Developing HR Skills and Performance Management at Sainsbury's

This report analyzes the essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors required of HR professionals, focusing on a case study of Sainsbury's, a major UK supermarket chain. It explores crucial skills such as communication, decision-making, and problem-solving, alongside knowledge areas like budgeting and technology. The report includes a personal skills audit using the SWOT model to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, culminating in a professional development plan to address identified skill gaps. It further differentiates between individual and organizational learning, training, and development, and examines the importance of continuous learning for sustainable business performance. The report also demonstrates how high-performance working contributes to employee engagement and competitive advantage within Sainsbury's, and outlines different approaches to performance management.

DEVELOPING
INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS
AND ORGANISATIONS
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TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................3
P1 Appropriate and professional knowledge, skills and behaviour required by HR
professionals................................................................................................................................3
P2 Personal skills audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviour......................5
M1 Professional skills audit with evidence of personal reflection and evaluation......................7
Professional development plan for HR manager.........................................................................7
P3 Difference between organisational and individuals learning, training and development.....10
P4 Analysis of the requirement for continuous learning and professional development to drive
sustainable business performance..............................................................................................11
P5 Demonstration of understanding how high performance working contributes to employee
engagement and competitive advantage within specific organisational situation.....................12
P6 Different approaches of performance management.............................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
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INTRODUCTION
Human resource manager is responsible for recruitment and management of highly
talented employees in the firm so that customers can deliver qualitative services in limited time
frame. It plan, implement and evaluate employee’s relationship within organisation in order to
plan strategies to coordinate them to work as a team for achievement of common objectives.
High performance working environment motivates individuals to make optimum use of their
existing skills and capabilities so that company can retain its competitive advantages.
This report is about Sainsbury which is second largest supermarket chain in United
Kingdom that offers products such as groceries, electrical and homecare. It has covered
information pertaining to appropriate professional knowledge, skills and behaviour required by
HR professional. Furthermore covered skills audit in order to analysis, identified skills that are
present in me for becoming Hr manager in future professional career. At last it has explained key
information pertaining to the way HPW contribute in employee’s engagement and different
approaches of performance management used by HR manager to enhance overall productivity of
company.
P1 Appropriate and professional knowledge, skills and behaviour required by HR professionals
Human resources plays very crucial role in all the firms and so as in Sainsbury as well
which includes selection, recruitment and retained talented, skills and high knowledge people
within the organization so that it can retained its competitive advantages. So, HR manager in
order to perform its relative task needs to have sufficient knowledge, skills and behaviour for
growth and expansion of business. Such as:
SKILLS
1) Communication skills: It is the first and foremost skills that need to be present in human
resources manager of Sainsbury in order to effective exchange information from one
individual to another. Such as in professional career it needs to share information to
employees about company objective, procedure and policies and respective duties that
need to be performed by specific individuals to complete the task (Fenech, Baguant and
Ivanov, 2019).
2) Decision making skills: The HR professional of Sainsbury also have skills related to
decision making that contribute it to take right decision to select right candidate at right
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place so that task can be easily completed in limited time frame. Furthermore it need to
take several other decision such as percentage of increment of employees, the way they
can be motivated to work hard for benefits of company.
3) Problem solving ability skills: Moreover, Sainsbury human resource manager must have
appropriate problem solving ability skills so that it can easily find alternative method to
resolve problem or conflict that arise between two and more individuals (Ra and et.al.,
2019). It must have capabilities to reduce conflict, issue face by staff member thus
motivate them to work for expansion of company in retail sector of United Kingdom.
KNOWLEDGE
1) Budgeting knowledge: Sainsbury HR managers are responsible or deciding
compensation and other types of benefits that need to be provided to employees so that
they are influence to improve their overall performance. At the same time they decided
amount to be spent in training and development, performance appraisal and social
activities for attained of better outcome (Collins, 2021). Thereby, HR manager of the
establishment that have sufficient knowledge related to budgeting can easily set
appropriate expense that Sainsbury needs to be incurred to trained, retain talented
employees within organisation.
2) Knowledge of new technology to select people: Sainsbury professional must also have
knowledge related to update or new methods that are used to attract and recruit candidate
for organisation at vacant position. Knowledge related to new technique which also
helped it to make new method and procedure to handle and manage thousands of people
that are working in the organisation. So, technology knowledge will contribute HR of
Sainsbury to effectively handle people and lead growth of company.
BEHAVIOUR
Courageous: It can be stated that Hr manager of Sainsbury has courageous behaviour that
contribute in taking always first steps to start and motivate people to do work so that company is
able to delivered services to customers. It also helps it facing challenges, stay positive and
thinking best possible options that could be used to resolve the issue for better outcome.
Friendly behaviour: Secondly, Sainsbury human resources professional have friendly behaviour
that encourage employees to share their relative issues, problem with others (Poell and Van Der
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Krogt, 2017). Moreover, they feel relaxed that HR manager is listening to their relative
complaint and finding alternative to resolve for satisfaction of their needs.
P2 Personal skills audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviour
Personal skills audit contribute in understanding key strength, weakness of me so that the
way I can make best use of available strength to make utilisation of opportunities. At the same
time is able to plan strategies that I could used to overcome my weakness in order to reduce
amount of threat for better results (Ling and et.al., 2018). SWOT model is used to conduct
personal skills audit with an motivate to known about appropriate knowledge, skills and
behaviour that are present in me to become successful Human resources manager of reputable
organisation in future circumstances. Such as:
STRENGTH
 I have good communication skills as I
can easily share any information in
correct form so that other individuals
can easily understand.
 Strength of me is problem solving
ability; I have capabilities to think
about possible solution that could be
used to resolve the problem so that
employees are motivate to work
(Jacobs, 2017).
 I like to get knowledge related to
innovative technologies and the way
they could be used to manage diverse
range of people.
WEAKNESS
 On the other hand, my key weakness is
that I am unable to take timely decision
which lead in further delay and
completion of task.
 Moreover, I have less budgeting skills,
as i am unable to estimate actual
amount of money that need to be spend
on particular activities so that best
possible results can be gained.
 I lack courageous behaviour which may
cause hindrance in my career to become
HR manager of reputable organisation.
OPPORTUNITIES
 On the basis of the above strength I
THREAT
 The threat is increasing number of
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have opportunity to become HR
manager, as each and every
organisation requires HR manager that
look out employees of the company.
 Moreover, I have opportunity to work
on my existing skills so that I can get
best opportunities in future
circumstances in any well established
firm.
competition in external environment.
Such as they are people that are more
qualified, skill or may have high
knowledge and experience (Gill and
et.al., 2018).
 So I need to work on my skill,
knowledge and capabilities to face
tough competition and gain
differentiates position to being selected
in the organisation.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AUDITS
Skills,
knowledge and
behaviour
1 2 3 4 5
Digital skills ✓
Communication
skills
✓
Problem
solving skills
✓
Courageous
behaviour
✓
Decision
making skills
✓
Friendly ✓
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behaviour
Budgeting skills ✓
M1 Professional skills audit with evidence of personal reflection and evaluation
From the above table it can be clearly reflected that I have good communication, problem
solving and digital skills which enforce me to pursue career as Human resources manager in
Sainsbury. I can have capabilities to orally or in written form exchange information with others
so that other individual can easily learn. Moreover I get to know that I have friendly and
courageous behaviour that contribute me in understanding employee’s wants and finding
alternative method to make them happy and satisfied (Stewart and Brown, 2019). The table also
help me in interpreting that I need to improve my budgeting skills, decision making skills for
becoming human resources manager. As I must have knowledge related to the budget need to be
prepared in order to set expense for activities related to training and development or
compensation provided to employees. So, it can be evaluated that the above analysis helps me in
understanding the areas that I need to improve to achieve the end objectives.
Professional development plan for HR manager
Professional development plan helps in planning key steps or actions that need to be
undertaken by individual in order to improve its existing skills, capabilities and knowledge. At
the same time it also helps in understanding actual time frame, method that would be used to
evaluate the development of skills. So professional development plan related to key weakness of
me is as follows:
Skills Method that could be
used to develop skills
Evaluation Time frame
Decision making
skills
 In order to
develop
decision
making skills,
I have plan to
read books,
To evaluate the
development of
decision making
skills, I will gather
data related to
whether I am capable
4-5 month
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articles and
make use of
internet to
know the way
successful
business
entrepreneur
take decision
for growth and
development
of company.
 I will also
learn the
method that
can be used to
take right
decision at
right time for
betterment of
company.
to taking decision or
not in limited time
frame (Doan, 2018,
June).
Budgeting skill  For
improving my
budgeting
skills, I have
decided to
learn about
actual
expense to be
made in
particular
activities.
Budgeting skills has
developed can be
evaluated through
understanding that I
am able to set budget
for training and
development program,
and compensation or
any other benefits
given to people.
6 month
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Thus on the
basis of
having
knowledge
pertaining to
expense I can
easily make
budget for
company
related to
training and
development
program and
providing
compensation
to employees
(Koonce and
et.al., 2019).
Upgrading knowledge
related to new
technology
 I have also
decided to
improve my
knowledge
related to new
technology,
by continuous
learning new
method or
techniques
that Hr
professional
are making
I will analysis
whether I know about
update technology or
not. And the way they
can be used to select
potential candidate in
the firm.
8-9 month
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use in order to
recruit and
select right
individual at
right place for
optimum
outcome.
P3 Difference between organisational and individuals learning, training and development
Individual learning, training and development can be states as process that is undertaken
by specific individuals to work on its existing skills, capabilities and knowledge to achieve
higher success in future professional career. So, person can easily get better job opportunities as
per its existing capabilities, knowledge and skills. Individuals need to continuously grow and
develop its existing skills, knowledge in order to dedicatedly perform its respective task (Ling
and et.al., 2018). Moreover, single individuals within the Sainsbury take training and
development program to work on its core skills so that it can get opportunity to be part of
reputable organisation. Individual employees through reflecting on its existing skill tries to find
alternative method that it could used to work on its capabilities in order to achieve its personal
goals while working within the Sainsbury. It work on it weakness or enhance skills, knowledge
for getting promotion within the organisation. So the concept of individual learning, training and
development is limited to one person only and continue for whole life by individual to attain its
personal objective.
On the contrary note, organisation learning is process in which organisation learn new
and innovative method to solve particular problem. Each individual in the Sainsbury learn from
each other about the way particular task can be completed so that company can gained and
retained competitive advantages. Sainsbury managers organised training and development
program not for particular individuals rather it do for benefits for all so that diverse range of
people can easily complete their respective task. Innovative and creative working environment of
company also contribute in enhancing existing skills and knowledge of individuals thus helps in
providing better services to customers beyond their expectancy level (Collins, 2021). For
organisation training and development, Sainsbury need to spend a lot amount of money on
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organising the program so those staff members are teach related to the way particular activity can
be completed. Therefore, it is overall growth and development of each and every employee that
are working in organisation rather than particular individuals so that company can enjoy higher
profitability and market share.
P4 Analysis of the requirement for continuous learning and professional development to drive
sustainable business performance
In each and every business establishment, every managers and leaders within the
Sainsbury wants their employees to become efficient or well trained in order to complete the task
in most appropriate manner along with inclusion of professional approaches in order to complete
their assignments. Therefore, human resource managers of every establishment wants that their
employees continuously get involved or engaged in the activities which promote their knowledge
of understanding or learning procedure so that they can get professionally developed.
The continuous professional development in Sainsbury has been identified if an
employee’s continuously develop their personal skills as well as their qualities while working
within the organization. Sometimes the people are confused within their academic skills as well
as professional skills (Stanley, E., 2017). The difference between both kind of skills is that
academic skills have been earned with the help of their knowledge from professors while on the
other hand the professional skills has been learned within the Sainsbury only by doing work with
special kind of experts. These kinds of developments take place in order to grow in a
professional world. However, these new skills are only related with the particular kind of job
through which an individual is able to learn various skills and enhance their talent. Once the
individuals are more active and skilled, they are able to interact with their seniors in more
appropriate manner. Moreover, it is also dependent upon the focus and interest of particular
employee towards the learning of any particular kind of activity or skill.
For the development of the Sainsbury, it is highly important that each and every
employee also has been developed in sense of their skills as well as understanding as they are the
ultimate resource of the firm which provides profitability to the organization. However,
companies also need to be supportive to their employees when they try to develop their skills
with the help of learning from their seniors or experts. The employees who are working within
the organization are well aware about the requirement of ability which they need to develop
within them along with the way through which they are able to gain that understanding. With this
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kind of effective awareness, both the employees as well as the firm are able to develop in their
own manner efficiently. There are certain benefits that have been required in order to do
continuous professional development are:
 It is highly important in Sainsbury order to enhance individual skills and thus this also
helps in order to get the whole company developed slowly or eventually.
 With the help of continuous professional development within the Sainsbury, the
employees within the organization are able to improve their ability of doing tasks
through this; they are also able to enhance their productivity as well as the whole
establishment ultimately.
 The highly skilled and talented employees are more required by the Sainsbury in order to
increase their image within the market space as the skilled employees are able to prepare
new and innovative strategies in order to run their business efficiently.
With this new approach, employees became more confident and work without stress in free
environment of the firm which automatically enhance the overall productivity. They also feel
motivated and sense themselves completely important within the establishment and works in
more suitable manner to achieve company goals (Townsend, S.S., 2020).
P5 Demonstration of understanding how high performance working contributes to employee
engagement and competitive advantage within specific organisational situation
High performance working organization such as Sainsbury lead towards the better success
and growth of an establishment which automatically leads to enhanced income and growth in the
productivity of the firm. High performance working environment leads to smooth functioning as
well as working of an establishment. With the help of high performance working, the Sainsbury
reaches at the new heights of success after the execution of this effective approach, the firms are
able enhance their whole market share in front of their competitors. The mindset of the
employees within such kind of organization became positive and which motivates them to
perform in most appropriate manner (Laine, M., 2019). This leads to better growth of the
establishment. High performance working organizations i.e. Sainsbury are different from the
traditionally working establishments as the firm emphasize on technological advantages as well
as motivate their employees so that they are able to give their extra efforts towards the firm. The
characteristics that high performance organization offers are:
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