Term Paper
On
HR Practices of M
& S (Marks & Spencer), Selfridges,
Primark and Sainsbury's
Term Paper
On
HR Practices of M
& S, Selfridges,
Primark and Sainsbury's
Submitted to
Professor Dr. Md. Mahmodul Hasan
Faculty EMBA/ MBA Program
North South University
Submitted by
Group: Boom-Al-Habibi
Section: 4
MBA- BUS 601: Human Resource Management
North South University
Date of Submission: 22 April 2015
Group Members
Armina Hossain
Anika Tasnim
Syeda Shotorupa Zafar
Nafis Ahmed
Letter of Transmittal:
22 April, 2015
Professor Dr. M. Mahmodul Hasan
Faculty EMBA/ MBA Program, North South
University
Plot: 15, Block: B, Bashundhara, Dhaka
1229
Subject: Regarding submission of term paper on HR Practices of Marks & Spencer, Selfridges, Primark and Sainsbury's
Dear Sir,
We want to thank you for
giving us such opportunity to submit the term paper on HR Practices of M & S, Selfridges, Primark and
Sainsbury for
the course Human Resource Management (HRM- 601), which had been a great
experience for us to work with such a real life issue. We tried utmost to make
and let it look like a professional one. Any shortcomings are expected to have
a kind view for our encouragement. Thank you for your sincere & honest try
to let us make easy and get familiar with the terms and facts of this analysis
to help us make the paper a successful one.
Our efforts will be valued; if this report serves the purpose for what it’s been assigned.
Thank You.
Sincerely,
Armina Hossain
Anika Tasnim
Syeda Shotorupa Zafar
Nafis Ahmed
Acknowledgement:
At
first, we would like to express our gratitude to almighty ALLAH who has given
us the opportunity to go through the total process of HR Practices and to write
a paper in this regard.
The term paper on HR Practices of Marks & Spencer, Selfridges, Primark and Sainsbury in light of the course Human
Resource Management (HRM-601) results from considerable intellectual and moral
support given by our honorable course instructor, Professor Dr. M. Mahmodul Hasan, Faculty EMBA/ MBA Program, North South
University. Over the last three months, he has been
our guide from whom we got the inspiration and guidance to learn “Human
Resource Management”. We strongly believe works like this one will surely help
us to develop & make us better adapted as well as capable to cope with the
issues & practical exposures in this field as well as to the whole of the legislative
tools that are being extensively exploited in today’s world.
Finally we want to thank
each other. As without the team effort the work may not happen. Each and every
member tries to give their best effort to finish the report as per guidelines.
Project Archive:
Executive Summary:
In this term paper we have analyzed the Human
Resource Management (HRM) practices and different HRM issues of four retailers-
Marks & Spencer’s, Selfridges & Co., Primark and Sainsbury’s. All these
four organizations are very popular in their recruitment and selection process
where the initial searching and selection is done over online.
The basic dispute Marks & Spencer faces are the
workforce diversity, high technological advancement and the international
business expansion and there are also challenges due to the recent automated
e-commerce distribution center, website launch, online based shopping etc. It
has many career development programs, of which on-the-job training plays a
vital part. Its salary and performance reward is reviewed annually and also has
some extraordinarily attractive performance and rewards to offer. It has a very
strong Health and Safety, Eco and Ethical commitments such as the carbon
neutral operation. We also discuss different types of motivational theory of
this company/
Another one company Selfridges & co. faces are the high turnover and need of recovery plan. It has unique career development program where employees are made to visit store to store and then a suitable position or workplace is chosen for them. Its salary and performance reward is made depending on experience and the location of the workplace. At Selfridges they talk and listen to their people, ensures safe working environment etc. and thus complies with the Health and Safety and Ethical issues.
Nest, The basic challenge Primark faces are the need for the adjustment of its business model and challenges in fulfilling its corporate responsibilities. Within Primark one’s career maybe developed in retail management, buying or merchandising and structured introduction and training for specific developments is provided as per need. Its wages are based on UK law and have some extraordinarily attractive performance and reward to offer as well. It has a very strong Health and Safety, Eco and Ethical commitments.
Moreover, the basic threats for Sainsbury’s are to hold
on to its employees. Its career development process includes initial training,
staff development, senior management training and investors in people. Its
Wages are of holistic natured; considering the overall package, as well as each
individual element to ensure it is appropriately balanced. It is committed to
the Health and Safety and the ethical issues by practicing freedom of
association, entitlement
Ken Robinson said that, Human resources are like natural resources;
they're often buried deep. You have to go looking for them; they're not just
lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they
show themselves.”
So, in conclusion, we can say that, Employees are
the important asset for an organization. If employees are unwilling to work
then the organization could not run properly according to the arrangement. In
addition, HR practices are the most significant key to make this asset dynamic
and competent in workplace. For getting practical information we have to
research on M&S, Selfridges, Primark and Sainsbury. And we try our best to present as many HR
related information as possible to this term paper.
Great Vision without great people is irrelevant. (Jim Collins, Good to Great.) At present, Human Resource Management is considered a very important part of the organization because everything is very uncertain and unpredictable in the organization now a day. Moreover, for proper structuring and doing every work on time, managing human resources is an essential part in this viable generation.
Contents:
Marks and
Spencer (also known as M&S; colloquially known as Marks and Sparks, Marks's or, simply, Marks) is a major British
multinational retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London. It
specializes in the selling of clothing, home products and luxury food products.
M&S was founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds.
1.1.
HR management in the 21st Century:
Challenges for the future:
There
are few factors that are affecting the current HRM Policies of Marks &
Spencer:
1.
Globalization:
·
M
& S has introduced EEO policies to ensure diversified work force which
creates comfortable work environment.
2.
Technology
Advancement:
·
M
& S is now using advance technology for-
Recruitment
and selection procedures
To
provide facilities and benefits to the employees.
3.
Change
in political and legal environment:
Another
challenge for Marks and Spencer is changing environment. So M & S tries to
accept the changes and follow the customer demands.
1.2.
The impact of Information Technology on HR
Management:
1.
M & S launched a website in February 2014
which acts 24 / 7 to their products and stores.
2.
M & S also undergoing a transformation
program that will provide a first and flexible supply chain to better serve
customers
1.3.
The recruitment &
selection process at Marks and Spencer:
Recruitment Process:
1.
Search through their
website under the careers section for the job role you are interested
2.
The search will show all the job roles within the
store across the various branches in the UK and its recruitment is conducted
through the Marks and Spencer website or their hotline.
3. Click on the
job role with the most suitable location to you.
4.
The Marks and Spencer recruitment process consists of
an online application form. An FAQ page is available before you apply to answer
any potential queries.
5.
This will require you to create a login as a
registered user. A confirmation email will be sent to you to validate the
account for the Marks and Spencer recruitment process.
6.
Once you submit the application form, an email receipt
will be sent to your given email address.
Once a
person applies for a job through the Marks and Spencer recruitment process, he
or she cannot re-apply for a position within the next 6 months due to high
demand Participants of recruitment can revisit the site to track the progress
for a job, and editing personal details.
1.4.
Performance & Reward systems of Marks &
Spencer:
·
Marks and Spencer's definition of
performance management:
Performance
management is a joint process that involves both the supervisor and the
employee, who identify common goals, which are linked to the goals of the
organization. This process results with the establishment of written
performance exceptions later used as measures for feedback and performance
evaluation.
An
appraisal system is carried out every 12 months at Marks and Spencer's. It’s
actually a process when discussions are made with members of staff about what
is going well, what can be improved and how they would which to develop and
other suggestions from workers. These meetings are done by manager of M&S
for the employees and are confidential. A review plan is used at M&S to
measure productivity. If targets are not met M&S can set out courses of
action to fix the problem for example giving the workers more training. This is
the link between performance management and training and development
How Marks and Spencer's performance management/training and development systems have been influenced by the motivational theories:
M&S uses Maslow's theory by helping staff
set and reaches their goals at work, they encourage their staff and praise them
when they are doing well and staff also receives rewards for good work.
M&S uses Herzberg’s two factor theory by
treated their employees well by giving them a good salary, good working
conditions and by giving them sick pays and pension’s schemes, they also give
their staff responsibilities to make them feel like there are important to the
company and motivate them.
M&S uses McGregor’s theory by having
managers who have trust in the workers and help them improve and do their best
and also by giving managers bonuses to motivate them.
Marks and Spencer's also use Taylor’s Scientific
Management theory by paying its employees in order to work and by having able
managers control the staff.
Rewards and benefits:
·
Pay – M & S reviews their basic pay
every year, plus they offer extra performance rewards to recognize individual
achievements.
·
Employee
discount –20% discount on
all in-store and online purchases for their employees.
·
Holidays – Employees are entitled to a
minimum of 28 days’ statutory holiday per year.
·
Bonus – M & S offers a number of
discretionary bonus schemes on offer that reward their employees for helping us
to reach our goals.
·
Pension – M & S offers an excellent
Defined Contribution pension plan, where if employees contribute 3% of pay
M&S will contribute 6%.
·
Life
Assurance – From day one,
employee will receive life assurance cover to the value of two times his/her
annual pensionable salary.
·
Shares
save – By joining one can save any
amount between £5 and £250 each month for 3 years. At the end of 3 years he/she
can get money back or buy shares at an exclusive 20% discounted price, which is
set at the start of the scheme.
- Salary Sacrifice: Salary Sacrifice schemes covering- childcare vouchers, holiday buying, car leasing and cycle to work, save money on tax and National Insurance.
- Discounts – Employees can enjoy 1,500
special discounts covering holidays, leisure attractions and many more
products and services.
- Heath &
Wellbeing
– M & S offer discounted healthcare products and a wellbeing website
with top tips and health guides, to keep fighting fit.
- Charity
Volunteer Day
–Any employee have the opportunity to volunteer for one day at a charity
of own choice.
1.6.
Career Development & Training &
Development Program:
1.
On the Job Learning: There
is a huge opportunity of on the job learning in M & S.
2.
Store attachments: Through
their store attachment program one will get hands-on experience in
one of stores.
3.
Corporate learning Program: M&N invests plenty of time with employees to ensure
they receive all the right technical training.
4.
Role Specific Training: Through role-specific training, M&S helps its
employees to reach own goals.
5.
Development Reviews: M&S ensures employee achievements are
recognized, feedback is heard and, of course, that one’s career is progressing.
Employee
Costs
|
2014(£m)
|
2013(£m)
|
Wages
& salaries including bonus and benefits
|
2980
|
2540
|
Social
security costs
|
185
|
158
|
Pension
costs –contribution schemes
|
121
|
105
|
Pension
costs –benefit schemes
|
78
|
52
|
Health insurance
|
28
|
25
|
Bonus scheme
|
12
|
9
|
Total
|
3404
|
2889
|
Sl
1.8.
Health & Safety Issues & HR Ethics:
1.
The Fire Health & Safety Committee -
advises on fire, health & safety policy, monitors its effectiveness and
reviews key performance measures on a quarterly basis.
2.
The Store/Site Manager - is
accountable and responsible for ensuring in conjunction with their Fire, Health
& Safety Officer that Company Health & Safety Policy is implemented.
This includes:
ü Suitable
Fire, Health & Safety induction and legislative update training for all
employees.
ü The
prevention, reporting, and investigation of accidents.
ü The
completion of store specific risk assessments and maintenance of known hazard
information.
3.
Occupational Health
Services – provide advice and support to line
managers on managing the impact of work on health,
and health on work.
4.
Business Involvement Groups (BIGs) - They should
discuss health &
safety policy, performance and implementation as an agenda
item at each meeting and update the business through the FHSO Networks.
5.
Retail Finance
and Operations - and its Trading, Safely and Legally Team are responsible for determining and monitoring risk assessments,
work practices and enforcement
measures.
6.
Property
Development and Facilities Management -
are responsible for the provision of working areas, equipment and materials
that are safe and without risk to health.
7.
The Fire, Health
& Safety Officer (FHSO) - assists the
Store Manager in promoting and improving the FHS culture in stores, ensuring a
consistently safe, secure and healthy environment for all staff through
workplace assessment, training and monitoring. In addition, supports your Plan
A Champion and Goals.
8.
All employees
must be aware of their individual responsibility-If an employee has any concerns about their health
& safety they should speak to:
·
The Store / Site
Manager / Line Manager
·
The Store / Site
Fire, Health & Safety Officer
·
Any member of your
Business Involvement Group
·
The Head Office Fire,
Health & Safety Team
1.9.
Recommendation
Marks & Spencer is very good in their overall
procedure of recruitment, selection, training & allover HR practices. I
found it as most great organization & most great working environment.
Selfridges, also known as Selfridge & Co., is
a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry
Gordon Selfridge. The flagship
store on London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK
(after Harrods) and opened 15 March 1909.
2.1.
HRM Management in 21st Century:
Challenges for the Future:
There are many factors that are
affecting HRM management decision of Selfridges & Co. in 21st
centuries. Some of these factors are given below:
1.
High Turnover: Maria Stanford, the HR director
introduced the most committed HR function at Selfridges, the department lacked
at commercial focus. The company has always suffered high turnover, so the
challenge was always constant recruitment and retaining process for sales
staffs.
2.
Work Life Balance: Many surveys on Selfridges show that
sometimes this organization fails to deal with this factor of its employees. To
control employee turnover rate this organization need to take initiative to
help them in balancing their work life & personal life.
3.
Project Ocean: Selfridge focuses on environmental
footprint by launching a campaign called Project Ocean to discover a better
& sustainable future by working with their partners.
4.
Workforce
Diversity:
Diversity affects all areas of organizations from recruitment to compensation,
to the affect it has on the corporate culture, morale and competitiveness.
Workforce diversity is a multifaceted phenomenon that can be defined as any
visible or invisible difference between organizational members.
2.2. The Impact of Information
Technology on HR Management: (Opportunities and Challenges):
Opportunities:
Technological
advances have a significant impact on HR business practices.
To
cope up with the new technology changes Selfridges is now using advance
technology within the organization. Selfridges uses advanced technology both
for employees and customers to make their jobs easier.
In
Selfridges, the major activity of selection & recruitment is fully done
online. The main advantage, it saves management’s time and it also cuts down
the cost of recruitment.
Some
other opportunities might include providing accurate information and performing
HR audits based on several different parameters.
Challenges:
One of
the major challenges faced by HRIS involves human error while giving input from
various information.
Also
it is essential to keep a disaster recovery plan for any information system,
otherwise there will be a chance that the system could be damaged or destroyed
by natural disasters. So there is a risk of losing valuable data is always
associated with IT.
2. 3.
Recruitment & Selection
Process of Selfridges:
Selfridge
& Co. takes job applications via the website. Its
recruitment process is as follows:
Ø Search through their website under
the careers section for the job role you are interested in according to the
department.
Ø Click on
the job role with the most suitable location to you. Selfridge’s
recruitment process consists of an online application form. An FAQ
page is available before you apply to answer any potential queries.
Ø This will
require you to create a login as a registered user. A confirmation email will
be sent to you to validate the account for this recruitment process.
Ø Once you
complete all the screening, application & branching questions, and then
come the talent screener part. They use Situational question for the assessment
of this part.
Ø This
recruitment process takes into consideration if you have any disability or
learning difficulty, a number is provided to give assistance to those
individuals.
2.4.
Performance & Reward System:
Selfridges
offers various sort of rewards and benefit packages for its employees. Such as:
·
Commission
schemes for Sales Associates roles
·
Healthcare
for senior managements
- Generous
holiday entitlement
- Extremely
generous discount throughout the whole store
- Contributory
pension scheme
- Life cover
- Long service
awards
- Performance
related incentive
- Performance Appraisal and Reward system
2.5.. Career Development & Training &
Development Program in Selfridges:
The Learning and Development team of
Selfridges works with all business areas to ensure that everyone is given the
full opportunity and encouragement for their talents to flourish.
1.
Job Rotation: Selfridges allows the employees to
move between stores. Roles in the stores and Head Office environments are
offered internally and through their Intranet. Through this transfer process
between their stores the employees can develop their career with retail
management teams to find better opportunities in different stores.
2.
Training Program & Workshop: Selfridges Also provides three
months' induction and continuous on-the-job training for their employees, a
broad range of programs and workshops, designed to help to develop their
particular sales, management or technical skills.
3.
Weekly Training: All Sales Associates enjoy weekly training sessions, focused on
delivering excellent customer service.
4.
Furthermore, if employees’ role requires a
professional qualification, Selfridges also provides financial support.
2.6.
Financial Budget of HR:
Employee
Costs
|
2014(£m)
|
2013(£m)
|
Wages
and salaries, including bonus and benefits
|
3050
|
2540
|
Social
security costs
|
180
|
143
|
Pension
costs –contribution schemes
|
109
|
60
|
Pension
costs –benefit schemes
|
43
|
28
|
Share-based
payments expense
|
45
|
37
|
Total
|
3427
|
2808
|
Source: Selfridges’s annual
report of 2014
2.7. Health and Safety Issues in Selfridges and HR Ethics:
•
At Selfridges managers have to cover everything from Fire Safety
and Manual Handling, to Work at Height and Use of Equipment and, where
appropriate, arrange expert speakers to brief on specialist areas.
•
They also have to set the agenda at the Health Safety and
Environment Champions meeting and work with stakeholders to reduce accidents in
problem areas.
•
Managers also investigate insurance claims.
2.8. Recommendation:
Some
recommendations for Selfridges are given below:
ü Selfridges should be more careful
about work life balance of the employees.
ü Selfridges compensation package does
not include some important components such as health and well being, share save,
salary sacrifice etc.
ü Adequate
training for every staff is mandatory as it is related with selling luxury
goods.
ü In
order to please and retain customers Selfridges should consider developing more
customer oriented strategies.
ü The Health and Safety policy in
Selfridges is not very strong in compare to other retail stores.
ü There should be an equal opportunity
for every employee and the workplace has to be favorable with them.
Primark
opened its first store in Dublin in 1969 under the name Penneys and today
operates in over 270 stores in nine countries in Europe and growing with the
first US store opening in Boston in 2015.
3.1. HR Management in the 21st Century: Challenges
for the Future:
Future Challenges:
•
Model Modification.
The ongoing impact of the financial crisis and the changing status
of shopping as entertainment could see changes in Primark's strategy. Smaller stores in city
centers aimed at impulse buyers may be profitable options worth pursuing. The company must also consider whether to enter online retailing,
as the prevalence of this option among their rivals may threaten their future
profitability.
•
Corporate Responsibility:
Primarks supply
chain has come under scrutiny ever since an activist
group revealed that Primark goods sourced from Bangladesh did not comply with
child labor laws. Although Primark immediately apologized and cut ties with
those suppliers, it has continued to draw fire over its supply-chain practices.
Analysts say that Primarks low gross margins prove that it is Primark taking the brunt of the low prices, not the suppliers. At Primark we know that the real key to its success is a combination of product, price and the people we have working for Primark. It is always looking for new people to help to move the business on and adapt it to the ever-changing circumstances.
Analysts say that Primarks low gross margins prove that it is Primark taking the brunt of the low prices, not the suppliers. At Primark we know that the real key to its success is a combination of product, price and the people we have working for Primark. It is always looking for new people to help to move the business on and adapt it to the ever-changing circumstances.
3.2.
The
impact of Information technology on HR management: Opportunities and
Challenges:
Opportunities:
·
Online Recruitment:
Through
the technology Primark now is doing their recruitment, assessing, and selection
of new employees which saves time and cost a huge.
Challenges:
·
Ethical Standards
Primark announced that it has signed a deal with supplier BSI
Management Systems to implement web-based supply chain audit, compliance and
performance management software to support compliance with ethical standards.
The tool, called Entropy, will help to ensure that independent suppliers,
mainly based in China and South Asia, conform to Primark’s mandatory code of
conduct.
•
Online Sales
Primark, high street clothing chain has made the announcement that
it will not follow online retail. It had a trial partnership with ASOS,
one of the UK's largest online apparel retailers. Later, the contract had been
terminated.
•
On Point Services
With the acquisition of On Point, Primark also gains ownership of
a proprietary high speed, high capacity, and time series database engine for use
with its suite of investment research and portfolio management
products. On Point will be integrated into the information technology
group of the Primark Financial Information Division (PFID).
3.3. Recruitment & Selection Process of Primark
Stores:
Recruitment Process:
External Vacancy:
•
You can do this on the Search & Apply page
on Primark website. You are presented with a number of search criteria
that you're looking for.
Screening Process:
- • Confirmation Mail
- • After submitting the resume online candidate will receive the email confirmation.
- • Initial Screening
- • If your application is unsuccessful, your details will be destroyed within a reasonable period of time. If the application was speculative, or we think we may have another suitable position for you in the future, it may hold the information for further period of time.
- • All you need to do is select the time and date that suits you best and click next. You will then receive a confirmation email to give you all the details and then reminders will be sent to you before your interview.
- • You can apply for as many positions as you like.
Most first stages with Primark are either a
telephone interview or a face to face interview/selection event by their team of trained
recruiters.
1.
Competency Based Question
Here Primark ask four types of questions to a candidate:
Situation, Tasks, action and result. For example: Can you give me an example
from your most recent role when you have to work to a deadline ?
2.
Motivational Questions
Motivational questions are used to find out what makes the
candidate tick and to see if the role suits your chosen career path,
aspirations, industry etc. For Example: Primark may ask why you are interested
to that position ?
3.4. Performance and Reward systems:
Salaries are competitive and subject to
annual review.
Other
benefits include:
• Structured training and development programs
• Promotional opportunities and Contributory pension Scheme.
• Childcare Voucher scheme
Primark
offer a variety of benefits, which we will discuss a candidate in interview in
further detail:
• Competitive annual leave right
• Health insurance (dependent on the role/level/function)
• Bonus scheme (dependent on the role/level/function)
• Flexi-time scheme for certain head office functions
• Variety of shift patterns available to suit your lifestyle.
3.5. Career Development and Training & Development Program
Career
Development:
• There are three career paths within Primark: Retail Management/ Retail Assistants, Buying, Merchandising and Head Office. Primark has a world class Management Development Program to help build your career at all levels.
• Primark encourages ideas, team spirit and passion across all functions.
• Primark advertises promotional
opportunities within the business to our existing employees, it’s something it
is really proud of and it shows it is committed to your development.
Training:
• Management skills
• Leadership
• Consumer and employee legislation
• Health and safety
• Human Resource Management
• Policies and procedures
• Management skills
• Leadership
• Consumer and employee legislation
• Health and safety
• Human Resource Management
• Policies and procedures
Primark also offers task specific
training support –
• Retail/Customer Service
• Administration
• Team leading
• Administration
• Team leading
3.6. Financial Budget
Employee
Costs
|
2013
|
2014
|
Salary
|
£42m
|
£48m
|
Childcare
Voucher scheme
|
£1.8m
|
£2m
|
Contributory
pension scheme
|
£8m
|
£10m
|
Health
insurance
|
£6.5m
|
£7m
|
Bonus
scheme
|
£12.5m
|
£13m
|
Total
|
£70.8m
|
£80m
|
Source: Annual Report of Primark
3.7.
Health and Safety:
Since 2011 Primark has partnered with BSR, local partners and its
suppliers on the HER project (Health Enables Returns) to provide healthcare and
health education to women working in the factories that make its products.
•
Environmental Requirements of Factories:
To make sure these factories meet its standards, it checks every
single one thoroughly. Primark makes sure it's safe and clean, and that the
people working in it are treated well, and paid a fair wage.
•
Worker empowerment
Provides education and support on vital issues including workplace
rights, health and hygiene, the importance of children's education and
respected collective bargaining.
3.9.
Recommendation
1.
Recruitment procedures need to be more user friendly. It’s better
to tell all the apply steps one after another in the websites which will saves
time and easy to use for the candidate.
2.
Primark can take test to the candidate through different types of
questions like situational, behavioral, stress questions and so on.
3.
They should focus more in
on the job training as most of the position offers here directly related with
customer and marketing
4.
Try to use different types of motivational theories to motivate
employees effectively and efficient
Chapter: 4- HR Practices
of Sainsbury’s (d)
Staff Turnover:
By
providing a learning environment and new opportunities within the organization
might help retain contributing employees because the employee gains experience
even as he becomes more marketable.
Conducive Work Environment:
Conducive Work Environment:
To
create an environment that increases employee morale and elicits strong
employee performance, HR staff must be fully involved in the business.
Succession Planning
To
survive these sudden changes and prevent adjustment issues, HR must be
proactive in succession planning. HR staff must identify, groom, provide
exposure and add work responsibilities to key employees.
4.2. The Impact of Information Technology on HR Management:
(Opportunities and Challenges):
Globalization
The Internet has opened up the job
market, extending the talent pool to almost every nook of the globe. In the
21st century, HR professionals recruit candidates from various countries who
speak different languages and practice customs that may be unlike those of the
company's local employees. This brings about changes to typical HR policies.
2.
Technology:
Technology has changed
the business world many times over. In the Information Age, the advent of
computers and the Internet has increased that impact significantly. Many
businesses cannot even function without the use of computer technology. This
impact is seen in nearly all areas of business, including human resources,
where technology continues to have a significant impact on HR practices.
3.
Social Media:
HR professionals today might use social media websites, such
as Facebook and LinkedIn, to get a better sense of job candidates. Challenged
to dig deeper, HR will need to use social media for the organization's benefit
in an extremely competitive job market for both candidates and hiring
companies. HR professionals must be ready to grab the best talent before the
competitor, and this could mean beginning the dialog even before the candidate
applies.
4.3.
Recruitment
and Selection process:
The internal recruitment in Sainsbury
involves the recruitment team first looking at the Sainsbury Internal Talent
Program (SITP). This Program allow all current employee of Sainsbury who are
either looking for move within the same department or seeking a more higher
level position in form of promotion.
However, if there are no positive
responses from any employee under the Sainsbury Internal Talent Program, the
vacancies are now officially advertised on the intranet for the entire employee
to see and apply. During this stage, there is a timestamp such as submission of
application deadline date.
Furthermore, Sainsbury also use
external recruitment process to
advertise their vacancies most of which are done on the internet and
Sainsbury’s website for their managerial position while others are done using various other
means such as advertising on local papers, job centre and in their stores.
4.4.
Performance
and Reward Systems
According to colleague
performance review (CPR) form (which is included in appendix), Sainsbury’s has
established a balanced scorecard that includes business key indicators like
Sales, MCM (Mystery Customer Measure), MAC (Mystery Availability Check),
Absence, Talkback, Turnover, Waste, Shrinkage, Labour Cost etc.
Values
|
Scorecard Measures (KPI)
|
|
Customer
|
Great service drive sales
|
MCM, MAC, Sales
|
Colleague
|
Individual responsibility team delivery
Respect for the individual |
Absence, Talkback, Turnover, Foundation Training
|
Operations
|
Getting better every day Keep it simple
|
License to trade, Inventory Accuracy,
Scheduling Efficiency |
Performance
|
Getting better every day Treat every £ as your
own
|
Waste, Shrinkage, Labor Cost,
Retail Controlled expense |
*this
table is generated from the Sainsbury’s colleague performance review (CPR)
which is collected from the personnel manager during the interview published in
Sainsbury’s Website.
4.5. Career
Development and Training & Development Program:
Sainsbury's plc
took steps which were planned at revolutionizing its human resources in to a
real onset of value addition to the company. Such steps included training and
development programs.
Sainsbury uses both:
a.
On the Job training
program
b.
Off the job training
program
The two training methods mentioned above will best suit the UK retail
giant Sainsbury’s. The organization is well acquainted with its training
structure and the employee support has enabled the organization to have much
improved employee performance qualities. The convenient store provides the
employees increased work experience. The cultural support increase value
integration of the training programs and Sainsbury’s has been able to develop
increased employee relationship to their management. Such strong training
support has helped the organization go through turbulent times of toughness and
low performance levels.
4.6. Financial budget of HR
Employee costs for the Group during the year amounted
to:
|
2014(£m)
|
2013(£m)
|
Wages and salaries, including bonus and
termination benefits
|
2150
|
2051
|
Social security costs
|
141
|
133
|
Pension costs – defined contribution schemes
|
77
|
44
|
Pension costs – defined benefit schemes
|
34
|
59
|
Share-based payments expense
|
33
|
33
|
Total
|
2435
|
2320
|
Source: Sainsbury’s annual report
of 2014
4.6.
Health & Safety Issues and HR Ethics:
HR has a role in
bringing the parties together and facilitating meaningful dialogue, even acting
as a mediator between management and workers where necessary. HR can also help
by supporting and having membership in the health and safety committee,
communicating to employees the organization’s commitment to occupational health
and safety, and training managers and employees on safe work practices.
That’s why not only in is own working areas, Sainsbury gives special
priority to its supply chain to ensure health and safety and compliance
management. Sainsbury believes any incident at supplier will affect their image
and its their own responsibility
4.6. Recommendation
1.
Sainsbury’s HR management have maintained high
standard in their performance, few innovative steps like providing flexibility
to choose the working hours by the candidates and employees, trying to provide
the employees friendly benefits like happy hours or nap rooms can increase
motivation and turn down turnover rate.
2.
The HR department can also update its
recruitment process by including behavioral questions with the institutional questions to judge the candidates compatibility.
Compare and Contrast among (a) + (b) + (c) + (d):
Topic
|
Challenges
|
Information Technology
|
Recruitment
and Selection
|
Performance
and Reward System
|
Training and Career Development
|
Health
and Safety
|
|
Marks and Spencer
|
Maintain
Sales through e-commerce
|
Transformation
program
|
Online
|
Supportive
to Goal Achievement
|
Focus
on the training, learning programs and development feedback
|
Different
types of awareness program and individual learning
|
|
Selfridges
|
High
Turnover and Work Life Balance
|
Lack of
recovery plan
|
Online
|
Commission
on Sales, Healthcare and Discount
|
Job
rotation, workshop and on-the-job training
|
Fire
Safety and Expert speakers to create awareness
|
|
Primark
|
Model Modification and
Corporate Responsibility
|
Not follow online
retail
|
Online
|
Competitive and subject to annual review
|
Provides different types of
training, promotion opportunities and encourages for ideas
|
Women
and Child Health Concern and Empowerment of Worker
|
|
Sainsburys
|
Employee
Retention and development
|
In a progressive
Stage |
Online
|
Store
discounts and gifts for achievers
|
Line
Manager development, Coaching & mentoring
|
Supplier
Compliance management
|
Conclusion:
From
the report we get a clear idea that in every organization now a day’s HRM plays
a very important role. It helps to identify the Human challenges within an
organization and how technology save times and cost of an organization through
using different types of technologies. In addition, training and development, also
helps to increase the productivity of an employee and its very usual thinks
that when an employee starts perform well, he or she can easily achieve the
goal of an organization. Next, for employee motivation career development and
reward is also a very important tool. We see all these four organization are
using different types of financial and non financial rewards. Moreover, from
this analysis we learn that, health and safety issues for each and every person
in an company is tremendously important as every employee is an asset of it.
References
§ Human Resources Management- (Author:
Gray Dessler)
§ Fundamentals of Human Resources
Management-(Author: David A. DeCenzo & Stephen P. Robbins)
§ Fundamentals of Human Resources
Management-(Author: David A. DeCenzo & Stephen P. Robbins)
