HRM Functions and Case Study Analysis

This assignment requires students to analyze the functions of Human Resource Management (HRM), including its role in promoting diversity and inclusion within an organization. A case study on British Telecom (BT) is provided, where the company has implemented legislation to reduce conflict and enhance motivation among employees. The assignment also involves referencing various books and journals that discuss HRM practices and their impact on organizational effectiveness.

Human resources
management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK1.............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Purpose and functions of HRM for workforce planning for company.................................1
P2. Advantage and disadvantage methods of recruitment and selection process.......................2
TASK2.............................................................................................................................................4
P3. Advantage of Human resources management practices for company and employees........4
P4 Importance of HRM practice in terms of increasing productivity and profit.......................5
TASK3.............................................................................................................................................6
P5 Impact of employee relation while designing HRM policy of firm.......................................6
P6 Impact of employee legislation on drafting HR policy..........................................................8
TASK4.............................................................................................................................................8
P7 Meaningfulness of HRM practice in present context............................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Human resources management is a important for an organisation to manage all
employees in an effective manner. The main function of HR manager are recruitment, selection,
motivation, appraisal, compensation policies, salary package, leave rule and regulation or many
more. They are organising training events in order to enhance skills, knowledge and capabilities
which help to achieve goals and objective in given time frame. In this report select British
telecommunication organisation to know impact of human resources activities on performance as
well as productivity of employees (Bulgurcu, Cavusoglu and Benbasat, 2010). It is a UK based
company which run their business activities in 180 countries. Some services which are offer by
company are fixed line telephony, mobile services, broadband communication, professional
services, information technology and many more. It was established in the year of 2000 and now
17000 employees are work here. In this assignment covers role and responsibilities of HR or
importance of HRM practices. It also covers benefits of employees relationship as well as
workers legislation and explain advantage of human resources management practices for firm or
staff members.
TASK1
P1. Purpose and functions of HRM for workforce planning for company
Human resource management is a department in an organization which basically manage
the workforce in various activities. Top management is formulating policy to achieve company’s
vision and mission. HR team defines the policy according it set different targets for the various
departments and communicate the employees about the company’s dream vision and what their
role to achieve those standard. For this they analyzing the various task and policy and find out
the loops in this and draft policy to meet those standard which help to employees to accomplish
the goal (Decker, Riley and Siemer, 2012). In this British company HR managers organize
various functions and approaches which helps the company to acquire right talent at right place
at right time which makes the company’s HR strategy unique and different from others. There
are the following functions which practiced by the HR manager in company:-
 Organizing and Planning:- Firstly HR administrator understand the top management
vision and mission and present environment need and according to that identify the gap
between the existing resources and required resources to achieve the goal. They firstly
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analyze the internal and external factor eg. employees skills and talent and technology
advancement etc. then the planned the strategy regarding additional recruitment(internal
and external), selection procedures, induction and training provide to existing and new
employees and also design the working policy within company.
 Recruitment policy:- In the planning process company’s HR manager clears about the
talent and skill requirement which compulsory to have to get defined target. Various
methods of recruitment are:- (a) Direct method (b) Indirect method( c) Third party
method (Hobfoll, 2011). According to post and level in hierarchy different methods used
by the BT HR managers example:-for higher level post can be use direct method, middle
and lower level can be use indirect and third party method.
 Selection procedure:- After recruitment stage, a candidate must be passed selection
criteria in terms of education, qualification, work experience and mainly fulfill particular
job requirement. All standard criteria for specified job set by the experts of the field in
company. A candidate must go through various selection process example:- written
exams, group discussion, interview as per designation in company.
 Training and development:- HR administration organize and design training and
development program according to skill set requirement in existing and new staff
members to achieve specified target within defined time and main aim to this activities to
enhance skills and empower the employee of the organization.
 Grievance handling procedure:- There are numbers of factors which causes
dissatisfaction among employees within an organization. That time HR manager role to
identify the factor behind the employees behaviour and set the suitable procedures at
various level for handling grievance at workplace.
 Performance appraisal:- Performance appraisal is a process which periodically analyse
employee performance at workplace and identify the gap between present and standard
skills (Iles, Chuai and Preece, 2010). For this various type of method use and according
to feedback necessary steps taken by the HR manager.
P2. Advantage and disadvantage methods of recruitment and selection process
British telecom company known for it’s creative way to empower employee through their
various programs and their working policy. Company’s HR team design various policy to hire
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best talent in organization and they used number of recruitment methods at various level of
recruitments.
 Direct method:- Direct method of recruitment involves the internal hiring (working
employee) for vacant post. The source this method are promotion, transfer, retired
employees etc. The main advantage of this method is that increasing motivation and
moral of current employee towards organization (Rousseau and Barends, 2011). Full fill
the top management vacancy this is most suitable and appropriate method for
confidential post.
Following are strengths and weakness of internal recruitment process:-
Strengths Weakness
 Its consider as easy method of
employee recruitment.
 Chance of biasses is increasing
in this method
 Cost of this method is very low.  Its create conflicts among
employee due to preference.
 This process increasing
employee morale and reduce
employee turnover rate due to
better opportunity in future.
 Employee are dissatisfied
because increasing chances to
select preference employee.
 No extra cost incurred of
induction and training program.
 Decrease the level of innovation
and creativity in company.
 During this process continuity
of operation has not effected.
 Companies has limited choice
for the desired candidate for the
post.
 Its save time from recruitment
process
 Lack of diversity and thought
provoking employee in
company.
 Indirect method:- This method refers as external approach of recruitment. In this
methods HR team hired employees outside organization. There are two reason behind
this existing workforce is not enough skilled to accomplish the task and more
requirement of staff due to expansion company’s operations (Salvendy, 2012). In this
human resource managers give advertisement in newspaper, on radio and television,
journals and magazines etc.
Strengths and weakness of this process are as follows:-
Strengths Weakness
 This is a method for hiring new
talent in company
 This method is not appropriate for
higher post.
 This is suitable when a company  Its flooded the application of
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wants to reach out at large level. undesired candidate.
 Third party recruitment:- Third party recruitment refers to hiring outside company
without making so much efforts on candidate recruitment, selection, training and
development (Schuler, Jackson and Tarique, 2011). Its includes hiring from placement
agency, trade unions, labor contractor, employee referrals and recommendation etc. this
agency basically bridge the gap between job seeker and company.
The following are strengths and weakness of this method:-
Strengths Weakness
 It is introduce new talent in the
organization.
 It requires large amount of budget
for employee training and
development.
 This method is not time consuming.  This is not suitable for top
managerial post.
TASK2
P3. Advantage of Human resources management practices for company and employees
In competitive and dynamic environment Human resources management department play
an important role for company to get company’s predetermined goal. There is wide discussion
and researches conduct on benefits of HRM practice for employees and employer. How is human
resources department functions and practices important for the firm to compete with their
competitors. Today is the world of technology and how to use different type of new techniques
at work place decided by the human. BT company management team understand all this facts
and for its HR programs the company known as world top 30 best HRM practitioner company
who introduce innovative schemes for employees at workplace (Shuck and Wollard, K., 2010).
Here are listed following benefits of HRM practice for both employee and company:-
 Employee empowerment:- This term refers as to make employee skill able, talented,
confident and give power to take their decision their self. This policy’s main advantage
its introduce creativity and innovation at workplace and encourage employee to think out
of box which directly benefited to the whole firm.
 Training and development:- If the top management formulated decided to expands
company’s functional area in terms of production and sales turnover or working in
different segment etc. then HR department firstly analyse which type of talent and skills
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requires for this task and which type of staff available in company (Tarique and Schuler,
2010). After this compare desired standard to actual standard and design training and
development programs for existing and new hired employee to adapt and learn those skill
which requires to meet company’s tentative target.
 Low the rate of employees turnover:- A good HR practice in organization can
definitely reduce the rate of employee turnover. The main reason behind is not to recruit
unnecessary staff which is not enough suitable for perform task and motivate employee
and increase their moral. Its also includes a sound grievance handling policy which build
a good image of company in society.
 Employee awareness:- Human resources manager main task to communicate about
company’s vision and mission and also communicate them what the firm want from
them? how will they help company to achieve its goal ? what will their role? and identify
which type of the problems faced by the employees at workplace and to solve this.
Which increase employees faith and motivate towards for their duties and responsibilities
(Teece, 2012). Thus the HRM practices benefitted for both employees and employer and
main focus of this practices are development of employees through accomplish
company’s target of various level.
P4 Importance of HRM practice in terms of increasing productivity and profit
Some important HRM practices are explain as follows:
 Reduce the cost of the company:- A sound HR policy and practice reduce the cost of
company which every company spent on his employees regarding recruitment and
selection process, induction, training and development, performance appraisal etc. This
all process is time consuming as well as expensive. Hr manager main function is to hired
right people at desired place at right time (Wilson and et. al., 2012). These practices saves
both time and money employer as well s employee.
 Enhancement of employee skills:- The main characteristics of good HR policy is that its
grooming the employee skills and personality during task. A person understanding
develop when he start working in practical environment. Employee skills enhancement
directly and indirectly increase the productivity of company.
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 Compete with competitors:- Employees of an organization are the most valuable asset
to accomplish task in specified time which leads to organization to deliver best
performance in competitive world sustain in dynamic effectively use of changeable
environment.
 Customer satisfaction:- If employees of company satisfied with his work, salarry, fridge
benefits, and their role then a person deliver its best performance and find out new ways
to delight company’s customers which leads satisfaction among customers and make
them loyal regarding company’s offerings.
 Efficiently and effectively use of company’s resources:- A skilled staff team is
efficiently use the company’s scares resources which minimize the cost and increasing
productivity which result full fill the company’s goal increasing profit and customer
satisfaction (Zheng, Yang and McLean, 2010).
 Align company’s goal with employee individual goal:- HR manager draft company
policy like that which align firm’s target to employee personal goal. The benefit of this
practice which motivate employee and encourage towards full fill company’s mission
and top management setting standard for firm during specified time.
In addition Human resource department design recruitment and selection policy , training
and development programs, induction process, appraisal methods, job condition, duties and
responsibilities, employee retrenchment and which directly affected firm operations and reduce
extra cost for the company. BT company follow all the schemes which suitable for both firm and
staff.
TASK3
P5 Impact of employee relation while designing HRM policy of firm
In an organization top management formulate the policy and set the standard for
organization respect to achieve company’s goal. HR administration department while designing
policy consider all factors which influence the company’s HR policy. Firm current staff and the
employee unions can affect the present and future working policy due to their influence on firm
management and employees (Rousseau and Barends, 2011).
 Increasing employees participation in decision making process minimize the chance of
conflict at workplace.
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 Sometime staff of company have to be rigid to adapt the change introduce at workplace
due to fear of unknown factor that time HR department handle the situation and
communicate the benefit of changes to firm as well as employees.
 At the time of designing incentive and payment polices, working hours, holidays,
overtime, fridge benefits etc. negotiation take place between employee unions and HR
team. Employees representative main focus on high incentive and HR team agenda to
reduce the cost of the company.
 Provide healthy and safe environment at workplace is duty of HR manager and right for
employees.
 Promotion of employees on their performance basis not on referral basis which minimize
the chance of biasses and encourage employee to perform well because they know their
hard work gives recognition and better award to their efforts in organization.
 Training and development program design for desired skill set and which meaningful for
all employees (Iles, Chuai and Preece, 2010). So firstly analyse their performance
appraisal and according to feedback communicate employee what the firm desired
standards.
 Draft the policy which empower the employees in terms of skills and financially which
motivates employees to work with company which minimize the rate of conflicts and
employee turnover.
Manager of BT company keep in mind all factors while formulate the policy for their
employee. Participation of employees make the policy more effective because the real issues at
workplace can solve and management can understand the problems of employees and take steps
to solve it. Which helps to create such type of environment which motivate to people to
accomplish their task and perform their duties and responsibility well.
Employee relation Act
It is an very important legislation govern by employment relationship in this Act.
Employment relation Act gives a structure for unions and employers to enter as well as negotiate
into particular agreement.
Policies of grievance
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Grevience directory Council (GDC) recognises that proper working relations are based
on confidence and mutual respect. Most concern matters or worker’s complaints are take place
by misunderstanding. It can be resolved by clearly communicating rationale and decisions.
 Workers have rights to treat them with respect, relation to their personal affairs and
dignity. Its will gave a positive impact as they will have treated with respect they will
work without absenteeism and negative will gave impact if it will be not as per
employees. Workers should be treated equally in all circumstances. Will gave advantage in giving
higher production and negative impact will that it will be lack of motivation.
Negotiation
It is a formal discussion among the persons who are having various intentions, mainly in
business at a time of reaching an agreement.
Approaches to terminate workers contract Workforce reduction: Layoffs allow organisation to let workers go for reasons other than
their performance. In this agreement, workers are terminated by some situations of
Federal WARN Act rules may implement.
 Fire employees: In this, it is most bitter of pills to swallow. Operating in the business still
require to be mindful of how their can separate workers will receive the notice of firing
and influence on morale.
P6 Impact of employee legislation on drafting HR policy
Employee legislation policy influenced a company HR policy. For Multinational
company like British Telecom has to comply all the rules and regulation respect to employees
and this practice make BT in the list of best HR practitioner. Some of government law which
impact on HRM practice of company. These are:-
 Maternity leave:- As per this rule, the company must have given maternity leave to
female employees approximate 6 month (180 days)with entitled with full paid salary and
other benefits.
 Minimum wages act:- According to this law every company must have given minimum
wages to employees (as per described by the norms) and minimum wages rate prevailing
in the industry (Hobfoll, 2011). This law main objective is to secure the uneducated and
unemployed person from exploitation at workplace and give them sustainable livelihood.
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 Workplace equality act:- This law passed for finish discrimination at workplace respect
to race, complexion, gender, nationality, religion etc. There are many case filled
regarding it so company’s HR team duty to set the policy for workplace equality.
 Equal pay act:- This law recently passed by government to provoke discrimination
respect to pay. If the work is same for male and female employee with same duties and
responsibilities then how is to pay different salary due to gender? So this type of practice
prohibited at workplace.
 Health and safety law:- This act is mainly focus to provide healthy, safe and secure
environment to employee so no adverse harm on individual health. This act involves the
norms regarding employee pension, i, maintenance of machinery and factory, employee
accidental insurance etc.
TASK4
P7 Meaningfulness of HRM practice in present context
Importance of Human resource management department is increase at workplace because
of its various functions in firm. When the top management defined its agenda to get its target
that time start the HR team functions. Basically HR department works an ongoing process in
firm. Its manage the employee at worldwide branches of BT company (Decker, Riley and
Siemer, 2012).
According to defined goal which types of standard full fill it. Then evaluate present staff
and analyse them. After it start the process of recruitment and selection process and identify the
skills and talent posses in new hired employees and what kind of training they required to meet
the standard performance? Orientation, performance appraisal, feedback, grievance at workplace
etc. various function performed. For all this HR team prepare themselves. Here are we take an
example of hiring employee in firm. Different methods are use for different hiring post. Here we
design the job description and job specification of customer executive officer which is going to
publish in newspaper.
BRITISH TELECOM COMPANY
JOB SPECIFICATION
1. Designation:-
Job profile: customer executive officer
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Department of customer relationship
2. Job Purpose:-
 To satisfy the client of company.
 Managing the task with team
 Handling day to day process.
3. Duties & responsibilities:-
 To accomplish task and targets related to work.
 Analyze the review of customer.
 Solve the query of potential customer.
 Candidate should have good communication skills.
 Fresher can also apply.
 Walk in interview :-10 am to 6 pm, date -25/4/18
after this candidates are apply for the job and recruitment and selection process start by the
HR team selective panel (Bulgurcu, Cavusoglu and Benbasat, 2010). Desired candidate
selected through interview and define the role of employee and terms & condition of job.
These are:-
 Company’s Details
 Joining Date of employee
 Salary structure and incentive
 Minimum working hours and overtime policy
 Company’s norm.
 Authorised by higher management.
After this all necessary orientation and training will give to employees and all process of
performance appraisal and other process take place side by side.
5 HRM Practices Recruitment and Selection: It is an planning of captivating, screening and choosing
qualified applicant and potential are based on objective of specific job. Targets of this
process is to attract for motivating the unqualified applicants and qualified candidates to
optimise themself out.
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 Orientation: Various companies are not planned for giving a orientation to fresh
employees. In this, company plan a orientation session for new workers. It should
consists the goals and objectives of an company and hoe they will meet them in short or
long term. Employee relation: Workers are the important pillars of an company. They have to plan
for maintaining the relations of employees within each other. It aid to foster better
relation within workers. Training and development: Organisation also plan for giving training and development
to their employees for improving the worker’s performance for current as well as for
future.
 Maintaining better working situations: Organisation is planning for making a good
working situations. It is the main duty of human resource department to encourage their
workers.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that Human resources activities in important for each one
organisation in order to achieve goals. It is a management responsibilities to develop healthy
relationship among all staff members to reduce conflict and enhance motivation which help to
produce commodities with high quality. Through this, firm are able to improve clients
satisfaction. Administration of BT has implementing all legislation with in work place which
help to remove discrimination between candidates on the basis of cast, colour, nation, education,
gender, age and many more.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bulgurcu, B., Cavusoglu, H. and Benbasat, I., 2010. Information security policy compliance: an
empirical study of rationality-based beliefs and information security awareness. MIS
quarterly. 34(3). pp.523-548.
Decker, D. J., Riley, S. J. and Siemer, W. F. eds., 2012. Human dimensions of wildlife
management. JHU Press.
Hobfoll, S. E., 2011. Conservation of resource caravans and engaged settings. Journal of
occupational and organizational psychology. 84(1). pp.116-122.
Iles, P., Chuai, X. and Preece, D., 2010. Talent management and HRM in multinational
companies in Beijing: Definitions, differences and drivers. Journal of World Business.
45(2). pp.179-189.
Rousseau, D. M. and Barends, E. G., 2011. Becoming an evidence‐based HR practitioner.
Human Resource Management Journal, 21(3). pp.221-235.
Salvendy, G., 2012. Handbook of human factors and ergonomics. John Wiley & Sons.
Schuler, R. S., Jackson, S. E. and Tarique, I., 2011. Global talent management and global talent
challenges: Strategic opportunities for IHRM. Journal of World Business. 46(4).
pp.506-516.
Shuck, B. and Wollard, K., 2010. Employee engagement and HRD: A seminal review of the
foundations. Human Resource Development Review. 9(1). pp.89-110.
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.
Teece, D. J., 2012. Dynamic capabilities: Routines versus entrepreneurial action. Journal of
Management Studies. 49(8). pp.1395-1401.
Wilson, A. and et. al., 2012. Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm.
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Zheng, W., Yang, B. and McLean, G. N., 2010. Linking organizational culture, structure,
strategy, and organizational effectiveness: Mediating role of knowledge management.
Journal of Business research. 63(7). pp.763-771.
Online
Functions of HRM. 2017. [Online]. Available through: <https://www.keka.com/5-major-
functions-human-resource-management/>.
Human resource management. 2016. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/hrm/human-resource-management-functions-
managerial-operative-and-advisory-function/27995/>.
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