Challenges and HR Processes in People Management: A Report

This individual research portfolio report examines the challenges faced by line managers in people management, particularly in the context of external environmental changes like the impact of Covid-19. The report explores the essential skills and knowledge required for effective people management, including team building and motivational techniques like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Furthermore, it delves into HR processes that underpin and support effective performance management, such as performance management reviews and 360-degree appraisals. The report offers recommendations for HR managers to improve employee management and performance. The report highlights the challenges in managing change and employee relations, providing insights into how HR processes and management skills can be utilized to overcome these challenges and foster a productive work environment. The report also includes the discussion on the models like Tuckman model and theories like Lewin change management theory and human relation theory to explain the concepts and challenges in people management.

Individual research
portfolio
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Executive Summary
Due to numerous changes in external environment like Covid -19, manager are facing
several challenges related to people management that have hinder growth and success of
organisation. This report has discussed about key challenges faced by line manager, skills and
knowledge that manager have in order to manager several individual within firm. It has also
included information related to Hr process that has lead to effective performance management.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
Contemporary issue face line manager in context of people management..................................4
Knowledge, skills and behaviour required for effective management of people........................5
Hr process underpins and support management in relation to effective performance
management.................................................................................................................................7
Recommendation.........................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
People management is one of the important processes of organisation which includes set
of practices that are used to manage, handle and retained talented and skilled employees for
longer time frame. There are number of individuals that are working in organisation with
different perspective, belief and value so it is quite difficult for management to coordinate them
for achievement of company goals. Human resource department of company are responsible for
hiring, recruiting, planning for growth and development of employees so that they are able to
provide best services to end customers. Company in order to gain competitive advantages have
to hire and retained highly qualified and skilled employees so that best services can be render to
end users. There is no fit approached which could be used by manager to handle diverse
individuals so skills and knowledge is required to understand them. Due to covid-19, uncertain
pandemic situation, managers are facing challenges in effective management of people thus they
needs support HR to get best possible outcome. So, the report has included information related to
contemporary issue face by line manager, knowledge, skills and behaviour needs for effective
people management and Hr process that lead to effective management of performance of
employees.
Contemporary issue face line manager in context of people management
Covid-19 is uncertain changes happen in external environment of business that have
adversely impacted growth and strategy of business. Face line manager of retail sector are facing
some issue related to people management like change management and employees relationship
that can be explained through making use of theories (Bauer and et.al., 2018). Like Marks and
spencer and Morrison firms are unable to motivate employees to accept external changes so that
company can gain competitive advantages. So overall retail industry HR manager are facing
challenges in influencing employees to adopt new method or technique to perform task.
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Management of change: In order to understand management of change issue face by line
manager Lewin change management theory is used:
Unfreezing: There are numerous changes in external environment like taste in preference of
people, policies of government, development in technologies etc so most of the employees of
Tesco are resisting adopting new change. They does not wants to learn new way of doing
particular things thus it have created issue for line manager to motivate them to accept external
changes so that firm can grow and survive.
Changing: Tesco manager with support of HR manager have find ways to motivates employees
to accept changes so that enterprise can retained its competitive positioning in external
environment. It has communicated or share information to individuals why change is necessary
and the way it is beneficial for themselves as well as for company. Despite of that there are
numerous employees that are resisting to it due to less confidence that they will able to do task in
new methods.
Refreezing: It is a stage at which manager ensure that employees does not refreeze or get revert
or back to their old thinking, way of doing particular task. So, some of individuals in Tesco
wants to make use of their old method while performing their task thus they don’t wants to
accept change. Therefore, it have created problem for HR manager to inspire employees to take
participation in accepting change rather than resisting (Al-Janabi, Salman and Fanfakh, 2018).
Employee’s relations: It is another contemporary issue faced by managers of retail industry in
recent scenario, as there are thousands of employees from different belief, culture and value
working together for common goals. Managers are facing challenges in effective management of
strong relationship between employees that have resulted in huge conflict and contradictions.
For examples: Tesco management does not have strong relationship with employees or trade
union that have created barriers in effective operation of business. Issue of employee’s relations
can also be understood through human relation theory which states that manager needs to
develop relationship with employees by effective understanding their needs and requirements
(Stewart and Brown, 2019). Tesco is facing high employment turnover ratio which clearly state
that company is unable to maintain good relationship which resulted in loss of talented and
highly skilled employees within organisation. Due to difference in opinion, view and thoughts
manager is unable to decide particular approach that could be used to coordinate people to work
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as a team rather than individuals so that company can gain competitive advantages in external
environment.
Knowledge, skills and behaviour required for effective management of people
Various skills and techniques are required by HR to motivate employees to complete the
ineffective task in an efficient way so that overall goals of firm can be achieved. Some of these
skills and techniques that are essential for Hr manager are explained through using 2 models
which are been discussed below
Team building: HR of Tesco has make uses of different techniques to promote effective
coordination of individuals or build strong team that work for benefit of organization. Tuckman
model can be used to understand skills, knowledge and behavior required by Hr manager to
manage people (Morgun, 2018). This model includes four stages such as; forming, storming,
norming, performing. All of these stages help the employee in working in one direction and
practicing enough to polish the skills which are required to complete the task. Such as:
Forming: It is stage at which individuals are highly dependent on team leaders for direction and
guidance’s. So Hr manager of Tesco has required skills, knowledge to assist roles and
responsibilities that would be performed by specific individuals.
Storming: Employees have get knowledge regarding actual task that they have to perform so
manager through set specific procedure and policies helps employees about the way particular
task can be completed and outcome can be gained.
Norming: Tesco Manager by making use of its skills and knowledge has design definite
organizational structure, use polite behavior to motivate employees to work as team for common
goals (Korepanov, 2019).
Performing: At this stage, manager has knowledge that employees are aware of their
responsibilities so it delegate task and authority for achievements of goals.
Motivating: Motivation is one of the skills that need to be present in manager in order to inspired
employees to work hard for growth and development of firm. Maslow hierarchy of needs is
used to motivate employees in five different stages which are explained below;
Psychological needs: It refers to basic needs such as food, shelter, cloth, sleep which a human
require for survival. HR of the company should have skills and knowledge to decide appropriate
wages so that basic needs of employees can be fulfilled and they are to achieve the particular
goals.
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Safety needs: HR of company motivates the employee by fulfilling their safety and security
need such as financial security or insurance. This is the second need which is to be fulfilled by
the HR of the company after fulfilling the basic psychological needs so it should have knowledge
and skills in order to provide safe and secure environment to employees of Tesco (Baran,
Filipkowski and Stockwell, 2019).
Belonging needs: After fulfilling the above stages need Tesco HR of the company looked after
the relationship between the employees which may result in achieving the goal of the company.
Thus, Hr manager of Tesco have knowledge and skills regarding the way social needs of
employees can be fulfilled and they are motivated to work hard for success of organization.
Esteem needs: This is the fourth stage of Maslowhierarchy of needswhich is fulfilled by the HR
of the company. In this need HR of Tesco looks after the self respect and reputation of an
individual in the work process.
Self actualization need: This is the last stage through which employee can be highly motivated
and effective managed for attainment of common goals. Like HR of Tesco have skills,
knowledge related to the way employees can be promoted to higher level thus it have make
employees happy and satisfied.
Hr process underpins and support management in relation to effective performance
management
Performance management refers to a tool which a manager uses in the company to
evaluate the work and skills of the employees that are working for growth and success of firm.
HR of the company uses performance management to check the working level of the employees
so that corrective action can be taken for achievement of group goal. HR of the TESCO looks
after the ability of individual and allocates the work according to the skills to obtain better results
in the work process (Wilton, 2016). HR of TESCO uses the performance management to
organize the work according to the objective of the company. Such as:
Performance management review: It is used to a check over the working style of the
employees which are involved in work process. It is performed to analysis the working ability of
the employee. HR manager review performance of employees by taking several feedbacks or
observing their day to day operation thus it helps in identifying strength and weakness of the
individuals. So, on the basis of performance review manager is able to find appropriate action
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that could be used for improvement of performance. For example: Tesco manager uses
performance management review to complete the task or work in effective and efficient way.
The manager of the company lists or enumerates the strength and weakness of the employees
that are working for growth of firm (Rusu, Avasilcai and Hutu, 2016). Thus, the above
evaluation helps managers to identify employees that are hard working and lazy thus decide
strategies that could be used to enhance their performance and productivity. Feedback from
employees are taken on the quarterly basis by Tesco manager in order to know several problem
that are faced by them while working and the way they can be resolved.
360 degree appraisal: It is overall feedbacks which are being given to a specific employee in
the company according to the working style in the work process. The feedback is given by the
customers, superior, supervisor etc. during the activities performed by the employees in the work
process. 360 degree appraisal leads to overall development and polishing skills, ability of
employees so that they are able to perform task in best possible way. For example; manager of
TESCO uses 360 degree appraisal in identifying the behavior of the employees towards the
customer, superior, supervisor etc. Manager of the company look after the behavior and working
style of the employee in order to find best possible method that can be used to enhance their
overall performance (Fenech, Baguant and Ivanov, 2019). HR manager uses 360 degrees
appraisal technique to promote, motivate and manage performance of employees so that
company can gain competitive advantages.
Recommendation
From the above analysis, it can be suggested that human resources of company in order to
effective manage diverse individuals and enhance their performance can make use of following
methods:
1. Firstly, Hr manager needs to work on providing healthy and safe working environment
that ensure social distancing and other measures so that no harm can be caused to them.
It can make use of digital technologies to communicate or build relationship with
number of employees so that they can be motivated to put their best for growth and
success of organisation.
2. Secondly, Manager can make use of different motivational techniques such as
promotion, incentives or several other rewards so that employees are motivated to accept
several changes and work together as team for common goals. HR manager by
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organising training and development program can enhance motivation and confidence of
employees thus makes them ready to incorporate changes for growth and sustainability
of enterprise.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from above report that employees are most essential resources of
organisation so Hr manager needs to make efforts to make them happy and satisfied so that they
are ready to give best services to customers. There are numerous challenges that are bear by
manager like in effective relationship with employees or management of changes that adversely
impact on business operation. At the same time, it can be concluded that Hr manager by using
team development and motivational theories can avoid all such challenges and contribute in
growth and sustainability of organisation. Therefore, it can be learnt from above analysis, people
management is wide process that start form recruitment of right individuals at right place to
retention within company for longer time frame. Performance management review and 360
degree appraisal are best techniques that are used to enhance performance and productivity of
employees for benefit of firm.
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REFERENCES
Book and journals
Al-Janabi, S., Salman, M. A. and Fanfakh, A., 2018. Recommendation System to Improve Time
Management for People in. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 13(24). pp.10182-
10193.
Bailey, C and et.al., 2018. Strategic human resource management. Oxford University Press.
Baran, B.E., Filipkowski, J. N. and Stockwell, R. A., 2019. Organizational change: Perspectives
from human resource management. Journal of Change Management, 19(3). pp.201-219.
Bauer, T and et.al., 2018. Human resource management: People, data, and analytics. Sage
Publications.
Fenech, R., Baguant, P. and Ivanov, D., 2019. The changing role of human resource management
in an era of digital transformation. Journal of Management Information and Decision
Sciences, 22(2). pp.1-10.
Korepanov, V., 2019, November. Strategic Thinking Models for Team Building. In 2019 1st
International Conference on Control Systems, Mathematical Modelling, Automation and
Energy Efficiency (SUMMA) (pp. 185-187). IEEE.
Morgun, I., 2018. Team Building–the key of the company's efficiency. In Sesiune naţională de
comunicări ştiinţifice studenţeşti: (pp. 57-59).
Rusu, G., Avasilcai, S. and Hutu, C .A., 2016. Employee performance appraisal: A conceptual
framework. Annals of the University of Oradea, Fascicle of Management and Technological
Engineering, 2, pp.53-58.
Stewart, G .L. and Brown, K. G., 2019. Human resource management. John Wiley & Sons.
Wilton, N., 2016. An introduction to human resource management. Sage.
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