Human Resource Management Report: Harrods, Recruitment & Selection

This report provides a comprehensive overview of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices, using Harrods as a case study. It explores the differences between HRM and Personnel Management, highlighting Harrods' approach. The report delves into the functions of HRM, including succession planning, workforce mobility, and employee compensation, and how these contribute to Harrods' success. It examines the roles and responsibilities of line managers within the organization, such as supervision, performance appraisal, and hiring. Furthermore, the report discusses government regulations relevant to HRM, including equal pay, discrimination, and data protection acts, and how Harrods complies with these regulations. The report also covers human resource planning, including analyzing business objectives, assessing human resources, forecasting demand and supply, and estimating manpower gaps. Overall, the report offers a detailed analysis of HRM strategies and their practical application in a real-world business context.

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
UNIT 21
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Table of contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................2
1.1............................................................................................................................................................3
1.2............................................................................................................................................................4
1.3............................................................................................................................................................5
1.4............................................................................................................................................................5
Task 2...........................................................................................................................................................6
2.1............................................................................................................................................................6
2.2............................................................................................................................................................7
2.3............................................................................................................................................................8
2.4............................................................................................................................................................9
Task 3.........................................................................................................................................................10
3.1..........................................................................................................................................................10
3.2..........................................................................................................................................................11
3.3..........................................................................................................................................................11
3.4..........................................................................................................................................................12
Task 4.........................................................................................................................................................13
4.1..........................................................................................................................................................13
4.2..........................................................................................................................................................14
4.3..........................................................................................................................................................15
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................17
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INTRODUCTION
In order to accomplish organizational objectives, every company hires a human resource
team who can develop and motivate its employees. They play a significant role in development
of the task-relevant readiness of their employees. The organizations are now both task-oriented
and employee-oriented. The key to success is to bring the best out of both the approaches making
it worth working.
Thus through this assignment, the learner is going to know about how the Human Resource
Management works and the recruitment and selection criteria in organizations. The several ways
to appraise the employee are also discussed in this assignment. On the other hand we will get to
know on what basis the employee gets terminated. We will also learn that how an organization
works under the rules and legislation set by the government regulatory framework.
Task 1
1.1
Harrods can be taken as an example of Management Company that makes quality and
luxury goods and Advance personnel management is an organization that gives employment and
injury management which aids people to work in any circumstances. Although both HRM and
PM lay emphasis on people management but according to some experts there are some
differences between them.
Personnel management is a relationship between the organization and employees where
managers hire the employees and employees have to perform. On the other hand HRM focuses
on working together as a team like in Harrods.
In Advance Personnel Management Company more stress is laid on managing the
workforce rather than resource on the other hand human resource management has an objective
to secure the goals of management.
Personnel management is a traditional approach where the main motive is to ensure the
set of activities for employees like payrolls and relation with subordinates. Human resource
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management is a modern technique to bring all the employees under one roof in order to achieve
organizational goals.
In personnel management, Top managers has the power to take decisions in the company.
On the other hand, High level managers distributed their power and duties to middle and lower
management.
Personnel management has disadvantages like there is no facility provided to the members for
training and any opportunities to them. It focuses on the quantity of production not on the quality
of product. But HRM does focus on the training sessions and development programme and
focuses over better quality of product and explore better techniques through increase in
productivity.
Harrods organization makes use of Human resource management approach for managing the
manpower inventory of the organization. It helps for accomplishing the goals and objectives of
the company in successful manner. Major focus is given for making improvements in capabilities
and competence of the staff members.
The Personnel management develops the employee skills and administration whereas the human
resource management focuses on overall improvement of the employees. (Precious, 2013)
1.2
Through the implication of strategies of human resource management Harrods has
become world’s most promising departmental store with its prominent performance. It is city’s
best brand. Human resource management functions that help Harrods achieving its purpose are:
Succession planning: to achieve organizational goals, the HR team analysis the current
workforce and their capability. Succession planning helps the HR team of Harrods in identifying
those employees who are promising. Then they give training to those employees they need for
transitioning for higher level and responsible jobs within the company.
Workforce mobility: at Harrods, employees are trained to perform their job at all the
departments of the organization. This brings diversity in work and company gets to know which
employee expertise in which department. By increasing different job functions, employees can
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strengthen their skills and proficiency. Workforce mobility helps in increasing profitability and
achieving desired targets.
Employee’s compensation: appreciating performance of the employees is one way of
motivating them and rewarding them with incentives and bonuses by human resource team is
other way of appraising their performances at Harrods. To improve the quality of work of
employees gives benefits to them and motivate for their performance and support for harder
work to achieve set targets of a company.
Effective leadership: Every person does not know that how a leader works in a organization.
The HR team at Harrods guides its colleagues to survive in a competitive environment. They
focuses in the long term objectives and wok for effective planning to survive more in the market
(Mayhew, 2016).
1.3
The line managers and the HR staff work together in analyzing the current workforce
qualifications, capability and skills at Harrods. The line managers are the links between top
authority and lower staff. They watch over the activities related to product and services.
The responsibilities of the line managers at Harrods are as follows:
Supervision: the line manager monitors the manufacturing units, productivity, work quality and
attendance of the employees at Harrods. They make sure that all the activities are well organized
and operate smoothly. This directly affects the company’s production and profits.
Performance appraisal: at Harrods, the line manager evaluates and assesses the job
performance of an employee. Accordingly, they provide feedback to the employee in a meeting.
The feedback should be loud and clear delivered in a serious and understandable way. If manager
himself is inattentive during the process, appraisal loses its credibility.
Safety and health: the line manager at Harrods is responsible for the safety of the workers.
Safety is related to avoiding injuries while working. There is a regular check-up if machines are
in good conditions and if they are operated in a proper way. Managers should keep its employees
to work in a free and healthy environment without any mental pressure.
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Hiring new staff: the line managers help the HR team in hiring the new staff. They are
responsible for mentoring and guiding the recruited employees. The line managers at Harrods
update the new staff with upcoming technologies and make them aware of the dynamic working
environment. (MacDonald, 2016)
Harrods organization gives emphasis on developing the supervision skills of the line managers so
that they become capable for monitoring the performance of the organization in effective way.
Clear directions and instructions are given to them for keeping record of daily work performed
by the staff members. It aids for identifying weak performing areas of the staff members and on
the basis of that measures can be taken for making improvements in the performance of the
organization. Data and information given by line managers is used for making improvements in
the performance of the business.
1.4
Government has made various rules and regulations to protect the employees from any
situations under an organization which are stated here:
Equal pay act, 1970: This law focuses on the employees who are working to get some wages by
their performance and gives effective working environment.
Sex discrimination act, 1975/1995/1997: Male or Female considers equally in the organisation
to work in a effective culture and focuses on the capability of them.
Disability discrimination act (1995-amended 2005): These persons are treated equally like
others and provides them extra facility to work with them in the course of employment.
Employment equality act (sexual orientation, religion and belief) (2003; Equality act 2010):
In an organisation there is no differentiation creates between the workers which relates to their
caste, religion and culture.
Employment act (2008): Employees and employer can adjust their fault exist between them
effectively.
Data protection act (1998): A company has its data to keep in a confidential form and protect
within the premise by storing them and no one can leak this.
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Rehabilitation of offenders act (1974): A person who made mistake and after this offense send
to the centre for rehabilitation and no mark left after this on his image (Shilling, 2004).
Many ethical and social issues needs to be follow by the members in the organization.
They should make the rules which have to keep in mind by every employees who works here. If
any contravention happens by the them need to levy the punishment for this. Managers should
focus in the organization if there is any discrimination involves by any then make arrangements
for him. Increase in healthy work culture gives employees a effective environment to work with
good efficiency. There must be various rules to apply for the leaves of the employees and for
women maternity leaves which is the right given to them. There should be a child protection rule
to follow which provides relaxation to the child labor.
Harrods organization follows all the guidelines that are given by government for carrying out the
operational activities of the firm. It aids for performing all the required business functions in
legal and lawful manner. Equal job opportunity is provided to all the employees and fair and
transparent working environment is provided to all the employees. Guidelines given in the Data
protection act 1998 is followed and all the details and information regarding personal details of
staff members is kept safe. Along with this Employment act 2008 is followed and guidelines
mentioned in the act are followed. Equal job opportunity are provided to the employees and
focus is given for rendering equal job opportunities to them. It supports for carry out the business
functions and activities in legal lawful manner.
Task 2
2.1
Gone are the days where human resource was considered as a mere management of
processing payments and handling the recruitment. A broad scope of human resource planning
plays a vital role in achieving organizational objectives.
 Capturing “the people element”: The HR staff of Harrods aims to capture the people
element through fulfilling the goals of a company. It means right people at right place,
full utilization of mix skills, right behavior and attitude of employees.
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 Performance improvement: The HR team at Harrods designs a plot to analyze the
performances of the employees. They fit them into the jobs in which they expertise. This
improves their field of excellence.
 Setting a strategic direction: The HR staff makes direction to implement the planning.
Employees focuses on the whole targets of a company rather than focusing on individual
objectives.
 Generating required human resources: The human resource team sends an open
invitation to all the candidates in order to fill the vacancies. They attract, analyze and
assign the people required in an organization’s work force.
 Modes of motivation: The employees who perform best are rewarded with bonuses and
hiking up their payscale. The HR plans many ways to encourage employees either
motivating them with many benefits. (Mayhew (I), 2016)
2.2
Planning is a way of ensuring that right person is assigned for the right job. There are six
steps involved in the planning at Harrods:
 Analysing business objectives: Business analyse the future targets in all the fields to
achieve their long term goals in various fields finance, marketing, sales etc. Employees
are going to work according to their objectives.
 Assessment of human resource: Harrods has installed an information storage system
which updates about the current employees working at the organization, their
performance and proficiency to complete the task can be judged. Thus, it helps in
analysing the internal sources available within the organization and external sources such
as new applicants willing to work with the organization.
 Forecasting demand and supply of human resource: It deals with the forecasting of
demand and supply of work force in the organization and assess them to know functions.
The managers need to assess the demand of their product and make them available in the
market to equal this. During the peak time requirement of labour force is high due to
increase in demand of product.
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 Estimation of manpower gaps: Through a detailed analysis of demand and supply of
work force provides an important insight for the requirement of workforce so that
shortage and surplus could be managed properly. Estimation of demand and supply
brings equilibrium position so that the major problem related with the demand and supply
can be solved easily and effectively. If there is shortage in the work force of organisation
then cited entity needs to recruit new employees, on the other hand if there is surplus then
it will result in termination.
 Action plan: After making all the planning workers executed the planning. It make
focuses on the expenses and revenues of the entity. Where supply increases in a day
various appointment of employees and many incentives provided to the employees.
 Monitoring, control and feedback: This includes the application a particular action
plan. This plan is supervised and evaluated to check if the plan matches its actual
implementation. (Chand, 2015)
2.3.
Recruitment and selection process at Harrods:
Hiring process at Harrods is broad and thorough which aims to provide a spectacular
journey to employee. During the process, the HR team guide and instruct the candidates at every
path.
The first step of the recruitment process at Harrods is to apply online. Harrods has its
own website Harrods Careers to complete the application form through Talent Management
System. All information is communicated with Harrods email account. After the submission of
the application, an email will be received about the confirmation of the application. Then there
will be a questionnaire round to assess the candidate’s job suitability. This has to be completed
within two working days. Then the application will be screened. The next step is telephone or
video interview which candidate has to book within 3 working days after receiving the
application. The next step is assessment center where group interview will be conducted among
15 people which will last for an hour.
If successful after an assessment center, candidate will be called for face-to-face interview with
line manager which will also last for 45 minutes. At last, if the candidate clears the entire
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interview, he will be selected for the post and will get the feedback from one of the recruiter. If
he has any further queries he can ask in this process. (Harrods, 2016)
Recruitment and selection process at APM:
Analyzing the job is the first stage of recruitment process at APM. Second step is
identification of candidates suitable for the role. Plenty of applications are received and these
applications are send for screening. Applicant are selected on the basis of their qualification and
skills which they have possess. After that they required to access the assessment center for the
assessment of their skills and after that they need to face a personal interview. This interview is
taken by a line management. After the selection, the selected candidates requires to perform the
job effectively and efficiently
2.4.
When a company recruits the new candidate, it looks not only at candidate’s skill to work
but also his ability to work with others. The techniques which can be used by Tesco and
Sainsbury doing the recruitment and selection process are:-
Training: effective and proper recruitment process decreases the amount of time required to train
the new employees. Train the employees according to their knowledge in specific rather than
who have less skill for this task. Investing time in a candidate who has specific skill will pay off
in a long run and will be fruitful for the organization.
Job satisfaction: employing the candidate who is dull and has low confidence level is a waste for
the organization. He may quit soon forcing the management to conduct the whole process of
hiring a new candidate. Therefore, choosing the skilled candidate provides the job satisfaction
and higher level of motivation.
Problem should be avoided : It is very essential to make all process effectively done for the
whole process. Companies has many updated techniques for warehouses and their stores (Slezak,
2012). To survive in a competitive environment where many rivals exist make differentiation in
the process of working to get smart actions. They are recruiting through many ways internal and
external sources which must be cost effective.
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Task 3
3.1.
Virgin Media have to follow the appropriate theories like Maslow's and Herzberg’s
theories of motivation which assist in providing the encouragement to the employees so that they
can do the best work and by that they can attain their targets.
 Physiological needs: For the survival need of anyone it is the basic necessities
i.e. food, water and shelter. Virgin media provides its employees many incentives
to fulfill their needs any make them happy to work in a healthy environment.
 Safety: Job security, health and insurance are included under this heading. They
facilitate private medical care, insurance plans, pension and gratuity schemes and
staff protection scheme to its employees with many security measures.
 Social needs: At Virgin media, employees feel the sense of belonging with the
team. They socialize with other team members and that’s how their social needs
are fulfilled.
 Self-esteem: at virgin media, management identifies the need of self-confidence,
feeling of need and self-esteem. They provide opportunities to raise their status by
allotting them important projects which increases their confidence.
 Self-actualization: having accomplished all the needs, employees realize their
potential. At virgin media, demanding situations are given to the employees
where they have to use their skills and realize their potential.
Rewards: All the benefits given to an employee encourages them for effectively achieve the
targets in a company. There are many schemes such as ASPIRE field pay and reward scheme.
Associate members gives their full efforts to accomplish the goals of a company (Business Case
Studies, 2016).
3.2
Job evaluation: It is the proper sequence of outlining the working and classifying them
accordingly. This process at Virgin media helps the management to make fair and reasonable pay
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scale for the employees. This process is managed by the HR team. It gives two steps to analyze
and evaluate the job done by the team members: Job description: it is the process in which duties and responsibilities are allotted
to the employees. The job is clearly defined based on which employees have to
perform their job.
 Job specification: this means the qualification and eligibility requires doing a
particular job. The skills and knowledge of employees are measured under the job
specification.
Job rating: it is practice in which employees are moved between different projects so as to
promote flexibility within an employee and indulging the employee to stay at Virgin media. It
keeps employee more versatile and gives employee the broader understanding for business.
Allotting money: after the process of job rotation, the worth of the job is assessed at Virgin
Media. Through money allocation, the salary is given to the employees according to the jobs
they have been categorized.
Job classification: it is a technique of categorizing the work according to the current
responsibilities and evaluating duties. To perform their party of work it gives equality in their
titles and improve their knowledge and developments within the Virgin media by achieving the
goals (Account Learning, 2015). Every member should work with their ability in a particular
segment to achieve more targets with efficiency.
3.3
Company proposes operative system of rewards that has a good effect on the employees.
This system motivates employees so they work with full dedication and give cent percent result.
The employees work hard to achieve many perquisites and bonus. This increases efficiency of
workers and enhance their performance. Virgin media has an efficient reward system in its
organizational structure which allows it to achieve the desired and predetermined objectives of
business enterprise. Identify the workers according to their works and provide them rewards with
many facilities. Allocate the members by their efficiency and follow a best procedure for their
selection process. They assess the quality in their work and enhance their productiveness in the
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