Understanding HRM Practices and Employee Engagement: M&S Study

This report delves into the HRM practices, motivation strategies, and employee engagement techniques employed by Marks & Spencer, a prominent retail organization. The study begins with an introduction outlining the research aim, objectives, and questions, followed by a description of the descriptive research design and qualitative methodology used, relying on secondary data from literature sources. The literature review covers key HRM practices such as staffing, performance management, and compensation, emphasizing their impact on employee turnover and overall company performance. It also examines employee engagement practices, including fostering trust, articulating clear goals, and providing mentorship. Furthermore, the report explores various motivation strategies adopted by Marks & Spencer, such as setting weekly goals, encouraging employee involvement in decision-making, and providing training and development opportunities. The discussion and analysis section elaborates on the importance of job security, rewards, feedback, and knowledge sharing within HRM practices, as well as the significance of employee engagement practices like fair treatment and clear communication. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and implications of the study, highlighting the importance of effective HRM practices in enhancing employee engagement and motivation within a retail setting.

Project Proposal

Contents
Topic: “To understand HRM practices and range of strategies associated with motivation and employee
engagement. A study on Marks & Spencer.”...............................................................................................3
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Research Aim..........................................................................................................................................3
Research Objectives................................................................................................................................3
Research Questions.................................................................................................................................3
Methodology...............................................................................................................................................3
Literature Review........................................................................................................................................4
Discussion and Analysis...............................................................................................................................6
HRM Practices........................................................................................................................................6
Employee Engagement Practices.............................................................................................................7
Motivation Strategies...............................................................................................................................8
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................9

Topic: “To understand HRM practices and range of strategies associated with motivation and
employee engagement. A study on Marks & Spencer.”
Introduction
Human resource management is very important function of every organization as it is related
with management of overall workforce. It is very important for management of employees so
that their overall contribution towards organizations objectives can be maximized. Present
research report is based on Marks and Spencer that is a retail organization having their
headquarters in London, England they are dealing in wide variety of products like accessories,
clothes, footwear for their target segment of customers (Hassan, 2016). There is discussion of
HRM concept and practices that can be used for increasing employee engagement by use of
literature sources and further, there are different strategies that have been used by HR department
of Marks and Sainsbury for the purpose of motivation of employees.
Research Aim
“To develop a basic understanding of various HRM practices in Marks and Spencer
related with increasing employee engagement and for motivating employees.”
Research Objectives
 To develop a basic understanding of different HRM practices in organization.
 To analyze the practices undertaken for employee engagement.
 To understand the strategies used by HR managers at Marks and Spencer for motivating
their employees.
Research Questions
 What are the HRM practices in organization?
 What are the practices undertaken for employee engagement?
 What strategies are used by HR managers at Marks and Spencer for motivating their
employees?
Methodology
Research methodology is a concept that is related with various ways that are used for the
purpose of solving problems associated with the objectives of a particular research (Vanhala and
Ritala, 2016). It is also related with various challenges that are to be dealt by the researcher in

order to complete the research work. In the present search was there is use of descriptive
Research Design and there is use of positivism philosophy of research. There are two popular
techniques of conducting an investigation that is qualitative and quantitative research in the
present scenario there is use of qualitative research work by the researcher.
Further, there are two commonly used methods of collecting data that is primary method in
which there is use of firsthand information by surveys questionnaires and is a research method
where there is information collected by the researcher. Another method is usage of existing data
that is secondary form of available information in the present scenario there is use of secondary
data is used that is viewpoints of authors and literature sources and there is no use of any type of
primary data (Taamneh, Alsaad, and Elrehail, 2018). Secondary form of information is used for
the purpose of understanding various aspects of Human Resource practices and different
strategies that are adopted by retail organizations the purpose of motivating their employees.
Literature Review
Human Resource Management is considered to be among the most important components
within an organization. It deals with various processes like recruitment, selection, training and
development etc. It ensures that the right candidates are hired for the right positions within the
company (Armstrong and Taylor, 2020). There are different HR practices like staffing,
performance management, compensation management etc. These practices not only help in
reducing the employee turnover, but also significantly contribute towards enhancement of the
overall performance as well as productivity of the company. One of the many HR practices is to
provide security to the employees as this creates a sense of job security among them. Creating a
workplace that is safe and secure for the employees helps them in focusing on their jobs and
make them stay with the organization for longer period of time.
Employees who perform in the desired manner and put in extra efforts into getting a task
done should be rewarded with incentives or bonuses. Bonuses within an organization should be
deigned in such a manner so that the employees are encouraged to perform better. This will not
only lead to an increase in their overall motivation levels, but also help the company to grow.
Feedback from peers, managers and team leaders is another HR practice that is increasingly
embraced within organizations these days (Top 10 HR Best Practices, 2020). Every person
within a team should be assigned the responsibility of providing constructive and positive

feedback to the members of their respective teams. Knowledge sharing should be made a key
practice within the workplace wherein discussions are held and each of the team members is
encouraged by the team leader of managers to share their ideas, thoughts and inputs during the
process of decision-making.
There are different employee engagement practices that organizations can undertake in
order to maintain their productivity as well as performance. It is important for the management
of an organization to maintain a trust worthy and healthy relation with the employees (Boon and
et. al., 2018). This can include treating them in an equal and consistent manner as well as
providing an equal access to all the information from the start. This will help in building a sense
of belongingness and being valued among them. If the employees within an organization will
have no idea about their responsibilities, they will not be engaged in their jobs. Therefore, in
order to enhance employee engagement, it is important to articulate goals and responsibilities in
a clear way. This practice is basically helpful during the onboarding of new hires within the
workplace. Apart from this, employees who find it difficult to perform well or are not able to
understanding their tasks effectively, should be provided help in the form of coaching and
mentoring.
Managers as well as team leaders should encourage the employees from time to time and
the ones who perform in the most efficient way, should be recognized. This is because they will
significantly contribute to the overall growth of the company and also help it in gaining a
competitive advantage against others. It is important to build a workplace environment that is
encouraging and forward-thinking. This can help the organization in attaining its goals and
objectives effectively. Also, the employees will be committed and engaged in their respective
jobs. It is essential because employees today, don’t want to work in an environment with no
growth opportunities. The staff members should be provided the flexibility of working from
home whenever there is a need. This will eliminate the factor of rigidness from the workplace
and create more flexibility.
Motivation can be a differentiating factor within an organization and can lead it to
gaining a competitive advantage in the market. Marks and Spencer is a widely recognized
organization that has a large base of loyal customers (Bratton and Gold, 2017). The company has
operations in different parts of the world and therefore, adopts various strategies in order to keep

the employees motivate at all times. The managers within the company conduct weekly meetings
wherein they set small goals for their team members to achieve by the end of 7 days. This helps
in keeping the goals realistic and the employees work towards achieving the same. Apart from
this, they are involved in the process of decision-making and the team leaders try to be as
transparent in their discussions about what is expected from the employees. This is an important
motivational strategy followed by the employees of the respective company.
Also, whenever a milestone, small or big, is achieved, it is acknowledged and celebrate
so that the employees remain motivated. The team members are provided feedback from their
managers based on their respective performances. The managers at Marks and Spencer
understand that each team member has different skills. This helps them to take ownership of their
work and thus, self-directed learning is encouraged within the workplace (Six Strategies To
Maintain Employee Motivation, 2020). The HR department of respective company ensures that a
healthy working environment is maintained within the workplace. The HR professional also
ensure that employers as well as employees within the company share positive relations with
each other. Lastly, the management of the company provides various training and development
opportunities to the employees to make sure that they are equipped with all the latest skills and
knowledge about the latest trends in the market. This helps in keeping them motivated as well as
engaged in their jobs.
Discussion and Analysis
HRM Practices
There are various HRM practices that an organization can adopt in order to enhance their
overall performance as well as productivity. This further leads to the organization gaining a
competitive edge against competitors. Some of the practices that were found to be important
within a company include providing job security within the workplace (Delery and Roumpi,
2017). If an organization creates an environment wherein the employees feel safe about their
jobs, they will perform effectively. Therefore, it is found that job security is one of the most
widely used and effective HRM practices. Providing rewards and bonuses is another human
resource practice that is usually carried out in order to improve the overall motivation levels of
employees. This is because when a company has bonuses that are well designed, the employees

will want to work towards achieving them. It is found that if bonuses and rewards will not be
offered at the workplace, the employees will not be motivated and find their jobs boring.
From the above literature review, it is also found that companies should encourage their
managers as well as team leaders to provide honest feedback their team members. This helps in
keeping them updated about their strengths as well as areas of weaknesses. Knowledge sharing
was found to be another important HRM practice because it helps in creating an enriching and
positive work environment for the employees (Guest, 2017). By managing knowledge properly,
employees within an organization can gain important valuable and thus deliver desired results.
Therefore, it is found that there are various HRM practices that an organization can implement to
improve the overall performance.
Employee Engagement Practices
The degree of employee engagement within an organization decides the overall success
or failure of the company. It is important to maintain a trust worthy and healthy relation with its
employees. There are various employee engagement practices because they help in reducing the
overall staff turnover, thereby improving the productivity as well as performance of the
employees. It was found that organizations that treat their employees in a fair and consistent
manner, have staff members who are engaged in their respective jobs. Apart from this, it was
also found that articulating goals and responsibilities in a clear manner, helps the managers as
well as team leaders to communicate their expectations from the team members effectively. It
was found that this is employee engagement practice is basically used for candidates who are
newly hired within the company.
Employees who are engaged in their jobs find different and innovative ways to approach
a particular problem. Managers should encourage their employees by using different ways so that
they do not feel left over and it was also found that such employees help the organization in
gaining a competitive advantage against competitors (Kianto, Sáenz and Aramburu, 2017). Also,
there can be cases wherein an employee can feel confused about the task that is assigned to them.
In such times, employees should be provided mentoring so that the problem that they are facing
can be discussed and addressed mutually. It was found that a company can conduct various
motivational guest lectures, so that the employees’ thoughts get aligned to the company’s

objectives. Providing flexibility like working for home to the employees helps in making the
work culture of the company flexible.
Motivation Strategies
From the literature review section of the report, it was found that there are various
motivation strategies. Adopting various motivation strategies will help the employees of an
organization to remain engaged and committed to their jobs. Respective company, Marks and
Spencer is a company that is widely recognized ad has a loyal customer base. The HR managers
of the company conduct various training and development sessions for the employees in order to
keep them motivated and their skillset up to date (Tang and et. al., 2018). Apart from this, the
managers and team leaders of the company provide constructive feedback to the employees. This
helps them in keeping a track of their individual performances as well as improve the same. They
also set small and achievable goals that the employees can work towards with motivation. It can
be said that the employees should be involved in the decision-making process.
This is because it helps in creating a sense of belonging among them and thus, they feel
valued. Another motivational strategy adopted by the managers of Marks and Spencer is that
they adopt measures to create a healthy and positive working environment. This is because they
know that each and every employee possesses different skills and thus, they should be utilized in
the most effective manner. Therefore, it is finally found that motivation plays an important role
in enhancing the overall performance as well as productivity of the employees. And this further
leads to an improvement of the overall performance of the company within the industry.
Therefore, various measures should be taken to improve motivation among staff members.
Conclusion
From the above discussed points, it can be said that HRM practices are very important for
any organization for the purpose of managing employees in every organization. There are
various range of motivation theories that are used by human resource managers in order to
manage overall workforce in a most effective way. So, that they are able to maximize their
contribution towards achievement of laid down organization objectives. Also, there is use of
strategies for maximization of employee engagement as a part of strategy for the purpose of
enhancing participation of employees.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2020. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Boon, C. and et. al., 2018. Integrating strategic human capital and strategic human resource
management. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. 29(1). pp.34-
67.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Chowhan, J., 2016. Unpacking the black box: understanding the relationship between strategy,
HRM practices, innovation and organizational performance. Human Resource
Management Journal, 26(2), pp.112-133.
Delery, J. E. and Roumpi, D., 2017. Strategic human resource management, human capital and
competitive advantage: is the field going in circles?. Human Resource Management
Journal. 27(1). pp.1-21.
Guest, D. E., 2017. Human resource management and employee well‐being: Towards a new
analytic framework. Human Resource Management Journal. 27(1). pp.22-38.
Hassan, S., 2016. Impact of HRM practices on employee’s performance. International Journal
of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 6(1), pp.15-22.
Kianto, A., Sáenz, J. and Aramburu, N., 2017. Knowledge-based human resource management
practices, intellectual capital and innovation. Journal of Business Research. 81. pp.11-20.
Taamneh, A., Alsaad, A.K. and Elrehail, H., 2018. HRM practices and the multifaceted nature of
organization performance. EuroMed Journal of Business.
Tang, G. and et. al., 2018. Green human resource management practices: scale development and
validity. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources. 56(1). pp.31-55.
Vanhala, M. and Ritala, P., 2016. HRM practices, impersonal trust and organizational
innovativeness. Journal of Managerial Psychology.
Online
Six Strategies To Maintain Employee Motivation. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccaskilbeck/2019/02/12/six-strategies-to-maintain-
employee-motivation/#182235a11d35 >.
Top 10 HR Best Practices. 2020. [Online]. Available through:< https://empxtrack.com/blog/top-
10-hr-best-practices/ >.