Unit 18 Human Resource Management Copy Assignment

Introduction

The human element in any organization plays a crucial role in the development of the organization. The human resource management includes all the individuals who are assigned tasks to operate the smooth functioning of an organization leading to growth of the company. It is a strategic approach concerned with policy making and managerial practices that imprints the workforce. The activities involved in HRM are hiring, training, disciplining, motivating, evaluating and performance management which are prevalent throughout the organization. This Unit 18 Human Resource Management Copy Assignment is concerned with the working and complications of the human resource management and their basis for recruitment and selection of applicants. We will be learning about the approaches used by them for job appraisal and why the employees get terminated. And finally what rules and legislations are set by government for the organization will be cleared in this assignment.

Task 1

1.1 Differentiate between personnel management and human resource management giving examples in two suitable organizations.

Morrison’s supermarkets plc is a fourth largest chain of supermarkets headquartered in England, UK is an example of effectively organized human resource management. Basically, human resource management is an extension to personnel management. The points of differences are as follows:

• Personnel management  is a traditional version of managing human resource whereas human resource is a modern approach. At Morrisons, HRM team focuses on managing employees and empowering them through effective administration.
• Personnel management deals with activities like payroll of employees, labour relation and employee welfare. Human resource management lays emphasis on motivation, leadership, acquisition and development of employees. The HRM team at Morrisons focuses on motivating its employees to achieve organizational objectives along with their personal development too.
• The personnel management functions on its own with the little help from line managers. Power lies in the hands of the top level of management. On the other hand, the human resource management remains unified. There is a decentralization of power where duties are divided among all the departments. For example at Morrisons the head of the departments distributes their duties to sales manager, production manager, safety manager and maintenance manager which is further divided to supervisors.
• Personnel management based on rules and norms that are so rigid that employees have to follow the regulations as per the employment contract. Morrisons aims to go beyond contract. It does not focus on life-time contract and believes in flexibility of work. The flexible approach at Morrisons motivates employees to dedicate their knowledge and skills towards organization’s objectives. (Nayab, 2015)

1.2 Assess how human resource management functions help your chosen organization in achieving its purpose.

The human resource team at Morrisons offers effective structure and culture to meet its business requirements. The functions of human resource team in achieving the organizational goals are:

• Staff: the HRM team at Morrisons ensures that the employees are staffed accordingly. This includes constructing and recognizing the project under which different groups of employee will work. For this HR experts classify the employees under different departments, provide them with technical assistance and assign them reasonable pay rate. They ensure that only the best candidates are recruited to achieve organizational objectives.
• Employees’ development: different procedures are used by the HRM at Morrisons to make certain that employees are provided with sufficient opportunities to enhance their work skills. For example, if employee is considered as a human capital, then he is provided with appropriate learning opportunities by HR team which also includes managers’ guidance and ongoing training. This ensures that employee is on right track for making huge addition in organization’s success.
• Performance management: HR managers at Morrisons ensure that employees are motivated and dedicate their full potential in maximizing production and profitability. They use different motivational approaches to accelerate the performance of the employees such as incentives, bonuses, promotions and reward system. Compensating employees is not only done to appreciate their current performance but encouraging them to work and improvise harder to achieve future targets at Morrisons.
• Effective leadership: it is not easy for every individual to hold the leadership qualities. The HR team at Morrisons effectively instructs and directs its employees towards organizational goals. They focus on redirecting HR goals from transactional to strategic assuring the effective path of innovation and forward thinking business ideas. (Bianca, 2015)

1.3 Evaluate the role and responsibilities of line managers in your organization or familiar organization and how it supports human resource management functions.

The pivotal role of line managers in supporting human resource management at Morrisons plc are as follows:

• Employee engagement: the approach used by the line managers to superintend their employees is the employee engagement. At  business of Morrisons,  HR experts evaluate employees’ engagement with the help of surveys but engagement is generated by the line managers only. In order to increase productivity, the line managers influence employees to cooperate, engage and coordinate towards common goals. The line managers who give importance to the negative factors of the employees are more likely to disengage employees.
• Disciplining employees: discipline at organization starts when line manager spread out his expectations with his team. The HR team is responsible to generate the policies and rules supported by the line managers. The rules enforced by the line managers control the behavior and performance of the employees. Disciplining employees promotes dedication and seriousness at Morrisons.
• Performance Appraisal: the process of performance appraisal is developed by the human resource team but it is turned into action by the line managers. The role of line managers is to assess the performance of the employees and according to that feedback is provided to the employees in a performance review meeting. The feedback should be given in strict manner else it will reduce the integrity.
• Safety and health: another duty of the line manager at Morrisons is to look after the safety of the employees. Safety is concerned with preventing injuries and accidents at work. The line managers ensure the regular check-up of devices whether they are working well. It is also the responsibility of a line manager to keep employees free from physical and mental stress. (MacDonald, 2016)

1.4 Analyze how legal and regulatory framework impact on human resource management. 

In order to avoid exploitation of employees, UK government has made some legal and regulatory laws which are as follows:                                                       

• Equal pay act, 1970: this law mentions t that each employee should be paid according to their eligibility and job performance. It also states that there should be no differentiation among the employees.
• Sex discrimination act, 1975/1995/1997: this law states that no male or female should be biased on basis of their gender in terms of job position. Job should be given on basis of their capability and not gender.
• Race relations act (1992-amended 2000): this law is to sage guard the employees against racism, caste, creed, colour, nationality and religion in the field of employment.
• Disability discrimination act (1995-amended 2005): this law has protected the disabled people from being deprived of employment. People can’t discriminate other people on the grounds of their disabilities.
• Employment equality act (sexual orientation, religion and belief) (2003; Equality act 2010): this act is similar to Race Relation act that states that there should be no inequality on basis of caste, race and religion in employment.
• Employment act (2008): this act is made in order to settle disputes between employer and employee.
• Work and families act (2006): this provision is made for the employees to manage their family and work life. Maternity leaves and payments for mothers and new leaves for father have introduced like paternity leave, less working hours etc.
• Data protection act (1998): it is an act of protecting the data of the person. It states the management of confidential data that how it should be stored, transferred and destroyed within the premises itself.
• Rehabilitation of offenders act (1974): this act makes sure that no one puts a black spot on the criminal in their whole life after the rehabilitation period in the future for the small offense. (Dabydeen, 2004)

Task 2

2.1 Analysing the reasons for human resource planning.

Human resource planning is process that recognizes the present and future human resource requirements for a company to accomplish its objectives. It should offer a link between the all the agendas of an organization and HRM team. The reasons for human resource planning at Morrisons are as follows:

• Future manpower needs: it ensures the availability of the individuals for better functioning of the organization. Human resource planning is considered as the apparatus to insure the approaching availability of employees to endure the organizational duties. The number of individuals required for the project is estimated through human resource planning.
• Cope with change: human resource planning at Morrisons is important as it determines the rapidly changing work environment. It supports in analyzing the current human resources with HR catalogue and accommodates according to the social, economic, technological and political pressure.
• Recruitment of skilled staff: another purpose of HR planning at Morrisons is to hire and appoint the qualified staff to capacitate job vacancies. It persuades HR requirements, analyses the accessible HR stock level and recruits the staff required to complete the task.
• Development of human resources:  human resource planning  recognizes the skill needs for various positions of jobs. The HR team at Morrisons arranges several development and training operations to transmit the required skill and caliber in workers so that they can give their best and utilize their full potential.
• Proper utilization of human resource: the HR department of Morrisons estimates the utilization and acquisition of workforce effectively to achieve organizational goals. With the planned human resource, company can analyze and recruit capable work staff. It aims at optimizing the human resource up to the full level in order to reduce the production cost.
• Uncertainty reduction: it is concerned with lessening the effect of uncertainty which is brought by sudden market changes in the organizational procedures of human resource management in the Morrisons. (accountlearning, 2013)

2.2. Outlining the stages involved in planning human resource requirements.

The human resource planning is an approach of ensuring that all the demands of business and customers are met on time. Various factors affecting the planning process at Morrisons are opportunity to employees having specific skills, pending retirements, changes in organization for training old employees. The stages involved in human resource planning are:

• Analyzing organizational objectives: the first step is to analyse what future targets the organization has to accomplish in various fields of manufacturing, marketing, finance, sales etc. It gives an idea about how to manage work at Morrisons.
• Assessing human resources: it includes the assessment of internal and external forces required in an organization. After that the strengths and weaknesses of the resources are analyzed. It is basically concerned with the availability of human resources in the company.
• Forecasting demand and supply of human resource: it is concerned with the current supply of man force working in the organization and number of people required to fill the desired vacancies. The availability of internal and external sources to fulfil job requirements is calculated. The internal sources include promotions and transfers whereas external sources include recruiting new candidates, their job description and specialisation and their skill to perform for the company.
• Estimation of manpower gaps: after the comparison between demand and supply of human resource, the management evaluates the shortage and surplus of the workforce requirement. This estimation points out the equilibrium position where the situation can be solved. Shortage leads to hiring of new employees and surplus results in termination of internal human resource.
• Formulation of plan: this stage is basically concerned with deficit and surplus of human resources. Accordingly, action is executed. New recruitment and transfers is formulated in case of shortage of human resource, termination and voluntary retirement schemes is executed in case of surplus.
• Monitoring, control and feedback: generally, the plan is put into action at this stage. The whole process is evaluated and supervised where the actual plan is matched with the implemented plan. (Chand, 2016)

2.3. Compare the current recruitment and selection process in the organization with another organization you recommending.

• Recruitment and selection process at Morrisons: With more than 155 roles to offer, the process of screening is accurate consisting of several recruitment stages. Large number of applicants applies for the desirable posts. The candidates who obtain the agreed grades are called for the next level of recruitment process. After the primary screening, selected candidates are shortlisted for the verbal and numerical comprehension test. The candidates who qualify this test are further requested to complete video interview. These shortlisted candidates reach to next level where their personal interview is taken. The candidates who clear the personal interview are trained for the job they have been hired for to improve their efficiency and skills. (Morrisons, 2016)
• Recruitment and selection process at Harrods: The candidates have to fill the online form posted on company’s official website. These applicants are called for screening test. Then the eligible candidates have to clear the written test (aptitude, reasoning etc.). The selected candidates receive the confirmation through e-mail and then they have to clear the telephonic or video interview. After this they are called face to face debate with the line managers. The last step is the final interview where candidate goes to assessment centre for his individual analysis. (Harrods, 2016)

2.4. Evaluating how effectiveness is the organization recruitment and selection techniques with another organization you recommending.

The effectiveness of recruitment and selection process at Morrisons and Harrods can be explained as:

• Training: the correct procedure used for recruiting and selection of candidates prevents the training cost required for the new employees. Giving training to talented and skilled employees results in high productivity which ultimately increases the profits of the company. It is easier to train the employee who is good at particular task than to the one who has soft skills in every task.
• Customer satisfaction  the recruitment and selection process is the first step of an organization and customer satisfaction is the last process. Both are interlinked. By conducting the proper selection process, company hires efficient employees which lead to organizational goal and further results in customer satisfaction.
• Problem avoidance: using appropriate methods avoids hindrance in recruitment of candidates. Ineffective recruiting process costs expense to make a mediocre employee into a shining star. Well developed hiring process saves time, energy and resources and reduces the hindrances. Therefore, it is important to have an effective recruitment and selection process in order to avoid problems in future.
• Job satisfaction: the effective recruitment and selection process provides job satisfaction and inculcates high morale in candidates as dull candidates tend to be the reason of absenteeism and sooner or later they quit organization. The effective process separates the skilled and unskilled candidates. (Mathis, Jackson, and Valentine, 2013)

Task 3

3.1. Assess the link between motivational theory and reward at Virgin Media or your chosen organization. Your answer must show if you think there is a link, what connects the two.

Motivation in management is a process that influences the behavior of the individuals which directly affects his performance in the field of employment. In order to inspire its employees, the management at Virgin Media uses Maslow’s motivational theory and Herzberg’s theory of motivation.

MASLOW’S THEORY

• Physiological needs: The physiological needs of individual is the fundamental requirements i.e. food, water and shelter. Virgin media provides competitive remuneration to their employee which is necessary to complete their basic necessities.
• Safety: employees expect its organization to provide job security. Virgin media facilitates various schemes for protection and interest of employees such as staff protection schemes and pension scheme.
• Social needs: every individual needs a social environment at the workplace. At Virgin media, employees feel the sense of belonging which fulfills their social wants.
• Self-esteem: At virgin media, management inculcates the feeling of self-confidence in employees. They give opportunities to raise the standards of employees by challenging them with different projects which increases their confidence level and efficiency as well.
• Self-actualization: it is the term used to assess individual’s caliber. Once the potential is identified by the team at Virgin Media, employees are offered different challenging roles where they can use their skills.

HERZBERG’S THEORY OF MOTIVATION

Frederick Herzberg stated that individuals have two types of needs- hygiene factors and motivational factors. Hygiene factors consist of work presentation, supervision and representation. He founded that hygiene factors did not generate any growth in capacity of workers. Motivational factors include incentives, promotions, achievements and development discussions. He observed that these factors have positive impact on the employees. At Virgin Media, employees are highly motivated and are giving best of their capacity.  They are working in good environment maintaining healthy working relationship with team and are well paid. (Hersey, Blanchard, Johnson,1998).
Rewards:  Virgin media  realizes that rewards are one of the factors that motivate the employee to work more. It offers schemes like ASPIRE field pay and reward scheme. This inspires the employees to achieve organizational goals as well as personal goals.

3.2 Evaluate the process of job evaluation and other factors determining pay at Virgin Media or your chosen organization.

• Job evaluation: it is a manner in which value of the job is evaluated while comparing it to the other departmental jobs in the organization. It makes efforts to compare between jobs in order to analyze their approximate worth for the reason of building a balanced pay structure.
• Job description: it is a list maintained for the purpose of assigning duties, position reports or skills a person might need in the job.
• Job specification: it is a statement of the important factors of a job that includes job performed, minimum qualification required and responsibilities and duties that is required to do a particular task.

Factors determining the pay at Virgin Media:

• Job rotation: it is a procedure under which workers are swapped between different departments in order to promote experience and keeping the interest of the employees to stay at virgin media. It improves the versatility of the employees giving wider scope of understanding the business.
• Job experience: the more the employee is experienced and knowledgeable about the job position the higher the amount he is paid. Outstanding experience might lead to extraordinary pay.
• Awards and honors: the ones who have received honors or awards in their field of work can include this in their resume. It will further help in areas of job promotions which prove to be helpful in making a difference to salary.
• Salary history: the salary the employee made at his previous jobs is a crucial factor in determining his future remuneration. At Virgin media, employee is paid higher than his previous job when he is recruited.
• Educational achievements: the employees are well qualified at Virgin media. The degree they attained from the institutions matters. The one who holds master’s degree are paid higher than the ones who holds bachelor’s degree.(Mathis, Jackson, and Valentine, 2013)

3.3 Assess in different contexts (for e.g. attracting talent, retention, and motivation) how effective is the reward systems at Virgin Media or your chosen organization.

The management at Virgin media knows that an effective system of rewards that has a huge impact on the employees. The reward system inspires workers so that they use their skill and give contribute 100 percent in the organization. the reward system are the incentives programs that inspires employees commitment and increase in productivity in the organization by serving increment in salary, bonuses, additional time off or other kinds of awards to appreciate the task performed by employees. The company inculcates the positive and confident environment which motivates employees to work with positive attitude. At Virgin media, services to customers and providing quality products are the top priorities. Reward system identifies those employees who surpass in the field of customer services and sales capability. The management at virgin media has applied reward system in order to retain employees and boost their morale which helps in increased production. The reward system at virgin media is one of the factors of inspiration for the employees that motivates them to use their skill with potential. Schemes like ASPIRE field pay have been introduced to motivate employees. The Reward system fascinates new applicants to work with the organization. Salary hike, incentives, bonuses, compensation are the ways of rewarding and appraising the employees. (Virgin Media, 2016)

3.4 Examine the methods Virgin Media or your chosen organization use to monitor employee performance.

The management has to monitor employees’ performance without being too invasive. The Virgin Media follows six approaches to monitor employees’ performance without making them anxious:

• Check in regularly: unintentionally stopping by on employees on a regular basis at the same time everyday is the easiest method to audit employees’ performance and maintaining healthier relations with them.  Dropping in with workforce helps management to assess their daily job and supports in sorting out work issues. Check-ins diminishes the want for staff to search hard for management in terms of managing problems which is diverting and can consume a lot of time of the management.
• Hold a stand-up meeting: it is also called group huddles at Virgin Media as this type of meeting is conducted on a short notice where functional information is traded that is essential for the team members. This meeting is held bi-weekly aiming to produce the quality of shared duties among staff. For example- when a team member at Virgin Media commits to complete a task by 2 p.m. then they are much more likely to finish it within the deadline.
• Conduct a 360-degree assessment: 360 is a proper appraisal of an employee from various sources such as managers, supervisors and subordinates. The surveys serves great when the views and opinions are exchanged d with the workers for their development and feedback. The virgin media provides a platform to create its own surveys or may buy in relation to it according to the requirements. It also hire experts to assess the employees’ performance.
• Identifying the best employee: the Virgin media praises its best employees if the given target is completed by him in given time. He can be set as idol for the other employees as well. Identifying the best employee raises organization’s expectations for employee performance. (Spence, 2011)

Task 4

4.1 Identify the reasons for termination of Faisal’s employment contract with The Chicken Master and generally explain other reasons for cessation of employment.

The Fraud Act can be applied in this situation as Faisal was involved in dishonest deeds as per the given scenario. The reasons for the termination of Faisal’s employment contract with the chicken master are:

• Poor performance: the one of major factor for the termination of Faisal was his poor performance. He had the experience of 15 years in the field of managing restaurants, but still was incapable of supervising his colleagues and subordinates. He also failed to take proper care of the store.
• Violation of company policy: The  Chicken Master  strictly prohibited the employees to use company’s tools for personal use but Faisal went against this rule. He was found watching inappropriate stuff at night on computer. He used to mail his wife and helped his children in homework. Bob found that he was building an idea of designing his own store against the company’s policies.
• Less attendance: absenteeism from work was another crucial reason for the termination of Faisal’s job. A specific amount of days is fixed for the employees to be present at the store; Faisal’s absenteeism from work affected the business’s productivity and overburdened the other employees. He took off from work to design his own store without concerning other employees.
• Unacceptable behavior: Faisal was fired because he prohibited the company’s code of ethics for displaying disrespectful behavior towards his colleagues which resulted in disruption of work environment.

4.2 Describe the employment exit procedures used by The Chicken Master and another organization of your choice.

The Chicken Master and Chicken Cottage follow the same procedure for cessation of employment:

• Inform the employee: The management of The Chicken Master as well as Chicken Cottage is responsible for informing the employees about their termination. There has to be at least one witness present at the time of the termination process.
• Meeting: the cause of cessation is told in the private meeting to the employee to maintain the dignity. No meeting is held if the employees resign themselves.
• Disable the employees’ access: While terminating the employees, their right to access the office and other sources of the office such as important documents, accessibility to computer and cabin gets ceased too. They are not allowed to enter the premises without any legal authorization.
• Notice period: if the employee resigns himself, then he has to give notice period as per the contract. If he does not give the notice period then he is bound to pay the amount for the incomplete notice period.

If the company terminates the employee then they are liable to give notice period to the employee so that in the mean time they can apply for new jobs. If company is unable to give notice period, then they are liable to pay for the incomplete notice period.

• Settlement of dues: each department is aware about the cessation of employee.  The departments are given authority for ceasing the accessibility to smart cards, identity card, credit cards, employee’s handbooks etc. The final payment id given by the management and records are kept confidential.
• The exit interview: This interview is conducted to remind the ceased employees that they are no longer the part of the company and they do not have any access to the company’s property or documents. (Stewart, 2016)

4.3 Consider the impact of the legal and regulatory framework on employment cessation arrangements with an organization such as The Chicken Master if Faisal’s claim was proven to be true.

Impacts of the UK legal and regulatory framework on employment cessation arrangements: Faisal’s claim could have been proven true if The Chicken Master has not issued the letter of notice period. According to UK regulatory framework:
Notice period: it is mandatory for the companies in UK to give notice period to the employees prior to. The employee as well as organization is tied in legal framework to issue the letter of notice period as mentioned in the employment contract. There are three conditions regarding the notice period:

• If it is voluntary termination, then employee is bound to give notice period to the company as mentioned by the regulatory framework of the government or stated in employment contract. A formal letter regarding the resignation is to be given to the company by the employee. 
• If it is involuntary termination of the employee, then company should mention the least sanctioned time period to the worker as stated in the contract of the employment. The notice period authorized by law is as follows:

If the company is unable to issue the notice period to the employee, they are liable to pay the unsettled payments to the employee as per the employment contract. Similarly, the employee has to pay the desired amount to the company in case if he is unable to give the notice period to the company.

• If the employee is found culprit in any serious offense such as theft, violation of policy, fraud, he will be terminated immediately without giving any prior notice. Proper investigation is conducted into the matter before his termination.

Payment: the employee is given the unsettled payments after the termination of his employment. It is the responsibility of the company to clear all the payment after the cessation of employee’s employment. (Daybedeen, 2004)

Conclusion

The human resource management acts as an important part in the growth of the organization. This Unit 18 Human Resource Management Copy Assignment illuminated us with different perspectives of management such as managing the employees, methods of motivating them, terms and conditions required for cessation of employees and the rules and legislations set by the government that has to be followed by all the organization in context with different illustrations and case study.

References

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This Unit 18 Human Resource Management Copy Assignment is concerned with the working and complications of the human resource management and their basis for recruitment and selection of applicants,  Locus Assignment Help in UK  posting units solutions so scholars can explore assignment help and get review the quality of our work.