Evaluating HRM Practices at Marks & Spencer: A Detailed Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Marks & Spencer (M&S), a prominent UK retailer. It examines the purpose and functions of HRM within the organization, focusing on recruitment and selection processes for roles such as HR Assistant. The report evaluates the effectiveness of key HRM elements, including workforce planning, recruitment strategies (promotions, transfers, employee referrals, and direct recruitment), training and development programs, performance management, and reward systems. Internal and external factors influencing decision-making at M&S are also considered. Furthermore, the report assesses employee relations, employee engagement, and the adoption of flexible working practices, commenting on M&S's approach to being an 'employer of choice'. The analysis encompasses both the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches, offering a comprehensive overview of HRM's role in M&S's organizational success.

BUSINESS HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Task 1.........................................................................................................................................4
Task 2.........................................................................................................................................7
Task 3.......................................................................................................................................11
Conclusion................................................................................................................................12
Reference List..........................................................................................................................13
Appendix:.................................................................................................................................15
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Introduction
Human Resource Management is a crucial function in an organisation that is essential to
manage the human resources. M&S is a UK based organisation where there is a need or
recruitment and selection to address the vacancies. The Job role is HR Assistant.
This report will analyse and understand the purpose and scope of HRM in M&S towards
recruitment and selection. The report will then evaluate the effectiveness of the various key
elements in the management of Human resources in M&S. The report also analyse the
internal and external factors that can influence the decision-making in M&S. Finally, the
report will outline the recruitment process for recruiting HR Assistant in M&S.
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Task 1
A. Provide an overview of the organisation and an explanation on the purpose and
functions of Human ResourcesManagement in the organisation.
Marks & Spencerhas started their business in 1884 at Leeds Kirkgate Market. Through
innovation and diversification, the organisation has become one of the UK’s largest retailers.
The organisation has their own Food brands, clothing and home products. The food business
comprises of about 60 percent of the UK Food Business market. There are 1025 UK stores.
Among them, 253 are self-owned and 383 stores are franchised(M & S, 2018). The 343 full-
line clothing stores in the UK sells the well designed and high quality clothing and
homeware. The homeware, clothing and beauty products of M&S comprises of about 40
percent of the UK turnover(M&S, 2017). Year after year M&S has innovated in terms of
business delivery and processes.
The Key resource of the M&S is its quality Human resource, which has been carefully
selected and developed through focussed training and development plan. In this regard, it is
essential to understand the importance of Human Resource Department at M&S. A Human
Resource Department is that function in an organisation, whichtakes care of the management
of the Human and Knowledge capital of an organisation(Cascio, 2018). The process starts
with the identification and defining the job roles required, attracting potential candidates for
those roles, selection of the candidates and providing employment. In addition to this, the
HRM department also identifies and address key organisational conflicts while providing
support and care for the employees(Armstrong & Taylor, 2014). Hence, the purpose of the
Human Resource Department of M&S is to address the staffing needs, providing employee
compensation, employee benefits and defining or designing the job roles.
The functions of HRM in M&S are as follows: -
 Recruitment and selection: This is the process of attracting and selecting the talents
for the organisation.
 Orientation or Induction: This is a process to help the new employees adjust
themselves with the functioning of the organisation. This process also helps the
employees to understand the duties that are expected of them as well as helps them to
participate actively in the organisation(Brewster, 2017).
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 Maintaining good working conditions:An employee performs best when the working
environment is favourable and healthy. It is the responsibility of the HRM to ensure
good working conditions(Bratton & Gold, 2017).
 Management of employee relations: It is the responsibility of the HRM to promote
and foster healthy and balances relationship between the organisation and the
employees.
 Training and development: This process helps to enhance the performance of the
current workforce.
B. Identify the organization’s approaches to recruitment and selection and explain the
strengths and weakness of the different approaches.
Marks & Spencer address the attraction and selection of required employees through a wide
portfolio of Recruitment and Selection Approaches. The various approaches are discussed
below.
Promotions: This is a method recruitment where the potential candidates are within the
organisation who seeks out higher positions within the organisation. The main advantage of
internal recruitment is the significant reduction in cost of recruitment. This is because these
employees do not require orientation or induction. Further, there is also not requirement to
evaluate the credibility of the employee(Brindopke, et al., 2017). However, the major
disadvantage is that in this recruitment approach there is no scope to attract or bring new and
diverse skill set or culture within the organisation. Further, this can also instigate internal
conflicts and dissatisfaction among those who has not been promoted.
Transfers: This is another type of internal recruitment where the employee is transferred to a
new location to fill up the vacancies at a different location. The advantage of this method is
that ithelps to address any immediate needs of recruitment(Marchington, et al., 2016). The
disadvantage is that transferring vacates the position at the formal location, which means that
the organisation will have to invest in a formal process eventually.
Employee Referrals: This is another cost effective method of recruitment where the existing
employees act as an agent to pool in the right candidates for the job. The major advantage is
hence, the advantage of cost effectiveness and time effectiveness(Brown, et al., 2016).
However, the major disadvantage is the incorporation of Bias and Corruption in this method
of recruitment.
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Direct recruitment: This is a method of External Recruitment. Here the vacancies are filled
up through advertisementsat employee exchanges, newspapers, and college campuses. The
major advantage is the attraction of new skillsets. Further, there is partial or no bias in this
method of recruitment. The major disadvantage is however the time and cost. Further,
remuneration and benefits demanded by experienced candidates through external are higher
than that of the internal recruitment methods(Bratton & Gold, 2017).
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Task 2
A. Undertake an assessment of the organisation’s approach to work force planning,
recruitment and selection, development and training, performance management and
reward systems
The Human Resource Department is an important department as it is responsible for the
recruitment and training of new candidates. It helps the organisation to improve its
performance by giving them various merit based appraisals and gives the utmost importance
to human assets (Rashid, 2016). It acts as a link between the employees and the
administration as they explain the functioning and policies of the organisations to the workers
and provides the same with valuable feedback.
Workforce Planning: It is the process of correlating the requirements of the organisation
with that of the needs of that the employees. The HR department at Marks and Spencers is
responsible for the alignment of the goals and aspirations of the company with that of theirs.
M&S, a big name in the retail industry usually recruits people that are best suited for the
required job description (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). With proper workforce planning it is
possible to minimise and even prevent crucial errors in the business processes. Strategic
workforce planning is one of the most important aspects of the planning as it analyses the
future needs of the organisations and enables the organisation to take appropriate actions.
Another important aspect of workforce planning is the organisational planning. This mainly
looks into the current situation of the industry. Efficient and smart workforce planning by the
HR department of M&S has proven to be beneficial to the organisation as it has made sure
that the various organisational goals of the company are met (Rees and Smith, 2017).
Recruitment and Selection: Marks and Spencers have an inclination towards recruiting the
best of personnel possible from around the world and at wherever it has an outlet. Like every
other organisation it follows two basic forms of recruitment i.e. Internal and external. It first
aims to fill its internal vacancies and it does so by posting proper requirements on the
company intranet and website (Vance and Paik, 2014). Then, for external, recruitment needs
it uses the various job portals and also makes wise use of the print media. It also depends
third party referrals and frequently opens its doors for various walk in interviews.
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For selection, the HR department of the organisation makes sure that the candidate is suitable
for the requisite job role and matches their CV to their respective job descriptions
(Marchington, 2015). Thorough background verification is conducted and the chosen
candidates are then sent for the interviews. In the selection rounds, the recruiters look for the
various qualities:
 Ability to lead a team
 Organisational and planning abilities
 Analytical skills
 Team work and team management
 Adaptability.
Development and Training: Growth and prosperity, both personally and professionally of
its employees is one of the main concerns of M&S and it is for this purpose that it invests
heavily on their assessment, training and development. After the selection process the
candidates are sent for training at an assessment centre where they assessed on several
management skills and team performance by the recruiters for a period of Twenty four hours.
All round development is given priority and the candidates who succeed in this training are
finally offered a job.
Performance management and Reward system: Performance is scrutinised by the HR
department on a regular and consistent basis so that the goals of M&S are met. The HR
department always makes sure that its employees are performing at their maximum potential.
This has promoted the company to a prestigious position (Giannakis and Harker, 2014). Here
it needs to be said that although there is no direct correlation between the reward system and
performance analysis, the company encourages so because it has felt the benefits. Also, it
motivates the workers and to work extra hard.
B. Evaluate the organization’s approach to and effectiveness of employee relations and
employee engagement, and comment on the adoption of flexible organization and
flexible working practice and ‘employer of choice’.
M&S as an organization is very responsible towards its employees. It is a company that
believes in flexibility where possible and encourages healthy work environment where
everyone gets the chance to display their potential.
Employee Relations and Employee Engagement:
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This engages the HR department with the employees of the company and enables them to
relate with their issues and helps in providing them with important advice. It promotes better
relationship between the employees and the management (Kew and Stredwick, 2016). M&S
always encourages clear and free flow of thought both amongst the employees and between
the workers and the management. It believes that good communications at all levels is crucial
for the proper functioning of any organization. The HR department ensures that the personnel
have a say in the important decisions and other activities (Analoui, 2017). It also makes sure
that the workers are provided with regular feedback about their performance so that they can
improve.
An employee who is well informed about the structure and functioning of the organization is
not only confident but is also well equipped to engage the customer thus increasing customer
satisfaction.
Flexible Organization and Flexible Working Practice:
Business structures and processes in the 21st century have become very compatible with the
needs of the employee. Every industry tries to promote a tradition of flexibility and steer
away from orthodoxy. However, it is not possible to compromise on every aspect like
working hours, dress code and discipline in general.
M&S, in order to promote a flexible culture, directs its employees to spread a feeling of
camaraderie amongst every one. In order to maximize customer satisfaction, all its workers
are encouraged to collaborate with one another and volunteer their service wherever possible.
The younger employees have the opportunity to avail flexible working hours, but with prior
permission. Having said this, everyone is advised to follow the core policies of the
organization. The personnel are encouraged to act as per the code of conduct and maintain
discipline at the workplace (Tyson, 2014). Attendance is updated regularly along with the
performance of the employees at all levels. The organization has a strict policy when it comes
to discrimination on the basis of race, caste, nationality or gender. Any kind of misconduct is
highly discouraged and it is seen to that any person committing such wrongdoing is provided
a free and fair trial (Bratton and Gold, 2017). Working hours are strictly adhered to following
the nation’s laws. The HR department makes sure that none of its employees are working for
more than sixty hours a week. All these aspects of M&S makes it a ‘employer of choice’, as
it eases the worries of the employees and gives everyone an equal opportunity to work for
them.
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C. Identify and evaluate the key areas of employment legislation within which the
organisation must work.
Marks and Spencers is an organisation of international repute and it delivers on its promise of
social responsibility and attention towards to its employees. M&S has always followed the
rules and regulations of the retail business and it encourages legislations that promote fair and
just business practices. Worker’s safety and health has been the priority of the organisation.
The management strictly adheres to the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974. This act
ensures the security (both mental and physical), of the employee in an organisation.
Following this legislation has created a positive image for M&S and attracted many young
talents to work for the organisation.
It has already been discussed before that the organisation is a strict believer in fairness. It is
for this reason that M&S pays special attention to the Employment Protection Act of 1978.
This particular legislation gives assurance to the individual that he/she will never be
dismissed for any unjustified reason (McLaughlin, 2018). This enables the worker to focus
solely on their work without having to deal with any such minor issues. M&S also pays
special adherence to three more legislations and they are the follows:
Sex Discrimination Act of 1975: This act allays any fear of discrimination against the
person’s sexual orientation.
Equal Pay Act of 1970: M&S makes sure that every single outlet adheres to this legislation
so that everyone is paid fairly according to their designation. Gender, race, nationality etc.,
should never be hindrance when it comes to the pay of its employees.
The Race Relation Act of 1976: It has close ties to the above legislations and it prevents any
employee from facing any harassment because of their racial background.
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Task 3
You have been asked to design and participate in the recruitment process for a role in
the same organization.Conduct a brief evaluation of the process and the rationale for
conducting appropriate HR practices.
The role in M&S that require recruiting is the role of HR Assistant. The role of HR Assistant
is a very font line role, which requires medium level competencies in terms of Analytical,
communication, technological and organisational skills (Job description provided in appendix
A and Selection Criteria in Appendix C).
Campus recruitment will be the effective strategy to recruit a candidate with the identified
selection criteria. Thisis a type of direct recruitment, which is conducted onCollege
Campuses. Fresh candidates are selected from the pool of Campus students. This technique
requires less cost than other direct recruitment techniques because wide portfolios of
candidates are readily available at a single campus. Further, the candidates can be appointed
with a remuneration which in lower than that of the experienced employees. However, the
disadvantage is that the candidates may not suffice the needs of the organisation in which
case, the entire effort will be a waste of investment. However, since the number of position is
single in the organisation, this strategy will be highly effective towards selection of the
candidates.
The recruitment process starts with interviewing the candidates through the first round of
interview. Appendix B provides the preparatory notes for the interview process. The
candidates are sort listed according to the selection criteria in Appendix C. The second round
of interview is conducted on selected candidates and the required candidate is selected.
Appendix D provides the decision-making sheet. After selection the Offer of Employment is
provided (as in Appendix E)
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Conclusion
This report has clearly established that the function of attracting, selecting, management, and
retention of employees have made the function of HRM crucial to an organisation.The key
elements of HRM are important towards retention of employees as well as increase the
profitability and productivity of M&S. It has also been identified that M&S can utilise both
the internal and external recruitment strategies to cater the vacancies in the organisation. In
this regards, the best possible way to recruit a candidate for the position of HR Assistant is to
implement Campus recruitment process. This process will be effective towards ensuring cost
effectiveness and appropriate candidate for the job role.
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Reference List
Armstrong, M. & Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
Bratton, J. & Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. London:
Palgrave.
Brewster, C., 2017. The integration of human resource management and corporate strategy.
In: Policy and practice in European human resource management. London: Routledge, pp.
22-25.
Brindopke, F. et al., 2017. Training and Recruitment Strategies for Developing Sustainable,
Global, Research Workforces in Low-Resource Settings: Perspectives From The International
Family Study. Annals of Global Health, Volume 83, pp. 25-26.
Brown, M., Setren, E. & Topa, G., 2016. Do informal referrals lead to better matches?
Evidence from a firm’s employee referral system. Journal of Labor Economics, 34(1), pp.
161-209.
Cascio, W., 2018. Managing human resources. London: McGraw-Hill .
M & S, 2018. M&S Today. [Online]
Available at: https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/m-and-s-today
[Accessed 6 June 2018].
M&S, 2017. Annual Report 2016, London: M&S.
Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R. & Kynighou, A., 2016. Human resource
management at work. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
Rashid, M.D., 2016. Perception of Employee’s about the Human Resource Management
Practices (Talent Management) in Marks and Spencer in Waterloo, London
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice.
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Rees, G. and Smith, P. eds., 2017. Strategic human resource management: An international
perspective.
Vance, C.M. and Paik, Y., 2014. Managing a global workforce: challenges and opportunities
in international human resource management.
Giannakis, D. and Harker, M.J., 2014. Strategic alignment between relationship marketing
and human resource management in financial services organizations.
Marchington, M., 2015. Human resource management (HRM): Too busy looking up to see
where it is going longer term?. Human Resource Management Review.
Kew, J. and Stredwick, J., 2016. Human resource management in a business context.
Analoui, F. ed., 2017. The changing patterns of human resource management.
Tyson, S., 2014. Essentials of human resource management.
McLaughlin, J.S., 2018. Limited Legal Recourse for Older Women's Intersectional
Discrimination Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
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Appendix:
Appendix A:Design of Job Description
Job Description of HR Assistant at M&S
The Daily Duties and responsibilities include the following:
 He or, she has to answer the queries of the organisational employees.
 He or, she has to process all the incoming mails.
 He or, she will have to create documents and distribute them across various
departments.
 He or, she has to adopt the role of customer service for the employees.
 He or, she will have to record, update and maintain employee and vendor data in the
organisational systems.
 He or, she will have to prioritise and set the meetings and appointments of the HR
managers.
 He or, she will have to compile reports and Excel Spread Sheets.
The Other duties and responsibilities include the following:
 He or, she has to participate in recruitment process.
 He or, she will have to post job advertisements at relevant media to attract new
potentials.
 He or, she will have to arrange and schedule job interviews and assist the Managers in
the Interview process.
 He or, she has to oversee the collection of documents and other formalities of the new
and existing employees.
 He or, she has to process all the payrolls.
 He or, she will have to address payroll related queries and serve as the point of
contact between the employees and the HR team.
 The HR Assistant will perform the duties of maintain employee benefits, status and
other associated records.
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Appendix B: Interview Preparatory Notes
Checklists to Conduct the Interview:
 Low Key questions will be asked to allow the candidate to settle in and be at ease.
 Judging through the first impression will have to be avoided. It has to be noted that
fresher college will have limited experience and understanding of the recruitment and
professional etiquettes.
 Brief about the organisation and the position shall be provided prior to starting the
interview process.
 During the interview, real time analysis of the responses of the candidates shall be
taken into consideration and proactively improvise the next questions.
 Basic Questions shall be asked from the domain of HRM for the fresher candidates.
 At the end of the interview, the candidates shall be provided liberty to ask questions.
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Appendix C: Selection Criteria
For the role of Junior HR Assistant, the selection criteria are as follows:
Selection Criteria Description Competency Level required
Education Level The candidate should poses an
education level of Level 3 in HRM
from a reputed institution.
Medium
Analytical Skills The candidate should be able to
exhibit quick analytical mind and
have the competency to lateral
thinking and creativity.
Medium
Communication Skills The candidate should be able to be
communicate clearly and
effectively through written and oral
medium with different stakeholders.
Medium
Technological Skills The candidate should be able to
work on a computer and have the
ability to use Microsoft Office tools
Medium
Organisational Skills The candidate should be extremely
organised, accurate, and methodical
in the work. Further, the candidate
should be able to prioritise and plan
the work activities.
Medium
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Appendix D: Interview Decision Sheet of the Candidate Selected
Essential Criteria Candidate Justification
Education Level The candidate is Major in
HRM at level 3 from
London School of Business
The candidate is from a
reputed institute and has the
minimum qualification
required.
Analytical Skills The candidate exhibits out
of the box thinking
capability.
The candidate meets the
requirement of analytical
mind, creative thinking, and
lateral thinking.
Communication Skills The candidate poses high
oral skills in communication
The cover letter of the
candidate exhibits high
competency in written skills
and interview process reflect
the ability to communicate
clearly and precisely.
Technological Skills The candidate has
experience in operating in
Office tools.
The candidate meets the
technical requirement.
Organisational Skills The candidate can prepared
with data and facts to
support his claims.
The candidate exhibit
competent planning and
organisational skills.
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Appendix E: A Job Offer to the Selected Candidate
M&S
UK
Mr. James Clay
6 June 2018
Dear James,
With reference to the interview dated 30 May 2018, we are pleased to offer you the post of
HR Assistant in our Organisation. You date of joining is 15 June 2018.
Please comply with the following terms and conditions: -
 You will have to serve under probation for Six Months.
 Your will be provided a yearly entitlement of £18000 Cost to Company.
 You will have to adhere to the terms and conditions as per the Employment Act
2008.
 You shall agree to submit the self-attested photocopies of your latest
certificate/mark sheets, proof of Address, and Proof of Identity.
Please acknowledge this offer of employment through a reply return mail.
We look forward to a mutually rewarding professional relationship in the future.
For M&S
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