Human Resource Management Practices at Kingfisher plc: A Case Study

This study examines the principles of Human Resource Management (HRM) at Kingfisher plc, a leading European retailer. It analyzes the company's HRM practices, including workforce planning, recruitment, selection, employee relations, and the impact of employment legislation. The study explores the benefits of these practices for both the employer and employee, and evaluates their effectiveness in raising profit and productivity. Specific examples are provided to illustrate the application of HRM practices in a work-related context.

MARKETING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................9
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................12
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................15
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................22
Reference List................................................................................................................................23
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Introduction
Human resource is the backbone of any organization. Human resource department procures
talented and efficient personnel for an organization and retain them according to their
performance. This study looks to assess the principles of Human resource management (HRM).
Different techniques of HRM to maximize the performances of the employees and achieving
competitive advantage will be evaluated. The rewards of flexibility among the organization and
its human resources will be assessed. This study will shed light on the different human resource
management techniques adapted by Kingfisher plc.
Company Overview:
Kingfisher plc is the leading retailers of Europe with sectors that retail electrical, general and
DIY merchandise. The company operates 2900 stores across fifteen nations and has
collaboration with best-known brands of UK such as B&Q, Darty, Comet, Woolworths and
Castorama. They have employee strength of around 130,000 and are the leading DIY
merchandise retailers and third largest electrical business of Europe. The HRM department of
Kingfisher puts extensive focus on managing a good relationship with their employees and has
taken measures to devise flexible work environment for them.
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Task 1
Introduction
The human resource department of any organization is an integral part of their business
operations. The HR department of Kingfisher has adapted various techniques in their daily
actions that prioritize employee benefit and employee satisfaction and also considers that
selection and training of employees result in higher performance of the business and also
generates greater revenue.
1.1 Explain the purpose and the functions of HRM, applicable to workforce planning and
resourcing in Kingfisher/an Organisation of your choice.
The purpose of HR department of any organization is to strategically plan the image of the
company in terms of brand value and its policies for their employees as well as customers.
Kingfisher plc has the most efficient mind behind their Human Resource department. The HR
department is in charge of keeping employees motivated and maintains a healthy employee
relation that reflects on their overall performance in the business (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014).
HR department of Kingfisher efficiently recruits and trains the most suitable people for the job
that ensures quality of services and enhancement of business.
In recent times, there has been a rapid change in the business market in terms of operative and
management strategies. Organizations such as Kingfisher consider the employees as an important
asset of the organization. In order to realize the importance of human resources the companies
emphasizes on planning and implementing a strategic model of management that enhances the
connectivity of human resources in terms of success and standards.
The best-fit approach emphasizes on alignment of human resource strategies and organizational
strategies. It is essential to assure that human resource plans are best suited for different
organizational circumstances and cultural processes (Bratton and Gold, 2017). This approach
emphasizes on the contributions and needs of both the business and the employees.
The best practice model emphasizes on the HR activities that support the organization to reach
high distinctions and attain competitive edge over the market. This approach supports the idea of
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superior organizational performance by performing the activities like providing employee
security, effective recruitment, high compensation, contingency plans and training. The human
resource department of Kingfisher plc ensures that they use the guidelines of best practice and
best fit model so that they can enhance company’s and employees’ growth.
There are several ways of approaching effective management of human resources in an
organization. The categories of approach are Hard and Soft models of human resource
management.
Hard model of HRM
This approach treats employees as business resources. This model has a high inclination towards
corporate organizational planning that evaluates requirements, cost and procurement methods.
The focus of HR department that adapts a hard model of management is to identify the key
sectors that need human resources and hire personnel accordingly (Brewster and Hegewisch,
2017). Key features of this approach are minimized communication between employees and
management, short-term modification in the work force, minimum wage structure, low
delegation for employees and autocratic style of management.
Soft model of HRM
This approach of human resource management treats the employees as valuable assets who
contribute to the growth of the business. Each employee is provided with individual needs. This
approach emphasizes on employees’ roles within the organization and considers motivating and
rewarding them according to their performances. Key features of this approach include long-term
work force strategies, employee encouragement and empowerment, strong and bidirectional
communication and adequate wage system and democracy based leadership (Brewster and
Hegewisch, 2017). Kingfisher plc has chosen this model of human resource management as this
model tends to produce maximum results.
Workforce planning
This is a continuous process where managers of the human resource department recognizes
individual needs of the workforce and address them by strategic methods. This is an essential
process, as the company must cater to the needs of its employees to ensure high quality of work
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and this process of workforce planning help to realize the long-term goal of the company by
attending to the requirements of its employees. Kingfisher plc has chosen to incorporate both
operational and strategic work force planning into their human resource management structure.
Recruitment, Selection and Employee Relations:
The human resource department of an organization identifies the requirements in workforce and
plan the most effective process of recruitment. This is a tedious task, as the recruiters have to
choose the most suitable personnel from a number of applicants. They select the employees
according to the job positions available and in requirement of labour (Marchington et al., 2016).
Recruitment methods of Kingfisher plc include quantitative assessment, technical interview,
personal interview and machine testing.
The company highly considers employee relations as their tool to satisfy the needs of employees.
They have devised strategies to engage employees and integrate them into the operations of the
business. These strategies include healthcare, childcare, flexible working hours and paid
holidays.
Labour Market
The labour market plays an important role in the human resource management of any
organization. This market includes divisions in their sector like technical personnel,
administrative personnel, support staff etc. This market addresses the demand of employees in
the business market. This sector of human resource supply is directly influenced by demand of
employees generated by organizations.
1.2 Explain the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches of recruitment and
selection used by Kingfisher or an organisation of your choice.
The recruitment process of any organization is a vital opportunity to revise the quality of labor
within the business. There are two types of recruitment process and Kingfisher plc recruits
employees using both of these methods.
Internal Recruitment Process and its Strengths and Weaknesses
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This process includes upward downward and lateral processes where existing employees can be
promoted to higher position or shifted to a different sector (Jøranli, 2018). This process is
efficient as the existing employees are already exposed to the operations of the business and do
not require training. This process looks to fill vacancies with employees who shoe tremendous
individual growth and optimization. The strengths and weaknesses of this process are:
Strengths Weaknesses
 Less time consuming
 Cost effective
 Helps in retaining and motivating
employees
 Assist with developing good relations
with employees
 The externally available talents are not
screened
 Innovation restrictive
 Unfair to the external applicants
Table 1: Strengths and Weaknesses of Internal Approach
(Source: Created by the learner)
External Recruitment Process and its Strengths and Weaknesses
This generally the process of selecting and hiring personnel from the applications received as
responses to their recruitment advertisement. It requires the interested personnel to provide their
resume and appear for quantitative and psychometric evaluation as well as interview (Jøranli,
2018). The company posts the vacancy advertisement on digital media as well as newspapers and
sometimes collaborate with recruitment agencies. The strengths and weaknesses of this process
are:
Strengths Weaknesses
 Enables the company to recruit the
most efficient personnel
 A wide range of options available
ensure justified selection
 This is a time consuming process
 Expensive process, as advertisements
and the recruitment process requires
financing
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 Creates employment in the market
 Wide scope
 The news employees have to be trained.
Table 2: Strengths and Weaknesses of External Approach
(Source: Created by the learner)
The process of recruitment provides insight about the contemporary trends of employment.
Kingfisher plc has implemented both of these techniques in their recruitment process. This
ensures the best personnel available in the market. An efficient work force propels the business
towards higher performance and higher revenue.
Conclusion
This essay sheds light on the different functions of the human resource department. The purpose
of HR department is undeniable as they ensure the quality of employees and assist with the
operations of the employees as well. The recruitment processes provides the HR department the
opportunity to select most efficient employees form a large number of applicants. Kingfisher plc
has put emphasis to elevate the functions of their HR department, which is reflected by their
performance in the retail market.
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Task 2
2.1 Explain the benefits of different HRM practices within Kingfisher or an organization of
your choice for both the employer and employee.
The human resource department of Kingfisher plc has various practices for realizing healthy
work place environment in the company. These practices help the employers as well as
employees. The priority of the HR department is to develop a healthy and communicative
relation between the employers and the employees. The most prominent practices are
development and training, and payment and reward system.
Payment and Reward System
This motivational scheme has been developed to keep the employees and the employers
motivated in their roles. The employers as well as the employees enjoy the fruition of their
efforts as the company incentivizes their performances. The performances of the employees are
evaluated regularly to ascertain their performance and devise rewarding schemes accordingly.
The human Resource department considers employee satisfaction as one of the factors that make
or break the operations of the business and their advantage in the market (Brewster et al., 2016).
Employers of Kingfisher enjoy steady pay according to their roles and job description. Their
performances are also evaluated to ensure quality of work. The satisfaction of employers and
employees result in healthy employee engagement. Employees enjoy steady pay with incentives
with respect to their job description. The timely and adequate payment of employees ensures
zero slack in work processes and also assists the employees with economy. The reward system of
Kingfisher include various processes like Vision and dental insurance, pension plans, incentives
based on performance, stock options, paid leave, sabbatical, family care schemes. These schemes
address a lot of important areas of the employees’ personal life and the company ensures to cover
all the areas that might need innovation.
The employers along with their incentives benefit from a managerial point of view. A steady and
efficient work force elevates the performance of the company. That is why the employers must
constantly motivate the employees with timely payment and attractive rewards. A motivated
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workforce is advantageous for the company also, as the employees would perform to their full
capacity and enhance organizational productivity.
Development and Training
Kingfisher plc undertakes programs of development and training for the employees because the
recent times have exhibited a trend of innovation and advancements in work operations, methods
and equipments. The advent of digital technologies has significantly changed the scenario of
traditional retailing.
The company is adapting various new technologies and that is why it is important to train the
employees in using the technologies effectively. The employee and the employers benefit from
this scheme of development and training. The employees learn about the functionality of the
technologies and how they enhance work functions and simplify them if they are applied
properly (Brewster et al., 2016). This insight is very much beneficial for the employees as they
perform difficult tasks and the technologies can significantly reduce labour and enhance
accuracy.
The employers at Kingfisher plc benefit from this scheme as the training will lead to better usage
of the technologies and significant enhancement of performance, productivity and revenue for
the business.
2.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of different HRM practices in terms of raising Kingfisher plc/
an organisation of your choice profit and productivity.
The practices of the Human resource Management department of Kingfisher plc were identified
as payment and reward system and development and training of employees. These practices are
beneficial for the company with respect to earning profit and increased productivity. These
practices are encouraged by the top management of the company as they realize that a motivated
and engaged employee who is well versed in the operations of latest technologies will be able to
produce more for the company. The services they provide for customers of Kingfisher plc
require usage of these technologies and training the employees in developing their technical
skills have been effective for the company and have reflected in their productivity and profit. The
productivity was seen to be significantly enhanced as the employees were able to produce more
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goods and owe this ability to the developmental training provided by the company. The
employers have noticed a healthy communication among the employees, as there have been less
cases of replacement or return of goods due to inaccuracy.
The reward system has resulted into unexpected increase in employee satisfaction. The
employees of Kingfisher plc were committed to their work and were really enthusiastic about
their work knowing that the company has taken extensive measures of care for their family and
future. The enhancement in performances of the employees was evident form positive customer
feedback and the generation of more than adequate revenue. These schemes of rewarding the
employees have increased the performances of the employees within the company which is
reflected in their elevated productivity. A higher productivity results in general rise of profits as
the company is able to trade more vigorously when it is backed up by enormous product line and
efficient roster of satisfied and engaged employees.
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Task 3
Introduction
The maintenance of positive employee relations by the HRM of an organization helps in
enhancing work productivity and performance. Employee legislation determines the HRM’s
decision-making process and such a process affects employee relations. Thus, this in-house letter
aims to evaluate the importance of employee relations and the impact of key employment
legislation on HRM practices.
3.1 Analyze the importance of employee relations in Kingfisher/organisation of your
choice with respect to influencing HRM decision-making
Employee relations may be understood as the relationship between employees and the
organization, managed by the HRM by communicating with the workforce, addressing their
grievances and motivating them to perform well (Leat, 2012). It is important for Kingfisher’s
HRM to focus on promoting cordial employee relations so that the business output of the
company is maximized by motivated and satisfied employees. Moreover, positive employee
relations help the company retain its workforce as the staffs are content to work for the
organization. There are several strategies Kingfisher’s HRM can implement in order to build and
maintain employee relations-
Employee rewards and benefits- It has been observed that employees feel motivated when their
hard work is recognized and rewarded in the form of monetary incentives and other benefits
(Shields et al, 2015). Kingfisher’s HRM must ensure that employees are provided with
recognition and that an adequate reward system is in place, to improve employee relations. The
HRM should additionally ensure that proper benefits such as maternity leave, sick leave etc are
provided to employees.
Open communication- It is necessary for the HRM of Kingfisher to keep lines of
communication open and receptive with the employees. The employees must feel comfortable
giving honest feedback about company practices and policies, and the HRM should work to
identify the problems faced by the staffs. Addressing their grievances will establish a positive
perception of the HRM in the employees’ opinions.
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Interaction with Union- Trade unions work to protect the professional and personal interests of
employees in the workplace, and to seek redress from the HRM in case of employee grievance
(Burgess et al, 2013). The HRM of Kingfisher should co-ordinate with the trade union to ensure
that employee needs are put forth and addressed in a timely fashion to avoid conflict in the
future. Cordial engagement with the trade union will also foster employee relations.
Training and development- Kingfisher’s HRM should consider the employees of the company
as valuable assets, and should invest in them accordingly. Training and skill development will
aid in the professional growth of the employees and will protect them from redundancy (Reiche
et al., 2016). Employee engagement will also be enhanced, and the staffs will appreciate the
interest taken by Kingfisher in their professional development.
Unbiased treatment and ethical practices- In order to promote employee relations, Kingfisher’s
HRM must create a positive work environment. The HRM must ensure that the interrelationship
between the employees is conducive, and that workplace bullying does not occur at any time.
Kingfisher’s HRM must also avoid treating employees with bias or prejudice based on grounds
unrelated to work performance. The HRM should engage in ethical practices towards the
employees so that good employee relations are sustained.
3.2 Identify the key elements of employment legislation and the impact it has upon
HRM decision-making
The government of UK has developed several important laws and legislation regarding the
benefit and equity of employees. The companies of UK including Kingfisher plc have
incorporated these laws in their Human resource management policies. The organizations
operating in the UK have to abide by the laws provided by the government in order to be able to
keeping their business alive. The employment legislations and their impact upon the human
resource management decision-making process are as follows:
Human Rights Act of 1998:
This act suggests that all organizations must provide equal opportunities to the employees in
terms of payment, amenities and the opportunity of expressing their views and ideas (Sen,
2017). The organization must ensure their human rights. Kingfisher has implemented the concept
of this act for their employees. The employees at Kingfisher plc have been satisfied and the HR
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department are able to perceive the functions of the employees and have been devising strategies
to further increase their functionality.
Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974:
This law suggest that the HR department of Kingfisher plc to consider health and safety of
employees (Ndjoulou et al., 2015). This enables the employees to feel safe during their work,
which motivates them to put more efforts on their work as their health and safety are taken care
of. This has increased the understanding of needs of employees regarding health. The decision
making process of the Human Resource Management team easier as the employees feel easier to
communicate with higher authority.
Sex Discrimination Act of 1975:
This law was developed to abolish discrimination in workplace (Sargeant, 2017). The HR
department of Kingfisher plc have incorporated this law that suggests indiscriminative attitude to
be maintained in terms of gender. This has enabled the company to provide equal right to its
male, female and other employees. This in turn has increased the turst of the employees on the
company and they have been able to effectively communicate with higher authority about their
issues.
Equality Act of 2010:
This law suggests the company to treat all its employees with equal respect and unbiased
preference (Davies et al., 2016). The company must not differentiate among the employees in
terms of caste or creed as well as gender and complexion. Any type of differentiation may de-
motivate the employees and will reflect on the performance of Kingfisher plc. By incorporating
this law, the company ensures equal treatment of employees which reduces the complications of
communication and decision making process of the Human Resource management.
Conclusion
The roles of the laws regarding the opportunities of employees are undeniable. Incorporating
these laws have helped the company to maintain a steady and healthy employee relations which
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reflect on their business performances. These methods of motivating the employees have
increased the productivity of Kingfisher plc as well as their profits.
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Task 4
4.1 Illustrate the application of HRM practices in a work-related context, using specific
examples
Job Specification
The role of Human resource assistant requires to document the daily functions of the HR
department of the company. The role of a human resource assistant is to maintain work ethics
and maintain healthy employee relation for motivating the employees to achieve higher
functionality. This post also requires to screen and hire recruits from a large number of
applicants by assessing them on basis of their education, competencies and experience. The roles
of human resource assistant are to:
 Documenting employee performance
 Maintaining employee relations
 Keeping track of employee payroll
 Screening and Recruiting employees
 Maintaining health and safety routines of employees
 Maintaining proper communication with employees
 Reporting to higher authority
The HR assistant is entrusted with these tasks, which are essential for any business organization.
It is required from an HR assistant that he maintains workplace ethics and develop a secure
working environment for the employees.
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Resume of applicants
CV1:
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Curriculum Vitae
Tomas Enrique Araya
22 Baker Street, London, UK
67908887890/ [e-mail]
Profile: I am experienced on the post of HR assistant and I possess teambuilding and
interpersonal skills. I am hardworking and I an a reliable and honest person. I am well
verses in corporate environment and I am looking for a job of HR assistant at a renouned
organization.
Work Experience:
Former operational manager at Petersburg plc, July 2010- September 2015
HR manager at M&C, October 2015- January 2017
Educational Qualifications
Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration, South Hampton College, South Hampton
Yorkshire Senior High School (1985-1996)
Skills:
Effective communication skills
Fluency in writing and speaking Spanish
Advanced computing skills
Hobbies: Football, Swimming
References are available as per request.

CV2:
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Curriculum Vitae
Robert Halford
Cheshire, London
[e-mail] – 0998785432
Profile
I am a British citizen of 24 years of age. I possess hardworking and interpersonal skills. I am looking
for a job in the management sector.
I am self motivator and quick learner and I take responsibilities and I commit to my task
Work Experience
Former Executive officer for Worthington Industries , North London June 2012- February 2014
Education
HND level 4-5 in business - Columbine University – London - April 2010 to April 2012
IQ IAM Level 3 Diploma in Management - LearnSkillsToday – London - August 2018 to January 2010
Skills
Team building, management, Communicative skills, fluent English and Swedish, writing and speaking
skills
Hobbies : Sports, Swimming, Music
References are available on request

CV3:
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Curriculum Vitae
Blaise Bailey
London
[e-mail] / 67887940405
Profile
I am a hardworking and responsible person with prior knowledge of human resource manegament. I
am currently looking for a role in human resource department.
Education
HND level 4-5 in business – UK college of Business
Diploma in management – Icon college ,UK
Work Experience
HR manager, Monoprix, August 2014 – January 2016
HR assistant, 8 Hertford Street, February 2016- September 2017
Skills
Microsoft Package
Interpersonal skills
Management skills
Communication skills
Hobbies
Music and football
References available on request

Interview Selection Criterion:
Applicants with prior knowledge of HR department and minimum 3 years experience will be
entertained.
Interview Questionnaire
1. What are your key competencies?
2. Why are you looking for the job of HR assistant?
3. What is your educational background?
4. Do you have any prior HR experience?
5. What are your corporate skills?
Notes and Preparations
After thorough analysis, the candidates were evaluated:
 Tomas Enrique Araya
Good communication skills
Computing knowledge
Management skills
Assessment score – 8/10
 Robert Halford
Team building skills
Communicative skills
Assessment Score – 7/10
 Blaise Bailey
Management skills
Teambuilding skills
Corporate experience
HR experience
Assessment Score 9/10
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It is evident from the assessments that Blaise Bailey is the most suitable applicant for the post of
HR assistant.
Offer Letter
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Kingfisher plc
Job Post: Human Resource Assistant
Date: 8.08.2018
Blaise Bailey
London
[e-mail] / 67887940405
Subject: Offer Letter
Dear MR. Bailey,
We are delighted to inform you that you have been selected for the post of Human
Resource Assistant for Kingfisher plc. This offer is based on your experience and skills.
This offer includes a salary package of £10000 (cost to company).
Other facilities include Accommodations and Insurance.
You are required to reply to this letter within 5 working days starting from 8th of August 2018.
We will assume that you have denied this offer if you fail to reply within stipulated time.
Should you accept this offer, we will generate a contract letter after you receive your
appointment date.
Thank You,
Best wishes
Per Yngve Ohlin
Human resource Manager, Kingfisher plc

Evaluation of the Process
The interview and selection process conducted by the human resource department of the
company was justified and abided by all the relevant laws and legislations regarding employee
rights. The applicants were not involved with the company in any way, prior to the recruitment
process. The interview panel was unbiased and provided equal opportunities for all the
applicants. The recruitment of the most efficient applicant was done based on his skills and
competencies.
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Conclusion
This project has enabled the learner to understand the roles and responsibilities of Human
Resource department of an organization. Understanding the importance and functions of the HR
department was the key objective of this project. This project has also shed light on the practices
and activities of the HR department. The devising of the interview and recruitment process has
enabled the learner to understand the role of HR management from corporate point of view. The
internal and external processes of recruitment were discussed in detail and different employee
relation techniques as well as legislations were also considered in this study.
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