Human Resource Management Practices at ASDA: A Comprehensive Analysis

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report analyzes ASDA's HRM practices.

Human Resource Management

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
LO1..................................................................................................................................................2
P1 Explain the purpose and the functions of HRM, applicable to workforce planning and
resourcing an organisation...........................................................................................................2
M1 Identify and explain the HR functions to achieve the objectives..........................................4
P2 Explain the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection 5
M2: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses approaches to recruitment and selection...............7
D1 Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and
selection, supported by specific examples...................................................................................7
LO2..................................................................................................................................................8
P3 Explain the benefits of different HRM practices within an organisation for both the
employer and employee...............................................................................................................8
P4 Evaluate the effectiveness of different HRM practices in terms of raising organisational
profit and productivity.................................................................................................................9
M3 Explore different methods used in HRM practices.............................................................11
D2: Evaluate the HRM practices and their application.............................................................11
LO3................................................................................................................................................12
P5 Analyze the importance of employee relations with respect to influencing HRM decision-
making.......................................................................................................................................12
P6 Identify the key elements of employment legislation and the impact it has on HRM
decision- making........................................................................................................................14
M4 Identify the key aspects of employee relations management and employment legislation 15
LO4................................................................................................................................................16
P7 Illustrate the application of HRM practices in work related context, using specific examples
...................................................................................................................................................16
M5 Provide a rationale for the application of specific HRM....................................................20
D3: Critically evaluate employee relations and the application of HRM practices that inform
and influence decision-making in an organisational context.....................................................20
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................21
References......................................................................................................................................22

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: HRM Functions................................................................................................................3
Figure 2: HRM practice...................................................................................................................9
Figure 3: Employee Relations.......................................................................................................13

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Strength and weakness of different recruitment methods.................................................5
Table 2: job Specification of Customer care executive.................................................................16
Table 3: CV for Customer care executive.....................................................................................16
Table 4: Preparatory notes.............................................................................................................18
Table 5: Job offer letter..................................................................................................................18

Introduction
The most suitable approach is the human resource management (HRM) which is used in
managing the employee functions and roles in the context of achieving the organizational
objectives and goals. The report will show how will ASDA HRM manage their employee
activities in term of motivates them against the success and growth of the organization. ASDA is
the largest supermarket chain which operates in the UK along with having around 259 stores all
around the world. Also, the report will identify the HRM functions and purpose at the ASDA
with the different approaches which help in the effective process of decisions making related to
the employment provisions.
1

LO1
P1 Explain the purpose and the functions of HRM, applicable to workforce planning and
resourcing an organisation.
ASDA
ASDA organization operates the largest food retailers located mainly in the UK. This store sells
a huge type of merchandise by including the apparel and food as well as books, music videos,
and house wares. It has around 259 stores in all over the world. The organization is known as the
dairy conglomerate and was acquired by the Wal Mat stores Inc.
HRM purpose and functions
The HRM is a coordination of the people in the organization in terms of achieving the objectives
of the business and fulfill the needs of staff as well as maintaining employee satisfaction. The
HRM accomplishes it by the use of the technology, process and people which focus on
organizational internal parts instead of the external environment (Wright, 2018). The activities of
HRM are designed for enhancing the organization effectiveness workforce to achieve the goals
of the organization. The HRM also consists of various activities that are as follows:
Employee relationship maintenance: The HRM planning will focus to develop a positive and
strong employee-employer relationship to influence the organizational working environment
effectively. Additionally, this relationship will contribute the workforce capabilities
enhancement which supports the organizational growth and development.
2

Managing healthy working conditions: Each employee will wish to do work in a safe and
healthy environment. Thus, the HRM at ASDA will ensure that its employees are satisfied with
their incentives, benefits and job roles. Job satisfaction will make them committed to work.
Training and development: This is an essential function because the training will focus on
improving the performances of the workforce at ASDA in order to meet with specific objectives
and goals effectively. The program of training and development support not only the productivity
of the organization but employee career expansion and future growth also at an organization
(Mishra et al., 2016).
Recruitment and selection: It is the function which focuses mainly to select the skilled and
talented candidate for the vacant post at ASDA in order to meet with organizational goals and
objectives effectively.
Figure 1: HRM Functions
(Source: Surbhi S, 2015)
3

M1 Identify and explain the HR functions to achieve the objectives
HRM hard and soft models: At ASDA the HR manager follows mainly two approaches in
managing an employee of the organization in which the hard HRM is focusing only in defining
the responsibilities and roles to a selected employee, and less interaction are there with them.
Therefore, the soft model of HRM will consider its employee as valuable resources to get a
competitive advantage. For example, the HRM at ASDA will identify the employee requirements
and needs and also fulfil them by full rewards, motivation and support etc. Effective
communication is there used in soft HRM approach which contributes to attaining the talented
staff within ASDA (Arulrajah et al., 2015).
Best fit approach versus Best Practice: The approach of best fit will focus on aligning the goals
and HR strategies of ASDA by targeting the employee commitment and job satisfaction. For
example, ASDA HR strategy related to reward mechanism ensures in the positive outcomes in
term of reducing the employee turnover and commitment towards the organization. While the
approach of best practice focuses mainly on the HR strategy integration in terms of enhancing
employee performances and productivity. For example, imparting the training session timely at
ASDA will lead to increased employee performances and organization productivity and
profitability.
4

P2 Explain the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection
The HR manager of ASDA wills consider the two main source of recruiting the talented and
skilled candidate in an organization that are as follows:
Recruitment method
Table 1: Strength and weakness of different recruitment methods
Strength Weakness
External recruitment
In this process this
concentrated mainly on
appointing the employee from
job portals, external agencies
etc.
It is the processes which
strengthen the skills in an
organization by hiring the
talented candidate as well as
bring the creative and
innovative ideas in terms of
enhancing the organizational
overall performances and
productivity (Farr-Wharton
et.al.2017).
It is the method which is
expensive because this
requires a higher cost and
advertisement. It is also more
time consuming which affect
the ASDA business
operations.
Internal Recruitment
Under this process, at ASD the
vacancy is filled by
transferring of the existing
employee and promotions.
This is beneficial for an
organization because this
needed a lesser time in terms
of fulfilling the vacant post.
This also saves the recruitment
cost as incurred in the external
recruitment.
In this limitation is there
because the limited resource
pool so there and thus
qualified and talented
candidate is critical to
identify.
Selection method
Ability and integrity test: It is the method which concentrates in judging the integrity and ability
of the shortlisted candidate in the form of English, mathematics, reasoning etc. A candidate is
5

selected based on their scores for the vacant post in an organization. Therefore, this method also
is not reliable in those cases in which vacancies do not require these kinds of ability and
knowledge.
Interviews: Expert group judged a candidate by the help of a questionnaire which is prepared by
the interviewer. It creates the face to face communication and effective interaction among both
the parties as well as also eliminates the ambiguity and confusion among them. Therefore, these
methods are also not appropriate for all vacancies at ASDA (Valentine et al., 2018).
Online screening: It is the method which is concentrating to assess the personality, skills,
knowledge and talent of the shortlisted candidate in an organization. Also, it is beneficial for the
ASDA when there is a large pool of vacancy that is needed to get fulfilled. Therefore, lack of
devices and technology sometimes cause difficulty when approaching this method.
6

M2: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses approaches to recruitment and selection
This has been discussed above that ASDA business has its weakness and strength in terms of
using the several approaches of selection and recruitment of the candidate for the vacant post.
The selection and recruitment process is done by external as well as an internal referral which
enhances the rate of employee retention and it will further help in providing the talented
employees. In an organization, if any candidate is rejected then it puts a negative influence on
employee working performances and decreased in their morale (Boon, 2016). The referral of
professional or external may put the negative influence on a relationship of employer and
employee if there is any rejection chance is there in an organization.
D1 Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and
selection, supported by specific examples.
External recruitment is being referred to as an organization people skills and abilities. For
example, ASDA gives notice to the candidate when they required a talented candidate for
customer executive post. Internal recruitment takes candidate by internet, internal emails,
newsletter etc. External recruitment is referred to when the organization is being searched for a
candidate outside. Therefore, an internal source did not bring the new skills by reducing the
possibilities of the new idea that cause resentment in a candidate who is not yet appointed. As the
external process is more time consuming and lengthy process/s.
7

LO2
P3 Explain the benefits of different HRM practices within an organisation for both the employer
and employee
Some of the following HRM practice at ASDA which is beneficial and essential for both
employee and employer:
Employee’s engagement: ASDA will also consider its employee as an important organization
part and thus more employees participate and contribute to the activity. The organization HR
manager ensures that maximum employee engaged in the activity and also shares their ideas and
opinions in the process of decision making. It will boost their trust, loyalty and morale and this
will result in their performances which are beneficial for organizational productivity.
Reward and other benefits: The HR manager has a duty to motivate an employee in an
organization by giving them bonus and reward of their work so that their efforts and
performances towards work can be improved more. For example, implementing change in a
project within an organization needed benchmark set against which workforce actual
performances can be analyzed (Swider et.al, 2016).
Positive working environment: At ASD, the HR manager develops the effective togetherness
sense and loyalty in an employee which contribute towards a positive working environment and
positive development. It will also support an employee to perform the job in a systematic manner
which offers higher opportunities of the growth to employee and organization.
Training and educational program: To aware the skilled candidate towards training program,
procedure, policies, and ethics of the organization are impacted by their HR manager while the
program of development is intended in terms of increasing the existing employee knowledge and
skills so that their performance can be improved. It will also support the organization to attract
numerous consumers by improved performances and productivity in a Markey.
Workforce Planning: At ASDA, the HR manager examines the manpower needs in the various
organizational department and then plan their selection and recruitment process. Manpower
planning only not relates to hiring a skilled employee but also entire workforce management. It
8