Human Resource Management Report: Practices, Benefits, & Legislations

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices, focusing on two case studies: Chocola Fantastica, a UK-based chocolate company, and Microsoft, a multinational technology corporation. The report begins by exploring the purpose and functions of HRM, including recruitment, selection, performance management, and employee relations. It then evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of various selection approaches, such as assessment and interview methods, and proposes improvements to enhance the selection process. The report further examines the benefits of HRM practices, such as graduate training schemes, internships, and flexible working arrangements, for both employees and organizations. It also assesses the effectiveness of these practices in raising profit and productivity. Additionally, the report discusses the importance of employee relations in HRM decision-making and the impact of various employment legislations on HRM practices. Finally, it applies various HRM practices within work contexts, providing a holistic view of HRM in action. The report concludes by summarizing key findings and offering insights into effective HRM strategies.

Human Resource
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Purpose and functions of HRM.............................................................................................1
P2. Strengths and weaknesses of various selection approaches..................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
P3. Benefits of various HRM practices that are used in company...............................................4
P4. Evaluation of effectiveness of the HRM practices for raising profit and productivity of
entity. ..........................................................................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
P5. Importance of employee relations to influence HRM decision making................................7
P6. Various employment legislations and impacts they have on decision making by HRM......9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
P7. Application of various HRM practices in context to work relations..................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
The human resource management refers to hiring, recruiting and deploying in their
practices. The organisation should manage employees so that performance of their workers can
be increased. With this, goals and objective of an organisation can be enhanced. In this,
development, effective communication, training and resolving conflicts can help in goals of the
organisation (Altman, Larsen and Buchanan, 2018). To understand human resource management,
Chocola Fantastica and Microsoft are considered in the report. Chocola Fantastica is tailor-made
chocolate based company which offers greeting cards addition to presents in the UK. It has small
team which is specialised in designing and creating gift orders. On other side, Microsoft is
popularise as multinational technology organisation which develops, manufactures, sells and
licenses computer software, personal computers and many other services. The report highlights
about purpose of HR functions and approaches of selection. It further evaluates effectiveness of
various HRM practices to improve profits and productivity of firm. Further, it identifies
employment legislations and their influences of decisions of human resource managers. At last,
various practices are applied within work contexts.
TASK 1
P1. Purpose and functions of HRM
a) Purpose of HR function along with importance to the company.
Human resource management refers to process that develops along with manages
organisational human elements after considering their total knowledge, creative abilities,
aptitudes, potentials and talents to contribute in business objectives (Armstrong and Taylor,
2020). In enterprise premise, employees are important assets so it is very crucial to manage them
in effective manner. HR function is one of department of Chocola Fantastica that is charged with
searching, screening, selecting, monitoring, administering and controlling programs. The key
functions of human resource managers in the entity are to work in with compliance of labour
legislations, hiring and training, handling performance issues and compensations. In case with
the organisation, following are some of the functions with purpose and importance that are
performed by human resource managers:
Recruitment and selection: This is among essential functions of HR in which managers
recruits candidates from distinct sources and then makes effective selection decisions. The main
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criteria that managers of Chocola Fantastica uses to to perform recruitment and selection
function are through opting various internal and external recruitment approaches along with
various selection methods such as interview, presentation and so on. The purpose of recruitment
and selection in the organisation is to meet diversity addition to social commitments through
sourcing and selecting workforce. Moreover, recruitment and selection are important to company
as they they helps in reaching on desired outcomes. When human resource professionals recruits
and selects effective and productive candidate that generates productive results which provides
credibility and consistency to the firm.
Performance management: It is another HR function wherein managers identify,
stimulates, measures, evaluate and reward workforce performance for their work (Bratton and
Gold, 2017). It majorly aims to develop workforce with required competences addition to
commitment to perform for shared meaningful objectives in framework of company. In context
to Chocola Fantastica, the function serves purpose of addressing challenges, providing career
growth basis to employees, creating guidances for re-evaluating job practices and facilitating
communication within all levels of work premises. Importance of performance management to
the firm is that allows tapping of full potential of workforce and developing desired traits for
rating the progress. Moreover, it helps in monitoring progress of all manpower and rewarding
them accordingly.
Current problems and future plans for growth in case with Chocola Fantastica
Chocola Fantastica is developing enterprise that provides tailor-made chocolate related
greeting cards in all UK. It has effective chocolate production, marketing, finance and
distribution team that creates and delivers offerings to end consumer. In current scenario, the
organisation is facing certain problems that are employee absenteeism, reduced quality and low
work engagement with work. As the company has low experience in managing and retaining
ever increasing talents. It is analysed that the staff turnover is increasing as well as various
feedbacks are in line from customers which indicates that the productivity and service quality has
reduced and this increased pressure on the experienced personnel. To overcome from this,
employees at various time gets absent and the one who comes generally not get much involved in
the practices.
To develop the company for future, the managers have planed some strategies or plans
that will enhance work engagement and reduce absenteeism level of employees. For instance, the
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company has planned to hire experienced human resource manager who will select competent
workers and will also provide suitable training programs to existing and new talents which will
develop creativity and innovation to fulfil customer needs for chocolates. With this, Chocola
Fantastica will be able to hire huge productive candidates that will contribute in development of
institution in upcoming duration.
P2. Strengths and weaknesses of various selection approaches.
Strengths and weaknesses related to existing selection methods that are used in the
company.
Selection is all about picking candidate that have relevant skills and qualifications for
filling vacant position in firm (DelCampo, Haggerty and Knippel, 2017). In involves certain
process which managers uses effectively to select qualified and productive candidate who can
deliver valuable contributions towards achieving results. It is considered as essential
organisational part in which human resource professionals conducts certain evaluation rounds so
to hire suitable candidate. Some of selection approaches that human resource department of
Chocola Fantastica uses in current timings are as explained:
Assessment method: The method that assists managers in knowing more about the
candidates directly is mentioned to assessment method. In case with the chocolate firm, it has
created own assessment test for short-listing purposes. The candidates have to complete the tests
either in line or in person so to get selected. With this selection method, HR managers of the
institution evaluates intellectual addition to IQ level of candidates within English as well as
mathematics Comprehensions. The company selects those employees who scores at least 50% in
the both tests.
Strengths: Assessment tests helps in depicting that the candidate have adequate and
required knowledge to work in the entity (Dubin, 2017). Moreover, with this method, referred
organisation makes effective selection decision after considering scores that is its key strength.
Weaknesses: Assessment tests are not always reliable as candidate appearing for it may
not be in condition of state because of some unrealistic situation happened with them. So, in
various cases, it provides unreliable scores because of while selection are not done adequately
that is its weakness.
Interview method: The another method that is currently in use at Chocola Fantastica is
interview method. In this method, managers chat with the candidates for about 15 minutes to get
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complete information about the person. This assist in increasing understandings among the both
that are interview and interviewee (Harrison and Lock, 2017). Along with it, confidence level
and answering responses are analysed by interviewer prior to selecting candidate.
Strengths: Interview method includes various strengths such as it collects primary and
comprehensive information about candidate, initiates relationships, exchanges and enhances
knowledge and is cost effective. It helps managers to select confident and knowledgeable
candidate through interview method.
Weaknesses: The weaknesses of interview method is that no records are kept for the
communication among interviewee and manager. Moreover, in various cases, selection are done
by neglecting information that later impacts on the company.
Two potential improvements that can be made by the entity for enhancing selection
process.
For the purpose to enhance selection process, HR managers of Chocola Fantastica can
make the following improvements:
 The managers should emphasis more on improving interview methods in which they
should conduct panel interviews despite of informal chats. With this, potential candidate
can be selected by panel who succeed in answering all questions that are asked by
different managers (Jabbour and de Sousa Jabbour, 2016). This will reduce situations of
complaints related to fairness of selection decision from new recruiters.
 Moreover, despite of focusing on results of English and mathematics comprehension,
various other tests related to personality, skills, situational and so on must be includes in
assessment methods that will improve criteria for selections. With this, information about
entire skills and potentials will be properly identified and accurate determinations will be
made by the firm.
TASK 2
P3. Benefits of various HRM practices that are used in company.
Microsoft is leading business that has headquarters established in Redmond, Washington.
It is specialised in providing best known software and other related services or commodities. The
company prides itself for having a culture that increases opportunities for personal growth with
development. It also offers wide benefits along with rewards employees time to time through
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using various HRM practices. These practices are the systems which attracts, motivates and
retains workforce for ensuring implementation of things effectively (Jagacinski and Flach, 2018).
The major HRM activities provided by managers of Microsoft to the employees are flexible
working arrangements along with training and internships. The benefits that these practices to
employees and organisation are discussed below:
Benefits of graduate training schemes along with internships to organisation and employees
Training and internship: It is the practice that human resource management offers to
the graduates for providing experiential knowledge (Machlis and Tichnell, 2019). In case with
Microsoft, the managers are dedicated for providing meaningful knowledge and impacts by
using groundbreaking technologies. Various training and internship sessions are organised by the
entity such as Commercial intern Program, Engineering Internship, Aspire and so on.
Commercial Intern program is popular scheme of Microsoft in which opportunities are provided
to interns for improving their current competence, talents and knowledge. The other scheme is
Aspire that is training method in which enterprise endures that all new and old personnels gets
training along with internships by highly experienced professionals. Following are the benefits of
the practice to employers and the employees:
Benefits to employees: When timely training and internship programs are provided to
employees, then it motivates them to work and build confidence within them (Morschett,
Schramm-Klein and Zentes, 2015). In the entity, the practice benefits new employees through
developing experiential knowledge in them that will help in working in unfamiliar field.
Moreover, it will also benefit current employees to improve their creations and innovations for
performing tasks smartly.
Benefits to employers: With the training and internship schemes, organisational
employers are benefited in elimination time wastage and increasing production costs. Microsoft
by providing the practice or scheme, enjoys benefits of implementing changes, builds safe
solutions and increased productivity.
Identification of few arrangements related to flexible working arrangements for staff and
evaluation of benefits of the offerings to company and employees.
Flexible working arrangement: The HRM practice which provides flexible hours
schedule that permit personnels to alter start as well as finish times of workday. It let manpower
to set own timings to start and quit the day within some limits that are determined by
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organisational management (Microsoft believes workers in the UK need to work more flexibly.
2015). Some of the flexible working arrangements that are offered by Microsoft to its employees
are as identified with the benefits to employees and employers:
Customised working hours: in this arrangement, Microsoft allows workers to select
their working hours in great perk as well as free for enterprise to offer. With valid reason,
managers provides customised working hours to the all employees.
Benefits to employees: In the company, there are some personnels that are morning
people while other prefers to start the day from afternoon. This benefits employees of Microsoft
to work in flexible scenario and maintain work life balance.
Benefits to employers: Employers of the company are benefited in attaining maximum
efficiency from personnels through this arrangement. Moreover, it reduces dependencies and
supervisions that helps employers to perform other workings related to their roles and functions.
Remote working: In this flexible working arrangement, workings are done from the
areas away from work premise of company. It can be restaurant, home or any other location.
They can work from anywhere wherein they feels comfortable and enjoys working.
Benefits to employees: Remote working benefits employees to improve their
productivity and makes them happy to work away from office even when they are in travelling or
other locations (Mura and Horvath, 2015). It also makes employees comfortable with the
company as they can perform practices even from home.
Benefits to employers: Remote working also benefits organisational employers to reduce
attrition, complete daily workings, enhance talent retention and so on. Employers of Microsoft
with this arrangement enjoys benefits related to spending less time in commuting, improving
retention and making technological uses in better ways.
Evaluation of the ways Microsoft motivates its workers through the ways it designs job
roles.
Microsoft is the institution which believes in retaining current talents within which they
have invested hugely by providing training and internship that enriches their skills and
competence. For this, managers motivates workers through the ways they designs job roles:
 Managers thanks workers for performing critical activities either in written manner or
through appreciating in front of all that motivates them to work in company.
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 Managers also provide detailed information for the upcoming projects and shares
viewpoints with them. Along with this, they also considers ideas of workers in
introduction projects or projects that also motivates workers to huge level.
 Time to time, training programs are organised for different job role that builds knowledge
among them and this also motivates workers to work in distinct styles (Nankervis and et.
al., 2016).
P4. Evaluation of effectiveness of the HRM practices for raising profit and productivity of entity.
In Microsoft, various HRM practices are implemented by human resource professionals
which plays effective role in raising profits together with productivity of it. Following are the
evaluations of HRM practice effectiveness:
Flexible working arrangement: With this practice, human resource management of the
company allows manpower to work as per their preferences in certain conditions (Rana and
Malik, 2017). For example, when employees works in accordance to their own working time
then they tends to perform with full dedication and efficiency then outcomes are achieved prior
to deadline and in positive manner that raises productivity to another level.
Training and internship: The HRM practice that strengthens talents, abilities and
competence of existing and new people to work smartly and complete prior to deadlines without
any issues. With this, productivity of Microsoft are raised as when employees will learn about
techniques to perform operations then they will enjoy working and providing successful results.
This will also raise profit as performing operations in enjoyable ways will contribute in making
revenues.
TASK 3
P5. Importance of employee relations to influence HRM decision making.
Term employee engagement and importance of employee engagement in effective employee
relations in company.
Employee engagement is defined as the fundamental concept which describes nature of
relationship among employees to that of enterprise. It is considered as workplace approach which
enhances business success chances and contribution of employees in productivity and profits. It
also refers to trust, integrity together with commitment of workers to the company which results
in enhancing contributions in business success. Employee engagement shows work of an
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individual for achieving organisational aims in sustainable manner. When employees are
engaged with company like Microsoft then they gets devoted in meeting deadlines and reaching
to desired point of state. Employee engagement is an important part in effective employee
relations at Microsoft as it facilitates better communication, empowers decision making,
boosting productivity and creates clarity in roles, workings, duties and responsibilities which
employers provides to employees. Moreover, the reasons are discussed below:
Better communication: Employee engagement assist personnels to get truly engage in
workings of company which facilitates better communication among employers and entire
personnels. The duration when all the employees engages then they work happily with others in
Microsoft that increases efficiency and relations with entire company.
Boosting profitability: Engaged employees generally benefits in development of
business as they becomes productive against those who are not engaged with managers of other
personnels (Sanghi, 2016). Employee engagement provided sense on valuables that influence
them to work hard and give results that provides successful outcomes that boost profits of
institution.
Evaluation of key approaches to engage workers and the ways they improves
communication in workplace.
As per Microsoft Summit, various approaches are opted by organisational managers for
engaging workers. Following are the key approaches which engages personnels of the company:
Yammer approach: The approach which is used for strengthening collaboration of
members for executing specific project of Microsoft is Yammer approach. The approach
improves communication within organisational workplace through creating stronger
communities and building transparency within the firm through sharing crowdsourcing ideas that
initiates the driving forward (Yammer strengthens team collaboration, 2016). With the yammer
approach, ideas and feedbacks are gathered promptly that facilitates better decision making in all
departments. Moreover, it also brings people together who posses common thoughts to practice
areas. However, the disadvantage of using it is that it only provides access to limited people for
securing data that results in reduction of moral within organisational manpower.
Microsoft stream: The another approach that assist Microsoft managers to makes
interactions with existing manpower so to improve existing technical knowledge through training
sessions. Through Microsoft stream, communication is improves with the premises as it aids
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people to upload, view together with share contents or information in secure manner. With this,
departmental managers assesses the information and communicates it with the entire team. It
benefits in makes activities easier for manpower to perm operations so to work towards attaining
targets effectively. In contrary, it is paid approach that states that certain amount is required to be
paid by company which makes it uneconomical for the firm.
P6. Various employment legislations and impacts they have on decision making by HRM.
Key UK's employment legislations and the ways they influences decisions of HR.
Employment legislations are governed by jurisdiction of a country in respect to employee
employment and many other aspects (Stone and Deadrick, 2015). The legislations majorly
safeguards personnels against wrongdoings from the employers or company. With the help of
employment legislations, individuals of firm feels supportive and protected in the authentic
situations. In case with Microsoft, it is multinational enterprise which complies legislations to
safeguard individual interest and relations at workplace. Following are certain employment
legislations that are adhered by human resource professionals of Microsoft:
Equality Act, 2010: it is the act of UK's Parliament which protects people against any
inequality situations. The act sets out various protected characteristics which are illegal to
discriminate. Some of the grounds includes race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation,
religion and gender reassignment. When employers of Microsoft performs activities such as they
have to recruit 10 people and they recruits more number of males rather than females then it
impacts negatively on their recruitment decision making. As they are performing activities
illegally that can hamper organisational image resulting negative influences of existing market
position.
Health and safety at work act, 1974: It is all about occupational health together with
safety. The legislation states that it is responsibility of organisational managers to ensure that
employees work in safe and secure locations. The managers of Microsoft adheres the legislation
and provide protection from accidents of any damages to employees which increases chances to
harm the health. For example, managers allots workings as per the location and area to different
employees and also provide training to those workers whose work is in danger field. This
influences their decisions for training and development in positive manner as the personnel that
perform critical and risky task is trained enough to do do. Along with this, managers also cares
about them more that influences HR decisions positively.
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