Human Resource Management Report: Squire's Garden Case Study Analysis

This report analyzes Human Resource Management (HRM) practices within Squire's Garden, a family-owned garden center. It begins with an introduction to HRM, emphasizing its importance in organizations, and then analyzes the purpose and importance of HRM functions. The report then examines recruitment and selection methods, including their advantages and disadvantages, and creates a job description and person specification for a Customer Service Assistant role, along with a suggested advertisement and interview questions. Furthermore, it discusses the benefits of apprenticeships, employee development opportunities, and reward systems. The report also explains employee engagement and its importance, analyzes ways to engage workers effectively within Squire's Garden, and explores the influence of UK employment legislation on HRM decision-making. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and providing references.

Human
Resource
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................1
a) Purpose and importance of HR functions to the organisation................................................1
b) Advantages and disadvantages of current recruitment and selection methods.......................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
a) Job description and person specification ...............................................................................5
b) Advert for Customer Service Assistant..................................................................................7
c) Recommendation of one other medium appropriate for customer service assistant vacancy.8
d) Questions that could be asked in interview for the role of customer service assistant...........8
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
a) Benefits of Square's offering Apprenticeships to organisation and potential apprentices......9
b) Development opportunities to employees...............................................................................9
c) Range of rewards and benefits available to staff..................................................................10
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
(a) Explain employee engagement and its importance to employee relations..........................10
(b) Analysis ways of engaging workers more effectively within Squire Garden Centres........12
(c) Explain how UK employment legislation influence human resource decision making......13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
.......................................................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management is a process of hiring and developing employees in order
to make them more valuable to organisation. It is a function within an organisation which
focuses on recruitment, selection and providing guidelines to manpower in a company. Main
motive of Human resource management to deals with concern that are related to employees of
organisation in terms of hiring, compensation, performance, safety, motivating and training. In
this report the organisation chosen is Squire's Garden, a successful family owned historical
business that serves local community (Welch and et. al., 2011). It offers wide range of quality of
plants and garden products together with an extensive selection of garden furniture, houseplants
and gifts. This report is going to analysis purpose of human resource management and its
importance in an organisation, advantages and disadvantages in recruitment and selection
process (Alfes 2013). Creating a job description and a person specification for customer services
assistant and recommending at least one medium that is appropriate. In this report importance of
employee relations in respect to HRM decision making and different key elements in employee
legislation are mentioned. Application of HRM practices in work are also covered in this project.
Task 1
a) Purpose and importance of HR functions to the organisation
Human resource is an systematic and effective process of hiring and developing and
individual so that they become more effective and valuable to any organisation. It is a
management process which is directly concerned with planning, organising, directing and
controlling individuals by providing them efficient development programmes, compensation
schemes so that they can achieve social and organisational objectives. In present scenario, HR
managers of Squire's Garden must need to understand needs and wants of their employees in
their business organisation and provide them required training that can benefit them to increase
productivity business organisation. Squire's Garden is a small business organisation which offer
services related to selling and sowing plants and garden products. This company is planning to
expand their area of serving and satisfy needs of large amount of consumers while generating
profit. (Alfes and et. al., 2013).
Importance of HRM:
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Human resource management is most important and necessary function in all business
organisation. Some of these importance are briefly described below;
 Helps in hiring right candidate for right job.
 This department is solely responsible for developing employee and employer
relationship is effective way.
 This department can help company to achieve their results quickly and effectively.
Role of HRM in Squire's Garden business organisation:
Human resource plays an essential role in enhancing productivity and profitability of
Squire's Garden. Various roles and responsibilities are performed by their HR manager that are
firmly described below:
Planning and forecasting: Systematic human resource plan process starts with
assessment of existing staff, in this HR manager examine whether current staff fits the need of
organisation and then further moves in a direction to forecast future need of staffing according to
business goals. In order to launch new venture, it is first and foremost responsibility of make
effective plan and access data and required information in order to make sure that that their
labours are giving effective results (Budhwar and Debrah, 2013). Human resource planning
process include five steps which includes, analysing company objectives, estimate demand and
supply of human resource and manpower gaps in organisation and monitoring and controlling
human resource.
Recruitment and selection: It is an continuous process of identifying and hiring efficient
candidates to fill vacant positions in company. Recruitment is a process in which searching is
done for candidates and make them apply for particular job. Whereas, selection on the other hand
defines as an establishing contractual relationship between employee and employer. Human
resource manager of Squire's Garden work in an remarkable manner to recruit and select
effectively potential candidates for each and department of company. This benefits them to
decrease unnecessary wastage of cost and increase probability of Squire's Garden.
Orientation: Human resource managers of Squire's Garden develop effective orientation
sessions for all new employees in their organisation before their actual accomplishment of work.
It benefits employee to get aware about each and every functions and working culture of
business organisation. It also helps employee to make themselves adaptive in every business
conditions and formulate effective relationships with each other. Orientation sessions benefits an
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individual to recognise their roles, responsibilities and duties and deliver effective results.
Human resource management functions are based on two different types of approaches that are
described below:
Hard approach: Hard approach emphasizes that system in which employees are
considered as resources and they are need to be controlled in order to achieve best possible
results and competitive advantages. In this process systematic process is done in which proper
plans are formulated and monitoring of performance is done (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2017).
This approach is not suitable for Squire's Garden in their strategies for employees as they treat
their employees as an most important asset.
Soft approach: It is a people- friendly management approach in which employees are
considered as an important resource of a company and employer focus on looking after their
development skills and formulate effective plans and programmes to enhance their self
development skills. Squire's Garden treat their employees as an effective resource and aims
towards them to provide proper motivation on regular basis.
Squire's Garden human resource manager can implement Soft approach in their working
environment in order to formulate effective communication bridge between employee and
employee. This will not only benefit them to increase their productivity but also helps manager
to solve serious conflicts situations in workplaces.
b) Advantages and disadvantages of current recruitment and selection methods
Selection methods varies from one business organisation to other. Recruitment and
selection functions plays as an key essential role in success of every organisation. Company
implement different types of selection and recruitment methods each of which have certain set of
advantages and disadvantages. Both of these process are equally important for getting right
candidates and attract suitable candidates to each and every department of company. As
technology is dynamically changing so it is necessary for Squire's Garden to implement
effective functions in their selection and recruitment process (Huselid and Becker, 2011). Major
advantages and disadvantages of this process are briefly described below:
Recruitment process: This process is concern with effectively identifying potential
candidates for vacant position. This method can increase quality of various applications for any
position and enhance chances to get a suitable candidate for a job. There are mainly two types of
recruitment process external and internal process that are briefly described below:
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External Recruitment Process: It is an most effective process which helps company to
bring fresh blood in the organisation. Company can get new ideas from fresh candidates which
can be very helpful for any organisation. External process enable company to select talent from
wide range and fulfil their job demand.
Internal Recruitment Process: It is a process where a company can fulfil their
employment needs from inside the business organisation. It helps in reducing expensive budget
and raise morale of existing employee which will benefit company to enhance their work
efficiency (López-Nicolás and Meroño-Cerdán, 2011).
firm have adopted Online Recruitment process to hire eligible employees within their
work culture.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
 It helps company to save their
unnecessary cost and time.
 There are more changes for a company
to get unqualified applicants for their
job position.
 Allows company to get potential
candidates from different geographical
locations.
 Take long duration of time and harm
morale of existing employee.
 There are no intermediaries which can
be very beneficial for both company
and candidates to save their money and
time.
 It is more expensive process due to
various activities related to advertising.
 This process can benefit Squire's
Garden to increase efficiency in their
recruitment process.
 It can hamper some of effective
candidates to join the organisation as
many individual have not adopted
regular change of technology in their
lifestyle.
Selection process: This process involves picking suitable candidates for job in an
organisation (Storey, 2014). This process emphasizes on putting right candidate to right job. By
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selecting suitable person for required job company can save their time and money which they
spend on unnecessary process.
Human resource manager of Squire's Garden have adopted interview selection procedure
in which certain set of questions are asked according to position. It is a two way conversation
process where different types of questions are put up in front of candidates related to specific
job.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
 It is a flexible process and it is easy for
a company to clarify misunderstandings
about questions.
 Personal interviews are generally
expensive.
 There are high opportunities for
feedback and interviewer can give
proper clarification to their applicants
(Marchington and et. al., 2016).
 It is a time consuming process and
applicants can get nervous during this
process which can hamper them to give
proper answers.
 Company can conduct group interviews
which can benefit applicants to feel less
awkwardness rather than conversing as
an single person.
 It is hard for employer to handle
personal informations of candidates in
order to ensure that they won't get
misused by anyone.
 This process can give original validity
to employer and can benefit a company
to receive more effective perspective
and opinion.
 This process is a non-flexible process in
which new questions need to ask in a
certain time frame.
Squire's Garden company is using online source of recruitment in their selection process
in order to hire effective candidates while on the other hand, New Kingdom and Hanging garden
of Babylon is taking advantage of press advertisement and placement agencies in their selection
process.
ONLINE METHOD PLACEMENT AGENCIES
 Squire's Garden can find candidates  Placement agencies can only find
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from various diverse locations.
 This method can benefit company to
hire effective potential candidates by
their own.
candidates form particular location
 There is no guarantee if a company can
get effective candidates.
TASK 2
a) Job description and person specification
Job Specification
Job Details
Post: Customer Services Assistant
Company: Squire's Garden
Job Purpose
Role of Customer service Service Assistant in Squire's Garden is to work effectively in garden
centres and sell plants and related products which includes tools and machinery to consumers.
In addition to this, it is basic responsibility of service assistant to help in carrying and loading
consumers heavy goods.
Roles & Responsibilities
 Sowing and planting seeds and taking care of plants in order to water and regular cut
them. Also save plants from pests and diseases.
 Put plants in different sizes of pots and trays when there is requirement to sell.
 proper knowledge of using heavy trolley in order to move heavy trees and soil bag.
 Regular use of phone to order new stock.
 Effective Advising to consumers in relation to plant choices.
 Sell garden tools, pots and display plants.
 Make sure that each and every consumer get outstanding consumer service.
 Maintain and take care of plants on regular basis.
 Accurately complete sales transactions and ensure accountability on required resisters.
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Person Specifications:
Person Specification
Post: Customer Services Assistant
Department: Customer service department
Key: This show that what is required when like an evidence:
(A): Application form, (I): Interview, (R): Role
Attributes Essential Desirable
Qualification & Experience Diploma or graduation from
any college. Minimum 3 years
of working experience as
working in a customer service
Experience of working in
customer service filed in
relation to any sector
Skills or knowledge Effective communication
skills in both written and
verbal. Exceptional phone
etiquette
Ability to learn changing
product line and keen
attentiveness to serve
consumers at best
b) Advert for Customer Service Assistant
Advertisement
Customer Service Assistant required
Applications are invited from dynamic and energetic candidates those who are effectively
responsible trained in all department of handling and taking care of plants. In addition to this
candidates are also required to be skilled in selling garden tools and machines.
Customer Service Assistant
Candidates with following applications and skills are eligible to apply-
 Minimum 3 years of working experience in a customer service sector
 Eligible to care of plants and regular taking care of them by cutting and planting
 Ability to sell garden tools and machinery
 Advising consumers on their choices in effective way
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 Accurately finish sales target and make proper accountability of selling records
Attractive salary package and other incentives and benefits will be offered.
Applications can be sent by potential candidates through e-mail to the following
[e-mail] or contact at 0341-8756643.
Time-scales
Inviting applications from candidates 25- 5 December, 2018
Short listing of applications 7- 9 December, 2018
Call for HR round 12 December, 2018
Interview date 15-18 December, 2018.
c) Recommendation of one other medium appropriate for customer service assistant vacancy
Apart form advertising, consultancy agencies business organisation can take advantage of
consultancy agencies to hire potential candidates like Talent plus. By the help of these agencies
company can save their so much of time and cost (Messersmith and et. al., 2011). There are
some other benefits mentioned below:
 Consultancies agency have wide knowledge of market they can effectively recruit best
candidates.
 These agencies are potential to find candidates not applicants as candidates are one those
who are surely eligible for suitable vacant position.
 They have access to various strategic skills.
 Consultancy agencies have appropriate budget and systematic resource plan.
 They have ability to identify effective talents from wide range of pools and advertise for
the job requirement in effective way.
 These agencies have better access to appropriate and better candidates.
Squire's Garden business organisation can take use of a consultancy agency to fill there
required job position. These agencies will benefit them to find out appropriate and potential
candidates for their job who can fulfil there desired job requirement.
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d) Questions that could be asked in interview for the role of customer service assistant
There are 4 different types of questions mentioned below that could be asked in interview
for the job of Costumer services assistant that can help in improving decision making process in
selection:
1. Tell me about yourself and why do you want to join this company?
2. How can you deal with an angry client or consumer?
3. How do you consider a good consumer service and what you can do to satisfy and ensure
need of different consumers?
4. How would you deal a situation where you are unable to solve an issue of a consumer?
TASK 3
a) Benefits of Square's offering Apprenticeships to organisation and potential apprentices
Different Apprenticeships techniques can provide various benefits to Squire's Garden.
They can train their employee while they are doing their job (Renwick, Redman and Maguire,
2013). This will not only benefit this business organisation but also create magnificent
progression opportunities. This program will increase future earning capacity of an individual.
Squire's Garden can also motivate their apprentice with the help of some of the below mentioned
steps:
 Squire's Garden can encourage sense of responsibility in mind of their potential
apprentice and can assign personal task which they can monitor.
 If there apprentice are in the stage of underachievement then Squire's Garden company
can address their situation in a positive manner while improving and setting their goals.
 Squire's Garden need to make sure that it provide proper support to each and every
apprentice throughout that apprenticeship training program.
Benefits of offering apprenticeship to firm:
 This process helps a company to get their effective and potential candidates for their
suitable job.
 It benefits firm to enhance quality of their services while providing effective training to
their apprentice.
Benefits of offering apprenticeship to potential apprentices:
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 It benefits apprentices to increase their self development skills which will ensure them to
secure their future.
 This will benefit apprentice to deliver proper services in their job and satisfy needs and
wants of both company and consumers.
b) Development opportunities to employees
Apprenticeships is a work-base training programmes that can benefit a apprentices to
learn while earning. There are some major advantages and benefits of apprenticeships training
programmes mentioned below for an employee:
 They can increase their qualification and skills and deliver outstanding results while
performing their job responsibilities.
 An effective learning can provide an individual to learn from wide range and provides a
person to gain fantastic experience while learning.
 With the help of effective apprenticeship training programmes apprentice in Squire's
Garden can become more confident while handing different consumer situations.
 Apprenticeships programmes in Squire's Garden can offer wide range of opportunities to
apprentice to progress.
There are various development opportunities that an employee can receive while earning.
They can easily set their effective development plans and procedures and formulate an action
plan. Employee have golden opportunity to receive more knowledge and enhance their skills
(Rubery and Urwin, 2011). This will not only generate effective production opportunities to
company but also benefits employee to increase their area of knowledge for future purpose. This
is an effective process that can be adopt by Squire's Garden to increase their probability and
productivity.
c) Range of rewards and benefits available to staff
There are different types of benefit that Squire's Garden offer to their staff in order to
increase their morale and enhance their skills. Some of rewards and benefits that Squire's
Garden award their employees are mentioned below:
1. Performance Based Rewards: These are those rewards that are offered on the basis of
job performance ability of an employee. These benefits are mainly depend on actual
performance of an individual that are performed by them on work floor. Squire's Garden
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