Reliant Insurance Case Study: HRM Challenges in a Changing World

This case study report analyzes the Human Resource Management (HRM) challenges faced by Reliant Insurance, a UK-based organization with over 1000 employees, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown. The report identifies key issues such as lack of communication, inadequate consultation, insufficient preparation and training for remote work, employee dissatisfaction, increased employee turnover, and limited performance feedback. These challenges negatively impacted the company's profitability and productivity. The report then provides guidance to Reliant Insurance, suggesting strategies such as addressing staffing needs, ensuring fair compensation, providing career development opportunities, utilizing effective communication channels, offering training and development programs, motivating employees, implementing performance appraisals, and following safety protocols. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of HRM in identifying and resolving employee issues and highlights the need for these strategies to improve employee retention and organizational performance.

Case study report

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is the main department in each organization as it identifies the
vacant position at the workplace and maintain higher performance. People management is the
part of human resource management that used for acquisition, optimization and retention of
talent who get ready to work and give their contribution to complete goals. The management
perform role of motivator that used to maximise the productivity (Cooke, Dickmann, and Parry,
2020). This involves training, development, direction, and motivation which supports to develop
business productivity. To understand the role of HRM Reliant Insurance Industry has been
selected, where more than 1000 staff is working collectively across UK that supports to increase
performance. Due to lockdown challenges faced by company as employee turnover, lack of
communication, dissatisfaction and others. The present report covers HR issues faced by
organization while working and affected the profitability.
MAIN BODY
Human resource management is the main function of any organization where number of
people works collectively by managing all activities. This is important for each organization to
have effective human resource management who identify recruitment needs, controlling,
maintaining, and developing business activities that can help to complete the business goals.
Reliant Insurance is the UK based organization that provides different kind of services in relation
to finance that can help to operate a business effectively. In this organization more than 1000
employees are working who understand their roles and responsibilities then perform all activities
(Masud, and Daud, 2019).
The HR management is having major role as it conducts workplace analysis and bring the
changes in their working that supports to develop business productivity. As Covid-19 occurred in
whole world where it became challenging for companies to operate their business and reducing
profitability. The employee turnover during lockdown period is reducing because of employees
shifting their hometown that directly affects their business. It has seen when people started to
work from home due to pandemic faced many problems like lack of preparation and no training
to newly staff that created challenges to run business. The Human Resource management of
Reliant Insurance UK deals with different HRM issues while running their business that is
defined below:
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Lack of communication – When people works from office then they have direct
communication with employees and others that can help to understand goals and perform
functions accordingly. When staff of Reliant Insurance started to work from home then faced
the challenges of poor communication as there is no direct communication, and
miscommunication on calls and other media of sharing information. This directly affects
business industry negatively and created challenges to continue their business activities.
Lack of consultation – In managing organizational working and performing business
activities employees needs consultation from their seniors and superiors that could supports to
manage working and perform roles effectively. This is important for each organization to have
proper consultation for their staff so they work accordingly and develop the business activities.
The HR management of Reliant Insurance faced issue of lower management due to lack of
consultation from their seniors that created the challenges for running business and maintain
performance (Gupta, 2020).
Lack of preparation and training prior to lockdown – As offices are operated from
workplace where it became helpful for employees to increase their working by observing their
seniors and others. This is important for each organization to understand what happening in
organization and how training should be provide to employees which can help to develop
business activities. In relation to Reliant Insurance, Human resource and employees faced the
challenges of lack of training and preparation while working that directly affects business
industry. This hits the profitability and productivity of organization as lower due to occurring
lockdown situation.
Dissatisfaction between employees – This issues is arising while running a business as
employees are assets of organization who contributes in each working and affected the
productivity. When people working from their homes, faced issue of dissatisfaction as employer
behave differently with employees that created the challenges of running business. In relation to
Reliant Insurance, there is lack of satisfaction between employees as employer behave
differently from all staff that directly affected business organizational and productivity
negatively (Khanal, 2021).
Increasing employee turnover– This is another issues realizing by employees as they are
working continuously but due to lack of motivation turnover increased that directly affected
business negatively. In relation to Reliant Insurance, employee turnover is increasing
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continuously as staff is not ready to work in changing environment and culture that created the
challenges for organization to operate their business. This directly affected the business
performance and profitability.
Limited feedback on performance – As employees working in organization where it
became important to get feedback from their staff and customers regarding changes that needs to
bring, directly affects business organization. In relation to Reliant Insurance, employer is getting
limited feedback from customers about their products and employee’s performance due to which
staff becoming lazy and created business issues.
Some other issues are faced by Reliant Insurance when they work from home, is defined below:
Detrimental to their mental health – As employees working from their homes facing
disturbance and lack of internal as well as external space that directly affects their business
activities. Sometime people feels that they should work from workplace as having good working
environment and peace to work. As government declared lockdown where employees are
working from their homes that created stress for them and affected the organizational workings.
Interaction with society and affected mental health – This issues arises between
people due to working from home because of lockdown that directly affected the business in
changing environment. In relation to Reliant insurance, it has seen that others have been living
with family or who are themselves in a high risk category, has also impacted on their ability to
interact socially and mental health due to concerns about catching Covid-19 and/or passing it on.
Lack of trust – As many employees working continuously at the workplace out of them
some have lack of trust that directly affected the business and their role in changing environment.
Due to lack of trust between employees feels lower trust and they do not get ready to work
effectively. Reliant Insurance faced the challenges of lower trust between staff as some staff over
the organization’s ability to ensure safe working environment. This challenges arises while
running the business and affected the organizational productivity (Flynn, Valentine, and
Meglich, 2021).
Lack of clarity over safety protocols – Once government declared unlock the market
and office place then it became most important to follow safety protocols. It has seen that Reliant
insurance faced issue of lack of clarity and safety protocols as they started to work due to which
their health could be affected negatively. This is major issue that needs to follow by each
organization for the purpose of operating their business and managing performance. Reliant
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Insurance faced issue of lack of clarity over safety protocols that might be impacts negatively on
their health and performance.
Guidance to Reliant Insurance in moving forward by solving issues:
Staffing needs: Human resource department of Reliant Insurance concentrates upon the
requirements of staffing within enterprises. This involves position announcements development
which aids in identifying the job responsibilities as well as ascertaining the post a level of skills.
Overall activities from job vacancy to choosing and training of staff in performed through
respective firm HR. It assists in attaining business objective effectually and efficiently.
Compensation: It is the accountability of Reliant Insurance to facilitate equal and fair
compensation according to their employee’s skills and performance without performing any
kinds of discrimination. Human resource of respective organisation have to analyse as well as do
modification into their pay structure for reaching compensation trends to facilitate workers an
appropriate pay. Whole legislation related to equal pay, minimum wages are to be comply
through Reliant Insurance for attaining their goals (Khandakar, and Pangil, 2020).
Providing career development opportunities– The aim of employee is to develop their
career and attain higher productivity. If employees are performing well then it would be
rewarded and recognised well that could help to complete task and organizational goals. This is
most important for company to analysis the functions and allocate work between employees so
that they would manage work and supports to develop the business productivity. The
management of Reliant Insurance could reduce challenges of lack of career development by
evaluating employee’s performance as they work from home and providing them career
development opportunities that helps to make feel good and develop performance (Randev, and
Jha, 2019).
Using Proper Communication Channel: In Reliant Insurance company, at the
lockdown period company faces many issues regarding to the employees. So company provide a
proper communication system that solve this issue. Like, employees of company are belonging
from different areas and some of them have internet issues and some are belonging to backward
poor family by which they can't afford smart phones and laptop then company give them these
product by which they communicate with them easily.
Training and Development: By providing this technological company easily connect
with them by zoom calls, video conferencing, texting and phone call. This availablity of
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strategies will be helpful to train the employees easily they connect anytime they want. Training
and development process is only possible by face to face attraction but it is not possible in covid-
19 , so video conferencing is the best way for them to communicate easily and face to face
interaction.
Motivation to employees: In the difficult time of corona virus everyone is in problem of
finance and job lose, they all need motivation and help from the companies. This is best solution
for companies to attract more employees and help the existing employees. This include medical
benefits, incentive on extra work, give salary at time, provide loans to their employees and other
benefits that help the employees. This benefits will keep the brand name in market and motivate
everyone.
Performance Appraisal: Reliant Insurance company provide insurance for their
company in covid-19 situation that needs more employees to sell the insurance in public. For
selling more policies company get best performance for that motivation to employees, Reliant
Insurance give incentive for extra sale and other work. In incentive they can do medical benefits,
extra salary advantages that motivate the employees and attract towards the work.
Recruitment and Selection: Recruitment and Selection is the best solution in tough time.
Many people lost their jobs in covid-19 pandemic and this solution helps many people and attract
the employees easily. But company need skilled and experienced people that are helpful for
Reliant Insurance industry that will help to recruit skilled people and complete business goals.
Following safety protocols – The management of Reliant Insurance company should be
follow safety protocols and keep aware to their staff that can help to provide safety to their staff
and develop organizational performance by managing all functions and activities. This could
help to retain employees for long period and bring changes in their organization by following all
protocols.
CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that Human resource management is major aspects
for each organization as it identifies problems of their staff and resolve it. Due to lockdown
different issues faced by Reliant Insurance while running their business that affected their
working and created challenges to operate their business. To resolve issues there is need to
follow recruitment strategy training and development, proper working environment, motivation
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to employees, and performance appraisal that could help to influence the number of employees
and get ready to work continuously.
REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Cooke, F. L., Dickmann, M. and Parry, E., 2020. Important issues in human resource
management: introduction to the 2020 review issue.
Masud, H. and Daud, W. N. W., 2019. Human resource management practices and
organizational commitment: Research methods, issues, and future directions. Review of
Integrative Business and Economics Research. 8. pp.217-226.
Gupta, A. D., 2020. Strategic Human Resource Management: Formulating and Implementing
HR Strategies for a Competitive Advantage. Productivity Press.
Khanal, K., 2021. Issues of Human Resource Management Practices on Organization
Performance: A Case Study of Nepal Telecom. Nepalese Journal of Management
Research. 1. pp.1-8.
Khandakar, M. S. A. and Pangil, F., 2020. The role of affective commitment on the relationship
between human resource management practices and informal workplace learning. Higher
Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.
Randev, K. K. and Jha, J. K., 2019. Sustainable human resource management: A literature-based
introduction. NHRD Network Journal. 12(3). pp.241-252.
Flynn, W. J., Valentine, S.R. and Meglich, P., 2021. Healthcare human resource management.
Cengage Learning.
Tien, N. H. and Anh, D. B. H., 2019. High quality human resource development approach of
Vietnamese enterprise. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and
Development. 6(8). pp.84-88.
Irum, A. and Yadav, R.S., 2019. Human resource information systems: a strategic contribution to
HRM. Strategic Direction.
Trost, A., 2020. Human Resources Strategies. Springer International Publishing.
Anguelov, K., 2019, March. Motivation strategies of human resources in ICT companies.
In 2019 International Conference on Creative Business for Smart and Sustainable
Growth (CREBUS) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
Boutmaghzoute, H. and Moustaghfir, K., 2021. Exploring the relationship between corporate
social responsibility actions and employee retention: a human resource management
perspective. Human Systems Management, (Preprint), pp.1-13.
Nayak, S., Jena, D. and Patnaik, S., 2021. Mediation framework connecting knowledge contract,
psychological contract, employee retention, and employee satisfaction: An empirical
study. International Journal of Engineering Business Management. 13.
p.18479790211004007.
(Tien, and Anh, 2019) (Irum, and Yadav, 2019) (Trost, 2020) (Anguelov, 2019)
(Boutmaghzoute, and Moustaghfir, 2021) (Nayak, Jena, and Patnaik, 2021)
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