HRM Report: Analysis of HR Practices at Virgin Group

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices within the Virgin Group, a UK-based multinational corporation. The report begins with an introduction to the core functions of HR, including workforce planning, recruitment and selection, training and development, and performance management. It then delves into the specific roles and responsibilities of the HR department in talent acquisition and meeting business objectives. The report examines the approaches to workforce planning, recruitment, and selection, as well as the development of training and reward systems within the organization. A case study example is provided to examine different methods used in HR practices. The report also explores strategies to improve employee relationships and engagement, aiming to position Virgin Group as an employer of choice. Furthermore, it discusses key employment legislation and its influence on decision-making and business objectives. The report also analyzes the application of HRM-related operations, including the use of technology, online resources, and social media in the recruitment and selection process. Finally, the report concludes with a summary of the key findings and recommendations for improving HRM practices within the Virgin Group.

Human Resource
Management

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1. Purpose and key roles or responsibilities of HR function for talent acquiring and meeting
business objectives......................................................................................................................1
2. Approach of workforce planning, recruitment and selection, development and training
performance management and reward system............................................................................2
3. Case study example to examine different methods used in HR practices...............................3
4. Approaches to improve effectiveness of employee relationship and engagement measures
that will help Virgin group to become employer of choice........................................................4
5. Key employment legislation within organisation...................................................................5
6. How employee relation and legislation will influence decision making and business
objective......................................................................................................................................6
TASK 2 ...........................................................................................................................................6
7 Application of HRM related operations...................................................................................6
8. Analyse usage of technology, online resources, digital platforms and social media
networking on improving the recruitment and selection process for Virgin Group...................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Human resource is blood and soul for an organisation that helps the organization to
perform its operations and other functions in most effective way. The work force planning is one
of the most important and significant aspect of the organisation. Hence, The HRM department of
an organisation is required to see through proper assessment of carrying out business operations
and other actions. The present report is been analysed in reference to UK based MNC, Virgin
Group.
This assessment will cover the roles and responsibilities of HR and its functions are been
taken in consideration by the firm. It helps the organisation to manage the business operations.
Approaches of work force planning, recruitment and selection, development and training and
reward system is taken. Different practices of HR and effectiveness of employee relation is
managed with assessment of employment legislation. Other than this, application of HRM
practices is used with assessment on utilization of technology and digital platforms and social
networking for recruitment process.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
1. Purpose and key roles or responsibilities of HR function for talent acquiring and meeting
business objectives
The HR functions have a very crucial and significant role in the setting up of the policies
and action plans that will help in proper assessment of the operations that will help in gaining the
good control over the work force (Cascio, 2015).
The major purpose of HR functions is related to workforce planning and performs
operations related to it like staffing, provide training, performance management and following
employment laws that helps an organisation or MNC like Virgin Group to maintain a good
relation with their work force. This will help in improving the employee relation with the
organisation in a significant manner.
Some major roles and responsibilities of HR functions within an MNC like Virgin Group
are:
 Hiring and recruiting: this is the most prior and crucial role of HR within an
organisation. They seek application, provide job details, perform screening and take
interviews that help the organisation to get accessibility to skilled and qualified labour
1

and help in performing the operations of the organisation in most effective way (Bratton
and Gold, 2017).
 Training and development: Once the candidates are been recruited within the firm, it is
HR’s duty to inform them about companies policy and train them as per their job role.
This will help in developing a positive bonding between the organisation and new
recruits along with guidance for performing their duties effectively (Wright, 2018).
 Providing compensation and benefits: The HR within Virgin Group will look after the
proper management of the compensation and other additional benefits like appraisal,
monetary hike etc. In order to improve the performance of man power and engaging them
in the operations of the enterprise, this functional role is required to be managed by the
organisation.
 Maintain the payrolls: HR at Virgin Group will also manage the Payroll system. They
will help in proper assessment of the payroll system that will help to keep a check on the
expenses and gains related to employees. Salaries and other financial functions are been
kept under check that helps the organisation and its HR department to maintain the
performance.
 Performance management: As the employees will be performing within Virgin Group,
The HR will also see through the monitoring of their performance in order to have good
idea about the operations that are been carried out at the work place and provide proper
appraisal or rewards in order to encourage them for performing well (Noe and et.al.,
2017).
All these operations and actions plans related to functionality of the Virgin Group and
thus will help the organisation to acquire suitable talent for the operations within the firm.
2. Approach of workforce planning, recruitment and selection, development and training
performance management and reward system
Within an organisation like Virgin Group, the HR department will carry out a wide range
of operations that helps business enterprise to improve overall performance within the firm in
most effective way. These operations will lead the enterprise to perform their functions and
guides employees to carry out their job roles in most effective way. It also helps in carrying out
the services and meeting the functional needs in most effective and suitable way. Some major
approaches of the HR operations that are been carried out within the organisation are:
2

Workforce planning: This is the operation which is been carried out within the
organisation that will help in proper assessment of the employees and monitoring their needs to a
greater extent. It helps to manage the needs and requirements of the employees and fulfilling
them to improve their satisfaction level. For instance, The HR department of Virgin Group will
keep a check on job related requirements of their work force and develop a suitable strategy
accordingly in order to carry out the operations in most effective and suitable manner (DeCenzo,
Robbins and Verhulst, 2016).
Recruitment and selection: As this is the most important function of HR department,
effective and suitable planning of the operations is important that will help in maintain the
workforce within organisation. The HR department of Virgin Group will follow effective
measures that will help in proper carrying out of placements within selected MNC. For example,
Virgin Group will look after the proper assessment of the requirements within the firm,
developing suitable job role and selecting out the best and most effective talents to work upon
the operations and thus will help in carrying out the placement process.
Development and training: Once the candidates are been recruited and placed within the
organisation, they are further trained in order to get settled in the environment of the work place
and responsibilities of job. The measure of on the job and off the job training measures that are
been taken within the consideration will help Virgin Group to carry out their operations and
other facilities and activities in an effective way. It will also help in meeting the operational
goals and objectives of the organisation.
Performance management and reward system: The HR department of Virgin Group
will look after the proper planning of the operations and actions that will help in proper
assessment of the effectiveness of job role performed by an individual employee (Brewster and
Hegewisch, 2017). An employee that will be performing well will be monitored by the HR
executives and provided with suitable reward or appraisal by the firm. This encourages
workforce to perform well and give their best in order to improve their performance and will lead
to carrying out of the training measures within workplace.
3. Case study example to examine different methods used in HR practices
In the recent time, Virgin Group has been facing many issues relate to the management of
its operations and work force that which has influenced performance of selected organisation.
The most significant issue has been of employee turnover that has caused HR department and
3

management of Virgin Group to take effective and suitable measures that will help in carrying
out the operations in an effective way.
Some of the major steps that will be taken by the HR department of the organisation in
order to counter the issues of employee turnaround are:
 Hiring the right people: The HR department of organisation will look after the effective
recruitment of skilled and well behaving employees. They will be support in planning of
the operations which helps in gaining a good idea about the measures that will be taken
by the management of Virgin Group. This will also help in improving the employee
relationship and engagement in most effective way (Popescu, Comanescu and Sabie,
2016).
 Offering effective pays and benefits: Proper appraisal and rewards can be given to
employees in order to reduce employee turnaround. It will help in improving their
satisfaction level and loyalty towards the firm. It also leads to proper rise in the employee
satisfaction and will guide them to give their best within organisation.
 Providing flexible work hours: One of the major reasons behind the employee
turnaround is lack of self time or work life balance. In such condition, Virgin Group can
opt for flexible working hours that will help employees to work freely without any
tension and increase their relationship and engagement with the firm.
 Carrying out effective communication: This measure will help management of Virgin
Group to identify the issues faced by the employees in order to support in improving the
overall performance and carrying out of the rectification measures that assist in
controlling employee turn over from Virgin Group.
4. Approaches to improve effectiveness of employee relationship and engagement measures that
will help Virgin group to become employer of choice
Various approaches of improving the effectiveness of employee relationship and
improving their involvement and engagement within the organisation that will help in carrying
out of the operations that will help the organisation to carry out the operations and thus, will lead
the organisation to have a high level of satisfaction level at the workplace (Kakar, Raziq and
Khan 2017). The employee engagement and good relationship will support the proper and
suitable growth of the organisation this will help in enhancing the overall performance of the
4

organisation. This will help Virgin group to emerge as the employer of choice in the most
effective and significant manner.
Besides this, various internal factors of employee engagement is required to be monitored that
will help in carrying out of the operation which will help in setting up of the proper meeting of
criteria. It includes the following factors:
 Employee communication: Effective communication measures related to becoming
employer of the choice which will help in setting up of an effective communication and
meeting the requirements and criteria.
 Employee engagement: Including the work force in various activities like decision
making or policy framing will increase their trust level towards the firm and helps the
organisation to evolve as an employer of choice.
 Maintaining fairness: handling the work force with equal standards and in a unbiased
manner will help in improving their trust level and support the organisation to become a prefered
employer.
Some of the major and most effective approaches that can be undertaken within the
organisation for improvement of employee relationship and engagement measures are:
 Improving employee’s confidence level: This will help improving the performance of
the work force within Virgin Group (Mura and et.al., 2017). This will help in setting up
of a mindset that they can perform their job role in an effective way.
 Enhancing work place environment: This will help in meeting the operational and
psychological requirements of an employee within selected MNC. The work place
politics, gossiping and other stressful factors will impact an employee’s performance,
leading to his turn around.
 Dispute resolution: Resolving any sort of conflict will help in improving the work
efficiency and support a rise in productivity of the organisation.
All these measure will help in improving the image of organisation in most effective way.
It enhances the performance of the organisation and thus, supports the company to become
“employer of choice”.
5. Key employment legislation within organisation
Virgin Group is required to follow out certain legal obligations that will guide the
organisation to improve the performance of the organisation in very effective way (Aisbett and
5

Hoye, 2015). Some major employment legislation measures that can be undertaken within Virgin
Group are:
 Employee Rights Act, 1996: It guides the organisation to maintain the rights of
employees within work place. The number of hours, having proper working equipments
and getting appropriate wages are few factors, required to be looked after by the
organisation.
 Health and Safety at workplace, 1974: It will help in ensuring proper working
conditions with suitable health and safety measures that are been taken in consideration
by a firm. Virgin Group is required to follow all the safety and health care standards that
are been set within the organisation.
 National minimum wages act, 2017: This will guide the enterprises to set the minimal
wage for a job role so that the workers can work without any sort of discrimination or
indifference. This will help in improving the satisfaction level of employees (Baum,
2015).
 Equality act, 2010: This legal obligation will look after the proper maintenance of
equality at work place in order to carrying out the operations in most effective way. It
prevents any sort of discrimination on basis of gender, nationality, race and religion
(Employment & Labour law, 2018).
6. How employee relation and legislation will influence decision making and business objective
The employee relation and legislation measures will play a significant role in influencing
the decision making of the organisation to a greater extent. This will help in proper assessment of
operational and employee needs that can impact their turn around and overall performance of the
organisation in an effective way. A good relationship of the organization with planning of
workforce needs and following the legal obligation will assist Virgin Group to develop proper
work environment. A good employee relationship will enhance the connectivity of the
employees with the organisation and lead to development of suitable policies which will help in
meeting their targeted goals and operations (Kaiser and et.al., 2015). The effective analysis and
developing the proper work policies and operations which are been carried out by the
organisation, on the basis of different legislations described above will support a positive rise in
operations which will help in increasing the quality of operations undertaken by the firm.
6

The policy making and carrying of operations will lead the organisation to handle their
operation, having high level of performance and meeting operational needs of the Virgin Group
in an effective way. This will help in meeting the operational needs of the organisation and thus
will guide the management of Virgin Group to meet its business objectives. The employee
welfare and employment regulations that arte been carried out at the work place will help the
organisation to set suitable guidelines which will help in meeting the operational factors and thus
will guide the organisation to make suitable decisions and achieve its business objectives.
Besides this, it will help in carrying out the risk assessment which will help in improving the
services or other operations that leads to setting up of proper work environment that will improve
the quality of services and facilities provided to their work force and improving their efficiency.
TASK 2
7 Application of HRM related operations
Job description for the post of HR executive
Job Role: HR executive at Virgin Group, London
Reporting To: HR manager, Virgin Group, London
Job overview: To look after all the Human resource related operations that are been carried out
at Virgin Group, London. Besides this, supporting in policy making and gaining the operations of
the firm.
Roles and responsibilities:
 To support in recruitment and selection process that are been carried out at the
organisation.
 Arranging proper training and development measures that are been carried out at Virgin
Group, London.
 Following different legal obligations and operations that will help in enhancing the work
place condition at Virgin Group, London.
 To manage the conflicts and queries of employees at work place.
 To help in devising proper policies and decision making that will help in carrying out
different operations at the workplace.
Qualification:
 Masters in HRM
 Basic English communication (Oral and Written)
7

 Basic IT proficiency
 Must have good soft skills
Person specification
Traits and qualities Essential / Desirable
Communication skills English communication
(Oral)
English communication
(Written)
Third Language (French,
Spanish etc. )
Essential
Essential
Desirable
Professional skills  Knowledge about
HR operations and
functions.
 Knowledge about
Employee and
employment laws.
 Conflict resolution
skills.
 Can communicate
policies and
guidelines to
employees.
 Able to form a
team or group at
work place
Essential
Essential
Desirable
Desirable
Desirable
IT skills Able to use IT tools and
software’s.
Must have good
telecommunication skills.
Essential
Essential
8

Interview Question
 What are your strengths and weaknesses?
 Where do you see yourself after 5 years?
 What makes you the most appropriate candidate for the proposed job role?
 How would you add value to this proposed job profile?
LinkedIn BASED CV's
9

Job offer letter
10