Strategic Human Resource Management

This assignment delves into the realm of strategic human resource management (HRM). It examines key functions of HRM, such as recruitment, training, performance management, and compensation, highlighting their role in driving organizational effectiveness. The assignment references prominent scholarly works on HRM, emphasizing its influence on employee engagement, organizational resilience, and overall performance.

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
P1 Purpose and functions of Human Resource Management ....................................................1
P2 Strengths and weaknesses of recruitment and selection approaches.....................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
P3 Benefits of HRM practices ....................................................................................................5
P4 Determine the effectiveness of different HRM practices .....................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
P5 Importance of employees relation to influence the decision making....................................7
P6 Key elements of employment legislation an impact on decision making..............................8
TASK 4 ...........................................................................................................................................9
P7 Applications of Human Resource Management practices ....................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management is a process of recruiting and selecting of right employees
for right job in an business organisation. It includes hiring, selecting, training and development,
salary, compensation etc. Human resource is a backbone of an organisation. Tesco is a big
grocery retail company of United Kingdom. This company deals in clothing, books, toys,
electronics, telecoms, petrol, internet services etc. In this present report, mentioned about the
purpose and functions of Human Resource Management. In this organisation, there are some
weaknesses and strengths of recruitment and selection process (Hendry, 2012). Human Resource
management has some benefits for both employees and employers. In this present report
mentioned about the effectiveness of HRM practices in context of increasing growth and
profitability of a company. The relation among employees can be influence on HRM decision
making process. There are many key elements of employment legislation that can affect the
decision making.

TASK 1
P1 Purpose and functions of Human Resource Management
Human resource is a main function in an organisation and it plays an important role. The
basic functions of this department is to recruiting and selection capable employees, provide
training& development programme, payroll, compensation, employees engagement activities,
performance appraisal of employees etc. and it is a primary function (Daley, 2012). In Tesco
company, the purpose of Human Resource Management is to enhancing the growth of
productivity by giving them training and development programme to increasing the work
efficiency of workers and productivity of company. It will helps in increasing the skills, abilities
and knowledge of them. There are basically three functions of HRM:
Operative functions
 Recruitment& Selection- Recruitment is a process to identifying the requirement
of vacant positions. In this, finding the right candidate for right position. It is a
positive process. Selection is a process to chose or select right person who has
skills, knowledge, abilities for performing a specific task or job.
 Training and development- It is the duty and responsibility of Human Resource
department to proved training and development whether the employees are new or
whether they are existing employees. From this, the skills, knowledge and ability
to do work will be increased and they will perform well. Training is for
employees in enhancing single skills and development is for overall grooming of
employees in this organisation.
 Performance appraisal- In this business firm, the performance appraisal of
employees is evaluated by HR manager (Wright and McMahan, 2011). From
evaluating their performance, employees easily know their improvement areas.
 Employee relation- It is the responsibility of both employees and employer in an
organisation. If relationship among all workers will be good then it will helps in
creating positive working environment and also helps in reducing conflict
between employees. For better productivity or growth, it is necessary to motivate
employees for maintaining good and harmonious relations.
Managerial functions

 Planning- Planning is most necessary function before doing or starting anything.
It reduces the gap between where we are and where we want to go. The policies
and strategies are made by manager for achieving the goals and objectives of
company. Like for instance, before recruitment& selection process, there is an
need to do planning regarding setting up criteria of vacant positions such as skills,
capabilities etc. and then start recruit and select candidates.
 Organising- In this, there is a need to design and develop the framework of a
business enterprise (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). In this includes, assign
different function to different employees, delegate authority according to tasks
and their responsibilities which are allotted.
 Directing- In this managerial function, guide and direct employees for achieving
the objectives of company. In Tesco, human resource managers provide regular
guidance to their employees regrading their jobs and tasks. In this, HR manager
use many ways to motivate their employees for perform well.
 Controlling- This function is formulated according to the objectives of an
organisation. In this, HR manager, has to control over all process and see the that
the actual performance match with the excepted.
Advisory functions
 Top management advice- A manager of Human Resource Management is a expert
in his field. Manager can suggest top management of company in developing
plans and policies (Beloglazov, Abawajy and Buyya, 2012). In this advisory
function includes giving advice related to maintaining the goods and harmonious
human relations with employees.
 Department head advice- In this function, manager gives advice to head of
different departments related to recruitment& selection, job design, performance
appraisal, job analysis etc.
The Human Resource Management of Tesco, works on different models like hard and
soft. In soft model includes motivation, communication, problem solving abilities, flexibility in
work performance, leadership etc. and in hard models includes certificate, computer
programming, typing speed etc.

P2 Strengths and weaknesses of recruitment and selection approaches
In Tesco company, recruitment and selection is an important functions of Human
Resource department. In recruitment, HR manager see the necessity of candidates for required
positions. It is a positive process and it can be done internally and externally. In selection
process, to select the right person for right job at right time. There are following points which
shows the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches of recruitment and selection:
Internal and external strengths and weaknesses of recruitment and selection:
Internal recruitment and selection
The recruitment and selection are the important functions of human resource department.
There are two approaching of selection and recruitment and these are internal and external. In
internal recruitment, the management looks to fill the job or vacancy from the existing
workforce. In this, manager re assigned the another job to existing employees by seeing abilities
and skills in an organisation. Internal selection means to examining and assessment of workers
on company through promotion and transfer systems (Kerzner, 2013). The internal recruit can be
from:
Transfers- It means to relocate the employees from job job to another or from one sector
to another sector according to their experience, effectiveness and efficiency.
Promotions- In this method of internal recruitment, Human Resource manager proteomic
employees from lowest position to highest position by seeing their current work performance.
Retrenched and retired employees- In case of any deficiency of skilled employees and in
case of increase work load, company rehired retired and retrenched employee again because
these types of workers are already aware about the policies and culture of business enterprise
(Loorbach and Rotmans, 2010).
There are some strengths and weaknesses of internal recruitment and selection:
Strengths:
 It is cost effective and time consuming process.
 Employees already know about working environment of company.
 The management already aware about the strengths and weaknesses of
employees.
 It is a way to motivate workers.
Weaknesses:

 The promotion of one employee can be demotivate other employees.
 It can be arise confit among employees.
 May be created unhealthy competition between workers.
External recruitment and selection
The external recruitment means to recruit candidates from external source. It is the
assessment of present available pool of job people, except the existing employees, to find out the
skills according to the job (Tarique and Schuler, 2010). It means to recruiting the candidates
outside company. There are various methods of selection and recruitment from externally like for
instance campus placement, from media advertisement,electronic recruitment, consultants etc.
Strengths:
 Choose fresh talent
 This recruitment inspire the entry of new ideas, skills and knowledge. It helps in
changing the working environment.
 It provides opportunity of all candidates to apply for required positions.
Weaknesses:
 This process is time consuming and expensive.
 External selected employees takes more time in training.
 They do not aware about the culture and working environment of company.
TASK 2
P3 Benefits of HRM practices
In Tesco company, there are some Human Resource Management practices and its
benefits which can helpful for both employer and employees:
Human Resource Information System (HRIS)- In this present time, every business
organisation use this system to keep or to record the details and information about employees.
The main functions of this information system is to tracking the leaves and PTIO of employees,
performance management, training and development, performance management etc.
Retirement benefits- This business organisation gives some benefits to employees at the
time of retirement. It shows the gap among the full time employment and full time retirement of
employees (Ployhart and Moliterno, 2011). There are some forms of retirement in which

includes minimizing the working hours of employees, to job sharing arrangement among senior
workers, old employees move towards the less stressful job.
Recruitment and applicant tracking- This business organisation uses many ways or
sources for positioning the qualified applicants. At the time of hiring, it is necessary to match the
abilities with the job. The benefits of this hiring tools are:
 It can reach to very large audience at minimum cost.
 To fill the vacant positions rapidly.
 It is a good source to recruit highly skilled employees.
There are some drawbacks:
 It may be time consuming and costly.
 It is not a perfect tool of hiring candidates.
Performance appraisal- In this, Human Resource manager see the performance of every
employees and then appraise them on the basis of their performance.
There are some benefits of these HRM practices:
1. Promoting positive behaviour- These HRM practices helps in crating the positive
working environment of an organisation (Kehoe and Wright, 2013). These
practices keep all employees motivated, happy, stressful and productive. From
this, all workers and managers will create positive working environment and it
will also helps in maintain the goods harmonious relationship among employees
and employers. s
2. Maintain flexible workplace- HRM practices helps in building the workplace
flexible and better. This company wants to retain the existing employees, to
provide the good and healthy working environment, to make proper work
scheduling, managing teams etc.
3. Motivating employees- The managers help in motivate the workers and also helps
in increasing the employees performance (Bloom and Van Reenen, 2011). The
Human Resource managers use and then implement the best HRM practices
which can helps in enhancing the competent feeling in their jobs and impact
positively on the business of firm. If the working environment will be positive,
then it will helps in motivate the employees.

P4 Determine the effectiveness of different HRM practices
The HRM practices helps in increasing the effectiveness, growth and profitability of
business. It is very profitable for the business enterprise as well as for employees. In HRM
practices, Human Resource Information system helps in recording the all information and data
about employees and at the time of recruitment it will helps in tracking the applications. The
training and development practices is very effective for an organisation and also for employees.
These both practices helps in maximizing the skills and capabilities of employees. Training is
related to increasing the particular skills and development is for the overall grooming. It will
helps in increasing their work performance and effectiveness. In training practices, the growth
and productivity of company will be improved. After development and training practices,
workers see the change inside them and it will helps in increasing the motivation level and
provides satisfaction to employees (Lengnick-Hall, Beck and Lengnick-Hall, 2011). Learning
practices are very effective for firm. Basically, it refers to adopt knowledge, abilities and
experience. The human resource practices are very helpful at the time of retirement and this
company provides many facilities on retirement time.
The all HRM practices are very helpful in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of
business. The Human Resource practices must adopt in human resource management systems to
increasing the high level of work performance practices. It helps in providing the positive work
environment.
TASK 3
P5 Importance of employees relation to influence the decision making
In Tesco company, the relationship among the employees and employer is healthy and
harmonious. The profit and loss of business is totally depend up on the relation between workers
and managers. If the relation will not be good, then it will impact on the performance of
employees and the productivity of company. From this, workers will not perform well and not
work for achieving the goals or objectives of company. It can impact on the decision making
process of employees (Meredith Belbin, 2011). If the relationship among employees and
management will e b good, then it will helps in increasing the work performance and
productivity of business. It assist in crating positive working environment. The good relation

helps in motivating and increasing the work efficiency of business enterprise. There are some
importance of human relations:
Minimize absenteeism- If the relation among employees will be good, then from this the
employees will be absent less. They will take less leaves and work for accomplishing the
objectives of this business firm.
Involved in employees engagement activities- The employees relation helps in reducing
conflict. Good relationship among workers helps in minimizing conflict problems. If the dispute
will be reduce, then it will helps in creating the good and friendly working environment and
employees will be participate in engagement activities as well as job area. An employee
engagement activities helps employees to keep together.
Motivated- If employee will feel confident and secure, then from this they will share
things and any type of problems with each other. All workers will motivated to each other for
performing well.
Work shared between all- A harmonious relation with employees will easy to reduce the
workload and helps in maximize the growth or productivity of business (Boxall and Purcell,
2011). Manager should be divided responsibilities between all team members to completing jobs
and tasks with in a particular time period.
Work in a team- If there is no conflict among employees, then from this they all are work
together for accomplishing a common objectives. From working in a team, the relationship will
be strong.
P6 Key elements of employment legislation an impact on decision making
In an organisation, some times, the legislation can impact on the decision making
process. Some times, in company, the discrimination related problem generated so to reduce this
government of United Kingdom introduced law related to employment right act. There are many
employment legislations:
Sex discrimination act- In a business organisation, the management can discriminate
employees on the basis of gender. Managers do not treat male and female equally. They do not
pay equally and do not give respect (Guest, 2011). It will impact on decision making process and
productivity of company.

Equal pay act- Manager of company does not give equal pay to all employees. He does
not pay to all workers equal pay. Managers do not give salary to male and female workers
equally.
Health and safety act 1974- If manager does not provide safety working conditions, then
it will impact on health of employees and working environment of company. If manager does not
provide better working and safety environment, then it will cause accidents and it will create bad
impact. So, to reduce safety effects, there is a need to management to provide training and
development programme related to new technology and new machineries.
Employment relation act 2004- It is very important to make good relationship among
employees in Tesco company. Good and healthy relation crates additive working environment.
Disability discrimination act 1995- In a company, management discriminate people ion
the basis of disability. It does not treat all employees in an equal way. It does not provide training
job to disable candidate (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). The disability can be related to mentally
and physically. So, government makes this act to reduce the disability discrimination.
Employment act 2002- This act enables to Human Resource manager to give the right to
employees in terms providing minimum wages and also give fixed working hours to all
employees. If workers are working extra work, then it is the duty of Human resource manger is
to give them extra pay.
These all are the acts which impacts on working environment and decision making
process of company.
TASK 4
P7 Applications of Human Resource Management practices
The Tesco business firm uses many applications of HRM practices on workplace. The
human resource practices can be recruitment and selection practices, training and development,
to motivate employees, performance appraisal etc. These all applications impact on working
performance, growth and profitability of company and are the main parts of human resource
department (Gruman and Saks, 2011). These practices help in organise every task or job in a
proper way so that this business firm can achieve its organisational goals with in a given period
of time.

Like for example, there is a preparation of job specification documents for an employee.
This business firm wants to recruit a highly qualified sales executive. There is a format of job
specification and also mentioned six question for personal interview:
JOB SPECIFICATION
Sales Executive
Company name Tesco Public limited
Reporting to Sales Manager
Skills required Selling skills, customer service,
communication and interpersonal skills.
Qualifications Graduation and post graduation in marketing
Experience Freshers, 1 to 3 years
Responsibilities Responsible for selling and conduct market
research.
There are major six questions which sales manger ask from sales executive:
1. Tell me about marketing and why you chosen this marketing field?
2. What are the requirement of customers and how will you deal with them?
3. Give me one example relating to any marketing activity which is completed on
short time period (Oechsler, 2011)?
4. For our company, what will be your marketing strategies to sell our products like
grocery items, books, clothes etc.
5. What is your long term goals?
6. What is your strengths and weaknesses?
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from the abortive report that Human Resource Management is a main and
important function of an organisation. In Tesco company, there is a human resource department
and its main purpose is to increasing the growth of company and its functions are to selecting,
recruiting, compensation, payroll, training and development etc. to its employees. In this report

studied about the strengths and weaknesses of recruitment and selection. This company uses
some HRM practices and it has some benefits for employer and employees. It helps in increasing
the productivity, effectiveness and efficiency of business. In this report concluded about the key
legislations and its impacts on decision making process of business. There are some applications
related to human resource practices.

REFERENCES
Books& Journals
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014.Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014.Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Beloglazov, A., Abawajy, J. and Buyya, R., 2012. Energy-aware resource allocation heuristics
for efficient management of data centers for cloud computing.Future generation
computer systems.28(5). pp.755-768.
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.
Daley, D.M., 2012. Strategic human resource 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.
Hendry, C., 2012.Human resource management. Routledge.
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.
Kerzner, H., 2013.Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and
controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
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.
Loorbach, D. and Rotmans, J., 2010. The practice of transition management: Examples and
lessons from four distinct cases.Futures.42(3). pp.237-246.
Meredith Belbin, R., 2011. Management teams: Why they succeed or fail.Human Resource
Management International Digest.19(3).
Oechsler, W.A., 2011.Personal und Arbeit: Grundlagen des Human Resource Management und
der Arbeitgeber-Arbeitnehmer-Beziehungen. Walter de Gruyter.
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.
Tarique, I. and Schuler, R.S., 2010. Global talent management: Literature review, integrative
framework, and suggestions for further research.Journal of world business.45(2).
pp.122-133.
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

5 Major Functions of Human Resource Management,2017. [ONLINE]. Available through:
<https://www.keka.com/5-major-functions-human-resource-management/>. [Accessed
on 3rd July, 2017].