Human Resource Management in Developing Countries

This assignment provides a comprehensive review of human resource management in developing countries, covering topics such as employee engagement, leadership development, talent retention, and strategic HRM. It includes an analysis of various research papers and articles, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities facing HR professionals in these contexts.

Human resource management
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Table of Contents
Part 1 introduction...........................................................................................................................3
Task 1...........................................................................................................................................3
1 a) Purpose of HR and importance to the company...................................................................3
1 c) Advantages and disadvantage of current selection methods.................................................5
1 d) Improvements required in current selection methods...........................................................6
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................6
2a Person specification for receptionist in Say it With Chocolate...............................................6
2 b) Rationale for suitable medium for placing the ad.................................................................7
2 c) Advantage and disadvantage of previous methods of advertising jobs................................7
2 d) Questions to be asked at interview.......................................................................................8
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................9
3a) Benefits of apprenticeship and graduate training schemes offered by Microsoft..................9
3 b) Development opportunities for employees in Microsoft once they get permanent in job
role...............................................................................................................................................9
3 c) Benefits of approaches taken by Microsoft with respect to flexible work practices..........10
3 d) How Microsoft motivates employee through job design and reward system?...................10
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................11
4 a) What is meant by employee engagement?..........................................................................11
4 b) Why employee engagement is an integral part of employee relations?.............................11
4 c) Key approaches to engage employees and explain importance in terms of improving
workplace communication.........................................................................................................12
4 d) Key legislations in UK and impact on HR decision making..............................................12
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................13
References......................................................................................................................................14
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Part 1 introduction
Human resource management can be defined as effective management of the employees so that
they provide consumer services in best manner and also work on increasing overall profit and
sales of firm (Zhu and et.al., 2013). The project is about human resource management case study
on North Yorkshire based Say it with Chocolate’ company. It caters to chocolate based greetings
cards and presents of consumers through production, finance, marketing, packaging, distribution
and designing team. In the recent times, the company has felt a need to employ new workforce
and has been facing consumer complaints in the area of quality followed by high employee
turnover. It has employed several selection techniques but they are not giving good results.
Hence the study will lay emphasis on finding out the scope of Hr. and role played by HR officer
in the company. Critical evaluation of selection process in the company will also be carried out
and placing of ads for the recruitment of receptionist. On the other hand, Microsoft Company has
also been chosen in order to study the practices related to flexible working, employee motivation,
engagement and adhering with the key legislations.
Task 1
1 a) Purpose of HR and importance to Say it with chocolate
Human resource or HR department is the one that deals with matters of employees that include
hiring, training and development, employee relations and benefits among others (Quendler and
Lamb, 2016)..
Purpose of HR in Say it with chocolate (SWC)
The first function is to carry out recruitment and selection activities for SWC Company so that
the best employees are selected who are loyal to the firm and also provide quality work.
Orientation of new employees is also provided by the company so that the staffs get a chance to
adjust them with the new job. These two aspects are most needed as the firm is facing issues in
the quality of offerings that are provided to consumers hence the need is to recruit those staff that
can provide good work. Then comes maintaining good working conditions by adhering with
employee welfare norms so as to promote job satisfaction (Lent, 2013). This is followed by
managing employee and employer relations which has the ability to influence good behaviour
and generate work outputs. Equality and diversity aspect is also maintained by the HR
department which is done by ensuring that staff is treated in a fair manner when promotion,
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remuneration and appraisal etc. is concerned (Zhang and et.al., 2015). Then is carrying out
training and development sessions for the employees in order to make them acquainted with the
work and improve their overall performance. Focus is also required to be given on the overall
health and safety aspect of employees by ensuring that staff members comply with the safety
measures such as reporting of faulty equipment’s; washing hands while working on chocolate
among others (Crawford and et.al., 2014).
Importance of HR in SWC
Human resource management thus plays an important role in SWC for enhancing the overall
employee performance to the highest possible level. It also ensures that the staff members are
able to develop their skill set and are motivated enough to remain committed towards the
organisation. Hr. department within SWC is thus important to strike the right balance between
company needs and that of workforce so that the staff functions at the fullest and employees can
be treated fairly (Lindemann, Tepper and Talley, 2017).
Current problems in the company
The company is however facing many issues with respect to HR such as presence of a very small
team whose number is required to be increased. The owner has however got lack of expertise in
employing workforce and maintaining them. This is creating issue with respect to increased
employee turnover and there is also a feedback from consumers that product is not of high
quality as it was in previous times. The place where the firm is based has registered high
unemployment levels which have thus increased the applications for production or
administration work. It has however started its recruitment activities but new recruits have failed
in probation period itself. Some employees further consider the recruitment and selection
activities to be biased one which is impacting the overall brand image of the company.
Future plans for further growth
The future growth plans should thus be inclusive of employing the best candidates by improving
the recruiting and selecting policies. It should thus train the HR staff so that they are able to
select those employees that are in tune with the working and objective of the company. The
company should also strengthen its training and development division so that employees are able
to create specialist gift orders; innovative chocolate flavours etc. as per the needs of consumers.
The firm is also required to adhere with best practice approach in HR where focus of the
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management should be on developing the skill set of employees, making a well-planned
recruitment process and focussing on team work (Wright and et.al., 2016). The company is
further required to adopt soft approach to HRM where emphasis should be on two way
communications, provision of performance-related rewards and encouraging employees for
taking responsibility.
1 b) Responsibilities of human resource officer in Say it with chocolate
The responsibility of HR officer within SWC Company is inclusive of supervising the overall
activities of HR and set policies for the same. Seeing the present issues in the company, the need
is to set policies for proper selection and interview session so that best staff is selected who does
not leave the firm in probation itself (Quendler and Lamb, 2016). Good orientation session is
also required to be designed for the new employees so that they get comfortable with the work
culture in SWC. A team leader should also be present in the session so that he can judge the
candidate from the very start. Then is the need to formulate Compensation and benefits packages
in order to attract quality candidates towards the company (Peters and et.al., 2014). Focus is also
required to be given by officer on training sessions so as to increase performance of employees
that have passed probation period. Other than this the need is further to the employees to reduce
their turnover rate and carry out exit interviews to find out why the employees are leaving the
company in the probation period itself.
1 c) Advantages and disadvantage of current selection methods
Employee selection can be defined as the process by which an employee is interviewed and
evaluated for a given job followed by his or her selection on the basis of set job criteria. Most
common method of employee selection is interview which is defined as a meeting where
questions are asked by interviewer to obtain information and find out if the interviewee is
suitable for the given job role or not (Alfes, Shantz and Soane 2014).
Methods Advantages Disadvantages
assessment test on English
comprehension and
mathematics with pass marks
of 50 percent
Helps to check general
English and mathematical
skills of the employees which
is a must for production and
admin jobs (Sarkar and et.al.,
The passing criteria of 50
percent is very less as it is
easy for employees to cross
this stage.
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2016).
Online and in person interview
choice provides comfort to
employee.
This increases the applications
who are reaching the next
stage (Tu, Lu and Yu, 2017).
reference check It saves SWC firm from legal
issues that may arise if the
background of employee is not
good (Brewster, Mayrhofer
and Morley, 2016). The
company is saved from being
sued on the grounds of hiring
negligence.
Increases the security of
employees
Reference check is a costly
process for the company and it
may also be considered as
offensive by the employees
(Budhwar and Debrah, 2013).
interview session through
informal chat
Helps to develop better
understanding of employees
Makes the applicant more
confident in facing the
interview (Hollenbeck and
Jamieson, 2015).
The session may go out of
track.
Chances of biasness by
interview on account of caste,
colour, region etc.
Comparison of current methods with other approaches
In the present case, an informal interview session has been used where there is a presence of
informal chat sessions which helps to make the employee comfortable but the need is to focus on
preliminary screenings as well where employee shortlisting can be done by employer in first
stage itself. This can be done by usage of techniques like sifting of application forms and CV so
as to decide if they are worth to be taken for second round or not. Other than this, bio data
analysis can also be carried out through the use of weighted scoring technique. Other interview
techniques that can be used are inclusive of panel interview so as to judge the candidate in all
possible areas.
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Assessment test is a good approach but seeing the employee turnover in the probation stage itself
the need is to take Integrity tests as well which help the company in measuring the overall
attitude and experience of employee towards work. Ability test and intelligence tests of the
candidates can further be taken. However it must be ensured that they must be taken in the
designated assessment centres so as to avoid copying of answers from elsewhere (Quendler and
Lamb, 2016). The next stage can be of reference check which can be used for obtaining the
information about knowledge, skill set, abilities and overall character of the candidate. Final step
of the same is job offer which must mention all the rules, regulations, office timings etc of the
company.
1 d) Improvements required in current selection methods
The HR at SWC Company is required to bring many improvements in the current selection
techniques.
 This can be done by conducting Psychometric test along with assessment for reducing the
biasness factor and also enhancing the overall accuracy. Tests must be conducted within
office premises so as to make sure that the candidates do not take help for the answers
(Jackson, Schuler and Jiang, 2014).
 The interview session in form of informal chat is a good one but the need is to further
introduce formal session where focus should be on job related questions. The informal
one can be taken by hr. member but formal should be by operations head.
 In the interview sessions, behavioural questions can also be asked to the employees that
will focus on what the prospect thinks and the type of choices they are most likely to take
at work. There will thus be a generation of most honest response in this regard.
Task 2
2a Person specification for receptionist in Say it With Chocolate
Person specification
Educational qualification:
Bachelor’s degree in Hr. or any related field is a must.
Additional degree in consumer service can serve as an added advantage.
Knowledge or experience:
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 0 to 1 year of administration work in a busy office environment
 Should be able to work on Microsoft office software (Word, excel and outlook)
Skills and Attributes:
 Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills in English language.
 Ability to prioritise work so as to meet the deadlines
Personal traits:
 Should possess a pleasing personality with Friendly and approachable attitude.
 Good sense of humour
 Calm and positive attitude towards work responsibilities.
2 b) Rationale for suitable medium for placing the ad
The above ad for the position of receptionist in Say it with chocolate company can be placed in
social media channels like Facebook and instagram. The company is required to create Facebook
page where postings can be dropped so as to attract applicants. This is the most suitable medium
in order to attract youngsters towards the company whose credibility can also be checked
through the account (Crawford and et.al., 2014). It can further aid in boosting up the overall
image and Brand Awareness of company in the market. Faster recruitment is also possible
through technique in less cost.
The second medium can be instagram where the management can post the pictures of company
where employees can be shown working. The happy pictures of employees can make the
potential candidates be at ease with the work culture of the company which can increase the
number of applications (Breevaart and et.al., 2014). Studies have further revealed that one of the
biggest sources of frustration for the job seekers is the lack of response from employers. Hence
these sites can be used by the company for giving prompt reply to the candidates thereby saving
each other’s time in the best manner.
2 c) Advantage and disadvantage of previous methods of advertising jobs
The SWC Company made use of varied job ads so as to recruit the candidates such as circulating
the job vacancies within the office premises and on the job boards outside the office. These are
advantageous as these techniques assist in generating applicants in the faster manner that can be
from the office or friends and family members of the employees (Zhu and et.al., 2013). This aids
in reducing the cost factor to a great extent as very little amount is spent on printing cost. The
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issue of reference check is also minimised to a great extent as the applicants are either known to
company or employees.
However the above methods have their own source of disadvantage as employees may not feel
comfortable to look at the job post while in office as they may be regarded as being disloyal
towards the company (Crawford and et.al., 2014). In the same way, the reference generated by
the employees may not be so competent enough. There is also a least likely chance that large
numbers of candidates are able to contact the company.
The company further made use of its own website in order to post the job ad meant for the
position of receptionist. This technique has made it possible for the company to save time as well
as money factor that was to be waste if it involved third party recruiters. But again this strategy
may not assist in generating a large number of applications as very few people visit the website.
2 d) Questions to be asked at interview
The receptionist to be hired in Say it with chocolate company is required to be asked many
questions. As the fresher may also be hired hence the questions are a mix of general ones and
experience gained in previous job. The questionnaire set is as follows;
1. Tell me about the company and its service offerings?
2. Describe yourself in a few words?
3. What skill set can you offer to the company as a receptionist?
4. According to you what does a receptionist brings to overall culture of the company?
5. What motivates you to work as a receptionist?
6. What you will do if someone arrives even after booking an appointment?
7. Are you willing to work overtime if the need arises?
8. Are you strong at computer skills?
The above mentioned question set are most likely to assist in assessing the knowledge as well as
skill set of the person when he or she will be employed as a receptionist within the company.
Task 3
3a) Benefits of apprenticeship and graduate training schemes offered by Microsoft
Various apprenticeship and graduate training schemes are offered by Microsoft. One such among
them is Apprenticeship programme launched by the company in 2010 which is there to work on
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the issue of employee shortage in technology sector. Employees can further be assisted for
developing a diverse skill set and preparing themselves for the coming future. The technique has
assisted the employee to unlock there existing potential that have a passion for work and wish to
move forward in the existing career path (Crawford and et.al., 2014). The technique is also
advantageous for Microsoft as it saves the recruitment cost and also enhances profit figures in
the long run. Other than this, Apprentices have also been found to play a critical role for UK
economy as well as it is quite good to see young people who are able to start their careers with
Microsoft. This aids in securing the necessary skill set and prepares them for a better future so
that they are not only able to shape their lives but also of the country and its citizens (Microsoft
wants more students to ‘earn and learn’ in apprenticeships, 2018).
There is further a presence of graduate training schemes that are provided by Microsoft. It is
there to increase the overall earning potential of employees when they have started the career
paths. This scheme further provides the much needed job security to the employees for some
years of work. These programs also make sure that employees get a chance for overseas
placement which can help to prepare the person for the coming future (Zhu and et.al., 2013).
3 b) Development opportunities for employees in Microsoft once they get permanent in job role
The management of the company is of the belief that in order to support the growth mind-set
culture and also meet up the learning needs it is very essential to provide developmental
opportunities to the employees. These include classroom training, online classes, use of video
and podcasts followed by connecting the employees to different programs through mobile
applications (Hollenbeck and Jamieson, 2015). There is further a provision of On-the-job
“stretch” opportunities for career advancement. This is followed by providing frequent
promotion opportunities to the employees. The company also provides Coaching on career
development by connecting the employees with managers. At times, there is also a provision of
Customized training of management so that there coaching and mentoring skills can be
enhanced. Employee orientation sessions are also carried out on new topics such as exploring
values; culture and business conduct of Microsoft. Other than these development opportunities
the company also has a presence of Employee Networks and Resource Groups that are involved
in provision of career development, mentoring etc. which is done through a series of programs
such as scholarships, speaker series as well as conferences. The company also has a presence of
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annual Hackathon which gives a chance to the employees by which they can move out of their
daily jobs and focus on developing the leadership skills (Dweck and Hogan, 2016).
3 c) Benefits of approaches taken by Microsoft with respect to flexible work practices
There is an adoption of varied kinds of flexible work practices by Microsoft which are there to
provide alternative work arrangement to employees when the need arises. These help the
company to attain an advantage over the rival firms as there is a creation of work culture were
employees can work as per there comfort and can deliver best possible work. Studies have
further suggested that these techniques have increased the overall productivity of employees and
motivated them to deliver a good work performance (Crawford and et.al. 2014). There has also
been a lowering in the overall cost structure of the company as money spent on laptops,
furniture, infrastructure etc. has significantly been reduced. Employees also get an increased
control over their work responsibilities and can develop positive relation with the management.
There is also an attainment of work life balance as the person is able to meet his or her family
needs and also commit to personal obligations. This thus reduces the staff turnover to a great
extent (Zhu and et.al., 2013). All this results into creation of a greater job satisfaction as
confidence towards work is built up and there is also an increased sense of responsibility towards
the job role. This thus boosts up the overall feeling of ownership which also makes the job more
rewarding and satisfactory in nature.
3 d) How Microsoft motivates employee through job design and reward system?
Various techniques are used by Microsoft for motivating the employees through job design and
reward system within Microsoft. The management has got a presence of Stock-based
compensation which is regarded as the major reward that is rendered to the employees. Extrinsic
rewards are also given by the company which are in the form of additional pay, incentives
among others. Other than this, there is also a usage of certain non-monetary techniques such as
team T shirts; dinner in an upscale restaurant etc. Manage Rewards tool system has also been
developed by the company which aids the management in assessing the pay scale, bonuses of the
employees who have been rendered in varied ways. This helps the firm to stay within budget and
also ensures that employees are rewarded in the best manner.
Other than the above, there is also a usage of certain design strategies for motivating the
employees. These are inclusive of job enlargement, enrichment as well as rotation. These assist
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in building up the additional skill set of employees and also give an overall boost to their career
path. Flexibility is also provided to them with respect to different job roles that make them carry
out the work responsibilities in a better manner (Zhu and et.al., 2013).
Task 4
4 a) What is meant by employee engagement?
The managers often make the mistake that the staff members who are happy and willingly take
part in staff meetings, team events are engaged. But on the contrary, job engagement is much
more than this and has been defined by Forbes as that emotional commitment that the staff has
towards the firm and its goals (Lindemann, Tepper and Talley, 2017). On the contrary, business
dictionary defines the concept as an emotional connection the employees develop with any firm
which puts an impact on the behaviour and work related activities of a person. Overall it can be
said that, the engaged employees are the ones who care about work as well as the company and
not just work for a pay check or promotion but for attaining the goals that has been laid by the
management (Zhu and et.al., 2013). The overall process of Employee engagement is thus based
on the concept of trust, commitment, integrity and the communication that takes place between
the employee and management. Engagement is thus a 50/50 proposition where the responsibility
is of the employees to get engaged as well as the organisation to create an engaged environment
for the staff members.
4 b) Why employee engagement is an integral part of employee relations?
A good relation with the employees is only possible when the management is able to engage the
employees with the organisation. This happens as when the employees are engaged then they are
in a better place to fulfil their roles and deliver an exceptional level of performance. Support can
also be provided to the firm by management who are working in varied levels of firm. This
approach is enough to motivate the staff members and better relations can thus be built with
them. Workplace issues that revolve around employee complaints, bad work conditions and
creation of conflicts that occur between different team members can also be resolved
(Hollenbeck and Jamieson, 2015). In this regard, it is the key responsibility of HR at Microsoft
to ensure that employees are engaged in the best manner so that there relation with each other as
well as the management can be improved. Steps should also be taken by keeping open line of
communication and proper handling of the grievances.
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4 c) Key approaches to engage employees and explain importance in terms of improving
workplace communication
Varied employee engagement practices are performed by Microsoft which are in form of putting
proper attention on performance management activities in form of proper note about work
expectations; provision of development opportunities’ maintaining positive work culture among
others. The management at Microsoft further ensures towards creating two-way dialogue so as to
keep the staff members motivated. One more strategy undertaken by Satya Nadella the CEO of
Microsoft was to send an email to all the employees where he tried to be honest and inspirational
about his future plans as well as the leadership plan to be undertaken by him.
Work place communication is further improved by letting the employees join meetings in person
or on a virtual basis through Skype. These types of meetings are generally about product release
by company; transformation journey of organizational culture among others. Other than this, a
part of monthly meetings held by the company is kept aside for question and answer session.
Employees are given a chance and also motivated to ask questions that are then answered by the
leaders. The goal is to ensure that the employees remain empowered and are able to share their
thoughts and ideas followed by giving candid feedback.
4 d) Key legislations in UK and impact on HR decision making
Various legislations have been issued by UK which is required to be followed by Microsoft and
these also put an impact on the decision taken by HR. These are as follows;
First is the Equality Act 2010 which ensures that employees are protected from all kinds of
workplace discrimination so that a firm can be established which is devoid of any kind of unfair
treatment. The role of Hr. here is to ensure that this act is followed by the employees as well as
the management. Then comes the Disability discrimination act 1995 where Hr. officials has to
take care that no sort of discrimination is practiced in the company with respect to caste, creed,
color or sex (Lindemann, Tepper and Talley, 2017). They are required to lay policies and strict
monitoring procedures for the same. There is also a presence of health and safety act where the
management must be strict about health and overall wellbeing of the employees so that no
chances of accidents occur for the employees (Zhu and et.al. 2013). It is the duty of HR to take
care that the company is out of any hazardous areas which can affect the safety of employees
(Hollenbeck and Jamieson, 2015).
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Conclusion
From the above report it can be concluded that there are varied functions of HR which are
required to be fulfilled by human resource team and the officer for the overall growth and
upcoming expansion plans of Say it with chocolate company. These are majorly related to
carrying out employee training, engagement, recruitment and selection among others. These
practices have been adhered by Microsoft as well which has made the firm very successful. The
company has also been adhering with apprenticeship and graduate training schemes; flexible
work practices among others that are not only beneficial to the employees but the company as
well.
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