and Yu, 2017). As per the health and safety act, the managers must take care of health
and well-being of employees and work on the areas that can causer accidents. In the same way,
adherence should also be done with data protection act where hr should make sure that personal
data of staff is protected and used for the purpose it is meant for. Hence the Hr can take steps
related to data encryption in order to avoid security breaches and compromise in personal
information of the employees. The decision is further required to be taken by Hr manager as to
how long should the data be kept inside the system before it gets deleted on a permanent basis
(Anitha and Begum, 2016).
Conclusion
It can be concluded from the above report that Human resource department and HR officer plays
a key role in overall growth and development of Say it with chocolate company. This is with
respect to carrying out recruitment and selection practices, focusing on employee training,
compensation and retaining them for a long period of time. Microsoft company has been
adhering with large number of Hr practices with respect to provision of apprenticeship and
graduate training schemes as well as development opportunities for employees. Emphasis is also
given on introducing the flexible work practices which are beneficial to both the employee and
employer. The Hr in this regard is also required to carry out proper decisions when the employee
legislations are concerned.
10

References
Anitha, J. and Begum, F.N., 2016. Role of Organisational Culture and Employee Commitment in
Employee Retention. ASBM Journal of Management. 9(1). p.17.
Antwi, J.O. and et.al., 2016. Assessing the human resource management practices of public
banks from employees’ perspective: case study of selected branches of Ghana
commercial bank, Kumasi. Global Journal of Human Resource Management, 4(1),
pp.13-30.
Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
John Wiley & Sons.
Harris, R., 2017. Teaching Human Resources Management Systems using Microsoft Dynamics
AX. In Proceedings of Microsoft Academic Conference for Higher Education (Vol. 8,
No. 1).
Inside Microsoft. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/default.aspx> [Accessed on
11th June 2018].
KritiKoS, A.S., 2014. Entrepreneurs and their impact on jobs and economic growth. IZA world of
labor.
Lindemann, D.J., Tepper, S.J. and Talley, H.L., 2017. “I don’t take my tuba to work at
Microsoft”: Arts graduates and the portability of creative identity. American Behavioral
Scientist, 61(12), pp.1555-1578.
Marchington, M. and et.al., 2016. Human resource management at work. Kogan Page
Publishers.
McDonnell, A., Lavelle, J. and Gunnigle, P., 2014. Human resource management in
multinational enterprises: Evidence from a late industrializing economy. Management
International Review, 54(3), pp.361-380.
11

Microsoft Apprenticeships. 2015. [Online]. Available through:
<https://partner.microsoft.com/en-gb/Training/apprenticeships. > [Accessed on 11th June
2018].
Microsoft wants more students to ‘earn and learn’ in apprenticeships. 2018. [Online]. Available
through: <https://news.microsoft.com/en-gb/2018/03/14/microsoft-wants-more-students-
to-earn-and-learn-in-apprenticeships/> [Accessed on 11th June 2018].
Mooney, G.R. and Burdon, S., 2017. Organisational Ideation: Engaging Motivation as a Creative
Catalyst. In British Academy of Management Conference 2017.
Morschett, D., Schramm-Klein, H. and Zentes, J., 2015. Strategic international management (pp.
978-3658078836). Springer.
Peters, P. and et.al., 2014. Enjoying new ways to work: An HRM‐process approach to study
flow. Human resource management, 53(2), pp.271-290.
Ramesh, N. and Ravi, A., 2017. Determinants of total employee involvement: a case study of a
cutting tool company. International Journal of Business Excellence. 11(2). pp.221-240.
Shields, J., and et.al, 2015. Managing Employee Performance & Reward: Concepts, Practices,
Strategies. Cambridge University Press.
Tu, Y., Lu, X. and Yu, Y., 2017. Supervisors’ ethical leadership and employee job satisfaction:
A social cognitive perspective. Journal of Happiness Studies. 18(1). pp.229-245.
12