HRM Report: Analysing British Airways' Practices and Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at British Airways. It begins with an introduction to HRM, emphasizing its strategic role in managing employees and maximizing performance. The report then delves into Task 1, analyzing the role and purpose of HRM, including training and development, recruitment, and employee relations within the airline. It also examines human resource planning, forecasting demand and supply, and adapting to changing environments. Task 2 assesses the current state of employment relations, including unionization, collective bargaining, and conflict management at British Airways. Task 3 focuses on job descriptions, person specifications, and a comparison of selection processes with other service industries. Finally, Task 4 evaluates the contribution of training and development activities to the effective operation of British Airways. The report concludes with a summary of the findings and references used.

Human Resource
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Analysing the role and purpose of human resource management.........................................1
1.2 Human resources planning based on an analysis of supply and demand..............................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Assess the current state of employment relations in British Airways...................................5
2.2 Discuss how employment law affects the management of human resources.......................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Discuss a job description and person specification for British Airways:..............................7
3.2 Comparison between the selection process of different service industries businesses.........9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................11
4.1 Assess the contribution of training and development activities to the effective operation of
British Airways.........................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
.......................................................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management is an strategic approach to the effective management of
recruiting, hiring, developing and managing an organisation's employees (Alfes and et.al., 2013).
It is also designed to maximise the performance of employees, motivating and maintaining
workforce within the business to accomplish organisational gaols. The main motive is to
manage people, focusing on polices for overseeing employees benefit, performance appraisal and
rewarding, training and development. In this report, the organisation chosen is British Airways,
is a flag carrier and the largest airline in the United Kingdom. The first wide-bodied jet, and
advent in 1976 of supersonic flight with contrasting new commercial opportunities and
challenges. It was establish to manage two nationalised airlines corporation, British Overseas
Airline corporation and British European Airways. This report is going to analyse the role and
purpose of human resource management based on supply and demand for an organisation. The
current state of employee relation and its law affects of human resource management in context
to British Airways. Further, to determiner the job description and person certification within
organisation, as well as assessing the contribution of training and development activities for the
effective operation in an organisation.
TASK 1
1.1 Analysing the role and purpose of human resource management.
Human Resource Management is the process of managing and directing people in an
organisation structured (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). It is an important function within an
organisation which focuses mainly on recruiting and providing guidelines such as hiring,
compensation, performance, safety, wellness and benefits of employees. In other words, it can
define as a predetermined approach to manage people and the work culture of an organisation.
There are some function of human resource management department in the British Airways are
as follows:
Training and development: On the job training is main responsibility of human resource
management department. This function makes the employee to understand their work process
and get into job profile with ease. British Airways is more focused on training and development
of their staffs for developing new approach. Main aim is to create learning culture where
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individual have the right to support, resources and motivation to take responsibility of their own
personal development and benefit the organisation too.
Recruitment Process: It is the most challenging task for human resource management
department (Birasnav, 2014). In this function a job description, publishing the job, sourcing the
prospective candidates, interviewing, salary negotiations are done . British Airways are more
focused on their recruiting process by selecting the right candidates that value to the
organisation. Ensure that that the process of there are work are carried out effectively and
successfully to meet the motive of organisation goals.
Employee Relationship: the term employee relation refers to company efforts to mange
relationship between employers and employees. It is one of the good effective ways to ensure
good employee relationship in human resource strategy that plays an high value on employees
as stake holders on an organisation. In British Airways, the relationship between the superior and
subordinates are good in nature. They resolve in identifying the deviation that arise in the
workplace, effectively measuring the employees satisfaction with good communication in the
working environment.
Role and process of Human Resource Management
Each organisation work towards the realization of one mission and vision (Boella and
Goss-Turner, 2013). It suggest management team how to strategically manage people as
business resources. The main role of Human resource management preparing or updating daily
records relating hiring, transferring, promoting and terminating. It also explains the polices,
procedures, laws and standards to the new and the existing employees. Where as process of
HRM are recruiting, selecting, hiring, training, induction, orientation, evaluation, promotion and
lay-off. It also overseas employee remuneration, performance management, employees relations.
This efficient design of process depends upon the degree of correspondence of HRM, that
process is subservient with each other. HRM has been described as concept with two distinct
forms: Soft Human Resource Management: The soft human resource management model
emphasizes on individuals self direction and places, commitment, trust and self regulated
behaviour at a centre of strategic approach of people. In Context to British Airways, soft
human resource management describe the main motive at enhancing the commitment,
quality and flexibility of employees. This model consider as an important resources for
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growth and development of employees and organisation too. Further this model, helps
both the employees to grow respectively in their respective part.
 Hard Human Resource Management: This hard model of human resource management
involves in treating employees as one of the most important assets of an organisation
(Bon and Mustafa, 2013). In British Airways, employees are treated as main resources
for an organisation. With strong link within corporate business planing to identifying the
work force needs of recruiting and selecting the best for organisation. Though their pay-
off is not enough to retain in organisation.
1.2 Human resources planning based on an analysis of supply and demand
Human resource planning is the process of forecasting the future human resource
requirements and determining how the existing human resource capacity of the organisation can
be utilised. It focuses on the economic concept of demand and supply in context to human
resource capacity of the organisation. In British Airways, it plays an important role and
influences every employee because they are responsible for managing employees cost and
performance. This is the most important task of human resource department in British Airways.
As planning plays very important role in organisation right from the initial point of any
businesses. Some of the planning practise in British airlines are as follows:
Forecasting demand and supply: It is the second phase of human resource planning,
forecasting demand involves determining the numbers and kinds of personnel that an
organisation will be needed at some point (Chatterjee, 2013). Forecasting supply determines the
internal and external sources such as promoting employees and identifying and ability to work
in an organisation. In context to British airways, demand forecasting helps in estimating the
future requirements to meet the competences of an organisation. It also help in estimating the
right quality and right number. Further, with the help of demand forecasting British Airways
analyses it demand for the product and services as well as sales figures in the market.
Where as supply forecasting of British Airways, like to measure the number of people
employees available within and outside the working environment. It also analyses the potential
of employees such as skills, learning capacity, flexibility within the working culture etc.. Thus
both demand and supply are the essential part of an organisation as they are involving each and
every factors of organisation. From acquiring right members till measuring the performance of
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employees that is beneficial for both the organisation employees to achieving their goals
respectively.
Human resource planning in Changing environment: The changing environment of
Human resource management includes workforce diversity, economic and technological change,
organisational restructuring and changes that occur in the working environment (Chelladurai and
Kerwin, 2017). It refers to the external forces to the firm that largely effects the management's
and influence organisational performance. They includes rapid changes, evolving work and
family issues, shortages of employees that arises in an organisation. In British Airways, the
planning structured is done in very effective and flexible manner. That help them to adjust their
sudden changes in an accurate manner. Further, it help in assessing the current human resource
to adapt the changes in the technology by training their employees in right direction. With the
flexibility in the working culture and also enhancing the economic forces of an organisation.
Thus, the human resource planning in changing environment is very flexible and changes are
adapted according to the requirements. This result in beneficial both for the employees and the
organisation by adapting the Channing environment availability. So that its doest effect the
organisation in inefficient manner.
Internal and external factors influencing human resource planning: Human resource
planning plays an important role in such areas as workforce planning, employee and labour
relation, training and development and legal compliance within the organisation (Chuang, Chen
and Chuang, 2013). Some of the internal and external factors are government regulation, level of
growth, advances upcoming technology etc.. In context to British Airways, there are both
internal and external factors that influences the business organisation. They have adopted proper
human resource planning so that over come with such barriers of internal and external factors.
Such as high intervention of government, employees turnover in organisation, creating good
environment for the employees so that they perform their best in an organisation. Thus, by
effective planning of human resource management the factors influencing both internal and
external environment can be overcome.
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TASK 2
2.1 Assess the current state of employment relations in British Airways
Employment relationship is the connection of employee's and employer when they
perform certain work or services in the specified conditions for the remuneration (Collings,
Wood and zamosi, 2018). It is the reciprocal conditions and obligations among the employee and
the employer. Employment relation play crucial role in the British Airways in creating the
healthy environment that beneficial for the whole organisation. The main attributes that help in
positive employment relations:
Unionisation: Unionisation is the group of people who work against protection and
promote the common interest of the employees. Trade union play the significant role in the
British airways to secure the rights of the employees. Trade unions are almost independent from
their employers. Due to the trade unions employee's remain stress free in the British Airways
and feel motivated towards the work.
Besides that the structure of the employment relations is very important to manage the
different personality traits,capabilities,behaviour and performance of the manpower for the fully
utilisation in the British airways. There are different types of structures that follow by the
organisation but British Airways follows the Horizontal relationship which maintains the
equality in the organisation. In this structure the powers are share from top to bottom and bottom
to the top. The another important aspect of employee relation is the culture that influence the
behaviour of the both employee's and employer of the British Airways . Culture is build within
the organisation and healthy culture plays the crucial role in the British Airways. In healthy
culture the powers and work equally distributed among the employee's.
Collective bargaining in industrial relations: The rights and duties of workers to match,
negotiate and equalise with the basic rights and responsibilities with the employers is referred as
collective bargaining (Ho Voon and et. al., 2014). Collective bargaining gives the power of
homogeneous voice and negotiation hence the outcomes should be fair and equitable in the
British airways to help in build the industrial relations in the organisation. It consists not only the
wages, promotions and lay off and working patterns of the organisation.
Negotiation and consultation in the industrial relation: Negotiation is the importance
field in diverse fields as buying and selling and managing the relationships and importantly in
the industrial relations. It is a field of decision making where two or more than two parties
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consult over the issue to obtain their own targets and not obligatory that it is similar. Negotiation
helps the smooth environment in the British Airways.
Employment Participation, involvement and conflict management: Manpower
involvement in building industrial relations is necessary part of the British Airways . It creates
the new set of values for worker and management. Participation welcomes the ideas of the
employee's in the British airways and adopt the forward communication and give the decision
making power to the employee's. The equitable participation of the employee's reduce the
conflicts of the employees and create the peaceful and healthy environment in the British
airways.
Grievance procedures, disciplinary procedures :Procedures are obligatory to make sure
for both that while discipline is established in the workplace by applying disciplinary measures
in consistent and equitable manner, grievances are deal in accordance with the principles of
natural justice and fairness. (Hoque, 2013) Besides from that considerations of equity and
justice, the maintenance of a good industrial relations milieu in the British airways requires that
acceptable fair procedures are in place and monitored.
2.2 Discuss how employment law affects the management of human resources.
Employment legislation is the law which establish employment in the work environment
with each and every person who contributes. The law play crucial role in the British Airways to
find who is employed or not, and attributes that enhance the work environment and describes the
terms and conditions that affects the employee's.
Employee's Rights Act: Every employee have the right in the British Airways of privacy,
fair remuneration and elimination from discrimination including age, gender ,caste ,creed and
religion etc. The act creates the fair and equitable environment for the employee's that enhances
the morale and it increases their productivity. And employment relations act provides the
collective bargaining and eradicate the malpractices of labour like less pay, non paid jobs etc.
hence employee relation law protect the employee interest.
Equal opportunities: International and national laws sum up equal employment
opportunity and anti-discrimination in the workplace (Jackson, Schuler and Jiang, 2014). These
laws enables free from discrimination and harassment. It's important that as an
employer,estimates the rights and responsibilities under human rights and anti-discrimination
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law,effective anti-discrimination and anti-harassment practices in place in British Air ways
enhance the productivity and increase efficiency.
Contracts of employment termination: An employee or employer have sometimes decide
to brake the contract the employment (Jiang and et.al., 2012). Most employment termination
defined the many circumstances such as resignations,ill health retirements,redundancy procedure
are the causes. Employee brings termination called the dismissal.
Resignation: It is the notice that are formal in nature to the employer of willingly
termination by the manpower . There is no law regarding the employee resignation, but proper
steps and procedures are follow by the management. And British airways follows the whole
chain of etiquette.
Redundancy procedure: According to the redundancy law the employee have to offer the
notice period of minimum of 12 weeks if the employee provide the services of 12 years and
more . The employee have the certain rights redundancy pays , a notice period, a consultation,
opportunities to do some other job.
Tribunals, Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) - ACAS plays the
crucial role in British Airways to resolve the disputes without going in the court and with the
help of organisation grievances and redress al branch. It helps to reduce expenses of the
organisation and also save the goodwill of the organisation. And the early resolve of these small
disputes is very necessary because they bigger day by day and reduce the productivity of the
employee's. So in the British Airways the organisation tribunal work for resolve the conflicts in
the home level. And also create the positive environment in the organisation.
TASK 3
3.1 Discuss a job description and person specification for British Airways:
Job descriptions focuses on the primary responsibilities, requirements, academics and
challenges of the specified job (Khan, 2013). In brief, a job description describes what the
employer expect from employee as well as what employee can expect from employer.
Job Description
organisation British Airways
designation Cabin crew
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department BA City Flyer
Band Non-management
Job purpose:
This is the splendid opportunity to join as a cabin crew in the London city team where the
candidate deliver outstanding services. Candidate have to enthusiast illy provide the product and
services and contribute to customer service.
Roles and responsibilities:
The candidate are liable for safely operation of activities, and provide the excellent services to
the consumer of the by the behaviour and services. And compliance with the rules and
procedures and follow standards.
Job specification is the employee qualities and academic background required for delighted
performance of tasks and responsibilities that are requirements of specified job in the
organisation (Kraemer and Gouthier, 2014).
Person specification
In skills requires the passionate, interactive, good communication. Age should be above 18 at
the time of application, passport obligatory, able to work 365 days, 24 hours and 7days a week,
adaptive to environment and requires on the job experience, physically fit, good height and
perfect eye view.
Job design: Job Design means describing the task, responsibilities, qualifications, ways
and relationships required to execute the given job (Peillon, Pellegrin and Burlat, 2015). In other
words, job design included the components of the work and the interaction among the
manpower, with the motive to satisfy both the organizational and the social needs of the
employee.
Organisational needs: An organizational needs describes the helps employee to
compare the current skills in organisation with the capabilities employee need to meet future
organisation objectives.
Methods of recruiting employee's: organisation, HR managers and staffing
professionals use recruitment strategies and ways
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Job Advertisement:One of the most useful recruitment methods for organisation is job
advertisements avail in local and national print and online media. The key of advertise is that it
attract most the kinds of candidates sought by the organisation . Advertisements and promotions
include potential information such as the location, title of the job , description, remuneration
package and instructions.
Social and new media: Social and new media is a useful resource, they connect
professionals to the worldwide (Pomirleanu, Mariadoss and Chennamaneni, 2016). By Using
very known networking websites, it is possible to search, combined with and get information to
no. of professionals. Social utility websites avail for leisure activities is a viable source .
Government job centres: Government job centres mostly providing advertising as the
kind of employment development efforts for the masses . The government has job training and
bifurcate into divisions that work with businesses that requires staff.
3.2 Comparison between the selection process of different service industries businesses
The selection process is the process of putting the right men in the right place (Suand-
Wright, 2012). It is the procedure of matching the organisational requirements with skills and
qualification of people. This is the process of interviewing and evaluating candidates for a
specific job and selecting the individual based on certain criteria. It can ranges from very simple
process to a complicated process depending on the process of hiring the candidate for the job
profile in an organisation. Some of the effective barriers of selection is mention below: Ineffective Recruitment: Sometimes the selection process gets affected due to ineffective
recruitment initiatives. If the recruiter fails to attract the right candidate for the right job
for an organisation. Thus, it is obvious the right candidate will not be selected and
influence the selection process. Gender Issue: Gender issue also hampers in effective selection. In some organisation for
specific work male/ women candidates are required to held out with managerial jobs if
these jobs are viewed primarily masculine in nature. Such as stereotyping may also result
negative reaction in selecting the right candidate.
 Perception: Sometimes inability occurs to understand the most fundamental barrier in
selecting the right candidate. Selection process demands an individual to assess a right
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