Unit 22 Human Resource Management Assignment - Tesco

Program	Diploma in Business
Unit Number and Title	Unit 22 Human Resource Management
QFC Level	Level 5

 

Introduction: The Evolving Landscape of Human Resource Management

In today's dynamic and ever-changing business environment, Human Resource Management (HRM) is the key pillar to the success of an organization. HRM is not an administrative function but a strategic partner that helps in realizing an organization's potential by building its most valuable asset: its human resource. Like money capital, employees are the force that transforms strategic objectives into tangible outcomes. This paradigm has propelled HRM to a discipline of increasing importance and core value.

This essay will explain the multi-faceted nature of human resource management with top retailers, including Tesco and Virgin Media, as case studies. The analysis will explain the principal differences between classical personnel management and modern HRM, examining how modern HR functional activities are geared towards a firm's goals. The research will also assess the principal variables of line managers in implementing HR initiatives. A major part of this analysis will explain the effect of the dominant legal and regulatory frameworks on HR practices. The paper will then focus on human resource planning, highlighting the importance and detailing the systematic steps involved in forecasting and meeting needs of people. Lastly, the research will examine recruitment and selection practices, comparing different organizational approaches and assessing their effectiveness, as well as examining a selection of reward schemes and motivational theories in a business context.

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Task 1: HRM in Practice

1.1 Differentiating between Personnel Management and Human Resource Management: A Case Study of Tesco

Both "personnel management" and "human resource management" are occasionally used synonymously, although they convey distinct philosophies and approaches to managing an organization's employees. Personnel management, a more traditional and established approach, is primarily focused on the administrative and welfare roles of employees. Its scope typically includes payroll administration, employee record-keeping, industrial relations management, and minimum labor law compliance. This approach is occasionally characterized by formal regulation, hierarchical decision-making, and a transactional view of employees as inputs into the production process.

On the other hand, Human Resource Management (HRM) is modern, strategic, and comprehensive staff management. HRM considers workers as strategic partners and valuable assets whose development and engagement stand as the topmost priority for organizational success. The focus shifts from administration in itself to staffing, building, motivating, and keeping high-quality individuals, thus aligning with the master business plan.

Tesco, one of Britain's largest general merchandise and grocery retailers, is one such company which has fully embraced the practices of modern HRM. While an older firm would have been operated on the practices of personnel management, Tesco's operations today are largely strategic in nature.

Key distinctions can be observed:

Strategic vs. Administrative Orientation: In a notional typical retail company, the human resource management would be most interested in the workers being punctual and receiving the correct wages. The human resource management division at Tesco is more focused on inspiring workers to achieve great organizational objectives, including enhancing customer experience and maximizing supply chain efficiency, while also developing their individual selves and careers.

Decentralisation and Integration: In a system of personnel management, power tends to be decentralized at the higher levels, and line managers end up with minimum participation in human resource decision-making. However, Tesco's human resource management system is characterised by decentralisation and unity. Responsibilities are shared across various departments, promoting teamwork. Department heads at Tesco, for example, delegate responsibilities to sales managers, production managers, and team leaders concerning human resource functions, hence promoting shared ownership in people management.

Flexibility Rather Than Rigidity: Human resource management at staff level is usually bound by labor contracts and strict rules. However, Tesco's human resource management transcends such official commitments through the incorporation of flexibility in job arrangements and the establishment of trust. This flexibility, as portrayed in varied shift schemes or avenues of skill development, encourages employees to apply their skills to Tesco's ends, hence creating an environment of ownership and not compliance.

This shift indicates an essential shift in the way organizations like Tesco think about and leverage their human capital, from a formal rule-based system to a dynamic people-based system (SNHU, 2025).

1.2 Evaluating How Tesco's Human Resource Management Functions Contribute to its Mission

Tesco's human resource division is tasked with creating an effective organizational structure along with a culture aligned with its diversified business requirements. By adopting a number of strategic human resource management practices, Tesco ensures effective deployment of its workforce in support of corporate objectives.

Integration: This position aims to create healthy and productive relationships between management and the employees and with external industry partners. Tesco's human resource department is devoted to the active construction of sound industrial relations programs and equitable employment practices. For instance, they can adopt cross-functional training programs that are intended to dismantle departmental silos, thereby creating a common sense of purpose throughout the entire organization, from store associates to supply chain managers.

Training and Development: The prosperity of an organization is interwoven with an efficient and adaptable workforce. Tesco PLC invests heavily in training and development programs to empower its workforce with the latest industry trends and technological advancements. An example in point is Tesco's "Skills for the Future" program, which provides digital literacy training to its retail employees, thus making them ready for a more digital customer environment and expanding their career prospects within the company. This focus on continuous learning is the direct result of the company's consistent growth and competitiveness.

Effective Leadership: Developing effective leadership skills is required to every level in an organization. Tesco's Human Resources plays a pivotal role in discovering, nurturing, and promoting individuals to effective leadership positions. Their efforts attempt to initiate a transformation of the role of HR from mere transactional functions, such as processing payrolls, to strategic input, thereby empowering leaders at various levels to initiate innovation and forward-thinking business concepts. For example, Tesco can establish a "Leadership Academy" program, which identifies future employees and puts them through intense training in strategic thinking, team motivation, and change management, thereby developing a strong leadership pipeline.

Performance Management: Tesco's Human Resources executives have the duty of not only making employees meet their performance levels but encouraging their urge to exceed expectations. To do this, they employ a wide range of motivational methods, including rewards, performance-based bonuses, chances for promotion, and general reward schemes. 

These reward schemes are not only designed to compensate current performance but encourage continuous improvement and challenge employees to aim for future success. For example, a successful Tesco performance management cycle could reward a store manager a substantial bonus for meeting or beating sales targets, in addition to a development plan to prepare them for a position in regional management, thus encouraging high performance and career development (Jobillico, 2024).

Through creating an autonomous and robust organizational culture that promotes innovation and ongoing improvement, Tesco's human resource management system builds a resilient and high-performing employee group.

1.3 Evaluating the Role and Responsibilities of Line Managers in Supporting Human Resource Management Functions at Tesco

Line managers are the bridge between organisational strategy and day-to-day performance of the employees. In Tesco, line managers are responsible for directly dealing with individual employees or groups and also reporting their performance to the top management. At lower levels, they are also called "front-line managers," whose work is also directly linked to the proper functioning of HRM.

Work Monitoring and Quality Control: Tesco line managers are in the vanguard of providing timely advice and explanation on work specifics, with expectations that are clear concerning performance and conduct. They are exemplars who foster a culture of collaboration and ensuring each member of the team has equal opportunities. For instance, a supermarket section manager will regularly check the display of stock for quality, provide instant feedback to staff on the way they treat customers, and ensure tasks are evenly allocated in the team so that Tesco's service standards are maintained.

Employee Discipline: Disciplinary process starts with the setting of clear expectations by the line manager. Although the Human Resources department prepares detailed rules and policies, it is mainly the line managers who implement and maintain these standards in a bid to attain conduct and performance standards compliance. Effective disciplinary action at Tesco encourages commitment and professionalism and improves the workplace culture. For example, in the case of regular lateness by an employee, the line manager must start a formal discussion in accordance with company procedure, citing the concern, and setting out remedial action, normally in consultation with HR.

Fostering Equality and Diversity: As they directly interact with employees, line managers have a unique role in encouraging equal treatment of everyone. At Tesco, they are a key element in helping create a culture of inclusivity where everyone is given equal chances and benefits. They foster full participation in development programs and help individuals become their best selves, regardless of their background. This could involve the creation of diverse groups for new initiatives or addressing unconscious biases within team meetings.

Employee Engagement: Line managers directly influence employee engagement through the identification of and using individual strengths, and actively taking an interest in allowing employees to work in areas of weakness. They foster cooperation, engagement, and coordination toward a common purpose, and directly affect productivity. A Tesco line manager might have regular "check-ins" with employees, praising small victories, addressing problems early, and allowing employees to own their work, hence creating a highly engaged workforce.

Safety and Health: A core line manager responsibility at Tesco is ensuring workers' well-being through efforts to protect it. This entails proactive prevention of accidents and injuries by checking equipment regularly and following established protocols. In addition to physical safety, these managers ensure the minimization of physical and mental stress factors, thus ensuring a healthy work environment. For example, a daily safety briefing, immediate spill clean-up, and watchfulness for signs of burnout in employees, with support or referral to company well-being programs, may be prioritized by a store manager (Visier, 2024).

1.4 Analysis of the effects of legal and regulatory frameworks on human resource management practices in Tesco

Legal and regulatory frameworks form the basis on which all practices under human resource management are built. For Tesco, compliance with these laws goes beyond just following them to prove a commitment to ethical and fair employment practice. These frameworks have a direct impact on how Tesco deals with employees, from hiring to day-to-day operations to dismissal.

The Equality Act 2010: It is a historic United Kingdom law that combined existing anti-discrimination legislation. The law requires employers such as Tesco not to discriminate against individuals on the grounds of nine protected characteristics, which include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Tesco aims to take every opportunity, such as applications for work, promotions, and training, in an equal manner for all, thereby building an inclusively diverse workforce. For instance, Tesco can employ anonymous CV screening as a tool to prevent unconscious bias in the initial stages of recruitment.

Data Protection Act 2018 (replacing 1998, in line with GDPR): The Act, substantially revised following the introduction of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in 2018, prescribes how organisations have to deal with collecting, storing, and making use of personal information. Tesco, with considerable quantities of staff data (payroll, health information, performance appraisals), has to process the data lawfully, securely, and for specified purposes only. This applies to HR activities such as safe electronic record-keeping, policy on staff privacy, and consent for use of data, e.g., disclosing data for benefit schemes.

The Sex Discrimination Act (now incorporated into the Equality Act 2010): While single acts like the Sex Discrimination Act (1975, 1995, 1997) were very relevant in their times, their provisions are today mostly incorporated into the overall scheme of the Equality Act 2010. Such incorporation ensures that opportunities in Tesco remain available only on the grounds of ability and qualifications and not on the grounds of gender.

Race Relations Act (now part of Equality Act 2010): Similarly, the Race Relations Act (1976, revised 2000) aimed to protect people from discrimination on the basis of race, colour, nationality, or ethnic or national origins. All these measures are now part of the Equality Act 2010, imposing on Tesco the responsibility of actively safeguarding employees against racism and promoting diversity and equity in the workplace.

The National Minimum Wage Act 1998: the following Acts on the Living Wage, enforces a statutory required hourly rate on most employees across the United Kingdom. As a major employer, Tesco must comply with these statutes, as they are regularly revised. Beyond the statutory rate, most major employers, such as Tesco, subscribe to or advocate the "Living Wage," the voluntary rate calculated to be equal to the real cost of living. This affects the compensation structure for Tesco and the overall cost of its labor force.

Disability Discrimination Act (now addressed by Equality Act 2010): This 1995 (amended 2005) act had exempted disabled people from discrimination in the workplace as well as elsewhere. Its provisions have now been incorporated in the Equality Act 2010, and Tesco is required to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled staff can have equal opportunities and are not disadvantaged in the workplace. This may include offering special equipment or adapting work premises.

These frameworks ensure that Tesco's HRM practices are equitable, transparent, and compliant with the law, promoting a working environment that is respectful and fair for all (UK Legislation, 2025).

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Task 2: Strategic Human Resource Planning

2.1 Analysing the Importance of Human Resource Planning at Tesco

Human Resource Planning (HRP) is a vital process for any business, especially one as large and dynamic as Tesco. It involves the planned anticipation of future needs for and supply of human resources, thus ensuring the organization is adequately manned with suitable skills at suitable times to meet its strategic objectives. In Tesco, HRP is a critical forward-looking workforce planning tool.

Equality of Opportunity to All: HRP in Tesco plays a crucial role in upholding the dignity of the company by actively promoting equal employment opportunities. By strategic workforce planning, the HR function can identify and remove chances of discrimination in hiring and promotion policies, making opportunities based on ability and merit, irrespective of background. For instance, HRP may identify underrepresentation in certain senior roles, and Tesco may develop targeted talent development programs for underrepresented groups.

Meeting Future Manpower Requirements: HRP is the system that ensures the company has the right number of people to carry out organisational work. It enables Tesco to forecast the precise number of people needed for existing and future projects, avoiding critical shortages or unnecessary excesses. Suppose, for instance, that Tesco is scheduled to open 50 new convenience stores within the next two years. HRP will carefully estimate the store managers, sales staff, and logistics personnel needed, starting recruitment well ahead of time.

Employment Improvement and Development of Skills: One of the key functions of Tesco's HR department through HRP is to continuously enhance the skills and competency of its employees. By looking ahead to skill gaps, HRP enables long-term training and development initiatives so that employees can leverage their full potential and work effectively towards organisational goals. For example, it can include identifying the need for advanced data analytics skills for merchandising teams in response to new market trends, followed by designing relevant training modules.

Diversity Workforce Employment: HRP serves to support Tesco in its endeavor to develop a diverse workforce, which is essential in maintaining its brand name and effectively catering to a diverse global customer base. Diversity planning allows the HR department to plan for the future in employment and recruitment of skilled individuals with diverse backgrounds, staffing needs with a diverse blend of experiences and perspectives. This may involve setting diversity recruitment goals for talent pipelines and working with community organizations.

Managing Change: In an ever-changing retail climate, Human Resource Planning (HRP) is imperative for Tesco to respond to change internally and externally rapidly. HRP allows it to compare available human resources to an "HR catalogue," a vast database of employee abilities and talents, so that the company responds accordingly to different social, economic, technological, and political issues. For instance, growth in online shopping requires building workforce skills from purely in-store duties to e-commerce fulfillment and last-mile delivery competence, which HRP achieves efficiently (HR Lineup, 2025).

2.2 Defining the Phases Employed to Develop Human Resource Requirements

Good human resource planning is a formal process for the effective satisfaction of business and customer requirements. For Tesco, this would involve considering a range of factors, from the need for particular employee skills, future retirements, and the need to up-skill existing employees. The steps involved in a comprehensive human resource planning process are:

Analysis of Organizational Goals: The first and most crucial one is a thorough review of the strategic goals and objectives of the organization. They can include different dimensions such as expansion in market share, geographic expansion, or new product introduction. In the case of Tesco, it can include understanding strategic transitions towards sustainability, hence the creation of new positions dedicated to supply chain sustainability and ethical sourcing.

Inventory of Existing Human Resources: This stage involves a general assessment of the existing employees. Tesco would employ its sophisticated Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) to create a database of existing employees, including their qualifications, skills, experience, performance history, and potential. This provides a preliminary insight into in-house talent and pool of talent.

Predictive Analysis of Human Resource Demand and Supply: This is the most critical step in predictive analysis. Tesco would forecast its future human resource needs based on strategic business objectives, existing market situations, and internal factors like staff turnover. At the same time, it would identify both the internal and external supply of human resources for it. Internal sources take into account promotions, transfers, and developing internal talent pools, whereas external sources take into account fresh recruitments based on their job profiles, area of expertise, and essential skills needed for efficient performance within the company. For example, if Tesco is expecting a 10% increase in online orders, it would expect an increased demand for warehouse pickers and delivery drivers while considering the possibility of retraining the existing staff.

Measuring Workforce Shortages: Following analysis of supply compared to demand, the management quantifies any shortages or surpluses in the workforce. This quantification determines areas of match or mismatch. Shortage implies the necessity for additional recruitment or ramped-up training, while surplus may require actions such as reallocation, early retirement schemes, or, in extreme cases, layoff of staff. For example, an anticipated surplus of checkout operators from greater use of self-service technology could prompt Tesco to retrain them for salesfloor customer service roles.

Human Resource Action Plan Formulation: As a result of the identified staffing gaps, a detailed human resource action plan is formulated. In case a shortage is identified, the plan will comprise steps for new recruitment programs, ways of acquiring talent, and internal mobility. In the case of overstaffing, however, voluntary schemes of retirement, redeployment, or, as a last resort, redundancy programs will be carried out. Tesco may formulate a detailed plan for graduate recruitment programs if they anticipate a future leadership shortage.

Monitoring, Control, and Feedback: The final process is with the monitoring and control of the implemented human resource strategy on an ongoing basis. This is with the continuous assessment of the resulting performance outcomes accomplished in relation to the initial forecasts. Feedback mechanisms are critical in enabling necessary changes and modifications to the planning process for future cycles. For example, after implementing a new recruitment strategy, Tesco would measure indicators like time-to-hire and cost-per-hire to assess its effect and optimize future strategies (PeopleStrong, 2024).
 

2.3 Comparing Recruitment and Selection Processes: Tesco vs. Harrods

Recruitment and selection must be done so that an organization receives the right talent. Tesco and a premium retailer like Harrods have systematic approaches, but their specific methods and focus areas could be different, considering their respective organizational culture and business model.

1. The Recruitment and Selection Process at Tesco:

Tesco, as a mass recruiter for a range of jobs in its extensive retail chain, typically adopts a multi-stage, often technology-driven, process to efficiently sift through a large number of applicants:

Initial Online Registration: It begins with the candidates completing a mandatory online application form that collects essential personal and professional data.

Telephone Interview/Screening: A preliminary telephonic interview is conducted by recruitment staff to measure level language ability, communication ability, and initial fit for the job. It acts as a first-level screen.

Computer-based Tests: Passed candidates are transferred to a sequence of internet-based psychometric tests, which usually comprise verbal comprehension, numerical comprehension, inductive reasoning, and sometimes a "talent stimulation" or situational judgment test. They are intended to assess cognitive skills and behavioral competences in relation to the job.

Competency-Based Interview: The shortlisted candidates who pass the online tests are then invited for a competency-based interview. Here, interviewers employ structured questions designed to elicit examples of previous behaviour to demonstrate particular skills and competences required for the job. Questions are likely to probe reasons for wanting to work for Tesco and the way in which candidates have managed challenging situations.

Assessment Centre: For more senior or more complex roles, applicants can attend an assessment centre. This consists of a series of exercises such as group discussions, presentations, and practical exercises, all observed by assessors. This provides a general snapshot of a candidate's skills in a mock workplace.

Business Interview: The last step is usually a face-to-face interview with the hiring manager, in which cultural fit, strategic alignment, and departmental needs are emphasized. Successfully matched candidates are hired.

2. Harrods Recruitment and Selection Process:

Harrods, with its luxury shopping atmosphere and even higher-quality customer service, follows a formulaic approach of its own; however, the process seems to focus more on outstanding customer service, brand reputation, and a better candidate experience:

Online Application: Like Tesco, applicants usually begin by completing an online application form on the company's website.

Screening Tests: The candidates are put through initial screening tests, which could include tests of personality or short aptitude tests to assess their suitability for a luxury retail environment.

Written Tests: Shortlisted candidates can be asked to take written tests, maybe for aptitude, reasoning, and possibly customer service or luxury sales scenario-based questions.

Telephonic/Video Interview: The confirmed candidates by email are then taken to the telephonic or video interview, typically conducted by an HR representative, to assess communication and overall fit.

Face-to-Face Interview of Line Managers: Candidates are then invited for further, face-to-face interviews with the line managers following the initial screening. These interviews would most probably be centered on customer interface skills, product knowledge where applicable, and commitment to luxury service standards.

Assessment Centre/Last Interview: The final step could involve an assessment centre for senior-level roles, or a last interview with a senior recruitment manager, where cultural compatibility and personal assessment take precedence (Harrods Careers Website, 2025).

2.4 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Recruitment and Selection Processes: Tesco and Harrods

The success of the recruitment and selection processes of organizations like Tesco and Harrods can be measured against some very significant factors that are of crux importance in successful talent sourcing and organizational performance.

Transparency: Both Tesco and Harrods show that they are committed to transparency in their recruitment policies and procedures. By clearly stating the stages involved in the application process and laying down the expectations of the applicants, the companies instill confidence and guarantee fairness. Transparency goes a long way in enhancing the company's reputation as well as in hiring candidates who are comfortable with the company culture and the role requirements. For instance, when a candidate is aware of the particular tests they will undergo in Tesco's assessment centre, they are better prepared, thus less stressed, and hence will perform better, resulting in a true assessment.

Reduced Training Costs (with effective selection): The whole recruitment and selection process decreases the requirement of large amounts of initial training for the new recruit, as it effectively selects people with prerequisite skills and abilities. By hiring people who are showing competence in certain tasks rather than hiring individuals with generic 'soft skills' to the entire organization, companies can utilize their training expenditure more effectively, focusing on upper-level ability development rather than basic onboarding procedures. For instance, if Harrods hires a salesperson with significant luxury retailing experience, the company can effectively train him or her for specific product lines and sales methods rather than training them to perform basic customer service.

Job Satisfaction and Retention: A successful recruitment process entails a correct job analysis and correct evaluation of its importance and requirements. The process ensures better compatibility between the individual and the job, and this in turn ensures job satisfaction to newly hired staff. When the potential employees are well-informed about the job and are correctly suited to the job requirements, it ensures high morale, fewer absences, and significantly reduces turnover. For example, a candidate selected by Tesco for a night shift job, after being well-educated about the working hours and physical conditions during the recruitment process, is likely to have job satisfaction and continue in the job for the long term.

Challenges Mitigation and Encouraging a Constructive Environment: Effective recruitment and selection processes are important in choosing individuals not just with the appropriate skills but also with the cultural alignment and potential to build constructive working relationships. The potential to anticipate and avoid possible challenges, like extensive absenteeism or low morale, through appropriate screening guarantees new employees add value to the workplace and are remunerated suitably for the same. The proactive approach steers clear of the expensive and destructive issues related to poor hiring, like detrimental team dynamics or frequent disciplinary problems (India Briefing, 2024).

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Task 3

Management Theories and Compensation Models in Virgin Media

Virgin Media, similar to many forward-thinking organizations, utilizes established management practices to inform its approach towards employee motivation and remuneration. Their policies often are based on an in-depth understanding of the underlying issues that actually improve employee performance and satisfaction.

3.1 Application of Herzberg's and Maslow's Motivation Theories in Virgin Media

The approach taken by Virgin Media with regards to motivating employees tends to follow fundamental theories, including Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Frederick Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Virgin Media realizes that the employees have a hierarchy of needs that need to be satisfied. They first satisfy physiological needs (like competitive pay to survive) and safety needs (like security of employment, safe working environment, health cover like health insurance at reduced rates) for employees. Then, social needs (like team building, social functions, belonging), esteem needs (like performance rewards, promotion opportunities, career growth opportunities like field pay and reward schemes like ASPIRE), and lastly, the self-actualisation needs (like opportunities for self-development, challenging work, participation in decision-making) are met. By providing benefits at each level of achievement, Virgin Media motivates employees to ascend this hierarchy. The achievement of one goal thus motivates employees to move towards higher goals.

Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory states that Virgin Media employs Herzberg's work by differentiating between 'hygiene factors,' which prevent dissatisfaction, and 'motivators,' which bring about satisfaction.

Hygiene Factors: These include aspects like compensation, company policies, supervision, working conditions, and job security. Virgin Media ensures that these are adequately addressed to prevent dissatisfaction. For instance, providing a 'healthy work culture' and appropriate pay packages addresses these fundamental factors. Motivators are those factors inherently related to the job content leading to satisfaction and motivation at positive levels. Virgin Media wants to create such factors by giving opportunities for achievement, recognition, challenging work, responsibility, and career growth. Encouraging workers' participation in making decisions, providing opportunities for professional development, and adopting initiatives like ASPIRE are direct inputs towards these motivating factors. The company offers substantial focus on bonuses, incentives, and rewards above minimum pay, along with providing additional benefits and discounts (such as on insurance policies), with the intention of using these motivators for attracting talent, retaining staff, and stimulating high-quality performance (SHRM, 2023).

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3.2 Evaluating the Process of Job Evaluation and Other Factors Determining Pay at Virgin Media

Virgin Media's assessment of employee performance is multi-dimensional, one that tries to be thorough without intruding, one that provides constructive criticism and supports continuous improvement. They ensure that employees are aware of their objectives and provided with the required support to achieve the same.

The 360-Degree Appraisal Process: Virgin Media adheres to the 360-degree appraisal process, which is an inclusive method of measuring an employee's performance by asking for feedback from different sources. The process involves self-assessment, feedback from direct managers, observation by peers, feedback from direct reports, and sometimes feedback from external stakeholders such as customers. A balanced approach gives a better idea of an employee's strengths and development areas, taking into account more than the traditional hierarchical appraisal process. For example, a Virgin Media project manager may receive feedback on their communication from team members, feedback on project delivery from their direct manager, and assessment of their responsiveness from clients, thus allowing for a complete assessment of their overall performance.

Stand-Up Meetings (Group Huddles): Also known as "group huddles" at Virgin Media, these are brief meetings held with some regularity, usually on short notice, and are intended to share key operating information, share updates of progress, and solve near-term roadblocks. Usually held every other week, these meetings are intended to sharpen the quality of joint work and cement team accountability. The overt commitment by a team member to complete a task by a particular deadline (e.g., "I will close that customer complaint by 2 p.m.") provides a sense of ownership and significantly increases the likelihood of follow-through, thus creating a culture of high performance within daily operations.

Balanced Scorecard: Virgin Media uses a Balanced Scorecard system to monitor the performance of employees and teams against strategic challenges and goals to be met within a timescale. This system goes beyond financial measures, incorporating measures such as customer satisfaction, internal business processes, and learning and development opportunities. This system holds employees accountable for deadlines and the long-term success of the organization by providing a clear connection between team and individual performance and strategic goals. For example, a sales team's Balanced Scorecard would not only include sales volume measures but also customer satisfaction levels and new product training achievement rates.

Continuous Assessment: Ongoing monitoring and ongoing feedback are at the heart of Virgin Media's performance evaluation system. Instead of waiting for annual appraisals to provide feedback, managers provide ongoing critique and guidance throughout the year. Feedback at the right moment is crucial because procrastination can result in incremental but valuable improvements being lost. Ongoing praise or feedback allows workers to make prompt corrections, learn from errors, and improve continuously. For example, a team leader can provide immediate feedback to a call center agent after an unsuccessful customer interaction, thus allowing the agent to apply new strategies in the next call (Forbes, 2024b).

Conclusion

The interdependent relationship between employees and organizations cannot be doubted. The organizations are obligated to develop and grow employees and employees are obligated to be loyal, compliant, and dedicated to organizational objectives. This assignment has acted as an extensive analysis of the numerous important aspects of Human Resource Management.

A difference has been drawn between the traditional, administrative focus of personnel management and the modern, strategic imperative of human resource management as demonstrated by the Tesco practice. The core activities of HRM—i.e., integration, training, leadership, and performance management—were assessed against their contribution to the achievement of organisational goals. We have also debated the key roles of line managers as key HR partners, who coach employees and implement policies. The widespread impact of legal and regulatory requirements such as the Equality Act and data protection legislation on ethical and compliant HR practice was also debated at length.

The importance of proactive human resource planning was brought to the forefront, elaborating on its systematic steps that vary from goal analysis and carrying out resource inventories to requirements forecasting and action planning. Next, our analysis moved on to the ground realities of talent acquisition, where we contrasted and compared the recruitment and selection procedures of Tesco and Harrods. Next, we compared motivational theories, i.e., those presumed by Maslow and Herzberg, and the advanced reward schemes practiced at Virgin Media, assessing their performance in recruiting, retaining, and motivating employees, and the different strategies pursued for monitoring employees' performance.

Essentially, successful human resource management goes beyond simple personnel management; it entails the strategic enabling of people to drive the success of an organization in a constantly changing global context.

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References

• Harrods (2025), Careers at Harrods

• HR Lineup (2025), Human Resource Planning: Meaning, Process, Types, & Importance: https://www.hrlineup.com/human-resource-planning/ 

• India Briefing (2024), A Guide to Terminating Employment in India: https://www.india-briefing.com/doing-business-guide/india/human-resources-and-payroll/a-guide-to-terminating-employment-in-india.

• Jobillico (2024), 7 Ways HR Contributes to Your 2024 Business Strategy: https://www.jobillico.com/blog/en/7-ways-hr-contributes-to-your-2024-business-strategy/

• PeopleStrong (2024), Human Resource Planning: Strategies for Future-Proofing Your Workforce: https://www.peoplestrong.com/blog/human-resource-planning/.

• SHRM (2023), How Self-Determination Theory Can Help Your Organization Grow.

• SHRM (2024), Compensation: A Guide to Best Practice: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/topics/compensation-benefits.

• Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) (2025), What is Management Accounting?: https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/business/management-accounting

• UK Legislation (2025), The Equality Act 2010: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents 

• Visier (2024), 11 HR Functions for 2024 and How They're Evolving: https://www.visier.com/blog/hr-functions-every-organization-needs/

• Forbes (2024a), 10 Ways to Reward Employees Beyond a Paycheck: 

• Forbes (2024b) https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/08/09/the-importance-of-performance-management/

Author Bio:

Isla is a UK-based HR professional with over a decade of experience in human resource management and organizational development. Specializing in modern HR strategies, employee well-being, and digital transformation in the workplace, she is passionate about fostering inclusive and high-performing cultures.