Report on HR Skills, Training, and Professional Development at M&S

This report examines the essential HR skills, knowledge, and behaviors required for HR professionals, focusing on a case study of Marks and Spencer. It includes an analysis of a personal skill audit, evaluating IT, communication, and problem-solving skills. The report creates a professional development plan for an HR officer, outlining learning objectives and opportunities for improvement. Furthermore, it analyzes the differences between organizational and individual learning, training, and development, emphasizing the need for continuous learning to drive sustainable business performance. The report also assesses the contribution of High-Performance Work (HPW) systems to employee engagement and competitive advantage, evaluating performance management, collaborative working, and effective communication strategies within the organization.

DEVELOPING
INDIVIDUALS
1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
A.) Knowledge, skills and behaviours that are required by HR professional across the
department...................................................................................................................................3
b.) Personal skill audit for an employees....................................................................................4
d.) Analyse different between organisational and individual learning, training and
development................................................................................................................................9
e) Analyse the need for continuous learning and professional development to drive sustainable
business performance. ..............................................................................................................10
SECTION -2 .................................................................................................................................12
a) Contribution of HPW to employee engagement and competitive advantage.......................12
b) Evaluation of performance management, collaborative working and effective
communication..........................................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................15
2

INTRODUCTION
For the organisation success it is important to develop team and organisation and an
individual. In respect to perform different types of task it is important to develop skills and
knowledge of employees so that they can work effectively. The present report is based on Marks
and Spencer which make innovative products and services for its customers (Marks and Spencer
, 2017). Further it also operates its business in different geographical area in respect to earn
profit. In the present study, different types of skills, knowledge and behaviour needed to perform
the HR task will be explained. Along with this, there are different professional development plan
for Jane Cambridge in her HR officer role will be created. Apart from this, different between
organisational and individual learning, training and development will be analysed.
A.) Knowledge, skills and behaviours that are required by HR professional across the
department.
HR is one of the essential department within the company as with the help of this it become easy
to carry out different types of activities within the organisation. HR in the organisation is
responsible for different types of function such as hiring of the employees, making different
types of policies within the company etc. HR is needed in the organisation must have good
decision making power (McDermott, Conway and Flood, 2013). Further HR role is to focus in
the welfare of employees through making policies for them. HR manager need to connect the
employees and encourage to accomplish goals and objectives. In the organisation role of James
Cambridge is to provided training and development facility to employees and motivate them so
that they work effectively and efficiently. Further it also need to resolve the issues of employees
and provide them some types of benefits.
Knowledge: To work in an organisation at the designation of HR it is important to have
knowledge related to the strategies and policies which they can develop for improving the
performance of the employees (Laudon and Laudon, 2016). Further it is important to learn new
beneficial techniques so that all the responsibility get fulfilled on time. For instance it is
important to understand the reason behind the way of working of employees,. If employees are
not working effectively then it leads to impact the organisation performance. Therefore, HR can
used different theoretical aspect in an practical manner so that employees can work effectively
accomplish the goal and objectives. In this regard, motivational theory play significant role in
respect to motivate the employees.
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Behaviour: Positive behaviour within the company is very important as it helps in making friends
and strong relationship with employees. It is important for the HR to keep positive behaviour
within the firm and avoid negative so that employees do not get impacted with it. To comfort and
satisfy the employees is important for HR so that they work effectively in the organisations.
Skills: It is important for the HR to develop different sets of skills which are required with the
company. Within the company it is important for the HR to use different set of skills as it help in
accomplish the task in an effective manner (Kerr and Hayward, 2013). Further there are different
types of skills such as communication skill, IT skills decision making skill which need to
improve so that all the business activities can be carried out effectively.
b.) Personal skill audit for an employees
Skill audit: A skill audit is known as important process in respect to measure and record the skill
of the employees who are working at Marks and Spencer. Further, in the company it is important
to conduct skill audit so that employees needs and wants can be identified and according to it
training and development facility can be provided to them (Kaplan and Norton, 2013). It assists
the employees to work effectively and efficiently within the organisation which help in growth
and development of the employees.
Analysis of personal skills audit have been accomplished below in the table of employees of
Marks and Spencer
TESCO. Analysis of personal skills audit have been accomplished below in the table.
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Present level of skills Very good Good Average Little or No
experience
Information Technology
 Use Microsoft Office
 Word
 Use Excel spreadsheet
 Use a Database
 Use specialist HR
 software
 Use the internet
 Use e-mail
 Use PowerPoint
√
√
√
Communication Skills
Drafting contracts of
 employment
 Taking notes of
 disciplinary hearings
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
5

 Write reports
 Produce material to
 support presentations
 Delivering a training
 session
 Resolving
 disputes/complaints
 Interviewing
 Advising on HR issues
√
√
√
√
√
Problem solving skills
 Make good use of
 verbal reasoning skills,
 able to handle complex
 data and make
 selective use of
 information
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
6

 Explore more than one
 solution in order to
 solve a problem
 Consider the ideas of
 others to help solve
 problems
√
Supervisory management
How much
experience
have you had
in your
placements?
1 month 1 to 3 months
√
3 months
How many
people have
you managed
at any one
time?
None 1 to 5
√
Above 5
From the above presented plan it shows the training needs of employees according to which
training facility can be provided to them (Grohar-Murray, DiCroce and Langan, 2016).
C).Creating a professional development plan for Jane Cambridge in her HR officer role.
Professional development plan is essential for an individual in respect to increase in
respect to develop the skills and knowledge. It can be developed while working with the team,
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supervisor and mentor. It helps in working successfully within the organisation so that goals and
objectives can be accomplished effectively.
Sr.
no.
Learning objective Target
proficiency of
target
1= weak
5= strong
Opportunities
availed for
development
Success
criteria
Time
span
(Weeks)
Resources
1 Decision making
skills
4 This can be
improved with
learning simple
techniques for
making decision
It can be
analysed by
seeing the
impact of
performance
2 Human
resources
2 Problem solving
skills
4 It can be
improved by
understand and
learning theory
of problem
solving
Through
measuring
the number
of problem
reduced with
in the firm
3 Seminar
3
Leadership skills
3 It can be
improved with
the help of
supervisor
This can be
measured by
seeing
performance
of the
employees
1
4 IT skills 2 Through
attaining
It can be
measured by
4 Training
and
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training and
development
program
using
different
software.
developme
nt program
5
Communication skill
3 It can be
improved with
the help of
attaining lecturer
and presentation
It can be
measured
with the
help of
taking
feedback
from friends
and others
3 Human
resources
The above presented personal and professional development plan is effective as it help in
analysing the skill which is too much weak and need improvement while other skill which
required less improvement. Therefore, I can improve my IT skill so that I can work with the use
of different types of software without any chances getting failed (Devarajan, Maheshwari and
Vohra, 2016). Apart from this it is essential to make improvement in the communication skill as
it is important to work in different field. As without effective communication it becomes easy to
communicate effectively without losing the confident.
d.) Analyse different between organisational and individual learning, training and development
Learning is the process through which an individual keep learning new things then apply
it into practical manner. Further it can be stated that inclusive learning is important which help in
providing a better result at the time of working within an organisation. Training and development
is one of the effective in respect to learn new things (Buckingham and Goodall, 2015). Training
and development process help in developing the skill and knowledge of employees so that they
can work more effectively and efficiently within the Marks and Spencer. In the organisation
there are advanced technologies always implemented it important to develop the skill of
employees so that they can work effectively within the firm. Along with this it also help in
motivating the employees toward the work.
Training Development
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Training is the process through which all the
employees can develop their skills and
knowledge (Ates, Garengoand Bititci, 2013).
Development is the process through which
employees get opportunities in the future.
Training is for short time Development is for long time
It is provided by trainer It is own development with different ways
It is need to be carried out for present
requirement
It is for future requirement
Main objective is to develop the skills of
employees so that they can attain company
objectives
The main objective to develop for future
opportunities
Training and development is important for organisational learning as it help in
developing the skill and knowledge of employees so that they can work effectively within the
firm. Further it helps company in accomplishing the goals and objectives on time (Rashidi,
2015). In the company there are two types of training occur such as informal and formal which
is organised by the HR. Further this learning help to provide opportunities in future in term of
accomplishing the objectives.
e) Analyse the need for continuous learning and professional development to drive sustainable
business performance.
Continuous learning means encouraging and facilitating employees active searches for ways to
increase their knowledge and skills sets and then learn the knowledge and skills or abilities into
work place. And professional development is for the employee who can not able to do their work
in professional way. These both are very important factor of any company. Continuous learning
is based on daily learning from other people, from self, from friend and family and from the
company or from the company's training session. Professional development is based on
company's activities (McDermott, Conway and Flood, 2013) Company arrange a staff meeting,
program,event or any other activity and teach their employee, how to react, how to communicate,
how to handle anger, how to handle a team in professional way and many more thing through
camps, meetings and programme. From continuous learning and professional development
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company increase their employee's knowledge and skills. and that skills are help to company to
meet the target and company is ready to serve to their customers. Indirectly behalf of company,
employees are serve to company's customer, so it is necessary for company that they teach their
employees of continuous learning and professional development.
If any company arrange the programme and event for continuous learning and
professional development, then it is valuable for employees and company. From continuous
learning and professional development employees can help one another in easy way, professional
development teach how satisfy their customer in best way. Need of continuous learning and
professional development, because company want to complete their target. Company has to
satisfy their customers. Company want to be explore their business in many locations. Company
want to become more popular. Company don't want to lose their customer. So company teach
continuous learning and professional development to their employees and get the reward and pay
back to their employees (Laudon and Laudon, 2016). If any company will be big brand, able to
satisfy their customers and make more profit through continuous learning and professional
development then it also profitable for the valuable employees, because company will gives extra
pay to their employees and will give increment or bonus to their employees. So continuous
learning and professional development is most important factor in any organisation which gives
most of things to the company and their customers. From continuous learning and professional
development company selling also will be increase compare then before, so they started teach to
employee and arrange the programmes for continuous learning and professional development.
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SECTION -2
a) Contribution of HPW to employee engagement and competitive advantage
The HPW stands for high performance working. There will be increase in the
performance level of employees that are working in the organization as their skills, knowledge
and power will increase. Under the category of HRM practices HPW where attempts are being
made in order to engage employees in their work and gain competitive advantage from rival
companies. By using this at workplace , the company will be more productive and satisfaction
among employees will be more. In order to gain competitive advantage high performance work
systems have become highly essential. In a workplace in an organization the human resource
management are essential for attracting, choosing and retaining and encouraging and developing
the workplace (Carmeli, Dutton and Hardin, 2015). The culture of organization is considered in
a form of organizational capital will provide sustained competitive advantage. There will be
influence on the strategic issues such as strategic change, management decision -making etc due
to reflection of organization culture. With this the company will also be able to manufacture
innovative products as the skills and knowledge of employees will enhance which will help to
develop more creative and innovative items.
In the human resource the most important issues is employee engagement and
commitment .The HPW have been used in order to engage more employees in the work they do.
The company is making use of appraisal systems, mentoring and coaching in order to support the
employees and also for their good performance the company is providing rewards to
employees .All these things will encourage the employees to stay committed to the work they do.
The company is using both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards system in order to motivate and
encourage employees in the workplace (Erez and Shokef , 2013). In the extrinsic reward the
company can encourage and motivate employees by giving them bonus in form of monetary
value. This will motivate employees to involved more in the work that they do and will work
towards the goals of organization. By using extrinsic rewards the company can also be
encouraged. In order to have high-involvement of employees ta workplace the HR team need to
recruit correct candidates for the job, job security and incentive-based pay need to be given to
employees. For the current and future skills the training program need to be developed. The
power should also be given to employees in order to make decisions in the organization. With
this the employees will feel that for the company they are valuable and also important assets.
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