Human Resource Management Practices at River Island

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Human Resource Management

Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................2
1. An overview of the organisation.............................................................................................3
2. An explanation on the purpose of the HR function and the key roles and
responsibilities of the HR functions............................................................................................4
3. An assessment of the approach to workforce planning, recruitment and selection,
development and training, performance management, and reward systems.....................6
4. Analyze the approach to and effectiveness of employee relations and employee
engagement, and comment on the adoption of flexible organization and flexible working
practice and employer of choice.................................................................................................8
5. Identify the key areas of employment legislation within which the organization must
work.................................................................................................................................................9
6. An application of the Human Resource Management practices in a work-related
context (P7, M5)..........................................................................................................................11
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................18
References...................................................................................................................................19
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Introduction
The term HRM or Human Resource Management can be defined as an operation within
an organisation which performs crucial function of hiring new individuals for the welfare
of company. Alternatively, Human Resource Management is a systematic term which
enables an organisation makes strategic planning in order to increase the manpower. In
other words, Human Resource Management can be determine as the strategy,
technique or method of selecting as well as providing proper training and education
program for the newcomers. The present study aims to illustrate all the scopes and
purposes of different Human Resource Management practises of a UK based company,
River Island. Apart from that, it also highlights all the necessary key elements and
factors that may affect the HRM of the concerned company. There are high percentage
of competitors to River Island in the business market that are Inditex, H&M, Next,
Debenhams, Primark Corporation etc.
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1. An overview of the organisation
River Island is actually a multinational company, situated in West London. It was
founded by Bernard Lewis and his brothers in 1948. In 1965, the respective company
started 70 stores in the UK market and after that; the owners of the company were
determined to start a new identification. At that time, Lewis started a new brand named
Chelsea Girl and after that, it became the first boutique chain the UK market. After
sometimes, in the starting of 1971, Lewis brothers leave the business and initiated a
new group known as Lewis Trust Group. After that, the group started introducing new
fashion clothing products for men and women wear (River Island, 2019). Finally, in
2010, the group introduced kids wear. On the other hand, the first boutique chain in the
UK market, Chelsea Girl was one of the innovative product lines that has been launched
as Capsule Collection within the stores of River Island. Apart from that, River Island also
offers online products for its customers and serves new trendy fashion products almost
every week. There are more than 300 outlets of River Island in the market of the United
Kingdom with around 10,000 workers and in the countries such as Ireland, Europe, and
Asia. Besides that, River Island has around 6 websites which work with 4 different
currencies.
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2. An explanation on the purpose of the HR function and the key roles and
responsibilities of the HR functions
This authentic process of Human Resource management involves certain consistent
objectives with the application of the effective procedures of company while the unit
must be keeping the most crucial asset of any business unit similar to that of people
(Noe et al., 2017). It also demonstrates the purpose as well as the scope of HRM in
terms of regenerating or to fulfil the necessary corporate duties for the respective
organization evaluated as River Island. Moreover, the current study also accentuates
the key components, intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect HRM of the concerned
organization. Human Resource department of an organisation manages different
operations. Starting from selecting to dismissing the workers, providing proper training
to the employees, managing a good relationship with every worker within the company
and understanding all the rules and regulations that is associated with the employees
(Chuang et al., 2016). Moreover, the Human Resource department of the company also
works properly and carefully in order to execute all the organisational functions in an
appropriate manner. Some of the crucial purposes of the Human Resource functions
are required to be followed are mentioned below:
 Making an effective as well as proper workforce plan so that the tasks
are done within the given deadline.
 Set manageable payment policies so that the employees of the
company stay motivated.
 Identify the strong references for recruitment and use the efficient
recruitment potential in the most appropriate manner.
 Developing the expertise skills as well as concentrate on the
enhanced training program so that the workers can easily solve any
problems and it will also increase the problem-solving skill of the
workers. This development will enhance the overall growth of the
organisation.
 Making an ethical corporate practice as well as encourage the
commitment of the overall staffs and employees. If the workers are
motivated all the time then it will results in the huge growth of the
company and increase the yearly revenue.
 Build an uninterrupted and effective conversation channels that will
lead to encourage the reliable as well as instantaneous flow of data.
Proper communication will build a good connection with the workers.
So, if the workers are facing any problems then they can easily share
their problems with the HR management team and solve it quickly.
 Construct a positive environment in order to identify the top talents.
 It is the duty of the Human Resource department of the company is to
maintain a tracker. By using a tracker an HR manager can constantly
monitor the work progress of the employee and depends on the
performance of the employee a reward should be given to them. So
that overall staffs of an organization can work hard and achieve the
organisational aims and objectives.
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The responsibilities and duties of the HR department of organization differ from
company to company but the basic functions of HR are discussed below:
Selecting and Recruiting: The main purposes of the HR department of any
organisation are to manage to select and hire new applicants in the company. The
company mainly selects the candidate who applies for the post, and then the HR
manager of the company conducts an interview. The overall interview is followed by a
technical round for evaluating the technical abilities and group discussion round in order
to check the communication skills of the candidate. If the candidate is able to qualify the
interview process then the applicant gets selected. Through the interview procedure, the
HR department managers of the respective organization check all the capability and the
character of the applicants.
Motivate workers: HR executives always play an essential part in the success of any
company. In this regard, HR professionals make a positive work environment where
Workers feels satisfied and motivated (Jirjahn, 2016.). It is the role as well as
responsibility of the HR department manager to motivate their workers so that they can
work hard and fulfil the aims and objectives of the company which enhances the overall
growth of the company. Without any motivation and positive work environments
employees are not able to do anything and it affects the company's growth.
Proper training after hiring and development: After selection, the Human Resources
department team of an organisation provides proper training as well as development
program to the new joiners so that the capability and skills can be enhanced and enable
them to determine their roles and responsibilities. The training as well as other relevant
program is not always for the newcomers, even the old workers who are not able to
understand anything related to their projects, they can also join this development
program. Through this program, the employees of the organisation clear all their doubts.
The HR manager of the company also communicates with the individual departmental
heads and administrators in order to understand if any further training is required for
employees or not.
Handling compensation of the workers: It is the duty of the Human Resource
department of the company to manage the payroll of the workers and assures them that
they will get their salary on time (Hassan, 2016.). Moreover, the Human Resource
manager also informs the worker if any deduction is made from their salaries.
Relationship with the employees: It is the duty as well as authority of the HR
department of an organisation to make a proper relationship with the workers which
includes the participation of the workers in different activities of the company. Moreover,
the HR department also evaluate the interrelationship among the workers. Besides, the
Human Resource department of the company controls the arguments regarding worker
rights.
Human Resource management of the respective company must follow the above-
mentioned steps in order to enhance their performance (Guerci et al., 2016). These
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steps are followed by River Island along with many other responsibilities. Moreover, as
River Island group is one of the most renowned fashion clothing stores sectors in UK, it
may also consider some important operations of the Human Resouce management like
proper management techniques and equal distribution of the workers in the individual
stores.
3. An assessment of the approach to workforce planning, recruitment and
selection, development and training, performance management, and reward
systems
Human Resource managers of the company are inviting, managing and stimulating the
talents who are most fitted for the job profiles. Some of the particular methods, which
are analyzed by the particular department within a company, are discussed below:
Recruitment Approach: This particular approach involves candidate hiring strategies.
It is extremely essential to note in this context that the companies are always in need of
some good, trustworthy and potential applicants who can meet the criteria of the job
within the deadline (Ekwoaba et al., 2015). Thus, the HR department of any company
conducts the hiring procedure in a proper way because the future of the company totally
depends on the overall performance of employees.
Workforce planning approach: Workforce planning is an uninterrupted process. It
highlights the management as well as the administrative functions of the organization
(De Bruecker et al., 2015). Moreover, the process also involves determining all the
necessary requirements of the workers in a most efficient manner while using modern
techniques.
Development and proper training approach: Training and development is a
sequential process and it comes after recruitment (Raziq and Maulabakhsh, 2015).
Additionally, through this process, the newcomers are required to be provided with
adequate training so that they gain easily understand the organisational objectives, job
roles and responsibilities.
Reward System approach: This approach is associated with the performance of the
employees. When an employee of the company works correctly and in the desired
manner then the HR department provides them certain rewards, which leads to
enhance the performance of the employee and it will be helpful for the overall economic
growth of the company. This method is also known as “Merit pay”.
Performance management: It is one of the most adequate manner towards making a
working environment or setting wherein the employees are empowered to perform. The
performance of the employees is analyzed by the Human Resource manager of the
company (Hassan, 2016). Performance management changes over every
intercommunication occasion into an effective learning session. Through this technique,
the Human Resource management team must check the problems that are encountered
by the workers at the time of working. Besides, performance management is subdivided
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into four portions (recognizing, estimating, creating and adjusting). There are many
components of performance management, which are as follows:
 Make a clear job description for the vacant positions so that the employees can
understand their roles and responsibilities.
 Recruit the potential workers who can fit with the required job posts and fulfil the
organisational objectives (Buckingham and Goodall, 2015).
 Select the best worker among all who can fulfil the goals and objectives of the
company.
 Provide proper training in order to enhance the overall performance of workers.
 Irrespective to analyze entire performance of the employee, the HR manager
must use a tracker. By using a tracker an HR manager can constantly
monitor the work progress of the employee and depends on the performance
of the employee a reward should be given to them (Ružić, 2015). So that
employees will be capable to work hard and achieve the organisational aims
and objectives.
Hence, the previously mentioned approaches are taken into consideration by River
Island in order to enhance the retention of the workers.
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4. Analyze the approach to and effectiveness of employee relations and employee
engagement, and comment on the adoption of flexible organization and flexible
working practice and employer of choice
Internal collisions among the different sectors of the company result in industrial battles.
These internal collisions within a company may influence the psychological, socio-
economic and human relations (Sanders and Yang, 2016). Here are some of the
systematic approaches that are highly considered by the HR department of an
organization, are as discussed below:
Psychological approach: As the workers of the organizations come from different
family backgrounds, so it is really common that their attitudes are likewise not quite the
same as each other. Different mentality results in issues between the manager and the
workers which make two separate divisions under a single roof.
Sociological approach: It is straightforwardly connected with the thinking procedure.
There is a difference in the behaviour of people, which may result in different issues.
The basic needs behind any business are finance, however, certain social values and
ethical that is considered essential such as the urbanization, the flow of culture, and
transportation problems in metropolitan cities etc. So, it is one of the mandatory role
played by the Human Resource manager of the company to manage both the side of
the management as well as the workers irrespective to fulfil the objectivies of the
company.
Human relations approach: According to the HR department of approaches, the
behaviour of the individual people is different and that is totally based on their family
background. Thus, it is the duty of the management department to sustain an adequate
relationship with everyone within the organisation. There are some basic needs of the
workers are; people need to speak freely, constant motivation and encouragement from
the management team and positive as well as a supportive work environment. If the
management team of the organisation start misbehaving with the workers and do not
motivate them then the workers will not willing to work properly which affect the overall
performance of the company.
This above-mentioned technique will bring the skilled workers towards the company and
for managing a flexible operation. Hence, a flexible company always encourages those
workers who are hard working and regular. Previously mentioned certain approaches
that are affect the entire growth and development program of the company. These
techniques are followed by one of the most fundamental retail-sector of the UK, River
Island.
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5. Identify the key areas of employment legislation within which the organization
must work
Law of employees is associated with the constitution that applies to every worker within
the business organisation. Below mentioned points are the basic areas or operations
that depend on the employment law related to an association:
Minimum wage: The act of minimum wage law means, the rejection of management by
managing the employees that highy depends on less adequate monthly minimal salary
(Meer and West, 2016.). Apart from that, there are many factors that are related to the
employees are total employee strength within the organisation, types of the workers,
types of the industry etc.
Equal Pay Act: Equivalent pay or equal pay is nothing but the labour concept rights
idea. Equivalent pay or equal pay act was established in 1963. The act was introduced
by John F. Kennedy. This presentation of the act is for "Fair Labor Standards", it keeps
businesses from getting pay rates, which are unequally associated with the gender. As
per this law, both men and women are equivalent. In this manner, the labourers inside
the association of a similar position should be paid similar wages.
Working hours: Working hours Act comes within the Factories Act, which was enacted
in the year 1948. It guarantees that any labourer can't work for more than the stipulated
time, i.e., 48 hrs, based on the calculation of the one week or 9 working hours in a
single day. In this manner, the law described that the time span does not exceed 8
hours.
Equality Act: Equality Act was enacted in the year 2010, 1 October. The Equality Act is
another crucial act that unites approx 116 separate bits of the certain enactment within
a one single Act (León, 2016). However, another effective Act that gives a mandatory
lawful structure irrespective to assure certain opportunities of people The Act of equality
reinforces that are used to present enactment in order to give the UK another
segregation law which protects people and advances society.
Protection of Harassment Act: The Protection from Harassment Act was established
in the year 1997 and the act deals with the protection of confidential data and how it
functions in England and Wales (Walton, 2015).
Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974: It is enacted by the parliament of UK that
provides a definition to the elementary framework and jurisdiction for the incitement,
control and implementation of welfare, health and safety at the workplaces in the UK
(Arntz-Gray, 2016). This act applies to the employers to be responsible for maintaining
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the safety of its employees, labours, suppliers and investors. The objective of this act
is to secure the health of the stakeholders, protecting them from any kind of hazards or
dangerous substance and from toxic emissions at the workplace. Employers are
bound to maintain the plant and systems at the factories.
Gender Discrimination Act: As its name, suggests this activity is associated with
gender or sex. Gender discrimination is typical social liberty that takes numerous
structures, including inappropriate behaviour with the people of any gender, pregnancy
discrimination or segregation, and unequal pay for women who do the same
employments from men (Terjesen et al., 2015). This law offers top to bottom data on
unlawful sex and discrimination in sex in various divisions- including work and education
sector Moreover, Sex discrimination laws also assures that the rights of the people who
are transgender.
Disability Discrimination Act: Disability discrimination act was applied in the year
1995. It has been observed that the respective act altered certain situations by
guidelines executed in Northern Ireland. Anybody having certain inability is ensured by
the application of Disability Discrimination Act (Weber, 2015). The Disability
Discrimination Act determines incapacity as "a physical or mental weakness which has
a considerable and long impact on the capacity on the individual". This incorporates
huge sight misfortune.
Hence, these employment legislations are abided by River Island for some additions
constitutions like the age gap, disability and other laws.
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6. An application of the Human Resource Management practices in a work-related
context (P7, M5)
For recruitment purpose there are certain key features and qualification specific for a
position. This is decided by the HRM department of the company irrespective to satisfy
the required needs of the particular work (Masud and Daud, 2019). The candidates
profile helps the management recruitment team to understand the potential, capability
and efficiency of a candidate and chose the right person from a bunch of applicants
(Haak-Saheem and Festing, 2018). Also this set of information helps the candidate to
understand the demand so that they can match their suitability with the job profile and
apply for the said post. An example of job specification for assistant human resource
manager of River Island can clear the idea of it.
Job title: Assistant HR
Job descriptions and specification:
Description: For River Island, the crucial role that is played by the assistant HR is
important and requires a person who needs to understand and perform the primary
works of the Human Resources department. He/ She needs to communicate with other
departments within the organization and have to deal with vendors and suppliers on a
regular basis in a smart and approachable manner. This job requires an understanding
nature, who can follow orders from the senior employees and perform them accordingly.
Responsibilities of an Assistant HR Manager:
 Dealing with employees questions and grievances, resolve conflicts
 Creation and distribution of official documents
 Active participation in recruitment process (posting job vacancies in different
media, interview scheduling, interviewing etc.) of new employee
 Maintenance of employee’s payroll
 Update of office records by incorporating new data on company website
 Regular dealing with vendors, suppliers and distributors to get the best offers
among them
 Assessment of employees in regular intervals
 Answering all e- mails for the company
 Keep a good relation with the employees and look after the benefits they receive
Required skills: To be a successful assistant HR Manager at River Island, a person
should have the following skills:
 In depth Management skills
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