HR Skills, Knowledge, Behaviour and Development: Whirlpool

This report analyzes the crucial skills, knowledge, and behaviors required for HR professionals, using Whirlpool, a leading UK-based company, as a case study. It explores the roles and responsibilities of HR managers, emphasizing the need for negotiation, understanding individual behavior, and possessing specific knowledge like contract law and training techniques. The report also includes a personal skill audit, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and proposes a professional development plan to enhance skills such as problem-solving, IT knowledge, communication, and supervisory management. Furthermore, the report differentiates between individual and organizational training, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and professional development for sustainable performance. It also examines how high-performance work systems contribute to employee engagement and competitive advantage, and finally, it touches upon performance management within the organization. This report is contributed by a student to Desklib, a platform offering AI-based study tools for students.

DEVELOPING
INDIVIDUAL, TEAMS
AND ORGANISATIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Appropriate skills, knowledge and behaviours required by HR professionals......................1
P2 Personal skill audit for determination of skills, knowledge and behaviour and preparation
of professional development plan...............................................................................................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
P3 Differences between individual and organisational training and learning.............................5
P4 Need of continuous learning & professional development to attain sustainable performance
.....................................................................................................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
P5 HPW contributes to employee engagement and competitive advantage..............................7
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
P6 Performance management......................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
In an organisation there are various activities that are performed by them. Amongst this,
Human resource management plays an important role in providing maximum benefits. Prime
duty of managers in the department of HR is to recruit suitable candidates who are eligible
enough in performing the task effectively. Firm that is taken in this assignment is Whirlpool
which is a leading company in United Kingdom. The report will focus on skills and information
that is required by an individual in order to become HR manager (Amabile, 2012). For this,
different techniques that are required to get a better results are mentioned in this assignment.
TASK 1
P1 Appropriate skills, knowledge and behaviours required by HR professionals
Today in fast developing world, every company seeks to develop its working system and
earn competition advantage. For achieving this success, managers of such associations perform
various functions. In this regard, human resource management plays a vital role in developing
organisation culture and working system in a proper manner. HR managers take various roles
and responsibilities like to manage people, developing their abilities and skills, make them able
to work as per business requirement and get right work from them. These functions help in
improving performance of industry which aid in obtaining better outcomes (Berry, 2011).
Therefore, to perform all these functions in a proper manner, managers are required to possess
appropriate skills and knowledge as well as should behave in proper manner.
Skills are like abilities through which a person can perform any type of task as well as
can enhance the same by going through learning and training development.
Knowledge is a concept of information which a person can gain through personal
experience or learning. A perfect and right knowledge helps an individual to take quick decision
or choose a best option from various alternatives related to a part of activity. Therefore, when a
company makes modifications and develop its technologies then it will help in enhancing skills
and knowledge of people associated with organisation in a proper manner.
Behaviour reflects attitude which shows how a person interacts with other, influence
them and get affected as per different situations.

Thus, in context with Whirlpool which deals in electronic sector and sales home
appliances like Washing Machine, Refrigerator, TV and more (Ford, 2014). This company is
famous for its innovations, so to keep on maintaining the reputation HR managers perform
various roles and responsibilities in effective manner. They contribute their more efforts in
achieving success of this organisation like: Negotiator: HR managers in a firm acts like a commutator who convey demands of
employees to superiors. Through proper efforts they develop and maintain relationship
between workers and management (Gibbs, 2013). This would help in reducing the chance
of conflicts which shows that in large industries, it is essential for manager to be a good
negotiator.
 Understanding individual behaviour: It is the main liability of HR managers in an
enterprise to determine factors present in organisation that affect behaviour and
performance of employees. Through proper understanding behaviour of workers,
managers can make better policies and strategies so that the same can be followed easily.
As major duty of HR executives in a company is hiring employees from inside and outsie
environment of business. Therefore, in this regard, managers of Whirlpool are needed to possess
following skills, knowledge and behaviour:-
Knowledge: Contract law: It is considered as main aspect under job recruitment process, where HR
managers of Whirlpool need to make job contract as per legal laws. This agreement
provide information to new candidates about rules and regulations of business,
termination process, assessment and more.
 Training and Development Techniques: After hiring new candidates, it is amendable for
managers to provide induction training program to them. This would help new recruiters
to become familiar with new working environment and prepare themselves to work
accordingly.
Skills: Communication: Being a manager, an individual should have good interpersonal and
communication skills. Through such type of abilities, managers in a firm can interact
with others in a proper way as well as develop good relations. As per present scenario,
through proper communications, managers of Whirlpool Company influence workers to
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work as per need of business. This firm is one of the largest company in UK having
more than 70 manufacturing and technology research centres in many countries.
Currently, many workers are working in this enterprise i.e. near about 92,000 so, its HR
managers are used to develop a good relationship among all through effective
communication skills as well as provide them healthy working environment. It helps in
getting right work from them.
 Problem solving skills: As Whirlpool has diverse culture therefore, conflicts among
employees arise on regular basis due to different culture. In addition to this, present
company also used to bring modification in technology and system on daily basis to
create innovations in products. Thus, in this regard, HR managers must develop their
problem solving abilities so that adverse issues can be resolved on time.
Behaviour: Ethics: It is amendable for HR professionals of any organisation to behave with others in
ethical manner. They should deal with problems like conflicts, employee resistivity in
well-mannered way so that occurrence of severe issues (employee turnover) can be
reduced.
 Confidentiality: In Whirlpool, HR executives should ensure that any type of personal
information of employees, customers and other stakeholders would not be shared with
third person.
P2 Personal skill audit for determination of skills, knowledge and behaviour and preparation of
professional development plan
As per present scenario, being a manager in HR department of Whirlpool I have played
various functions to manage whole atmosphere of workplace. It includes recruitment and
selection, managing relationship among large numbers of employees and more. Perfect
environment in premises reflects that skills and abilities which I have possessed is good for
company. But, when any new changes happen in organisational system then it disturb behaviour
of workers. So, in such conditions I am feeling unable to manage the same and take decision for
how to cope with that (Goetsch and Davis, 2014). Therefore, by personal skills auditing, I can
evaluate myself in following manner:-
Strengths: Whirlpool has large working organisation where near about 92,000 are
currently working so to manage all of them is really a big task. In addition to this, understanding
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behaviour of each individual and formulate policies accordingly in an effective manner reflects
strongest part of me that I am good in that. With good communication and leadership skills aid
me to provide proper direction to workers as well as influence them towards goals and
objectives. I have possessed appropriate knowledge of compliance also which help in operating
business of this firm in various countries in a legal manner.
Weaknesses: The major weakness of mine that hampers me at workplace is lack of
proper technical knowledge which is necessary to have by every person who works in large
organisations. It acts as a barrier in getting promotion in this company. Along with this, in
Whirlpool various problems are occurred on daily basis so, in such situation sometimes decision
taken by me prove ineffective (Kozlowski and Bell, 2013). So, I need to work on my drawbacks
and improves abilities by taking essential learning session. This would aid me to perform well as
well as become a successful HR manager. It will make me able to influences workers and give
them proper guidance by taking decisions in an appropriate manner. To overcome from my
weaknesses and improve abilities, it is necessary for me to develop CPD plan. This would help
me in organising activities within a time-frame by which I can develop my skills.
Therefore, to develop interpersonal and professional skills, a personal audit of mine can
be analysed in the below table.
Serial
no.
Learning
objective
Current
proficiency
Target
proficiency
Development opportunities Time scale
1 Problem solving
skills
3 5 Problems are generally
occurred in workplace due to
misconceptions between
management and staff
members. So, it is a main
responsibility of HR
managers to resolve them
within short period of time.
As, it is main weakness of me
so, I need to take an essential
training for removing this.
1.5 to 2
months
4

2 Information
technology
3 4 Any industry whether belongs
to technical, retail or
manufacture, needs managers
who have gained perfect
knowledge of IT and its
applications. In HR
department, these applications
help in hiring perfect
candidates in short period of
time as per requirement of
business. In addition to this,
in electronic industry like
Whirlpool, for getting
employment a person should
have at least a Diploma
degree in IT (Hirst and et. al.,
2011). So, I require to take
classes in this field.
45 days
3 Communication
skills
4 5 For managing workplace,
making good interaction with
employees, employers,
visitors and customers of with
all persons who are associated
with organisations, managers
should have gained effective
communication and
interpersonal skills. By
attending some group
discussions aid me to
enhance my skills.
3 to 4
months
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4 Supervisory
management
4 5 In order to run an enterprise
in a legal manner and operate
all functions properly,
managers of every department
play an important role.
Therefore, it is required by
them to have professional and
managerial skills. In this
context I am better but to
achieve good position, it is
required to develop more
(Hutchinson and et. al.,
2010). Thus, by taking
professionals advice and
training helps in gaining
good knowledge and
developing managerial skills.
45 to 60
days
TASK 2
P3 Differences between individual and organisational training and learning
Individual learning: This concept relates with personal ability which shows that how a
person grabs knowledge and learns new things as well as in what manner (Légaré and et. al.,
2011). Generally, an individual enhance knowledge by personal experience and increase
knowledge through working in a organisation.
Organisational learning: This concept relates with sharing knowledge with each other
through which an individual enhance its performance and gains further opportunity. By getting
such type of performance, aid an enterprise to gain productivity of them which help in improving
brand image.
Thus, in order to achieve sustainability, success and growth of business, both individual
and organisational learning is necessary. It helps in enhancing knowledge of employees as well
as develop their skills. These type of skills aid staff member in performing their duties in a
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proper manner as well as support enterprise to achieve targeted goals. In addition to this, it is
also necessary for HR managers to manage whole working environment and reduce chance of
conflicts.
Some major difference between concept of individual and organisational learning can be
described as below:
Individual learning Organisational learning
 It indicates way of learning by
individuals through which they learn
various things and grab knowledge in a
particular field.
 This type of learning is simple and
easier than others.
 A person can learn by his surrounding
so, training is not necessary for the
same.
 In an association, managers perform
various functions to develop skills and
behaviour of workers by engaging them
in group task.
 In this process, person in an
organisation can learn, gain, retain and
transfer knowledge (Organisational
learning. 2012).
 As compared to individual learning,
this procedure is more complex and
lengthy.
 It consumes much time as well as to
enhance skills of others an association
needs to hire professional trainers who
will train people associated with
business.
 In this procedure, managers are
required to adopt various theories and
concepts for managing workers.
Along with this, to increase productivity of workers and increase their performance, it is
necessary for managers of Whirlpool to provide training and development program. Training
helps them in updating current knowledge of employees and makes them able to give best
performance. While development program helps in growing career of them to face future
challenges. Therefore, both programs give opportunity to Whirlpool to gain high skilled workers.
P4 Need of continuous learning & professional development to attain sustainable performance
Continuous learning aid a person to improve abilities and skills in a uninterrupted
manner so that knowledge can be gained in a given period of interval. In this case, an individual
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can gain knowledge by personal experience. According to Honey and Mumford theory of
learning, it concerns on four type of learning style- Activists, Reflectors, Pragmatists and
Activists. In this regard, a person who learns by doing a work itself are known as activist. They
need opportunities for the same while working within an organisation. Therefore, Whirlpool
should give them opportunity for the same so that such employees can learn in proper manner.
While reflectors are those who learn by working under supervision of seniors. Thus, by giving
such platform, managers of this company increase productivity of its workers also.
Professional development is different concept as in this procedure, an individual gains
knowledge by taking professional and academic degree. Such type of person in a firm increase
morale of other employees (Mockaitis, Rose and Zettinig, 2012).
Thus, both type of learning i.e. Professional development and Continuous learning are
required for driving sustainable performance of an enterprise. This type of learning aids in
improving skills and abilities of employees as per current demand. In addition to this, to gain
productivity of workers, management of companies are required to introduce foster learning
culture in premises. They also need to administer further training and development programs to
employees which make them able to work as per requirement of business. It would help in
reducing labour turnover also and aid managers to gain retention of workers for long purpose.
Further, it is a duty of HR professionals to provide healthy working environment and engage
employees in group task. It would help in getting more involvement and commitment of
employees as well as reduce the chance of conflicts which generally occurred in large
enterprises. Along with this, in such procedure employees are become able to adjust themselves
in any type of environment as well as they can adopt changes easily (O'leary, Mortensen, and
Woolley, 2011). Thus, all these processes aid Whirlpool to gain productivity of employees and
achieve its goals in a given period of time.
Honey and Mumford theory of learning: This theory was developed by David Kolb in
1984 which explains different learning styles. As per this theory, it has examined that every
individual prefer a certain learning style. There are various factors which influence a person's
preferred style- it includes Acquisition: It states birth to adolescence i.e. development of basic skills and cognitive
structures.
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 Specialization: Under this development of a particular style is shaped by social
background, education and socialisation, where schooling, personal experiences and own
experience of adulthood are considered as main factor.
 Integration: It refers to mid-career through to later life where certain factors in work and
personal life based on expression of non-dominant learning style.
Illustration 1: Honey and Mumford Learning Theory
(Source: Honey and Mumford Learning Theory, 2018)
TASK 3
P5 HPW contributes to employee engagement and competitive advantage
The term high performance working reflects to a general procedure of managing an
organisation. It helps managers to trigger employee engagement and get high commitment of
them. Through this procedure, they can enhance efforts of workers in unrestricted manner as well
as engage them in group task. Thus, it helps in utilising resources of enterprises and improve
performance of them. In context with Whirlpool, this firm wants to enter into new market area by
manufacturing some more electronic item and add value in existing products. Therefore, for this
process managers are needed to collaborate workers in group task, get their high commitment
and right works. All such processes help in achieving the desired goals of company and obtain
better outcomes. By engages people in group task, aid enterprise to develop a strong relationship
among them which would further help in enhancing performance and get their high commitment.
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