Human Resource Management

This report is focused on “Say it with Chocolate”, which is situated in North Yorkshire, UK. It produces tailor-made chocolate-based greeting cards and presents in the entire UK.

In this report, it covers the scope and purpose of HRM with the selection and recruitment process. It also covers several activities related to employee performance, reward, and development. Further, it also includes different factors that influence the HR decision-making process.

TASK 1

A) Purpose of HR Function With Importance to Organisation, Current Problems Faced, and Its Future Plans for Further Growth

In a company, a Human Resource Manager conducts several important functions such as selection, recruitment, employee relations, job safety, labor law compliance, training and development of employees, and many more (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). This organization produces many types of products; it produces tailor-made chocolate-based greeting cards and sells them in the whole UK with its different distribution channels.

Purpose of HR functions - In Say It with Chocolate, various functions of the HR manager should be considered. These functions include planning, staffing, training, professional development, etc. The purpose of all such functions is to perform an important role for this company.

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All such tasks are very important because the HR manager accomplishes all such goals and he or she will be able to meet their management's essential requirements of staff and management. In the modern and competitive business environment, the functions of HR still develop to achieve management goals (Bailey and et.al., 2018). For human resource management functions, the competitiveness of an organization is the ultimate aim and objective. In this context, communication and various tasks are required at 'Say it with Chocolate' for new ideas or innovations so that it can attract, motivate, and retain employees who have talents. The main purpose is to identify competitive talent so that organizations can hire those practices at enormous levels (Bratton and Gold, 2017). The HR management team has to introduce great goal-setting procedures to render meaningful tasks to the workforce.

Current problems - In Say it with Chocolate, the HR management faces some issues regarding their new interns. In their appointment process, the management pre-fixed 50 % of the passing marks for some tests that are compulsory for every new person who wants to be appointed as a new employee. In this context, they face some issues or conflicts about the fairness of the test, and in this test, many recruits have failed in their probationary period.

Plan for future growth - The HR manager can apply new strategies and plans for the development of their staff members to accomplish all functions. In this context, they can use various plans and techniques for solving issues (Brewster and Hegewisch, 2017). They also need to compile their problem as well as conflicts can be generated among those employees. They should provide better training and development facilities to their supportive team members to accomplish HR functions. These are helpful for the future growth of this company.

B) Responsibilities and Role of Human Resource Officer.

In the current world, globalization is on the rise; organizations are spreading out across the globe and they are no longer restricted by any geographical barriers, and due to this reason responsibilities of the HR manager must increase.

The roles and responsibilities of HR officers play an essential role in the accomplishment of business activities.

The major duties as well as the role of HR. The manager describes as follows:

• Selection of Recruitment - This is known as the first and most important duty of HR. Manager and his or her team. It is the main pillar of HR management and it attracts talented people and fulfills the needs of the workforce in an organization (Brewster, Chung, and Sparrow, 2016). Employer branding is a very important element because it allows one to be aware many rights of the employees owe on it.
• Training - It is an essential aspect for new candidates and helps in hiring new employees and getting acquainted with the company's operational pattern. The training program for every new employee depends on the skill set required for his or her job and it is imperative for the management of the organization (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2017). It contributes to the staff member retention and motivation.
• Performance Appraisals - For each employee, it is necessary to provide him/her performance appraisals effectively. It can help in employee motivation by encouraging them to do work to their potential. Appraisals are also useful for the employee to meet their daily expenses.
• Resolving all Issues - It is the duty of the HR manager they solve all types of conflicts and issues that can be generated among previous employees or staff members. Such disputes may affect the business environment (Hollenbeck, Noe, and Gerhart, 2018). So for this reason resolving all problems or issues is required to sustain the organization.
• Maintaining Business Culture - It is the responsibility of the HR officer to create and maintain a safe and healthy work environment to ensure about level of comfort among staff members. The manager is also responsible for eliminating the awkward and stressful environment inside Say It with Chocolate.

C) Advantages and Disadvantages of Present Selection Methods Used by This Organisation and Compare Other Methods.

The process of selection or recruitment starts with interaction with candidates and at this stage, the HR manager should recognize their candidate's potential abilities and talents. Therefore, for this reason, management would be able to perform the recruitment process and select those candidates for the right task or job (Jackson, Schuler, and Jiang, 2014). In the selection process, several methods and techniques can be followed by HR management such as testing, short-listing, personality and skills tests, group discussion, panel interviews, and many more.

The merits and demerits of these selection methods are as follows:

Advantages -

• Selection of the best candidate - In the selection methods, it is generally most beneficial for the company to identify the best person for the right job. The process of recruitment helps management to know about the talents and various skills of an individual. It may enable their placements in the jobs which is most suitable.
• Proper assessment - It provides understanding about the aptitude, liking, and capability of the candidate and it also improves the job satisfaction and efficiency of the candidates.
• Objective assessment - In such a process the management can find the right person that is suitable for a particular job (Marchington and et.al., 2016). It helps to the HR. Manager for assessment of their goals and objectives.
• Reduce labor turnover rate - The HR officer chooses a special method for the recruitment of new candidates and can reduce the labor turnover rate. It helps the employees to sustain themselves in the business culture.

D) Potential Improvements in Current Selection Methods.

In this organization Say it with Chocolate follows a special method in which candidates are selected and appointed as an employees of it. In such a process first stage is a two-type test and a candidate must get 50 % of the marks in these tests after the accomplishment of this stage he or is she able to attend the interview process (Reiche and et.al., 2016). This interview is normally an informal chat and it will take only 15 minutes for a candidate, after completing all these processes the HR management will decide whether a particular candidate should be selected or not. The management of this organization can improve these procedures by using several new techniques and expanding their selection methods. It will be helpful for them in selecting the best candidate for the right job. In their present procedure, many candidates have an issue regarding their selection that is some candidates have not passed the test and applied for an interview. So for this reason this is not good for the company and their brand image. The HR department should change its policy about selection and use new methods like group discussion, oral exams like viva, psychometric tests, presentations, and many more tests that can be used to solve these conflicts.

TASK 2

A) Person Specification.

It is known as the set of skills and talent that must be contained in the candidate to be appointed as the employee on the right job that offered by a company (Storey, 2014). Certain things alongside the job description is the person specification it includes some factors for example work experience, education qualification, etc. It describes the major personal attributes of an individual with his or her satisfaction level, and special qualities. It is the same as the job description but more specified because it includes all skills and talents of a candidate as well as the job while the job description refers to only about a particular job.

B) Job Description

It identifies the role and importance of a person with his or her duties and responsibilities for a particular position (Taylor, Doherty, and McGraw, 2015). In other words, it is a broad written statement of a specific task and it depends on the job analysis it contains the scope, working conditions, job title, etc. In a better job description, there are several important tasks included with the competencies of candidates.

C) Job Description About a Receptionist Job

In a company, the post of receptionist is an important element in conducting various tasks that are simple but time-consuming like attending general calls, attending guests and describing them an overview of other organizations, and many more. For the receptionist job, there are many required things or qualifications that must be contained in the suitable candidate are described below:

• Bachelors or associate degree in relevant sector.
• Sufficient experience.
• Courtesy, Proper dressing sense.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with time management skills.
• Good experience in clerical and administrative procedures.
• Able to contribute positive efforts during teamwork.

Existing methods of advertising the jobs in the Say it with Chocolate - This company follows some methods to advertise its receptionist vacant job and it also receives feedback from several candidates for that post (Albrecht and et.al., 2015). For this job, the company uses local newspapers, online job sites, and trade publications. So for this reason the main advantages and disadvantages of these methods are described below:

Advantages:

• Management knows about their requirements - The management of this organization knows about their needs by using these advertisement methods. It provides the HR manager with the best candidates with many skills and qualities. The company uses newspaper advertisement methods and receives a huge number of candidates because newspapers are read by many people.
• Cost is minimum - Although the company uses three different techniques their cost is lower than others. The management is focused on the cost aspect and they would retain and sustain the overall profit (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). These methods are less than other methods and candidates are more attracted to such techniques.
• Attracts more employers - It is an essential advantage for a company that it uses trade publications to increase the entries for that receptionist position and management gets the maximum number of candidates because there is a huge unemployment in that geographical area.

Disadvantage:

• Reduce morale - These methods can reduce or damage employee morale because existing staff members think their chances of promotion are down. So, for this reason, their productivity has reduced.
• Create conflicts - These methods also bring conflicts and issues among old employees and a negative environment can make in the organization (Bailey and et.al., 2018). Such methods are used by the company and it will call a huge number of candidates so for this reason the business operation also gets affected.

D) Questions May Be Asked for a Receptionist Interview.

There are some questions written below that can be asked in the receptionist's interview:

1. What do you know about this organization and its services?
2. What can motivate you to do as a receptionist work?
3. What calendar and messaging systems do you utilize?
4. How much is your experience as a receptionist?
5. Describes your previous responsibilities as a receptionist.
6. What computer skills and programs do you understand and comfortable with?

All these questions are helpful for the management of Say It with Chocolate and it also recruits the best candidate for the receptionist.

TASK 3

A) Benefits of Training Schemes for Employees as Well as Organisation.

The graduate scheme is a systematic structured program that combines various training and working techniques and targets recent graduates. It is mainly offered by the big companies that can be accomplished from 2 months to 3 years. The successful completion normally leads to a permanent staff and it is always conducted with professional qualifications. In Microsoft, their management team provides a good deal of training and apprenticeship programs for their new employees and interns that are useful for both, the employees and the organization (Bratton and Gold, 2017). In the Say It with Chocolate company major benefits of these training and development programs are described below:

Benefits to employees -

• Career development - In the organization, the training programs will help their trainees to learn new lessons from their employees and it also accomplishes higher standards of performance. It will increase the morale of employees and they receive proper training.
• Skill development - In the various training programs, employees' skills and talents are increased and they are motivated (Brewster and Hegewisch, 2017). It will also help in accomplishing assigned tasks and several functions. Training can provide huge help even to the existing staff members. It is also useful for them to expand their level of performance in their current job and prepare them for further work assignments.
• Organizational experience - During the period of probationary an apprenticeship will be able to make economical and better use of the appliances and materials and it will reduce wastages that will be profitable for the company. Training programs also minimize the rate of damage and accidents to plant and machinery as well as for the trainee.
• Few requirements of supervision - Training helps the new interns so that they need less supervision. It can also reduce the need for constant and detailed direction and management (Brewster, Chung, and Sparrow, 2016). A trained staff member can be self-reliant in their workings and they also know about what to do or how to do it. In these situations, close supervision might not be required.
• Managerial development - It is also helpful for top-level managers because they can identify the main skills and talent of new employees and then the HR manager can groom it.

Benefits to the organization -

• Connected to the Technology - Training programs are helpful for Say it with Chocolate as well as Microsoft because they provide new talent and hardworking employees (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2017). It allows the management to understand specific business needs and skills that are in shortage at the workplace.
• Accessible to all - Many training programs and courses are easy to access for all new interns because they know about the required entries. They also get professional qualifications that are based on their working experience.
• Work-focused - All employees can start training at an initial level that best suits their experience and skills regardless of their existing qualifications. It simply means that the interns are focused on their work. It also allows the development of new skills in practical works that are accomplished in the organization.
• Improve business performance - It increases efficiency in the employees so that they can accomplish more work (Hollenbeck, Noe, and Gerhart, 2018). It will improve the performance of the business and it will achieve business goals.

B) Major Developmental Opportunities That Are Available to Staff in Their Permanent Job Role.

According to the Microsoft website, there are many opportunities for the development of employees in their permanent job roles. Microsoft company can use several techniques that are available for their employee's development. In this context, some plans are described as follows :

• Performance metrics - It is an important opportunity for the organization as they set specific quantitative metrics to help a permanent employee know about what they need to do to achieve the desired target.
• Individual development plan - It is a plan that is created for the development of employees who are permanent in the company (Jackson, Schuler, and Jiang, 2014). In this plan manager assesses the employees and discusses their career goals and personal interests. This speech will help determine the development action that the respective person should be undertaking.
• Give opportunities outside of job function - Create a possibility for a worker to take on new obligations outside their job function. This cross-training will indefinite quantity their awareness and knowledge of the administration and help them activity more effectively with others because they have a new understanding of what other employees do for the company.
• Contact to professional network - It is a special activity for developmental activities for employees (Marchington and et.al., 2016). It introduces them to other professionals who can serve as coaches or mentors, signs them up for paid organizations, and sends them to training classes and workshops. They also create and attend new networking events.
• Remove barriers - It is dependent upon leadership to create knockdown walls and design a system that promotes a fluid approach to learning and working. Today's generation of workers are used to change and enjoy open work environments that let them explore. Take the barriers away and watch people flourish.

C) Major Benefits of Strategies Use by Microsoft in Respect to Flexible Working Practices.

Flexible working hours refer to employees who can take a break or leave when they require it without incurring the wrath of their employer. It gives employees flexibility in their hard-time schedule (Reiche and et.al., 2016). The workers assess flexible workings through the Department of Human Resources and its rules, and policies that usually require supervisory approval. In the Microsoft company, it provides better practices for flexible workings to its potential employees. For this reason, Microsoft can also give some type of these practices. There are many benefits of such strategies and the company will gain more profit regarding their employees by using these techniques. There are some benefits of the approach that are used with respect to flexibility, these are as follows :

Advantages of flexible working practices -

• It allows employees to work in the situation where they accomplish the most, feel freshest, and enjoy in working environment.
• It minimizes the employee burnout that can be generated due to overload working.
• It reduces the consumption of worker's commuting time and fuel expenses (Storey, 2014). It also provides work-from-home facilities to those employees who need it for some reason.
• It can also avoid stress and traffic of work or tasks in the rush period.
• It facilitates employees in their personal obligations, family requirements, and life responsibilities conveniently.

D) Motivating Employees by Job Design and System of Reward in Microsoft.

In an organization, the goals and targets are only achieved by satisfying its employees and workers. To satisfy those employees, a company follows many strategies and plans. Management motivates employees by applying many methods and techniques (Taylor, Doherty, and McGraw, 2015). In Microsoft, increasing thee motivation of workers can help to improve performance, boost their productivity, and expand morale. Motivation will be achieved by several approaches and these are described as follows :

• Provide incentives - To provide motivation, the management gives many types of incentives to work toward. They also follow the individual incentives for every employee and they allot team incentives to their staff members.
• Set goals - This approach helps the employees to become self-motivated by using professional objectives and goals (Albrecht and et.al., 2015). It gives them something to strive for and is tied to corporate contributions.
• Recognize achievements - The organization's management celebrates their worker's achievements through an employee of the year or best performer awards. It makes a great deal out of execution by meeting at their annual meetings.

Nature of job roles and benefits available for employees - Job role refers to the tasks and work that should be accomplished by an employee in his or her routine work (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Allowances and perquisites that are available for an employee are called benefits for example free meals, paid holiday, life insurance, etc.

TASK 4

A) Employee Engagement.

It is a workplace technique that results in the best situations for all workers in the company to give their best work every day. It demonstrates the emotional connection of a worker with the organization and it tends to influence his or her behaviors and level of effort in job-related activities (Bailey and et.al., 2018). For employee engagement, many companies work for it and provide better facilities to their employees. For example, management creates a better knowledge-sharing system, encourages them as well as provides several learning opportunities, etc.

B)Employee Engagement Is an Integral Strategy of Employee Relations.

Employee relations refers to the company's efforts to maintain and succeed relationship in between employees and employers. In a particular organization, if there are good employee relations then there is consistent and fair treatment of all workers so that they will be committed to their work. It encourages team members and maintains they loyal to the company.

Role of employee engagement in employee relations - In the organization, it has been observed that an employee engaged in his/her work tends to avoid fighting with others (Bratton and Gold, 2017). In this context, every individual shares a certain relationship with his fellow workers at the workplace, and his/her engagement performs an essential role in making better relationships.

For example - There are many issues in which an individual can not make decisions and employee engagement forms a better relation in that situation.

C) Key Approaches to Engaging Workers With Its Importance for Improving Workplace Communication.

In Microsoft, management uses many useful and creative approaches to reach employees, boost their health, and actively engage them to become successful (Brewster and Hegewisch, 2017). Some important techniques help to improve workplace communication. These are given below :

• Detect the most positive capabilities in employees - Management of the company can stop spending time that is overly critical for employees. Grow your leadership channel to detect what matters most to workers and allow them to grandiosity.
• Put workers in a position of influence - It is an essential technique that puts employees in a position of influence to see how they create and engage in their role or task. Management also allows their employees to understand their potential and put them to the test.

D) Pieces of Employment Legislation in the UK and HR Decision-Making Influenced by It.

The employment legislation or law develops employer-employee relations and their rights in the workplace environment. In this context, there are certain acts made in the UK country that are The Equal Pay Act of 1970, The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, The Race Relations Act of 1976, The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995, and many more. Rules and regulations of all those above act in Microsoft (Brewster, Chung, and Sparrow, 2016). It increases employee's morale and encourages them to their work so that their job will run consistently.

CONCLUSION

This above-presented report will conclude that Human Resource Management performs an essential role in the development of employees in Say it with Chocolate. The report covers HR functions and its objectives with HR manager's roles, and duties for their employees. Further, it described the recruitment methods that are applied in this company and the merits and demerits of such methods. It also derived the developmental opportunities available to staff and the benefits of techniques that have been taken concerning flexible working practices. Lastly, it covered employee engagement and its importance in employee relations.

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