Human Resource Management Practices at AstraZeneca: An Analysis

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at AstraZeneca, a global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. It evaluates the functions of HRM, including recruiting, performance management, employee training, and developing organizational strategies, highlighting their importance in achieving organizational goals. The report also examines the strengths and weaknesses of different recruitment methods, such as internal promotions and campus hiring, and assesses the benefits of various HRM practices, including developing organizational policies, fostering a positive organizational culture, implementing effective employee management strategies, and providing comprehensive recruiting and training programs. Furthermore, it explores the effectiveness of HRM practices in driving organizational productivity and profitability, emphasizing the significance of planning for change and developing robust organizational strategies. The report also discusses the impact of employee relations and employment legislation on HRM decision-making processes, underscoring the importance of compliance and ethical considerations. Finally, the application of HRM practices within AstraZeneca is examined, providing insights into how these practices contribute to the company's overall success and sustainability in a competitive market.

Human Resource
Management
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TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
P1: Function of HRM-................................................................................................................3
P2: Strength and weaknesses of different recruitment methods-.................................................4
P3: Benefits of different HRM practices within organization-....................................................5
P4: Effectiveness of HRM practices-...........................................................................................7
P5: Employee relation impact upon the HRM decision-making-................................................8
P6: Impact of employee legislation on HRM decision-making...................................................9
P7: Application of HRM practices-...........................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
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INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management (HRM) is the organizational step for managing
organizational employee workforces such that high work productivity can be achieved by
collaborating the efforts done by the employees. AstraZeneca is the chosen organization for the
evaluation in this report. AstraZeneca tend to provide products like pharmaceutical and
biotechnology products to its customers all across the globe. In this present time of COVID-19
AstraZeneca is also widely known for its revolutionary steps for the development of COVID-19
vaccine (AstraZeneca, 2021). Evaluation on the purpose and scope of HRM practices is done in
this report, with that analysis on different strength and weaknesses of HRM practices in terms of
achieving organizational targets is also being analysed within the report. Also analysis on the
significance of HRM practices on employees and employer is also being evaluated within report,
Also identification of several factors which tend to affect the decision-making process of HRM is
analysed in the report.
MAIN BODY
P1: Function of HRM-
HRM is responsible for performing several operations within the organization through
which it tends to ensure that it is able to increase the chances of goal achievement for the
organization. Following are the different functions of HRM which it tends to perform within
AstraZeneca.
Recruiting- Recruiting is one of the prime activity which is being performed by the HRM, this is
an important step for the organization due to the fact that AstraZeneca has to ensure that it is able
to achieve high work productivity. Due to which HRM has to implement some recruitment
process by which it can achieve the desired target (Renkema, Bos-Nehles and Meijerink, 2020).
Thus through recruiting HRM can not only achieve high work productivity but also at the same
time can resource company with new talent and skills through which it can ensure that company
is able to make appropriate chances in its working process by which it can achieve desired target.
Performance management- HRM at AstraZeneca has to ensure that it is able to analyse the
organizational working process and with that is able to develop working strategy. Through which
it can ensure that it is able to make improvisations in the working strategy such that company is
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able to achieve an competitive edge. This is important step because since AstraZeneca is
showing high level of engagement in developing COVID-19 vaccine because of which company
has to ensure that employees are working as per the organizational requirements (Christgen and
et.al, 2020). Due to which the HRM may use 360-degree feedback for evaluating the employee's
work productivity.
Employee training- HRM has to ensure that organizational employees are able to make
improvisations in their working process by which the quality of the achieved result will be
improved. Due to which it often to provide training to the employees, this can be seen in the
present time of COVID-19 in which AstraZeneca has to develop advanced level of machineries
and because of which if the employees are not able to utilize the machineries then it will affect
the organizational working. Therefore HRM has to provide training to employees by which high
work productivity can be achieved.
Developing organizational working strategies- HRM is responsible for analysing the changing
market trends and then tend to develop organizational strategies by using company's strengths
through which it tends to ensure that it is able to achieve an efficient competitive edge
(Lindenmeyer Asadi and Stenbom, 2020). This is important step for the organization because if
the organization is not able to provide products in such a way that it is not able to fulfil the
customer requirements. Then the chances of brand switching will be increased for the
organization which will affect its sustainability in the market place. Due to this HRM has to
develop organizational working strategies by which concentrated efforts can be made to achieve
the desired target.
P2: Strength and weaknesses of different recruitment methods-
Recruiting is the process of hiring new candidates for the organization for a specific job
profile this is done in order to achieve a increment in organizational work productivity.
Following are the different type of recruiting methods.
Internal recruitments- This is a type of recruitment process in which candidates are being
selected for the job profile are being selected from within the organization. This is done because
employees are having an efficient understanding of organizational work process due to which
training cost is reduced and employee's loyalty is also increased. Following are the different type
of internal recruitment.
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Promotion- It is an process in the employees working at lower level of AstraZeneca are being
promoted to higher position within the company. This is done because employee's are able to
perform well in their respective fields and by promoting them to higher position HRM tend to
ensure that they are able to achieve high work productivity which will improve overall
organizational working (Thite, 2018).
Strength- Employee's loyalty is increased and with that comparatively less training has to be
provided because they are aware of the organizational working process. This is an effective due
to the fact that it motivate employees to improve their working capability. So that they can
achieve an higher position within AstraZeneca and thus company can achieve a high level of
work productivity.
Weaknesses- It tends to make negative impact on other employee who are not being able to
achieve the special advantage despite their efforts within the organization, due to which their
overall work productivity is being affected.
External recruitments- In this type of recruitment process candidates are being selected from
outside the organization rather than picking from within the company. Through this approach
HRM tend to ensure that AstraZeneca is able to achieve high level of brand awareness.
Following is the type of external recruitment method which is being used by HRM.
Campus hiring- In this type of hiring process HRM tend to recruit candidates directly from the
university once they re able to complete their academic learning (Chapano, 2017). It is effective
way through which HRM tend to ensue that AstraZeneca is being resourced with new talent and
skill which will improve company's performance in the marketplace.
Strength- Since HRM is hiring candidates directly from campus then because of which it can
make recruitment at low package because of lack of working experience. Through which HRM
can ensure that AstraZeneca is able to achieve high work productivity at low expenditures.
Weaknesses- Since company is making recruitment directly from the campus because of which it
has to provide efficient training to the selected candidates and because of which company has to
make expenditures and is also a time-consuming process.
Selection Methods- There are various selection methods which has to be followed by the HR at
AstraZeneca. This includes factors like Preliminary Screening, telephone interview and in-person
interview.
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Strength- In person interview is the traditional approach and is highly effective because the HR
is able to evaluate the body gesture and control over learning, by which it make sure that
appropriate candidate is being selected.
Weakness- In-person interview is highly efficient because overall performance of the candidate
can be evaluated, but the candidate has to travel a particular distance for joining the interview
which is a time-consuming process and if not selected then it affects their level of motivation.
P3: Benefits of different HRM practices within organization-
HRM is responsible for performing several operations within AstraZeneca, so that
company is able to achieve the desired organizational target. Through these activities the HRM
tend to ensure that it is able to provide high level of benefits to the employee and to the
organization as well. Following are the different HRM practices through which HRM tend to
provide benefits to employees as well as to the employer.
Developing organizational policies- HRM tend to develop organizational policies which the
employees have to follow.
Benefit to employer- Through this it tend to ensure that organizational operations are happening
as per the requirements and through which chances of goal achievement can be increased which
will provide benefit to AstraZeneca (Coccia, 2017). With that by developing organizational
policies HRM tend to showcase the complete hierarchy of power distribution.
Benefit to employee- Through which it tend to empower employees to showcase their problems
to the higher authority of AstraZeneca which will increase their engagement with the
organization.
Organizational culture- HRM is responsible for developing organizational culture.
Benefit to employer- By this it tend to ensure that it is able to empower employees to implement
improvisation in their working strategy through which the chances of goal achievement can be
increased. This happens because employees are able to discuss the issues which they are having.
Benefit to employee- Through this step employee's engagement in team discussion will be
improved which will be beneficial for AstraZeneca because it has to develop teams of achieve a
specific task.
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Employee management strategy- HRM is responsible for managing employee workforce such
that it is able to improve the working capability of the employee and because of which HRM has
to take several like changing the employee's department (Putta, Paasivaara and Lassenius, 2018).
Benefit to employee- Through this activity it tend to ensure that employees are working in their
desired department by which it can achieve high work productivity and also is having high work
creativity.
Benefit to employer- This will be beneficial for AstraZeneca as well because since employee's
level of engagement with the organizational activities is being increased then in that case
company will also be able to improve its weak areas and increases the probability to achieve the
desired target.
Recruiting and training- HRM at AstraZeneca has to provide training to the employee by
which it can ensure that it is able to achieve the desired working capability as per the
requirements.
Benefit to employee- Thus by providing training to the employee HRM also ensure employees
that they are able to achieve their professional targets by achieving the training which is being
provided by the organization.
Benefit to employer- With that through this step it tend to ensure that it also tend to ensure that
organizational working is happening as per the changing market trends by which a improved
working process is being achieved.
P4: Effectiveness of HRM practices-
HRM at AstraZeneca is responsible for performing several steps through which it tends
to ensure that company is able to achieve high work productivity and with that also has to ensure
that organizational expenditures are educed which are being made to achieve a specific target
(Nayak and Narayan, 2019). Following are the HRM practices through which it tend to make
efforts for the improvement of organizational productivity and profit.
Planing to change- HRM at AstraZeneca has to ensure that company is able to improvise its
working strategy as per the changing market conditions and which can be seen in the case of
COVID-19 in which the company has to make several changes in its working process. By which
it can ensure that it is able to achieve the desired target. Due to which has to take steps like
developing working strategy and proper task allotment to employee as per their expertise by
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which overall work productivity can also be increased. With that it also has to ensure that
changes has to be done in a controlled way because if significant changes are done then
employees will not be able to implement the desired plan on the ground level because of which
company's working capability will be affected.
Developing organizational strategy- AstraZeneca tend to work in a market which is full of
market competitors and because of which company has to ensure that it is able to develop
products. This has to be done in such a way that it is able to achieve an efficient competitive
edge by which sales can be increased which will provide high profitability. Due to which HRM
has to closely monitor the organizational working process and compare it with the market
competitions (McRobert and et.al, 2018). Thus on the bases of achieved differentiations it can
ensure that it is able to develop working strategy through which organizational operations of
AstraZeneca can be synchronized and due to collaborative efforts company can achieve the
desired target and high work productivity.
Performance management and rewards- Organizational employee workforce is responsible
for implementing the organizational working on the ground level. Due to which HRM has to
ensure that employees are motivated to improve their working capability and with that are able to
achieve high work productivity. Thus for achieving this HRM has to perform several steps by
which employees can be motivated to learn new skills and tend to make improvisations in their
working process. This profitability will be highly beneficial for AstraZeneca and because of
which it has to monitor the employee's working capability and then tend to ensure then that they
can achieve organizational rewards and because of which have to increase their working
probability. Through this step HRM at AstraZeneca can increase the overall work productivity of
the company.
Team development- Organizational teams is the small group of employee which are working
together to achieve a specific organizational target. Companies like AstraZeneca often develop
teams to achieve a specific target due to which HRM has identify the different working
capability of the employees and then has to develop team. This is an important step for the
organization because team members are selected in such a way that each member is having an
expertise in its respective field because of which chances of goal achievement can be increased.
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P5: Employee relation impact upon the HRM decision-making-
The HRM has to ensure that it integrate the employee's point of view in the decision-
making process, this is an important step for the organization due to the fact that employees are
responsible for implementing the organizational working process on the ground level. This
becomes important due to the fact that AstraZeneca is an multinational pharmaceutical and
biotechnology company because of which the organizational employees are having an
specialization in their respective field. Due to this it very important for the organization that
employee's loyalty is being maintained with the organization through which it can ensure that it
is able to achieve the desired organizational target (Shin and et.al, 2020).
This also becomes important in the time of COVID-19 in which AstraZeneca has to
utilize its employee to develop the vaccine through which it can ensure that it is able to provide
new and rare products to the customers. Due to which HRM has to develop organizational teams
such that it is able to ensure that company is able to achieve an competitive edge through which
the chances of goal achievement can be increased. Due to which it the company is not able to
provide product as per the current market trends then its organizational sales will be affected due
to which AstraZeneca would not be able to achieve the desired target. Which will affect
company's sustainability in the marketplace. Therefore, HRM has to ensure that employee's
loyalty towards the organization is increased due to which HRM has to identify different ways
through which the organizational issues which the employees are facing is reduced.
It is important for HRM that it is able to resolve the issues which the employees are
facing also due to the fact that AstraZeneca has provided efficient training to the employee
because of which if the employees are switching the brand. Then in that case organizational
expenditures made to achieve high work productivity will not be a fruitful deal for the
organization. Due to this HRM has to ensure that employees are also involved in the decision-
making process by which they can showcase the issues which they are facing within the
organization. Thus by making concentrated efforts HRM can make sure that organizational
factors which is affecting the employee's engagement with the company is being resolved.
Therefore it can be analysed that HRM has to ensure that AstraZeneca is able to fulfil the
customer requirement and is able to provide products in such a way that it is able to surpass
customer's expectations. Due to which the company has to improvisations in its working process
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due to which if the organizational employees are switching the company then in that case it will
affect the overall working capability of the company. Therefore HRM has to involve the
employee relations in the decision-making process.
P6: Impact of employee legislation on HRM decision-making
HRM at AstraZeneca is responsible for developing organizational working strategy in
such a way that company is able to achieve a high work productivity. But HRM has to ensure
that the strategy is being developed in context to the employee legislation (PAAIS and
PATTIRUHU, 2020). This is important for AstraZeneca because if the employee's basic rights
are not being fulfilled then the company may have to face legal penalties. Following are the basic
employee legislation rights which the HRM at AstraZeneca has to fulfil.
Harassment and Bullying- HRM has to ensure that employees are working in a safe and secure
environment. Due to which it has to ensure that it able to develop working strategy is secured
from bullying and harassment. This is important because if the employees are facing harassment
at work location then their work productivity will also be decreased (Korauš, Kaščáková and
Felcan 2020). Due to which HRM ensure that employees are empowered to showcase the issues
which they are facing within the company. By which employee's loyalty towards company can
be increased and it can ensure that uniform working is being established.
Equity pay- HRM has to ensure that the organizational salary structure is developed such that a
unified salary is being provided to employee at same position. Rather than providing salary on
the basis of gender or any other factor by which employee's don't feel biasing within the
company. This is necessary because if the employees at AstraZeneca are not having a unified
salary structure. Then employee's loyalty towards company will be affected with that HRM has
to provide legal justification for unequal pay structure which will affect company's positive
image.
Minimum wage- Government develop minim pay structure, so that employees are able to fulfil
their basic requirements. Thus organizations like AstraZeneca has to ensure that this minimum
wage is being provided to the employees. This will increase organizational expenditures but by
improvising working pattern HRM can ensure that employees are able to fulfil their
requirements.
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Working hours- This is one of the most important factor which the HRM has to ensure. This
happens due to the fact that in the present time of COVID-19 AstraZeneca has to enhance its
work productivity (Daniel, 2019). Through which it can develop the COVID-19 vaccine in the
minimum span of time through which it can achieve high sales at high profit margin. But the
HRM has to ensure that employees are working within the working hours and are not being over-
exploded to achieve the target. It is necessary because if the working hours are not maintained
then it will affect the health issues to employees. But also company will not be following the
legal law and have to face penalties.
P7: Application of HRM practices-
Job specification
Human Resource Manager
Description
The HR Manager is responsible for making new recruitments for the AstraZeneca and
developing organizational working strategy.
Experience
1. 10 years of working experience.
2. Supervising organizational activities.
3. Knowledge and understanding about the organizational working.
Eduction
1. Must have an management degree.
2. Have an efficient understanding about the use if IT skills.
3. Developing organizational working pattern.
CV
Mr. Tony Brown
Contact No: 123456789
Email id: [e-mail]
Objective:
To be an HR manager and use skills for administrating the operations to overcome challenges
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and providing new direction to concentrate working. Uses learning experience from the
background to guide the future actions for the achievement of the desired target.
Areas of interest:
Human Resource Management and administration
Professional experience:
Have an working experience of 11 years from within the industry as being an human resource
manager. The proposed role was to monitor the organizational working and develop future
strategies.
Qualification:
1. Having an Bachelor's degree, in human resource management
2. Master's degree in HR
Skills:
1. Learning employee workforce
2. Developing organizational working strategy
3. Efficient communication skills
Interview selection criteria
The interview selection criteria will be dependent upon several criteria which are as following.
1. Criteria development- All the candidates involved in the hiring process must be
properly trained for the step of interviewing, so that appropriate candidate is selected.
2. Application of resume review- The resume of the candidate is analysed for evaluating
the knowledge and skills which the candidates tend to possess and then is being
compared to the organizational criteria.
3. Interviewing- In this step the candidate is being asked several questions through which
its knowledge and understanding is being tested. With that candidate's perspective
towards problem solving and attitude towards given responsibility is also being tested.
Interview questions
1. What is your preferred management style?
2. Being an HR how you drive actions towards the results?
3. Do you work as an individual or as a team?
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