Human Resource Management Report: HRM Practices at Microsoft & Chocola

This report provides an in-depth analysis of human resource management (HRM) practices at Microsoft and Chocola Fantastica. The introduction defines HRM and its core functions, highlighting its strategic importance in acquiring, developing, and managing employees. Section 1 delves into the purpose and functions of HRM, differentiating between managerial and operative functions within Chocola Fantastica. It evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of various recruitment and selection approaches, including aptitude tests and interviews, and suggests improvement strategies. Section 2 focuses on person specifications, job advertisements, and current advertisement methods, proposing recommendations for more effective approaches. Section 3 explores graduate training schemes and their benefits, flexible working arrangements, and methods for motivating employees, using Microsoft as a key example. Finally, Section 4 addresses employee engagement, key approaches to it, and relevant employment legislation. The report concludes by summarizing key findings and offering insights into the practical application of HRM principles in different organizational contexts.

Human resources
management

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
SECTION 1......................................................................................................................................1
a) Purpose and functions of HRM..........................................................................................1
b) Strength and weakness of various approaches to recruitment as well as selection...........3
C) two improvement strategies...............................................................................................4
SECTION 2......................................................................................................................................4
A) Person specification...........................................................................................................4
B) Current method of advertisement......................................................................................6
C) Recommendation for effective advertisement method......................................................6
SECTION 3......................................................................................................................................7
A) Graduation training schemes and its benefit.....................................................................7
B) Flexible working arrangement...........................................................................................7
C) Ways to motivate employees.............................................................................................8
SECTION 4......................................................................................................................................8
A) Employee engagement and their importance....................................................................8
B) Key approaches of employee engagement........................................................................9
C) Employment legislation.....................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Human resources management deals with manpower of organisation. It is process
through which a firm can fill vacant post with qualified person. It is operation of or recruiting,
selecting, managing manpower as well as providing orientation and training to workforce of
organisation. Main goal and function of HRM is to ensure safety, health of employees, to
maintain healthy relation with them, providing compensation and so on. This report is based on
firm Microsoft and Chocola Fantastica. Microsoft is American technology company which deals
in develops, supports, and sell of computer software., electronics items and personal computer
and its services. This firm is one of best known organisation with well known products are
Microsoft Windows and Internet explorer and so on. Chocola Fantastica is UK based chocolate
company which produces flavoured chocolates. This report is about study of human resources
management on both firms.
Present study will explain purpose of different functions of HRM. It will highlight benefit
of different HRM practices. Furthermore, flexible working arrangement of Microsoft will be
explained in this report. Assignment will explain different employment legislation and their
impact on HR decisions.
SECTION 1
a) Purpose and functions of HRM.
Human resource function is strategic approach for acquiring developing and managing
people in an organization (Delery and Gupta, 2016). Functions of human resource involved two
types such as managerial and operative functions.
MANAGERIAL FUNCTION OF CHOCOLA FANTASTICA INCLUDES
Planning
It is one of the primary function where different types of employees are required to
achieve goals of organization which are determined. Planning assist to establish best way to
reach goals (Gabutti and Morandi, 2019).Purpose of planning is to retain staff members and
make them able to work effectively in organisation.
Directing
Here in directing involves activating staff members at various level so that they can
contribute maximum to achieve maximum towards goals of organization (Ştefănescu, 2015).
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Prime focus of this function is tapping potentialities of employees at a maximum level through
constant motivation as well as through command. Purpose of directing is to guide employees of
company well and enhance their skills so that they become more productive towards the brand.
Controlling
Every employee performance is checked verified and also compared with goals when
performance is found deviant from plan then control measures are taken. Main agenda of
controlling function is to manage staff members and reduce conflict situations in the firm to great
extent. By this way working operations can be held in smooth manner.
OPERATIVE FUNCTION INCLUDES
Salary administration
The function is to take care of employees such that pays for various job roles and also
includes bonus, compensation, benefits and incentives so that employees get motivated all things
are associated with job functions (Kerzner, 2017).The main objective of this function is to offer
correct payroll to workers asper their performance an capability so that their motivation can be
maintained or raised.
Training and development
This is core functions which allows staff members to develop new skills and knowledge
to perform their job more effectively .it is a process which can provides through company to
prepares employees for responsibilities which are at higher level. The main purpose of training is
to minimise mistakes of staff members and make them capable to work hard to meet the
organisational goal (Hassan, 2016)..
Performance appraisal
Checking performance of staff members of Chocola Fantastica is another important
function that a HRM managers as staff members get performance appraisal and they become
more loyal towards organization. Purpose of this function is to promote the right person and
identify the capabilities or weaker points of individual so that training can be organised
accordingly.
Maintaining good working conditions
It is core responsibility of human resource managers of Chocola Fantastica is to provide
good working conditions so that they feel more comfortable in their workplaces ,here mangers
main duty is to motivate them through financial as well as non financial benefits to staff
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members as employee welfare also promotes satisfaction of employees (Arnaboldi, Lapsley and
Steccolini, 2015). Purpose of this function is to retain staff and make them loyal towards the
brand.
Current problems and future growth
Currently company is facing issue of high unemployment that is the reason that
administration vacancies are high in the firm. Furthermore, current selection method is not good
which create problem for Chocola to get the right person in the firm. In the future enterprise has
to improve its selection process so that it can get the most talented person those who can work
better in business unit (Jamali, El Dirani and Harwood, 2015).
b) Strength and weakness of various approaches to recruitment as well as selection
Modern technology rapidly changed recruitment and selection process as candidates should
no longer travel, job interviews can be done online. through selection and recruitment various
methods are followed to get potential employees for company with appropriate knowledge and
skills (Laudon and Laudon, 2016).
Chocola is taking assistance of are English and Maths aptitude tests and interview selection
methods. Recently it takes test of all candidates in order to know their command over English and maths.
Apart from this interview is used to select the most deserving candidate in business, but interview is done
by informal chat (Gabutti and Morandi, 2019)..
Strength of Aptitude test
This is helpful in analysing the actual capability of person, this test helps in evaluating
the command over English of person. By this way enterprise can get to know whether person
will be able to perform their job effectively or not (Arnaboldi, Lapsley and Steccolini, 2015)..
 Practical knowledge of person can be evaluated easily by this aptitude test.
 Comparison between different candidates can be done easily, on the bases of scoring of
all applicants Chocola can select the most deserving person in business.
 Training need assessment can be done by aptitude test, as if HR plan to select particular
candidate for the vacant post then it can analyse the need of development for person
(Wickens and et.al., 2015).
Weakness of Aptitude test
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 Culture bias is the major issue of this test, sometimes different culture people fail to
understand the question properly hence they fail to give correct answer of it. In such
condition company may get fail to get the talented employee in Chocola.
 Due to technical issue many times deserving candidates fail to get submit the right
answer, hence they get eliminated from the selection race (Jacobs, 2017).
Interview is another method of selection used by Chocola to get the right person on the
vacant post. Strength and weakness of this selection method is as described below:
Strength
 This is helpful in evaluating capability of person personally, as Hr of the company meet
with person and ask question.by this way knowledge and skill of candidate can be
measured and human resource manager can select the most deserving person in business.
 It is helpful in knowing the intention of applicant and knowing their retention purpose.
Fairness is another issue ,as sometimes HR selects the person who are relatives of
selection committee.
Weakness
 It is time consuming process.
 Company has to invest amount in conducting such interview sessions for all the
candidates (Milliman and Clair, 2017).
C) two improvement strategies
 Chocola should minimise biasness in selection process, there should be proper selection
board who evaluate skills of person, hence systematic interview process can be helpful in
getting the right person in business.
 Chocola should involve background checking aspect in selection process, so that actual
background of person can be cross checked and right candidate can be selected in
business.
SECTION 2
A) Person specification
Job advertisement:
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JOB ADVERTISERMENT
Job title: Receptionist
Report to: Administration head
Roles and responsibilities:
 Meeting with clients
 Booking meetings
 Completing paper work
 Answering of calls
Qualification:
 Graduated in any field
Job specification:
REQUIREMENT ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE
Education
Graduation in any field
MBA from recognised
university
yes
Yes
Experience
1 year experience in relevant
field
3 year experience
Yes
yes
Skills
Communicational skills
Problem solving skills
Motivational skills
Yes
Yes
Yes
Role and responsibilities
Meeting with clients Yes
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Booking meetings
Completing paper work
Answering of calls
Yes
Yes
yes
B) Current method of advertisement
Chocola has vacancy in company and in order to fill this vacant post, it is essential to
inform people about this post. For that enterprise is currently using noticeboard system. It places
detail of this post on noticeboard which is placed at external wall of company. Strength and
weakness of this method of advertisement is described as below:
Strength
 More experienced audience get targeted by this method, as skilled existing employees of
company can get to know about this post and they can inform their relatives those who
are capable to do that job. This make it easy for company to get new person in business.
 It is Effective hiring process, as Chocola can get best local person in the organisation, all
local candidates can get to know about this vacancy and they can apply for this post.
 It is cost effective method, as enterprise need not to invest much amount in advertisement
and also it is timesaving process.
Weakness
 Fewer people can get to know about this receptionist vacancy because it is placed in
company, hence only employees or few local candidates can get to know about it.
 Limited scope for applicants, as entity cannot target people from outside place.
C) Recommendation for effective advertisement method
In order to fill the post of receptionist Chocola should take assistance of its website and
social networking sites. By this way entity will be able to target mass audience. It can specify
requirement in person on its website which will help in getting resume of right person. Hence it
will help the organisation in conducting interview for the limited number of candidates and
selecting the most capable person in business unit.
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SECTION 3
A) Graduation training schemes and its benefit
Microsoft is the big firm that provides technological solutions, gadgets to mass audience. It
ensures that it serve the consumers well. For that it gives training to its staff in order to raise their
skills so that they can resolve complains of consumers greatly. Microsoft offer graduate training
schemes and internship to candidates.
Benefit for employer
 By this way Microsoft can get fresh talent, and entity can mould them asper company’s
requirement. if it hires experienced person then it became difficult for business to make
them able to work in their own company hence by giving graduate training schemes it
can get fresher’s and innovator those who can work better in business unit.
 These graduate people demand less salaries hence it is cost effective process for business
and reduces salary experience of the firm. When they get permanent in the firm then
entity increase their wages. through training process employees build a trust and loyalty
towards company and it enhances skills which is beneficial for company, as company
gets profits from more loyal employees and effective and productive employees (Kerzner,
2017).
Benefit for employee
 Candidates attend such kind of graduate training schemes or internship programs that
organised by Microsoft, they get to know about business practices and get experience of
working in a leading firm. It gives them chance to get selected in business and work hard
to gain success in this big firm.
 Employees also get income sources, as no big firm hires fresher’s but here graduate
people can get jobs part time or full till which is good from their career perspectives.
training sessions provide new and existing employees of Microsoft so that they can
enhance their skills and development (Gabutti and Morandi, 2019).it is also necessary for
employees to understand policy of company through learning process. it also creates
positive and learning environment which is necessary for development of employees.
B) Flexible working arrangement
Microsoft being a leading firm ensure that it employees feel motivated; hence it treats them
well. One of the major flexibility arrangement done by Microsoft is balancing personal and
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professional life of its employees. It gives time to staff by managing their leaves to spend time
with families. They give quality time to their friends and families. This thing motivates
employees and they become more energetic to work better in business unit. flexible work hours
are benefited for employees as Microsoft provides flexible working conditions so that employees
can maintain their personal life simultaneously with their professional life. for example, work
from home (Ştefănescu, 2015).
On other hand flexibility also gives benefit to Microsoft as well because company can save
its cost and can retain its talented people in business unit for longer duration. it raises morale of
employees as work from home keeps employees more happy and company can save money and
can recruit new employees.
C) Ways to motivate employees
 Microsoft should give incentives, bonuses to its workers whenever they do extra
work or spend extra time in the company. This makes them feel valued and they put
hard efforts to manage workload significantly. This thing fulfils requirements of
them and they become loyal towards Microsoft.
 Furthermore, company should give them option of job retention, by this way they
can get relaxed from monotonous job, this enhances their skills and they become
more effective which gives them more promotion or career development
opportunities. Hence this thing motivate them and they become more productive
towards the brand (Delery and Gupta, 2016). Microsoft can employees can enjoy
perks such as giving caregiver leaves, also offers discounts as well as services so that
they can save money for things they love also give generous vacation and also
holidays to spend time with family also they can pursue interest outside work.
SECTION 4
A) Employee engagement and their importance
Employee engagement is the process of building relationship with workers and making
them positive towards brand. Managing healthy relation is one of function of HRM. A healthy
relationship with employees is an essential task for success of organisation (Jamali, El Dirani and
Harwood, 2015). It can deal with resolve and avoiding issues and conflicts which are in concerns
of individual in firm. Following are importance of employees relations with influence of HRM
decision making:
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Reduce conflicts:
A healthy relationship between employees in organisation creates effective and better
environment in firm which leads to reduces conflicts and misunderstandings among employees
and employer too (Ganotra, 2018). It can be influence decision making of HRM through HR of
Microsoft has to make effective strategies to maintain better relationships in business unit.
Facilitates easy adaptability:
Better relationship in employees facilitates easy adaptability of any change in
organisation such as technological changes, change in policies etc. (Ştefănescu, 2015). In many
businesses workforces are resits to change in environment of firm if there is a better and effective
relationship in between organisation and its employees, than manpower supports to each other to
working with new technology which reduces resistance in changes. If workforces help to each
other HRM of Microsoft need not looking for ways to manipulation ways of employees and with
give them proper training and support employees can easily adapts changes in organisation.
Creates employee’s loyalty:
Employees with good relation may increase loyalty toward work. Relationships
encourages loyal workforces (Laudon and Laudon, 2016). It can improve retention of workers in
firm and motivates them to stay in organisation as long lasting, which has impacts on decision
making of HRM of Microsoft, if employees were stay in organisation than HR need not to
recruiting new workforce which leads to benefit in training of new employees and explaining
them firm's culture which leads to reduces in cost of job advertisements and recruitment selection
process.
B) Key approaches of employee engagement
C) Employment legislation
Employee legislation plays some limits on firms to hire and termination of worker (Jacobs,
2017).. Some of laws that are including in employment legislation acts are given below:
Health and safety law:
This law is enacted in 1970. It ensures employer provide safer working environment to
all its workers. This law is protection net for those worker who works in unsafe conditions in
firm. This law states that a company should provide proper training to employee for any harmful
job in workplace. It might impact on human resources department of business they are require to
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maintain documentation of all tools which are hazardous in use of manpower and have to make
report on injuries and death case occurs in organisation (Kerzner, 2017). It impacts on decision
making of HRM because HR or firm have to makes new policies regarding according to law and
they have to make sure that Laws are adapted in company. It impacts on training development
decisions because now HR has to conduct training for workers to make them aware with training
measures and safety measures (Milliman and Clair, 2017).
Anti discrimination law:
This law is enacted in 1964 which motive is to remove discrimination in organisations.
According to this law, recruiters may not discriminate employees on basis of their religion,
colour, gender, nationality and so on. This law has been applied on organisation with have more
than 15 employees who works each and every day for at least 20 weeks in financial year
(Wickens and et.al., 2015). It is rooted to principle of equality; particular individual should not
be treated equally in organisation. It can impact HRM decisions, they have to make decision like
recruitment and selection on basis of this law. HR have to make sure that this law must be
followed in organisation and there is no discrimination in firm while selection of candidates. It
impacts on payroll and reward decision of the firm, as now enterprise has to give equal salaries
to all its staff members so that all people can contribute equally (Hassan, 2016).
Equal pay act:
HR of company have to make sure that there is equal wage rate system in organisation
(Arnaboldi, Lapsley and Steccolini, 2015). It impacts HRM due to they have to make analysis of
market wage rates and ensure specific rate should be provided to all workers for this they have to
adopt law in firm and makes new policies regarding equal wage rate system. It impacts on salary,
promotion, reward decision of human resource manager because now firm has to ensure each
person get equal pay asper their contribution in business (Milliman and Clair, 2017).
CONCLUSION
From the above study it can be concluded that Human resources management is most
essential for organisation. function of HRM is discuses in brief which are planning, organising,
staffing, directing and controlling over activities. This report provides recruitment and selection
approaches and its strength and weaknesses. approaches are internal recruitment and external
recruitment. Further report is summarised essential HRM practices with its benefits to employees
and employer of Microsoft and also provides .various HRM practices that can help in increases
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in profitability of organisation. above study is on employees relation and its impact on HRM
decision making, it is essential because it reduce conflicts in organisation and facilitates easy
adaptability. Further report has brief discussion on employment legislation laws i.e. health and
safety law, anti- discrimination law and equal pay act and having an example of a specific HRM
practices.
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REFERENCES
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Jacobs, R.L., 2017. Knowledge work and human resource development. Human Resource
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Jamali, D.R., El Dirani, A.M. and Harwood, I.A., 2015. Exploring human resource management
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Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J.P., 2016. Management information system. Pearson Education
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Milliman, J. and Clair, J., 2017. Best environmental HRM practices in the US. In Greening
People. (pp. 49-73). Routledge.
Ştefănescu, A., 2015. Employment Law and Human Resource Management-Necessity of
Occupation of Human Resource Expert. Jurnalul de Studii Juridice. 10(1-2).
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Wickens, C.D and et.al., 2015. Engineering psychology and human performance. Psychology
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