HRM in Practice: Evaluation of HRM Functions and Recruitment at LV=

This report delves into the realm of Human Resource Management (HRM), focusing on its practical application within the context of LV=, a major UK financial services provider. The assignment begins with an introduction to HRM, outlining its core functions and purpose, emphasizing its role in talent acquisition, training, employee relations, and overall organizational objectives. A critical evaluation of LV='s recruitment and selection processes follows, highlighting both strengths, such as the use of technology and candidate screening, and weaknesses, including potential limitations of internal recruitment and lengthy interview processes. The report then presents a detailed person specification document for a personal assistant role at LV=, along with the selection of applicants for interviews and a set of interview questions. Further, it evaluates learning and development opportunities within the organization and assesses the impact of rewards and benefits on profitability. The report concludes with an examination of employee relations, leadership's role in maintaining positive workplace dynamics, and key elements of UK employment legislation, providing a comprehensive overview of HRM practices and their significance in a real-world business environment.

HRM in Practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
ACTIVITY 1....................................................................................................................................1
Functions and Purpose of Human Resource Management.....................................................1
Critical evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses of LV= recruitment and selection process3
ACTIVITY 2 ..................................................................................................................................5
a) Creation of person specification document........................................................................5
Selection of applicant for interview.......................................................................................6
Questions for interview .........................................................................................................7
ACTIVITY 3....................................................................................................................................8
Critical evaluation of HR learning and development opportunities.......................................8
Critical evaluation of rewards and benefits provided by HR in increasing profitability of
organisation............................................................................................................................9
ACTIVITY 4 .................................................................................................................................10
Employee relation.................................................................................................................10
Importance of employee relation..........................................................................................11
Role of leadership in maintaining effective employee relations..........................................11
Key elements of UK employment legislation......................................................................12
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Human resources management is a very vital part of every organisation which is
responsible for hiring and developing workforce of an organisation to make them more valuable
and effective. Human resources practices includes various job and activities like job analysis,
planing personal needs, recruiting and selecting suitable people for vacant job and providing
regular orientation and training. HRM is also important to mange the wages and salaries of
employees and also provide timely motivation through providing extra benefits and incentives.
LV= is the largest friendly society of UK which is mutually owned by its members. It was
established in 1843 and deals in a wide range of financial services which includes insurance, life
insurance, pensions and other investment products (Noe and et. al., 2017) This assignment
includes function and importance of HRM and also evaluate the strengthens and weakness of
recruitment and selection process. A person specification document and questions of interview
are also included in this project. It also includes the learning and development opportunities for
staff from both organisation and staff perspective. At last this report consist importance of
employee relation and identifies key elements of UK employment legislation.
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ACTIVITY 1
Functions and Purpose of Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management (HRM) is process which handles all aspects related to
employees functions. Overall objective of this process is to achieve organisation objectives
through best skilled workforce. This process involves various steps starting with recruiting,
selecting, training, assessing performance and motivating workforce in organisation (Bratton and
Gold, 2017). There are different purpose and functions that HRM have in LV=, explained below:
Functions:
Recruiting and selecting: It is first and foremost function which is performed by every
HRM team in an organisation. Recruitment process involves screening and selecting qualifies
talent based on the requirements of particular job.
Training and development: This process is conducted in companies to improve
performance, developing new skills of existing and new employees. Introduction to new
changing technologies and work environment is importance to attain objectives effectively,
which is possible only when people working for those objectives are exposed to those changes
and gets comfortable while performing their tasks.
Managing Employee Relations: Workforce is a backbone of every organisation.
Maintaining good employee-employer relation is a very crucial function of HRM, it helps in
keeping employees satisfied and motivated ultimately benefiting organisation to achieve its
objectives.
Induction and Orientation:This function works for new employees, its a fundamental step
for new workers to know and understand company's environment. Orientation program help
employee to adjust and to gain knowledge in relation with organisational objectives and how
they are useful to company to fulfil their objectives (Cascio, 2015).
Purpose:
Staffing needs: Human resource teams first function is to recruit new talents in an
organisation. Here, they are involved in assigning job duties to candidates according to their
qualification, interviewing new potential personnel for for particular tasks and other staff

positioning tasks. HR team also looks into matters of termination of employees and ensure that
no laws are violated.
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Benefits: Employee benefits schemes is an effective tool used in recruiting and selecting
of employees. HR department conduct market research while making different benefit programs
for employees, which will provide maximum benefits to workforce and minimizing organisations
cost.
Law Compliance: Human Resource department keeps company aware of different laws
and regulations existing. Many laws are present to protect workforce rights and in compliance to
them can bring multiple lawsuits to organisation affecting its performance. Human Resource
department keep up with these laws on behalf of firm to avoid any consequences in future
(DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst, 2016).
These functions and purpose mentioned above are important for LV= while planning and
resourcing workforce in order to run organisations operations effectively to attain goals.
Selecting best talents for business is done on recruiting and selecting stage which enhance
companies performance, giving employees knowledge about LV= and its operations for
understanding and adjusting in its environment and training employees with changing
technologies and strategies will bring better results to LV= improving their profits and
accomplishing objectives effectively and efficiently.
Critical evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses of LV= recruitment and selection process
LV= has its own recruitment process which is used by Human Resource team to recruit
and select new employees for different jobs. LV= recruitment process has four different stages
through which all candidates have to pass for working with LV=.
Recruitment is a process of finding and hiring best candidates for particular task in
company with cost effective manner. It includes analysing job requirements, attracting people for
it, screening and sorting personnel and hiring employees (John and Taylor, 2016).
Advantages Disadvantage
 Speed up the recruitment process
making it cost effective.
 Use of technology will help in reaching
candidates globally attracting most
skilled people.
 Internal recruitment can restrict
company from exposure to new ideas
and rigidity increases in environment.
 Some extremely skilled candidates gets
ignored who do not get exposed to
computers and other online portals.
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Selection process is assigning right employee to right jobs according to their skills and
abilities with matching requirements. Evaluation is done amongst employees for a specific job on
certain criteria and needs. Selection procedure can be very simple or complicated based on
complications involved in tasks (Stone and Deadrick, 2015).
Advantages Disadvantage
 Selection of best suited candidates for
specific job with required skills.
 Internal selection of employees for
different jobs develop more skills and
keep employees motivated.
 Sometimes this process can get bit
complicated and time consuming.
 Involves a lot of costs in training is
experts are not hired.
Every system has its strong and weak area here, LV= also has some strengthens and weaknesses
in their process which are evaluated below:
First up is Research on this stage LV= is suggesting candidates to take an overview about
it through different social media pages and its own website. They suggest interested candidates
to have basic idea about company and see themselves is it suitable for them, they can work in it
and deliver what is expected from them.
Next stage is Apply Online, once candidates have decided that LV= is suits with their
skills and knowledge, personnel will be answering some online questions. If answers to those
questions is YES they have to post their CV'S with application and a colleague in HR team will
tell candidates if they are shortlisted or not.
Third stage is The selection Process, here shortlisted candidates are called for interviews
through call on telephone after that face-to-face interview. Different personal and professional
questions are asked by interviewer those are predetermined by HR team.
Outcome, stage is last in recruitment process, personnel are informed whether they are fit
for the job and selected or not. Talked about other details if selected and if not then HR team
member is comfortable in explaining reasons for not selecting them (Jabbour and de Sousa
Jabbour, 2016).
Strength:
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 Removes unnecessary applicants as they take an overview they understand if LV= is
suitable and best opportunity for them.
 Double screening of candidates helps in better understanding their skills and make a
judgement about befits they bring to LV=.
 Gives employer good idea about talents and capabilities of applicants.
Weakness:
 Sometimes good talented personnel also opt-out after taking an overview of organisation
because of some mistakes in branding or website presence.
 Ways of interviewing personnel are lengthy and duplicating. Interviewing same
candidates again can demotivate them and build a thinking in their minds that they
weren't good enough in first time and start questioning themselves (Hecklau and et. al.,
2016).
ACTIVITY 2
HRM is responsible to keep balance between desire and available number of employees
through ensuring a continuous supply of employees to fill the vacant positions of an
organisation. LV= is one of the largest friendly society operating in different parts of UK and
provides various insurance and investment facilities to its customers. LV= is employing more
than 5500 staff which are working at over 14 offices of LV= across the UK. At present it is
having a job vacancy for post of personal assistant thus, application of HRM Practices or HRM
process is executed to attract a pool of individuals from which best and most suitable candidate
can be selected. For this purpose a detailed person specification document is reparsed by LV= to
shortlist most skilled and talented individual for the vacant job (Shen and Benson, 2016).
a) Creation of person specification document
Person specification- it is basically a written document prepared by an organisation to
provide a description about required qualification, skills, experience and knowledge and other
attributes which a candidate must posses to perform a job effectively and efficiently. It provide a
basis or framework for recruitment and selection process and helpful in shortlisting an candidate
for interview and further selection stages. LV= is preparing a person specification document for
the role of personal assistant to set a criteria for proper analysis and review of application
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received and to shortlist most suitable applicant for interview process (Brewster and Hegewisch,
2017).
Person specification
Job Title : Personal assistant
Service area: Chief Retirement advices and commercial finance directorate
Grade: A
Criteria Essential Desirable
Skills required Time management
Communication skills
Team management
Planning skills
Computer skills
Attainment/ Qualification Diploma holder in any field or
having HNC business course.
BA( honours)
Knowledge Managing dairy and emails
Handling incoming calls
Preparing daily meetings
schedules
Managing all travel and
arrangements
Basic knowledge of Maths
and English.
Maintaining good relations
with other staff
Relevant experience Between 1-2 years -
Other attributes Polite nature
Obedient
-
Three applications are received by LV= for the job of personal assistant amongst them
two are shortlisted for interview Job Application 2 and Job Application 3.
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Selection of applicant for interview
Applicant 2 and 3 are selected for interview because of almost all the criteria are met by them
they have work experience in two different companies with relevant jobs have worked for
directors ,marketing officer, worked as receptionist and for insurance person too. Applicant 2 and
3 have good knowledge of different fields of job as they have worked in finance department,
marketing department, for the higher level management etc. which has widen their learning and
skills. They know how to maintain good relations with different people. They are well known
with different management and communication skills managing telephonic conversations,
messages through emails and maintaining daily diary for their past employers. Well Exposed to
using computers and various tools like Excel, MS word, Power Point etc. for making daily and
future schedules of meetings and other engagements. Overall these applications are fit for job
and can be called for interviews, further decisions of appointment is taken on the basis of
analysis done on face-to-face interviews conducted for them individually.
On the other hand Job Application 1 is not shortlisted for interview because of its
irrelevant job experience which is totally different from needs specified by LV=. Applicant 1 had
a job of fitness trainer which is totally different from requirements of a Personal Assistant. Their
is no similarity in both jobs and working environment leading to making applicant 1 incompetent
with other 2 applicant. Also, information about education qualification and other personal
required data was missing from application making it more difficult to judge for HR team
member that if applicant is qualified for the job or not. Do they have needed skills and talents for
effectively performing given tasks and enhance operations of LV= leading to smooth running of
business.
Questions for interview
Some competency question asked by interviewer for selection suitable candidates for the
job of Personal Assistant:
Q1.Tell us something about yourself?
Q2.What's your educational qualification?
Q3.Tell us some communication jargon's used in business?
Q4.Where have you worked in past and how was your experience?
Q5.what all computer tools you know and which one you're most comfortable with?
Q6.What is your salary expectations?
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These are some questions that will be asked by interviewer to applicant in interview to
know something about them and to make them feel comfortable. Some are job related questions
which are asked to test their knowledge for Personal Assistants job and what they expect out of
it.
ACTIVITY 3
LV= is fast growing and successful organisation of UK thus, exited about its future and
plans and execute many ides for better growth of its organisation. The objectives and targets of
growth and success can not be achieved without having an efficient manpower. Thus use of a
variety of learning and development programmes are made by LV= to keep its employees
motivated and they are also useful in enhancing their skills and performance. The various
learning and development opportunities provided by LV= includes following:
Communication training- timely training is provided by mangers of LV= to improve
the communication skills of its employees as this skills is necessary to maintain a healthy and
long lasting relationship with its customers. The main aim of this training is to makes its
employees more friendly and polite with customers (Al-Refaie,2015).
Time management training- for timely achievement of goals and objectives it is
necessary that employees must complete their work on time thus. It is essential to provide
training to employees for proper management of time. Knowledge of work break down structure
and Gantt chart is provided to make employees for efficient and effective.
Providing growth opportunities- for better development of an employed many growth
opportunities are provided to employees of LV=. Growth opportunities include increased role
and responsibility to make an individual more capable for handling an adverse situation.
Critical evaluation of HR learning and development opportunities
the learning and development opportunities provided by LV= is very effective in
enhancing performance of employees and overall organisation. The various training and growth
opportunities is having following benefits from perspective of both staff and organisation of
LV=.
Benefits for employees Benefits for organisation
Communication training improves the
communication skills of employees which
Communication training provided by LV= is
enhancing skills of its employees and making
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