Human Resource Management Report: Marks & Spencer HRM Practices

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Marks & Spencer (M&S), a leading British retailer. The report begins with an introduction to HRM, defining its purpose and functions within an organization. It then delves into M&S's approach, including workforce planning and the utilization of organizational resources. The report explores the purposes and functions of HRM, including recruitment, training and development, and the differences between internal and external recruitment. It analyzes different recruitment approaches, such as competency and contingency approaches, outlining their strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the report discusses the benefits of effective HRM practices for both employers and employees, focusing on training, flexible working options, and performance appraisals. The report also examines employee relations and engagement strategies that M&S can implement, such as fostering collaboration and providing a supportive work environment. Finally, it highlights key employment legislations in the UK that influence HRM decisions, ensuring compliance with laws such as the Equal Pay Act of 1970 and the Equality Act of 2010. The report concludes with a summary of HRM practices at M&S, emphasizing training, performance appraisal, and staff relations.

Human Resource
Management

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is considered as the term that is utilised to explain the
formal system devised for managing individuals in firm. The aim of HRM is to enhance the
organisational productivity through optimizing the efficiency of their staff (Abdullah and
Zulkifli, 2015). This report is based on Marks &Spencer, it is the leading British retailer having
headquarters is Westminster, London, UK. It deals in selling effective quality of home products,
food products and clothings. This report covers the function and purpose of HRM, approaches to
recruitment and selection with its strengths and weaknesses, effectiveness and benefits of human
resource management practices, key elements of employment legislation. Apart from this,
application of HRM practices in a work-related context are also discussed in this report.
TASK 1
P1:
Human resource management is defined as the system that concentrates upon developing
the individuals and also the managing person so that people will enjoy human dignity in its
employment.
Hard and soft model of HRM
Hard human resource management is considered as the model of employment where staff
are viewed as a resources which have to be controlled for attaining more competitive advantage
as well as profitability. The soft human resource management is defined as the model which
emphasises people as well as its self direction, trust and others at centre of any strategic approach
to person. So, Within M&S, their manager comply the soft human resource management as they
treat their employees as the most essential resources because they focused towards staff training,
motivation and so on.
Workforce planning:
Workforce planning is defined as the continuous procedures that is utilised by
organisation to relate the priorities as well as requirements of business with their personnel to
assure that they can able to accomplish their regulatory, legislative and others goals (Baum,
2015).
Resources of organisation:
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Organisational resources are considered as the assets of the firm which is are available to
utilise into manufacturing procedures or in business practices. There are basically 4 type of
resources such as physical, human, financial and information. All these resources are used
through M&S to attain their objective effectively and efficiently.
Purposes of HRM
Generally, the HRM have various purpose but its main purpose is to manage and satisfy
their staff in efficacious way. So, purpose human resource management to enhance firm's
performance through spending into right people, right time with right competencies at right place
(Deery and Jago, 2015). Therefore, the purpose of M&S HRM is to hire those people who are
proficient and having effective skills wherever required and also the recruited people are to be
given at right place. So that they can able to perform the work with full potential and attain
organisational goals.
Function of HRM Recruitment: This is defined as the procedures to attract, evaluate as well as hire staff for
firm. The main aim of this function is to grab the attention of proficient applicants as well
as motivate the unqualified one to opt themselves out. With the help of recruitment
function, M&S HR manager can able to recruit the talented and skilled workforce
effectively and efficiently.
 Training and development: This is considered as the essential functions of human
resource management as this assist them to provide training as well as development
session to its workers at continuous basis (Tyson, 2017). This function of human resource
management is help M&S to increase their workforce skills and knowledge as well as
lead towards staff retention.
P2:
Internal vs. external recruitment
BASIS INTERNAL EXTERNAL
Definition This is the procedures in which staff are
hired from inside firms.
This is the procedures where
recruitment is performed with
the help of outside sourcing.
Time taken Its is the quick process. It is the lengthy process.
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Cost Internal recruitment is cost effective
method.
External recruitment is
expensive method.
Sources In this, employees are recruited through
promotions, transfer and others.
In this, employees are
recruited through management
consultant, employment
agencies and so on.
Job analysis: Job analysis is considered as the procedures to accumulate as well as
analyses information regarding requirement of people and the context based on which jobs are
performed (Gachoka, 2015). Moreover, this is utilised to ascertain the jobs placement. This aids
M&S HR manager to choose right people and also develop efficacious training sessions,
compensation system and etc.
Approaches to recruitment and selection:
 Competency approach: This is considered as the approaches to recruitment and selection
which concentrates upon behavioural as well as competency based interviewing
techniques. This intent at any staff who is included within recruitment and appointment
of another workers, involving internal recruiters from human resource department, line
manager who perform final interview and others. This approach can be used by M&S
human resource manager as this facilitates consistent hiring methods, assure future
performance of staff and other in effective and efficient manner (Approach to recruitment
and selection. 2019).
Strengths Weaknesses
 This approach is helpful to reduce the
staff turnover within firm.
 Moreover, this assists respective
organisation to predict the upcoming
performance of staff.
 This predict the future performance as
prediction is not relevant and accurate.
It is the major weaknesses.
 In this staff are hire as per their
competencies but it can not be judge at
one meeting.
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 Contingency Approach: This is defined as the approach through which people are
employed through generalist recruitment firm (Khan and Rasheed, 2015). Moreover, this
is a volume based recruitment approach which is broadly utilised through employers who
seeks to hire particular skill set to its enterprises. The hrm of M&S can used this
approach to recruit a very specialist role of its business.
Strengths Weaknesses
 With the help of contingency approach
to recruitment and selection, M&S can
bale to hire the talented candidates with
its skill sets.
 This approach is expensive and time
taking.
P3:
Human resource management is known as the significant aspects that is required into
firm as it assists them to accomplish functions in efficacious manner. Also, it assures the
development of positive environment. This is answer-ability of human resource manager to
consider overall practices that comes within its jurisdictions which has to performed in effective
way so that firm productivity, profitability and learning get enhanced (Lee And et. al., 2019).
Therefore, some benefits of M&S human resource management are mentioned below:
HRM Practices Benefits to employer Benefits to employees
TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT
This HRM practices is
significant aspects which have
many kinds of benefits to
organisation and several
stakeholders which are
associated with firm. M&S
applied on the job methods for
developing its workers skills
and knowledge. All these help
employers of respective
organisation to maximise
profitability, productivity and
It is crucial in company as this
will aids workers to become
familiar with several work
process of organisation. The
benefit that collect by
employees of m&s through
applying training method like
on the job is related with the
improvement of staff skills and
knowledge which aids them
within their personal and
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also the learning of staff. professional career.
FLEXIBLE WORKING
OPTION
Flexible working option is
significant which has many
types of benefits to
organisation as well as many
employers that are associated
to company. M&S usages this
practices in order to maximise
its potential to recruit workers.
Also, it assist them to enhance
their staff morale, productivity
as well as maximise profit of
firm.
With flexible working options,
workers experiences a
appropriate benefits. In case,
M&S provides flexible
working option so that it can
accomplish their personal need
and responsibilities of live in
favourable manner. As
employees requirements are
fulfilled they work with full
efforts and attain profitability
and productivity.
P4:
Human resource practices refers as the system that grab the attention of more applicants,
develop, encourage and retain workers to ensure the effectiveness and success of organisation. In
M&S, HRM practices are utilised in managing its workforce to satisfy their consumers. As
various firm apply many types of practices but the most crucial that is related with workforce
planning and resourcing are training, recruitment, career management and others which is
effective for enhancing M&S profit and productivity are as follows:
 Training: This is the practices which has short term affects upon employees skills and
this help them to get knowledge regarding present job profile process with its efficacious
performance in firm (Morschett, Schramm-Klein and Zentes, 2015). Mostly, off the
methods and on the methods but for the respective organisation on- the- job method is
effective. Moreover, this assists them to provide proper data about job profile. M&S
usages on the job method by which they can provide training to their workers regarding
its firm's procedures. This results appropriate performance of employees that help them to
maximise organisational productivity.
 Performance appraisal: This is defined as the continuous review of staff job
performance as well as whole contribution to organisation. This is also called the annual
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review, employee appraisal. Moreover this evaluates the staff knowledge, skills,
achievement and many others. With the help of this human resource management
practices, M&S can able to evaluate the requirements of training and development of
staff, review the capability of workers, formulate pay structure for whole staff performing
within company and others. In addition to this the effectiveness of performance appraisal
practices is helpful in way of identifying which staff have to give promotions. All these
effectivenesses maximises the productivity nad profitability of company.
TASK 2
P5:
Staff relation is defined as the potential of company in managing relation among manager
and workers. Moreover, employees involvement is considered as the circumstances in which
workers are involves within their task. This will contribute towards the growth of firm by saving
time as well as resources for enhancing productivity (Newell. and Scarbrough, 2017). Therefore,
the strategy which is M&S can utilised for improving employee relation and engagement are as
follows:
 Motivate collaboration: Collaboration is defined as the crucial aspects for business to
focused on improvement. As collaborating on works can assist in forming efficacious
ideas and also improve employees relation and engagement by inspiring group work. The
most effective strategy which M&S can apply for it is staff collaboration as this decrease
company's cost and improve efficiency among team. As collaboration task not only create
optimistic atmosphere, this also signified as educated one. As it inspire a sense of group
bonding in its company as well as improve staff relation and engagement.
 Provide effective environment: Regular work are consider as the tiresome experiences
after few times if the environment of the job are not comfortable. Therefore, employers
of M&S has to develop comfortable as well as friendly atmosphere in such a way whole
facilities are properly facilitated and many more and that view the firm's branding.
Hence, it will assist M&S to develop staff relation and involvement at work area.
P6:
There are many employment legislations into United Kingdom that has an effectual
affects upon the decision making of M&S HRM in context of performing various human
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resource practices such as recruitment training and many more appropriately. Few key legislation
that respective organisation have to comply are discussed below:
 Equal pay act, 1970: It is the legislation into United Kingdom which safeguards staff
against unethical distribution of pay. Therefore, M&S should facilitates equal pay to all
their staff members as per the current amount depending upon its job profile. In addition
to this, it influences reward system of firm as well as company executes equal
opportunities as well as rewards with incentive schemes which is distributed into
organisation equally.
 Data protection act, 2018: This is considered as the key legislation of UK that was
formed in 1988. it is made to control how data of the person are used by firm. The main
aim of this act is to empower staff to take control of their information as well as supports
respective country. Thus, M&S has to assure that whole data of its workers are not
provided to any another firm or people. It effects the organisational decision-making as it
create trusts as well as faith within clients, suppliers etc. mind. Also, human resource has
to create policies to ensure that whole data of staff and consumers are to be safeguard by
this legislation.
P7:
Recruitment and selection: Recruitment is defined as the procedures to identify, short-
list as well as recruit potential candidates for filling the job vacancy within firm. Moreover, this
source the people with its capabilities as well as attitude that are needed to attain the
organisational objectives (Obeidat and et. al., 2016.). Selection is considered as the procedures of
picking proficient candidates, who is most appropriate for the job vacancy within company. This
practices aids M&S to hire and choose proficient candidates in its workplace and attain the
objective efficaciously and appropriately.
Reward system: This is the considered as the set of mechanisms to distribute both
tangible and intangible returns as portion of employment relation. Moreover, this is useful for
M&S to maximise the productivity of staff and gives positive results in respect of accomplish the
organisational objectives. White collar labour is the one who works professional and managerial
tasks. This involves stock brokers, public relation professionals etc. For example: in respective
organisation, the job of white collar labour is to perform behind the desk. Also, Blue collar
workers is considered as the working class people who works manual labour.
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Reward system helps respective organisation to work with full potential as through the
system of rewards they can able motivate their employees (Ramaprasad and et. al., 2017). For
M&S, monetary reward system is effective as this retain the proficient performers and also
helpful to meet the various basic requirements as well as high level needs.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that HRM is the crucial aspects which is
adapted through firm for retaining and managing individuals at work area. Also, the main
purpose of human resource management is to hire the right people at right time with appropriate
competencies within effective time. Moreover, competency and contingency are two approaches
that aids company to facilitates consistent hiring methods, assure future performance of staff and
other in effective and efficient manner.
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Approach to recruitment and selection. 2019. [Online]. Available through
<https://blog.clearcompany.com/5-unique-benefits-of-competency-based-recruitment-
and-selection>
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