Human Resource Management Practices at Sainsbury's

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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction..................................................................................................................................................1
LO 1.............................................................................................................................................................2
P1 Explain the purpose and the functions of HRM applicable to workforce planning and resourcing an
organization.............................................................................................................................................2
M1 Assess how the functions of HRM can provide talent and skills appropriate to fulfil business
objectives.................................................................................................................................................3
P2 Explain the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection............4
M2 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection.........5
LO2..............................................................................................................................................................6
P3 Explain the benefits of different HRM practices within an organization for both the employer and
employee..................................................................................................................................................6
P4 Evaluate the effectiveness of different HRM practices in terms of raising organizational profit and
productivity..............................................................................................................................................7
M3 Explore different methods used in HRM practices...........................................................................7
LO3..............................................................................................................................................................9
P5 Analyze the importance of employee relations in respect to influencing HRM decision- making....9
P6, M4 Identify the key elements of employment legislation and the impact it has upon HRM
decision-making.....................................................................................................................................10
LO 4...........................................................................................................................................................12
P7, M5 Illustrate the application of HRM practices in a work-related context, using specific examples
...............................................................................................................................................................12
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................15
References..................................................................................................................................................16

Introduction
Human resource management (HRM) is crucial for building the block of any firm and it is performed to
conduct the dealing with the significant asset i.e. human being in the organization. In the present case,
the study will review the purpose and scope of human resource management with respect of resourcing
the organization with skills and talents to meet business objectives. Recruitment and selection is a
signification approach that is also to be discussed through giving their strengths and weaknesses.
Various benefits of different HRM practices and its effectiveness will be analyzed for supporting
productivity and profits. The internal and external factors will be examined for correct decision making
including employment legislation. At the end, the report will consider the application of various HRM
practices in work context of Sainsbury. Sainsbury is the retail supermarket in UK serving globally
through its online channels.
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LO 1
P1 Explain the purpose and the functions of HRM applicable to workforce planning and resourcing an
organization
HRM is the organization function that involves in solving the issues of the employee that includes
performance management, training and compensation, communication and administration. The
organization is the big scale and for managing the employee it considers several functions with the
purpose of raising the efficiency by useful optimization of employee. Some of the HRM functions are
prescribed below:-
Recruitment and selection: HR manager function is to recruit the candidates according to the
experience and the skills they possess for meeting the objectives of the business. The new candidates are
hired to get the new ideas in bringing some innovation in the market for the customers so as to maintain
their retention in business (DeCenzo et.al. 2016). In this procedure, test assessment is to be conducted
for meeting the specific wants.
Training: Sainsbury HR manager has the responsibility to manage the training for the employees for
improving the performance of the business along with efficiency of the individual. The sessions of
training are to be managed that helps in overall contribution in getting the customer satisfaction and
achievement of objectives.
Legal duties: The HR manager has the responsibility to follow the employment laws like employment
opportunity act, wages and benefits and other. It also focuses on complaints coming from the employees
in context with workplace discrimination or annoyance.
In addition, Sainsbury manager highly dependent on the use of two strategies like best fit and best
practices. The best fit approach focuses on satisfaction of employee by giving them necessary incentives
and training development and sessions. On the other side, best practice approach is in context with HR
policies based on the strategies of business.
In HRM, there are two models such as hard and soft HRM. Hard HRM means that human resource is the
only asset of the organization. As per this, the needs of the employees are identified and accordingly the
recruitment function is applied by manager. On other side, the soft HRM takes the employees as
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important resource and gives significant participation in business success (Cascio, 2015). After that the
roles and responsibilities are allocated to the workforce after identifying the individual capacity to do the
work and complete it on time with higher interest and efficiency. For instance: Employees are motivated
due to rewards offered to them on their performance.
Workforce planning is also significant concern for employee’s management at Sainsbury. This planning
offers the idea for additional or deficit human resources. It also assesses the future needs of labour
market. This market supports in creating the relationship among the employee and employer so that
necessary bargaining or negotiation can take place. Further, the recruitment and selection of the
candidate is influenced by external factors such as PESTLE. According to this analysis, highlight on
disposable economies, unemployment and inflation rates, technological advancement, environmental
changes or issues of discrimination shall be taken. Moreover, HRM also has the duty to evaluate the
employee turnover by considering the number of employee present along with its termination.
It is also to be determined that effective planning of workforce; the recruitment in the firm is to be taken
at correct time so as to offer right capabilities and business objectives meeting (Bratton and Gold, 2017).
The labour market analysis will also support in addressing the supply and demand forces so that process
for labour impact can be executed accordingly.
M1 Assess how the functions of HRM can provide talent and skills appropriate to fulfil business
objectives
Sainsbury objective is to give customer satisfaction so as to customer retention for the life time and
getting profits. HR function has the crucial role in accomplishing the mentioned objectives for the firm.
HR manager is totally held responsible for recruiting the candidate as per their skill present so that
suitable customer services can be given and market share recognition can be achieved in market.
Therefore, HR manager investigate about the job market to recruit the most suitable candidate. Another
function is of reward management or performance appraisal that supports in employee skill so as to raise
the performance (Brewster et.al. 2016). Training supports the employees for carrying out the business
operations according to the desired objectives placed by the Sainsbury.
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P2 Explain the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection
The process of recruitment is to encourage the new candidate for the vacant job they have applied for.
Based on the Sainsbury needs, the manager takes the internal or external recruitment for recruiting the
candidate.
Internal recruitment: This method is performed internally and its gives the opportunity to the
employees to take the high position as pert their performance through getting transfers and promotions.
This method involves various limitations and benefits for the organization. The advantages include are:-
 Culture familiarity
 Good knowledge to the employee who are shifted to other position
 Training needs are reduced, saves cost and time
 Paper documentation are lowered and transfer includes less initiatives (Noe et.al. 2017)
 High performance of employee and the reason is morale has been raised
Limitations of internal recruitment
 Candidates pooling are restricted
 Not acceptable procedure by some employees as their morale is influenced
 New ideas are restricted
 Automatically creates one vacant position that raise the expense of recruitment
External recruitment: This process includes hiring the suitable candidate from external sources with the
help of external placement agencies, other process and advertisement
Advantages of external recruitment
 Fresh ideas are welcomed so that business can achieve competitive edge
 Saving training cost
 Big pool of employees can be generated (Russell and Brannan, 2016)
Limitations of external recruitment
 It involves cost of interview, advertising, filtering and other process
 High risk and is critical to identify that selected candidate will able to conduct the job or not
 Lengthy process along with expensive
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Selection methods
It is the process of identifying the most appropriate candidate for achieving the benefits for the
organization. Sainsbury has adopted the methods that are as follows:-
Structured interviews: It includes the interaction with the candidate by higher managers so that
confidence of the candidate can be increased. No interest of the interviewer shows negative answer for
candidate selection (Powell et.al. 2017).
Online screening: In this process, the candidates are filtered that are based on potentials, experiences
and skills.
The strengths and limitations can be based on accuracy and validity. The selection process lower downs
the time consumption together with cost as well. Because of this, technique of selection has to be done.
M2 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection
Internal and external recruitment both are suitable for the Sainsbury according to meet the demand. For
example: if there is requirement of meeting some urgent task or project which is complex, Sainsbury
shall take external recruitment due to its strength of getting new ideas to finish the complex task also
easily. On the other side, the vacant position is in context with the repeat job then Sainsbury can take
internal recruitment due to its benefit of saving time, energy and cost along with saving from the big
process of selection as well.
Furthermore, internal recruitment determines reduction in absenteeism and productivity rise. The
transfers and promotional advertisement has created the environment of friendly atmosphere and
employee is really taking efforts to meet the high position scale (Miller, 2016). However, weaknesses of
both the methods shall be seen.
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LO2
P3 Explain the benefits of different HRM practices within an organization for both the employer and
employee.
There are various HR practices that the manager has to adopt to enjoy the benefits to both the parties
involved in Sainsbury i.e. employer and employee. The foremost important activity is training and
development that further include job and workplace design, flexible workplace and performance and
reward.
Workplace and job design: It is significant for the organization to design the roles and responsibilities
for the employees so that works can be done accordingly. It is beneficial for the organization to achieve
the business objectives along with the profits to maintain its market share (Wood and Ogbonnaya,
2018). And employee will be benefitted in the way as they will aware of completing their tasks on time
and can explore the new areas for raising their career and professional development.
Flexible workplace practices: There are several flexible working practices like flexible working hours,
working shift option, security of information, conveyance facilities to employees, paid leave and
overtime incentives. It is important for the Sainsbury HR manager to have flexible working practices
policies for the employees who are very important part of business.
The benefit of flexible working practices to the employer is that they are able to retain the employee by
getting their trust and loyalty. While on the other side, employee benefits with flexible working practices
as they will be motivated and feels that the manager also thinks about them so they will perform better.
Performance and reward practices: It is the responsibility of the manager to offer the reward to the
employees on the basis of their performance and the employees who are not performing better will be
given training. It will benefit the organization to get the good employees and creating the long term
relationship that also receives employee retention as well (Collings et.al. 2018). On the other side,
employees will be benefitted through the rewards and they will be motivated to meet the complex task
as well. However, if they are not performing better training opportunities have to be given that benefits
the employee to increase their knowledge.
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P4 Evaluate the effectiveness of different HRM practices in terms of raising organizational profit and
productivity
HRM practices in the Sainsbury participate significantly for increasing the profits and productivity in the
organization. The practices related to training and development, reward management help the firm to
encourage the healthy environment for increasing the employee motivation. For instance: reward helps
the workforce to work hard until the organization comes to the necessary level of profits and
productivity of Sainsbury. Suitable recruitment and selection of capable candidates supports the firm to
bring changes in the existing products by innovation that further involves the business to offer superior
satisfaction to the customer (Wood, 2018). Sainsbury HRM department helps in meeting the desired
objectives and purposes. For instance: HRM supports the workforce to share each other the information
and ideas that further involve them in working by explaining the problems in relation to work.
Furthermore, rewards are linked with entire employee’s performance together with goals and objectives
of individual. This function supports the staffs to carry out the activities more seriously so that they can
receive the advantages of achieving the high positions. These practices raise the interest for job and with
this productivity can also be increased. Development and training is another crucial element that helps in
raising the individual skills so that satisfaction of the consumer can enhance and profits will be
ultimately raised.
M3 Explore different methods used in HRM practices
The most common approaches taken by the Sainsbury are monitoring of performance and reward
management. HRM uses extrinsic and intrinsic reward system along with financial and non financial
system of rewarding.
Intrinsic reward system relates to the factors that offers job satisfaction like flexible working, job
rotation, job enrichment etc while extrinsic rewards in context with financial and promotional benefits.
The HR management has the duty to offer extrinsic rewards but with the feeling of getting the
achievement and personal growth of the employee is referred as intrinsic rewards (Paauwe and Boon,
2018). Financial rewards includes profit sharing, bonuses and wages and on other side, non financial
rewards encompass purchase discounts, vacations, paid leave along with pension advantages. Sainsbury
considers various reward types dependent on employee’s performance and need.
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HR management also considers several methods for employee’s performance management. Employee’s
proper monitoring will support them in acknowledging what has to be done in meeting objectives.
Furthermore, employee’s performance can also be improved by offering particular feedbacks so that
mistakes does not conduct repeatedly and also support the employee’s to determine areas of lacking.
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LO3
P5 Analyze the importance of employee relations in respect to influencing HRM decision- making.
Employee relation can be referred to the efforts and initiatives that the employer and employee have to
take to manage their relationship at specific level. It is crucial human resource function that links in
every aspect of employment. The main aim of the employee relation is to supervise the relationship
working in employee and employer. Each relation moves through various issues that may negatively
influence the working of the employee efficiently. Proper relationship with the employees is crucial for
raising the employee satisfaction and efficiency in the business along with. It is majorly based on
commitments, communications, secure environment and other factors relevant (Cleveland et.al. 2015).
Therefore, it is important for the business to chose and executes the approaches for relation management
and employee engagement.
The several importances are given that supports in maintaining the employee relation and engagement of
employee in business:-
Employee’s involvement: It is significant that employees shall be involved so that values of the
strategies are done. It helps the HR to consider the decisions in context with recruitment and rewards
appropriately.
Offering tools and resources: It helps in productivity and contribution of employee. For instance:
Sainsbury retail firm needs high advancement in technology together with experienced employee and
work pressure can also be maintained. Through this employee relation can be build.
Managing transparency: It is important strategy that manages relationship and engagement. The
employee should acknowledge the regulations, policies, laws for useful participation (Reilly and
Williams, 2016). With this team working will also be encouraged.
Meeting training requirements: It will influence positively on continuous cultural development.
Employees development of skills will helps in engagement and relations improvement. Moreover,
allocating several duties and motivating work balances are rest of the approaches to raise the
relationship with employees.
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P6, M4 Identify the key elements of employment legislation and the impact it has upon HRM decision-
making.
Employee laws and regulations has important role in regulations and protocols at the workplace. The
main purpose of employment legislation is identifying the needs of hiring are there or not. It gives useful
opportunities in job along with meeting the needed terms and conditions. Organization applies various
laws as per legislations that are mentioned below:-
Equality Act 2010: This law supports in employee protection from any type of indiscrimination on the
basis of sex, disability, custom or religion or any other. It also ensures about the equality of the
employee irrespective of gender and other any disabilities in individual (Stewart and Brown, 2019). The
law influence the decision making of HR in concern with process of recruitment and selection. The
employee should be selected on capabilities basis rather than on facts. Rewards shall also be given on
employee performance basis.
Data Protection Act 1998: This law places the supervision over personal confidential information of
clients and employees. It ensures of offering crucial information in true way without any changes. The
information can be highly confidential and protected and stored in the systems. It also influence the HR
decision making in securing reliable information collected at selection process time. In addition,
information should be protected for the customers also from the competitors.
Health and Safety Act 1974: This regulation act gives information about the security, welfare and
safety laws at the workplace. It clearly indicates the employee’s responsibilities and employers duties at
Sainsbury. For instance: The employee provides the products that involve few dangerous activities and
due to this significant security should be taken (Sujan et.al. 2016). On this context, HR has responsibility
to provide regular training so that both of the parties are addressed for needs of security.
Dismissal and redundancy: According to law, the organization has right to give termination notice
duration, if employee has been given termination for any purpose. Sainsbury should take the employee
with general attitude and nature. The action of dismissal is providing the choice to the employee for job
leaving. The decision making of HR in respect of selection and recruitment and giving candidate the
notice period is important. In addition, HR should concentrates on true process, restricted time period of
termination, advisor and other. As per this 1977- 2015 act of dismissal, unfair dismissal takes place
when no notice of dismissal is given.
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