MG411: Analysis of UK People Management Practices and Challenges

This report, addressing the question of whether UK organizations are improving their people management practices, analyzes the knowledge, skills, and behaviors essential for effective people management, highlighting the critical role of HR processes in underpinning performance. It identifies and evaluates key HR processes like setting goals, communication, monitoring performance, employee satisfaction, rewards, feedback, and training, emphasizing their significance in managing employee performance and aligning with business objectives. The report also explores contemporary issues faced by line managers, including managing conflicts, addressing performance challenges, maintaining effective communication, and sustaining employee motivation, particularly in the context of remote work and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report draws conclusions on the current state of people management, emphasizing the need for adaptability and strategic alignment of HR practices with organizational goals.

Are UK organisations
getting better at
managing their people

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be an effective
people manager...........................................................................................................................3
Identify and evaluate key HR processes which underpin the performance management of
people at work ............................................................................................................................5
Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary issues facing line managers relating to people
management................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
For an organisation their people are playing effective role in order to manage appropriate
relations with clients and outer environment(Meyer and Xin, 2018). As current economic
conditions are changing as various scenarios are changing dynamically so organisation is having
their focus over retaining talent and enhancing their capabilities. This report is based on
recognising major qualities which are required to be inhaled by an effective HR manager so that
to manage people within an organisation in effective manner.
MAIN BODY
Demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be an effective people
manager.
There needs to be an proper KSA's needed to be possessed by an effective Human
resource manager. There are specific requisite key knowledge, skills and behaviours which
needed to be demonstrated by an individual in order to be effective people manager. They are as
follows;
Skills Intercultural sensitivity and Language Knowledge: The HR manager must be well
aware with the inter culture and language knowledge. As, in multinational organisations
the employees and managers belong to diverse background. Therefore, the proper
knowledge will help to overcome the cross culture difference and conflicts. Empathetic Skill: The HR is the position which requires the great emotional
understanding also. The area is not just limited to payroll and measuring performance.
The HR manger is responsible to effectively communicate and understand one's emotion
also well. This will help in solving the conflicts and grievances well (Veloutsou and
Black, 2020. Decision-making Skill: The people manager is concerned with taking various decisions.
The decision right from hiring to selection, measuring performance and devising
incentive plan etc. decisions are needed to be made by an people manager. The proper
decision making skills will help in taking the rational decisions (Lund, Manyika and
Robinson, 2016).

 Communication Skill: The effective people manager needs to be an great communicator.
This will help in better expressing and exchanging the views. As, the feedbacks and
suggestions related to performance management is being shared by HR. To, make
employees better the feedback the person needs to have communicator.
Knowledge
 The Business Knowledge should be the present in an people manager. The knowledge
related with specific industry and business detail needs to be present in an people manger.
The sound knowledge of the roles and duties to be presented by an HR manger needs to
be present (Oelberger, Fechter and McWha-Hermann, 2017).
 The Legal knowledge should be present in an people manager. The proper knowledge of
all the laws and rules relating to the position and every matter should be known. Such as
the while planning the payroll the National minimum wages act, equal remuneration act
etc. pertaining to every country should be fully known (Wirtz, 2018).
 The conflict management knowledge should be present in an people manager. As, they
are being responsible for maintaining the cohesiveness among workforce. Therefore,
they should possess the knowledge of solving the cases and taking the rational decisions
based on them.
 The strong knowledge related with the policies and procedures should be possessed by
an people manager. Such as, understanding the health insurance policies in which cases
should be applicable, the leave and compensation packages in which condition to be
given that it met with legal rules and comply with organisation policies also. They should
be planned in a way that provides the satisfaction to workforce also.
Behaviour
 The integrity and collaborative attitude should be possessed by an people manager. As,
they are being responsible for maintaining the positive work environment.
 The guiding and inclusiveness nature should be of an person. They are responsible for
guiding, advising, coaching and counselling the employees. The ability to trust and treat
others with dignity should be present in an people manager (Oboh and Qadir, 2017). The ethical and fair approach should be used by an people manager. As, the way of acting
in an ethical way and pursuing it in a fair way that no legal complexities rises in future.

 Personal credibility : This is defined as the charming nature and credibility which is a
personality trait and helps the person to perform things in clear manner. So a person is
required to adore charming behaviour in order to attain higher efficiency.
Identify and evaluate key HR processes which underpin the performance management of people
at work
The performance management is associated with managing employees and managing
their performance as well so that direct implication can be seen in business performance. The
department HR is highly dependent on monitoring overall performance of people working in an
organisation so that to provide efficacy and fuller efficiency. There are various HR activities
which are helpful for a business in order to manage overall business performance in proficient
manner (Reid and Ramarajan, 2016). Setting distinct goals and objectives : The basic element of performance management is
associated with setting up clear goals and objectives. The goals and objectives of the
business can be attained by efforts of HR manager. For example management of ICH is
designing goals in such a way that the same can be aligned with enhancing performance.
In current time due to impact of COVID-19, the major goal of HR department is recruit
such people by which ultimate objectives of the business can be aligned. Communication : The HR department is responsible for establishing appropriate
communication in such a way that performance can be monitored and objectives can be
accomplished. In every business HR department is communicating various aspects to
other department in relation to departmental performance (Shaban, 2016)). Monitoring the performance: The department of HR is wholly responsible to control
system of performance management. HR department is helping and supervising
employees so that they can understand system of performance management in
appropriate manner. In current time due to implication of COVID every business is in the
need of higher efficacy and HR department can work as that bridge which is helping in
enhancing overall performance. Maintaining the employee satisfaction level: After finishing up system of performance
management the managerial head may reach out to an ultimate goal and making of
reports as well. Management is able to justify results which are drawn by various
departments (Greenberg and et. al., 2020). The department of HR is managing employee

motivation and continuously putting efforts to provide higher satisfaction to employees
by taking counselling in regular manner. For instance in current time due to COVID
people are facing high need of being employed and in this manner HR department is
having obligation to provide such atmosphere to employees so that they can be retained
and receive high job satisfaction. Designing Rewards and compensation package: The HR department is providing
appropriate compensation and rewards to good performers existed within an organisation.
For example HR manager of Tesco is designing pay packages in such a way that
compensation and rewards to an employee can be received in appropriate manner (Marel
and Mills, 2017). Constant Feedback: The management of HR is helpful for employee as they are able to
obtain feedback and justify employee performance in clear manner. HR manager is
helping the management team to convey regarding any grievance faced by employee. In
the time of COVID this is imperative that many problems can be faced by employees and
businesses are being operated from home so in this case HR is having responsibility to
obtain feedbacks and reach out to optimal solution as well.
 Developing the training plans, providing coaching and counselling: The employees
those are in need of training and development, HR department is the one who may
recognise the same in order to map development programs in effective way. In time of
COVID scenarios of business has been changed and in this case HR department is
requisite to organise such trainings by which appropriate working can be carried out by
employees in order to provide assistance for dealing with the problem. On the other hand
employees those are not satisfied may lead for some counselling sessions so that overall
goals of the business can be aligned (Rindova and Srinivas, 2017).
The operations executed by HR department is helping the business to manage
performance management system in prominent manner. For each stage HR department is
working with higher creativity and collaboration which is the major reason of synchronisation of
business objectives and goals with other departments. These operations are carried out by HR
team in which management is able to attain objectives in clear manner in order to manage
employee satisfaction (Grebow and Gill, 2017).

Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary issues facing line managers relating to people
management.
The Line managers are the lynchpin between the employees and management. They are
responsible for overseeing the production, supervising and maintaining the employees
performance. The are held responsible for managing resources and employees in a way that it
leads to effective organisational goal accomplishment. There are various issues which line
managers face while managing employees such as;
Managing the conflicts within team: Due to increased area of operations of business
there tends to be diverse teams which leads to problem in effective management. The difference
of opinions and clash of interest between team members makes the problem in managing
cohesiveness among team. When the conflicts are not resolved it leads to decreased productivity
and lead the top performers morale also down (Seaward, 2017).
Confronting Performance management problem: The main problem which arises in
multinational organisation is the proper and fair measure used in to measure the performance of
employees. The ability to provide satisfaction to employees that they are being judged fairly and
based on that are being incentivised always remains in employees. As, with new work from
home norm it is more difficult to measure and engage the virtual teams productivity. The Tesco,
is an multinational retail chain with its subsidiaries operating globally. This makes difficult for
the line manger to measure the performance of employee being working on same job role and
position to measure the performance holistically on same parameter.
Maintaining the effective communication: The Line managers face the problem of
communicating and bridging that gap between the employee and them. The main reason of
decreased performance is the lack of interdepartmental communication. The Coronavirus
pandemic changed the working norms, in which biggest challenge for the manager is to curb the
distance with effective and timely discussion. As, with international organisations the time zone
differs everywhere and this possess the problem for manger to communicate with everyone. This
then results into increased gap between manager and employee and increased work stress. This
impacts on overall productivity of employees (Hickman and Silva, 2018).
Maintaining the motivation and performance level of employees : The virtual
management of the employees is being difficult. The main problem for any manager is to
maintain the same performance and motivation level of the workforce. The work environment is

being changed which impacts the performance of employees. The, great problem is to have same
level of productivity of employees which was ignited in office environment. As, in case of global
organisations it is much more difficult to measure and maintain efficiency due to owing outer
conditions.
Providing the Training and development sessions: Providing and planning the training
sessions with that proven efficiency is brought down. As, work from home environment made
the employees more easy and lethargic as the measurement of given training could be tested that
efficiently as earlier (Stewart and Brown, 2019). The online testing of given training is not
effective as that was much in offline practical implementation.
CONCLUSION
From the above report this can be concluded that HR management is playing effective
role in order to manage overall goals and performance of employees. The HR department is
playing crucial role in managing overall departments in which business efficacy can be
enhanced. Success of a business is totally inclined towards efforts given by employees. Besides
this line manager of an organisation is playing integral role which could help a business to attain
their objectives in clear manner. This could be aligned in order to draw ultimate efforts in
managing business in effective and prominent manner. The line managers are playing significant
role in examining overall performance of employees in such a way that system of HR can be
supported by enhancing performance.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Grebow, D. and Gill, S.J., 2017. Minds at work: Managing for success in the knowledge
economy. American Society for Training and Development.
Greenberg, N., Docherty, M., Gnanapragasam, S. and Wessely, S., 2020. Managing mental
health challenges faced by healthcare workers during covid-19 pandemic. Bmj, 368.
Hickman, C.R. and Silva, M.A., 2018. Creating excellence: Managing corporate culture,
strategy, and change in the new age. Routledge.
Lund, S., Manyika, J. and Robinson, K., 2016. Managing talent in a digital age. The McKinsey
Quarterly.
Marel, C. and Mills, K.L., 2017. The importance of identifying, managing, and appropriately
treating comorbidity in young people. Advances in Dual Diagnosis.
Meyer, K.E. and Xin, K.R., 2018. Managing talent in emerging economy multinationals:
Integrating strategic management and human resource management. The International
Journal of Human Resource Management. 29(11). pp.1827-1855.
Oboh, L. and Qadir, M.S., 2017. Deprescribing and managing polypharmacy in frail older
people: a patient-centred approach in the real world. European Journal of Hospital
Pharmacy. 24(1). pp.58-62.
Oelberger, C.R., Fechter, A.M. and McWha-Hermann, I., 2017. Managing human resources in
international NGOs. The Nonprofit Human Resource Management Handbook: From
Theory to Practice, pp.285-303.
Reid, E. and Ramarajan, L., 2016. Managing the high intensity workplace. Harvard Business
Review, 94(6), pp.84-90.\
Rindova, V. and Srinivas, S., 2017. Managing Meaning—Culture. In The Oxford Handbook of
Management.
Seaward, B.L., 2017. Managing stress. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Shaban, A., 2016. Managing and leading a diverse workforce: One of the main challenges in
management. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 230, pp.76-84.
Stewart, G.L. and Brown, K.G., 2019. Human resource management. John Wiley & Sons.
Veloutsou, C. and Black, I., 2020. Creating and managing participative brand communities: The
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Wirtz, J., 2018. Managing Customer Relationships and Building Loyalty. WS Professional.