GSB008 - Human Resource Management: Woolworths Strategic Objectives

This report provides an analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) within Woolworths, an Australian retail chain, focusing on its strategic objectives and the implications for HR practices. It highlights the contextual environment impacting HRM, including cost-effectiveness and market presentation, and formulates an HR plan to develop a Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) approach. The report emphasizes the importance of aligning HR functions with organizational goals through employee training, understanding organizational strategy, analyzing HR functions, and forecasting future HR requirements. It identifies potential HR implications of Woolworths' strategic objectives, such as employee training and career development, and recommends specific HR strategies, including knowledge management, to address these implications. Critical success factors, such as employee engagement and talent acquisition, are also identified to measure the success of these recommendations. The report concludes that effective HRM is essential for advancing business performance and achieving standardized goals, recommending improvements in working standards, employee satisfaction, and reduction of working deficiencies.

Human Resource
Management
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Contents
Human resource management..........................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Background of organisation.............................................................................................................3
Strategic objectives..........................................................................................................................3
HR implications to obtain Strategic Objectives...............................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
Recommendations............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is explained as a practice that is used for hiring, recruiting,
managing and deploying an organisation employee. In simple terms, HRM is referred as human-
resource and an organisational HR department is responsible for creating, overseeing and putting
the policies related with workers. The main motive of HR is to aggregate employees as an asset
of the organisation. The selected organisation for this report is Woolworths and it is an
Australian chain of supermarket as well as grocery store that specialises among fruit, packaged
foods, vegetables, etc. Furthermore, this report highlights on contextual environment and it
impacts on HRM and also on formulates HR plan for develop SHRM approach (Bandara and et.
al., 2017). In the last, recommendation related with HR strategies will also include in this report.
Background of organisation
Woolworths Groups limited is a retail organisation and it is majorly an Australian company that
has an extensive interest throughout New Zealand and Australia. It is one of the largest
organisations in Australia second largest in New Zealand as in terms of revenue generation. The
company was founded in 1924 in Sydney and founded by Percy Christmas, Cecil Scott Waine,
Stanley Chatterton, George Creed and Ernest Williams. The company always has been
independent working such as Woolworths Group in the UK, Woolworths Holdings Limited and
South African chain of retail stores. The major working operations of Woolworths comprised of
supermarket and it is a brand in Australia and countdown brand in New Zealand. The discount
departmental store of Woolworths is worked under Big W and it is a name in Australia (Barry
and You, 2017). On 25 August 2016, Woolworths announced a loss of $1.235 billion in financial
year and it is the biggest loss in 20 years. Thus, in 2021, Woolworths spun into hotel, alcohol,
gambling business and the new company holds the brand of BWS, ALH, Dan Murphy’s,
Cellarmasters, and Jimmy Brings.
Strategic objectives
Human resource department is engaged among all aspects or factors of the employment
process and this is used to create job-description, advertising of vacancy, hiring new staff, etc.
But they all are relate with contextual environment and this engage policies, practices, rules,
related with specific sections of society. Furthermore, retail store include modern-day
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requirements specifically, those which is required among all sections to increase company
productivity. Some factors and it impact on HRM department is mention as follow:
Cost-effective sections- Finance or monetary factors support an organisation for allocate
all resources which support management for accomplish of all goals and objectives in an
organised manner (Campbell and Burgess, 2018). In context of Woolworths, cost-effective is one
of the most challenging factors because this creates more expense for organisation. Also, cost
related with human-resource is one of the biggest expenses because it relate with both wages and
salary of engaged workforce.
Presentation- Market is a traditional factor and this includes different sections related
with organisation. This refers that the current scenario, related with business is considered
towards the engagement of customers, brand-awareness, etc. and it enhances the sales and profits
of organisation. But, in case of HR this is complex because all engaged workforce relate with
internal section. It impacts on talent acquisition as marketing departments of Woolworths also
require skilled workforce to promote products in a creative and unique manner.
HR implications to obtain Strategic Objectives
In the present scenario, there are various task performed by management and this relates
with organisation but all of this are completed with engage of human-resources. Therefore, this is
important for the business to move and engage human-resource department functions or
individual task towards the strategic goal of organisation (Christ, Rao and Burritt, 2019).
Therefore, some foremost reason to select and engage the HRM towards company goals is
mention as follow:
Employee Training- Woolworths aim to retain the skilled and selected workforce among
organisation in order to achieve company goals and objectives within minimum time-period.
This section starts with the hiring of right workforce and after the movement start when ideal
candidates selected by Woolworths is offered training to complete all task in an organised
manner. The reason to move HRM is important because it support organisation and workforce to
realise all goals and objectives related with company strategy.
Understand organizational strategy and current objectives: It is a HR strategy that is
being used by business it order to maintain direct concern and focus towards development of
strategy and it is directly based on current objectives of the business. In this potential working
standard get advance and it turns to be the most effective way under which goals and mission of
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an organisation get cleared to all with suitability. The HR of Woolworths assure to along the
goals and certain task so that respective work get performed accordingly.
Undertake an analysis of HR function: It is a function of HR under which overall
performance of business and employee gets evaluated. It assist the HR to take beneficial change
as by analysing the working capability and skills through which higher value get added to the
working aspects (Huang, 2020). It develops an opportunity for all under which suitable task get
complete with perfect and within certain period of instance. The effective skills and competency
is also being a framework through which strength and opportunity of a team get developed. It
assists all to advance the possibility of working and its outcome under which long term
sustainability get attained with ease.
Forecast future HR requirements: The HR functions and its capability is a major
standard within the working behaviour of an organisation. The HR of Woolworths is responsible
to forecast the future and reflects best from present scenarios. It is a vital aspect in strategic
aspect as HR is always looking ahead at business planning and strategy with this they are able to
support and plan the objectives of business is appropriate manner. The forecast is also being
based on effectual supply and demand as supply is related to the efforts of employee and demand
is related to the opportunity that seeks in competitive marketplace.
The HR planning is being used to create and design appropriate goals and objectives
through which working attribute of business get advances with regularity. The planning is a
continuous process of systematic understanding through which organisation is able to achieve
optimised outcome and attain valuable asset over regularity. It also defines the future and current
resources under which need of an organisation get fulfilled with respect of goals.
Woolworth’s strategic objectives
The food strategy of Woolworths is related to the three principles such as improvising the
core offer as it ensure that customers are preferred first, the growth of organisation is dependent
over innovation through which management is able to meet need and requirement of customers
(Meacham and et. al., 2017). In addition efficiency through which Woolworths is able to
compete and create customer value so that success gets perceived in organised form. In respect
of this Woolworths is able to be a heart of community and loved by home, family leisure and
kids.
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Identification of the potential HR implications of the strategic objectives
The HR department comprised of various functions such as planning, organising,
implementing, controlling and directing. The two potential implication of HR of strategic
objectives are as explained below as:
Employee training: It is an aspect in which HR assure to provide respective training and
development to the employees so that they are able to achieve successful changes over a certain
period of instance (Sablok and et. al., 2017). Thus HR also assure to provide adequate training to
the employee so that they are able to cope up from every complex situation with an ease and
along with this have comfort while dealing different condition that has been arises on random
basis.
Employee career development: It is an implication of HR under which career
development of employee gets preferred and in this respective direction gets provided to the
employee as with respect of future success and growth. It is a strategic objective as if employee
is able to develop its career for long then they must have retain themselves within on
organisation for longer period. In this business is in beneficial stage as they are worked with
skilled, talented and knowledgeable employee through which working possibility and its
competency both get managed.
Recommendation of specific HR strategies to address the HR implications
The HR of Woolworths make use of knowledge management strategy as it is directly
associated with the various areas such as creation, acquiring, capturing, sharing and using
knowledge in order to advance learning and performance, resourcing, attracting and retaining of
quality employee. In this direct concern is maintained over employee working performance
through which possible changes get altered as per requirement.
Critical success factors (CSFs) need to be identified for the recommendations above
In order to measure success the critical success factors has been identified and it has been
associated with respect of improvisation of working culture, talent acquisition, training, benefits
and employee wellness, employee engagement, workforce planning and compensation (Shelton,
2017). As per the above recommendations, HR maintain direct concern towards employee
engagement and with this organisation is able to reduce its employee turnover, advance working
capability and competency, improvised working culture and maintain lead within competitive
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marketplace as with support of working of skilled and talented employee. The potential
workforce is a key success factor of an organised and in this ability to achieve standardised
objective is also get perceived with receptiveness and perfection.
Conclusion
It has been concluded from the above that human resource management is being an
essential aspect within an organisation as with this working tendency and performance of
business get advanced perpetually. There HR management drives various strategies and
objectives within an organisation so that working competency and ability to achieve standardised
goals and objectives get perceived with ease. In addition, the strategic objectives also provide
clear and sustained direction to the employee as well as business through which productive
measures and changes has been achieve over a regular period of instance. Moreover, HR implies
many of implications in order to attain strategic objectives as it is a way through which ability to
achieve possible success and development get perceived is systematic manner.
Recommendations
The HR management of Woolworths assure to design and develop strategic success and
for that implement various success under which it is easy for employee to achieve respective
goals and objectives in timely constrained. It is an aspect through which business is able to
achieve productive changes along with this there are few recommendations for the Woolworths
and that is as briefly summarised below as:
 The effectiveness within the working standards is an essential aspect as in this HR of
Woolworths is able to advance working and learning competency. In this it is necessary
that company must have able to retain its potential employee so that able to attain its
skilled and potential candidates for a longer period of time. For this, HR of Woolworths
assures to provide positive working culture and evaluate the performance on the basis of
KPI. In this employee get rewarded as per their performance and it boost motivation in
employee so that they are able to achieve profitable working in timely frame.
 The employee satisfaction is being an essential concern and it is way through which
Woolworths is able to achieve its standardised goals and objectives with perfection. The
HR assures to satisfy the requirement of employee and for that provide both tangible and
non-tangible benefits to the employee through which working competency also get
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advances. In addition, in this HR also uses anonymity as it allows the employee to reflect
their feelings with this ability to perceive genuine response is developed with efficiency.
 The working deficiencies has been reduced and it is only get advance with support of
effective implementation of strategies and through this organisational communication and
interaction in between people get improvise, it is processed with support of effective
training programs, by building strong cultural vision and mission, by providing regular
feedback so that loop hole get reduced, make effectual usage of technology and while
taking suitable advantage from collected data. In this HR is able to respond toward
specific situations as with suitability and also advances the working competency as well.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bandara, S and et. al., 2017. Power and relationship quality in supply chains: The case of the
Australian organic fruit and vegetable industry. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and
Logistics.
Barry, M. and You, K., 2017. Employer and employer association matters in Australia in
2016. Journal of Industrial Relations, 59(3), pp.288-304.
Campbell, I. and Burgess, J., 2018. Patchy progress? Two decades of research on precariousness
and precarious work in Australia. Labour & Industry: a journal of the social and
economic relations of work, 28(1), pp.48-67.
Christ, K.L., Rao, K.K. and Burritt, R.L., 2019. Accounting for modern slavery: an analysis of
Australian listed company disclosures. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal.
Huang, Y.T., 2020. Internal marketing and internal customer: A review, reconceptualization, and
extension. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 19(3), pp.165-181.
Meacham, H and et. al., 2017. HRM practices that support the employment and social inclusion
of workers with an intellectual disability. Personnel Review.
Sablok, G and et. al., 2017. Human resource development practices, managers and multinational
enterprises in Australia: Thinking globally, acting locally. Education+ Training.
Shelton, D., 2017. Human resource management in Australia. In Human resource management
on the Pacific Rim (pp. 31-60). de Gruyter.
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