Analysis of Human Resource Management Practices in Asda Supermarket

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HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
LO1 – LO3.......................................................................................................................................2
1. An overview of an evolution of human resource management concept..................................2
2. An explanation on the purpose and scope of human resource management function
including key roles and responsibilities.......................................................................................4
3. An assessment of the approach to workforce planning, recruitment and selection,
development and training, performance management and reward system..................................6
4. Analyze approaches to effective employee engagement, including issues such as flexible
organisation and flexible working practise and other HRM practises that enhances
organisational profit and productivity.........................................................................................8
5. Evaluation of key aspects of employment legislation within which the organisation must
work that would enhance employee relations and benefits to organisation..............................10
LO4................................................................................................................................................12
1 The design of a job specification for one of the positions advertised by the organisation.....12
2. A curriculum vitae CV of an applicant tailored for the positions advertised........................13
3. A person specification documents showing essential and desirable skills and interviews
notes, based on selection criteria...............................................................................................15
4. A job offer letter to the selected candidate............................................................................17
5. An evaluation of the recruitment and selection process and the rationale for appropriate HR
practises.....................................................................................................................................18
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................25
References......................................................................................................................................26

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Evolution of human resource management......................................................................2
Figure 2: HRM scope and functions................................................................................................4
Figure 3: Process of recruitment and selection................................................................................6

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Benefits of flexible working conditions............................................................................8
Table 2: Job description.................................................................................................................12
Table 3: CV for retail store manager.............................................................................................13
Table 4: Person specification for retail store manager..................................................................15
Table 5: Job offer letter..................................................................................................................17

Introduction
Human resource is determined as managing an organisational employee in specific direction for
accomplishing objectives planned by HR manager. The current report will aim at explaining role
of HRM functions required in resourcing and workforce planning in reference to Asda. It will
further describe recruitment and selection approaches with related strengths and weaknesses. The
study will emphasize on HRM benefits and effectiveness to raise productivity and to satisfy the
employer and employee. It will analyse the employee relations and legislations that affect HRM
decisions making. At last, HRM practises will be discussed using job description, CV, person
specification, offer letter etc.
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LO1 – LO3
1. An overview of an evolution of human resource management concept
Asda is known as second largest supermarket in UK that was established in 1949 by becoming
Wal-Mart subsidiary. It is operating at 633 locations by employing 165000 and worth revenues
earning of £21.666 million. It deals in clothing, food, toys, electronics, general merchandise and
home furnishings. The organisational success is actually depends on organisational culture used
in workplace. Effective planning of workforce is promoted by using HRM practises managed by
HR manager. It is important for organisations to initiate a human resource practise that helps in
organisational functioning, managing finances, marketing and operations. The concept of HRM
involves activities such as workforce planning, training, recruitment and selection, employee
recognition, motivation and appraisal (Noe, et.al, 2017). In Asda the human resource practises
helps in conducting audits by recruiting required number of workforce with competencies.
HRM Evolution
Figure 1: Evolution of human resource management
(Source: Evolution of HRM, 2012)
It is known as strategic method for gaining competitiveness by effective employee management
in organisation. Its basic purpose is for ensuring that success is grabbed by using organisational
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people. The concept of HRM was evolutes from 21st century in which people are identified as
significant business assets. From than onwards, employees has effectively acquired, developed,
retained and utilized in appropriate manner by appraising, managing and measuring results by
aligning with organisational strategies and objectives. They are motivated to work in units or
team (Nankervis, et.al, 2016). Thus, all operations were carried away successfully by proper
coordination between line and middle managers with that of HRM functions. The beginning was
noticed from 19th century from which social reformers such as Seebohm Rowntree, Robert Owen
and Joseph Cadbury has aimed to improve employee working conditions and living. The
evolution has six stages in HRM model that includes:
 The social reformer
 The humane bureaucrat
 Acolyte of benevolence
 Organisation man
 The consensus negotiator
 The manpower analyst
The HRM life was started with personnel management. It is determined as centring workforce by
that is done by managing employees of organisation. The HR manager aims at searching best
people by training sessions, focusing on personal needs and solving certain problems. Thus, the
HRM is identified as resource centred that fulfils organisational needs that aims to done demand
complete without focusing on supply activities. Hence, the HRM refers to long term and strategic
plans that helps in arranging resources without targeting employee nourishing. The HRM plans
consist of performance, administration, recruitment management and overtime management that
are developed and initiated by HR managers (Helfat, 2017).
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2. An explanation on the purpose and scope of human resource management function including
key roles and responsibilities
The human resource management scope is much wider as it is segmented in three activities such
as personal, industrial relations and welfare. In reference to Asda, the HRM plans in business has
aided in knowing that hoe customers are treated from organisational employees. The firm initiate
various functions of HRM that helps in defining scope too that are listed below:
 It focuses on developing relations and understanding of employee needs that helps in
achieving business objectives.
 It promotes communication with employees for ensuring uniformity in constructive and
collated development and productivity (Bailey, et.al, 2018).
 It provides opportunity to operate innovations that reduces risk in business by creating
accountable results.
 By HR manager understanding, it determines areas that are low trained and carries less
knowledge by dispensing remedial opportunities by conducting training seminars as well
as workshops.
 The business gets empowered that prepares it to meet with strategic objectives and goals
with staff management.
Figure 2: HRM scope and functions
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(Source: Scope of HRM, 2018)
Roles and Responsibilities of HR Practitioners
In current time, HR executives of Asda have variety of role that has shifted for aligning practises
of forward thinking (Fee and McGrath-Champ, 2017). There are several passages from which
HR responsibilities and roles can be effectively mined that include:
Planning and Development – HR managers are identified as business strategic partners that are
focused for participating in development, execution and identification of corporate objectives. To
plan helps human resource executives for achieving profound knowledge of activities required
for enterprise sustained growth.
Employees Advocate – The integral role is played by HR executive by advocating organisational
employees for achieving success. It is done by developing motivated and satisfied environment
of working at workplace. It is well supported and practised by aiming on open communication,
employee empowerment and goal setting that delivers positive results to consumer services.
The practise of HRM has approaches that will provide essential help in retaining employees of
the organisation. The first approach is Best-Fit that is known as matching model used to create
business strategies based on HRM policies. It aims future activities, policies for strategies and
objectives of performances for gaining success. On contrary, approach of Best Practise mentions
that single method is used for conducting HR activities that aim to gain competitive advantage. It
develops close relationship within organisational performance and HR practises that is suitable
method for boosting organisational performance without developing strategies related to product
and market (Berman, et.al, 2019).
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3. An assessment of the approach to workforce planning, recruitment and selection, development
and training, performance management and reward system
Workforce Planning
As an HR manager of Asda, it is essential to maintain human resource occupancy level in firm
that is identified as major HR function. The procedure of predicting future need of organisation
related to human resource is called workforce or human resource planning. The right persons are
selected for right job role and remuneration. It is calculated by estimating labour turnover and
external business factors (Cascio, 2015). The merit of workforce planning is that firm becomes
well equipped for coping with environmental forces by assessing employee competencies and
skills. On other side, demerit occurs as accurate forecasting of resources cannot be done for long
term goals.
Recruitment and Selection
Figure 3: Process of recruitment and selection
(Source: Recruitment and Selection, 2013)
The two essential HR practise consist of recruitment and selection of human resources. The term
recruitment refers to method of attracting candidates to apply for vacancies and selection refers
to technique or criteria for choosing candidates available with organisation (Heilman, et.al,
2015). The method is highly required in Asda due to huge business activities that require proper
coordination. Both the terms functions together for selecting and attracting employees using best
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fit candidates with skills and capabilities. The staff selection within organisation using transfer
and promotion is advantageous for business and conducting interviews and test charges huge
cost and time that is demerit for selection and recruitment process.
Training and Development
Training and development refers to method that improves organisational efficiency of teams and
individuals. Training is seen as immediate changes applied to firm’s efficiencies by coordinated
instructions and on other hand development is long term progress applied to employees as well
as organisational goals. It benefits employee by giving job satisfaction, increased motivation,
able to adopt new technologies and bringing efficiency in steps to garb financial results. It has
certain drawback as it increases working stress, low employee interest and needs huge money or
time.
Reward System and Performance Management
The organisational success is managed by employee performance and reward systems. Reward
system targets right compensation paid to employee on right time and way while performance
management refers to integrated and strategic process that provides sustained growth by aiming
to improve skills and capabilities of employees. Managing performance takes huge improvement
time and positively motivates employees to work in effective manner. On contrary, the system of
rewards helps in controlling performances of employees and demerit is achieved as employees
that are not rewarded goes through resentment and negative motivation (Shields, et.al, 2015).
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4. Analyze approaches to effective employee engagement, including issues such as flexible
organisation and flexible working practise and other HRM practises that enhances organisational
profit and productivity
The performance of employees is highly impacted from organisational culture that is practised at
workplace. Thus it is essential for Asda being large supermarket flexible conditions or working
should be promoted for employees for gaining higher profits and productivity. The organisation
is said to be flexible that makes easier for workforce to adopt consumer demands by completing
work on time and expediting decision making. There are various flexible structures available in
firms that include the following:
 Flat structure has less than 20 employees in firm that carries less number of management
levels that establishes team spirit and promotes interaction within workers (Hörning, et.al,
2015).
 Functional flexibility in which employees are shifted to different responsibilities in firm
that is managed by training, outsourcing and management.
 Wage flexibility refers to salary and wage up down that depends on losses and profits of
business.
From flexible working conditions the organisational employees as well as employers gets several
benefits that are important for Asda growth which are as follows:
Table 1: Benefits of flexible working conditions
Benefits to Employers Benefits to Employees
Flexible style of working will provide motivated
staff that will make it more productive by achieving
targets and goals.
It will develop factorable working culture for staff
members that will always make them motivated for
working (Raziq and Maulabakhsh, 2015).
It will provide certain flexibilities to employers of
business as strategies will be created for retaining
staff by initiating flexible working process.
New opportunities have been developed for UK
employees by creating working conditions with
flexibility provided to part time as well as people
with disabilities.
The bottom line will be grown from motivated and
positive employees.
It will create develop positive feeling with
employees to become more competent.
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