Analysis of HRM Practices at Marks & Spencer (M&S) Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Marks & Spencer (M&S). It begins with an introduction to HRM, emphasizing its strategic role in enhancing competitive advantages through effective workforce management. The report explores the aims and functions of HRM, particularly in the context of workforce planning and resourcing at M&S, including recruitment and selection, training, and performance management. It then evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of various recruitment and selection approaches, such as internal and external recruitment methods, and selection processes like interviews and assessment centers. The report also highlights the benefits of different HRM practices, including training, employee relations, and performance management, for both employers and employees. Furthermore, it examines the value of employee relations in HRM decision-making, identifies key components of employment law, and illustrates the application of HRM activities using specific examples from M&S. The report concludes by discussing the positive impacts of HRM on employees and employers, underscoring its crucial role in organizational success.

Human Resource Management

INTRODUCTION
Human resource administration is strategic approach to effective arrangement of
company workers, so that they assist enterprise increase competing benefits. Its aim is to ensure
that firm's is capable to attain attainment done people. Human resource manager recruiting and
hiring of people, building up relationship, managing performance and giving benefits (Snell,
Morris and Bohlander, 2015). HR divisions are accountable for perception worker welfare
design, preparation as well as improvement, execution assessment as well as appreciated. This
report is based on Marks & Spencer (M&S). It is leading British international retailers in
London. Company particularize in merchandising of wearable, domestic product as well as
lavishness food commodity.
This report will explain aim and utility of HRM that applicable in manpower planning as
well as resources as well as give expert and abilities to achieve goals of company. It will also
state strengths and weaknesses of various theories to hiring and choice for organization. It will
also state benefits of different human resource management activities for both leader and worker
within company. Furthermore, report wills analysis value of employees relations in regard to
influence on making judgement of human resource management, identify primal components of
employment law making as well as its effects upon decision making of HRM. It will illustrate
utilization of HRM activities in work related context using special example from company.
TASK 1
P 1 Purpose and function HRM applicable to workforce planning and resourcing
Marks and Spencer is British multinational retailer company which selling of clothing,
home commodity and luxury food products. All the employers and workers of organization
maintain good democratic policies and employees engagement (Bamberger, Meshoulam and
Biron, 2014).
Human Resource Management: It is approach to bring off people in the company that assist in
gain competition. It includes recruitment and selection, training and development, designing
employees’ benefits, performance management etc.
Work force planning: Work force planning is procedures that adjust enterprise and HR
necessarily to insure companies have exact person with appropriate abilities at correct time
period as well as cost to execute efficiently and successfully.
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Function of HRM:
The primary aim of HRM is to insure accessibility of effective and disposed manpower to
company. On other hand, there are various functions that are applicable to workforce planning in
M&S. Such as follows:
Recruitment and Selection: It is main utility of human resource management by
choosing proper worker as well as determines to utilize suitable professed hire workers to work
necessarily, hiring as well as giving the best preparation to worker (Banfield, Kay and Royles,
2018).With assist of this function, HR supporter effective preparation of workforces in M&S.
They make sure that give better performance and handle issues related to performance and
ensuring workforce.
Learnedness: Important activity of human resource administration is to help basic
cognitive process of employees. HR assistant of M&S adopt human capital theory that they
involve in workplace learning that helps in developing good workforce. With the help of
learning, better ability of workers and devising organization into impressive learning
environment (Kavanagh and Johnson, eds., 2017).
Execution administration: It is also main activity as well as procedure of human
resource administration that HR assistant uses to measuring job execution, keep bearing activity
team as well as determine manpower in organization. With the help of it, they make sure that all
employees are working effectively and efficiently in the organization. Effective work
performance of workers helps in impressive manpower planning of company (Jackson, Schuler
and Jiang, 2014).
Purpose of HRM:
There are many purposes of human resource management that are helping in effective
workforce planning in M&. Such as follows:
Staffing: It is main purpose of human resource management in organization. Therefore,
HR assistant of M&S make sure that effective staffing in workplace. This helps in effective
manpower planning in organization. With the help of staffing, they are easily achieving goals
and objectives of company (Storey, 2014).
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Managing quality: Main purpose of human resource administration is to manage quality
of employees in the organization. With the help of improving quality of workers, HR assistant
make sure that effectively planning of workforce in the M&S.
Building coordination: The main purpose of HRM is to build coordination between
departments of organization. So that, HR assistant makes sure that effectively planning of
workforce in the workplace. With the help of manpower planning, they are building coordination
between departments of M&S.
Function of HRM provides skills and talent:
The main function of HRM is training and development, learning, performance
management etc. With the help of it, HR assistant provides skills and talent to employees of
M&S. Such as follows:
Training and development: The main function of HRM is provided training and
development to employees of M&S. With the help this function, HR assistant give and develop
skills and knowledge of workers in the workplace (Brewster, Chung and Sparrow, 2016)
Learning: It is also primary activity of human resource administration in company. With
help of learnedness, provide as well as evolve ability and expert of worker in organization.
Human resource planning: It is function of human resource management as well as
process by which defines current manpower positions to its desired workforce planning. It is
combining approach to perform planning aspects of personnel activity in order to adequate
supply of developed and motivated people to work responsibilities and meet objective of M&S.
Succession planning: It is procedures for determining and growing of availability of
experienced and capable workers that are prepared to assume roles. Impressive succession
planning works by assessing staffing requirement that rise and develop long term objectives.
P 2 Strengths and weakness of different approaches of recruitment and selection
Approaches of Recruitment:
Recruitment is the process of hiring of person for job position in organization according
to skills, knowledge and ability of performing in the organization. The aim of recruitment
procedure to discovery the broad pool of candidates to give the greatest chances to choose the
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best applicant for needed positions in M&S (Sippola, 2014).There are two types of recruitment
such as internal and external that are utilized by HR assistant of M&S. Such as follows:
Internal source of recruitment: It refers to recruit workers with inside organization. It
means that HR hire employees form existing workers who are working in company. This
approach is the simplest and best mode of hiring employees for job positions. There are many
sources that includes in internal recruitment such as promotion, transfers, employees referrals etc
(Doyle and Locke, 2014).
In order to that, promotion is procedures of moving of workers from low level to high
level position with many duties, benefits and status. Transfers refer to process of exchange from
one job to another without any change in duties.
Strengths:
It is the simplest and best way of recruiting employees in the organization: because of,
company knows about their existing employees, their skills, way of working, capabilities etc.
There is no requirement of training in selecting candidates: because they are already working
within organization from effective skills and capabilities. With the help of this, build work
relationship within M&S (Wilton, 2014). Company needs skilled employees and they know
about existing workers. So that, they make efforts to build relationship with them. It helps in
developing motivation level to workers in the workplace. It assists in evolving loyalty of
employees towards company: Existing employee feel that company has supported in difficult
situation and giving effective incentives for efficient working.
Weakness:
It prevents new hiring of possible sources. It has limited range because can not be filled
all vacant positions. So that, company select candidate from outside organization. There are high
interpersonal conflicts between employees because some people are promoting but some person
are not promoting (Newton and et.al., 2015). Those employees who are not promoted, they are
feeling jealous and aggressive with another employees. Positions still remain, if internal
resource is promoted or transferred in the organization. Through this, remaining workers who are
not promoted, they are demotivated and unhappy in company.
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Recruitment Agencies: HR manager of M&S hires candidates through different
recruitment agencies such as LinkedIn, Twitter, networking, email marketing etc.
Online Recruitment: There are a good deals of online recruitment such as social media,
email or message list websites that adopts by HR manager of M&S for hiring employees.
External sources of Recruitment: It refers to recruit workers outside company. External
workers bring originality and new ideas to company. It has tremendous potential to driving firm
forwards in accomplishing objectives of firm. There are many external sources of recruitment
such as direct recruitment, employment exchange, advertisements, professional association,
campus recruitment etc. In order to that, advertisements are preferred source of recruitment. With
the help of print or electronic media, company announce job vacancy with requirement of job
description and specification. It is suitable practice for this kind of recruiting (Gates and Podder,
2015).
Strength:
It encourages new possibilities for job seekers. There is no partiality between workers: In
this method, company hire new candidates form outside places. Company is requiring new ideas
for increasing branding of business: Outside candidates create new ideas and thoughts for
increasing business. The range for choosing correct candidate, because of appearing huge
number of applicants (Snell, Morris and Bohlander, 2015).
Weakness:
It is very time consuming process as selection process is very long. As compared to
external source, high cost incur in this process.
Company is used the recruitment process in which many of stages are involves such as
screening, interviewing, selecting of the best candidates for job roles and vacancies within the
Marks and Spencer. This help to acquire the suitable employees for job position in the M&S.
Approaches of Selection:
Selection is process of choosing right applicant who is appropriate for vacant job position
in M&S. Selecting of right candidate for vacant position can be asset to company that helping in
achieving its goals. There are many selection methods such as application forms, interviews,
aptitude test, personality test (Bamberger, Meshoulam and Biron, 2014).
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In order to that, interview is process that face to face interaction in between applicants
and interviewer. It assists interviewer to find internal qualities, skills and helps in taking right
decision.
 Strength:
It is reducing time and efforts, cost effective methods. Because of, company hire their
existing employees for promotion and transfer etc. It helps avoid partiality while hiring right
candidate (Banfield, Kay and Royles, 2018).
 Weakness:
Location of organization is issue to some of applicant: Especially female candidate have
problem regrading location of company. Attraction is disadvantage of process of selection in
terms of offering by organization competitors.
Panel interview: It is type of interview in which candidate answers question from group
of person who makes hiring decision. This helps in decrease risk of making bad hire.
Assessment Centres: It is procedures where applicants are analysed to define their
suitableness for particular kinds of employment. An applicant's personality and ability are
identified by methods such as interviews, presentation, testing etc.
Payroll preparation: Payroll is list of employees to company which is used to total
amount of money, salary, wages and bonus of firm. HR manager is used for calculate funds and
pays to employees.
Training and development: It is process of develop skill and capacities of individual for
improving performance in the workplace. HR manager utilise this process for improve execution
and ability to work in organization.
P 3 Benefits of various HRM practices for both employers and employees
In organization, there are many practices of HRM such as training and development,
employee relation, performance management, workforce planning etc. These practices are more
beneficial for employees as well as employers in the M&S.
Benefits for employees:
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Employees are the person who is expressed and identifies duties and rights for working in
organization.
Protect rights: HRM practices are more beneficial for employees by protecting of their
rights in the organization. HR assistant ensuring that protect all rights of workers in the M&S.
Training and Development: With the help of training and development, employees are
developing skills and knowledge for better work performance in the organization. Training and
development is practice of HRM in organization. So that, HR assistant makes sure that giving
best training for increasing skills and knowledge (Benefits of human resource management,
2017).
Motivation: With the help of HRM practices, increasing motivation level of workers for
effective performance in the M&S. Therefore, HR assistant make sure that giving better training
and development, providing benefits, so that employees are working effectively and increasing
motivation level in the workplace.
Involvement: Through HRM practices, employees are more involving in all activities
that are happening in organization. Workers are developed their skills and knowledge for
involving in decision making and solving issues in M&S.
Flexible working environment: It is the necessary to maintain the flexible working
environment for improving the performance of employees within the M&S. It involves working
hours, scheduling and strong relationship which can be help to employees for developing and
improving the execution and increase their productivity in the organization.
Reward management- This is also one of the activity which HR manager need to do this
includes giving rewards and appraisal to all employees working in Whirlpool. This can also help
to increase productivity and efficiency of employees in the Marks and Spencer.
Benefit for employers:
Employers are the person who is hiring workers and giving wages as well as salary
according to their job position.
Employee relation: Through various HRM practices, employers are building up relation
with their workers. Therefore, it is more beneficial for solving problems of employees and
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developing relationship in organization. Therefore, HR assistant of M&S make sure that giving
support for developing relations among employees (Kavanagh and Johnson, eds., 2017).
Conflict Resolution: With the help of HRM practices, employees and employers both
involving in resolution of conflicts in the workplace. Through developing relationship, both are
sharing their ideas or thoughts for solving fights in the M&S. Therefore, HR assistant make sure
that giving appropriate guidance and suggesting techniques, so that workers and employers are
working together and solving conflicts.
Training and Development: HR assistant of M&S provide appropriate training and
development for improving skills and knowledge for effectively working in the company. They
are also identifying needs of workers by organizing training programs. It is also essential and
beneficial for employers (Jackson, Schuler and Jiang, 2014).
In order to that, there are other more benefits of human resource management practices
that involves such as improving employee performance, employee satisfaction, improving labour
turnover, worker retention and performance management in the workplace. As HR assistant,
giving the best training, benefits for developing relation with employees. With the help of HRM
practices, HR assistant improving communication skill, behaviour and knowledge of workers in
the M&S (Storey, 2014). These practices are also helping for controlling budget in terms of
reducing labour costs in the workplace. Therefore, these practices are more beneficial for both
employees and employers in the organization.
P 4 HRM practices raising productivity and profits
There are many HRM activities such as training as well as improvement, staffing,
execution judgement, compensation management etc. These practices help in increasing profits
and productivity of organization. Productivity means ratio of output to input utilised in
production process.
Staffing: It is procedure of getting, distributing and retaining manpower of quantity and
quality to create positive effects on impressiveness of M&S. It includes hiring, selection,
observance of employees. With the help of staffing, company hire effective employees who are
helping in increasing productivity and profitability of organization. The proper placing of the
business operations and the HR activities like recruiting employees, carrying out interviews etc.
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will help the fir to expand its limits of profitability and have a good productivity to cater the
company's and customer's needs.
Training and development: HR manager make sure that giving the best training and
development to employees. So that workers are developing skills and knowledge for improving
performance in the workplace. By effective working, they are helping in increasing productivity
and profits of M&S. The HRM department within selected organisation will see through the
proper management of the other HR activities. A good imparting of training will help
management of selected firm to improve skills of their work force and thus will improve the
quality of products and services that they offer to their clients.
Performance Evaluation: It is procedure of determining, measure, affecting and
growing job performance of workers in company. With the help of it, employees are effectively
working, increasing productiveness and profitability of M&S. An appropriate assessment of the
performance or actions which are been performed by the HRM of selected enterprise will assist
the management of business entity and its workforce to find out their scope of improvement and
enhance the performance level to a greater extent.
Critically evaluate strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection
Hiring and selection is procedure of hiring and selecting applicants for vacancies of job
positions in the company. M&S adopts different approaches and methods for choosing of
appropriate applicant at right job on correct time. There are various approaches of recruitment
such as transfer, promotions, employee’s referrals, advertisement, agencies, campus recruitment
etc. In addition, various selection approaches such as interview, application forms, aptitude test,
personality test (Sippola, 2014). These methods are adopting by HR assistant of M&S. All these
have strengths and weaknesses.
In order to that, internal source of recruitment are not appropriate for outside applicants.
As compare to, external source of hiring is helpful for outside candidates for showing of talent
and skills according to job roles in organization. In this context, internal recruiting is easy,
simple and cost effective. In critically evaluate, external hiring is time and costs consuming for
selecting the best candidate in M&S (Doyle and Locke, 2014). In addition, selection methods are
divided into various types such as application forms, interview etc. Internally selection process is
very easy and simple, but externally choosing procedure is very tough, time and costs consuming
for assorting of candidates.
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TASK 2
P 5
A good relation with the HRM supports bonding with the firm that will help the
organization which assists the effective growth and thus supports organization in having a proper
handling of the business activities. The healthy relationship at the workplace will motivate the
organization and its employees to have a good rise in functionality supporting effective handling
of various roles and responsibilities and supervision of different retail activities that are been
performed by the organization (Wilton, 2014).
A good and healthy relationship and work force engagement will help the selected retail
enterprise to have a deep and significant growth rate and will lead the HRM department of M&S
to formulate a good policy for betterment of employees and the firm as a whole. A good
management of work force relationship will help the organization to implement any alteration,
modifications, updates and positive changes within the firm. It will have certain positive impacts
and implications which leads organization to enhance significance of the products offered by the
firm. It supports organization to provide best of the service to their customers and this will help
in improving overall customer satisfaction level in much effective and suitable manner. Some
major impact of the employee relationship on decision making of HRM is as follows:
A good relationship at the workplace or store supports organization to improve the quality of
products or services and hence, guide the firm in improving overall activities and significance of
products and services which will support the adoption of effective improvement measures. It
assists HRM department to recruit and train staff accordingly.
The HRM will adapt the working conditions and practices as per the external and internal
environment and the issues that are been faced by the firm. This will help the company to have a
sustainability in their production and performance and thus will lead the organization to a greater
extent. The managers, leaders and directors at the M&S will see through the proper handling of
the retail enterprise in an effective way which assist organization to improve the quality of goods
manufactured by retail firm. It assists an organization to have an effective development and
growth.
Besides this, it is the major factor which assists selected organization to develop employee
loyalty towards firm. It reduces employee turnaround and thus helping the organization to
improve performance by having a good productivity and profitability.
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Apart from this, the performance management and employee engagement approach is
been carried out. It is a process of involving and including the workforce with decision making
and enhancing their satisfaction level to ensure reduction in employee turn around. It will help
the firm to improve the quality of operations followed within the firm to maintain the quality of
operations in much suitable way. Some major approaches of performance management are
providing a proper training, increasing the knowledge of employees and providing proper
appreciation or rewards. On the other hand, the major process of employee engagement is to
involve them in decision making and providing them proper and supportive working
environment.
P 6
There are various key elements of employment legislation which are required to be taken
in consideration by the firm which assists an organisation to improve products quality and
overall functionality of business organisation. The legal obligations and measures which are
chosen by the firm and will assist an enterprise to improve quality of measures aiding the firm to
meet business objectives (Newton and et.al., 2015). Some major employment legislation and
their impact on the HRM decision making of the M&S are as follows:
Health and safety Act: It assists the organisation to execute business operations in a much
effective manner and thus, will lead the firm to have a good adoption of the measures which will
support and effective rise in the functionalities. This legislation will help the selected firm to
decide the policies and practices like giving the safety gears to employees, maintaining safety
standards etc. improving the quality of working environment for employees. This will prevent
any sort of risky conditions at M&S. HR manager take decision appropriately regrading to
employees health and safety, giving protection those workers who are suffering from illness and
diseases.
Equality Act 2010: this will help the firm place equality measures and will assist a firm to
recruit effective and efficient workforce regardless to caste, gender, religion and nationality at
their firm. Besides this, it will encourage the HRM department of M&S to treat every employee
equal regardless to their background. It will help the enterprise to have an employee satisfaction
level and thus will lead the organisation to have a good productivity and profitability (Gates and
Podder, 2015). If HR manager is not giving equal treatment to employees, so that workers are
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