Analyzing HRM: Practices and Effectiveness at Marks & Spencer

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Marks & Spencer, a British multinational retailer. It begins by outlining the purpose and functions of HRM, including planning, organizing, staffing, training, and development, emphasizing its role in achieving organizational goals. The report then evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of internal and external recruitment approaches used by Marks & Spencer. Furthermore, it discusses the benefits of various HRM practices, such as employee motivation, training and development, and workplace flexibility, for both employees and employers. The effectiveness of these practices in enhancing employee performance and organizational productivity is also assessed. The report also highlights the importance of employee relations and compliance with employment legislation. Finally, the application of HRM practices, including job descriptions and job specifications, is explored, concluding with a summary of the key findings and recommendations. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

Human resource
management

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1 Purpose and function of human resource management..........................................................3
P2 strengths and weakness of recruitment and selection approaches..........................................5
TASK2.............................................................................................................................................7
P3 Benefits of HRM practices.....................................................................................................7
P4 Evaluate the effectiveness of HRM practices.........................................................................9
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
P5 Explain importance of employee relations...........................................................................10
P6 Employment legislation........................................................................................................11
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................12
P7 Application of HRM practices.............................................................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is defined as the strategic approach that and activity that ensures
the proper management and effective management of organisational employees in order to gain
various competitive advantages then other competitors. Basically, it is the process that includes
various activities and functions such as planning, recruiting and selecting suitable candidates,
provide them training and development, maintaining effective relation, appraise their
performance and motivates employees to enhance their working performance as well that
contribute in attainment of organisational goals and objectives efficiently (Holland, Cooper, and
Sheehan, 2017). HRM is the most important department of organisation that deals in hiring
employees, manage them and fire unproductive employees. In this report the chosen organisation
is Marks & Spencer which is British multinational retaining organisation established in the year
of 1884 by Michael Marks & Thomas Spencer, headquarter situated in London, England, UK. It
deals in selling cloths, food and home products under their own label. In this report function and
purpose of HRM, various HRM practices and strengths as well as weaknesses of recruitment and
selection process is discussed. Apart from that importance of employee relation and employment
legislations are mentioned. Various HRM application such as job description and job
specification is covered in this project report.
TASK 1
P1 Purpose and function of human resource management
The process of human resource management is related to managing organisational employees
and motivating them to enhance their performance efficiently. Effective HRM process facilitates
the organisation to attain all defined goals and objectives properly. There are various functions
are performed by the HR managers like planning, organising, staffing and provide training and
development for the purpose of enhancing employee performance and productivity (Löffler,
Goldgruber and Hartinger, 2018). HRM department is responsible for recruiting appropriate
candidate for organisational vacant job position. Marks & Spencer HR managers analyse the
requirement and vacant job post in organisation and appoint suitable candidate as well as they
examine the needs of employees and satisfy them by providing better working environment and
training that enhance their performance and productivity. Purpose and functions of HRM are
mentioned below:

Purpose of Human resource management:
Ensure appointment of suitable employees and their management: The main purpose of
human resource management department is to appoint most suitable employees from various
recruitment sources such as internal as well as external sources. Managers of Marks & Spencer
examine all needs and requirement of employees and fulfil them through providing various
training and development in order to manage work force properly.
Increase employee engagement and morale: There are various policies and programmes are
conducted by the Marks & Spencer HR managers in order to enhance employee engagement rate
as well as morale to complete defined task on time (Lang, 2017). HRM department provides
various career opportunities, rewards, benefits and performance appraisal to boost employee
performance and engagement.
Ensure employee performance management and training: Human resource management
department conduct the process of induction after selection of employees. Proper training is
provided regarding work so they can perform all functions and activities in effective and efficient
manner. Performance management is the main objective of HRM.
Functions of human resource management department:
Operational functions: There are various operational functions are performed by the HR
managers to run business functions in smooth manner. It includes number of activities such as
recruiting suitable employees at right position, offer various training and development
opportunities for career enhancement as well as motivates employees to perform their task
efficiently. Retainment of skilled and experienced employees in the important functions of HRM
department of Marks & Spencer.
Managerial functions: In the Marks & Spencer different managerial functions are
conducted by the HRM department. There are various functions are included in planning like a
The managerial functions include planning organisational goals, allocate all required resources,
recruit appropriate employees and control there functions as well as lead them towards attain all
defined goals and objectives (Yilmaz and Kitapci, 2017). Some managerial functions of HRM
department are discussed below:
Planning: The main function of human resource management is to develop effective
planning that guide employees to attain all goals and objectives efficiently. It involves various
functions such as allocating all employees at right work place and delegate work according to

skills and capability of employees. Planning defined all factors such as strategies to achieve
goals within defined time period. HR managers of Marks & Spencer communicate all these goals
to employees so they can perform in well-defined manner.
Organising: Once the plan is developed then managers decide organisational structure and
operations as well. In this step all resources are organised and roles and responsibilities are
delegated properly. Marks & Spencer organise all employees properly and provide resources
according to requirement in order to complete task efficiently.
Directing: Directing is the most important function of Human resource management that
provides direction to employees to perform their defined task properly in order to achieve goals
and objectives efficiently. Marks & Spencer organisation conduct various programmes to leads
and motivates employees through providing various monetary as well as non-monetary benefits.
Controlling: In This function managers monitor all functions of employees to ensure the
effectiveness of working (Mariani, Gigli and Bandini, 2019). The actual performance of
employees is measured to estimated performance and if there are some difference is found than
correction process in performed to reduce mistakes that enhance overall working performance.
P2 strengths and weakness of recruitment and selection approaches
Recruitment and selection are important or elementary approaches of HRM department in
Marks and Spencer organisation and its planning functions. The recruitment process involves
various activities such as inspire suitable candidates to apply for organisational specific job
position. Within an organisation recruitment is the important process that help to select most
suitable candidate who is eligible to perform task efficiently. As recruitment is the first step of
selection process that consist various methods such as find sources, screen candidates, shortlist
them according to requirement of job specification. Proper recruitment process helps Marks and
Spencer to select right candidate on right position on right time. There are internal as well as
external recruitment and selection approaches are used by the Marks and Spencer organisation
that are discussed below:
Internal recruitment and selection approach: In internal source approach employee are
selected form organisation internally. It is effective approach to fill organisational vacant job
post from skilled and experienced organisational current employees that saves cost of Marks and
Spencer to recruit new employees (Potcovaru, 2018). In this process employees are appointed to
another work through transfer and promotion that enhance employee motivation, morale and

retention rate as well. The respective approach facilitates organisation to retain organisational
skilled and capable employees who perform defined task more appropriately than others.
Strengths and weaknesses are discussed below:
Strengths:
 Marks and Spencer can recruit and select skilled and experiences employees from
internal sources in limited time.
 It saves the cost of recruiting employees as employees are recruited from organisational
internal sources so no proper recruitment process id required.
 Employees who are appointed from this approach are more productive for organisation
and enhance overall performance level as well.
Weakness:
 The internal recruitment approach demotivates employees who are not promoting and
decrease their performance level also.
 The approach limit the organisation to procure fresh as well as imaginative employees
within organisation.
External recruitment and selection approach: In external recruitment approach employees are
being selected from external sources. There are various advertisement are published by the
Marks and Spencer to attract the pool of candidates (Coetzer, 2017). In print advertisement, web
advertisement and social media advertisement, organisation publish the details about vacant job
position and required skills of candidate as well. There are proper procedure is followed by the
organisation to recruit employees. Some strengths and weakness of external sources are
discussed below:
Strengths:
 External recruitment approach facilitates the Marks and Spencer to appoint fresh,
innovative and imaginative candidates who bring new ideas in organisation.
 It provides pool of applicants in which Marks & Spencer managers can choose most
appropriate candidate for defined job role.
 It ensures the higher profitability of Marks and Spencer organisation.
Weakness:
 The external approach requires higher investment to recruit suitable candidate.

 In this approaches number of unskilled candidates are enlisted that enhance the time of
process to choose right candidate.
 There are proper process is being followed by the organisation to recruit employees from
external sources that enhance the expenses as well as it time consuming process.
TASK2
P3 Benefits of HRM practices
Human resource management includes various activities and functions that are applied in
organisation to manage all employees and their activities efficiently and monitor their
performance to ensure that employee contribute their efforts to attain all defined goals and
objectives properly. HR managers guide and inspire employees to perform in well-defined
manner in order to accomplish all goals and objectives. HRM practices varies in different
organisation as per their size and structure (De Stefano, Bagdadli and Camuffo, 2018). Marks &
Spencer implement various practices to manage employees properly and maintain effective
employee relation as well. Proper implementation of practices and HRM activities help business
to enhance organisational productivity and performance. Benefits of human resources
management for both employee and employer are mentioned below:
HRM practices Benefits to employers Benefits to employees
Employee motivation Employee motivation is the
most effective practice of
human resource management
that facilitates organisation by
enhancing employee
performance and retain them
with organisation for long
period of time (Whiting and
Martin, 2020). It is beneficial
for employer to reduce the cost
of recruitment and selection
because well motivated
Motivation is the important
practice of human resource
management that helps
employees to enhance their
performance and attain all
personal as well as
professional goals and
objectives. Motivation help
employees to attain all goals in
smooth and effective way. It is
beneficial for employees in
enhancing their working

employee performs all task
efficiently. If employer
motivated employees than it
enhances employee loyalty
level and their performance
than help to accomplish all
defined organisational goals
and objectives efficiently.
performance.
Training and development
programme
Training and development
programme is important HRM
practice that provides various
benefits to employer through
maintaining effective relation
with employees. As training
and development motivates
employees to enhance their
skills and capability that
enables than to perform all
functions in defined manner
and attain all goals and
objectives efficiently (Sokolov
and Zavyalova, 2019).
Effective and trained
employees increase the
profitability and productivity
of Marks & Spencer as well as
help to attain various
competitive advantages.
Marks & Spencer provides
training related to specific
work and task that develop
skills and competencies in
employees which help them to
attain high work performance
objectives appropriately.
Proper knowledge of work
which is gained through
getting training that helps
employees to gain higher
profitability and productivity
objective. Career development
opportunities motivates
employees and inspire them to
enhance their working
performance and gain both
personal as well as
professional goals.
Work place flexibility Flexible and effective working
environment help business to
Effective environment of work
place is beneficial for

enhance employee
performance and retain skilled
as well as experienced
employee for long period of
time. In Positive working
environment employer allocate
all work properly and manage
employees to gain attain
organisational goals and
objectives.
employees to perform defined
task efficiently on time and
enhance the positive
relationship as well.
P4 Evaluate the effectiveness of HRM practices
In the chosen company there are different roles and make major effective sources which are
helpful in making different HRM practice and all of these are gaining profit and productivity of
the company. As Marks and Spencer are working in the trending cloth and deal with updates
fashion so the organisation also need right HRM practice and their policies to make more
effective approaches (Lei, Khamkhoutlavong, and Le, 2021). The need to work and make some
power connection facilities which are helpful in gaining more knowledge about the company’s
growth. Some of the major effective HRM polices of Marks and Spencer are:
Training and facilities support: The Company use effective training and provide effective
facilities which are helpful in setting standards. Stimulation of training approaches and their
growth are helpful in considering approaches and makes some strategic changes which are
helpful for considering different aspect and analysis on time.
Compensation plan: company make and provide strategic compensation plan, which are
also need some major benefits and retain the talent within the organisation growth and success.
For the longer period of time this strategy will provide the growth and hiring new employees
which can be related to minimize which will actually and make increase the company’s growth
to minimizing the cost.
Set effective goals: all of these are related to work and manage the activities to set the goals
and make effective changes which are helpful for the growth of the company (Al-Tarawneh,
Saadon and Maqableh, 2021). All of these are essential for the making effective gaols and set the

target for their employee which are helpful in considering different standard and make a
systematic approach to accomplish the targets. With the help of the company’s employee are
being motivated and make some training programme effectively to enhance the opportunities.
Enhance the relationship: further, the company tried to make some strategic approaches
and make a strong relationship with the company and make employee more beneficial to setting
their ideas. All of these are helpful in considering different aspect and set the targets which are
needed by company.
TASK 3
P5 Explain importance of employee relations
Employee relation: Employee relation is defined as the procedure of developing effective
between employees and organisation to attain all business goals. Proper employee relation helps
Marks & Spencer to enhance loyalty of employees as well as retain them with organisation. there
are proper HRM department is formulated by the Marks & Spencer organisation that resolve all
conflicts that place among employees and created positive relation as well as take various
decisions efficiently to accomplish business objectives (Jordan, Ferris and Lamont, 2019). There
are various strategies and planning are developed by the Marks & Spencer to manage all
employees. respective organisation provides training and development opportunities, maintaining
positive working environment that help to enhance employee performance and productivity. The
decisions of human resource management are influenced by the effectiveness of employee
relation. Some importance of employee relation are mentioned below:
Conflict resolution: Effective and positive employee relation helps Marks & Spencer to
resolve all problems and conflicts efficiently. it enhances the effective communication among
organisation as well as reduce the conflicts at all hierarchical level of organisation that enhance
profitability and productivity (Mayrhofer and Brewster, 2017). Proper employee relation helps
Marks & Spencer to take efficient decisions that enhance loyalty and engagement of employees
in order to attain all goals and objectives appropriately.
Enhance communication: Better employee relation enhance the effective communication at
all level of organisation that facilitates to convey all policies and important information to
employees so they can perform all defined task and activities properly. Effective communication
plays important role in decision-making process of HRM department. Marks & Spencer creates

positive employee relation with employees to enhance their engagement that help to accomplish
all goals.
Improve organisational structure: Effective employee relation, proper conflicts
resolution, strong communication as well as higher profitability help Marks & Spencer to
develop better business structure in which employee perform all task and function efficiently
P6 Employment legislation
In Marks & Spencer employees are perform all functions together for the purpose of attaining all
goals and objectives efficiently (Hans and Mnkandla, 2017). The respective organisation
implements various legislations that are formulated by the government in order to protect
employees from various unfair activities, discrimination and misconduct. Some employment
legislations are mentioned below:
Minimum Wages Act, 1998: In Marks & Spencer number of employees are performing
various function to achieve organisational goals and objectives. The legislation is passed by the
government in order to ensure that employees get compensation according to their work and
minimum amount of wages as well. Proper salary motivated or inspire employees to perform in
efficient manner and attain high work performance objective. There are various strategies are
developed by the Marks & Spencer to satisfy employees through providing wadges according to
their work.
Health and Safety Act, 1974: Health and safety related legislation od employees are most
important that protect employees at work place. Marks & Spencer provides safe working
environment to employees that enhance their performance. There are various decisions are taken
by the HRM department related to ensure safety that motivates employees to perform task with
more attention and perfection.
Equal Pay Right,1970: Equal pay right is the employment legislation that ensures that all
employees get equal compensation and there is no discrimination conducted with employees on
the bases of their gender, region, colour and caste. All employees must provide equal or
appropriate pay on the basis of their performance (Zhang and Liu, 2019). Marks & Spencer
definite pay structure that ensure that employees get equal payment. There are various decisions
regarding pay structure is taken as well as various strategies and planning are formulated to
motivates employees to attain high-work performance goals.

TASK 4
P7 Application of HRM practices
As Marks & Spencer is the multinational retailing organisation that have number of
branches across the world. There are need of employees in marketing department for expansion
of business. So, the organisation is hiring employees for the job role of marketing managers.
There are definite procedure is followed by the Marks & Spencer to recruit employees is defined
below:
Job specification: Job specification is defined as the formal written document which consist
various information that is related to specific job position (Figueiredo, Pais and Mónico, 2019).
It includes information about the job requirements such as candidate qualification, roles, and
skills. Job specification of marketing manager is discussed below:
Design of job description for marketing manager
Job description
Job title: Marketing manager
Location: England, UK
Working hours: 5 Horus per day
Reporting to: Managing Director
Responsible for: Sales assistant
Duties and responsibilities:
 Manage marketing team and organisational sales.
 Developing, executing and evaluating marketing strategies.
 Evaluating marketing campaign and current trend and assess their effectiveness
 Create marketing strategies and planning.
Job Skills:
 Strong knowledge and understanding of current marketing trends and concepts
 Effective communication and decision-making skills.
 Team management
Person specification for marketing manager
Person Specification