Human Resource Management Report: Chocolate Presence Factory

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Chocolate Presence, a small factory experiencing challenges with staff quality and customer satisfaction. The report begins by emphasizing the critical role of HRM in attracting, developing, and maintaining an effective workforce, particularly in small businesses. It then examines various functional activities of HRM, including training, performance assessment, motivation, rewards and benefits, and compliance with labor laws and health and safety regulations. The report evaluates the current recruitment and selection methods used by Chocolate Presence, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of assessment tests and interviews, and recommends improvements such as effective job advertisements, clear job descriptions, and the use of behavioral questions. A detailed person specification for a receptionist role is also included. Furthermore, the report explores the advantages and disadvantages of the factory's current advertising and selection methods, suggesting the use of online recruitment methods to broaden the applicant pool. Finally, the report briefly touches upon Microsoft's graduate training schemes and internships as a model for employee development. Overall, the report aims to provide actionable recommendations to enhance HRM practices at Chocolate Presence, improve staff performance, and ultimately increase customer satisfaction.

Human Resourse Management
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Introduction
Ricky W. Griffin: “Human Resource Management is the set of organizational activities
directed at attracting, developing and maintaining an effective workforce.”
Human recourse management is one of the most valuable part of each origination, they
are responsible for recruitments, trainings and dealing with staff issues like different
types of leave and absence management procedure in general. In small size origination
they play big part in the growth of the business by recruiting and training the right
people and keep the staff happy.
Chocolate Presence is a successful business but there is lack of high trained and
committed staff which led to customers dissatisfaction lately due to the quality of the
products being low.
This report will cover the importance of HRM for the growth of small factories like
Chocolate Presence and improving its selection and jobs advertisements methods.
The report also includes the way Microsoft encourages personal growth and their
approach in engaging staff in decisions making and give them the freedom to be
creative which help in improve staff relations and the sense of belongings to the
company .
The functional activities of HRM
Training: The factory must provide all employee with relevant training for their roles to
improve their performance and productivity, specific training to employee in production
and customer service team to meet the high demand and deliver the highest possible
standard.
Assessing Performance: Monthly 1-1 and annual performance reviews are valuable
tools in assessing staff performance and have their say in the way the job can be
improved.
Motivation:
Motivating staff by giving them credit when credit is due and thanks them in team
meeting for their effort and hardworking and of course giving them bonus and other
benefits.
Having staff get together and day outs can improve staff and management relations and
keep the positive mood in the work place.

Reward and benefits:
Giving the staff in work benefits like hardship loans and annual tickets loans and leisure
canters memberships can improve their performance and make them have sense of
belongings to the factory.
Compliance to labor Laws:
Compliance with the labor law is very critical for HR to avoid any penalties or complaints
from staff. HR must be aware of different employment laws and other rules and
regulations and must understands different cultures and religions. HR must deal with
complaint from staff fairly and quickly to avoid any disturbance to the work.
HR must also make sure staff are aware of their rights in terms of annual leave and
sickness entitlement and all related health and safety rules
Health and Safety:
Under the Health and Safety at work act 1974 Employers have the obligation to provide
a safe working environment and Health and safety training to avoid work injuries,
organizing team talk tools and health and safety courses refreshers can be benefitable
Maintaining employee relations:
To have good employee relations the factory must:
ask for their input and give the chance to be creative by using their own initiatives
Communicate the company vision and make them feel as a part of the process
Recognize their hard work in formal meeting like 1-1 and performance reviews and on a
day to day by saying well done
Offer them development opportunity so they can go up the ladder
Selection of candidates:
The various recruitment and selection methods which has been undertaken by
'Chocolate Presence' are mentioned below along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Assessment Tests: it can be considered as one of the most sought after
approach undertaken to hire talent people for the organisation. 'Chocolate Presence'
have formed their own assessment tests emphasizing on Mathematics and English. The
passing criteria for this assessment is scoring more than 50% in both the tests.

The major advantage which has been offered by this approach to recruitment is
that it helps in elimination of personal bias from recruitment process resulting in hiring
most suitable candidate. This process helps in enhancing the efficiency of recruitment
process as it eliminates unnecessary time and expenditure on a candidate who doesn't
fit organisational requirements.
On the contrary, These tests are not sufficient to identify roundabout competence
of the candidate as they only emphasize on English and Maths. This approach poses as
a major obstacle to building of diverse teams in the organisation. The manual
assessment of tests undertaken will directly increase waiting time for the results.
Interview: Interviews are referred to a face-to-face communication between two
parties mainly carried out to obtain information. In 'Chocolate Presence' interview is
considered as approach to final recruitment of employee with the organisation. The
interview consists of a formal chat with a candidate for around 15 minutes.
The strength of this approach to selection is that it is helpful in getting a detailed
information relating to candidate. Interviews can be flexible and can be modified
according to the situation and requirements. The response rate achieved in interviews is
generally higher than that of assessment tests.
However there are some shortcoming of this approach to selection such as it is a
very time consuming process and requires complete attention. There is a possibility of
biases in this approach which may not result in hiring suitable candidate for the
organisation. Interviews does not carry any verbal record which may later results into
some confusion.
In order to improve the selection process Chocolate Presence must use the following
selection methods.
Effective Job ads:
Clear job descriptions to provide specific details about the role and define the position
and choosing straight forward job title to make it easier for candidates to understand
what is expecting from them before they apply.
Language use in job advertisement:
Avoid using discriminatory language like young and energetic.
Advertisements on an external noticeboard outside the factory and local newspaper so
only people who are very interested in the job can apply.
English and Math tests:
Math test must be scrapped away because it's not a requirement for the role, but the
knowledge of English is essential.
Short listing through CV with previous experience giving the priority

Conducting formal panel interview:
Conduct 30 minutes long to get the best out of the candidates and straight forward
question must be asked. One person can ask a question while others observes the
candidate and take notes and after the interview the panel can sit together and give
their verdicts using score system
Using behavioral questions:
This is very popular in understanding how the candidate thinks and how they can make
choices for work
Administrating skills test:
This is making sure the candidates have the skills to work in the chocolate factory
Skills for the role:
Candidates must show that the can use their own intuitive and be able to prioritize work
and to work under pressure and complete all tasks with the given timescale.
Improving customer service:
Hiring skilled staff to keep good communication with customers and evaluating their
feedback and work closely with other departments like sales and productions teams to
make sure the final chocolate products is up to the best possible standard.
Dealing with customers negative feedback is essential in putting things right and try
always to improve in delivering the best service.
PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR RECEPTIONIST
Job Title: Receptionist
Department: Administration
Company: Chocolate Presence
Location: North Yorkshire

Duration: Permanent subject to 6 months' successful probation period
Weekley Hours: 37.5, flexibility required
Salary: 18000 per annum
ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
 Excellent communications skills both in person and over the telephone
 Strong IT skills with very good knowledge of Word and Excell
 Excellent organizational skills
 Efficient and competent administrative skills
 Enthusiastic and energetic
 Meet and greet customers
DESIRABLE SKILLS
 Language skills
 Smart and presentable
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
 Working with the general public, face to face and on the telephone
 Collaborative and competence
 The ability to complete tasks accurately, and efficiently
 Use of computerized booking systems and database
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE
 Previous reception experience in Chocolate factory or similar role
 Experience of working within chocolate making business

ESSENTIAL ATTITIUDE
 An ability to express patience and understanding of customers' needs
 Problem Solver
 Ability to use own initiatives
 Ability to complete tasks within the given timescale
 An understanding of the importance of following the factory procedures
 Must have can do attitude
DESIRABLE ATTITUDE:
Good listening skills
Greet delivery personnel with the same politeness as any other visitor
Advantages of the current advertisement methods
The current method of advertising the job like using the external noticeboard and get
candidates through friend and families has its advantages like getting the local people
to apply for the jobs specially with the high rate of unemployment in the area which can
add benefits to the local community and bring the unemployment rate down, circulating
jobs ads to existing staff and their families and friends can help in getting good
candidates because it's unlikely existing staff would recommend bad candidates.
And also, that would help in staff relationship because the likely they know each other's
outside work place.
Getting local people can have its advantage in cutting travelling times and staff
absences specially if there is bus or train strike or bad weather because generally
people would prefer to work closer to home.
The method use now is unfair because its only for local people and for not the job
seekers in large. The factory being family and friend workers has its advantages and
disadvantages it can be difficult and complicated to manage friends and families at work
specially when it comes to disciplinary and performance issues so managing strangers
is easier in some ways but it's always better to get a mix work force.
Disadvantage of the current selection methods
The disadvantages s of the current advertising methods is that its only for the local
community and the factory can miss very good candidates with previous experience in
the role if the job can be advertised by other methods.

The local area has a very high unemployment rate and getting only local candidates
which might not have any previous working experiences and get used to be jobless for a
long period of time, are more likely not to continue working for long which might affect
the factory stability.
Recommendations for receptionist Job adverts
The job can be advertised over the internet, it’s a cheap option and at the same time it
can help getting wide range of candidates for the post, which make it more competitive
between candidates during the selection process so the factory can get the right person.
The Internet has wider reach because using only recruitment agency can limit the
factory to only one channel
Having effective job ads means you can attract good candidates which can make the
hiring process faster
One of the big advantages of online hiring that its manageable and trackable because
you will know exactly what happening with your online hiring process.
The usage of online Recruitment advertising software makes managing the recruitment
activity very easy. Applications are sent straight to the system which makes choosing
the right candidates easy by keeping the talented candidates in separate pool which can
be used in future roles.
I believe a clear and better personal specification and using the right platform like the
internet can improve the range and quality of applicants. Using a good software can
help make the process simpler and quicker in getting furure candidates as well. While
using the old method restrict the sections to certain communities and family and friends
of staff.
Task 3

Microsoft graduate training schemes and internships
Microsoft provides various training schemes and internships for graduate student in the
United Kingdom and worldwide it includes software engineering and research assistant
the university internships includes but not limited to software and hardware engineering
and marketing, finance and sales.
Microsoft offers three internships programs
Apprenticeship: Students benefits from starting their career early and gain valuable
experience in early age and they earn while studying.
When the Apprenticeship is completed student will receive a nationally recognized
qualification which can help in their future career.
Microsoft benefits from the apprenticeship's programs because they can insure that the
skills develop matches the organization needs and its increased the staff locality and
commitment to the organization
Apprenticeships free staff time which is taken by minor tasks so they will have time to
concentrate on their main tasks
PhD internships It is 12 weeks internships in Microsoft Research (MSR) and product
team, undergraduate students have limited places to enroll in this program.
Microsoft Research (MSR) offers the opportunity to have freedom and flexibility in
conducting independents researches plus having the benefits of leading Microsoft
engineers and scientists in the same hall
University Internship:
Microsoft benefits for internship have various reasons giving below
Short Term
Microsoft received cheap and even free labour for low office tasks such as photo
copying, drafting reports, ect
Its beneficial for students in devolving new skills, problems solving and customer
relationship management.
They also receive very good pack including relocation benefits and competitive pay.
Long term
Employers prefers hiring ex interns already graduates because they know the company
and required less training which can save time and resources.

Employees benefits
Microsoft flexible working arrangements:
Microsoft offer range of great flexible working arrangements to keep employees
satisfied and motivated
Take time away: Enjoy more time with the family and love once with the organizations
flexible working schedule and generous vacations and holidays
Care for the family: Employee offers good paternity and maternity leave for new
parents which is hugely important for them
Continue your education: Microsoft make all the resources available for staff to
continue learning while their career progresses.
Microsoft flexible working arrangements shows its impact positively on staff productivity
and increase employee's engagement in the work which can result in better
performance
Recognizing that employees have different needs outside work will enhance their loyalty
and keep the organization good image.
Women benefits greatly from the flexibility at work because it can reduce the issues that
keeps women from going further in their career and making sure that its become the
norm and special treatment like it used to be
Why working for Microsoft

Microsoft specifically design job roles to motivates its employee. Being one of the main
worldwide organization with staff from different nationalities and having global branches,
the company manages to create positive communication throughout the organization
which positively impact the world.
Microsoft gives the employee the motivation to find the job they love by supporting them
to discover their passions and create their own future and empower billions worldwide.
Using Frederick Herzberg’s two factors theory which is hygiene and motivation theory,
the theory seated that some factors at work causes job satisfaction or dissatisfaction
Factors for Satisfaction Factors for Dissatisfaction
Achievement
Recognition
The work itself
Responsibility
Advancement
Growth
Company policies
Supervision
Relationship with supervisor and
peers
Work conditions
Salary
Status
Security