Exploring Human Resource Management Practices at Sainsbury

The main factors that constitute of Human resource management is still a controversial issue and have drawn various definitions. Green (2013) views Human resource management as an integration of people-centered management procedures that acknowledges personnel as assets and geared towards generating and maintaining skilled and dedicated staff. Contrary, Karim et al. (2014) viewed Human Resource Management (HRM) as a combination of philosophies, policies, procedures, and process that are related to the management of people within an entity. Zairi (1998) defined HRM as the utilisation of staffs to attain organisational goals. This study will not use any specific definition in regards to measuring the effectiveness of Human Resource Management. If you are seeking assistance in HRM dissertation help, considering all these different perspectives could enrich your analysis. However, the review is involved in the individual actions that are linked to the supervision of individuals in Sainsbury (United Kingdom). From the definition above, it is evident that Human resource consists of two significant facets, that is the proper coordination of employees to achieve organisational goals. Spence and Rinaldi (2010, p. 52) wrote that human resource as a field consists of various basic tasks and activities. The literature on Human Resource identify the following processes as familiar to most standard Human Resource Management Systems, the recruitment, compensation, rewards, performance management, overtime management, and grievance handling, among others.

The managing body at Sainsbury is mainly on how they manage the human resource at the company and it for this reason that the company established a special department for human resource management. The human resource department in the Sainsbury is focused on managing the needs of its employees and give them essential opportunities needed by employees to grow their respective careers (Karim, Huda, and Khan 2012, p. 141). The human resource department also ensures that these employees undertake the duties that match their qualifications, interests, and caliber.

Since the establishment of Sainsbury in 1869 up to date, the company has opened more than 1200 stores in the United Kingdom. Since then, the company has employed more than 1600 individuals. Because it has a vibrant human resource team, the company has been able to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. The HRM team provides the needed structure and culture to meet the demands and requirements of the business. Sainsbury perceives its personnel as the most valued assets in the company. The purposes of the Human resource department with respect to workforce planning and resourcing:

The human resource department at Sainsbury ensures the existing personnel has the ability to fulfil the forthcoming targets of the organisation. For the HRM department to accomplish this task, it coordinates the efforts of other teams and departmental managers to work in tandem to examine the skills and capabilities of the employees (MacDonalds, 2016). Generally, this assists in analysing the best possible action that ought to be taken in identifying all-round staffs. Those employees with lower qualities are given the necessary training to achieve more accounting jobs.

To attain this objective, the Human resource team trains staff on the functions and jobs of other sections to promote staff mobility. Such structures help the organisation to achieve efficacy in terms of having an all-rounded workforce. Besides, it enhances the skills and ability of workers that are associated with the work of other departments (Akter 2012, p. 316). These people could also undertake different jobs that strengthen the business and ultimately enhances the overall productivity and profitability of the organisation.

The human resource department is also responsible for providing training to employees to improve their skills. In cases where the company hires, the new employees are directed and guided through the supervision of departmental leaders and directors so that they can comprehend the working environment and contribute to the organisational targets.

Sainsbury uses, external sources of employment, that most of its new employees are sourced from external organisations. Among the significant recruitment platforms is the graduate trainee programs, where Sainsbury recruits around 100 graduates every year. The Graduate recruitment process is conducted via online platforms, where subsequent graduates are under the trainee scheme are trained to take up active positions in various departments. When training, these graduates work in all areas of the store under supervision (Mayhew 2016). Other professionals are recruited through an interview process and are further trained to work towards achieving the organisation’s objectives.

Sainsbury’s recruitment process is fair and based on the potential employee’s skills; this process inspires new chances for prospective job seekers, and at the same time it increases the organisation’s stamping over the external sources. Besides, the United Kingdom’s employment law warns against discrimination of any type when recruiting in a workplace, the staffing process used by Sainsbury is straightforward and does not have any biases or parity. The same will also be extended to employees (Sainsbury’s, 2016). Lastly, the company has a more extensive scope to choose from due to the significant number of applications, which also gives the organisation a higher chance of getting the right candidate. As much as the process of recruitment is Sainsbury is transparent and has lots of advantages, the same process also exposes the organisation to incur a high cost when recruiting and at the same time this whole process is very lengthy.

There are various functions of the Human Resource Department that can be used to fill the objectives of the organisation. In the case of Sainsbury, the HRM department has taken the following actions as a way of helping the organisation to attain its goals.

The process of recruitment is considered as among the critical functions of human resource management by the selection of the appropriate employees and even proceeds to employ the proper professionals to fill the employment gaps in an organisation. Therefore, through recruitment, Sainsbury can satisfy its personnel needs, which allows the company to achieve its objectives.

The HRM is tasked with the duty of ensuring that employee learning. Through learning and acquiring new knowledge, employees tend to be more efficient and productive in a workplace, which ultimately helps the company to generate huge capitals and gain competitive advantage. Besides, it is only through employee learning that the company can develop a competent and efficient workforce.

In Sainsbury, planning is reflected through a procedure where the management ensures that there is an appropriate number of individuals at the right place and at the time of need. It is through planning that the human resource department in Sainsbury that other departments can differentiate the goals of the organisation, which guides them in conducting various activities in an organisation and thus guide them on how to achieve organisational goals. Nadzir and Isa (2015) wrote that knowing the company can help employees to be more resourceful and fulfil corporate objectives.

Strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection

Since Sainsbury believes in external recruitment, this framework injects new faces and ideologies in the organisation, which means that the company will get new ideas, from the new employees. Besides, since the same methodology exposes the organisation to a wide range of individuals with distinct skills, it allows the management of the organisation to verify and confirm what it is in their best interest. Harrison (2008, p. 36) wrote that candidates recruited from external sources are more dynamic and are always passionate about their respective duties so that they can keep their position safe.

Despite all these benefits, the external process tends to be long and tedious; the company wastes a lot of time trying to find the best candidate, and at the same time company spends a lot of capital on advertising for the job vacancies to reach a wide range of potential recruits. Besides, external recruitment might fail to as effective as though because the management might fail to reveal the best candidate, due to the fact some people are likely to lie or fake their credentials. In cases where a potential employee lies about their credentials, the company might not realise it immediately until it is too late. Medina, Acosta-Perez, Velez, Martinez, Rivera, Sardinas, and Pattatucci (2015, p. 32) this problem emerges especially when the internal employees believe that they have the right qualifications to occupy a position, but the company ends up giving the role to an external candidate. Such dynamics can cause internal conflicts, which might eventually affect the functionality of the organisation.

Conclusion

The HRM department in Sainsbury plays an important role, especially in regards to streamlining the organisational objectives, with the interests, qualifications, and talents of various individuals. So far, these strategies have been efficient based on the fact that the company is performing relatively well as compared to some of its competitors. Generally, the Human Resource Management department is competent enough and has played an essential role in helping the organisation to achieve its objectives.

Human Resource Systems aims at attracting and developing human resources in any entity that aims at attaining a competitive advantage over its competitors. Among the process that aims at achieving organisational objectives are the recruitment and selection process and training and development, among others. Others that aim at retaining personnel include rewards, performance assessment, flexible work schedules, and the compensation systems, among others. Therefore, this study will analyse these practise in regards to their application in Sainsbury.

The procedures of recruitment and assortment have been discussed in the previous sections. Therefore, this framework is in line with the firm's culture, which informs the firms on who to the employee and who not to. The system used at Sainsbury involves a new and need-based test that is essential in affecting the desirable selection. Besides, the company has dedicated maximum resources to this process to develop a top-quality selection. The fact that Sainsbury uses a transparent induction methodology, the company enhances its credibility and compels its workforce to loyalty (Kempton 1995, p. 95). Besides, it communicates various projections of brilliant presentation and conveys the employees-oriented value.

Employees can only acquire new knowledge and skills through this process. Sainsbury, as a company, has existed for a long time and has survived through various dynamics in the market. The only facet that enables this company to transition from one corporate era to the other is through training and developing its employees. The company was formed in the 19th century, when computers and technology have not yet existed, however, it was through rigorous and unceasing training and development that the company was able to transition to a modern company that has come to embrace technological changes and modernism (Boxall 1996, p. 71).

Besides, training focuses on giving employees new knowledge, which leads to professional development. According to Jones, Comfort, and Hillier (2005, p. 882), professional development has a real and psychological meaning to employees, and also boosts the morale of employees. In cases where the managers have undergone training, they are likely to act as role models to other staffs in terms of helping them to take the training goals seriously. It is this regards that Sainsbury takes training seriously, especially when transitioning from one culture to the other, or from one ear to the other.

Medina, Acosta-Perez, Velez, Martinez, Rivera, Sardinas, and Pattatucci (2015, p. 132) wrote that a reward system should be ethical, legal, sufficient, motivating, fair and equitable costs. So far, Sainsbury has a reputation of paying an averagely high salary, especially for expatriates as compared to other companies. Even so, there have been calls from both internal and external stakeholders in Sainsbury that have called for a salary review, for everyone working in the company to reduce the gap between the highest paid worker and the lowest paid workers. Even so, Fraser (2014) argued that Sainsbury has adopted a competency-based pay, where workers are paid according to their expertise, and trying to streamline this process is likely to demoralise the morale of the professionals in the organisation. In such stand-off situations, Hoekstra (2013) advises that the company should adopt a fair, competitive, and balanced compensation trend that will positively affect labor turnover.

Employee relations profoundly affect the human resource decision-making process and the employment legislation that is proposed by the government. Therefore, human resources systems ought to consider such facets before undertaking a strategy. A good employment relationship is likely to help the practise of HRM. In Sainsbury, it is simple for the Human Resource department to execute new decision in the entity as the relation between the company and the entity is good. Besides, various governmental regulations on employment have a substantial influence on HRM. Some policies compel human resource management to give job opportunities to less qualified candidates than what the company would have preferred. In the long run, such appointments are unprofitable to the company (Kelly 2004). Besides, the Human Resource system in Sainsbury takes an active role in developing communication between employees, which helps them in establishing a mutual relationship with the employees, which is essential for effective decision-making (Clark 2007, p. 221). If Sainsbury does not manage their employees effectively, the likely outcome is that the company will deteriorate. Sainsbury has adopted the following strategies to help in preserving good employee relations.

The company provides appropriate information to the employees so that they can be updated about the progress of the business. For instance, Sainsbury, through its communications and human resource department, provides information to their staff about the new products and the features of these products to the salespeople. Such strategies help the Sainsbury’s employees to have an explicit knowledge about their respective products, which enables the employees to improve on their productivity by giving clients the same information about a new product. Besides, such frameworks help the sales teams to maintain a good working relationship with their clients. Therefore, these staffs are capable of delivering the desired output because the organisation has empowered them.

People work in various companies with an expectation of building their careers. For this reason, Sainsbury tries as much as possible to give their employees as much professional development as possible. The company commits that the employees are appraised based on the performance (Medina et al. p. 134). Therefore, employees are always motivated and loyal to the brand, which eventually improves employee relations.

The organisational vision used by Sainsbury helps to motivate and stimulate workers to offer them better performance for the staffs. The same vision has designed and affiliated with the objectives of the teams (Mirrazavi and Beringer 2007, p. 217). Therefore, the fact that the organisational vision and the employees’ vision are in tandem helps to create an interactive environment for enhancing employee relations.

Employees who are motivated tend to maintain a good relationship with their respective employees. In cases where Sainsbury is sufficiently able to propel their employees, then they are more probable even to perform better than they are currently doing. So far, the company motivates its employees through rewards, incentives, job promotions, and salary increment. Gjika (2019) stated that companies should think creatively on how they can motivate their employees using non-monetary motivations, it is only through such methods that an employee can have a perpetual satisfaction with the company, which is even more beneficial in terms of employee relations.

Critical Elements of Employment Legislation and The Impact It Has Upon HRM Decision

Various employment policies in the United Kingdom hinder the decision-making process of various human resource departments in all companies operating in the country.

The 2010 equality act is an integration of two laws, which are the Race Relation Act formed in 1976, and the Disability Discrimination Act established in 1995. The decree stipulates that an entity should ensure that it gives equal opportunities for everyone or employees in the institution. The act warns organisations against any acts of discrimination that is based on age, race, gender, sex, or religion. Since Sainsbury is working in the United Kingdom, it has to comply to such regulation, or else it can be exposed to governmental sanctions, tariffs and worst of all the business can be denied the access to the UK market (Leighand Waddock 2006, p. 410).

This policy stipulates that an organisation must give a specific structure of remuneration, working hours, pension, or instigation of the job. It implies that Sainsbury should provide its employees with a useful remuneration framework. Else, the relevant authorities can affirm that the business to have breached the decree.

Employers must always ensure that employees are in good health. For example, Sainsbury gives its employees a pleasant working environment, and the necessary safety apparatus to use while working. For instance, those working warehouses and cold rooms, are provided the gears needed to prevent them from falling sick due to work-related measures. These are among the factors that assist the company in upholding good worker relations. In accordance with the 1974 health and safety act, Sainsbury should enforce the following; It should ensure an efficient environment and operating systems for its employees, it should also guarantee safe access and exit for its staffs, it should have the main treatment facility like a sickbay/ sanatorium and lastly, the company should train its employees on safety and health management.

Conclusion

From the discussion above on Sainsbury’s Human Resource Management Practices and systems, it is clear that the management of human resource at this company can either increase its annual turnover by decreasing the average turnover and at the same time it can ruin the whole organisation. In case the company embarks on an internal recruitment strategy; it will be capable of hiring qualified employees at a cheaper cost. Therefore, this means that the Human resource department will also take part in cost-saving practises, which results in the reduction of operation costs in the organisation. However, so far, it can be concluded that the human resource department at Sainsbury has been efficient in conducting its designated role.

Any employer who wishes to employ a professional ought to have a job description for the vacancy needed. In other words, an employer ought to have a job description for the following reasons.

Establishing a job description is an essential rolein the recruitment process. The description majors explain the primary tasks involved and the significant competencies needed to undertake this role. The right recruitment and selection policy need the correct job description to give precedence to the skills that could make the most constructive contribution to the entity’s requirements (Jowell and Prescott-Clarke 1970).

The necessary recruitment and selection policy also call for a hiring manager to use pre-defined criteria in all phases of the staffing process, which eventually reduces the risk of a candidate facing any signs of biasness (Ahsan, Ho, and Khan 2013). When screening for the best candidate, the fundamental selection guidelines ought to have been framed before advertising the vacancy and be displayed in the job description. Every candidate would then be assessed in accordance with these criteria only. Employers should note that using a similar scale to engage every candidate does not equal to fairness (Schmidt, Chapman, and Jones 2015). If a potential employee has a disadvantage of any reason, such as a disability, the employee might need to take such a situation into consideration so that they can give equal chances to everyone.

United Kingdom policies stipulate that a recruiting process should be fair and transparent, and the appropriate selection policy will always be apparent to recruiters. Following a distinct job description can help to avert any discriminatory trait that is based on sex, nationality, religion, disability, and sexual orientation (Bennett and Kottasz 2001). In case a candidate feels discriminated upon, they may resolve to take the necessary legal action using the conditions stipulated in the job description.

The united Kingdom privacy laws also stipulate that the application of a candidate should be treated confidentially (Walker and Hinojosa 2013). Any breach of confidentiality would lead to punishment, and job descriptions help in protecting the human resource needs of an organisation.

It is a fact that not all job advertisements are genuine. Some are placed by organisations as a means of testing their popularity or surveying the labour market. If a company clearly stipulates the procedures to follow, the candidates can be confident that the job vacancy exists and their application and interviewing efforts would not go down to waste (Redman and Mathews 1992). Besides, candidates can also gauge a reputable employer by the guidelines stipulated in the job vacancy announcement such as salary and wage compensation.

Take a deeper dive into Evolving Dynamics in Employee Relations with our additional resources.

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