Understanding Of Human Resource Management And Motivation

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction

Human Resource managers around the world rarely agree on the best way to motivate staff at work. However, the problems that can arise when staff is unmotivated ensure this will continue to occupy a great deal of

management time and attention. In both Hospitality and Tourism sectors this is especially controversial, with the major problems of seasonality and low pay contributing to the mix. For this assignment I have been asked to examine contemporary views on motivation, identify a company currently addressing motivation problems at work and evaluate their efforts and to explore the relationship between the effective employment of appropriate recruitment and selection strategies and their impact on staff motivation. I have therefore have chosen TESCO’s motivation problems and in this assignment the following can be found: Identifying TESCO’s currently motivation problems at work and an evaluation of their effort, Ryanairs low salaries, recruitment methods used by TESCO and the impact it has on staff motivation and more in depth discussions about how these motivation problems and how they can be solved.

Understanding of Human Resource Management and Motivation

As human resource management is concerned with the people dimension in organization, at first, we should know organization in detail. Organizations are human associations in which two or more people seek to achieve a common goal or set of goals. In other word, organizations are established by the people and for the people. It consists of people working together through interrelationships and interactions. Organizations are created to achieve different goals. To achieve goals it should run various activities. Therefore an organization must consist of a structure, which defines jobs and relationships. In organization, different levels and division of jobs are defined to achieve specialization through division of labours.

Organizations depend on people to make them operate. An organization is nothing without resources. If we remove the employees from the organization, there is nothing but a pile raw material, machines, and physical commodities. Organization consists of the combination of different resources, among which human resource is the superior. But how did these people come to be employees in the organizations; How were they found and selected? Why do they come to work on a regular basis? Hoe do they know what to do on their jobs? How does management know if the employees are performing adequately? It they are not, what can be done about it?

Answers of these questions lie in the subject of human resource management. But before we attempt to understand how and organization should manage its human resources, we need to answer the generic question, what is management?

Management is the process of efficiently getting work activities completed with and through other people. An organization consists of goals and limited resources. To achieve goals, different activities are to be done. As there is limited resources, to get activities completed, the resources should be allocated properly. Simply, management is the act of allocating scare resources to achieve goals and getting required activities completed with and through other people. The management process includes the planning, organizing, leading and controlling activities that take place to accomplish objectives.

Managing people in an organization is human resource management. Since every organization is made up of people, acquiring their services, developing their skills, motivating them to high levels of performance and ensuring that they continue to maintain their commitment to the organization are essential to achieving organizational objectives. This is true regardless of the type of organization-government, business, education, health or social organizational objectives. This is true regardless of the type of organization-government, business, education, health or social welfare. Organizational effectiveness depends largely on the performance of people working in organizations. Management concerned to increase in performance of human resources is human resource management. It aims at achieving organizational goals through improvements in the productive contribution of people. It is concerned with philosophy, principles and practices related to human aspects of management. It keeps balance between the goals of organization and the goals of the individual.

Meaning and definition of motivation

Motivtion is basically managing people.To the behavioural scientists, the word motivation is something stemming from within a person. According to them, motivation refers to a dynamic driving force, which stems from within. It is an "inner striving condition, which activates or moves individual into action and continues him in the course of action enthusiastically". Thus, motivation is defined as an inner state that activates, energizes or moves behaviour towards goals. And, the forces inside the individual that inspire him to continue work are variously called as wishes, drives, needs etc.

Motivation is an effective and dynamic instrument in the hands of a manager for inspiring the workforce and creating confidence in them. Through the motivation of the workforce, management creates ‘will to work’ which is necessary for the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. Motivation is the process of getting the members or the group to pull weight effectively, to give their loyalty to the group and to carry out properly the purpose of the organisation.

The term ‘motivation’ has its origin in the Latin word "mover" which means to "move". Thus, motivation stands for movement. One can get a donkey to move by using a "carrot or a stick", with people one can use incentives, or threats or reprimands. However, these only have a limited effect. These work for a while and then need to be repeated, increased or reinforced to secure further movement. The term motivation may be defined as "the managerial function of ascertaining the motives of subordinates and helping them to realize those motives".

According to Rensis Likert motivation is the "core of management." Motivation is an important function performed by manager for actuating the people to work for the accomplishment of organisational objectives. Issuance of well-conceived instructions and orders does not mean that they will be followed. A manager has to make appropriate use of various techniques of motivation to enthuse the employees to follow them. Effective motivation succeeds not only in having an order accepted but also in gaining a determination to see that it is executed efficiently and effectively

According to Dubin motivation could be defined as "the complex of forces starting and keeping a person at work in an organisation. Motivation is something that moves the person to action, and continues him in the course of action already initiated". Motivation refers to the way a person is enthused at work to intensify his/her desire and willingness to use and channelise his/her energy for the achievement of organisational objectives. It is something that moves a person into action wand continue him in the course of action enthusiastically. The role of motivation is to develop and intensify the desire in every member of the organisation to work effectively and efficiently in his position.

In the words of Dalton E. McFarland, motivation is the way in which urges, desires, aspiration, striving or needs direct, control or explain the behaviour of human being". Motivation has very close relationship with the behaviour. It explains how and way the human behaviour is caused. According to McFarland motivation is a form of tension occurring within individual, with resulting behaviour aimed at reducing, eliminating or diverting the tension. Understanding the needs and drives and their resulting tensions helps to explain and predict human behaviour ultimately providing a sound basis for managerial decision and action." Thus, motivation is the term, which applies to the entire class of urges, drives, desires, needs and similar forces.

There are three major components to motivation: activation, persistence and intensity. Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a psychology class. Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist, such as taking more psychology courses in order to earn a degree although it requires a significant investment of time, energy and resources. Finally, intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one student might coast by without much effort, while another student will study regularly, participate in discussions and take advantage of research opportunities outside of class.

Contemporary views on motivation

In this section four different contemporary views on motivation will be discussed these motivation theories can help managers understand how to motivate their staff. These four theories are equity theory, expectancy theory, reinforcement theory, and goal setting theory. These four theories are all different views on motivation each theory will be discussed in details below. Equity theory will be discussed first.

EQUITY THEORY

Equity theory helps propose the idea about individuals who think of themselves as over-rewarded or under-rewarded. These individuals will experience distress that tries to restore balance. Equity thus measures the contributions and benefits earned by each individual. It is not necessary one needs to put in exactly the same contribution as the other partner, as long as there is a balance between contributions and benefits. Thus, every individual employee feels his contribution and work needs to be rewarded with equal pay. If the individual feels underpaid, s/he will come under distress and feel hostile towards the company. To avoid this feeling of hostility, equity theory comes into play.

What is Equity?

When individuals think their inputs are rewarded according to their outputs and is equal to others around them, they are satisfied. But when they notice others are getting more recognition and rewards, in spite of doing the same amount of work, they become dissatisfied. This leads to feelings of unworthiness and under-appreciation. This is the opposite of equity, wherein the outcome (rewards) are directly proportional to the quality and quantity of work of the employee. When all employees are rewarded equally, the general feeling about the organization becomes fair and appreciable. The following equation will help explain what is equity in a clear and concise manner:

individual's outcome = rational partner's outcome

individual's own input rational partner's input

Equity Theory Examples

As the main focus of the researchers moved towards employees and their motivation factors, following the Hawthorne Study results, there were many theories put forward to understand employee motivation. The following are the five major equity theory examples that have helped in understanding motivation.

Maslow's Need-Hierarchy Theory: Maslow put forward five levels of needs of employees. These needs included physiological, safety, ego and self-actualizing. Maslow put forward an argument that said the lower level needs of employees need to be satisfied before the next higher level need is fulfilled to motivate them. The motivation was categorized into factors by Herzberg; motivators and hygiene. The motivators including intrinsic factors like achievement and recognition help produce job satisfaction. The hygiene or extrinsic factors like pay and job security lead to job dissatisfaction.

Vroom's Theory: This theory was based on the belief that employee effort leads to performance and performance leads to rewards. These rewards can be positive or negative. The positive rewards lead to a more positive employee who is highly motivated. The negative rewards lead to obviously a less motivated employee.

Skinner's Theory: This theory states that the positive outcomes will be repeated and behavior that lead to negative outcome won't be repeated. Thus, managers should try to reinforce the employee behavior, such that it leads to positive outcomes. Negative reinforcement by managers will lead to negative outcomes.

Adam's Equity Theory Model: This theory shows that employees strive to achieve equity between themselves and their coworkers. This equity can be achieved when the ratio of employee outcomes over inputs is equal to other employee outcomes over inputs.

Adam's Equity Theory of Motivation

Psychologist John Stacey Adams put forward his equity theory model in 1962. He puts emphasis on the importance of determining motivation as relative and not an absolute factor. The theory deals with one's own perception and not any other objective indicator.

Like the other more prevalent theories of motivation mentioned above, the Adam's theory recognizes the variable factors that can affect employee's assessment and perception of their relationship with their work and the employer. This theory was created on the belief that employees are demotivated in relation to their job and employer if their inputs are greater than the outputs. Employees respond their demotivation in form of reduced effort, increase dissatisfaction and may even become disruptive.

Equity Equations

Overpayment Inequity

Outcomes(self) / Inputs (self) > Outcomes (other) / Inputs (other)

Underpayment Inequity

Outcomes(self) / Inputs (self) < Outcomes (other) / Inputs (other)

Equity

-Outcomes(self) / Inputs (self) = Outcomes (other) / Inputs (other)

Application of Equity Theory of Motivation

When a manager is striving to achieve employee satisfaction, motivation levels, etc. then he should consider Adam's Equity Theory. Therefore, he should consider the balance and imbalance that is seen in the inputs and outputs of the employee. When we talk about equity theory, we use the terms input and output. An input is the contribution made on the part of the employee. This input helps determine his/her reward or pay. Some of the inputs made by an individual towards his/her organization include:

Expectancy Theory.

The Expectancy Theory of motivation ultimately suggests that human beings are driven to accomplish a goal not only because it is perceived as desirable, but also because the goal appears to be achievable. Individuals are constantly forming expectations and making predictions about the trajectories of their futures. If a goal fits into the framework of our expectations, appearing worthwhile and doable, we will be motivated to reach it. Essentially, motivation to complete an action is based on the desirability of the result.

The Expectancy Theory of motivation is also referred to as the "Valance-Instrumentality-Expectancy Theory" or as the "VIE Theory." The theory was developed by Victor H. Vroom, who studied the motivations behind decision making at the Yale University School of Management.

For the Expectancy Theory of motivation three factors come into play when examining the process of motivation. The goal must have valence, meaning that the value of the goal must be evident. A sense of instrumentality, or the belief that there is a clear set of actions that will lead to the completion of the goal, must be present. Finally, expectancy, or the feeling that the individual is capable of completing the actions, must be discernible.

Valence placed on the outcome of the goal is based on the individual’s own values and preferences. Instrumentality is often affected by the perceived sense of trust, clarity, and security surrounding the goal. The greatest predictors of a positive or negative expectancy include self efficacy, the task’s level of difficulty, and the individual’s perceived sense of control.

According to this theory, if all three of these conditions are not applicable to the goal what would have been motivation will become avoidance. People are motivated to act one way or the other based on what they expect as the result of the action. If the expectancy that one’s effort will lead to a desirable performance of a valued activity is present, the goal will most likely be pursued. When evaluating an individual’s behavioral decisions according to the Expectancy Theory, goals with the strongest motivational force will most likely be selected.

One place in modern research where the components of their theory are being tested is in the workplace in related to the evaluation of an employee’s performance. According to this model, in order to get the best possible results from employees, managers should clearly and closely connect rewards and positive performance.  Furthermore, managers must be certain that the rewards they offer are, in fact, deemed desirable by their employees.

Though the theory is widely accepted and practiced, there are a number of critics of the Expectancy Theory of Motivation that suggest the model is too simplistic in design. Three critics – Graen, Lawler, and Porter – each suggested that tweaks and re-considerations to Vroom’s original theory should be made.

For example, Vroom is operating under the assumption that all employees are seeking more power, money or prestige. However, there are some workers who might not see a raise as enough motivation to put in more time and effort. There are also employees who are balancing family life with work, and would actually reject the prospect of a promotion with a responsibility increase simply due to a lack of time to commit.

Despite these few criticisms, the Expectancy Theory of motivation is a convincing and beneficial model to use when attempting to explore individuals’ underlying incentives to engage in setting and achieving goals, especially when applied to the workplace.

According to the "expectancy-value theory" a learner’s motivation is determined by how much they value the goal, and whether they expect to succeed.

Value and expectancy are said to multiply not add (Feather 1982). This means that if a student gives their course an ‘expectancy’ score of zero, then motivation is zero however large the ‘value’ score. Similarly motivation is zero if they score ‘value’ as zero however high their ‘expectancy’ score.

How would your students score value and expectations of success? Why not ask them?! Get them to score both value and expectation of success on a scale of zero to one, one being the maximum score. You can then multiply to find their motivation score.

Reinforcement Theory

Reinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behavior analysis for a process of strengthening a directly measurable dimension of behavior—such as rate (e.g., pulling a lever more frequently), duration (e.g., pulling a lever for longer periods of time), magnitude (e.g., pulling a lever with greater force), or latency (e.g., pulling a lever more quickly following the onset of an environmental event)—as a function of the delivery of a stimulus (e.g. money from a slot machine) immediately or shortly after the occurrence of the behavior. Giving a monkey a banana for performing a trick is an example of positive reinforcement.

Reinforcement is only said to have occurred if the delivery of the stimulus is directly caused by the response made. Although in many cases in human behavior a reinforcing stimulus is something which is "valued" by the individual or which the individual "likes," (e.g., money received from a slot machine, the good taste of an apple, the positive effects of a drug) this is not a requirement for reinforcing effects. Indeed, reinforcement doesn't even require an individual to consciously perceive an effect elicited by the stimulus.

The reinforcement theory, based on E. L. Thorndike's law of effect, simply looks at the relationship between behavior and its consequences. This theory focuses on modifying an employee's on-the-job behavior through the appropriate use of one of the following four techniques:

Positive reinforcement rewards desirable behavior. Positive reinforcement, such as a pay raise or promotion, is provided as a reward for positive behavior with the intention of increasing the probability that the desired behavior will be repeated.

Avoidance is an attempt to show an employee what the consequences of improper behavior will be. If an employee does not engage in improper behavior, he or she will not experience the consequence.

Extinction is basically ignoring the behavior of a subordinate and not providing either positive or negative reinforcement. Classroom teachers often use this technique when they ignore students who are "acting out" to get attention. This technique should only be used when the supervisor perceives the behavior as temporary, not typical, and not serious.

Punishment (threats, docking pay, suspension) is an attempt to decrease the likelihood of a behavior recurring by applying negative consequences.

The reinforcement theory has the following implications for management:

Learning what is acceptable to the organization influences motivated behavior.

Managers who are trying to motivate their employees should be sure to tell individuals what they are doing wrong and be careful not to reward all individuals at the same time.

Managers must tell individuals what they can do to receive positive reinforcement.

Managers must be sure to administer the reinforcement as closely as possible to the occurrence of the behavior.

Managers must recognize that failure to reward can also modify behavior. Employees who believe that they deserve a reward and do not receive it will often become disenchanted with both their manager and company.

GOAL SETTING

Goal setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-targeted (S.M.A.R.T )goals. Work on the theory of goal-setting suggests that it's an effective tool for making progress by ensuring that participants in a group with a common goal are clearly aware of what is expected from them. On a personal level, setting goals helps people work towards their own objectives—most commonly with financial or career-based goals. Goal setting features as a major component of personal development literature:

The goal-setting theory, introduced in the late 1960s by Edwin Locke, proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation. Goals, in essence, tell employees what needs to be done and how much effort should be expanded. In general, the more difficult the goal, the higher the level of performance expected.

Managers can set the goals for their employees, or employees and managers can develop goals together. One advantage of employees participating in goal setting is that they may be more likely to work toward a goal they helped develop.

No matter who sets the goal, however, employees do better when they get feedback on their progress. In addition to feedback, four other factors influence the goals-performance relationship:

The employee must be committed to the goal.

The employee must believe that he is capable of performing the task.

Tasks involved in achieving the goal should be simple, familiar, and independent.

The goal-setting theory is culture bound and is popular in North American cultures.

If the goal-setting theory is followed, managers need to work with their employees in determining goal objectives in order to provide targets for motivation. In addition, the goals that are established should be specific rather than general in nature, and managers must provide feedback on performance.

Identifying TESCO’s currently motivation problems at work and an evaluation of their effort.

Tesco  began in 1919 with one man, Jack Cohen, a market stallholder selling groceries in London. TESCO was formed out of a merger with T.E. Stockwell from whom he purchased tea for sale on the stall. The first store opened in 1929.

Since then, Tesco has expanded across the world. It now has over 2,200 stores including hypermarkets and Tesco Express outlets to meet different customer needs. As a conglomerate Tesco also offers alternative goods and services such as insurance, banking and online shopping. With net profits of around £3.4 billion Tesco has become the largest British retailer and one of the world's leading retail outlets on three continents. Tesco's growth has resulted in a worldwide workforce of over 468,000 employees.

To support its growth, Tesco needs staff that are motivated, flexible and well-trained and who recognise customer needs. In turn, Tesco's employees are supported by the company in their various roles and at different levels - from customer assistants in stores to department managers; from warehouse employees to office and logistics staff. Tesco recognises that employee motivation is important for the continued growth of the company.

This case study looks at how Tesco motivates its employees by increasing their knowledge, skills and job satisfaction through training and development and providing relevant and timely reward and recognition.

Motivated employees have greater concentration and are less likely to make mistakes, cause accidents or be involved in conflict. They are also likely to show greater loyalty to the company and have less absenteeism. An unmotivated workforce will be the opposite, being dissatisfied with its role in the work environment. This can negatively affect both the quality of the work as well as how efficiently employees carry out their jobs.

Tesco has discovered that it is important to create trust and respect. It has found that by valuing employees, providing realistic goals and an interesting environment for them to work in, it increases employees" motivation.

In 1911 the engineer Frederick Taylor published one of the earliest motivational theories. According to Taylor´s research, people worked purely for money.

Tesco's Employee Reward Programme has some similarity to Taylor"s theory. Its financial reward packages are one motivating factor. However, there are factors other than money which motivate people in both their personal and working lives. 

Employees are more motivated if they feel content in their work. This often happens when their employer creates a good working environment where employees feel valued, generally through increased communication and being asked for their opinions. Employee motivation is also likely to be higher if the organisation invests in its staff through training and development. In turn this enhances their knowledge, skills and their sense of job satisfaction.

Every year Tesco invites its staff to take part in a staff satisfaction survey called Viewpoint which gives them the opportunity to express their views on almost every aspect of their job. The results from the survey help Tesco make sure it is offering the right things to its staff to keep them motivated. Some of the benefits available to staff include:

Lifestyle break this offers 4-12 weeks off work and guarantees the job back at the end

Career break this allows staff between 6 months and 5 years away from work with right of return

Pension scheme this award-winning scheme provides clearly

In the early 1930s the theorist Elton Mayo suggested that motivation at work was promoted by such factors as:

greater communication

good teamwork

showing interest in others

involving others in decision making

ensuring the wellbeing of others

ensuring work is interesting and non-repetitive.

Tesco also promotes motivation through its many training and development opportunities. Everyone has access not just to the training they need to do their job well but also to leadership training to grow within the company.  Tesco offers strategic career planning to help staff 'achieve the extraordinary'

All Tesco employees have a Personal Development Plan which they build through their 360 degree feedback and other tools. This enables Tesco managers to offer meaningful feedback to employees to help provide opportunities for continuous personal development. This personal approach helps employees to reach their full potential by encouraging self-assessment and providing advancement through ongoing training. It also enables individuals to take responsibility for their development.

This two-way relationship ensures that the employee is committed to the values of the company, that he or she works in partnership with others and helps improve the business for customers.

Abraham Maslow argued that humans are motivated by five essential needs. He formed a pyramid demonstrating these needs which he called the 'hierarchy of needs'.

1.Basic needs 2.Security needs 3.Social needs 4.Self esteem 5.Self fulfillment

In 1959 Frederick Herzberg developed the Two-Factor theory of motivation. His research showed that certain factors were the true motivators or satisfiers. Hygiene factors, in contrast, created dissatisfaction if they were absent or inadequate. Dissatisfaction could be prevented by improvements in hygiene factors but these improvements would not alone provide motivation.

Herzberg showed that to truly motivate an employee a business needs to create conditions that make him or her feel fulfilled in the workplace.

Tesco aims to motivate its employees both by paying attention to hygiene factors and by enabling satisfiers. For example, it motivates and empowers its employees by appropriate and timely communication, by delegating responsibility and involving staff in decision making. It holds forums every year in which staff can be part of the discussions on pay rises. This shows recognition of the work Tesco people do and rewards them.

Tesco staff can even influence what food goes onto its restaurant menus. Employees thus become motivated to make choices that will increase their use of the restaurants.

Employee motivation is an important task for managers. Early motivational theory such as that of Taylor suggested that pay motivated workers to improve production.

However businesses now need employees to have greater motivation and have a stake in the company for which they work, as shown by Mayo. Maslow and Herzberg demonstrated that employees are motivated by many different factors.

Tesco provides opportunities for its managers and staff to take a share and a greater interest in their own employment. Since every employee is an individual, with different needs and aspirations, the process of reviews and personal development plans allows recognition of their abilities and achievement, as well as potential development.

This benefits the individual by providing career progression. It also benefits Tesco by ensuring the business can deliver high levels of customer service through its skilled employees.

Exploring the relationship between the effective employment of appropriate recruitment and selection strategies and their impact on staff motivation.

 Staff Selection and Recruitment.

Careful recruitment of the right kind of personnel is an important step, recruitment should be seen as a powerful tool in itself for enhancing and maintaining the organisation’s standing and image. 

Recruitment is the process of identifying that the organisation needs to employ someone up to the point at which application forms for the post have arrived at the organisation. Selection then consists of the processes involved in choosing from applicants a suitable candidate to fill a post. Training consists of a range of processes involved in making sure that job holders have the right skills, knowledge and attitudes required to help the organisation to achieve its objectives. Recruiting individuals to fill particular posts within a business can be done either internally by recruitment within the firm, or externally by recruiting people from outside.

The advantages of internal recruitment are that:

1. Considerable savings can be made. Individuals with inside knowledge of how a business operates will need shorter periods of training and time for 'fitting in'.

2. The organisation is unlikely to be greatly 'disrupted' by someone who is used to working with others in the organisation.

3. Internal promotion acts as an incentive to all staff to work harder within the organisation.

4. From the firm's point of view, the strengths and weaknesses of an insider will have been assessed. There is always a risk attached to employing an outsider who may only be a success 'on paper'.

The disadvantages of recruiting from within are that:

1. You will have to replace the person who has been promoted

2. An insider may be less likely to make the essential criticisms required to get the company working more effectively

3. Promotion of one person in a company may upset someone else.

External recruitment makes it possible to draw upon a wider range of talent, and provides the opportunity to bring new experience and ideas in to the business. Disadvantages are that it is more costly and the company may end up with someone who proves to be less effective in practice than they did on paper and in the interview situation.

There are a number of stages, which can be used to define and set out the nature of particular jobs for recruitment purposes:

Job analysis is the process of examining jobs in order to identify the key requirements of each job. A number of important questions need to be explored:

the title of the job

to whom the employee is responsible

for whom the employee is responsible

a simple description of the role and duties of the employee within the organisation.

Job analysis is used in order to:

1. Choose employees either from the ranks of your existing staff or from the recruitment of new staff.

2. Set out the training requirements of a particular job.

3. Provide information which will help in decision making about the type of equipment and materials to be employed with the job.

4. Identify and profile the experiences of employees in their work tasks (information which can be used as evidence for staff development and promotion).

5. Identify areas of risk and danger at work.

6. Help in setting rates of pay for job tasks.

 Recruitment Methods Used by TESCO and the Impact It Has On Staff Motivation.

Tesco is the biggest private sector employer in the UK. The company has more than 360,000 employees worldwide. In the UK, Tesco stores range from small local Tesco Express sites to large Tesco Extras and superstores. Around 86% of all sales are from the UK.

Tesco also operates in 12 countries outside the UK, including China, Japan and Turkey. The company has recently opened stores in the United States. This international expansion is part of Tesco"s strategy to diversify and grow the business.

Tesco aims to ensure all roles work together to drive its business objectives. It needs to ensure it has the right number of people in the right jobs at the right time. To do this, it has a structured process for recruitment and selection to attract applicants for both managerial and operational roles.

Workforce planning is the process of analysing an organisation's likely future needs for people in terms of numbers, skills and locations. It allows the organisation to plan how those needs can be met through recruitment and training. It is vital for a company like Tesco to plan ahead. Because the company is growing, Tesco needs to recruit on a regular basis for both the food and non-food parts of the business.

Positions become available because:

jobs are created as the company opens new stores in the UK and expands internationally

vacancies arise as employees leave the company when they retire or resign or get promotion to other positions within Tesco

new types of jobs can be created as the company changes its processes and technology

Tesco uses a workforce planning table to establish the likely demand for new staff. This considers both managerial and non-managerial positions.

This planning process runs each year from the last week in February. There are quarterly reviews in May, August and November, so Tesco can adjust staffing levels and recruit where necessary. This allows Tesco sufficient time and flexibility to meet its demands for staff and allows the company to meet its strategic objectives, for example, to open new stores and maintain customer service standards.

Tesco seeks to fill many vacancies from within the company. It recognises the importance of motivating its staff to progress their careers with the company. Tesco practises what it calls 'talent planning'. This encourages people to work their way through and up the organisation.

Through an annual appraisal scheme, individuals can apply for 'bigger' jobs. Employees identify roles in which they would like to develop their careers with Tesco. Their manager sets out the technical skills, competencies and behaviours necessary for these roles, what training this will require and how long it will take the person to be ready to do the job. This helps Tesco to achieve its business objectives and employees to achieve their personal and career objectives.

An important element in workforce planning is to have clear job descriptions and person specifications. A job description sets out:

the title of the job

to whom the job holder is responsible

for whom the job holder is responsible

a simple description of roles and responsibilities

A person specification sets out the skills, characteristics and attributes that a person needs to do a particular job.

Together, job descriptions and person specifications provide the basis for job advertisements. They help job applicants and post-holders to know what is expected of them. At Tesco these documents are combined.  As they are sent to anyone applying for jobs, they should:

contain enough information to attract suitable people

act as a checking device to make sure that applicants with the right skills are chosen for interview

set the targets and standards for job performance.

Tesco's purpose is to serve its customers.  Tesco's organisational structure has the customer at the top. Tesco needs people with the right skills at each level of this structure.  There are six work levels within the organisation. This gives a clear structure for managing and controlling the organisation.

Each level requires particular skills and behaviours.

Work level 1 - frontline jobs working directly with customers. Various in-store tasks, such as filling shelves with stock. Requires the ability to work accurately and with enthusiasm and to interact well with others.

Work level 2 - leading a team of employees who deal directly with customers. Requires the ability to manage resources, to set targets, to manage and motivate others.

Work level 3 - running an operating unit. Requires management skills, including planning, target setting and reporting.

Work level 4 - supporting operating units and recommending strategic change. Requires good knowledge of the business, the skills to analyse information and to make decisions, and the ability to lead others.

Work level 5 - responsible for the performance of Tesco as a whole. Requires the ability to lead and direct others, and to make major decisions.

Work level 6  - creating the purpose, values and goals for Tesco plc. Responsibility for Tesco"s performance. Requires a good overview of retailing, and the ability to build a vision for the future and lead the whole organisation.

Recruitment involves attracting the right standard of applicants to apply for vacancies. Tesco advertises jobs in different ways. The process varies depending on the job available.

Tesco first looks at its internal Talent Plan to fill a vacancy. This is a process that lists current employees looking for a move, either at the same level or on promotion. If there are no suitable people in this Talent Plan or developing on the internal management development programme, Options, Tesco advertises the post internally on its intranet for two weeks.

For external recruitment, Tesco advertises vacancies via the Tesco website www.tesco-careers.com or through vacancy boards in stores. Applications are made online for managerial positions. The chosen applicants have an interview followed by attendance at an assessment centre for the final stage of the selection process.

People interested in store-based jobs with Tesco can approach stores with their CV or register though Jobcentre Plus. The store prepares a waiting list of people applying in this way and calls them in as jobs become available.

For harder-to-fill or more specialist jobs, such as bakers and pharmacists, Tesco advertises externally:

through its website and offline media

through television and radio

by placing advertisements on Google or in magazines such as The Appointment Journal.

Tesco will seek the most cost-effective way of attracting the right applicants. It is expensive to advertise on television and radio, and in some magazines, but sometimes this is necessary to ensure the right type of people get to learn about the vacancies.

Selection involves choosing the most suitable people from those that apply for a vacancy, whilst keeping to employment laws and regulations. Screening candidates is a very important part of the selection process. This ensures that those selected for interview have the best fit with the job requirements.

In the first stages of screening, Tesco selectors will look carefully at each applicant's curriculum vitae (CV). The CV summarises the candidate's education and job history to date. A well-written and positive CV helps Tesco to assess whether an applicant matches the person specification for the job.

The company also provides a 'job type match' tool on its careers web page. People interested in working for Tesco can see where they might fit in before applying.

The process Tesco uses to select external management candidates has several stages

A candidate who passes screening attends an assessment centre. The assessment centres take place in store and are run by managers. They help to provide consistency in the selection process. Applicants are given various exercises, including team-working activities or problem-solving exercises. These involve examples of problems they might have to deal with at work.

Candidates approved by the internal assessment centres then have an interview. Line managers for the job on offer take part in the interview to make sure that the candidate fits the job requirements.

Recommendations.

For every company it is important to treat their staff properly because without them the company could not operate.Different solutions are there to help motivate their staff for example by giving them incentives such as rewards and bonuses or facilities to such as gym memberships.

Earning customer loyalty is crucial and Tesco focuses on this by helping customers in lots of small ways which together can make a big difference. ‘Every little helps’ is more than just a slogan. It describes Tesco’s way of working with all of its stakeholders, and that includes colleagues as well as customers.

Tesco works in a competitive market where products, stores, tastes and even the way customers shop are constantly changing. Tesco needs to be proactive in preparing to face these changes. This means finding talented people who will be ambassadors for the brand in the communities it serves. Diverse communities mean that it needs to recruit and train people who reflect this diversity, so that all sections of society are included.

Websites

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