Analysis of HRM Practices in Kingfisher Plc: A Case Study Report

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments. This report analyzes Kingfisher Plc's HRM practices.

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................2
1. Explain the purpose and the functions of HRM applicable to workforce planning and
resourcing in Kingfisher..............................................................................................................2
2. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches of recruitment and selection
used by Kingfisher.......................................................................................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................7
3. Explain the benefits of different HRM practises within Kingfisher for both employer and
employee......................................................................................................................................7
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of different HRM practises in terms of raising Kingfisher Plc’s
profit and productivity.................................................................................................................9
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................11
5. Analyze the importance of employee relation in Kingfisher with respect to influencing
HRM decision making...............................................................................................................11
6. Identify the key elements of employment legislation and impact it has upon HRM decision
making.......................................................................................................................................15
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................18
7. Illustrate the applications of HRM practises in a work related context using specific
examples....................................................................................................................................18
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................26
References......................................................................................................................................27

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: HRM importance..............................................................................................................2
Figure 2: Approaches of recruitment and selection.........................................................................4

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Strengths and weakness of selection methods...................................................................5
Table 2: Benefits of HRM practises................................................................................................8
Table 3: Job specification..............................................................................................................18
Table 4: HR Assistant CV.............................................................................................................20
Table 5: Offer letter.......................................................................................................................22

Introduction
Human resource management refers to strategic method that aids in handling employees in firm
for obtaining competitive advantage. The current study will focus on explaining HRM functions
and purpose that are essential for planning and resourcing in reference to Kingfisher Plc. It will
also mention recruitment and selection importance with its strong and weak points. Further, it
will emphasize on HRM practises that benefits employees and employer and will evaluate HRM
effectiveness for gaining productivity and profits. At last, employee relation, employment
legislation for decision making and HRM applications will be discussed related to organisational
work.
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Task 1
1. Explain the purpose and the functions of HRM applicable to workforce planning and
resourcing in Kingfisher
Human resource is essential component for handling business for gaining competitiveness. The
practise of HR aims to handle people, policies and structures in firm. Kingfisher Plc is identified
as British multinational retailing firm that is widely famous as Europe’s leading retailer that has
its operations in three sectors known as general merchandise, electrical and DIY. It has owned
2900 stores by employing 130,000 people within 15 countries with famous brands. The manager
has pride and loyal nature towards firm. The firm is planning for the restructuring department for
introducing organisational change (Noe, et.al, 2017). As assistant HR manager various functions
are essential to understand for initiating restricting plans that includes:
Planning and Forecasting – As HR manager it becomes essential for planning employee’s tasks
or duties for gaining goals results with high profits from hard efforts. Thus, planning should be
done in such manner so that consumer choices can be understood in better manner by satisfying
with quality products. It can be done by bringing competent workforce. For example – the plan
of filling top most positions in Kingfisher is done by using internal recruitment process through
promotions that will help in successful restructuring.
Figure 1: HRM importance
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(Source: Importance of HRM, 2012)
Regulatory Framework – As retail organisation it becomes mandatory to comply with legal laws
and regulations that aids in protecting consumer and employee rights without exploitation at the
workplace (Wright, 2018). Initiating such function in process of restructuring will help in
gaining employee faith that will dispense positive results. It might be possible changing methods
of laws impacts firms’ growth but adaptability nature of HR will bring everything back on track.
Based on functions of HR manager has variety of responsibilities that makes it competent and
highly skilled for gaining market competitiveness. The restructuring needs specific criteria that
will provide guidance of HR. The purpose of manager in such condition is to develop structures
and contracts with flexibility that provides candidates to conduct their duties in better way. The
practise of human resource generally maintains record of employees related to departments, tasks
and benefits. It also supports restructuring by hiring best workforce according to firm’s need. It
will become easier if HR manager plans to use HRM approaches while reorganising which are as
follows:
 Soft HRM – In such approach employees are treated as business assets that provides
competitive edge and targets long term planning with best employees, interaction from
two ways, indentify training needs and initiate flexible structure.
 Hard HRM – This approach treats only as business resources to employees that rarely
aims on improving communication path, retaining employees, uses autocratic style and
tough structure etc (Cascio, 2015).
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2. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches of recruitment and selection
used by Kingfisher
As HR manager, most responsible task is to recruit and select candidates for employee strength
maximization to complete strategic aims and objectives. The process for hiring people requires
selecting, screening, short listing and sourcing to fulfil blank vacancies. Recruitment is known as
procedure that determines hires, screens and shortlist potential applicant for filling vacancies. On
other side, selection is process of selecting and picking skilled person which is suitable according
to organisational needs by taking interviews that determines person’s skills. The Kingfisher Plc
has planned restructuring that needs new and fresh workforce to understand working criteria and
provides results according to planned objectives (Farndale, et.al, 2018). Thus various types of
methods are studied and analyzed for bringing suitable personality for filling top and bottom
vacancies. For selecting best people there are two methods for recruitment and selection which
are discussed below:
Figure 2: Approaches of recruitment and selection
(Source: Shma, 2013)
Internal Recruitment Source – The method is used for choosing best and skilled employees for
filling job position by searching people from organisation. The candidates are selected by current
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performances and approach used in achieving goals of business. The job roles get easily done by
using transfer, promotion, internal advertisement, etc (Ekwoaba, et.al, 2015). Even in Kingfisher
Plc, employees are hired from internal sources and in restructuring also people from inside will
be targeted first.
External Recruitment Sources – The people filling job positions are acquired from outside the
organisation that are interviewed and finalized based on capabilities and abilities. This method is
somewhat beneficial as it generates job opportunities for various people and allows fresh talent
in firm that pools profits and productivity at higher level. The staffs are selected from sources
such as advertisement, casual callers, educational institutions, employment exchange, employee
recommendations, labour union etc.
There are various styles of selecting human resource in organisation. Every approach has its own
strong and weak points that are essential to know for Kingfisher Plc plan of restructuring that are
discussed below:
Table 1: Strengths and weakness of selection methods
Recruitment and
Selection Approaches
Strengths Weaknesses
Promotions – The method
fills top most vacancy by
hiring candidates within
existing staff that carries
skills of best manager or
other post.
 The current
performances give idea
of skilled employee to
select.
 Management can trust
future results.
 It increases confidence of
employees to work more
effectively (Hotho, et.al,
2018).
 It generates high
competition in firm
 Personal goals to garb
promotions are targeted
by eliminating team goals.
 Fresh talent do not have
opportunity to present
their skills.
Campus Recruitment –
The organisation post their
job vacancies in colleges
 Time and cost of
recruiters gets saved.
 Employers have variety
 Students might not have
feel to enter such firm.
 Their expectations are
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and universities based on
which high market in
theory and practical
provides chances of job.
of options in selection of
candidates.
 Provides chances to fresh
talent for entering skilled
firm.
different from that of
completed by employers.
 Grades are sources for
selection that might drops
skilled people.
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Task 2
3. Explain the benefits of different HRM practises within Kingfisher for both employer and
employee
The needs of restructuring in Kingfisher Plc can be fulfilled by bringing suitable employees to
firm by explaining plans and objectives. Thus, as manager it becomes necessary to initiate HRM
practises for boosting firm’s growth and success. It becomes important for organisation to aim
important strategies that forms policies related to employee motivation, rewards etc. The practise
of HRM helps in preparing employees to obtaining higher profits (Chytiri, et.al, 2016). Thus,
following is key list of practises that is essential for human resource to practise so that provides
various benefits to the employer or employees which are as follows:
 Manpower planning
 Learning, training and development
 Fair evaluation system
 Payment and reward system
 Performance management
Performance Management – This is best practise of human resource as it helps in managing the
performance and results of employees. Here, the method is chosen by managers to determined or
selecting best way to select the best performers. This practise clearly provides idea about number
of skilled and competent workforce that helps in handling the time when organisation needs to
complete tough projects using better people.
Learning, Training and Development – The HRM practise provide business opportunity for
future by developing personalities of employees for corporate and professional level. The plan of
restructuring requires training and developing employees based on project requirements that aid
in enhancing profits. The method of personal learning brings extra knowledge about work that
pays employees in different manner positively (Voegtlin and Greenwood, 2016).
The practises of HRM in organisation provides huge benefits to management, employees, staff,
customers and employers as it gives path for gaining competitive advantage by dispensing goods
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and services according to consumer requirements. Following are benefits that are obtained by the
employers and employee from human resource practises that includes:
Table 2: Benefits of HRM practises
Employee Benefits  The sessions of training and development to candidate in
Kingfisher Plc restructure plans will help in gaining
advantage by improving personal and professional terms of
person that will provide chance to gain promotions and
additional experiences that will develop positive motivation
of employees.
 The practises of HRM under various segments helps in
resolving conflicts within management and employees or staff
members that are done according to given regulations that
maintain proper working culture (Barman and Das, 2018).
Employer Benefits  They are responsible for creating important regulations related to
health and safety measures at workplace that will help to
generate more production without harming any person that show
quality standards for protecting employee.
 The employers that aim to improve culture of organisation
should initiate HRM practises that makes task easier by giving
clear visions, values beliefs, traditions and rules.
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