Importance of Employee Relations in HRM Decision-Making

This article discusses the importance of employee relations in influencing HRM decision-making and its impact on productivity and brand reputation. It covers the key functions and activities of HRM, the strengths and weaknesses of recruitment and selection approaches, the benefits and effectiveness of HRM practices, and the key elements of employment legislation and their impact on HRM decision-making.

Human Resource
Management

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
LO1..................................................................................................................................................1
P1. purpose and the functions of HRM.......................................................................................1
M1................................................................................................................................................2
P2. Strength and weakness of approaches to recruitment and selection......................................2
M2................................................................................................................................................4
LO2..................................................................................................................................................4
P3. Benefits of different HRM practices.....................................................................................4
P4. Effectives of the HRM practices...........................................................................................5
M3................................................................................................................................................6
LO3..................................................................................................................................................6
P5. importance of employee relations in respect to influencing HRM decision-making............6
P6. key elements of employment legislation and the impact it has upon HRM decision-
making.........................................................................................................................................7
M4................................................................................................................................................7
LO4..................................................................................................................................................8
P7. application of HRM practices in a work-related context, using specific examples..............8
M5..............................................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management can be defined as the process of managing, organising and
planning for the people so that business performance can be improved and also it will assist in
achieving the goals of organisation. Managing human resource is important in order to gain
competitive advantage. Present report will lay emphasis on Marks and Spencer. It is a major
British multinational retailer which is been headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Assignment will lay focus on the scope and purpose of human resource management. It will also
discuss about the strength and weakness of recruitment and selection.
MAIN BODY
LO1
P1. purpose and the functions of HRM
Human resource management is the strategic approach which can be used for the effective
management of people so that the productivity of organisation can be increased.
Main functions and activities of HRM
 Recruitment and selection: It is one of the key function of HR department in Marks and
Spencer. In this company is been engaged in hiring effective and skilled employees
through various methods of recruitment. Talented employees are selected. Strong
employer brand and right resourcing strategy can be used to attract workers (Park and
Lee, 2018).
 Performance management: It is being done in order to ensure that employees perform
better. HR department makes use of various performance management techniques such as
360-degree feedback in this.
 Learning training and development: The human resource department of M&S is being
involved in providing better training to workers. This has assisted them in enhancing
skills and also because of this company has been able to achieve set target and objectives.
Better training has made firm more productive.
 Rewards management: It is also another main function of HR department. In this they
have been engaged in providing employees with monetary and non monetary rewards.
They give appreciation to workers in front of everyone. This has assisted in increasing
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motivation level of employees of Marks and Spencer and they are better able to achieve
goals and objectives.
Best Fit’ approach vs ‘Best Practice’.
Best fit approach means that strategy of human resource become more effective when it is being
linked to the environment of business. On the other hand, best practice approach that best HR
strategy of M&S will assist company in achieving the goals and objectives (Lee and Wang,
2017).
M1.
Hr functions can assist in providing appropriate training and skills to the organisation by the
following ways:
Workforce planning: HR department make sure that appropriate talent is managed while doing
the workforce planning. In this they have been engaged in analysing current workforce and
determining the future labour requirements. Marks and Spencer also make sure that effective
training is been provided to employees so that goals and objectives can be achieved.
P2. Strength and weakness of approaches to recruitment and selection
There are various approaches to recruitment and selection which is being used by organisation. It
includes the following:
Definition Recruitment
In this a pool of candidates are
been refer and then are
motivated to apply for the
present job condition.
Internal recruitment is
basically where the candidates
are hired from inside the
organisation for example
promotion, transfer. External
recruitment is that where
workers are searched from
outside such as referral group,
social media websites. Job
Selection
Talented and skilled
employees are being selected
from the potential applicants.
There are various methods of
selection like interview,
psychometric test. By this
aptitude of employees can be
checked. It will assist them in
selecting most talented
employees.
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analysis is a systematic
process of collecting the
information on nature of a job.
Job description is used for
recruitment in order to attract
potential employees for job. In
person specification there is a
description related to skills
and qualities which can be
required for job.
Strength In external recruitment Marks
and Spencer can get huge pool
of employees. In this they can
get qualified employees.
Internal recruitment can
increase motivation of
workers when they are being
promoted or even transferred.
In internal recruitment the
time for hiring employees can
be reduced. They can also
save huge amount of cost
Selecting through interview is
really cost effective and it can
assist Marks and Spencer in
saving huge amount of cost.
This can also assist them in
selecting talented and skilled
employees. It also assists in
eliminating the candidates
which does not possess
adequate skills talent and
employees.
Weakness The external recruitment can
take huge amount of time. It
can also be considered as
expensive. There is higher risk
when recruited from outside as
employees cannot be trusted.
In internal recruitment there
are limited number of
employees through which
It has also been analysed that
validity of interview is
selectively low and there are
chances that M&S leaders are
bias when selecting employees
for this.
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organisation can choose.
M2.
There are various approaches to recruitment and selection which is been used by Marks and
Spencer’s
Recruitment: In this job analysis, job description, person specification is being used. These
methods are being used by Marks and Spencer to evaluate the skills and abilities of workers.
 Strength: In job analysis candidates will know about the skills and abilities they need to
develop for being more cooperative with the job.
 Weakness: The multiple method of job analysis which is been adopted by company can
be really costly and even can be cost
Selection: In this the various methods which are been used by Marks and Spencer’s includes
psychometric test and interview. There are strength and weakness which is been related to it.
Weakness: The psychometric test does not measure reliability of methods which has been used to
select employees. It has also been analysed during the time of interview biasness can also exist.
Strength: The test is cost effective and it can assist in making M&S know about the skills and
aptitude of workers (Dirani and et.al., 2020).
LO2
P3. Benefits of different HRM practices
HRM practices Employer Employee
Learning training and
development
In this employer will be
benefited as the productivity
of organisation will be
increased as employees will
become skilled and talented.
This will assist them in
achieving the goals and
objectives and also it will help
company in growing (Otoo
and et.al., 2019).
In this employee will be
benefited as their skills will be
increased and they will
become better at doing tasks
and things in workplace. This
will also assist them in
developing professionally.
Flexible organisation When the structure of Marks
and Spencer is flexible the
Employees will be benefited
in Marks and Spencer as they
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employer will be benefited as
the errors in work will be
reduced down and also it
assists them in creating
worker’s loyalty. Flexible
organisation structure will
assist them in creating
employee loyalty and it will
also assist and help
organisation in growing.
will get chance to work from
home and even they can get
chance to work remotely, thus
increasing their profit.
Reward management This can assist employer of
Marks and Spencer in
increasing employee
engagement towards
organisation. Rewards and
incentives will also assist
managers in creating
employee belongingness.
Employees when provided
with rewards and incentives
will increase their job
satisfaction and also they will
be able to perform better as
they are motivated.
P4. Effectives of the HRM practices
The HRM practices can increase the productivity and operational efficiency of organisation. In
this they can be involved in doing the following aspects and things:
Learning, training and development: The effectiveness of learning training and
development is this that it assists in increasing skills and talent of employees. This will assist
them in achieving the goals and objectives. By this employee can also develop their motivation
level through adequate training. It can increase job satisfaction of workers and also it can make
them do the tremendous task. It also reduces down the errors in work (Jacobs, 2017).
Flexible organisation: This can also be effective. In this flexible condition is been
provided to employees so that they can work better. In this the productivity can be increased and
also workers will stay motivated as they can work from anywhere. It also increases Marks and
Spencer worker’s engagement and also this can create worker’s loyalty. It has also been
analysed that flexible organisation can also increase their brand reputation through this.
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Performance and reward management: This is also effective as by performance
management employers will be able to know about the gaps in their services. It has also been
analysed that by this employee can make changes in their policies and also better policies to
increase employee satisfaction can be developed. It can be effective in achieving goals and set
mission and vision. It has also been analysed that rewards can assist in increasing job satisfaction
and also by this the motivation of employees working in the company will also be developed.
M3
There are various different HRM methods which is been used Marks and Spencer. For
example, they have been engaged in making use of learning training and development in order to
make employees more productive. It has also been analysed that providing coaching to workers
has also made them more creative. Thus, assisted them in bringing better changes in
organisation. It has also been analysed that M&S have made use of rewards like monetary and
non-monetary in order to increase the employee engagement.
LO3
P5. importance of employee relations in respect to influencing HRM decision-making
Employee relation can be defined as company’s responsibility to manage relationship
between employers and employees. A better relationship by employer of Marks and Spencer will
assist them in retaining employees and also because of this they would be able to retain workers.
This can also impact Hr decision making. It is really necessary for organisation to make good
employee relation as this will assist them in increasing their productivity and also the brand
reputation of company will be able to increase because of this. HR department’s primary
function is to make better employee relation; this can be done by reducing the amount of conflict
which happens in organisation.
In order to enhance the employee engagement and to maintain better employee relationship,
it is really necessary for them to follow flexible organisation structure. In this M&S can be
engaged in making sure that better employee relationship is maintained, this will assist them in
increasing productivity and also they will be able to make sure that set target mission and vision
is achieved. It has also been analysed for flexibility they can be engaged in allowing employees
from doing work from home. This can reduce down errors and it can also increase productivity
and there will be less employee turnover because workers are being adjusted to flexible working
condition easily.
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P6. key elements of employment legislation and the impact it has upon HRM decision-making.
There are various legislations which needs to be followed by Marks and Spencer in order
to retain workers and also because of this they will be able to achieve set target and objectives. It
includes the following:
Health and safety act 1974: In this M&S needs to be engaged in making sure that better
and safe conditions are been given to employees for working. They need to make sure that
employees do not work in hazardous working condition. This will assist them in retaining
workers and also it will help increasing employee engagement. Better safety measures need to be
followed by company so that well-being of employees working with them is maintained. It has
also been analysed that for this M&S can engaged in giving workers with health and safety
insurance.
Data protection act, 2010: In this company must be engaged in making sure that data of
employees are kept confidential. No data is being shared by M&S without permission of
employees (Brown and Latham, 2018). This will assist them in increasing employees trust and
also it will help company in making better strategic decisions which is really necessary for
growth of organisation. It has also been evaluated that company must also be involved in keeping
safe consumer data. There should be no breach and if the data is being linked, this can lower
down trust of customers. This can make reputation of Marks and Spencer go down and also
because of this they will not be able to achieve set target.
Equality act 2010: According to this act company must be engaged in providing
employees with equal rights and opportunities so that they can grow better. Marks and Spencer
needs to give better opportunities to everyone working in company, this can lead to boosting
their morale and also they will be more motivated to work with organisation. Firm also needs to
make sure that no discrimination exists between females and males, or even on the basis of
gender, colour. This will assist them in increasing brand reputation and also they will be able to
better achieve set target and objectives.
M4.
There are various key aspects related to maintaining employee relation and following the
key legislations. If company is being engaged in following all rules and regulations, employee
relation will automatically enhance. This will assist Marks and Spencer’s in achieving set target
and objectives. It has also been analysed that for better employee relation company must be
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engaged in giving workers with better environment and also should think about their health and
wellbeing. This will assist them in taking better decisions and also company will be able to grow.
They should also be engaged in protecting the personal data of consumers as well as employees.
This will assist them in increasing trust of both.
LO4
P7. application of HRM practices in a work-related context, using specific examples.
Job specification
Post Human resource manager
Location London, United Kingdom
Report to CEO of Marks and Spencer
Qualification BBA+MBA
Responsibilities Managing human resource
Planning
Organising
Coordinating
Title of the job HR manager
Date: 24, July 2019
Qualification required Essential Desirable Met
BBA
MBA
CIPD qualified
Yes
yes
yes
Need of Experience
2 years of
experience
yes
Personal characteristics
& conduct
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Honesty
Integrity
Leadership skills
Time
management
skills
Communication
skills YES
Roles and
Responsibilities
Managing human
resource
Recruitment and
selection
Training and
development
Panning,
organising and
coordinating
YES
CV
Name: John Depo
Email: [e-mail]
Phone number: 77581239
Qualification: BBA and MBA
Skills:
Communication skill
Time management
Decision making
Problem solving
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Thanks and regards
Interview Notes
What are your skills?
Why do you want to apply for this job?
What are your expectations of salary?
Why do you want to work in this company?
Job offer letter
Hello
Mr. John
We are pleased to announce that you are been selected for the position of HR manager in our
company. The salary will be £80,000 and also all other benefits will be given to you.
Thanks
CEO
Process of recruitment
The process of recruitment is a long process and also it includes various steps which needs
to be followed by company so that their set target and objectives can be achieved by them. In the
first step company receive the applications, then they will be engaged in eliminating the
unqualified employees. After this they will rank and rate the candidates, then interview will be
taken and qualifies employee will be selected for job position (Ahmed and et.al., 2017).
M5.
The reason company make use of job specification is that it will assist employees in
knowing about the skills, talent and abilities which is required to held a significant position in
company. It assists in making sure that all employees are been judged on same criteria, this will
reduce biasness. This also assists in knowing the required task which needs to be carried out in
organisation. It will make them in enhancing skills and they will also be able to perform the job
effectively.
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CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarised that management of human resource is an
effective function. It has assisted company in achieving goals and objectives. It has also been
summarised that Hr department has been engaged in doing proper workforce planning. This has
assisted them in knowing about the requirements of workforce. It has also supported them in
fulfilling gaps in their services. It has also been analysed that various laws and regulations has
been followed by so that employee loyalty and engagement is created. Company has made sure
to provide employees with safe and secure environment to work. It has also been analysed that
by this employee can make changes in their policies and also better policies to increase employee
satisfaction can be developed.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ahmed, A. and et.al., 2017. Neglecting human resource development in OBOR, a case of the
China–Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC). Journal of Chinese Economic and Foreign
Trade Studies.
Brown, T.C. and Latham, G.P., 2018. Maintaining relevance and rigor: How we bridge the
practitioner–scholar divide within human resource development.
Dirani, K.M. and et.al., 2020. Leadership competencies and the essential role of human resource
development in times of crisis: a response to Covid-19 pandemic. Human Resource
Development International, 23(4), pp.380-394.
Jacobs, R.L., 2017. Knowledge work and human resource development. Human Resource
Development Review, 16(2), pp.176-202.
Lee, J. and Wang, J., 2017. Developing entrepreneurial resilience: Implications for human
resource development. European Journal of Training and Development.
Otoo, F.N.K. and et.al., 2019. Impact of human resource development (HRD) practices on
pharmaceutical industry’s performance. European Journal of Training and Development.
Park, S. and Lee, J.Y., 2018. Workplace learning measures for human resource development:
review and summary. Industrial and Commercial Training.
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