HR Management Report: Analysis of HR Management at Woolworths Company

This report provides an analysis of HR management practices within Woolworths, an Australian supermarket chain. It begins with a literature review exploring the responsibilities of HR managers, the challenges they face (including compliance, leadership development, and employee turnover), and potential solutions such as rewarding performance and leadership development programs. The report then delves into the company background of Woolworths, followed by an examination of its operations. This includes insights from an interview with a Woolworths manager, detailing their job responsibilities, challenges (such as emotional and physical stability of the workforce and performance appraisal), and their strategies for addressing these challenges. The report also addresses the impact of IT on management practices and the evolving business environment. Finally, the report identifies challenges faced by Woolworths' HR managers, including the limitations of the trait and contingency theory, outsourcing HR strategies, and the need for employee-friendly HR systems. The report concludes with recommendations for future HR managers based on the interview and analysis.

Running head: MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
Management and Organization
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................2
2. Literature Review............................................................................................................2
2.1. Responsibilities of HR Manager...............................................................................2
2.2. Challenges Faced by HR Managers..........................................................................3
2.3. Solutions for HR Management Challenges..............................................................4
3. Company Background.....................................................................................................5
4 Operations.........................................................................................................................5
4.1. Job Responsibilities of Manager...............................................................................5
4.1. Challenges Faced by the Managers..........................................................................7
4.2. Lesson learned from Interview Experience..............................................................9
5. Conclusion and Recommendations................................................................................10
References..........................................................................................................................12
Appendix............................................................................................................................15

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1. Introduction
A rapidly changing business landscape indicates that there are several human resource
management challenges that are evolving with the passing years. As human resources are a
business focused function, efficiency of the same relies on an improved understanding of
strategic corporate direction. This also considers HR managers’ ability to impact major polices
and decisions (Baum, 2015). Along with the same, certain human resource management
challenges of any organization is required to be explained so that necessary solutions are
developed for succeeding. The intention of the report is to conduct a literature review on
challenges faced by human resource managers, job role of HR managers and current trends to
deal with such challenges. The three major human resource challenges are known to be in change
management, leadership development and HR effectiveness measurement (Bévort & Poulfelt,
2015). The objective of carrying out literature review is to set questionnaire focused on finding
out about the selected company, number of employees along with major areas of operation and
the function of a manager. The paper will also include interviewing manager of the selected
company Woolworths. The major intention of such interview will be to attain increased insight
regarding the job role of managers, challenges faced by them along with offering effective
suggestions for future managers and team members.
2. Literature Review
2.1. Responsibilities of HR Manager
According to Muratbekova-Touron and Galindo, (2018)human resource managers has
two major functions that includesoverseeing the department functions and managing workforce.

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This is the reason for which the HR managers must be properly skilled within al the HR
baseddisciplines. This includes training and development, compensation and advantages,
recruitment and selection along with employee relations. O'Brien and Linehan, (2014) stated that
the major competencies for HR management encompass effective communication skills, decision
making abilities that is relied on critical though process and analytical skills. These researchers
also explained that HR managers have certain functional and strategic responsibilities in all the
HR disciplines. In contrast, Plester and Hutchison, (2016)stated that the HR managers offer
direction and guidance to the compensation and benefits experts. In such discipline, HR
managers focus on generating strategic compensation plans and associate systems of
performance management with the remunerating structure. Responsibilities of HR manger also
includes carrying out open enrolment for the workforce yearly elections associated with the
health care coverage. Reiche, et al. (2016) indicated that a HR manager has the skills of an HR
generalist associated with general management and business abilities. The researchers also
explained that regardless of a company’s or department size, a HR manager must attain
capabilities to perform all the HR functions effectively.
2.2. Challenges Faced by HR Managers
Reilly & Williams, (2016) evidenced that human resource management can be a
challenge for the small companies as they just have one HR person to rely on. HR managers are
observed to deal with several complex challenges these days that incudes compliance with
regulations and laws, management changes, development of leadership and employee training
and development. Reilly & Williams, (2016) indicated some other challenges that are faced by
the HR managers in the recent years that is associated with adapting to innovation and
compensation. Certain other challenges highlighted by these researchers are associated with

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understanding benefit packages, hiring talented employees, retainingtalented workforce and the
workplace diversity. In contrast, Snell, Morris and Bohlander (2015)stated that challenges take
place from several reasons and one among them is fierce competition among the talented
employees. Several companies do not have enough budgets for expensive insurance and
retirement plans in comparison to its competitors. Employee turnover can turn out to be costly ad
can therefore impact business growth adversely. Story, et al.(2014) explained that it sometimes
becomes difficult for the HR managers to maintain balance between hiring right people at right
time and keeping to run a business. Moreover, it is also difficult to know by the HR managers
whether an individual will turn out to be the suitable fit till they have worked for the company
over a long duration.
2.3. Solutions for HR Management Challenges
Way et al.(2015) indicated that there are numerous solutions to the challenges faced by
the HR managers that will ensure successful operation of a company with having a motivated
workforce. Considering the same, these researchers explained that one of the effective ways is to
generate a system of rewarding workforce for the reason that superior performance is one way
that can make up for a low salary. The HR managers must also consider providing effective
incentive programs that incudes bonuses and profit sharing that will be motivating for the
employees. Reilly & Williams, (2016) revealed that leadership development is also an effective
solution in increasing engagement of a management team as it prepares them to accept more
responsibilities in the upcoming years. Leadership must be a part of organization culture as this
can generate opportunities for employees and HR manager to utilize his strengths every day.
These researchers also focused on the aspect that business owners must focus on communicating
the advantages of change through carrying out regular staff meetings.

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3. Company Background
Woolworths Company is positioned as an Australian supermarket or a grocery store chain
which is owned by Woolworths Limited. It was founded in 1924, and this company along with
Coles is in a duopoly of Australiansupermarkets accounting for more than 80% of the Australian
market. The company operates in retail stores and is involved in procurement and resale of food
products to the Australian consumers. Revenue of the company in the year 2015 is observed to
be 4,213.2 crores AUD. The company has its business operations in more than 995 locations of
the nation and employs people more than 111000 (Certo, 2015).
4 Operations
4.1. Job Responsibilities of Manager
From the interview conducted with the manager of Woolworths Company, certain
findings have been gathered. It was gathered from the interview that the manager of the company
completed bachelor’s degree in Human resource management and developed some socialisms in
few aspects of the HR department that includes staffing and training. Moreover, the manager of
Woolworths Company has previous working experience in a career consultancy of Australia over
12 years (Dastmalchian et al.2015).
From the interview it was also gathered that if the manager could change anything in his
career path it would be working as an HR administrator for few years so that he can attain a
better insight within the HR functions.
The interview with the manager also revealed that role that he enjoys the most in his
current position and responsibilities is developing efficient performance management and
improvement systems along with maintaining employee relations. The factors that is least

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enjoyed by Woolworths HR manger in his current position or responsibilities is carrying out
employee terminations and layoffs.
The aspects of the HR manager position that is most rewarding for him are ensuring job
satisfaction, being a major decision maker and maintaining gratitude. There are also certain
frustrating aspects of being an HR manager as revealed in the interview with manager of
Woolworths (D'Cruz, Noronha & Beale, 2014). These aspects include less chances of creativity
and innovation as the manager is dealing with human beings. Another frustrating aspect that
bother the HR manager is they cannot change too many things as people might not be able to
adapt the managers thinking to be better.
From the interview conducted with Woolworth’s HR manager it is gathered that he faces
challenges in the company regarding emotional and physical stability of its workforce, daling
with the trade union and in performance appraisal of the employees. If the employees do not
attain proper feedback it might impact their future work. Such challenges are addressed by the
manager through developing a scientific appraisal process that can check on quality of
employees work. Moreover, proper execution of training programs and management
development program is developed by the HR manager that can pay employees as per their
performances.
On interviewing the HR manager of Woolworths Company, he stated that application of
information technology can be one of the major trends that can impact management practices
over 2-5 years (DeNisi, Wilson & Biteman, 2014). HR management will consider renewing its
focus on productivity along with certain changes in the process of performance managementsuch

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as “HR Consumerism”. In this process the employees will be motivated to take more initiatives
to solve an issue rather than waiting for the HR.
On interviewing the managers of Woolworths Company, he advised to focus on better
carrier planning for entering the tough business environment. Moreover, he has also advised to
continue attaining education in case the candidate is seeking something that can be of great help
for the organization directly.
Businessenvironment is observed to undergo advancement over 2-5 years (Glaister,
2014). Considering the same, the HR manager of Woolworths Company stated that the business
environment will experience consumer needs and requirement change along with that the
industries is expected to recruit new and high caliber recruits. For this reason, the HR manager
evaluating the recent mindset regarding the change must be developed effectively. The manager
also focuses on the making all the employees skillful enough in adapting to constant changes in
this tough business environment.
4.1. Challenges Faced by the Managers
Certain challenges are faced by the HR managers of Woolworths Company that is
associated with following the trait and contingency theory. The theory has its own disadvantages
that impacted the work of the HR manager in the company. Implementation of the trait theory by
the HR managers was not that effective that has impacted the subjective judgement on which the
company is bound to (Jørgensen & Becker, 2015).
Another challenge that can be faced by the HR manager of Woolworths Company is on
the areas of outsourcing HR strategies. This is in order to make the internal teams to focus on a
specific set of factors outsourcing of the strategic objectives is deemed to be vital to be

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implemented by different companies. Certain advancements in the areas of outsourcing are
possible through economic scale development, international coordination along with drastic
growth of HRM. Another major HRM Challenges faced by the HR manager is enhancement of
capabilities of a manager. Considering the same, the manager must consider that he is an asset to
the company and his decisions must encompass the needs of the workforce. Measurement of the
HR business metrics and operations is another HR challenge that took place in the company
(Kooij et al.2014). Certain issues are faced by the HR manager in the areas of employee facing
the HR system. This indicates that suc challenge demands that the system needs to be highly
employee friendly in nature. The capabilities of the HR managerare needed to be developed in
order to support the employees of the company. Training and development program developed
by the HR manager was not that efficient that can highly motivate the employees of the
organization in attaining common organizational goal. Human resource management can be a
challenge for the Woolworths companies as they just have one HR person to rely on.
HR managers are observed to deal with several complex challenges these days that
incudes compliance with regulations and laws, management changes, development of leadership
and employee training and development. If the employees do not attain proper feedback it might
impact their future work (Lo, Macky & Pio, 2015). Such challenges are addressed by the
manager through developing a scientific appraisal process that can check on quality of
employees work. Moreover, proper execution of training programs and management
development program is developed by the HR manager that can pay employees as per their
performances. The HR managers must focus on attracting right individuals through
understanding the job and organization requirements. It is also learned that the
embarkcagewagegrocer and ease is highly important in order to make employees highly

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adaptable to change. After evaluating the human resource based factors in the company,
Woolworths Company’s HR manager must get involved in developing a project plan.
4.2. Lesson learned from Interview Experience
The interview conducted with the HR manager of Woolworths Company has offered
several learning lessons. In managing the workforce effectively and for dealing with the HR
challenges, the manager must focus on understanding the major business. The interview
sessionwith the manager explained that the humans are highly complex and managing them can
be tricky. Moreover, the digital age has added further difficulty within the human resource
management that includes social media transparency, software updates persistence and
international team’s remoteness (Lussier & Hendon, 2018). For meeting the needs of the
changing business environment and employee needs, the HR managers must focus on attracting
right individuals through understanding the job and organization requirements. It is also learned
that the embarkcage wagegrace and ease is highly important in order to make employees highly
adaptable to change. After evaluating the human resource based factors in the company,
Woolworths Company’s HR manager must get involved in developing a project plan. The HR
management of the company must develop an effective business structure. The remaining
strategic plan is required to be understood and certain possible changes might be added to it.
After addition of some important aspects the developed project plan is needed to be efficient
enough.
Revenue attained by the organization is not that must be devoted in developing effective
human resource practices that can be beneficial for the company in the long run. Among all the
Australian industries the rate of employee disengagement is observed to be less in the company.
In addition to that, implementation of the contingency theory by the HR manager is

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recommended for the company as it is deemed to be highly suitable. This human resource
management theory if implemented by the HR manager can make sure that right individuals are
available for a specific project (Marchington, 2015). after application of this theory, the HR
manager can make sure that Woolworths Company has a great control on its employees all
through its geographical locations. HR manager of the company must also make sure that the
major practices of the HRM approaches are developed and managed in a way that there remains
a control of all the necessities of the company from an economical context.
5. Conclusion and Recommendations
The intention of the report was to conduct a literature review on challenges faced by
human resource managers, job role of HR managers and current trends to deal ith such
challenges. The three major human resource challenges are known to be in change management,
leadership development and HR effectiveness measurement. It is gathered from the paper that the
interview sessionwith the manager explained that the humans are highly complex and managing
them can be tricky. Moreover, the digital age has added further difficulty within the human
resource management that includes social media transparency, software updates persistence and
international team’s remoteness.
Certain recommendations are also given that after evaluating the human resource based
factors in the company, Woolworths Company’s HR manager must get involved in developing a
project plan. The HR management of the company must develop an effective business structure.
The remaining strategic plan is required to be understood and certain possible changes might be
added to it. After addition of some important aspects the developed project plan is needed to be

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efficient enough. In managing the workforce effectively and for dealing with the HR challenges,
the manager must focus on understanding the major business.