Human Resource Management: Issues and Trends

This assignment delves into the multifaceted world of Human Resource Management (HRM), examining pressing issues and emerging trends. It encourages critical analysis of topics like talent management strategies, the impact of work-life balance on employee retention, and the evolving role of HRM in fostering sustainability within organizations.

Running head: Role of human resource management
Role of human resource management

Role of human resource management
Executive summary
The paper talks about the key issues of recruitment and selection in the human resource
management. It explains that how Woolworth's deals and measures all these key challenges.
Woolworths is one of the largest supermarket companies and it plays a vital role in growth and
success of the firm. It also explains the effective recommended strategies and approaches to
address these various key challenges. The company is maintaining the sustainability and
corporate social responsibilities in the market. It explains that how the firm is making various
strategies to reduce the key challenges of human resource department.
2

Role of human resource management
Table of Contents
Executive summary.....................................................................................................................................2
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................4
Key challenges.............................................................................................................................................4
Recommendation strategies and approaches to solving the key challenges...............................................6
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................9
References.................................................................................................................................................10
3

Role of human resource management
Introduction
The report analyses and evaluates the significance and impact of the sustainable human
resource management. Woolworths Company has been selected to analyze and measure the key
issues of the human resource department. The report talks about the various key challenges that
are faced by the company since its development and it also explains that how to overcome these
challenges. It contains information about the company requirements, strategies, and its results.
Woolworths is an Australian supermarkets company which deals in retail and supermarket
products. It was founded on 5 December 1924 and its headquarters is located in Bella Vista, New
South Wales, Australia. Mostly, the company is selling the groceries products such as
vegetables, meat, fruits and packaged food etc. Apart from these products, the firm also sells the
various magazines, stationery items, and DVDs. Currently, the firm manages 1000 stores around
the Australia. There are approx 111,000 employees are employed in the organization. The
company is growing its business day by day.
Key challenges
The key challenges faced by Woolworths Company have shown the immense impact on
the growth and success of the company. The key challenges of the company are very complex
and tough. It is necessary for the firm to maintain a good working environment for the
employees so that they can work efficiently and effectively. The Company is facing various
issues and challenges due to the poor strategies and approaches. It is necessary for the company
to make and implement the strategies according to the needs and requirements of the customers.
Woolworth’s has not received its fortune due to the lack of labor supply in the market. The
organization is not using the norms and policies of the company in a correct manner. The
Company is struggling to figure out the solutions to overcome these challenges. The key
challenges of the company include such as labor supply/demand, aging workforce, generations,
time management etc. These challenges are faced by the company in order to achieve the mission
and vision of the company (Gellatly, Hunter, Currie & Irving, 2009).
Slowing consumer cycle:
4

Role of human resource management
To achieve the long-term goals and objectives, it is necessary for the company to provide
the various products to the consumers on a daily basis. This is a major key challenge and threats
for the company, therefore; it has to focus on the consumer cycle. It is one the biggest brands in
the Australia (McDonnell, Collings, Mellahi & Schuler, 2017).
Product quality becoming an issue:
Woolworths is a supermarket company thus, the company is accountable to supply the
good quality of products and services to the customers. But the firm is not providing the regular
products and services to the consumers. Maintaining a good product quality is a big key
challenge for the organization. The company needs to make good strategies to resolve this
problem (Saridakis, Lai & Cooper, 2017).
Weak staff morale:
The weak staff is a major concern in this company and it leads to conflict and disputes in the
organization. Weak staff leads to various disadvantages and limitations. It wastes a lot of time
and it also affects the decision-making process. It decreases the productivity and efficiency of the
employees. The company cannot achieve the goals and objectives without efficient and potential
employees (Kramar, 2014).
Organizational image
The organizational image is a very important factor for every organization. It is a most
important challenge for the company to maintain its organization's image. If the company wants
to gain the long-term success then it should focus on the goodwill and position of the firm. Now
a day’s the firm is not maintaining the good position in the market due to its negative image.
Thus, it influences the business success and growth rate of the firm.
Market Scrutiny:
The market security is also a big issue in this company. Thus, it is necessary for the firm
to be aware of the marketing needs. Woolworth’s growth and success is not stable in the market.
The company needs to examine the daily requirements of the market (Kramar, 2014).
Labor supply and demand
5

Role of human resource management
Labor supply and demand are a very important concern for the company. It is also
affecting the business actions and operations of the firm. The firm does not provide the detail
description of the employment to the new candidates. Thus, various difficulties are faced by the
organization. The firm needs to maintain the proper record of the new candidates (Wright &
Grant, A. 2010).
Demographic issues
The demographic issues affect the entire business of the organization. Demographic
factors include the culture, values, customs, sex, religion, and diversity. Other demographic
issues include the aging workforce and generations. The firm does not maintain the records of
the new applicants. The company does not focus on the health of the applicants. Diversity is also
another problem for the company because the firm is not diversifying the business activities and
functions across the world. It does not provide the cross-cultural training to the workers. Thus, it
affects the productivity and performance of the workers. Apart from these key challenges, the
company does not provide the fair remuneration and compensation to the competent and capable
applicants. Thus, they get frustrated and disappointed within the organization. In this way, they
are not able to perform effectively and efficiently. It has become the cause of high employee
turnover in the organization. Therefore, the company could not gain the long-term mission and
objectives. All these challenges are being faced by the firm thus the Woolworths should control
and managed these challenges (Deery & Jago, 2015).
Recommendation strategies and approaches to solving the key challenges
After various researchers, it has been evaluated that the firm should prevent these
challenges to gain the success and growth in the market. It should look after the various excellent
and effective strategies and approaches to control these key issues near future. It should
implement some plans and approaches in the management and operation of the company. The
firm should develop the sustainable human resource management in the organization.
Woolworths cannot control these key challenges without effective human resource management.
The effective strategies and approaches have been discussed below (Christensen Hughes & Rog,
2008).
6

Role of human resource management
1. Woolworths should use attractive and effective employer brand strategy to reduce
the various key issues of the human resource management. The brand indicates
the goodwill and financial position of the company. It gives various competitive
advantages in the market. Through employer branding strategy, the company can
attract the potential and competent candidates in the market (Boselie, Brewster &
Paauwe, J. (2009).
2. Talking about the key strategies of the firm, it can be said that the company is
using the effective strategies to attract the more candidates in the market. It should
make plans and approaches to address these key challenges.
3. The demographic issues are the big concern in the company. The company should
focus on the demographic issues of the company. It should make effective
policies to identify and evaluate these challenges. The firm is unable to manage
the diversity in the organization. Thus, the firm should provide the diversity and
cross-cultural training to the employees to reduce these challenges.
4. The company should provide a healthy and hygienic working environment to the
employees to motivate the employees for doing the task and duties. The firm
should make effective policies for recruitment and selection of the employees
(Runar Edvardsson, 2008).
5. The company should appoint a committee to resolve the various employees’
disputes and conflicts. The committee will also help to guide the employees and it
will provide satisfaction to the applicants.
6. The company should maintain stability in the market. It should check the
availability of the products being supplied in the market is enough and reach each
and every consumer in the market. In this way, the company can evaluate and
check the taste, requirements, and preferences of the employees (Patrick
Neumann & Dul, 2010).
7. To control the weak labor force the company should motivate the employees to
improve the performance and efficiency of the employees. The company can also
increase the amount of labor workforce by increasing and expanding its business
activities and operations across the world. In this way, the organization can find
7

Role of human resource management
out the potential and competent applicants for the employment (Runar
Edvardsson, 2008).
8. The firm should implement some reward and performance management
techniques to improve the performance and productivity of the employees. Apart
from this, it should develop fair compensation and remuneration system for
providing satisfaction to the workers (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014).
9. The firm must make effective plan and strategy to improve the quality of products
and services. The Company should focus on the brand name and goodwill. It will
increase and improve the productivity and demand of the firm.
10. To meet the daily requirement of the consumer, it should check the consumer
cycle by maintaining a proper record of it. This will make them the company to
overcome this challenge and guide them towards the betterment of availability of
products and services (Gomes, Angwin, Peter & Mellahi, 2012).
11. To attract the more candidates in the market, the firm should use effective
advertising strategy. It will also help to gain the various long-term competitive
advantages. The company uses advertising strategy to promote the products and
services of the company. It will help to reduce the key challenges of recruitment
and selection (Mody, Miller, McGloin, Freeman, Marcantonio, Magaziner &
Studenski, 2008).
12. The company should maintain proper two-way communication system in the
organization to maintain good managerial relations between superior and
employee. The top management should maintain the proper collaboration and
cooperation. The managers and superior should maintain the unity, trust, and
belief among the various employees (Cooke, 2009). It should provide cross-
cultural training to expatriates to understand the culture of the host country. The
company should provide the online cross-cultural training to the workers thus. It
will save the time and money. It will help to reduce the key challenges of human
resource management. The Employer branding and advertising strategy play
significant strategies in the organization. The firm should focus on the favorable
labor supply and demand in the market. The company should focus on the
sustainability and corporate social responsibility in order to meet the goals and
8

Role of human resource management
objectives. The top management and superiors should maintain the positive
behavior and attitude to improve the quality of the workers. It will also help to
provide better retail products and services to the firm. The company should use
entire strategies to address and reduce the various key challenges of recruitment
and selection (Paauwe, 2009).
Conclusion
After various researchers, it has been noted that human resource management plays a vital and
significant role in Woolworths. Although, the company is fulfilling the requirements and needs
of the new applicants but still various recruitment and selection key challenges have been faced
by the company. Thus, the company uses the various strategies and approaches in order to
correct the management actions and to improve the product quality and performance of the
workers.
9

Role of human resource management
References
Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Boselie, P., Brewster, C., & Paauwe, J. (2009). In search of balance–managing the dualities of
HRM: an overview of the issues. Personnel Review, 38(5), 461-471.
Christensen Hughes, J., & Rog, E. (2008). Talent management: A strategy for improving
employee recruitment, retention and engagement within hospitality
organizations. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 20(7),
743-757.
Cooke, F. L. (2009). A decade of transformation of HRM in China: A review of literature and
suggestions for future studies. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 47(1), 6-40.
Deery, M., & Jago, L. (2015). Revisiting talent management, work-life balance and retention
strategies. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(3), 453-
472.
Gellatly, I. R., Hunter, K. H., Currie, L. G., & Irving, P. G. (2009). HRM practices and
organizational commitment profiles. The International Journal of Human Resource
Management,, 20(4), 869-884.
Gomes, E., Angwin, D., Peter, E., & Mellahi, K. (2012). HRM issues and outcomes in African
mergers and acquisitions: a study of the Nigerian banking sector. The International
Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(14), 2874-2900.
Kramar, R. (2014). Beyond strategic human resource management: is sustainable human
resource management the next approach?. The International Journal of Human Resource
Management, 25(8), 1069-1089.
10

Role of human resource management
McDonnell, A., Collings, D. G., Mellahi, K., & Schuler, R. (2017). Talent management: a
systematic review and future prospects. European Journal of International
Management, 11(1), 86-128.
Mody, L., Miller, D. K., McGloin, J. M., Freeman, M., Marcantonio, E. R., Magaziner, J., &
Studenski, S. (2008). Recruitment and retention of older adults in aging research. Journal
of the American Geriatrics Society, 56(12), 2340-2348.
Paauwe, J. (2009). HRM and performance: Achievements, methodological issues and
prospects. Journal of Management studies, 46(1), 129-142.
Patrick Neumann, W., & Dul, J. (2010). Human factors: spanning the gap between OM and
HRM. International journal of operations & production management, 30(9), 923-950.
Runar Edvardsson, I. (2008). HRM and knowledge management. Employee Relations, 30(5),
553-561.
Saridakis, G., Lai, Y., & Cooper, C. L. (2017). Exploring the relationship between HRM and
firm performance: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Human Resource
Management Review, 27(1), 87-96.
Wright, B. E., & Grant, A. M. (2010). Unanswered questions about public service motivation:
Designing research to address key issues of emergence and effects. Public administration
review, 70(5), 691-700.
11