Human Resource Planning Report: Job Analysis in McDonald's & KFC

This report delves into the realm of human resource planning, focusing on its significance and the crucial role of job analysis within organizations like McDonald's and KFC. It defines human resource planning as a continuous process of aligning workforce capabilities with organizational goals, and job analysis as a method to determine the duties and requirements of a job. The report provides overviews of McDonald's and KFC, and illustrates how job analysis contributes to organizational success through recruitment, performance management, and compensation. It explores various methods of job analysis, including observation and questionnaires, and outlines the steps involved. Additionally, the report discusses the Ulrich and Guest models, the recruitment processes of McDonald's and KFC, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the report examines the use of virtual environments in HR, reflecting on the overall learning from the module and providing a comprehensive understanding of HR planning and its practical applications.

Planning Human
Resources
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Question 1........................................................................................................................................3
Human Resource Planning..........................................................................................................3
Overview of organisations chosen for the report........................................................................4
How does a job analysis fit within human resource planning and how does it contribute
towards the overall success of an organisation...........................................................................4
How does HR planning help in carrying out a job analysis........................................................8
Explanation of virtual environments with examples...................................................................8
Ways in which the HR department of the chosen organisations use virtual environment........10
Is virtual environment a better approach than existing approach.............................................10
Findings.....................................................................................................................................10
Question 2......................................................................................................................................11
Reflection..................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
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INTRODUCTION
Human resource is a department within an organisation that is responsible for carrying
out various activities like recruiting, screening, hiring, training etc. and also ensures a healthy
work environment (Albert, 2017). Whereas Human resource planning can be defined as the
continuous process of determining the ways in which an organisation can achieve desired
workforce position from its current workforce position. The chosen organisations for this report
are McDonald's and KFC. McDonald's Corporation is an American fast-food company which
was founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald in the year 1940. The company is
headquartered in Chicago, U.S. Also, known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC is also an
American fast food chain that was founded in the year 1930 by Harland Sanders. The company
specializes in offering fried chicken to its customers worldwide. The report analyses the concept
of human resource planning and how does a job analysis fits within the same, the purpose behind
it, steps that are involved in a job analyses with relevant examples. It also describes how a
virtual environment is used in different organisations, why is it considered bad to use it and also,
how can the same be improved. A reflection of the overall learning from this module is also
explained.
Question 1
Human Resource Planning
 Human resource planning is considered as process of forecasting future human resource
requirement of a company as well as it will also determine how existing capacity of
human resource can be used or utilized in order to fulfil requirement of customers and
employees (What is Human Resource Planning ?, 2020).
 Human resource planning is defined as systematic procedure in which forecasting of both
prospective demand and supply of manpower as well as skills of employees are included
in an organization. It is also a technique which can be used for analysing manpower
necessities in order to insure right type of skills is made available at the workplace
(Human Resource Planning (HRP): Definition, Importance & Process, 2020).
Business overview of HR planning
Human resource planning is essential for a company because through it they able to
conduct their work in effective manner as well as it will also help them in attaining desire goal
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properly and successful (Babaei, Gholamiand Altafi, 2015). This can be possible because
through human resource planning firm able to acquire right employees at the job role which help
them in attaining their desire goal and objective.
Overview of organisations chosen for the report
 McDonalds
McDonald's is public company which is operating their business at restaurant industry. It
is founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald in year 1940 and its head office is located at
Chicago, United State (Bagheri, 2016). Respective company offer products like hamburger,
chicken, salads, coffee, french fries, wraps and many more at worldwide level.
 KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a subsidiary type company (American fast food
restaurant chain) which operating in fast food restaurant sector. It is founded by Harland Sanders
in year 1930 and its first franchise is open in 1952. Respective company head office is located at
United State. Products offer by KFC are fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, desserts, milkshakes,
wraps and many more at international level.
How does a job analysis fit within human resource planning and how does it contribute towards
the overall success of an organisation
A job analysis can be defined as a process that is used by organisations to identify the
duties and requirements of a particular job and their importance for the same. A job analysis
helps in deciding qualifications, knowledge as well as skills that are required by an employee to
carry out a particular job. For example- an organisation may use a job analysis to carry out
practices like performance management, workforce planning, compensation administration,
recruitment, selection etc.
Purpose and Characteristics
The main purpose of conducting the process of job analysis is to use the information to fit
the right talent, at the right time and at the right place (Araos and et. al., 2017). It also involves
assessing the individual performance of employees as well as their training and development
needs in order to deliver the desired output. The various characteristics of a job analysis are
described below -
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 The process involves gathering relevant information about different aspects of a
particular job and identifying the tasks that need to be performed for it (Job Analysis:
Definition, Importance, Components, Methods, Purpose, Process, 2017).
 It also involves defining the job role, conditions, standards of performance, human
behaviour and responsibilities of the job in a systematic manner.
 Job analysis also helps in establishing job relatedness which is an important aspect for a
HR manager and involves decisions regarding compensation, training, selection, health as
well as safety.
Ways to conduct job analysis
Though there are several ways of conducting a job analysis but choosing a particular way
depends on the requirements as well as objectives of an organisation. The different ways used by
McDonalds and KFC are explained below - Observation method : There are three methods that are based on observation which are
work method analysis, micro motion analysis as well as direct observation method.
 Questionnaire method : This method involves the employees or job analysts filling out
questionnaires for a particular group of employees which can then be analysed by the
management of the company to derive useful results which in turn help in formulating
strategies.
Steps of a job analysis
The process of job analysis involves various steps which are described below in reference
to McDonalds as well as KFC- Time for conducting job analysis : A HR manager should analyse the right time to
conduct the process of job analysis (Baas and Burns, 2016). It can be done when a change
is implemented in the organisation when it restructures its overall system in order to meet
challenges. Collection of information : Once it is decided to conduct the process of job analysis, the
first step is to collect all the relevant information. It can be done by using various
methods like questionnaires, interviews, observation etc. Preparation of Job Description forms : The information which is collected is now used to
prepare relevant job description forms which present details about the various
responsibilities of a particular job.
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 Preparation of Job Specifications : The next step is preparing job specification based on
the information that is collected (Baum, 2018). A job specification can be defined as a
statement that defines the minimum accepted qualifications that are required by a person
in order to carry out the job successfully.
 Preparation of report : This is the final stage in the process of job analysis and involves
the preparation of a report by the analyst which is then submitted to the HR manager and
comprises of various jobs and the minimum qualifications and skills that are required by
an individual.
Theories
 Ulrich model – The model is meant to organise the various human resource functions
within an organisation. The respective model was developed by David Ulrich who stated
that HR functions in large scale or giant organisations should be categorised in to four
segments, namely- people, processes, strategic focus and operational focus (Yalçındağ
and et. al., 2016). The model is used by both McDonalds as well as KFC wherein the
various shared activities are operated in their respective call centres which helps in
providing support to the different business units.
 The Guest model – This model was developed and presented by David Guest in the year
1997 and is based on the primary assumption that an HR manager has specific strategies
that demand certain practices which result in outcomes when executed. The outcomes can
include financial rewards as well as behavioural performance. The model primarily
focuses on six components that are represented in a logical sequence (Charest, Bouffard
and Zajmovic, 2016). The components are HR strategy, HR practices, HR outcomes,
Behavioural outcomes, Performance results and financial consequences. This model is
also used by both organisations in their respective systems.
Recruitment processes of the chosen organisations, their advantages and disadvantages McDonalds – The respective company is among the biggest restaurant businesses in the
world and aims to provide its customers with the best possible family experience. Thus,
in order to ensure that right people with the required skills and experience are recruited
for each job role, it offers specific job descriptions for different jobs which outline the
responsibilities specific to the jobs. The recruitment process at McDonalds varies
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depending on the job a person wishes to apply for. The overall process involves four
steps.
◦ Application form : Initially, an individual can either apply in-store or online through
the company's website by filling out an application (McDonald’s Recruitment and
Selection Process, 2020). The application form contains questions regarding personal
details, educational qualifications and other short answer questions.
◦ Personality questionnaire : The second step involves candidates completing a
personality test which is primarily designed to evaluate their overall sustainability for
the role as well as personal values. The major purpose of a personality test is to give
the employer an idea of the person's leadership qualities and his/her ability to work as
a part of a team.
◦ On-job evaluation and Interview : This is the last step wherein the candidates have to
try out various tasks on the shop floor. They are given a chance to work as a part of
the restaurant crew where they learn about customer service, food hygiene and safety,
equipment maintenance etc. The process ends with an interview of the candidate with
the operations manager in which questions pertaining to educational as well as work
history, competencies etc.
Advantages and Disadvantages – Since there are a lot of steps involved in the
recruitment process, it gives the HR manager a chance to properly evaluate various skills of the
candidate like competency skills, leadership skills etc. But there is a disadvantage that the
process consumes a lot of time. KFC – KFC is a multinational fast food chain which specialises in fried chicken and is
among the biggest employers in the fast food industry (Cobbinah and Darkwah, 2017).
The company offers two basic ways to people to apply for a job which includes a person
can either walk in to any of the outlets or apply online. The recruitment process at KFC is
explained below -
◦ Applying Online : The first stage in the recruitment process of KFC involves the
candidate to fill out an online application form wherein personal details and other
details regarding educational qualifications and work history have to filled out. The
candidate is also suppose to fill out a section wherein he/she has to indicate the
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number of hours he/she can work. The company also asks the candidate if he/she
would like to work full time or part time.
◦ References : In this section, the candidate has to provide references of at least two
people other than family members who can provide a review about him/her
(Goodarzi, Haghtalab and Shamshiry, 2016). He/she can either provide a reference of
his previous employer or current employer.
◦ Application review : This section allows him/her to review the details he/she has
provided in the form. He/ she can also edit any detail he /she wants.
◦ Assessment : Once the application is completed and submitted, it is reviewed by the
company's HR manager and the applicant is contacted to appear for an interview if
he/she is found qualified.
Advantages and Disadvantages – The advantages of this process can be that the
candidates can get to know about all the open positions in the company and can apply online
from anywhere. Whereas the disadvantages include that the HR department of the organisation
may take a lot of time to respond during which the candidate might get a job somewhere else.
How does HR planning help in carrying out a job analysis
Human resources planning can help in organisation in different ways in carrying out the
process of job analysis as it helps in assessing the skills that are required by a candidate like
qualifications, skills, knowledge, aptitude as well as experience (McLean, 2019). For example-
the process also helps organisations in meeting shortages of workforce which can be a result of
turnover in the labour which helps in carrying out job analysis.
Explanation of virtual environments with examples
Virtual environment is considered as tool or technique which help in keeping
dependencies needed by several projects which separates by developing separated python i.e.
virtual environment for that. It is also considered as network application which permits both
communication or interaction along with work of user and computing environment (Kardos,
Kovács and Váncza, 2016). The examples of virtual environment include email, chat, sharing of
information or documents through web and so on.
How they used in different organisations?
In today's time Virtual environment are using at every sector firm and through that they
able to attain their desire goal and objectives. At different industry or company virtual
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environment are used for different purpose such as retail stores are using it for developing new
products or keeping updates so that they can attract customers and deliver them products on time
(Chlebikova, Misankova and Kramarova, 2015). On the other hand multinational companies are
using Virtual environment for reaching new audiences and entering into new market.
How does the HR department use virtual environment?
Now a day human resources department is also using virtual environment for various
reasons such as for recruitment revolution in which company can use this technology at the
initial stage of screening procedure in order to understand candidates potential to work and
experiences. Such as Jaguar Land Rover conduct collaboration with Gorillaz for develop Mixed
reality application which evaluate potential staffs for taking code breaking challenge and it will
also make their recruitment process fast and easy. Moreover Lloyds bank also use their custom
VR scenarios in process of interview which allow candidate to show their talent rather then tell
or explain. Along with this HR department also use virtual environment for train employees
similarly firm also use it for enhancing customers experiences for example Audi they develop
virtual showroom at where shopper can try driving experience on the surface of earth (The
Future of HR: How HR Can Use Virtual Reality, 2020).
Why is it good using virtual environment?
There are several benefits which can be gain by McDonald's and KFC by using virtual
environment, from which some main are given below:-
 Cheap in nature : Implementation of virtual environment is not related with hardware
components , its IT infrastructure if find to be cheaper system for implementation. In this
firm only need to purchase license or access from their third part so that they work
through it properly.
Why is it bad using virtual environment?
There are several disadvantages of implementing virtual environment that may faced by
McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, from that some are mentioned below - Time taking process : Implementation of virtual environment is time taking process
because when a firm adopt new thing they need to provide training and development
session to their employees which impact on the production process of firm (Martínez-
Vivar and et. al., 2016).
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 High cost of implementation : Virtual environment is effective in long run but at the
starting or initial stage company need to conduct provide training and development which
is additional expenses for firm. Moreover for the implementation firm need to hire expert
person which increase budget of a company.
Opinion on how can it be improved?
There are several factors which are essential to be considered while adopting virtual
environment at the workplace such as financial status of firm, skills and capabilities of
employees that they can adopt new technology or not (Noe and et. al., 2015). Along with this, an
organisation also need to considered its need and requirement as well as they also need to
predetermine their objective which they want to attain through implementation of virtual
environment.
Ways in which the HR department of the chosen organisations use virtual environment
The HR departments of both McDonalds as well as KFC can use virtual environment
during their recruitment and selection process in order to screen the applicants and choose the
ones they would like to interview (McLean, 2019). They can also use it for conducting training
for the employees as well as maintaining a working environment that is in sync with the latest
technological trends of the market.
Is virtual environment a better approach than existing approach
With the use of digital technology rising every passing day, it can be said that the virtual
environment is a better approach than the existing approach as it allows employees to work from
remote areas. If McDonalds and KFC implement the concept of virtual environment in their
systems, they will be able to create working environments that are flexible and also helps
employees in their career growth. For example- the companies will also be able to cut out
overhead costs with employees being more satisfied with their jobs and there will be an
improvement in the overall efficiency of the employees.
Findings
By completing the above question, it is found that human resource planning plays an
important role in carrying out the process of job analysis which in turn contributes to the
organisation in being successful. Also, the human resources department of both McDonalds as
well as KFC can use the concept of virtual environment to enhance their overall working systems
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which will help them in gaining a competitive advantage in the fast food industry (Mizikovsky
and et. al., 2016). Both organisations have their own recruitment process which have advantages
and disadvantages specific to them. Thus, if they think of implementing the concept they will
have to take in consideration various factors like the efficiency and capabilities of the ir
employees as well as their individual financial status.
Question 2
Reflection
While studying this assignment I understood that human resource is a wide concept and it
plays a major role in an organisation. Human resource is described as department who develop as
well as maintain workforce of a business sector, company, industry or economy. This department
conduct several activities that are related to recruitment, screening, placing workers, interviewing
and so on. In this concept I got an understanding that human resources planning is also essential
because through that firm can identify current as well as future need through which they can
attain its desire goal. Resource planning can definitely help me in getting a better job as opting
for this module has helped me in enhancing my knowledge in various areas like job analysis,
virtual environment etc. Working in a collaborative working environment can prove to be
advantageous for an individual as it can help in increasing the overall creativity of the individual
(Njoh, 2017). Also, when people work as a part of a collaborative working environment, they get
several opportunities to learn various things and the overall productivity as well as the
performance of the company goes up.
An organisation should follow a planned HR approach wherein all the processes are
carried out in a systematic manner which helps in overcoming challenges and various issues that
might come up while conducting the business operations. Examples of collaborative working
within an organisation can include interactive displays which are a great way to share ideas,
facts, information and collaborate, video conferencing which is one of the best examples of
collaborative working and has made the process of connecting with people in different regions
much easier (Panagopoulos, Duque and Dan, 2016). Hot desks can also be cited as an example
of collaborative working wherein employees within an organisation do not have to sit on
particular assigned seats, instead they can sit on a different desk in the office everyday which
helps them in rotating through different spaces and interacting with different people everyday.
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Effective collaborative working places have highly engaged and committed employees
which helps in building a rapport of the organisation among the customers as well as develop
trust within them. There is no bias among the employees from the organisation's end as everyone
gets to share their ideas and thoughts which are considered by the organisation at some point or
the other. Also, there is a positive vibe among the employees as collaborative working helps the
employees to interact with other employees who are present in some other region in a very
effective and efficient way (Papke-Shields and Boyer-Wright, 2017). As an outcome, the
employees are most focussed on delivering the desired output in a much more refined manner.
There is a transfer of skills and information with less conflicts rising between the members of a
particular team. Collaborative working also facilitates effective communication among the team
members which ensures that everyone works with the same pace.
In an organisation, employees are involved in the process of human resource planning
either directly or indirectly. As an executive, my overall approach to collaborative planning of
the human resource has developed overtime and also there is a need for it to continue developing
in the future. As compared to KFC, the approaches made by McDonalds have enabled my own
personal contribution to HR planning as the organisation provides various opportunities to its
employees to enhance their skills and grow their careers by getting hired for a higher job
position. The company also conducts internal recruitment through which employees can gain a
raise in not only their position but also salary. McDonalds can conduct a research which will
give it a fair idea of how its competitors are performing and what are latest trends in the market.
The organisation should also encourage the practice of transparency in its premises which will
result in a positive culture in the company (Patidar and et. al., 2016). Also, efforts and
contributions of the employees should be recognised and they must be rewarded for the same.
Also, there various methods in which a job analysis can be carried out like Interview
method which involves a discussion between the job experts as well as the occupants of job. The
job analysis data from both group as well as individual groups is often boosted by information
provided by supervisors or managers of the employees whose jobs needs to be analysed.
Organisations can also implement the concept of a virtual environment which is good as it helps
in minimising the workload because after that employees not need to update all information by
themselves (14 Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtualization, 2020). These all activities can
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