Issues in Human Resource Management

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Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................2

P1: Demonstrate your systematic understanding of issues and challenges in human resource
management...............................................................................................................................................3

P2: Critically evaluate Human Resource Management practices against emerging trends................5

Portfolio report:.........................................................................................................................................6

P3: A Detailed Job Description and Person Specification for Supervisory position in Unilever.........7

P4: Performance Management and People Development in regards to recognising the Best Practice
.................................................................................................................................................................... 9

P5: Different Types of Information and Communication in Human Resources management..........11

Portfolio Report:..................................................................................................................................13

Conclusion................................................................................................................................................13

References................................................................................................................................................14

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Introduction

Human Resource Management (HRM) is the structured and organised management of people in
an organisation. Human Resource management's primary aim is to increase an organisation's
competitiveness by increasing employee efficiency. In today's dynamic world, businesses must
consider not only product quality but also human activities. In a different circumstance, human
activities or behaviour change day by day. In certain conditions, nowadays it is difficult to
comprehend human behaviour. Human resource management takes place in a public context. As
consequence, it is influenced by both internal and external environmental influences. It operates
in a dynamic world, so change can bring both opportunities and challenges to the business.
Human Resource Management is made up of a number of interconnected tasks that facilitate an
organisation manage effectively and achieve its objectives. Unilever represents a global
corporation with dual stock exchange listings in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Unilever UK HRM managers are capable of handling the company's success in the global
marketplace. HRM tactics, solutions, and behaviours must all be evaluated by leaders and
managers. The behaviour, financial, and performance outcomes of an entity are also defined by
its employees. In today's world, a manager must be well-versed in both handling workers and
applying advanced technologies. Human resources managers support the organisation in making
a profit by retaining staff and even assist in dealing with a tough situation. Human resource
management entails recruiting effective workers, properly training and educating them and
reaching on decisions based on the current situation and community in order to accomplish the
organisation's goals. In today's world, every company has a human resources manager.
[ CITATION Box16 \l 1033 ]

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P1: Demonstrate your systematic understanding of issues and
challenges in human resource management
The central concern underlying human resource management problems are emerging
developments in the organisational climate, as well as policies/procedures to direct those
concerns in order to meet organisational object. Its main concern is how to deal with people
inside the company. The organisation will face more challenges in the future in managing the
workforce as an outcome of the ever-changing socioeconomic, technical, and political
conditions. HRM is evolving at a faster rate than we can imagine. As a Human Resource
assistant in Unilever, I may suggest they must respond by leveraging subtle yet deliberate shifts
in the field's nature, current practices, and overall human resource management strategies,
mission and vision. If businesses establish offices, service distribution centres and manufacturing
hubs round the world, there will be a much greater movement of people, which will be a major
challenge as we move forward. 

Unilever Limited is one of the world's largest multinational corporations. In terms of human
resources management, Unilever Limited faces several problems and challenges. Humans are a
dynamic element in organisations because their behaviour varies in response to their
surroundings. As a Business Advisor I think Human resources managers should be effectual to
satisfy their satisfaction in order to understand human behaviour in an organisation. Human
resource managers at Unilever Limited must be aware of human behaviour and provide guidance
on their demands in various situations. The human resource manager should first acknowledge
the problems and obstacles, then take the first steps to strengthen the company's workforce. As a
business advisor my systematic understanding of the challenges that Unilever Limited might
faces in terms of human resource management:

Attracting and Retaining Talent: Creating HR Capabilities that improve and maintain
organisational success is one of the most difficult tasks facing human resource management
today. Attracting and keeping talent obtain a vital HR skill for long-term market success.
Unilever Limited faces a number of talented management problems and obstacles, including
inefficient staff selection during the recruiting procedure, hiring a worker with limited
technology experience, and poor leadership decisions. The company does not resolve every
problem, but it attempts to prevent these problems and challenges in check. The organisation

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must recruit specialists in the selection of productive workers, and by combining this practice;
the company will be capable of instantly provide experienced employees who are also well-
versed in the use of technology. The manager's leadership is evolving day by day. HRM manager
must make an important decision in a crisis. It's a tough job to keep up with, but it will aid in the
company's management process.

Challenges in training and development: Unilever Limited represent a prominent organisation

in the United Kingdom and around the world. To retain a competitive advantage in the
marketplace, the business must train and improve its employees' skills and cognition. Every
business in the modern world consists of experienced and knowledgeable workers who assist the
company to improve and achieve its goals. To ensure a top list of organisations in the UK,
Unilever Limited must grow and train its employees. Education for new employees should be
provided by the company. They will be instructed according to their needs, including how to deal
with various situations and theoretical and realistic knowledge of technology and equipment. By
holding a meeting or secession with workers to learn about their desires and demands, as a HR
assistant I can initiate appropriate action to satisfy their demands. Employees are competent to
transfer and expand their skills in this manner. Any employee should also be able to teach a
variety of languages and cultures. They will be able to interact with people from other countries
and cultures as a result of this. The last one is how to maximise productivity with limited
resources while still maintaining product quality and customer satisfaction, which is why
employee training is critical. Unilever Limited should establish and retain workers in the modern
era by improving them to remain or enhance their job.[ CITATION Box16 \l 1033 ]. 

Motivational issues: The importance of motivation in the workplace cannot be overstated. Since
each employee experiences a particular need and demand, maintaining employee satisfaction and
motivation is difficult. The human resource manager can maintain a complex situation by giving
employees full of satisfaction. Unilever Limited Company strives to ensure the happiness of its
workers and encourages participation in the job. Employee psychology is changing at the
moment. Employees should be involved in the decision-making process and their thinking or
decision should be evaluated by the HR manager. The HR manager should investigate the
climate and evolving strategy that are motivating the company's employees. Employees who are
inspired are more likely to work as hard as they can for the business. The corporation would be

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able to achieve its mission or target in this manner. As a result, Unilever Limited must continue
to inspire workers in order to achieve their objectives.

Problems with compensation: Compensation is one of the most complex issues in today's
world. It is very difficult for an HR manager to keep track of. Unilever Limited Company pays
its staff well, but some companies raise or increase employee salaries in order to recruit large
numbers of workers. Unilever Limited's company manager conducts research into the industry as
well as the demands and desires of their employees. The HR manager then decides on adequate
compensation and related benefits, as well as rewarding them for their achievements. The HR
manager frequently gathers details on top company salaries and tries to pass along certain
benefits to their employees. In today's competitive environment, payment discrimination is a
major problem or concern. The company's payment scheme should be balanced in terms of
employee positions such as supervisor, junior, and senior, as well as payment allocation to male
and female workers. Compensation is based on the company's goals and data. HR managers can
handle compensation issues by using effective practices in a variety of situations.

Promotional difficulties: Promotion is the most effective way to influence human behaviour or
gain a greater understanding of a company's product. In a competitive environment, it's
extremely difficult to maintain leverage. Unilever Limited is also a prominent organisation in the
United Kingdom for its ethical practices. However, there are many players in the business world
today, and they are well-known. To overcome this Unilever Limited company should selecting
an efficient employee for the organisation and who is fit for the current position and also ensure
employees health & safety in the workplace by providing well quality of products to the
consumer. This information of company must promote to know everyone about the organisation.
Human resource manager should concern about picking up a good promotion strategy to stay
their company in a top or well position[ CITATION Art11 \l 1033 ].

Portfolio:
As a business advisor I expect By changing Unilever Limited's management structure, they
might be capable to conquer the company's problems, which were in a wretched state. And For
Unilever Limited's successful promotion, develop job descriptions and specifications is must.

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P2: Critically evaluate Human Resource Management practices
against emerging trends

Human Resource Management is critical in today's business world. However, it is difficult to

sustain in a changing climate. Human Resource Management in organisations has changed
dramatically since the last century like Improving new technology, expanding diversity, and
expanding the economy. Currently, COVID-19 is changing world business conditions, and every
business organisation is changing its management structure as a result of the pandemic. HR
managers transfer their organisation's operations and management to an online digital network.
As a HR assistant, In this critical situation, some changes should be made as we have to use
technology to run a business organisation. Now, consider a critical assessment of Human
Resources Management practices in light of emerging trends in the text below;

Work from a distance: Employees are unable to attend work in this distressing condition. As a
result, HR managers conduct their business electronically. Employees or staff who are stranded
at home due to a lockdown will work full-time online in the organisation whenever possible. The
way people work, manage, and control things is changing right now. When the pathetic situation
is resolved, the digital job situation will come to an end. The HR manager should always be
aware of emerging patterns and be prepared to respond to them.

In the workplace, collaboration is essential: Workplace collaboration is critical for an

organisation's success in overcoming obstacles and achieving its objectives. HR boss decides to
combine staff and technologies in order to achieve the goal as soon as possible. A separate group
for each function should be represented by the HR manager. The skill, culture, and mission of a
group can be used to divide it. Any employee or community must have been aware of the
benefits of modern technology. A video-based online interview is used by the HR manager to
select new productive employees. Teamwork is crucial in this critical situation to Human
Resource Management practice towards changing trends. 

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Human resource design is a strategic priority: At the beginning, the human resource manager
constructs an organisational plan and then implements it to achieve a goal. HR managers change
their plan in a desperate situation. First and foremost is creating new organisational designs,
implementing new organisational designs, and managing new organisational practices, as well as
identifying new opportunities and increasing productivity, and strengthening the workforce. In
this case, the HR manager modifies their management process as well. The HR strategic plan is
assessed and shaped by the HR manager, who establishes a specific goal, improves or modifies
the plan, and assesses or shapes the HR strategic plan. This strategic strategy also aids in the
organisation's versatility as conditions change. It also lowers the cost of achieving the target and
locating the critical problem in order to prevent a crisis[ CITATION Art11 \l 1033 ].

The employee experience is re-imagined: Employees with a lot of experience remain the most
important component of a company. Experienced workers work well in an organisation and help
it achieve its goals in any evolving situation. In a pitiful condition, no workers are exposed to
this sort of working atmosphere. As a result, HR managers should train staff on how to function
effectively and efficiently under these circumstances. Any employee must have adequate
knowledge of how to adopt technology effectively. As a result, the HR manager must redefine
the employee experience.

Attention to mental health issues: In an organisation, mental wellbeing is a critical component.

It has an impact on the workplace. Many workers of the company are depressed as a result of this
pitiful condition. People all over the planet are now responding to an uncontrollable situation. As
a result, workers are emotionally weakened. The HR manager gives direction on how to improve
the mental health of employees. The manager should let the employees make their own decisions
while also rewarding them for their efforts. Organising recreational opportunities to help workers
overcome depression and stress while still being mindful of their health and safety. The current
condition necessitates immediate mental health care. A human resources consultant assesses the
process of improving mental health in the workplace against new trends.

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Data has evolved into the modern form of currency: Data is a critical component of every
company. Data are transmitted utmost priority in any organization, and data is kept as safe as
possible. In today's evolving environment, any organisation's work or management to produce
results is focused on data analysis. The company strengthens its data collection and processing
operations and does not exchange information with third parties. HR managers create
organisational plans or strategies using data or knowledge. It also helps to consolidate the
organisation's foundation and expand employee experience. Proper details or knowledge assists
the organisation in achieving its goals. Data, like currency, is more important to the organisation
in this case. HR manager motivates employees to evaluate or analyze data in order to make the
best decision for the business. 

Portfolio:
In this circumstance as a business advisor, I would suggest that Unilever Limited must follow an
efficient communication system to maintain effective communication in a contradictory
situation. And for keeping up with the shifting patterns, Unilever Limited needs to practice better
Human Resources Management.

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P3: A Detailed Job Description and Person Specification for
Supervisory position in Unilever

In the present business market, due to the influence of many external factors like political unrest,
globalisation, pandemic, etc. the job description and person specification has been gone through
so many changes compared to the previous time [ CITATION Box16 \l 1033 ]. Unilever has always
focused on the fact of satisfying the current demand of the customers. To ensure this, they have
developed their job description and person specification for every employee. The position of
supervisory is also included in this development. The following part will describe these
developments for this position.

Job description: Job Description is the key to select effective workers for certain positions in a
business organisation. A proper job description reflects the idea of certain job criteria, what are
responsibilities, and terms and conditions. It also includes proper information about the skills and
requirements for that certain position in the company [ CITATION Box16 \l 1033 ]. the process or
pattern of a job description is dependent on the internal and external factors that influence the
business environment and customer’s demand like technological changes or political unrest and
one of the major issues nowadays is pandemic. so like other companies, Unilever has also
improvised their way of the job description to keep up with the current business market and
business environment. For the position of supervisor, I will present the job description on the
Unilever website in the recruitment part and complete the process online. For some
improvisation in the job description for the current trend, the following steps will be considered:

Starting with a job analysis:

Job analysis reflects the idea of getting proper information about the current business market
and the requirement of the position according to the business environment [ CITATION Hoo20 \l
1033 ]. This will also include the analysis of the responsibilities of the workers in a certain
position and what will be the demand of the employee if he gives efforts for that position.

Identifying essential function:

Essential functions of a job description include the specific details about the working process of
a position, certain responsibilities for that position, and information about the wages and skills

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requirement [ CITATION Hoo20 \l 1033 ]. The HR manager will identify these functions in the job
description and it will help him to evaluate an employee properly.

Covering the key areas:

A proper job description will reflect the major information about the job without leaving any
confusion in any part [ CITATION Fis11 \l 1033 ]. The key areas which will be described include the
current rank of that position, the departments involved with the position, how much effort that
position requires and what will be the working period, the goals and objectives of that position,
etc.

Following a simple writing style:

A job description contains all the necessary information about a certain job position. So the
writing style will of a job description must be in a simple way that can be read and understood by
everyone [ CITATION Fis11 \l 1033 ]. Complex writing can give confusion to the employees and
they will not be properly aware of the information about the position, so it is necessary to use a
simple writing style in the job description.

Person Specification: Person specification reflects the idea of a statement containing

employees’ particular skills and responsibilities which will be required for a certain position as a
person. The person specification is the way to evaluate a person for a certain job position and it
helps to identify what kind of training will be needed for further operations for him [ CITATION
Fis11 \l 1033 ]. Unilever can recruit efficient employees for any kind of position by creating a
personal specification that will help them to recruit people with proper evaluation. This person
specification process will include some major steps to consider. They are:

Experience: In the person specification method, the major fact to consider in an employee is to
identify how much experience the employee has gained. Experience will always be helpful to
operate the work properly and in a sustainable way [ CITATION Box16 \l 1033 ] . So in the person
specification, the HR manager will notify the candidates about the least experience needed for
the position.

Qualification, education, and training: In the person specification method, there will be a clear
statement about the least education and qualification is needed for the position, and the

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candidates who can match that criteria will be able to apply for that position [ CITATION Hoo20 \l
1033 ]. the candidates can have previous training or the company can conduct a training session,
according to the job responsibilities, the HR manager will include the training related
information in the person specification.

Personal qualities: The HR manager will include the employees’ personal qualities which will
enhance their working capabilities in a certain position. these personal qualities are mostly based
on personality development in different sectors like proper time management skills, flexible
workers, or a team player [ CITATION DeC14 \l 1033 ].

Performance Appraisal: Giving efforts in a particular work depends on the motivation behind
the work. When a person gets enough motivation or inspiration, he tries to give his best to get the
most effective outcome of his effort. In a company when the employees give their best effort in a
certain operation, the company can easily reach its ultimate goal [ CITATION DeC14 \l 1033 ]. To
motivate the employees, their efforts should be praised or rewarded and performance appraisal is
the way to do so. Unilever will have to be more concerned in this regard to motivate the
employees more. They can regularly give rewards for the best performance either by giving them
a bonus in wages or giving gifts or appraising them in front of others by reviewing their
performance as a role model. In this way, the employees will be inspired more to achieve the
appraisal and give their best effort.

As the supervisor of Unilever, I will be concerned about the facts I described in the earlier part;
the job description, person specification, and performance appraisal in regards to recruiting new
employees in the organisation.

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P4: Performance Management and People Development in regards
to recognising the Best Practice

Performance management is the idea of taking proper control of the overall performances in
every function in an organisation including the responsibilities and operations of the employees,
other parties involved in the company operations, and how efficient they are in their respective
positions [ CITATION DeC14 \l 1033 ] . As the supervisor of Unilever, performance management has
helped me to become an efficient worker in my position and this process needed some specific
steps which I had to consider conducting the performance management properly. To develop the
employees in every step, I will have to reflect the idea of performance management in their work
which will enhance their skills. The steps that are necessary for proper performance management
are described here:

Defining company goals and objectives: The employees must have a clear idea about the
company goals and objectives to measure in which way they will have to work [ CITATION Art11 \l
1033 ]. When the company doesn’t give a specific idea of the objectives to the employees, they
can get the wrong idea of their goal and the efforts will be in vain which not a sustainable way of
operation is. Unilever is very much concerned in this regard and they clarify the employees about
objectives before assigning them to an operation.

Communication with the employees: To clarify the objectives of an organisation to the

employees, the company must have to maintain a proper communication process in every step of
the functions of the company [ CITATION Art11 \l 1033 ]. to assign any operation or to clarify the
objectives and asking about the confusions from the employees, everyone in the company will
have to maintain a proper communication chain. Unilever will be benefited also if them
maintains proper communication in the business environment.

Utilising performance management system: Performance management is mostly dependent on

the objectives of a certain organisation [ CITATION Art11 \l 1033 ]. Unilever is a worldwide brand
and its products are always qualified to satisfy customers’ daily needs. So the performance
management of Unilever will be based on customer satisfaction and the unique quality of their
products.

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Offering performance feedback: The performance management process gets its outcome of
evaluation when the company gets positive feedback in their business environment. Unilever
evaluates performance management by reviewing the feedback from all kinds of stakeholders
and designs their next goal according to those feedbacks [ CITATION Win18 \l 1033 ].

Peer reviews: Peer reviews include the idea of getting feedback from a certain group and that
group will also identify the scopes of improvisation. In Unilever, there is a certain team to review
the performance of every function and they plan for the employee development if they find out
any lacking.

Pre-emptive management and recognition: Proper recognition of a better performance gives

the motivation to employees to give their best effort in the organisation. Unilever has arranged
reward programs for the employees in the annual performance review program which inspires
the employees to get achievements by working hard for the organisation.

Discussing outcome and performance result: Unilever maintains regular meetings for
discussing the employees’ work and gets their opinions to make any decision. In this meeting,
the performance reviews and the best and worst outcomes are also discussed which helps to
identify if any improvement or training is needed

P5: Different Types of Information and Communication in Human

Resources management

Human resources management controls the business environment by managing and developing
the employees for achieving the ultimate goal for the organisation [ CITATION Win18 \l 1033 ]. In
Unilever, the HR department maintains an efficient working culture where the information and
communication process is balanced effectively. There is described a detailed discussion about
the information and communication system in HR in Unilever:

Information Management System: The information management system reflects the idea
of gathering information about the operations in every department to guide the employees by the

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HR department [ CITATION Jyo14 \l 1033 ]. A proper information system ensures an effective
analysis before taking any decision for the company. Unilever uses the following sources and
steps to create a proper information system in the company:

Internal source: Unilever maintains regular discussions for collecting internal information about
their operation from the supervisors and HR managers. Internal information helps to realise the
condition of the employees and the working environment.

External source: Unilever collects information from external sources like customer reviews,
shareholders’ opinions, investors’ reviews, and these external sources provide information that
helps them to evaluate their operation in the current business market.

Communication System: An effective communication system in an organisation ensures a

proper organisational culture in the company. A proper communication system helps to build up
the necessary relationship between all the stakeholders related to the company [ CITATION Jyo14 \l
1033 ]. the managers and supervisors can give proper instruction and combine all the information
from all sources with employees by creating an effective communication system. Unilever
maintains the following facts to build up an efficient communication system in their
organisation:

Clarifying instruction: The HR managers of Unilever explain all the instructions to the
employees clearly and don’t use any complex description so that they can get a clear idea about
their work.

Listening and Understanding: Both parties, the employees or the managers of Unilever listen
to the discussion carefully. Listening affects positively also the employees when they notice their
opinion is being considered important.

Emotional intelligence: Unilever HR managers and supervisors carefully notice the emotional
appearance of the employees about any decision. Sometimes giving priority to the emotional
reactions help to understand the efficiency of the employees.

Non-verbal communication: The HR managers of Unilever also notice the expression towards
a decision or an instruction of the employees to get their motive for the work and in this way
they can understand their interest about the work.

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Selecting the right medium: The managers select the medium for the meetings according to
priorities. Small issues and presentation-related work are handled online so that the employees
can avoid time loss by attending the meeting in person.

Providing feedback: The HR managers and supervisors will always have to get feedback right
after any discussion with the employees. In this way, they can clarify more if there is any scope
of confusion. This is the most important part of the communication system. If the employees
don’t give proper feedback about any meeting or discussion, the managers will not be able to get
the proper confidence about the employees’ operations. So the last part should be considered
more carefully by the HR managers and supervisors of Unilever.

Portfolio Report:
Unilever will have to get used to changing and regularly updating management system so that
they can cope with any change in the market. To face all the modern aspects of the current
business market by an updating human resources management system in this organisation.
Unilever must follow the concerning steps to create an effective communication system in the
organisation by all member. Employee development and proper person specification through
efficient job descriptions will be the most concerning area for Unilever.

Conclusion

This report has described a detailed discussion about the HR department activities in Unilever
from the point of view of a supervisor. The HR department will be more efficient if they can
create proper job descriptions and personal specifications for the employees. They will have to
maintain a proper communication system to utilise all the information and develop the
employees with proper concern.

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Hook, C. a. (2020). Introducing human resource management. (3rd ed.). Harlow: Pearson.

Jyothi, P. (2014). Human resource management (4th ed.). London : Oxford University Press.

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