HRM Report: Evaluating HR Practices at Chocolate Presence Company

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of human resource management (HRM) practices, specifically focusing on the Chocolate Presence Company. It begins by outlining the core purposes and importance of HRM functions, including planning, recruitment, selection, performance management, and training and development. The report then evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of various selection methods used by the company, such as assessment tests, reference checks, and interviews, and suggests improvements to enhance the selection process, including the use of psychometric and skill tests. Furthermore, the report includes a person specification for a Receptionist vacancy, detailing qualifications, experience, and personal characteristics. The report extends its scope to evaluate the benefits of graduate training schemes and internships, flexible working arrangements, and job role design for employee motivation at Microsoft. Finally, it critically assesses approaches to engaging workers, the impact of UK employment legislation on HR decision-making, and their influence on recruitment, training, development, and rewards. The report concludes with a summary of findings and recommendations to optimize HRM practices within the context of Chocolate Presence and Microsoft.

HUMAN-RESOURCE-
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
a) Purpose of HR function and their importance to organisation...........................................1
b) strength and weakness of selection method.......................................................................4
C) Improvements which enhance the selection procedure of chocolate presence company..5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
b.) Advantages and Disadvantages of current methods of advertising job in the organisation2
c.) Recommending the job advert for Receptionist vacancy..................................................3
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
a) Microsoft offer graduate training schemes and internships. Evaluate the benefits to both the
organisation and employees of such schemes........................................................................4
b) Microsoft offers a range of flexible working arrangements for staff. Firstly, identify some
of these arrangements and then evaluate the benefits of offering these to both Microsoft and
its employees..........................................................................................................................5
c) Evaluate how Microsoft motivates its workers through the way it designs its job roles.. .6
TASK 4 ...........................................................................................................................................7
b) Critically evaluate the key approaches to engaging workers discussed in the Summit and
how these approaches improve communication in the workplace.........................................8
c) Identify the key elements of UK employment legislation, explaining how they influence
HR decision making such as recruitment, training and development and reward.................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management refers to an aspect which manage the peoples effectively at
work place of an organisation. It is an important factor of every organisation which helps through
providing skilled and capable people for effective attainment of organisational goals. According
to Chocolate presence company, their ground employee staff turnover increased, for retaining the
employee in chocolate presence HRM plays an important role because it provides work
according to specialisation of worker and also provides performance based rewards to employee
for encouraging their interest towards the achievement of companies goal(Wilton, 2016). This
report present purpose of human resource function and their importance to organisation. It
covers advantage and disadvantage of various methods used in organisation for advertising job.
Study also evaluate benefits of graduate training scheme and internship to both employee and
organisation. It also defines term employee engagement and their importance in effective
employee relations in Microsoft company.
TASK 1
a) Purpose of HR function and their importance to organisation
Human resource management is the important part of every organisation which helps to
organisation for better way to accomplish organisational goals by providing capable human
resource. It includes various function such planning, recruiting&selection, performance
management and training & development. The main purpose of each function is to encourage the
employees interest towards accomplishment of organisational goals effectively(Budhwar, 2016).
Purpose of various Human resource functions
1

Illustration 1: Functions of Human Resource Management
Source:(Function of Human resource management, 2016).
Planning, it means getting things done through the peoples. It is a function of HRM which
forecast the need of work force in an industrial establishment. The main aim of planning is to
find out job vacancies and determine source of recruitment in a company. Chocolate presence
company can increase their work force through available unemployment in their area and
company recruit the candidates according to their required skill and knowledge for their vacant
post. If candidates are selected according to skill and knowledge needed to vacant position, they
can perform their job better which ultimately results in good quality products and higher
productivity in chocolate presence company(Baum, 2016).
Recruitment and selection is also an important function of every organisation. It is a process of
screening and selecting the prospective candidate according to required position. Chocolate
presence company can hire employees in an effective manner by identifying the proper staffing
plan and taking fair interviews and employment test of employees. With the help of interview
method company can select the people for administrative or manufacturing work from the
available unemployment in their area through determining their capabilities of working. If
workers get their work according to their specialisation, it increases the interest of worker
2

towards job and reduce labour turnover in chocolate presence company(Budhwar and Mellahi,
2016).
Performance management function of HRM is play an important role in an organisation.
Chocolate presence company can reduce employee turnover by giving performance based reward
to their employees and through this, interest of employee can be increased towards giving good
efforts in achieving companies goal. It provides promotional opportunities to employees for
boosting morale towards accomplishing companies objective(Bailey and et.al., 2018).
Training and Development is the function which provides the training to needed employees for
increasing their motivational level. Chocolate Presence company can retain existing employee
through giving proper training and development activities. It increases the motivational level of
employees for performing their job efficiently and reduce failure of new employees in
probationary period by providing appropriate training activities(Wilton, 2016).
Importance of Human resource management in Chocolate presence company
The new human resource officer helps in reducing the current problems in the Chocolate
presence company by creating professional development plan and working closely with the staff
members towards the attainment of the common goals and also improve the skill and knowledge
of the employees for expanding their business in the global market and also builds trust in the
employees towards the organisational leadership which increase the productivity of the
employees as well as the chocolate presence company.
Human resource management improves growth and development of an organisation as
well as employee who work in a company. In Chocolate Presence company, as their ground staff
turnover increased, this problem can be reduce by the human resource management through
providing better training to needed employee and providing performance based reward to
employees for encouraging their interest towards completing companies objective(Baum, 2016).
Chocolate presence company can increase their work force through recruitment and
selection function of HRM which provides the better employees with skills and knowledge
according to require position and select the candidate through fair and good methods of selection
process such as interview and employment test.
Human resource management is an important tool of an organisation to achieve the best
outcome with cooperation and personal development of its employees. It also provides the
3

competent and prospective employees to their organisation to fulfil the personal and managerial
objective of the company(Budhwar, 2016).
b) strength and weakness of selection method
Selection is the process of selecting prospective candidate from the pool of competent
personnel by using various instrument of the selection methods for gaining expected outcomes of
firm. Chocolate presence company used various selection methods such as home made
assessment test in Maths and English with pass mark of 50 percent, references and informal chat
in interview(Budhwar and Mellahi, 2016).
The first method of selection method which is used by chocolate presence company is home
made assessment test in English and Math and passing criteria for individual is gain 50%
marks.
Strength of this method is selecting good and capable employee who gets 50% marks and
more than this standard. And selected employees may work better towards the attainment of
organisational goals.
Weakness of this method is it can not ensure 100% success of an individual on the job
and it reduces the interest of worker who can perform work better but not reach the standard of
test(Budhwar, 2016).
References check is the second method of selection procedure in chocolate presence company.
Reference refers to the responsibility of knowing the background information about the
candidate by the existing employee of organisation who refer the job applicant.
Strength of this method is to seeking evidence in terms of candidates ability and
experience which is provided by the existing employee of chocolate presence company and
through this employer can get better information about the candidate to make sure that weather
candidate fit for job or not.
Weakness of reference method, it can not provide the surety of information that is right
because some times reference can be provide by the previous employer and it may possible that
wrong information is given, only for selection of candidate(Baum, 2016).
Interview is last method of selection procedure in a Chocolate presence company which is done
through informal chats with candidates at the informal environment.
The strength of this method is candidates can hired easily in the company and also
increase the interest of candidates towards the Chocolate presence company.
4

The weakness of this method is not getting employee in the formal manner in the company.
According to chocolate presence company the interview is really an informal chat which takes 15
minutes and during this few times it is not possible for interviewer to determine the skill and
knowledge of candidate(Bailey and et.al., 2018).
C) Improvements which enhance the selection procedure of chocolate presence company
Chocolate presence company can enhance their selection procedure through the
psychometric test which evaluates the mental capabilities of candidates in terms of better
working in organisation. With the help of this method company can increase improvement in
selection procedure by selecting job applicants with high skill and knowledge from available
unemployment in their area. It evaluates mental and behaviour capability of candidates, this help
chocolate presence company to provide work to new workers according to their skill which
encourage employees towards the attainment of organisational goal and reduce the staff
turnover(Wilton, 2016).
Administering skill test also improve the selection process of chocolate presence
company by determining skill level of job applicants. Every job required different skills for
performing well towards accomplishment of organisational skills. This test reduce the
employees' failure in probation period of chocolate presence company through distributing work
according to their knowledge and skills and this improve the products quality as well as
productivity(Budhwar, 2016).
Psychometrics test improve the interview method of chocolate presence company
because interview method can not judge the mental and behaviour capability of employee which
are essential for attaining organisational goals and with the help of psychometrics test
interviewer effectively determine mental and behaviour capability of candidates and company
provides work according to their specialised area which reduce the labour turnover in chocolate
presence(Baum, 2016).
Home made assessment test of chocolate present company improved by the administering
skill test because it determines the skill level of employee towards vacant post. Every job needed
some level of skill and knowledge for better performing and it is not possible through home
made assessment to evaluate skills of job applicants. Administering skill test evaluates skills and
knowledge of employee and also identify weather the candidate fit for job or not(Wilton, 2016).
5

TASK 2
6

Person Specification
Title of the job
Name of the company
Receptionist
Chocolate presence company
Date: 11/02/19
Qualification required Essential Desirable Met
High school
Graduation or Diploma
course in computer
Good typing ability.
Excellent written and
vocal communication
skills.
Skillful in Microsoft
application like word,
Excel, PowerPoint and
Outlook.
Yes
YES
YES
Yes
YES
YES
Need of Experience
Minimum 1 year of
experience as receptionist.
Yes YES
Personal characteristics
& conduct
Consistent knowledge and
professionalism. YES
YES

Multi task handling ability
and administrative and
clerical action.
Friendly and positive
attitude.
Well mannered and
professional dressing.
Yes
Yes
YES
Roles and
Responsibilities
Conducting and
scheduling meeting.
Greeting clients with
warm and positive
attitude.
Answering and
forwarding phone calls.
Writing and sorting mail.
Assisting in administrative
tasks.
Proving customer service.
Preparation of letter and
documents and
maintaining the same.
Yes
YES
YES
YES
Yes
YES
YES
b.) Advantages and Disadvantages of current methods of advertising job in the organisation
Chocolate presence circulates pamphlets or card of job vacancies internally in the
organization to the existing staff and their family and friends and externally by displaying
vacancy on physical noticeboard on the external wall of main site(Bratton and Gold, 2017).
ADVANTAGES: Chocolate presence uses word of mouth publicity to attract prospective
employees in the organization. Having job openings internally in the organization benefit
company to retain employees and gives advantage to explore new career paths in the same

organization and helps employee to grow their skills, knowledge and abilities. This enhances
working and productivity of the organization by the employees who understand company's goal
and objective which can be achieved effectively and efficiently. Word of mouth publicity about
job vacancy in the organization internally is a very cost effective and less time consuming
process. A high recommendation and positive attitude of family member towards organization
attract skilled, knowledgeable, and prospective employee to the organization which increases
productivity and efficiency in the organization.
Chocolate presence display job vacancy on physical noticeboard on the external wall of the main
site for advertising job vacancy for a particular designation. Designing pamphlets which give
necessary detail about the job vacancy and job description that are attractive and gain attention of
the people(Brewster, Chung and Sparrow, 2016). Hiring new and fresh blood in the organization
brings new insight and idea into the organization which increases productivity of the company. It
helps expand the workforce with more skilled and prospective applicant who has more
experience in a particular field. Their is a wide range of opportunity to select candidates from a
pool of applicants who best fit to perform the job with accuracy and efficiency.
DISADVANTAGES: Word of mouth publicity and distributing pamphlets and cards among
current employees and their friends and family is an ineffective method for filling job vacancies
in the organization because it restricts entering of new blood in the organization which does not
give the benefit of introducing new and prospective ideas in the company. It also limits the
number of potential applicants who has desired skill and knowledge to perform a particular job
effectively and efficiently. Promoting current employees for the new position in the organization
creates another vacancy which needs to be filled.
Furthermore, displaying job vacancies on external notice board of the main site is not an
attractive method to gain attention of the people(Cascio, 2015). People usually tend to ignore
such display which leads to attract less amount of people for the vacancy and company might not
find the right and appropriate candidate for the job.
c.) Recommending the job advert for Receptionist vacancy
Chocolate presence uses attractive job adverts to gain attention of skilled and prospective
receptionist who fits best for the job profile and who can perform roles and responsibilities
effectively and efficiently. They can publish advertisement in newspaper which gives specific

details about the job specification; job description; qualification and experience ; location and
date and time for the interview. They can display job vacancy on various social media platform
like Facebook; LinkedIn; indeed; monster.com; glassdoor, etc where they can attract large
number of candidates and can select the one who is best suitable for the job profile. Interested
candidates can also apply on company's career website where candidate can upload their resume
and necessary details as mentioned on the site. Company can also opt for email marketing by
giving necessary details about the job profile and job specification, salary, duties and
responsibilities, location, contact number, email id and mailing the same to the candidates who
are best fit for the job. Company can also hire receptionist through various employee referral
program inside and outside of the company.
The most cost effective method of selecting prospective and talented candidates for the job who
can perform the roles and responsibilities effectively and efficiently is by conducting employee
referral program which ensure reasonable skill set and integrity(Kew and Stredwick, 2016). It is
the most inexpensive method of advertisement to attract prospective candidates. Advertisement
in print media like newspaper attract large number of candidates who are looking for specific
roles and it does not involve huge cost to the company.
TASK 3
a) Microsoft offer graduate training schemes and internships. Evaluate the benefits to both the
organisation and employees of such schemes
Benefits to employees of Microsoft because of training and internships
 Microsoft has designed its graduate training schemes and internship in such a way that it
would empower its employees to make their own choices and thus would not be bound
by the decisions taken by others for them.
 The training and internship provided by Microsoft helps in increasing the productivity of
employees and hence they would be able to achieve their individual as well as
organisational objectives effectively and efficiently.