HRM Report: Analysis of HR Practices at Chocolate Presence & Microsoft

This report delves into the Human Resource Management practices of Chocolate Presence and Microsoft, covering a range of topics. It begins with an introduction to HRM, emphasizing its role in achieving business objectives. The report then analyzes the purpose and importance of HR functions, focusing on staffing, compensation, and development. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of Chocolate Presence's current selection methods and proposes potential improvements. The report also includes a person specification for a receptionist role and evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of current job advertisement methods. Furthermore, it explores the benefits of training schemes for both employers and employees, identifies arrangements and their benefits, and evaluates methods for motivating the workforce and designing job roles. The report concludes by defining employee engagement, discussing key approaches to engage workers, and outlining the key elements of UK legislation and their influence on HR decisions.

Human Resource
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ..........................................................................................................................................1
A) Purpose and Importance of HR function...........................................................................1
B) Strengths and weaknesses of the current selection methods used by the organization.....3
C) Potential improvements that could be made by Chocolate Presence to enhance its selection
process....................................................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
A) Person specification for receptionist.................................................................................5
B) Advantages and disadvantages of current method of job advertisement..........................6
C) Recommendations for job advertisement at Chocolate Presence for receptionist............7
PART 2............................................................................................................................................8
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
A) Benefits of training schemes to both employer and employee..........................................8
B) Identification of arrangements and its benefits to Microsoft and employee's...................9
C) Evaluation of methods to motivate workforce and designing job roles..........................10
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................12
A) Meaning of employee engagement and its importance in maintaining effective relation12
B) Key approaches to engage workers and how to communicate them at workplace.........12
C) Key elements of UK legislation by explaining its influence on HR decisions...............13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management refers to managing, planning, organising business
personnel which helps to achieve business objectives in effective and efficient manner
(Alfes and et. al., 2013). Employees are one of the core asset which perform operations
in front of employees to provide them best services. This management helps to perform
operations according to necessity and demand of consumers. Managers of association
has to plan according to the need of human resource which is significant for performing
business operations properly. In order to collect work force for organisation, there is
demand of proper planning which helps to get best candidates for the post. This report
is based on Chocolate presence and Microsoft. This report covers purpose and scope
of Human resource management, its key elements. Apart from this it also covers
importance of employee relation which affects decision making, legal laws and
regulations and at last human resource management practices in work context.
PART 1
TASK 1
A) Purpose and Importance of HR function
The human resources management can be defined as an essential function for
an organisation which helps in managing the workforce in the organisation to enhance
the business activities and to increase the competitive advantage in the business
environment. The human resource management process is specially related to proper
management of the administration activities of an organisation. The functions of human
resource management used in the chocolate presence to attain the set goals are as
follows:
 Staffing- The main function of human resource management in an organisation
is hiring of employees to accomplish the business task for chocolate presence in
the market. The intention behind this activity is to attract ample amount of
candidates to apply for the vacant job in Chocolate Presence. Staffing process
assist in partitioning the issues faced by the organisation and aid in recruiting the
appropriate candidate for the job.
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 Compensation and performance management- Compensation is the
operation which is initiated with the purpose of attracting workers in regard to the
business activities as it will benefit the employees to the satisfactory and even-
handed compensation for their share of work in the organisation (Bakker and
Demerouti, 2014). Performances of the workers should be examined in good
order to eliminate the issues occurring in chocolate presence. Great workers in
the organisation automatically effect in raising the quality of the organisation
products in the market.
 Development- Other function of human resource management concerns in
giving appropriate training and development programmes to the workers of the
organisation for the effectual exercise of their skills and abilities, and it will lead
to eradicate the issues faced by the chocolate presence in the market.
Importance of the HR functions
 Strategic management- It is the main function of the human resource
management to succeed in fulfilling the need of human resources in the
organisation. Chocolate presence is dealing with the trouble regarding the quality
of the products they are offering in the market to their customers. The reason for
this difficulty is due to deficiency of proper administration of resources. The
strategic management will work in order to wipe out the issues of the
organisation and will assist Chocolate presence in rising the quality of the
products (Bratton and Gold, 2017).
 Wages and salaries- Chocolate presence is dealing with one more issue that is
related to the employees turnover in the organisation. The issues faced is related
to matter of wages and salaries among the employees. Solving these issues is
also very important function of human resource management in the organisation.
The HR manager is liable to discuss the concerned issues with the employees
and is required to solve it in time. All this will help in eradicating the issues from
the organisation and it will not affect the productivity of the business activities.
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As Chocolate Presence is dealing by a rough patch as the organisation is facing
issues in the quality of the product, employees turnover and lack of fairness in the
selection method opted by the organisation. To eliminate these issues, it is necessary
to create a decent communication channel with the workers and to examine the reasons
which leads the employee to leave the company (Briscoe, Tarique and Schuler, 2012).
Human resource management is needed to evaluate these issues and should find ways
to resolve the concerned issue by increasing the salaries of the employees. . The
company needs to improve the communication channels within the organisation to solve
the issues related to the employees and it needs to make needed changes in the
production department to improve the quality of the products with all the required
resources. The company is also liable to form a proper selection committee to organise
the selection process in appropriate manner.
B) Strengths and weaknesses of the current selection methods used by the organization
A selection process is initiated by the chocolate presence to hire the employees
in the organisation and the process includes assessment test which consists of two
sections of English comprehension and Maths. The applying candidates are required to
obtain 50% marks to pass the test and only then they are eligible for the next round
which is, direct interview. The assessment test is set in order to acquire the basic
knowledge a candidate possess and the interview round is to analyse the specific
knowledge regarding the job profile a candidate has. The assessment test has some
strengths and weaknesses which are as follows:
Strengths
 This selection method is considered as essential way as it aids the organisation
to employee the appropriate candidates for the job by analysing the knowledge
and behaviour of the candidates with the help of assessment test (Buller and
McEvoy, 2012).
 Interview round is assistive as it supplies chances to the interviewer to develop
the questions as per the requirement of the vacant job. It instantly helps in
identifying the ability and behaviour of the candidate as the candidate will be
suitable for the job or not.
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Weaknesses
 The weakness that can be evaluated form this selection process is that decent
investigation of skills and ability is not observed as it is not possible to judge
anyone fully in the time period of 15 minutes.
 The assessment test is also facing issues related to the lack of transparency in
the examination process and it is also evaluated that interview rounds are
conducted with the practise of unfair means.
There can be situations when the interviewer forgets to ask the crucial questions
from the candidates, which will result in inappropriate knowledge about the candidate
skills and abilities. It will consequence in selecting a candidate who is not appropriate
for the job (Campbell, Coff and Kryscynski, 2012). To face this, it is required by an
interviewer to be absorbed and fully aware about the procedure requirements.
C) Potential improvements that could be made by Chocolate Presence to enhance its
selection process.
Chocolate presence is dealing with problems in their selection process and they
are required to take some steps to remove the problems. The steps to improve this
operation are as follows:
 The problems which the company was dealing with was related to the unfair
practices occurring in the selection process of candidates by the HR manager
and it was found that the manager of chocolate presence was giving preferences
to the candidates in the interview round. So, the company is required to take
proper measures to improve this process by making the interview round formal
procedure in which the higher bodies of the organisation should also take part
and the proceedings should be conducted with utmost loyalty and the entire
round should focus on managerial skills of the aspirant.
 Some other measures are also need to be included like mock test in the
examination process for the candidates (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2017). This test
should be formulated according to the demand of the vacant position in the
organisation. It will assist the administration to judge the ability and knowledge of
the candidate in a settled manner. This procedure should be thoughtful by the
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Chocolate Presence as it will aid in hiring the suitable candidate for the desired
job.
TASK 2
A) Person specification for receptionist
Person specification refers to the legal document which defines knowledge,
quality, skill and abilities required at specific job position. There are different aspects
which is covered in job specification such as education, desired skills, essential skills,
work experience, etc. which helps to perform business operations to get maximum
outcome. Job specification is essential because it provides complete information which
are required by individuals (Clark and et. al., 2016). With person specification,
managers of Chocolate Presence are able to understand about skills which are required
in candidate for the post of receptionist. Hence with job description important
information about candidate can be judged and it is easy to take decision whether to
select or reject candidate. Person specification for receptionist at Chocolate Presence is
discussed as under-
Person Specification
Post: Receptionist
Department: Administration
Reporting to: Administration Manager
Attributes Essential Desirable
Qualification &
Experience
Person must pass
graduation with at-least
60% marking criteria. Have
experience of 1 year at the
post of receptionist.
Masters in hotel course.
Experience of working in
reputed firm is most
preferred.
Skills or Knowledge Individual must have good
written and speaking skills
to communicate with
IT skills are important and
mandatory which are
required while collecting
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customers in person and
telephonic communication.
data from different
departments and external
parties.
Should be able to perform
multiple task.
Have good communication
skills.
B) Advantages and disadvantages of current method of job advertisement
Managers of Chocolate Presence use two main methods to fill vacancy in their
organisation. This includes filling with the help of internal parties such as with existing
employees and by posting notice at entrance of organisation. These are the ways
through which managers of Chocolate Presence fill their vacant positions (Daley, 2012).
There are some advantages as well as disadvantage of these methods which is
discussed as under-
Internally within the organisation
This is the method in which internal employees of Chocolate Presence are
preferred to place at vacant position. As per this method, HR manager has to analyse
skills, quality, knowledge, experience of each individual and then individual with
desirable skills is placed at designation.
Advantages Disadvantages
This method is cheap and less costly
which is cost effective for Chocolate
Presence.
As per this method, there is limited choice
to select individuals. So managers have to
analyse skills of existing workforce.
As per this method, vacant seats can be
filled quickly which helps to reduce
possibilities of delay in working operations
(Jackson, Schuler and Jiang, 2014).
There comes a feeling of internal
competition among the employees of the
company which is a reason for their
demotivation.
With internal recruitment, it is easy for Existing employees have same
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managers to engage them in work
because they are aware about working
style, culture of association.
knowledge, so it is tough to make changes
in working style.
Posting notice at entrance of organisation
In this method, there is formal notice carrying information about requirements
and vacant position within organisation. Through this people who visit Chocolate
Presence regularly or who are visiting nearby area of association may get knowledge
about the available vacancy(Jiang and et. al., 2012). There are some advantage and
disadvantages of this method which is discussed as under-
Advantages Disadvantages
This method is less costly as compared to
other method and preferable for the
position which are not so crucial for
Chocolate Presence (Purce, 2014).
This method is time consuming and
possibilities that most of the potential
candidates may not get aware about
vacancy in association.
As per this method, there is admission of
skilled individual who have fresh
knowledge about recent changes.
Individual selected with this method may
not able to understand working style and
culture of Chocolate Presence, so they
may leave organisation or take much time
to adjust with the business environment.
C) Recommendations for job advertisement at Chocolate Presence for receptionist
These days, there are different methods such as social media, employment
agencies, campus recruitment, etc. to select individual having desired skills, qualities,
experience which is important for making changes according for vacant position. With
these methods, best candidate can be placed in organisation and this helps managers
of Chocolate Presence to concentrate on their core business operations. It is
recommended to managers of Chocolate Presence to select individual with the help of
employment agencies and social media sites (Jiang and et. al., 2012).
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 With the help of social media sites such as LinkedIn, official website of Chocolate
Presence will help the company because there are more number of candidates to
apply for the job which will increase the number of choices to choose from them.
When some vacancy arise in organisation HR manager has to advertise vacancy
of receptionist. This helps to provide information to more and more individuals
which helps to get more opportunity for selecting and recruiting candidates, so
best among them can be selected.
 Second method is employment agencies. In this method, Chocolate Presence
contract with different employment agencies to get sorted individuals. As there
are many candidates which prefer to be part of organisation. Hence in this case,
HR manger gets cream candidates, so it is easy to select best among them
(Johnson, Schnatterly and Hill, 2013).
PART 2
TASK 3
A) Benefits of training schemes to both employer and employee
Training is the process which is used to enhance knowledge of workers in
relation to assigned job roles. As these days, changes are taking place in external
environment with rapid speed, so it is essential for Microsoft to enhance knowledge of
workers. This helps individuals to perform operations in effective and relevant manner.
Technological changes, replacement of new equipment’s, etc. are changes which take
place in Microsoft, then this is fruitful for performance of overall association. Hence
training places important role these days in improving performance of workforce.
Training is beneficial for employee as well as employer in different ways such as
improving quality of working, use of new techniques, etc.
Benefits for employees
Job satisfaction- When individual is getting opportunity of being learned, then
they are satisfied with their job (Kehoe and Wright, 2013). As there is improvement in
their knowledge, so they are satisfied with policies of work place. As there are many
changes which are taking place in external market, so employee want to learn new
techniques which is relevant for their skill development.
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Increment in confidence- As per training of workers, they are satisfied and
confident in performing their work. This boost their morale and this ease in performing
operations in best and significant manner. Microsoft has many employees, so workers
are able to represent themselves in front of external market.
Benefits of employer
Possibilities of less mistakes- With training of workers, there are less
possibilities of mistakes at work place which is significant for cost and time
effectiveness. By providing training to workers, they are able to analyse demand of
client. This helps to provide satisfaction to consumers.
Greater productivity- With the help of training of workforce, there is positive
impact on productivity of organisation. When training is provided to workers, then they
are able to learn new techniques and implement same to their working style. This helps
to get uniformity in business operations and workers are aware about their role and
responsibilities (Kim, 2012).
Hence from the above discussion, it is clear that training program organise by
managers of Microsoft is significant for organisation as well as employees. When
workers are satisfied, then they perform operations according to requirement of client.
This helps to make long term relations with consumers and profitability can also be
improved (Pieper, 2012).
B) Identification of arrangements and its benefits to Microsoft and employee's
Microsoft is the organisation which is leading in IT software providing services in
all over the world. As there are many employees, which provides services to clients on
the behalf of company, so it is essential to analyse their demand, this motivates them to
remain in organisation and perform operations in best and relevant manner. Human
Resource manager of Microsoft has some arrangements which provides satisfaction to
employees at workplace (Pieper, 2012). This helps to maintain long term relations with
workers. These are discussed as under-
Plan for future-
There are different arrangements which helps employees of Microsoft to keep
their future safe. Some of the strategies are under-
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