Human Resource Management: Purpose, Functions, and Practices

This document provides an overview of Human Resource Management (HRM) in the context of workforce planning. It explains the purpose and functions of HRM, evaluates the strength and weakness of different approaches for recruitment and selection, describes the benefits of HRM practices for both employers and employees, and evaluates the effectiveness of HRM practices for raising organizational profit and productivity. It also analyzes the importance of employee relations in influencing HRM decision-making and discusses the key elements of employment legislation that impact HRM decision-making. The document is based on the case study of Unilever, a leading consumer goods company.

Unit – 3
Human Resource
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
TASK 1......................................................................................................................................3
P1. Explain the purpose and functions of HRM that are applicable to workforce for
planning..................................................................................................................................3
P2. Describing strength and weakness of different approaches for recruitment and selection
................................................................................................................................................5
TASK 2......................................................................................................................................6
P3. Describing the benefits of different HRM practices within organisation for both
employer and employees........................................................................................................6
P4. Evaluate the effectiveness of various HRM practices for raising organisational profit
and productivity......................................................................................................................6
TASK 3......................................................................................................................................7
P5. Analyse importance of employee relations to influence HRM decision-making............7
P6. Identify the key elements of employment legislation that impact HRM decision making
................................................................................................................................................8
TASK 4......................................................................................................................................8
P7. Illustrate the application of HRM practices in work-related context, using specific
examples.................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management refers as the strategic decision process of managers for
maximising the performance of their employees to achieve organisation goals and objectives
efficiently. The organisation selected for this project is Unilever which provides the nutrition,
hygiene and personal care with its brands that lead customers to feel and look good in their
livelihood (Berman and et.al., 2019). This project explains the purpose and functions of HRM
that are implied by workforce for achieving success. It further evaluates the strength and
weakness of different methods and procedures for recruitment and selection that are essential
in HRM practices for both employer and employees. Additionally, it determines the
effectiveness of various HRM practices for maximising organisational revenue and
profitability ratios. This project also examines the key elements of employment relations,
legislation which impact upon HRM strategic decision making by illustrating the application
of HRM practices in work-related applications.
TASK 1
P1. Explain the purpose and functions of HRM that are applicable to workforce for planning
Human Resource Management (HRM):- It is defined as the strategic decision
making procedure implemented by managers to execute for goal achievement. The HR
managers of Unilever implement HRM as to gain competitive advantages to remain stable in
global market.
Functions of HRM:- These are categorised into five functions of HRM which are
described with reference to Unilever is as follows:-
 Planning:- This is referred as the first procedure for an organisation to develop new
idea for strategic decision-making to attain success by competing with rivalries. HR
managers of Unilever strategise innovative ideas to improve their internal strength to
overcome weakness by analysing and researching for current and future needs of end-
users.
 Organising:- It is the process in which workers are diversified with their tasks and
activity to perform in achieving specific target efficiently. The HR managers of
Unilever decentralise the activities of employees through various departments which
increase effectiveness by performing their specialised task.
 Staffing:- This procedure includes recruitment, selection, placement, orientation,
training and development of employees properly fills the vacancy that reduce delay in
accomplishment of goal. HR managers of Unilever focus on this function by
recruiting and selecting the right candidate at vacant place with prescribed job through
its qualification (Bratton and Gold, 2017).
 Directing:- It is the process which directs and manage the actions performed by
employees through quality management for satisfying needs, desire and wants of end-
users. The HR managers of Unilever direct employees to complete their task with

eagerness and time management for being awarded by tangible and intangible
rewards.
 Controlling:- This is explained as the procedure to control the actions performed by
employees through rectifying the errors with new idea of corrective measures. The
HR managers of Unilever monitor the activities performed by workers that create
opportunity for growth and stability of business.
The comparison between Best Fit Approach and Best Practise is as follows:-.
Best Fit Approach Best Practice
It is also described as contingency approach. It is considered as universal approach.
This is interdependent which focus on
selecting the effective policies of Human
Resource.
This depends upon matching the policies
with organisation environment.
Workforce Planning:- It is the regular process which keeps on performing actions
consecutively by analysing the needs and priorities of workers within organisation (Cascio,
2015). The HR managers of Unilever focus on their workforce planning to meet the
regulatory service, legislation and production requirements for achieving the objectives.
There are various types of labour market which are classified as below:-
 Physical and Mental labour
 Skilled and Unskilled labour
 Productive and Unproductive Labour
PESTLE Analysis:- This framework analyse the changes in macro-environmental
factors that affects growth and stability of business either positively or negatively. The
various trends of labour market are further explained through PESTLE analysis for the HR
managers of Unilever is as follows:-
 Political factor:- The HR managers of Unilever are adversely affected as they have to
implement innovative ideas by breaking the actions of existing activity and
proceeding with new plan. This impact instability for business as it creates delay in
achievement of goal and objectives.
 Economic factor:- The HR managers of Unilever are negatively impacted by
fluctuating foreign exchange rates which affects the business for retention in
performance of labour.
 Social factor:- The HR managers of Unilever are positively impacted as they create
job opportunities for members of society who are educated that will increase
efficiency for success of business (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2018).
 Technological factor:- The HR managers of Unilever are favourably affected for
positioning goods to end-users that maximise revenue and profits with total quality
management.

 Legal factors:- The HR managers of Unilever are unfavourably affected as they are
bound for paying minimum wages to employees which reduce their maximisation of
profits.
 Environmental factors:- The HR managers of Unilever are positively impacted in
reducing environmental issues through corrective measures to solve them which
increase consumer support and loyalty.
P2. Describing strength and weakness of different approaches for recruitment and selection
Recruitment:- This is described as the stages of attracting, short-listing, selecting and
appointing right candidate at right job and place within business. The HR managers of
Unilever fulfil the vacancy of organisation by posting the new person in case of death and
retirement. There are various types of recruitment process which are as follows:-
 Internal Sources:- This includes transfer and promotion of employee within an
organisation from lower to upper position. HR manager of Unilever attempts to fill
vacancies of candidate through promotion, re-hiring, etc.
 External Sources:- It is the process which involves recruitment of employees from
outside the business by recruiting at factory gate, advertisement, educational
institutions, labour contractors, telecasting, etc. The HR managers of Unilever focus
on employment agencies to increase efficiency by division of work through
specialisation (Delery and Gupta, 2016).
Selection:- This refers as the procedure for selecting candidates that are suitable with
the vacancy of business by analysing their qualification, job experiences, etc. The HR
managers of Unilever pick the person through varieties of interview and background referrals
for analysing the right person at right job. It is further classified into different methods of
selection which are mentioned with reference to managers of Unilever as:-
Selection Tests:-
 Strength:- It focus on selecting the application of candidates who are suitable for
vacancy.
 Weakness:- This increase time consumption by focusing on each and every
application implied by the job seekers.
Reference and Background Checks:-
 Strength:- This focus on reference of candidate by analysing their personality and
background for verifying any case in life which may negatively impact the business.
 Weakness:- It affects the trust and social status of candidate which delays in goal
achievement.
Job Offer:-
 Strength:- The selected person is introduced and placed with job that fulfil vacancy
of business and increase efficiency with job specialisation.

 Weakness:- The candidate is trained and developed for its specialisation of skills
which result in high cost of production (Guest, 2017).
On-Boarding and induction:-
The issues affecting successful induction and socialisation of employees are done by
continuous improvement in their performance through motivating them with monetary and
non-monetary terms. It increases employee engagement and involvement by building
relations while performing their task collectively with co-ordination for specific target.
TASK 2
P3. Describing the benefits of different HRM practices within organisation for both employer
and employees
Learning is defined as the ability to acquire and update knowledge, information,
behaviour, values, skills, etc. Development refers to generate growth, progress, positive
change of physical attitudes in candidates, etc., which develops active behaviour of
employees with motivation. Training is described as to undertake action of workforce for
increasing their abilities and skills by regularly exercising that increase efficiency.
Reward management:- This refers to implement policies and strategies for
motivating employees to perform their actions with eagerness, involvement and engagement.
The intrinsic rewards that include personal achievement, professionalism, sense of pleasure,
etc., whereas extrinsic reward involves motivation that is based upon tangible methods with
bonus, incentives, etc.
The link between motivational theory and reward is to motivate employees with
either intrinsic or extrinsic rewards that lead to achieve success efficiently by competing with
rivalries (Kaufman, 2019).
Series of job design-job extension techniques consists of rotation, enlargement and
enrichment of work that solve problems for target achievement.
Benefits for employers:- The employers are benefited by the extrinsic rewards which
consist of bonus, profit sharing, medical, life insurance, paid vacations, sick leaves, etc.
The HR managers of Unilever provide benefits to its employers for directing and
controlling the activities to achieve goal efficiently.
Benefits to employees:- The employees are highly advantageous by the intrinsic rewards
of organisation for their health care, retirement, wellness program, etc. The HR managers
of Unilever attempts to facilitate workforce by non-monetary terms through appraisal and
promotion for motivating them to perform effectively for specific task.

P4. Evaluate the effectiveness of various HRM practices for raising organisational profit and
productivity
Performance management:- It perform certain actions by analysing the
requirements of consumers as they are the king of organisation which are to be fulfilled. The
HR managers of Unilever focus on performance management of their employees as it create
opportunity for growth and stability of business in economy (Poór and et.al., 2018). This
achieves organisation goals and objectives by full utilisation of scarce resources within less
time consumption. Some of the methods for performance management are explained to
monitor employee work as:-
 Management by Objectives (MBO):- This appraisal method is described as to
perform task collectively with managers and employers by analysing, organising and
communicating the plan for goal achievement. The HR managers of Unilever focus
on the performance of employees by eliminating the mistakes with corrective
measures.
 360-Degree Feedback:- It is the ability of employees to motivate and appraise its
managers, peers, customers, suppliers with self-evaluation that results in improvement
of performance (Riley, 2014). The HR managers of Unilever analyse the activities
with their determination, involvement and engagement to accomplish the certain
specified goal.
The different types of reward payment system have been mentioned with reference to
Unilever are as follows:-
 Tangible rewards:- It is the reward system which consists of bonus, incentives, etc.,
that is described in monetary terms to appraise workers. The HR managers of
Unilever focus on performance appraisal by motivating their employees for tangible
rewards for increasing effectiveness by building employee relations.
 Intangible rewards:- This refers as to provide prizes, awards, vacations, shields,
trophies, etc., which develops annual celebrations for exceptional performance. The
HR managers of Unilever facilitate their workers with intangible rewards by
developing motivation with co-ordinations that reduce conflicts.
TASK 3
P5. Analyse importance of employee relations to influence HRM decision-making
Employee relations:- It refers to the relationship of workers through co-operation in
the business environment by performing their actions collaboratively towards the specific
goal. The HR managers of Unilever focus in developing trust and faith among employees
which reduce conflicts and restricts delay in goal achievement.
Strategies for building and improving employee relations and engagement are
mentioned with reference to managers of Unilever are as follows:-

 Improve trust and confidence:- It develops the trust and confidence by co-
ordination among employees. The HR managers of Unilever focus on accomplishing
the task with division of work for specific target by developing employee relations.
 Increase motivation:- The employees are motivated by completing their activities
on particular duration for bonus and incentives. The HR managers of Unilever
motivate their workers through performance appraisal (Sikora and Ferris, 2014).
 Reduce conflicts:- The employee relations reduce conflicts through proper
understanding, managing actions, developing interest to work, etc. The HR managers
of Unilever reduce conflicts by motivating workers to perform actions collectively
that develops trust and faith with co-ordination.
The purpose of employment law is mentioned as under:-
 Fair wages and hour:- The employment law focus on distributing fair wages to
workers in accordance to hours performed. The HR managers of Unilever monitor the
actions performed by employees through their time consumption for analysing wages
with bonus, incentives, etc.
 Equality among employees:- The employment law concentrates on managing
equality among all workers by avoiding partiality which further generates jealousy.
The HR managers of Unilever attempts for equalisation as it develop motivation to
perform actions with eagerness to achieve goal.
P6. Identify the key elements of employment legislation that impact HRM decision making
Employee legislations:- This is defined as legal and lawful objectives implied by
government in order to develop relation between manager, leader, employer and union. The
HR manager of Unilever focuses on employment legislation as to treat every worker equally
by providing them minimum wages in order to survive their livelihood of food, cloth and
shelter. The key legal issues and constraints mainly depend upon the equality, data protection,
health and safety, redundancy, dismissal, employment contracts, etc. Some of these
employment legislations are described below:-
 Collective agreements:- It is the procedure for employers and employees to perform
their task collectively as team to achieve certain specific target. The HR managers of
Unilever focus on this to achieve organisation goals effectively.
 Discipline:- This law determine the discipline process of employees while performing
their activities with reduction of conflicts and misunderstanding. The HR managers of
Unilever manage discipline among their workers to increase efficiency for
achievement of success (Wilton, 2016).
 Grievances:- It refers to the problems or complaints of employees regarding their
employers for partiality or inequality. The HR manager of Unilever concentrates on
legally binding process for employer to handle the grievances within business.
 Redundancy:- It is the format which consists of dismissal from job on their
retirement and death of worker which reduce their workforce. The HR managers of
Unilever attempt to meet the ethical norms and code of conduct for achieving the
desired goal without much delay to compete with rivalries in global market.

TASK 4
P7. Illustrate the application of HRM practices in work-related context, using specific
examples
Recruitment procedure:- It is defined as the process to recruit an new candidate
within an organisation by creating job opportunities for unemployed persons and motivating
existing people through promotion. This is further explained with reference to mangers of
Unilever are as follows:-
Job analysis:- This procedure determine vacancy of job and at what specialisation
with which duty and responsibility. The HR managers of Unilever recruit the new candidate
at right job and place within business that create opportunity to achieve success efficiently.
Job description:- It refers to describe the new joinee about their job and interact with
surroundings by explaining their duties and responsibilities which are to be performed with
specialisation. The HR managers of Unilever narrate the roles of worker which are to be done
with specialisation in good atmosphere of business.
Job Title Team Leader
Job Purpose  The team leader must consolidate
with worker by interaction and
provide comfort zone to perform
actions.
 Leader must decentralise the activities
in accordance for capacity of workers
without giving much burden.
Job Duties  The team leader has to play major role
in helping their managers by
managing actions for effective result
with their team members at particular
duration.
 Leader must be acknowledge about
the product is able to meet the
requirements of its end-users.
Skills and Qualification  Good knowledge of work
 Self – Motivated
 Team-delegator
 Tolerance
 Vulnerable

Personal specification:- The selected candidate is further introduced to its sub-
ordinates, colleagues, supervisors, managers, etc. The HR managers of Unilever orient the
employee with personal description by providing employment.
Curriculum Vitae
Tom Mercer,
95, City Road, London
Email Id: tom123.xyz @gmail.com
Career Objective: The aim is to develop strategic decision making process that provide scope
to utilize my talent and increase competition with my hard work and determination as being part
of the group that create opportunity to achieve organisation goal.
Qualification:
Master of Business Administration in Human Resource and marketing from a well known
university.
Bachelor of Business Administration.
Work experience:
One year teaching experience as professor in an University by giving lectures in HRM on
organisational behaviour, motivation, employee relations and performance measurement and
appraisals
Skills:
Effective communication skill.
Good listener.
Patience.
Hobbies and Interest:
Learning different languages.
Competency framework:- This model broadly identifies the excellence of activities
performed by various employees which includes large number of competition for multiple
occupational roles (Wilton, 2016). The HR managers of Unilever determine the knowledge,
skills and attributes of workers implied to complete the task.
The Questionnaire is described below:-
Questionnaire

Q.1) Describe us about yourself? Ans.1) My name is Tom Mercer as being
passionate for my work with sincerity and
used to perform task with eagerness.
Q.2) The reason behind leaving your past
job?
Ans. 2) The reason behind leaving the
Previous job is to learn more about the topic
as for being long time performing actions
there.
Q.3) Are you properly living here? Ans.3) Yes, the proper residence of here.
Q.4) Why do we select you for our job? Ans.4) The reason to select for having more
experiences which provides expertise and
assure that you will also be satisfied with
my performance.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it have been concluded that human resource management
plays very dominant role in determining needs of employees for motivating them to increase
effectiveness. This project determines the functions of HRM that are implemented by
managers through planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. It further
describes the strength and weakness for different approaches of recruitment by internal and
external sources and selection through reference and background test and job offer. It analyse
the benefits of different HRM practices in organisation for both employer and employees by
bonus, life insurance, sick leaves, etc. Apartly, it determines the effectiveness of various
HRM practices for maximising revenue and profitability ratios. This project also evaluates
the key elements of employment relations, legislation which impact upon HRM decision
making for HRM practices in work-related context through ethical and social responsibilities
of managers.

REFERENCES
Books and journal
Berman, E. M., and et.al., 2019. Human resource management in public service: Paradoxes,
processes, and problems. CQ Press.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Cascio, W. F., 2015. Managing human resources. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Chelladurai, P. and Kerwin, S., 2018. Human resource management in sport and recreation.
Human Kinetics.
Delery, J. and Gupta, N., 2016. Human resource management practices and organizational
effectiveness: internal fit matters. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and
Performance.
Guest, D. E., 2017. Human resource management and employee well‐being: Towards a new
analytic framework. Human Resource Management Journal. 27(1). pp.22-38.
Kaufman, B. E., 2019. Managing the human factor: The early years of human resource
management in American industry. Cornell University Press.
Poór, J., and et.al., 2018. Knowledge management in human resource management: Foreign-
owned subsidiaries’ practices in four CEE countries. Journal of International Studies
Vol. 11(3).
Riley, M., 2014. Human resource management in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Routledge.
Sikora, D. M. and Ferris, G. R., 2014. Strategic human resource practice implementation: The
critical role of line management. Human Resource Management Review. 24(3). pp.271-281.
Sippola, A., 2014. Essays on human resource management perspectives on diversity
management. Vaasan yliopisto.
Wilton, N., 2016. An introduction to human resource management. Sage.
(Berman and et.al., 2019) (Bratton and Gold, 2017) (Cascio, 2015) (Chelladurai and Kerwin,
2018) (Delery and Gupta, 2016) (Guest, 2017) (Kaufman, 2019) (Poór and et.al., 2018)
(Riley, 2014) (Sikora and Ferris, 2014) (Sippola, 2014) (Wilton, 2016)