HR Function and Current Problems

This assignment provides an in-depth analysis of the HR function and its current challenges. It discusses the purpose of HR, identifies problems such as poor employee engagement and ineffective performance management, and explores strategies for improvement. The report also examines the roles and responsibilities of HR officers, advantages and disadvantages of selection methods, creating person specifications for roles, job advertising, and Microsoft's approaches to staff motivation.

HUMAN RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
(a) Purpose of HR function and its importance, given its current problems and futures plan for
further growth .............................................................................................................................1
(b) Roles and responsibilities of Human Resources officers .....................................................2
(c) Discuss the Advantage and Disadvantage of current selection methods and compare to
other approaches of selection methods.......................................................................................3
(d) Potential improvement to the current selection methods .....................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
(a) Creating a person specification for the role ..........................................................................4
b) Provide a rationale for a suitable medium for placing the advertisement:.............................4
(c) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the previous methods of advertising jobs in
the organization:..........................................................................................................................5
(d) Produce a minimum of 6 questions which could be asked at the interview for the
Receptionist, which would help to improve the selection decision making process:.................6
PART 2............................................................................................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
(a) Microsoft offer apprenticeship and graduate training schemes. Evaluate the benefits to
both the organisation and employees of such schemes: ............................................................6
(b)What developmental opportunities are available to staff once they are in a permanent job
role :............................................................................................................................................7
(c) Explain the benefits of the approach Microsoft has taken in respect of flexible working
practices.......................................................................................................................................8
(d) Explain how Microsoft motivates its workers through its job design and systems of reward
:....................................................................................................................................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
a) What is meant by the term employee engagement.................................................................9
b).Why is employee engagement an integral strategy of employee relations?...........................9

c). Identify some key approaches to engaging workers discussed in the summit and explain
their importance in terms of improving communication in the workplace:................................9
d).Identify the main pieces of employment legislation in the UK and explain how they
influence human resource decision making..............................................................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is an important part of the organization. It is the planning
of recruitment, selection, training, development and performance of employees. ‘Say It with
Chocolate’ is the organization which is providing chocolate based greeting cards and presents
across the UK. Company is rapidly expanding that is based in North Yorkshire. In this report, it
will be concluding the purpose, scope of HRM, recruitment and selection. Apart from that,
further study will be explaining the importance of Employee performance, development and
reward and factors that helps to influence HR decision making approach. Besides, assignment
will also explain the purpose or role of HR functions are also discussed for the organisations. HR
function is the necessary function in the organisation. It is necessary for them to analyse the
issues and problems facing by the company will also discuss in this report.
PART 1
TASK 1
(a) Purpose of HR function and its importance, given its current problems and futures plan for
further growth
HRM is the most important and necessary practices in the organisations. That helps to
recruit the person provides training and development opportunities to new joiners. It also plays a
major role to recruit and select the employees according to the specific needs of the
organisations. There are given some providing some functions and growth.
Training and Development: It is the function of HR. The purpose of this function is to
provide employee's performance in the company, so that the HR manager can give training to
employees for better working in the company (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). It helps in future
growth and development of employees as well as company. Through training and development,
helping to the employees' motivation. The say it with chocolates is the company who is to selling
the greeting cards and presents, so that the manager is to giving the training for the creating and
designing of the gifts orders.
Recruitment and Selection: It is another function of HR. The purpose of this function is
to recruit and select the better candidates for creating the job opportunities and future growth. It
is important for new candidates who wants to working in the organization. Through recruitment
and selection, HR is to selecting the right candidate for job positions. For the selection method,
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they are using the maths and English tests of the applicants. Through this function, it is helping
of the company for new recruiters entering in the company.
Employee Relation: The function of HR is to developing the relation with employees, so
that employees are working better with their HR, if all the employees are working together, that
is helpful for the company and employees for their future growth and development. Through
employees' relation, helping the company growth and development. Through this function,
company is to developing their relations with the employees for futures growth and development
of the company.
Compensation and Benefits: For employee and labour relation, it is beneficial of the
function of the HR. This function is to help employees for better performing and for company is
to helping in the motivation process that helps to encouragement and better possibilities of
outcomes. Through this function, helping for employees for better working in the company
(Brewster, 2017). The company is to ensuring that the compensation is beneficial for the
employees for better performance and future growth for the company.
There are many current problems and challenges facing by the HR. such as leadership
development, change management, measurement of effectiveness of HR, staffing, benefits costs
of health and safety of employees. Performance management, handling and planning the HR
policies, compensation management and performance appraisal are also challenges for the HR
officers. In the' say it with chocolate', there are many problems such as designing of greeting
cards, creating the presents, training of employees, recruitment and selection process faced by
the HR of the company.
(b) Roles and responsibilities of Human Resources officers
In the organization, HR officers are playing various roles and taking many
responsibilities. Such as conducting recruitment, selection process, organized the training and
development programmes, measuring the salary and wages and employees relations.
Recruitment and Selection: The HR officer is to conducting the recruitment and
selection process for creating the opportunities of new peoples who wants to work in their
organization. It is to helping to identifying the skills, knowledge and abilities of candidates.
Training and Development: For better performance of employees, HR is to giving
training and developing their skills, behaviour and abilities, therefore they are organizing many
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programmes for employees development and for company growth (Taylor, Doherty and
McGraw, 2015). It is important responsibilities for HR.
Performance Appraisal: It is the method of analysis the performance of employees in
the company. In this method which are including 360 degree feedback, rating methods and
simulation methods for analysing the performance of employees.
Employees Relation: HR officers is playing role of developing the connection and
relation with their employees. It is the important for build the goods image in the organization.
The HR is to establish the trust and confidence of employees.
(c) Discuss the Advantage and Disadvantage of current selection methods and compare to other
approaches of selection methods
In the organization, HR is adopting various selection methods for selecting the best
candidate. It includes application forms, employment interviews, test of abilities, aptitudes and
skills, personality test.
English and Maths test: In the selection method, taking the English and maths test by
the 'say it with chocolate' for selecting the applicants in the company. This test is to identifying
the calculation skills and knowledge.
Employment Interviews: It is the second method of selection. In this method, exchange
the information between the candidate and interviewer. Through this method, identifying their
skills, knowledge and abilities (Wilton, 2016). This is the advantage of this selection method.
Tests of abilities, aptitude and skills: Through this method, identifying the candidate's
abilities, aptitudes and skills. This test can be divided either paper tests or job sample test. The
advantage of this test is to identifying their knowledge.
Informal Interviews: The company is to using in recruitment and selection methods is
the informal interviews. By this methods, company is to identifying the communication skills,
person's attitude and abilities.
References: The company is selecting the candidates through references in recruitment
and selection methods for creating the opportunities for the new candidates.
(d) Potential improvement to the current selection methods
In the company, HR adopts various selection methods. For selecting the right candidate,
they are improving the methods of selection. For improving selection process, HR and
employees are working on these methods. For improving the selection methods, HR is that to
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ensure the candidate's talents has to be identified. Through preparation of interview question and
screening resumes for improving the process selection. Assessing all the candidates against the
selection criteria. Through better preparation of adopting the methods of selection is to helping
for conducting the selection process. The HR is ensuring that in the selection process, identifying
the experience, skills and knowledge (Mone and London, 2018). For improving the selection
process, HR is adopting on fixed job to changeable job, so that employees are easy to working in
the company. The recent trend of selection process is to clever and automatic candidate selection,
it is to helping for improving the method of selection.
TASK 2
(a) Creating a person specification for the role
Person specification is to description of the person's skills, experiences and personality.
The purpose of person specification is to helping to communicating equal opportunities policies
with in the cultures of business. The role of person specification is to helping to identifying
structure, challenges and cultures of the role and team. It is to identifying the technological skills,
communication skills, creativity skills and abilities from the candidates. For the requirements of
role, its includes qualification or education. It should be included personality of candidate who is
to fit for the team (Stone and Deadrick, 2015). Person specification includes soft skills, job
specific capabilities, physical attributes and attainments. It is enabled to comparing with other
candidates. It is to useful for recruitment and selection process. The person specification is the
important document in the effective recruitment and selection. It includes some practices for
complying with it. Job requirements are specific and measurable, job criteria are fair and relevant
and justifiable and each requirement are classes as essential and desirable. These criteria are to
complying with the person specification. Therefore, the person specification should be specific
and measurable.
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PERSON SPECIFICATION
JOB TITLE: Marketing Manager
RECRUTING MANGER: Practice manger
DATE: 07/10/18
QUALIFICATIONS ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE MET
Mathematics knowledge √
Management knowledge √
SKILLS ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE MET
Communication skills √
Interpersonal skills √
BEHAVIOUR ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE MET
Problem Solving √
Confidence √
SUMMARY:
Prepared by: Date:
Title:
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b) Provide a rationale for a suitable medium for placing the advertisement:
Different types of Advertising media are print media like magazines, newspaper,
brochures and fliers. Newspaper and different magazines sell advertising spaces in different parts
of publication to business who is promoting products and events. The cost of print media can
vary depend upon the location of the advertisement in publication like front page, above and
below etc, the quality of the material is used glossy ad or plain paper. Broadcast ads includes
internet, radio and television. It relies on eye catching images, video and audio to gain popularity
and attention. Outdoor advertisement like flags banners ,billboards and events. It can be used in
different ways to raise brand awareness, promote new services or products and provide
information about upcoming events or current events. So advertising in this way is great way to
expand business and each variety provide different results(Armstrong and Taylor,2014).Social
media is also another platform for placing the advertisement. Social media like whatsit,
Facebook, twitter, you tube help any organization to promote their business product. Internet
advertising are rich media advertisement, paid search advertising, search engine market, online
video gaming, paid inclusion, email advertising and social media advertisement(as discussed ).
(c) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the previous methods of advertising jobs in the
organization:
For any business every dollar is precious. Any organization advertisement campaign
should translate to greater sales and more profits. For small business below are the advantages
and disadvantage (Brewster,2017):
1.Pay per click advertisement (search engines) advantages:
i).Pay only for clicks.
ii).It can generate immediate visibility as ads go live as soon as possible.
iii).It allows for quick easy tracking of effectiveness of campaign allowing organization to better
analyze the return on investment.
Pay per click advertisement disadvantages:
i)Click through fraud where user maliciously click on adverts from dishonest competitors to
website owners who earns from advertisement shown on their pages.
ii).It requires monitoring otherwise,outsource to pay per click management company which in
turn will increase the cost of campaign.
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2.Social media Advertising : Social media consists of both social networking sites and social
bookmarking includes blogs, video sharing sites such as you tube, twitter,Facebook, linked in
and snap chat etc.
Social Media Advertising advantages:
i).It helps for building customer relationship and offers incredible reach and opportunities to
connect with customers.
ii).Tools of social media are expensive.
Social Media Advertising disadvantages:
i).It can be hard branding tool for small business and it is not easy to build awareness.
ii).Many visitors go to social media sites to socialize and they are not interested in advertising.
3.Direct Mail:In direct response marketing technique seller sends marketing messages to the
buyer.
Direct Mail advertising advantages:
i)Active involvement
ii).The organization campaign is hidden from the other competitors.
Direct Mail advertising disadvantages:
i).Some people don't like to open mail and without read they delet the mail.
ii).It can be expensive depending on the target market.
(d) Produce a minimum of 6 questions which could be asked at the interview for the
Receptionist, which would help to improve the selection decision making process:
Recruitment process for any company is an important part of human resource (HR) team.
I t is not done without proper strategic planning. Recruitment is defined as process that provides
the organization with pool of qualified job candidate from which to choose. It based on internal
and external factors.
Internal factor includes production fussbudget constraints, global expansion plans and sales
increases or decreases. Where the external factors include changes in laws, unemployment rates,
shifts in population, shifts in urban. Suburban and rural areas and competition. The most
question asked in interview
1.Tell me about yourself?
2.why did you leave your last job?
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3.what experience do you have in this field?
4.What do co-workers say about your work?
5.What kind of salary you expected?
6.How you would be an asset to the organization ?
PART 2
TASK 3
(a) Microsoft offer apprenticeship and graduate training schemes. Evaluate the benefits to both
the organisation and employees of such schemes:
Apprenticeship programmer is the combination of on job training and classroom training
where workers earn while learning skills required for performing the job. Apprenticeship help to
reduce youth employment. In the apprenticeship a person spend his/her time working through
projects alongside developers and other apprentices. The dedicated mentor will work with a
person with providing guidance and instruction on areas of challenges or weakness. It is given to
technical staff such as mechanics, electricians, craftsmen, welders etc. who work under experts
of each field for longer period(Mone and London, 2018). Advantages of apprenticeship training
is earned while learning, gaining real life experience, mastering in particular job field, increased
confidence, improved productivity, mentor support and maximum learning. The limitations of
apprenticeship are fewer wages, minimum education qualification required to enter into some
apprenticeship programmer are four categories of apprentices are trade apprentice ,Graduate
apprentices, technician apprentice and technician apprentice(Wilton 2016.).In Trade apprentice
8th,10th 12th standard and ITI pass eligible to undergo apprenticeship in designated. In graduate
apprentice a person should hold engineering/non engineering training in designated trade.
Technician apprentice in which a person who holds certificate in vocational course after
completion of secondary stage of school education.
(b)What developmental opportunities are available to staff once they are in a permanent job
role :
There are various reasons for taking permanent role in job. As an professional the one has
choice to get a job as permanent with an organization or to become a contract worker. Top
reasons to go permanent
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Career development :Better long term career development opportunities as organization are
likely to promote from within.
Job security :The market when times are tough in the market as well as when they are good.
Employee Benefits:like annual leave, sick leave and long service leave etc.
Lifestyle: A permanent job allow person to plan for long term. There is also less administration
such as varied income and accountancy fees.
Time work :Team work allows to fully be part of the team get involved in the culture and
shaping the direction of the organization
Training, certifications and staff incentives : Employee are likely to invest in these things for
permanent employees and allow keeping investing in organization.
Better Projects more accountability : The employers want to protect their intellectual property
which is more likely to be trusted with this as permanent employee.
Tools of the trade:
Commitment:On the resume shows commitment, stability and progression.
(c) Explain the benefits of the approach Microsoft has taken in respect of flexible working
practices
For employee's quality of life flexible working methods have become more popular. For
instance, the service sector need to support long term projects in shipping,
banking ,telecommunication media and oil led to new work processes that focus on customer
satisfaction while introducing flexible work methods. Many of the flexible methods factors
including job's suitability for flexibility, job loyalty and attitude towards flexible working hours
directly affect the employee performance. Step back, work together, know your employees, plan
for change and make the transition(Sharma and Dhar, 2016).
(d) Explain how Microsoft motivates its workers through its job design and systems of reward :
The keys to developing a reward program as follows:
i).Identification of company goals that reward program will support.
ii).Identification of desired employee performance that will reinforce the organization's goal.
iii).Communication of program to employee
iv).Determination of appropriate rewards
There are different types of reward program like
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i).Variable pay:It is a compensation program in which portion of person's pay is considered at
risk
ii).Bonuses :It is used in American business for some time. It can also be used to recognize group
accomplishment.
iii).Profit sharing: It refers to strategy of creating pool of monies to be disbursed to employee by
taking a stated % of the employee's salary and is disbursed after a business closes (Sharma and
Dhar,2016.).
Stock options :Stock option programs give employees the right to buy specified period. They are
authorized by an organization's board of directors and approved by shareholders.
One benefit to offering stock option is organization ability to take tax deduction for
compensation expense when it issues share to employee who are exercising their options.
TASK 4
a) What is meant by the term employee engagement
Employee engagement is the relationship between an organization and its employees. The
engage employee is one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about the organization work
and takes positive action to further the organization's reputation. It is actually level of enthusiasm
and dedication an employee feels towards his or her job. When a good manager recognizes
committed employee, they have to find ways of keeping them involved. Ten factors contributing
to employee engagement are career development opportunities, flexibility, fair pay structure,
cultural diversity, transparency and honesty, autonomy and inspiration. In summary employee
engagement is all about valuing employees. It should be noted that engaged employee is
productive active and disciplined.
b).Why is employee engagement an integral strategy of employee relations?
The last few years have been real challenge for all the companies because leaders and
managers have higher expectations, employees are plying attention to their safety and the
combination of these two factors influences how employees are engaged. Top ten employee
engagement key factor are Commitment, attitude, alignment, communication,goals, customer
focus, commitment, loyalty and ownership. Engagement is good for the company for
shareholders and for the employees. The significant changes to work site demographics over past
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decade are increasing cost of living, higher number of women and high percentage of workers
with multiple risk factors.
c). Identify some key approaches to engaging workers discussed in the summit and explain their
importance in terms of improving communication in the workplace:
Effective communication is a critically requirement in the healthy operation of any
organization. Open door policy is a popular approach in which managers are encouraged to leave
their office doors open to facilitate communication and collaboration. This is the best way to
learn and respond proactively to the concerns of their employees. When review given
correctly ,it can help employees to the organization and foster more trusting relationship between
managers and their subordinates. Coaching at the moment is powerful strategies. Instant
feedback and suggestions allow for managers to remain engaged(Stone, Deadrick and
Johnson2015).
d).Identify the main pieces of employment legislation in the UK and explain how they influence
human resource decision making
the main pieces of employment legislation is the relation between workers. Employers
and trade unions. To get fair labor standard beyond the minimum the most important right is to
collectively participate in decisions about how an enterprise is managerial example in
universities staff can vote for the directors of the organization.
CONCLUSION
In this report, it can be concluded that discussing the purpose of HR function and current
problems. It can be concluding roles and responsibilities of HR officers, advantages and
disadvantages of selection methods. Creating the person specification for the roles, advantages
and disadvantages of the job advertising. It also concluding employees engagement, their internal
strategy of employee relation. It can be identifying the approaches to engaging workers to
improving the communication and also identifying the employment legislation. It can be
concluded that benefits of approaches of Microsoft to staff for permanent of job and explaining
the motivation of employees.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014.Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Brewster, C., 2017. The integration of human resource management and corporate strategy.
InPolicy and practice in European human resource management(pp. 22-35). Routledge.
Taylor, T., Doherty, A. and McGraw, P., 2015.Managing people in sport organizations: A
strategic human resource management perspective. Routledge.
Wilton, N., 2016.An introduction to human resource management. Sage.
Mone, E.M. and London, M., 2018.Employee engagement through effective performance
management: A practical guide for managers. Routledge.
Stone, D.L. and Deadrick, D.L., 2015. Challenges and opportunities affecting the future of
human resource management.Human Resource Management Review.25(2).pp.139-145.
Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R. and Kynighou, A., 2016.Human resource
management at work. Kogan Page Publishers.
Stone, D.L., Deadrick, D.L. and Johnson, R., 2015. The influence of technology on the future of
human resource management.Human Resource Management Review.25(2). pp.216-231.
Shah, N., Irani, Z. and Sharif, A.M., 2017. Big data in an HR context: Exploring organizational
change readiness, employee attitudes and behaviors.Journal of Business Research.70.
pp.366-378.
Sharma, J. and Dhar, R.L., 2016. Factors influencing job performance of nursing staff: mediating
role of affective commitment.Personnel Review.45(1). pp.161-182.
Inkinen, H., 2016. Review of empirical research on knowledge management practices and firm
performance.Journal of knowledge management.20(2). pp.230-257.
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