HS Furniture Co HR Analysis: Improving Human Resource Management

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of HS Furniture Co's human resource management practices. It includes a SWOT analysis identifying the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, with a focus on the hardworking nature of the staff as a key strength and the lack of a performance appraisal system as a significant weakness. The report delves into critical HR issues such as the absence of a dedicated HR department, which leads to customer confusion and employee demotivation, and the lack of clear goals, which adversely affects decision-making. It examines the application of HR roles within the company, highlighting both strategic alliances and instances of mismanagement. The report further explores the nature of recruitment and selection processes, including the benefits and drawbacks of engaging consultants and targeting candidates with prior experience. A reflective section provides insights on improving HR practices, such as implementing leave policies, leveraging social media for recruitment, and establishing regular meetings and counselling sessions to foster employee engagement and trust.

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Human resource management of HS Furniture Co
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Table of contents
1. SWOT analysis of HS Furniture Co...........................................................................2
2. HR issues....................................................................................................................3
3. Evidence regarding the application of HR Roles.......................................................3
4. Nature of recruitment and selection...........................................................................4
5. Reflection on HR practice..........................................................................................5
References and bibliography..........................................................................................8

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1. SWOT analysis of HS Furniture Co
Strengths
Hardworking nature of the staffs is the greatest strength of HS Furniture Co. This
helps in delivering quality products to the customers. Presence of skilled and efficient
managers results in the transfer of skills to the employees (Cascio 2018). This transfer
reduces the knowledge gaps in case of the employees.
Weakness
Lack of performance appraisal systems aggravates the complexities of the managers
in regulating the employee performance. Along with this, absence of separate HR department
stalls the productivity of the company. This absence increases the burden of the other
departments, as they have to work overtime for executing the HR activities. Moreover, the
employees and the clients’ doubts remains unclarified, which results in complaints. The
qualification of the managers is nullified because they fail to encourage the employees
through the means of goal-setting (Brewster 2017). This makes the employees lackadaisical
towards execution of the allocated duties and responsibilities.
Opportunities
Plans for adding to the workforce can be an effective means in terms of enhancing the
productivity. Targeting the labor market of Northern Territory can help the company to
expand the market share. This needs the compliance to the standards and protocols of
marketing legislation for the achievement of positive outcomes (Bratton and Gold 2017).
Threats

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Intensified competition is a threat for the company in terms of securing the position in
the competitive ambience. Non-compliance to the competitive policies can create hostile
relationships between the company and the contemporary brands. This would compel the
company to encounter illegal scandals and issues.
2. HR issues
Lack of separate HR department is the main issue, which HS Furniture Co is facing.
This absence increases the confusion of the customers regarding whom to contact for availing
the services. Along with this, absence of performance appraisal systems acts as a
demotivation for the employees in terms of carrying out the allocated tasks and
responsibilities (Brewster, Chung and Sparrow 2016). This demotivation stalls the
productivity, compelling the personnel to achieve negative outcomes.
One of the main issues is the absence of the goals, which makes the workplace
chaotic. Moreover, approaching the tasks without goals is bound to achieve negative
outcomes. Negligence into this direction can be challenging for the companies in terms of
upgrading the knowledge, skills and expertise of the employees. Not setting goals
demotivates the employees, which results in poor performance. Apart from this, negligent
approach towards setting goals has adversely affected the decision-making process of the
employees (Marchington et al. 2016). Apart from this, lack of contract resulted in the verbal
agreements, which contradicted the reliability and validity.
3. Evidence regarding the application of HR Roles
In the lectures, four roles of HR has been portrayed- strategic partner, contributor,
administrative expert, advocate and change agent. Offering job to the sales representative
Jane, acts as an evidence for the strategic alliance in which HS Furniture Co indulged. Her

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prior experience in management of the sales contributed towards increasing the sales revenue
and profit margin. Recruitment and selection was an important parameter, where the
company got the assistance and support of Jane. Collaboration with CM is an evidence for the
strategic planning of Jane in terms of maintaining the pace in the competitive ambience.
Upon receiving negative outcomes, Jane became devastated, exposing rude behaviour to the
workers. This contradicts her rational attitude in terms of executing the business in a strategic
manner (Storey 2014). Along with this, it also adds a negative parameter to her preconceived
skills, expertise and knowledge.
Losing confidence is an evidence of devaluation regarding the effective management.
Along with this, it can also be an indication of pretentious nature for knowing the solution for
every business issue. Indulging in partnership is an evidence towards adopting appropriate
change agent. This partnership helped in coping up with the financial issues, degrading the
reputation of HS Furniture Co. Taking the help of advocate assisted the company personnel
to excavate the reality behind the preconceived experience of Jane.
4. Nature of recruitment and selection
The contribution of Jane proved beneficial in executing the process of recruitment and
selection in HS Furniture Co. However, the pretentious nature of Jane resulted in the
achievement of negative outcomes regarding the management of sales. Delving deep into the
aspect, contacting consultants proved effective in adding to the workforce (Albrecht et al.
2015). Advertisement was the first step in the process of recruitment and selection. Sending
drafts regarding the job descriptions and vacancies enhanced the awareness of the manager
about the necessary changes. Planning for indulging in partnership reduces the negativity in
Jane’s character to some extent and adds value to the aim of enhancing the productivity.

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Targeting on the candidates with prior experience, professional attitude proved
beneficial in terms of estimating whether the identified goals and objectives. Herein lays the
appropriateness of targeting the labor market of Northern Territory. This proved to be an
evidence for strategic planning to adding to the workforce and creating a strong and effective
team (Purce 2014).
Jane was confident regarding recruiting the candidates from the university levels. This
confidence proved effective in terms of extracting productive labor from them. Along with
this, financial flexibility reflected the consciousness towards paying high salaries to these
employees. CM raised doubts over the high salaries and asked the personnel of Adelaide
office to handle the issue. This concern is appropriate in terms of tacking with the financial
issues. Meanwhile, Jane was entrusted with the responsibility to help the candidates in
adjusting in the workplace (Jackson, Schuler and Jiang 2014). Confidence of Jane reflects the
trust, which the managers need to have on the employees regarding the capability of
executing the tasks in a proper manner.
Usage of the intranet for communication is an innovative means in terms of
maintaining the stability in the relationship with the clients. Intranet proved helpful in
keeping the head office personnel aware of the recruited candidates (Stone et al. 2015).
5. Reflection on HR practice
I would have felt privileged for being selected as a HR consultant. This selection
would have brought noticeable changes in my behaviour. I would have dealt every issue
rationally, taking into consideration, the viewpoints of the personnel. This approach would
have reflected my ethical approach towards the clients. Strategic planning would be my
advice for systematizing the business activities. Within this, inclusion of policies and plans

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would result in the achievement of positive outcomes. Typical examples of this can be Leave
Policy, which would generate an urge among the employees to work with positive vibes.
Along with this, I would have suggested the manager to take the help of social media
for reaching to large mass of audience at a single time. Within this, I would have properly
advertised the job vacancies for making the candidates understand the necessity of the
change. I would have uploaded the newly introduced policies on the websites and the social
networking sites for increasing the trafficking of the audience towards the brand image.
Within this, suggestions related to pay per click advertisements would have added to the
stock of customers.
I would have suggested the arrangements for meetings and conferences with the
managers and the board panel. These meetings would act as a platform for the company in
terms of solving the issues of the clients and the employees. These means would help the
personnel in achieving trust, loyalty and dependence. Along with this, I would recommend
counselling sessions for the employees, which would assure the employees that their opinions
are valued.
I would have suggested the adoption of performance appraisal systems for managing
the performance of the employees. This would have resulted in maintaining the stability in
the relationship between the managers and the employees of HS Furniture Co. Frequency in
the performance appraisal would have upgraded the standards and performance of the
employees. Herein, I would have suggested that the managers should have exposed conscious
approach for extracting the needed labor from the employees. I would have suggested the
managers to undertake the process of evaluation for assessing the effectiveness, feasibility
and appropriateness of the approach in the workplace. This evaluation possesses flexibility to
make the managers aware of their current position.

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I would also suggest training programs for the employees, which would enhance their
preconceived skills, expertise and knowledge. Apart from this, I would have recommended
post training tests for assessing the capability of the employees towards applying the learnt
skills into the workplace operations. The scores would have helped in estimating the time till
when the identified goals would be achieved. Prior to the initiation of the tasks, I think setting
goals is necessary in terms of improving the focus. Moreover, it helps in improving the
decision making process, resulting in the betterment of the organization. Furthermore, goals
help in evaluating the current position and the changes needed to enhancing the
professionalism. Regularly sending drafts to the managers would result in maintaining the
stability in the relationship between the employers and the managers. This regularity would
act as an evaluation in terms of bringing noticeable changes in the workplace.

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References and bibliography
Albrecht, S.L., Bakker, A.B., Gruman, J.A., Macey, W.H. and Saks, A.M., 2015. Employee
engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage: An
integrated approach. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2(1),
pp.7-35.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Brewster, C., 2017. The integration of human resource management and corporate strategy.
In Policy and practice in European human resource management (pp. 22-35). Routledge.
Brewster, C., Chung, C. and Sparrow, P., 2016. Globalizing human resource management.
Routledge.
Cascio, W., 2018. Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill Education.
Conway, E., Fu, N., Monks, K., Alfes, K. and Bailey, C., 2016. Demands or resources? The
relationship between HR practices, employee engagement, and emotional exhaustion within a
hybrid model of employment relations. Human Resource Management, 55(5), pp.901-917.
Jackson, S.E., Schuler, R.S. and Jiang, K., 2014. An aspirational framework for strategic
human resource management. The Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), pp.1-56.
Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R. and Kynighou, A., 2016. Human resource
management at work. Kogan Page Publishers.
Purce, J., 2014. The impact of corporate strategy on human resource management. New
Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals), 67.

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Rees, G. and Smith, P. eds., 2017. Strategic human resource management: An international
perspective. Sage.
Stone, D.L., Deadrick, D.L., Lukaszewski, K.M. and Johnson, R., 2015. The influence of
technology on the future of human resource management. Human Resource Management
Review, 25(2), pp.216-231.
Storey, J., 2014. New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals).
Routledge.