Analysis of HRM in a Retail Setting: Matalan Case Study

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Human Resources Management

Executive summary
The given assignment aim to elaborate the characteristics traits of the Human Resources
Management in an organization. All the key elements that are used by the HRM for managing
the system of an organization have been accentuated in the given study. All the strength and
weakness of the HR department of an organization are critically evaluated irrespective to this
assignment. The flexibility traits and other such relevant factors related to the HRM is highly
interpreted in the below assignment.

Table of Content
Task- LO1 & LO2...........................................................................................................................3
1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................3
1.2 Company overviews..................................................................................................................3
2. An explanation of the purpose of the HR function and the key roles and responsibilities of the
HR function, highlighting the significance that HR plays in acquiring talent to meet business
objectives.........................................................................................................................................4
3. An assessment of the approach to workforce planning, recruitment and selection,
development and training, performance management and reward systems....................................5
Task- LO3 & LO4...........................................................................................................................8
1. The design of a job specification for one of a number of given positions in the organisation....8
2. Documentation of preparatory notes for interviews, selection criteria/score sheet.....................9
3. A template job offer for the desired candidate..........................................................................10
4. An evaluation of the process and the rationale for conducting appropriate HR practices.........11
5. The approach to and effectiveness of employee relations and employee engagement, with
mention of the flexible organisation and flexible working practices and ‘employer of choice’.. .11
6. Key aspects of employment legislation within which the organisation must work..................13
7. An evaluation of how employee relations and employment legislation inform decision making
and meets business objectives.......................................................................................................14

Task- LO1 & LO2
1.1 Introduction
In every organization Human Resource management has to foreplays a crucial role in order to
operate the organizational functions in a smooth manner. It is the department that leads to
enhance the effectiveness of the overall management system of company. Furthermore, they are
appointed to determine the organizational economic growth as well as to gain advantage in the
competitive business market. Moreover, they are the person who works systematically for the
interest of all the investors, suppliers, employees as well as the customers of the company.
However, the primary function of the HRM department is to determine the authentication
process that are involved in the recruitment as well as selection process that are intrinsic to
administer the productivity of organization. The authority and the responsibility is relative high
in respect to the management department of an organization as all management system arouses in
the hand of HR.
1.2 Company overviews
One of the British home ware and fashion retail store that is established in 1985 and is operating
its business for more than 30 years. The GBP revenue that are earned by the company is approx
£1,100 million (Matalan.co.uk, 2019). The mission of this company is to maintain the standard
and quality of its product and services that they offer to their potential customers. The company
has effective HR department that analyse all the facts that are required and demanded by the
modern families with the changing passage of time. Furthermore, the company is completely
engaged in providing all the home ware products in a relatively low price and has been able to
build a dynamic trust within 12 million UK families as their appropriate budget store. The stores
of the Matalan is spread all over the international market and are termed as a renowned company
that offer quality, stylish and valuable items that are generally demanded for the happy family.
Moreover, the company is highly engaged with many social charities and communities in
relation to aware and raise funds that are mainly focused on the NSPCC as well as the Alder Hey
Children’s Hospital Charity.

2. An explanation of the purpose of the HR function and the key roles and responsibilities
of the HR function, highlighting the significance that HR plays in acquiring talent to meet
business objectives.
There are many functions that are performed by the HR department of an organization in order to
achieve the main objective. In exception to recruitment and selection, training, motivation there
are many other primary roles as well as responsibilities that are furthermore carried by the HRM,
some of which are discussed below:
● Organizing
The authority of the HR department in a company is to oversee all the operations and functions.
They are with the responsibility while maintaining and organizing the certainty of the smooth
and adequate functioning of organization (Guest, 2017). The HR department analyze all the
resources of the company in the most adequate manner and allocate the same to all the other
departments of the company for the effective and better performance.
● Directing
The duty of the HRM in an organization is also related to provide effective guidance to the staffs
of the organization so that the compelling productivity can be generated. After organizing certain
task to the staffs HR department of company leads the unit with the most effective sources to
complete the task. Directing the employees includes all the guidance that is needed by the
employees for the effective performance of the task. Thus, for this specific reason the HR
assistant must be skilled and experienced enough so that they can provide the effective guidance
to the employees of the company. This guidance enables to increase furthermore productivity of
the company.

● Controlling
The HR department of company controls all the operation and functioning to enhance the
effectiveness of the overall performance. The controlling of the company includes measuring all
the performance of the employees (Hassan, 2016). If any kind of deficit is found than the HR
assistant is responsible to look forward all the consequences and determine them in future
operation.
● Job design and analysis
The HR department of company has to play a role irrespective of recruitment as well as selection
of the new and suitable candidates that will enable the company to achieve its objective in the
most appropriate manner. Irrespective to perform such function the HR designs a statement that
includes all the information and details that are required for the candidates to recruit. The
candidates get help from this job specification that has been designed by the HR department of
company.
● Employee welfare
The HR department of the company are very must employee oriented and task every certain step
that will be beneficial for the welfare of the employees.
3. An assessment of the approach to workforce planning, recruitment and selection,
development and training, performance management and reward systems.
The term HRM is much broader term that is furthermore explained below:
● Planning
Planning is one of the primary works that are performed by the HRM. Thus, it is very well said
that effective planning can lead to take the position of the company in the standard level.
However, it is very crucial that any individual that are appointed as the HRM must be skilled and
has experience of the field.
● Recruitment and selection
Another important role that is played by the HR department involves recruitment and selection.
Recruitment is important to be held for the benefit of the company as it increase the effectiveness
of the company performance (Leon Rohr, 2016). Thus, the HR department analyze all the
characteristics traits of the candidate and match it with the required position in the company.

When after measuring all the key facts the selection process is undertaken by the HR that ensures
that the candidate is suitable for the welfare of the company.
● Development and training
After selecting the suitable candidate, the furthermore responsibility that raises to the part of HR
department is training the newly appointed candidates and develop their skills in the respective
field. This role of the HRM is as important as the other functions because this leads to increase
the overall productivity of the company.
● Performance management
After the task is done the next step that is performed by the managergers of the company is to
measure the actual and adequate performance with assumed ones. This is done to check the scale
of activity that has been performed by the employees. Furthermore, it also leads to check the
overall effectiveness of the performance (Marler and Parry, 2016). If in any case any deficit is
found the HR department of the company analyze the facts and determine the strategies that can
help bridge the gap between the actual and assumed performance.
● Reward System
As per the above mentioned point the HRM are very concern about their employees and are
employee oriented. Thus, after measuring the performance of the employees the HR department
organizes reward system that is offered to the employees whose works are highly appreciated.
This reward includes the increment, incentives, awards and many others relevant to this.
However, it has been observed that introducing the system of reward also encourages the
employees to perform in their best possible manner that ultimately enhance the overall
performance of the company (Nankervis et al., 2016).
4. Inclusion of case study examples to examine the different methods used in HR practices.
As per the given scenario all the key methods that are used by the company Matalan HR
assistance has been discussed below:
● The HR assistance of Matalan is highly engaged in maintaining the safe and friendly
working environment for the welfare of the employees. Any kinds of deflects are sorted
in a very expert manner by the company assistant (Bratton and Gold, 2017). As the
company is the term that follows the perpetual succession therefore it is important for the
HR department to maintain highly ethical environment in order to achieve the long time
objective.

● As the retail store of Matalan is spread all over the country of UK, the management
system must be authentic and work in its most systematic manner to ensure the effective
performance. Moreover, the style of management must be accurate that leads to create
enthusiasm among the workforce so that the company objective of expansion can be
easily achieved.
● Furthermore, the assistant HR of the company are responsible to evaluate a fair system
that do not involve any kinds of partiality with the employees. However, it has been
observed that the HR assistant look for the 360 management performance of the business
as they are operates only for the welfare of organization.
● In addition the HR department of the company also accentuates the effective performance
of the employees that are measures and appreciate by the help of rewarding system that
are organized for motivating the employees (Nankervis et al., 2016). The HR managers
also organize the open discussion seminar in which all the employees are allowed to
participate and speak and keep their views in relation to the betterment of the company.
This methods leads to maintain the faith of the employee for their organization as they
are able to take active participation in the decision making with their superiors.
● The HR assistant of the company looks forward to the employees that are relatively weak
and requires the extra guidance to develop its effectiveness. All the necessary helps in
training and education is provided to the employee by the HR assistant of the company.

Task- LO3 & LO4
1. The design of a job specification for one of a number of given positions in the
organisation.
The key points that are required to fill the vacant position in the company are elaborated in the
job specification that are assigned in job profile in relation to the certain head the candidates
are selected and hence appointed (Noe et al., 2017). This job specification provides all the
necessary details that lead to determine the capability of the candidates for the applying for the
job in a respective position. Furthermore, this is again an example that explains the traits of
the human resources management that is evaluated on the basis of recruitment and selection.
Therefore, in order to determine the HR assistant post in the Matalan Company the following
job specification is mentioned below:
Job Title: Assistant HR
Job Descriptions: the major objective that is required to be followed by HR assistant of the
Matalan is to manage the entire system that is maintained by the human resource department
in an organization. In order to achieve the objective the HR assistant has to interpret all the
respective orders of the executive member of the company and then rectify all the essential
needs that underpinned to the post of HR department of company. Shielding all the crucial
operations and functions of the organization with procedures that are related to the
management of employees that are fundamental to perform by assistant HR. (Paauwe and
Boon, 2018). furthermore, the HR assistant influences the functions of the operation while
structuring as well as implementing the relative policies which are termed as the major
responsibility of the certain post. Some of the relevant responsibilities that are evaluated with
the terms of the HR assistant are mentioned below:
● Assistant in the process of hiring
● Providing the necessary guidance to the freshly appointed candidates
● Payroll processing
● Circulating all the fundamental details and information to the newly appointed
candidates.
● Auditing the crucial files in the appropriate manner

● Appreciating the employees of the company
● Supporting the employees for their well being
● Mailing all the imperative to all the staffs
● Addressing the complaints of the employees in the working environment
Fundamental skills that is required for the post of vacant position
● Must be introduced with the basic computer system which highly recommends the MS
Office.
● Must be flawless in written as well as verbal communication skills.
● Broader understanding of the all the laws and acts on employee legislation
● Administrative skills
● Convincing skills
Required qualification
● 3 years of administrative and other relevant expertise.
● Bachelor’s degree of the HR domain.
Salary structure
55,000 pound per annum
2. Documentation of preparatory notes for interviews, selection criteria/score sheet
Preparatory notes:
In the part of interview of the preparatory all the necessary details that are required for
appointing the candidate that will be suitable for the operation of the company is accentuated.
In addition, all the crucial points and questions that is to be asked from the candidates at the
time of enacting the interview is noted down by the HR department of company. Furthermore,
the appropriate points that is to be established for filling the criteria of the selection is also
determined in the preparatory note. Moreover, a score sheet that evaluates all the score that is
gained by the following candidates are noted by the HR manager of the company at the time
of taking the interview. It is the sheet that determines the capability of the candidates who
apply for the vacant position of the company (Pató, 2015). Finally after the interview is done
the suitable candidates are decided by analysing the score sheet that states ability and
capability to hold the respective position in the company.

3. A template job offer for the desired candidate.
Matalan Perimeter Road,
Knowsley Industrial Park,
Knowsley,
Liverpool L33 7SZ, UK
PH- [phone]
Email- [e-mail]
Jack Belly
23 Rockefeller liner street,
Dear Mr Belly
Subject: Provisional Offer Letter
We are highly glad to inform that you are selected on the basis of the process that was enacted
at the time of recruitment and selection, for the post of the Assistant HR in the Matalan, UK.
The company are expecting to see you as soon at our place. We are going to offer an annual
remuneration of 55,000 pounds.
It is a request to you to sign and return this offer letter as this will be serving as the prove of
your appointment in this organization.
Regards
Human Resource Department
Matalan Store