Analysis of HRM Practices: A Comparative Study of Two Organizations

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Section 1:....................................................................................................................................3
Purpose of HR function and its significance in the organisation...........................................3
Strengths and weaknesses of the selection methods used by the company...........................4
Potential improvements to enhance the selection process in Chocola Fantastica..................5
Section 2:....................................................................................................................................6
Specifications required for the role of receptionist................................................................6
Pros and cons of the current methods of advertising used by the organisation.....................7
Recommendation for job advertisement................................................................................8
Section 3:....................................................................................................................................9
Training Schemes for graduates and internships in Microsoft...............................................9
Benefits to Microsoft..............................................................................................................9
Benefits to the employees....................................................................................................10
Microsoft’s Flexible working arrangements........................................................................10
Designs of Jobs in Microsoft................................................................................................12
Section 4:..................................................................................................................................13
Employee Engagement and its significance.........................................................................13
Approaches to engage employees in Microsoft...................................................................13
Employee Legislations aspects to which Micro soft abides.................................................14
Conclusion................................................................................................................................15
References................................................................................................................................16
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Introduction
The human resource management has been considered as one of the important factors, which
is essential for the development of the modern business organisations. Although a number of
aspects are related with that of the human resource management practiced in the
organisations, they should be implemented accordingly. Both the organisations mentioned in
the study, Chocola Fantastica and Microsoft have implemented the concepts of HRM
practices and their practices have been explained here.
Section 1:
Purpose of HR function and its significance in the organisation
Most of the organisations use the HRM practices and functions in order to plan the strategy
required for the organisation. It also helps to enhance the workforce so that the business
operations of the organisation can be developed.
Strategic management: In an organisation, it is needed that the H team should have the
ability to manage the workforce strategically so that the optimum usage of the resources can
be guaranteed. They also include the recruitment and selection of the proper employees that
would be able to meet the current and future goals of the company (Adhikari, 2015). The HR
team should have the clear idea of vacancies and the required criteria of the potential
recruited candidates, so that the right candidates can be hired.
Improvement of the current workforce: The human resource team of the organisation is
also responsible for providing the proper training to the workforce of the organisation. It is
found that the employees hired for the specific posts may require associate training for
mitigating their job roles On the other hand, this additional training is also necessary for the
development of the long term enhancement of the work force.
Maintaining the right working condition: It is necessary that the organisation should
provide the proper working condition to their employees so that they can work properly and
mitigate their allocated job responsibilities (Amato et al. 2015). The HR department in the
organisation is responsible for maintenance of the working conditions and they should take
care of the fact that the employees are not being bullied or discriminated in the workplace.
Mitigating any work environment related issues are also includes in the roles of the HR team.
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Providing rewards and recognitions: A HR team in the organisation is liable of calculating
the performances of individual employees and providing them with the proper remuneration
and rewards. It is found that the HR employees are also responsible for providing the right
compensation to the candidates. Thus, providing the benefits related to the financial aids are
the liability of the human resource employees in the organisation (Cook, 2016).
In the mentioned company, Chocola Fantastica, all of the above-mentioned factors have been
mitigated by the human resource employees of the organisation. The HR department of the
company is liable of the recruitment and selection of the new employees who would be able
to mitigate their job roles properly. Their orientation and additional trainings would also be
the liability of the HR team. Performance evaluation of the employees and ensuring that no
such discrimination and bullying is there in the organisational environment is present is also
the responsibility of the HR team (Granovetter, 2018). On the other hand, the HR team of the
Chocola Fantastica is also liable to provide the rewards and remuneration to their employees.
Strengths and weaknesses of the selection methods used by the company
The organisation mentioned in the study, Chocola Fantastica is still depending on the
assessment to examine their knowledge in mathematics and English comprehension in order
to recruit new employees for their organisation. This method has its own positive and
negative points, which can be beneficial and adverse at the same time. Thus, those points
have been addressed below:
Advantages:
 This process is less hazardous and it is not expensive at the same time. Thus, the
organisation does not have to spend much in order to recruit new employees
 The HR and management team in Chocola Fantastica prefers the informal interview
process. Thus, the candidates will be able to communicate more easily and informally.
This process also helps to understand the authority to understand the personal
attributes of the candidate as well (Chevalier et al. 2018).
 The strength and the weaknesses of the candidates regarding their communication
skills and comprehensive skills can be examined by this
Disadvantages:
This assessment tests have some weaknesses as well. They are:
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 The test of mathematics and English comprehension has been adopted by the
organisation, however, it is not needed for the understanding the jobs roles in the
company as it deals with chocolates and artworks.
 Effectiveness and the efficiency of the test have not been proved as many of the
candidates have questioned the evaluation process. Moreover, the evaluation of the
test reports are also not recovered (Bi and Zhu, 2016).
 As the informal attitude of the interview has been preferred by the organisation in
order to evaluate the effectiveness of the employees, the examination of the logical
aptitude of the candidates are overlooked
Potential improvements to enhance the selection process in Chocola Fantastica
The organisation needs to develop their selection process of the candidates so that the
development of the process can help to recruit the right candidates. Therefore, some
recommendations can be suggested for the potential improvements of the recruitment and
selection process.
 The organisation must include the test of logical aptitudes of their employees so that
they can be able to generate awareness regarding their effectiveness of the logical
aptitude in the organisation (Farahat, 2017)
 The assessment test should have the test related to the business operations of the
organisation so that the organisation should recruit the right person
 Problems related to candidate mismanagement and dissatisfaction should be identified
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Section 2:
Specifications required for the role of receptionist
In the mentioned study, the Requirement of the receptionist has been mentioned. However,
some specifications are needed in order to recruit a candidate into the role of a receptionist.
The subsequent qualities are to be taken into consideration in order to ensure the candidate
applying for the post of a receptionist.
Knowledge: The basic knowledge of Information Technology is required to be developed
into the candidate. He or she should have the knowledge of using Microsoft Word and Excel.
Candidate has to work at the reception of the company and the previous experience would be
prioritised in this case (Van den Berg and Van Der Klaauw, 2019). Moreover, if the candidate
were having any degree of consumer handling in the organisation, he or she would be
prioritised.
Skills: The skills that should be there into the candidate include the capability to work within
pressure. Communication skill as well as the problem solving skills is necessary for the
candidate. On the other hand, the candidates also need to take care of the customers. Apart
from that, good ability of Administration is required for the candidate. The administration
skills as well as the skills of client handling should be there in the candidate, so that he or she
should be able to take care of the customers and their problems (Bouret et al. 2015).
Personal attributes: Apart from the skills and knowledge of a candidate, some personal
attributes are needed to be taken into consideration. The candidate required for the job role
should have the pleasant personality. His presence should be presentable to the customers.
The approachability of the candidate to the other customers and the staffs should be well
mannered. The approach and behaviour of the candidate in the work environment should be
pleasant and well mannered so that no one can have any grudge against him or her. The
candidate should have the flexibility to work into any environment and any time. It is
possible that he or she have to work outside the schedule (Cook, 2016).
Moreover, the receptionist has to be an active listener so that he or she can resolve the
problems faced by the employees or the customers as well.
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Pros and cons of the current methods of advertising used by the organisation
The organisation mentioned in the study Chocola Fantastica is using the physical notice
board in order to notify the vacancy developed in their company. This process of notifying
vacancy in physical notice board has some advantages as well as some disadvantages at the
same time. In the subsequent part, these advantages and disadvantages have been explained.
Advantages:
 The organisation has decided to use the physical notice board in order to notify
regarding their vacancies and it has been seen that this method has its rapid impact on
the potential candidates. The notice board has been situated at the external wall of the
entrance and this place is better for attracting the attention of the external and internal
visitors (Van den Berg and Van Der Klaauw, 2019). Therefore, it can be expected that
with the help of word of mouth process, the potential candidates can be award of this
vacancy.
 People that are passing by the entrance of the organisation can also look over this
notice. As a result, it can be expected that fast a proper results from this process can
be generated.
 The idea of using the physical notice board in order to notify the job vacancy in the
organisation, it can be stated that with the help of such processes, the cost of the
organisation regarding the advertisement would be reduced and the organisation
would be effectively enjoy the benefits of cost cutting in this regard.
 As the organisation has decided to place the physical notice board outside the wall of
the organisation, it will be able to visible for every people passing by the road.
Therefore, the problem related to the visibility cannot be raised and the rapid exposure
of details of advertisement to the candidates will be available.
Disadvantages
Apart from the advantages, some disadvantages can also be identified regarding the usage
of physical notice board.
 The details of the job role have not been provided into this notification. Therefore,
some misconception related to the details of the job can be generated.
 The effectiveness of the advertisement cannot be measured, as any specific
measurement tool of evaluating the performance of the physical notice board has
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not been developed (Farahat, 2017). Therefore, it cannot be able to measure
whether the target audience has been penetrated or not.
 Lack of flexibility has also been generated due to this use of physical notice
board. Therefore, the rectification of information cannot be possible in it.
Recommendation for job advertisement
In order to increase the effectiveness of the organisation regarding their job vacancy, some
other methods can be used. The following recommendation of the methods will help to
generate information regarding those methods.
Job websites: The vacancy notice can be published in the Job websites. The visibility of the
job advertisement can also be increased with this websites. Moreover, the details of the job
can be added into this so that the potential candidate can be identified easily.
Printed advertisement: The advertisement can be published in to the newspapers and
journals. The possibility of finding the right candidate through the printed advertisement in
newspapers and journals is better than the other media (Farahat, 2017). Moreover, the
advertisement can reach to potential candidate if it is published in the media like journals and
mews paper as still people using it as one of the prime sources of finding the right jobs.
Social media: The social media can be one of the contemporary and beneficial methods of
posting the job advertisement. As the job related groups are there, searching the right
candidate to would be easier for the organisation.
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Section 3:
Training Schemes for graduates and internships in Microsoft
Microsoft can be regarded as one of the most influential tech companies across the globe and
thus they are well dedicated towards executing their CSRs (Corporate Social
Responsibilities). The most famous graduate program at Microsoft at the moment is the
Aspire Program. This particular program is created for graduates who are well equipped with
knowledge and skills of the highest order. The graduates in this case will be provided with
real life experiences of handling activities in the company. The graduates in this case will be
trained to be innovative through Microsoft’s “Mobile first, Cloud first” Program. The
company will also be offering flexible timings for the interns and thus they will be able to
experience a working culture that is more suitable towards maintaining a work life balance.
Microsoft has also understood that different positions within an organization require different
capabilities and therefore they have designed roles and positions according to different skill
sets. Some common roles such as Customers Success Manager, Account Delivery Executive,
Solution Sales Professional, Technical Account Manager, Operations Program Manager and
other positions are available for graduate candidates if they apply and qualify
(Microsoft.com, 2019).
Benefits to Microsoft
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Microsoft as an organization want to make sure that
the new talents that come into the organizational environment are all well dedicated towards
the organizational development as well as their won development and therefore, the
following benefits can be regarded as the outcomes of the Aspire Program hat are leaned
towards the company (Microsoft.com, 2019).
 Competitive Advantage – In the modern market, organizations such as Google. Apple,
SAP and IBM are rapidly developing their product ranges and services in order to
make the most of the consumer market which is increasing in size due to the trends of
gadget. However, in order to be competitive, the organization has incorporate
innovation into its operations more often and this is the part where workforce comes
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into action. The organization can increase its capability of production and innovation
through the involvement of more employees.
 Transfer of Knowledge – The new employees that are coming in the firm are
equipped with new skills sets that can be helpful for Microsoft in order to train the
already existing employees. The training in this case however will be indirect as the
employees will be learning from each other through interaction.
 Corporate Social Responsibilities – The organizations in the modern world are very
much dedicated towards making sure that they are managing stakeholder interests
very effectively. One of the best ways to manage stakeholder interests is to make sure
that investments are made in Corporate Social Responsibilities. By making sure that
talented graduates are getting placements, Microsoft in a manner is executing its
corporate social responsibilities (Microsoft.com, 2019).
Benefits to the employees
The graduates who are being offered roles in such a prestigious organizations such as
Microsoft, can also benefit largely in the following manners –
 Real life experience – The organizational experience can be regarded as one of the
main aspects in the curriculum vita that is responsible for making an employee
primary candidates for a job role and thus it can be said that the time candidates spent
in the organization of Microsoft is very much suitable for them to be able to develop
professionally.
 Salary and Perks – The organization offers health and development opportunities to
the interns and graduates as well as allowances of relocation and this can be regarded
as a great benefit due to the fact that Microsoft also offers great salary packages that
are competitive.
Microsoft’s Flexible working arrangements
The organization in This case understands that employees function as per the best of their
abilities and therefore, Microsoft has been dedicated towards making sure that the employees
are always accessing the perfect work life balance that will enable them to perform
effectively (Microsoft.com, 2019). The organization as mentioned before is currently very
dedicated towards employing new talents and thus they must be given the adequate amount of
time to make sure that they are enjoying the most of what life outside the office has to offer.
The graduates as well as other employees can also want to take part in other educational
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programs and develop as an individual. Thus, in this case, the organization has functions in
place that offer the interns adequate amount of time to pursue higher educational
qualifications. The benefits of such programs to Microsoft are as follows –
 Cost Reduction – The facilities which enable employees to work from their homes
can be a great way to managing costs and making sure that the operating expenses are
under control. This is a great way to make use of the workforce in a manner that is
more cost efficient.
 Increase of Productivity – When the employees are working under situations that are
comfortable for them to work, then they will be able to make sure that they are well
above their productivity benchmark. This is a benefit that can be gained by providing
flexible working conditions.
 Increased Creativity – It can be said that as the organization of Microsoft
encourages creative thinking, the employees will not feel monotony when working
under pressure and this will also impact productivity in a positive manner
(Microsoft.com, 2019) .
 Staff Retention – The facilities where the employees are working under comfortable
circumstances give them the opportunity to balance personal and work life in a
positive manner and this makes sure that the employees maintain to stay loyal to the
organization.
Maintaining flexible working conditions can also benefit the employee in a positive manner
as the following interests are fulfilled.
 Every human being has their own life and situations as far as family and friends are
concerned and thus when the employees have enough time to relax with their closed
ones, then, the employees will be more suitable for working and keeping own peace
of mind.
 Development opportunities are there when an employee is given the adequate amount
of time to work on him or herself. The employees might look to acquire new skills or
new knowledge and thus this can also benefit the organizational goals.
 Employees feel motivated when they are given the enough amount of importance. The
employees feel motivated when they are considered by the firm for resting and this
makes them feel valued.
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Designs of Jobs in Microsoft
As mentioned before, one of the main activities at Microsoft is to make sure that the new
employees or interns feel comfortable within the working environment and this comes from
the believe that the employees are the most important stakeholders of a particular situation
and thy must be given the adequate amount of time and rewards so that the performances are
more desirable for themselves and for the organization (Microsoft.com, 2019). Thus
Microsoft first analyzes the capacity and skill set of different candidates and based on that,
the organization designs its roles or job positions.
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