Human Resource Management
The key objective of this study is to conduct an analysis of the functions such as HR strategies and Human Resource Development (Training) so that it can be determined that how the above-mentioned functions have a significant contribution to the success of the organization.
In this manner, the selected organization for this research is Woolworth in Australia and works in other countries too. Under this study, the organization’s background, mission, vision, and performance are discussed.
Along with this, different HR strategies and the techniques of the human resource development that are adopted by the organization are analyzed in this assessment report. After that, an effective conclusion including recommendations is also demonstrated for the organization in concern of its future applications.
The selected organization is Woolworth Group Limited that is a huge Australian company and has extensive retail interest in whole the Australia and New Zealand too. It was established in 1924 by Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, Ernest Williams, and George Creed.
Woolworth Group is identified as the second-largest company in Australia in terms of its revenue (Woolworth Group., 2019). Woolworth has its headquarter in Bella Vista, New South Wales and Australia and its key people are Gordon Cairn (Chairman) and Brad Banducci (CEO). Woolworth is one of the best retail companies because it offers quality products at reasonable prices.
While concerns the company, it is examined that Woolworth is identified as a diverse group of retail businesses and that has the journey of becoming a purpose –led-organization.
In this manner, the key purpose of the company is “to create better experiences together for a better tomorrow”. Moreover, the company’s main goal is to keep its customers first across all its brands so that customer’s loyalty can be enhanced towards the brand (Woolworth Group., 2019).
In a similar manner to above, Woolworth has performed its operations in a well-organized manner and it can be examined by its last year’s performance as the revenue of the company was A$55.669 billion in 2017 that reflects the company’s financial position which is excellent as compared to its competitors in Australia.
Apart from this, it is also analyzed that the company provides employment around 205,000 people at a single time that is considered a big achievement for any organization (Woolworth Group., 2019).
In addition, along with a large number of employees, it is quite difficult for any organization to manage its HR strategies but Woolworth adopts F20 strategy house and key priorities that focus on the key growth drivers for the company to deliver the positive results in respect of the customers as well as its team too.
With the huge business structure, Woolworth manages its organizational team and its employees with the help of its effective human resource management as it is an important concept which is linked to brand growth.
Moreover, being the most renowned and popular retail organization, Woolworth holds a dedicated human resource department that has a great focus on the effective management of the employees in respect of the organization (Noe et al., 2017).
In this manner, it is identified that Woolworth has designed an effective and successful human resource department by adopting some important as well as crucial functions of the human resource.
(Sourced: Cascio, 2015)
In concern of Woolworth, the company operates its human resource functions at two levels such as strategic and the functional level (Cascio, 2015). It is because the practitioners under the organization are included in human resource planning as well as corporate planning at its strategic level.
In against this, at the functional level, the line managers of the organization conduct several activities. In these activities, it is ensured that the employees are at accurate time, at the appropriate costs and at the right place. Woolworth also adopts some functions related to HR strategies and the Human Resource Development and their discussion is given below:
In relation to the HR strategies, Armstrong and Taylor (2014) reflects that it is the strategy that is adopted by an organization that has the aim to integrate the organizational culture, its employees as well as its system through coordinating the set of different activities in order to get the essential organizational goals.
Apart from this, while concerning Woolworth Group, it relies heavily on effective employees working under its operations. That is why the organization adopts significant HR strategies which are quite important for it in the context of managing its employees with the effectiveness.
Furthermore, Bratton and Gold (2017) supports and discloses that HR strategies are important because these are beneficial for the organizations to effectively organize their operations and get success with its organized human resources under the organization.
In this manner, there are several HR strategies that are identified for the organization as these are led to implement the different functions within the HR department.
These HR strategies are made with the guidance of the overall organizational strategies and serve to benefit the organization with respect to achieve its long term as well as short term goals with the help of its employees (Cascio, 2015). Under Woolworth, it focuses on the different kind of HR strategies in order to manage the different areas under the organization and these strategies are defined below:
Talent Management
Talent reflects the human capital under the organization and it is also important for the success of the organization. Similarly, talent management is considered as the systematic process used to identify the vacant position, recruiting the appropriate candidate, developing the skills as well as expertise of the person in concern of matching the position and retaining the employees for attaining the long-term organizational goals (DeCenzo et al., 2016).
(Sourced: Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2018)
Under talent management, six steps such as planning, attracting, selecting, developing, retaining, and transitioning are included that are effective for the Woolworth Group too to manage its factions (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2018).
Employee Engagement
It is considered as the property of the relationship between an organization and its employees. In this manner, employee engagement is an approach that has the objective to provide the right conditions to all the employees under the organization so that they can give their best each and every day, can be committed to the organizational goals as well as values (Budhwar and Debrah, 2013).
In this way, the importance of employee engagement cannot be ignored as it is effective for the organization to reduce employee turnover, improve and enhance productivity, retain more customers and increased profitability.
Rewarding
It is also considered as an important part of HR management as it helps the organization to manage along with the employees. In other words, Sparrow et al. (2016) reflects that it is the term in which organizations are ready to pay with respect to accomplish their objectives.
Thus, the evaluation of the reward system begins with the understating of the organizational strategies as well as under this, HR strategy supports this system. With the help of this system, Woolworth is capable to improve its employee’s productivity and make them efficient in their work.
Corporate Social Responsibility
CSR is identified as the self-regulated business model which is essential under the organization to be socially accountable in concern of itself, its different stakeholders and the general public too.
Generally, Corporate Social Responsibility is a management idea whereby organizations integrate the social as well as environmental concerns under their business operations and the interactions with the organizational stakeholders (Brewster, 2017).
Being a socially responsible and accountable organization, it can be capable to bolster its company’s image as well as build its brand the same as Woolworth who also focuses on its CSR activities.
Human Resource Development (Training)
In a similar manner to above, it is defined that Human Resource Development is also important to factor for the organization as, under this factor, different ways are focused by the organization which is related to the development of the employees within the organization.
Moreover, Human Resource Development is identified as the integrated use of the training, career development efforts and the organization with respect to improving the employees, their groups and the organizational effectiveness.
In concern of the Human Resource Development, Renwick et al. (2013) reflects that it includes the training sessions by which newly hired employees are provided opportunities to develop their knowledge as well as skills which are beneficial for them in their individual tasks as well as other developmental activities.
On the basis of its criticalness, it is mentioned that the set of processes under the HR department is important for the employee on-boarding as well as their retention (Aswathappa, 2013).
(Sourced: Jackson et al. (2014)
From the different findings, Jackson et al. (2014) reflects that if newly hired employees are not provided appropriate training according to their job profile, then they are unable to get success in their future with the organization.
In this manner, it can be demonstrated that Human Resource Development is the collection of training, organization, and career development efforts so that employee’s performance can be enhanced and improved as per the organizational performance standards so that an organization can achieve its pre-determined goals in an efficient manner (Storey, 2014).
In a similar manner to above, it is also mentioned that training for employee development is a continuous process for all kinds of skills under the employees like technical, behavioral, managerial and conceptual, etc. At the same time, it is mentioned that under Human Resource Development. Different areas are covered such as recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, career planning, and development programs, etc.
(Sourced: Anderson, 2013)
On the basis of above, it is reflected that Woolworth is one of the major retailers in Australia and it provides the employment approx 205,000 employees at a single time whereas it provides the best services to its customers because it adopts best HR practices including HR strategies and the Human Resource Development like training by which it makes its employees more capable and knowledgeable while accomplishing organizational operations and its internal activities efficiently (Anderson, 2013).
Moreover, Woolworth Group also focuses on retaining its staff members for a long-time period so that it can reduce its business costs in concern of hiring, employee training and enhance business efficiency.
Conclusion and Recommendations
On the basis of above discussion, it can be concluded that Woolworth has deeper focus on its human resource management as it considers its important part of it organization and because of the focus on its Human Resource management, Woolworth is competent to deliver best customer services to its customers and enhance its profitability as compared to its competitors.
At the same time, it is also mentioned that Woolworth has developed its Human Resource Department by getting the help of some important as well as significant approaches related to Human Resource. Moreover, the company also concentrates on its effective HR strategies and Human Resource Development such as training because these are most effective to contribute to organizational success and its enhanced profitability.
Critical analysis in comparison with another case
While comparing with the other competitors of Woolworth Group, it is analyzed that Walmart, Costco, Target, Safeway, Hollier Dicksons, Giant Eagle, etc are the major competitors of it but even then, Woolworth is second largest retail in Australia which offers the quality products along with the best customer services and it is possible because it adopts appropriate HR strategies and training for its employees in order to manage them.
After analyzing the above case of Woolworth, there are some important recommendations that can be given to the company and it should follow them. These recommendations are defined below:
- The company should change its training system in which employees should be trained by practical situations
- During the training periods, the trainer should make individual indulge with the other cultural people so that employee can learn about cultural diversity and different languages and this practice help them to implement on their job performance.
- The organization should be more focused on the individual development strategy that will help to appeal to larger individual people towards the organization.
- It is also recommended that organizations should adopt effective communication in the form of undertaking LAN, WAN and personal portal, etc which help to properly flow of communication among the different departments under the organization.
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Woolworth Group., 2019. About Us. [Online] Available at: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/about-us/our-brands. (Accessed: 04th October, 2019)
Woolworth Group., 2019. Our Approach: Strategy and Objectives. [Online] Available at: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/about-us/our-approach/strategy-and-objectives. (Accessed: 04th October, 2019)
