An Examination of HRM Practices at Woolworths Supermarket: A Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the human resource management (HRM) practices at Woolworths Supermarket. The report is divided into two parts. Part I examines Woolworths' recruitment strategies, staff management, performance evaluation systems, employee engagement initiatives, safety measures, and strategies for employee retention. It highlights the company's approach to recruiting and inducting new staff, managing staff performance, identifying high performers, ensuring staff safety, and encouraging employees to stay with the organization. Part II offers recommendations for improving HRM practices, focusing on addressing employee turnover, salary structures, training and development programs, performance management systems, and organizational structure. The report emphasizes the importance of aligning HRM practices with organizational outcomes and creating a positive work environment. The report concludes that the role of human resource department is vital within the organization as it facilitates to increase the productivity of the employee.

Running Head: Woolworths Supermarket 1
Human Resource Management

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Part I.................................................................................................................................................4
Part II...............................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
The report is made on Woolworths Supermarket to undertake an examination and evaluation
regarding the HRM practices and policies present in that organisation. Woolworths has become
the wider supermarket chain in Australia that have 31% market share (Arli, Dylke, Burgess,
Campus and Soldo, 2013). This report is distinguished in two parts in which first part will
describe the managing way of recruitment and staff within the organization by the operation of
the company. The second part will define that how the company can better structure its HRM
practices and policies to move forwards employee performance and organisational outcomes.

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Part I
Recruits and inducts new staff
The company has customer centric approach in which it wants to involve skilled employees
within the operation to provide the satisfied services to the customers. The human resource
department of the company encourage candidates online by Corporate WOW Careers website. It
has more than 115,000 employees that are managed by HRM of the company in an efficient
manner (Arli, Dylke, Burgess, Campus and Soldo, 2013). The main aim of company is to treat
candidates with consideration and courtesy along with the fairness. Woolworths abides by
various acts such as Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination legislations that
are essential throughout the process. The company recruits on the basis of merit to ensure that
skilled person is opted for the job. The personal information is kept by company in an efficient
manner.
Manages Staff performance and Engagement
The company has efficient talent and performance management systems where the employees of
the company are analyzed on the basis of current skills they have. This system permits the
management along with the employees to communicate as they endeavour to fill the gap in skills.
The company involves its employee in making decisions so that they understand their values in
the view of the company (Cummings, et. al., 2015). The purpose of the company is to increase the job
satisfaction by amplifying the employee participation. Training and development programs are
used by it to increase the productivity of the employees.
Identifies and advances high performing staff

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The Woolworths is involved in giving rewards to them who has high performance within the
organization. Managers of the company recognize the deserving candidate as per the
performance and give rewards on frequent occasion. The award connects entire employees of the
company in choosing the winner. This strategy motivates other employees to fulfil the target and
attain the same fate in upcoming awards. There is other high performance award which is the
Annual CEO award that is provided not only to the individuals but also to the groups (Arli, et.
al., 2013).
Ensures that staff operate safely
It has been analysed that the concerns towards the safety of Woolworth is little. However, safety
is considered as the concern in major areas such as handlers of electric appliance, drivers and
staffs who working in stores. There is a specific rules and regulations in the company that are
necessary to follow such as drivers are not supposed to drive beyond the certain limit of speed
and influence of alcohol or drugs (Johnston, Stafford, Pierce and Daube, 2017). There are fire
extinguisher, emergency exit and trained staff in case of any emergency. Proactive gear is given
to them who handle the work of electricity.
Encourages staff to stay at the organisation
Woolworths has effective strategy to motivate staff to stay at the organization. It is popular
company that are known by everyone. The company can encourage the employees to stay in the
organization by providing the provision of career development chances by encouraging
employees within its ranks (Birdi, et. al., 2008). The employees of the company are also given

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number of advantages such as retirement, educational assistance, discounts, disability benefits,
funding and healthcare plans.
Resolves disputes and/or negotiates pay and benefits
The company recruits employee as per the requirement of job profile and pay them according to
their skills. However, the company has faced numerous challenges regarding pay but it has been
resolved with the help of efficient decision making process of human resource department of the
company (Katou and Budhwar, 2010).

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Part II
The management of Woolworths can define various concerns in order to improve the practices of
HRM. The objective of this improvement is to make sure that the management of the company
deal effectively with the surfeit turnover that happens in its stores. The management of the
company can offer the attractive salary packages to the employees for retaining the customers.
According to Chen and Huang, (2009), it is vital for the companies to retain and satisfy its
employee to compare the salary structure with other companies. Along with that the HRM
department should enlarge the various opportunities that are utilized by the company in
promoting the jobs. Enhancement the avenues of the advertising means that the company will
create a centre of attraction to large pool of employees. Subsequently, the job description of the
employee should be defined in an efficient manner. It has been analyzed that the employees of
the company can do perform in well proficient manner if they get proper training and
development program (Kehoe and Wright, 2013). By delegating the responsibilities as per the
having skills of the employee can increase the productivity of the staffs towards performing the
job. Leaders should be motivated to accept the transformational leadership style to make sure
that they can manage the people and bind the talent of the staff in sophisticated way (Birdi, et.
al., 2008).
The motivation of the employee is vital for the organization increase the revenues. As per
Briscoe, Tarique and Schuler, (2012), the HRM department is entirely reliable towards
enhancing the motivation of the employee to improve the performance of them. The department
should not concentrate on the monetary based motivation as it should concentrate on effective
ways of encouraging employees. The role of training and development is huge in the

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organization as it facilitates leaders in the context of how to motivate and coach the employee by
transformational leadership. There should be criteria within the company to provide other
facilities such as discount coupons on specific medical services and food services, cafeteria
facilities and better parking facilities. These will motivate the employees to commit with the
company (Albrecht, Bakker, Gruman, Macey, and Saks, 2015).
It has been found that the performance management of Woolworth is underdeveloped. It is
essential for the management of the company to enlarge the performance appraisal system that
must be executed semi-annually or annually to aloe the company decides a number of gaps that
remain in the relation of the employees’ skills (Kehoe and Wright, 2013). There should be better
planning of training and development program within the organization regarding safety concerns,
how to handle the customers, customer satisfaction, stock handling and so on which would be
helpful to increase the confidence level of the employees (Lawley, Birch and Craig, 2016).
Along with that the Woolworths should develop the specific score cards for each department in
which the performance of the employees should be analysed in the comparison of their outcomes
unspecific intervals. The program of training and development should be according to the
identified gaps by the department of human resource department. It is integral of the company to
ensure that the HRM department represents the employees along with the company. HRM
practices influences the abilities of the employees through attaining the organization’s human
capital. HRM practices can impress the performance of the organization by supply of
organizational structures that make confident participation among employees and allow them to
increase how their jobs are performed (Alfes, Shantz, Truss and Soane, 2013).
The position of the company in the view of outsiders is important and it can be maintained if
company provide satisfaction services to not only customers but also employees. Positive culture

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can reduce the workload and it can be done by making efficient organization structure. Lack of
communication can bring the misunderstandings between employee and manager. Woolworth
should make the effectual organizational structure in which each employee of the company
should be free to contact high level of authorities in case of need (Katou and Budhwar, 2010).
The HRM can encourage the referral in which company should make the policies of getting
certain amount on each referral which should be given by the company after certain period of
time. It is another strategy which can connect company to the employee for long period.
The organizational outcomes are important aspect as well because it sets the image of the
company in the market. The practices of HRM and organizational structure are also impact the
outcome of the company that is why it is required by the company to maintain it by satisfying the
needs of the employee as well as customers. These are the key of success and able to increase the
revenues of the company (Snape and Redman, 2010). There should be proper structure of
maintaining the data of the stock as well as the personal data of the employee which increase the
trust of the employee and customers over the given services by the company.

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Conclusion
It can be concluded that the role of human resource department is vital within the organization as
it facilitates to increase the productivity of the employee. Woolworths is popular supermarket in
Australia that has number of stores and it is necessary for the company to manage its staff in an
appropriate manner. The description has been made on it in effective way so that the clear
understanding can be made regarding the HRM structure of the Woolworths.

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