Developing HR Skills, Knowledge and Behaviour for Waitrose Employees

This report examines the essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors required of HR professionals, specifically within the context of the Waitrose supermarket chain. It begins by defining key HR competencies, including knowledge of employment legislation and the skills of effective communication and conflict management. The report then presents a personal skill audit and development plan for an Assistant HR Manager, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. The analysis highlights the need to enhance communication and conflict resolution skills through targeted training and practical application. The report concludes with a professional development plan outlining learning goals and training activities aligned with the learning cycle to achieve sustainable business performance objectives. The report emphasizes the importance of continuous professional development for HR professionals to contribute to organizational success.

Developing Individuals
Teams and Organizations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1: Determine appropriate and professional knowledge, skill and behaviours that are required
by HR professionals.....................................................................................................................3
P2: Analyse a completed personal skill audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills and
behaviours and develop a professional development plan...........................................................4
M1: Provide a detailed professional skill audit that demonstrates evidence of personal
reflection and evaluation..............................................................................................................6
D1: Produce a detailed and coherent professional development plan that appropriately sets out
learning goals and training in relation to the learning cycle to achieve sustainable business
performance objective..................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Development program encompasses the process under which an organization gains immense
growth and shift to higher level by improving the skills and capabilities of both individual and
team member. The term development is described by indulging into significant program and plan
that helps to improve the existing capabilities and potential of staff in order to achieve the
standard and carry out diverse tasks successfully. Mainly it is the responsibility of human
resource department to carry out various performance in order to develop the functioning of
whole organizational (Amabile, 2012). This helps to successfully achieve predetermine standards
by molding the priories of workforce. To better define the topic Waitrose company has been
selected which is the well known supermarket of United Kingdom. The company mainly deals to
serve the grocery and other eatable items through physical store as well as online platform. This
report is used to analyze the knowledge, skill and behavior of employees as well as accordingly
prepare the professional development plan.
TASK 1
P1: Determine appropriate and professional knowledge, skill and behaviours that are required by
HR professionals
HR professionals plays a strong role within an organisation which is not only confined till
carrying out recruitment cycle or preparing payroll but they also participate to run training and
development programme. It enhances the efforts of overall workforce including both individuals
and team member in terms to maximise the growth and profitability of Waitrose organisation.
The explanation of required knowledge, skills and behaviour of HR profession are discussed
below:
Knowledge: It refer to the awareness about the subject which needs to gained by HR
professional so it is the responsibility of HR profession to constantly upgrade the existing on the
subject manner to maintain clarity and articulate viable decision making (Drury, Conboy and
Power, 2012). HR professional needs to have sound knowledge about the Employment
legislation and reforms established by the government of UK like maintaining minimum wage
rate, health and safety legislation. Application of all law within Waitrose company helps to
maintain healthy relationship and support the efforts of internal and external stakeholders.

Skill: It represent the ability or talent that helps to carry out allotted task and
responsibilities in terms to achieve the targetted performance significantly. The HR professional
needs to have certain skills like maintaining effective communication that helps to suitable
convey desirable information, create transparency and avoid the chances of confusion. Along
with that developing conflict management skill by HR manager for Waitrose company helps to
amongst the workforces to maintain interpersonal relation and collaborate their efforts to attain
collective target.
Behaviour: Behaviour refers to the attribute of HR profession that led them to influence
the employees and bring transition by improving existing working ability or performance. Some
behaviours aspects which needs to be required by HR profession of Wairose company includes
collaborative working performance. Under which HR encourages both individual and group
member to collaborate their efforts which leads to synergy. This strengthen the potential of
overall workforce (Ford, 2014). Along with that HR advisor needs to be trustworthy so that
overall workforce rely upon the internal decision and consider the advises seriously by following
them effectively.
P2: Analyse a completed personal skill audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills and
behaviours and develop a professional development plan
Skill audit involves the systematic record of personal skills which can be either for
individual or team members. It helps to determine the outcome based on which skills gaps are
identified and efforts are taken to overcome them by developing desirable future (Hirst and et.
al., 2011). The below table represent personal development plan for Assistant manager HR
developmental for Waitrose organisation.
Skills, knowledge and attributes Very good Good Adequate Limited
Conflict management skills ✓
Communication Skills ✓
Employment Legislative
knowledge
✓
Collaborative working practices ✓
From the above table it has been analysed that being a Assistance manager HR
development within Waitrose company my main strengths are adequate knowledge on

employment legislation and collaborative working practices. This can assist the organisation in
terms to manage the signification relations between employer and employees and abide all
legislation. This help to enhance the overall practices of an organisation by carrying out work
significantly. On contrary, focus needs to be given to enhance the communication and conflict
management skill in order to deliver the viable information and maximise potential of employees
within stipulated time frame.
Personal development plan
Development
objective
Priority Activities to be
undertaken
Resources Time
Line
Success
Criteria
Communicatio
n skills
High Intimate all the
required information
to the internal
employees and
resolve their queries
by thoroughly
expressing the
thoughts and
persuade their
performance in
favorable direction.
Carry out
presentations to
enlighten the
knowledge of staff,
attention meetings
and conduct group
discussions with
stakeholders in
order to enhance
individual and
group performance
(Tosi and Pilati,
2011).
1.5
month
Constantly
evaluate the
result and
response of
subordinates
as well as ask
superiors to
constantly
monitor the
performance.
Conflict
management
skill
High Liaison the
relationship between
diverse workforce
who collectively
work together with
the objective to
attain shared
objective.
Constantly motivate
the workforce so
that their efforts and
actions does not
goes out of track.
Along with that
efforts are taken to
reduce the
1 month Evaluate the
performance
of individual
and group
member so
that they
remain
updated

dependency of
diverse workforce
on common
resources because it
may leads to the
chances of chaos or
conflict.
about their
current
performance
and focus to
improve
personal
performance
rather than
indulging
into conflicts.
M1: Provide a detailed professional skill audit that demonstrates evidence of personal reflection
and evaluation
Accordingly to above displayed skill audit and development plan, being Assistance
manager HR development within Waitrose company I will remain focused to enrich my
communication and conflict management skills to carry out my responsibility appropriately. I
will overcome my hesitation and improve communication skill by delivering various
presentation and participate in group discussion session. Moreover, I will remain keen to
motivate the workforce in order to maximise their potential and overcome chances of internal
disputes or conflict. Therefore, it helps in carry out my individual roles and responsibility
successfully.
D1: Produce a detailed and coherent professional development plan that appropriately sets out
learning goals and training in relation to the learning cycle to achieve sustainable business
performance objective
Professional development plan needs to be systematically prepared by the individual for a
particular time being as it state the weaknesses of an individual and help them to analyse the
ways by which they can improve their sensitising knowledge, skill as well as attributes. Effective
preparation mitigate the weakness of an individual or group member and helps them to
continuously improve their performance (Whittington, 2016). This learning cycle immensely
help Wairose organisation to enrich the abilities of their workforce which landed up in building

competitive team that constantly work together in order to gain overpower competitive pressure
and gain sustainable performance.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been determined that it is the responsibility of business
entity to develop the efforts of both individual and team members in order to attain the
predetermined objective. Focus needs to be given in order to prepare the SWOT analysis and
PDP programme in order to continuously improve the current abilities, knowledge and abilities
of workforce. Therefore, application of such programmes helps to develop the whole
organisation in order to gain competitive advantage and generate sustainable performance.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Amabile, T., 2012. Componential theory of creativity (pp. 3-4). Boston, MA: Harvard Business
School.
Berry, G. R., 2011. Enhancing effectiveness on virtual teams: Understanding why traditional
team skills are insufficient. The Journal of Business Communication (1973). 48(2).
pp.186-206.
Chaskalson, M., 2011. The mindful workplace: Developing resilient individuals and resonant
organizations with MBSR.
Drury, M., Conboy, K. and Power, K., 2012. Obstacles to decision making in Agile software
development teams. Journal of Systems and Software. 85(6) pp.1239-1254.
Ford, J. K., 2014. Improving training effectiveness in work organizations. Psychology Press.
Hirst, G. and et. al., 2011. How does bureaucracy impact individual creativity? A cross-level
investigation of team contextual influences on goal orientation–creativity relationships.
Academy of Management Journal. 54(3). pp.624-641.
Tosi, H. L. and Pilati, M., 2011. Managing organizational behavior: Individuals, teams,
organization and management. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Whittington, J., 2016. Systemic coaching and constellations: The principles, practices and
application for individuals, teams and groups. Kogan Page Publishers.