An Analysis of HRM Practices: Marks and Spencer Case Study

This case study examines Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Marks and Spencer (M&S), a British multinational retailer. The study delves into the purpose and functions of HRM, focusing on recruitment, selection, and training and development. It identifies various approaches to recruitment and selection, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. The assignment further explores HRM practices such as payment and reward management, flexible work environments, learning, training, and performance management. It highlights the benefits of these practices for both employers and employees, particularly within the context of M&S, and provides examples from the business environment. The analysis critically evaluates the HRM practices, considering their impact on organizational productivity and profitability. The case study emphasizes the importance of aligning HRM strategies with the competitive business environment and technological influences.

Case Study

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1. Purpose of HRM in an organisation...................................................................................3
2. Identify and List Functions of HRM within organisation ................................................3
3. Explanation of the functions of HRM................................................................................4
4. Identify various approaches to recruitment and selection..................................................4
5. Strengths and weakness of the approaches to recruitment and selection...........................5
6. Identify and List various HRM Practices...........................................................................6
7. Benefits of HRM practices for both employer and employee............................................7
8. Benefits of HRM practices for Marks and Spencer............................................................8
D1 Provide examples from business environment to support approaches to recruitment and
selection..................................................................................................................................9
D2 Critically evaluate HRM practices within organisational context....................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management is the strategic approach for the effective management of
employees within the organisation in order to gain competitive advantage. It is concerned with
the practice of recruiting, hiring, compensating and managing employees within organisation.
Chosen company in the project is Marks and Spencer (Brewster, Chung and Sparrow, 2016). It is
a British multinational retailer specialises in selling, clothing and luxury home products. Project
will discuss purpose and functions of HRM and approaches to recruitment and selection. It also
determines various HRM practices which benefits the employees and employers.
TASK 1
1. Purpose of HRM in an organisation.
Human Resource Management is the practice of recruiting, selecting, providing training
and development and compensating the employees and managing individuals within the
respective organisation in a effective manner.
M&S determines the need of HRM in order to coordinate its business activities in a proper
manner which are explained below-
 Internal employees management- The major purpose of HRM is to properly manage
employee within the company by adopting appropriate policies and plans which assist the
employees to work effectively and reduces employees turnover.
 Employees commitment towards work- Productivity in respective company is linked to
employees commitment and their performance towards work. HR at M&S should adopt
plans and strategies and should compensate employees according to their performance of
work. This would increase profitability and productivity in organisation (Briscoe, Tarique
and Schuler, 2012).
2. Identify and List Functions of HRM within organisation
The basic function of HRM is to maintain effective employee relations within the
respective company by ensuring effective utilisation of resources and providing necessary
training to employees which would increase productivity and maintains effective employee
relations. HRM performs various functions within the organisation which are described below-
 Recruitment and selection
 Job analysis and design

 Training and development
 Compensation Benefits
 Maintains effective employee welfare and relations.
Moreover it also performs various managerial functions such planning of strategies, organising
resources and controlling and managing employees relations within the organisation.
3. Explanation of the functions of HRM
HRM within the respective organisation perform several functions out of which major two are
explained in detail-
 Recruitment and Selection- Function of HRM is to attract and retain the prospective
candidates within the organisation by adopting appropriate strategies and policies which
reduces employees turnover and increases productivity of the organisation. HRM in M&S
identifies the need for qualified employees and fills the vacancy by attracting and
retaining skilled candidates and maintains quality of work force within the organisation
(Budhwar and Debrah, 2013).
 Training and Development- Providing Training and development is the major function
of HRM. Employees at M&S should be provided with adequate training to enhance their
skills and capabilities which enables them for effectively performing complex tasks. This
assist the employees to handle various complex tasks and increases productivity of
respective organisation.
4. Identify various approaches to recruitment and selection
Recruitment is the process of searching and attracting the potential candidate inside or
outside the respective organisation in a timely and cost effective manner . On the other Selection
is the process of choosing the most suitable candidate according to the skills and knowledge
requirement and fills the vacant position within the respective organisation (Budhwar and
Debrah, 2013).
Approaches to recruitment and selection -
Recruitment- Recruitment within the organisation can be done by internal and external
sources which includes filling job positions by a way transfer, promotions, employee referrals
within the different department of the respective organisation and could also recruit a new fresh
talented employee outside the organisation. Employees would be recruited outside the

organisation by screening candidates from various job portals and selecting them according to
skills requirement in respective organisation.
Selection- Their are various approaches to selection such as conducting interviews and
tests which assist M&S to determine employees capability and select them according to their
performance.
5. Strengths and weakness of the approaches to recruitment and selection
Recruitment: Recruitment is a process of attracting and hiring a qualified candidate and putting
them in right place within respective organisation. Recruitment can be done through two
approaches i.e. internal and external sources:
Internal recruitment: It refers to recruiting the candidate within the organisation
internally. This includes sources such as transfer, promotions, employee referrals within the
different department of the respective organisation.
Strength:
 It provides motivation to existing employees and builds a healthy relationship between
employer and employee.
 It's a easy, quick and time and cost saving approach (Buller and McEvoy, 2012).
Weakness:
 It abstain the company from recruiting the new potential employees.
 It creates favouritism and demotivate the existing employees who didn't get promoted.
External recruitment: It refers to hiring the employees from outside the organisation
externally. Mark & Spencer acquire the same to bring new fresh qualified candidates outside the
organisation. Employee would be selected by conducting various online tests and selected on the
basis of results generated from the tests. It also contain pros and cons which are as follows:
Strength:
 It invites the opportunities and brings new talents.
 It reduces partiality and creates uniqueness to company.
Weakness:
 It's a costly and lengthy process.
 It creates insecurity among existing employees (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2017).

Selection: It's a process of choosing and evaluating a candidates to fill the vacant profile within
organisation. Selection can be done by two approaches which are as follows:
Interviews: Its a formal communication between interviewer and interviewee in order to
fill up the vacant job profile. Mark & Spencer fills the job vacancy by interviews but it has some
strength and weakness which are as follows:
Strength:
 It helps in obtaining detailed information about interviewee.
 It provides the quick response.
Weakness:
 Its a time consuming process.
 Its not suitable for personal matters.
Test: Its a process of selecting best qualified candidate through various test i.e. skill, personality
test etc. Mark & Spencer implies this method to bring best candidates. It also has pros and cons
which are as follows:
Strength:
 It reduces the operational cost .
 It provides the uniformity in selecting (Drucker, 2012).
Weakness:
 It delays in providing the results and selecting candidates on proper time.
 It creates fear of exposure among candidates.
6. Identify and List various HRM Practices
HRM practices adopted by the respective organisation enhances workforce ability and
motivation to perform effectively and leads to achievement of organisational goals and
objectives. Various HRM practices respective organisation could adopt are as follows-
 Payment and Reward Management- It includes providing appropriate rewards and
compensation to employees according to their performance of work.
 Flexible work environment- It includes providing employees with flexible work practices
which motivates them to work effectively in the organisation (Nickson, 2013).

 Learning, training and developmental practices.- This practice states them providing
employees with necessary training enhances their skills and capabilities to perform
effectively in the organisation (Human Resource Best Practices. 2018).
 Monitoring and managing employees performance- Monitoring and managing employees
performance assist then to work effectively and assist in achieving organisational goals
and objectives.
 Employees engagement in decision making process- When employees are involved in
decision making process of the company they feel highly motivated and minimises
conflicts and leads to reduction in employee turnover.
7. Benefits of HRM practices for both employer and employee
HRM practices adopted by the organisation is greatly benefited to the employer and to
the employees which are discussed below-
Basis Benefits for employer Benefits for employees
Payment and reward
Management
When the employer provides
adequate rewards and
incentives to employee it
motivates them to work with
great dedication and assist the
respective company to attain
results within specified time
period(Kim, 2012). This assist
the employers within the
organisation to reduce
employee turnover.
When the employees
performance is linked with
compensation and rewards it
assist them to work effectively
to attain more benefits and
helps organisation in achieving
high profitability. This assist
the employees to develop their
skills and capabilities and by
earning more compensation it
increases standard of their
living.
Learning, Training and
Developmental practices.
Training sessions provided to
the employees benefits the
employers by a way of
maximising their productivity
and profitability. Its benefits
When training sessions are
provided to the employees it
enhances their skills and
capabilities to work properly in
the respective organisation.

the employers of M&S to
achieve targets within set time
and reduces employee turnover
and employers could maintain
quality workforce within the
organisation by reducing their
cost and time in recruiting the
trained candidates.
This benefits the employees to
increase their knowledge and
accept more competitive
challenges (Pattanayak, 2018).
8. Benefits of HRM practices for Marks and Spencer
Their are various HRM practices which are stated above and the respective organisation
has adopted two basic practices which will benefit the organisation in terms of raising
organisational profitability and productivity.
 Payment and Reward Management- It is an important approach which is concerned
with formulation and implementation of policies which provide adequate rewards and
compensation to the employees according to the performance of work done. When the
employees performance is linked with the rewards This motivates therm to work
collectively and effectively with great ease and helps in raining organisational
profitability and productivity. For example when the respective company links employee
performance with rewards such as employee who is capable of making high sales for the
respective company will be awards with more incentives. This motivates the employees
to work effectively and earn more rewards.
 Learning, Training and Developmental Practices- Training facilities provided to the
employees enhances their skills and knowledge. Manager of the Marks and Spencer
should provide training and learning sessions to its employees which allows them to work
without problems and handle complex issues regarding customers problems. Training
allows learning and development of the individuals which assist them to increase
profitability and productivity of the company (Pieper, 2012). For example Training
provided to the employee regarding how to handle customer problems and issues and
provide them immediate solution will assist the employees to work effectively and attain
organisational goals.

D1 Provide examples from business environment to support approaches to recruitment and
selection
Organisations when recruiting and selecting candidates should properly analyse the
business environment in order to analyse the level of competition in the business environment.
When there is high level of technological influence in business environment it is necessary for
the respective company to proper analyse candidates skills by conducting various tests and
interview and should adopt external approach for recruiting and selecting candidates.
D2 Critically evaluate HRM practices within organisational context.
Their are various HRM practices mentioned above which the organisation has adopted to
raise its productivity and profitability level. Learning, training and developmental methods assist
the organisation to increase employee skills and capabilities to perform effectively and
organisational profit in M&S as they can provide on the job and off the job training programmes.
Moreover it is a costly and expensive process for the company to provide training to every
individual when they are selected. HRM practices such as employee engagement, payment and
reward management when not provided in a proper manner, leads to employee turnover.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been determined that HRM plays a important role in
recruiting, selecting and managing employee relations within the organisation in terms of raising
organisational profit and productivity. Organisation could adopt various approaches to
recruitment and selection in selecting the most appropriate candidate and could adopt effective
HRM practices that benefits both the employees and the organisation.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals

Brewster, C., Chung, C. and Sparrow, P., 2016. Globalizing human resource management.
Routledge.
Briscoe, D., Tarique, I. and Schuler, R., 2012. International human resource management:
Policies and practices for multinational enterprises. Routledge.
Budhwar, P.S. and Debrah, Y.A. eds., 2013. Human resource management in developing
countries. Routledge.
Budhwar, P.S. and Debrah, Y.A. eds., 2013. Human resource management in developing
countries. Routledge.
Buller, P.F. and McEvoy, G.M., 2012. Strategy, human resource management and performance:
Sharpening line of sight. Human resource management review. 22(1). pp. 43-56.
Chelladurai, P. and Kerwin, S., 2017. Human resource management in sport and recreation.
Human Kinetics.
Drucker, P., 2012. The practice of management. Routledge.on employees’ attitudes and
behaviors. Journal of management. 39(2). pp.366-391.
Kim, S., 2012. The impact of human resource management on state government IT employee
turnover intentions. Public Personnel Management. 41(2). pp. 257-279.
Nickson, D., 2013. Human resource management for hospitality, tourism and events. Routledge.
Pattanayak, B., 2018. Human resource management. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..
Pieper, R. ed., 2012. Human resource management: An international comparison (Vol. 26).
Walter de Gruyter.Bailey, C. and et. al., 2018. Strategic human resource management.
Oxford University Press.
ONLINE
Human Resource Best Practices. 2018. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.digitalhrtech.com/human-resource-best-practices/>.