Human Resources
Human resources is an important segment of organisation without which company cannot work in an efficient way. Human resource management (HRM) includes selection, recruiting, inclination, training, and development, maintaining a good relationship with trade unions, welfare and health measures with labour laws. Workforce planning is a process of existing and expecting future demand of the employee in business. According to the given case study of British Gas case study, UK`s energy market is highly vibrant and it is able to compete in such market where business needs to reinforce workforce and correct staff. It is a part of centric group that was formed in 1997 and it has involved eight related energy business in several countries (British Gas, 2014).
Human resource is an organisational function which deals with its workforce and direct them in such a way that the whole organisation can act as a team to achieve the organisational goals. With the increasing change in business environment, it involves managing strategic and comprehensive methods to manage its workforce (British Gas, 2017).
The emerging and changing form of HRM is to ensure that professionals make human capital as its important assets. Human capital is being nurtured by creating and managing the programs and policies. With the increasing diversification of work requirement, HR is not only responsible for planning, recruitment and selection but also focuses on strategic utilisation of employees by ensuring that these programs have impact on a considerable way (British Gas, 2018a).
(Source: Vskills certified, 2018)
In an attempt to clarify the method of managing people, two approaches have been considered.
“Soft” variants of HR involve flat organisation structure, democratic leadership style. The soft variants involve promotion of employees that ultimately enhances the quality, flexibility, and commitment.
“Hard” variants of HR undertake a particular strategy where human capital is deployed to achieve the required business goal. It involves tall organisation structure, autocratic leadership structure, little empowerment or delegation with minimum wage paid to the employees.
(Source: balance careers, 2018)
In order to manage a sustainable business, it needs and requires developing and managing a wide variety of resources such as human capital, material, equipment, and people. Organisation needs such workforce that has appropriate skills to achieve the goals and objectives of the company. HRM is an organisation function, which focuses on people aspects. British gas has high calibre to reach the goals. It already employ more than nine thousand gas engineers to maintain the appliances of heating (British Gas, 2018b). Focus areas that can resolve the HR problems-
It is important for the British Gas to deliver long-term sustainability and profitability to shareholders because they expect that British Gas to give a considerable return on their investment. Although British Gas needs to meet the customer`s needs because of competitive prices of products and services. The issue than can be resolved if it can ensure customer satisfaction. Due to increasing customer base of British gas, it has to employ technical skills to perform the work, which is required to deliver the top-class services to customer. As the residential customers in the country are the core customers, they expects top-level service at a reasonable price (British Gas, 2018b). If the company denies meeting the customer expectations, it would lead to loss in business profits and competitive advantages. It is possible that believing in commitments can run the business smoothly-
Function and Importance of HRM
By providing them with appropriate information to help them while making the right choices for the energy necessities.
By communicating to customers without combing complex terms related to Gas. Their aim should be to convince and make them understand about the needs (British Safety Council, 2018).
British Gas accomplish its CSR activities and travel extra miles that can support the vulnerable customers such as blind, disabled and ill customers, mentally disturbed and also the children who are under five with these difficulties (Centrica PLC, 2018).
By providing quality and innovative products and services.
Retention plan refers to retain the existing employees in British Gas. To enable a good sum of profit in a minimum time with cost effective, it is only possible when company saves the expense of training so existing skilled and trained could be retained. British Gas has proposed that it would appraise its employees with a mixture of financial and non-financial advantages including good monetary appraisal, pension scheme that can give an opportunity to buy blue chip shares. It will also offer comfortable surroundings to work. Effective strategies that the company initiates to retain employees, the same it can apply on customers (British Gas, 2018c).
By providing rewards, performance appraisals and recognition that creates a sense of self-esteem in oneself.
By conducting training and development sessions to ensure that, employees enhance the skills about the product.
Receiving feedback from the workforce can create satisfactory and efficiency services to its customers.
Committing them with financial and non-financial incentives such as pension and benefit after retirement.
Human resource undertake to manage different activities in the company. In order to improve the alignment of staff with resources, it is important to understand that HR strategic planning works. SHR (strategic human resource) planning ensures that appropriate staffing can lead to match with the operational goals (British Gas, 2018d).
The involvement of concept such as HRP and strategic human resources is increasing due to increasing business complexion in the organisation. The social, legal, economic environment of the country affects the planning process. Moreover, it helps in involving and making comprehensive plans that can analyse the internal HR plan. The development procedure such as training and development sessions increase the efficiencies of the employees to become competitive advantageous in regards to external business environment. The development that includes changes in business environment, increasing regulation, independent nature of commercial actions, public well-being, and customer interest (Pournader, Tabassi, and Baloh, 2015).
Related issues among employees in British Gas has been increasing at the global level. To accomplish the customer`s demand, the company has to start focusing on the employee problems because then only it will be able to deliver appropriate services. To execute this successful delivery, the company has to implement a planning process that will enable it in developing employee’s interest and resolve the problems that will ultimately lead to overall satisfaction of the needs of the customers (Murphy, and Barrath, 2016).
Planning objective- the main objective of Human resource planning is to match with the overall business processes and employee performances.
Types of Human Resources
Existing manpower available- during the hiring process, employer undertake the process to analyse the experience, proficiency, skills. Moreover, it includes the analysis of abilities and qualities to perform a particular job. In addition to this, analysis is also related to future vacancies and hiring as per the need of skilled employees (Akey, Dai, Torku, and Antwi, 2017).
Forecasting demand and supply-, this depicts the demand of manpower as per the supply of resources available in the organisation. Apart from this, it is important to hire the person who matches the with particular job description.
Gap analysis of Manpower- this evaluation process of analysing the workforce demand for available resources, if the demand of the employees is more than the supply of HR. Undoubtedly, they need to give selection and test processes before the hiring. Moreover, if they are not with good training, it will result in termination or transfer of employees (Joseph, 2017).
Employment plan- The plan involves the activities that can lead to achieve the organisational goals by planning recruiting, promoting, and selection for employees. For example- when the company needs highly skilled then it can be cost-effective to employ the old ones. Other than this, recruiting and training new employee can incur more cost.
Training and development- To deliver the quality work and right product and services. It is important to disclose and provide information regarding particular product provided by the organisation. As engineers will have to train the employees to install and operate it further. When the customers are more and the company do not have enough man force then people in the organisation remains in pressure. Therefore, in order to serve the customers with the appropriate information, proper training programs that need to be conducted in an organised manner (Legislation.gov.uk, 2018).
Evaluation and manpower planning- This planning checks and monitors the effectiveness of entire process which helps in determining the effective actions of plan and control measures. At last, it is important to discuss and release a selection programme that can bring new people in the organisation. Moreover, it requires the training sessions to train new recruits and also the current employees with the appropriate skillset.
Some principles can help the British Gas to deliver healthy and other services to whole business. This will help the employees to live a healthy lifestyle and here are the outlines-
Innovation- Employees who promote innovation help the organisation to lead the well- established program that can personalise the different operational activities. New employees with fresh blood can bring another way of performing activities that help to create and promote a healthy business environment (Albrecht, Bakker, Gruman, Macey, and Saks, 2015).
Integration- Integration of different activities is very important because it evaluates the overlapping processes and competitive activities. Moreover, it will give a holistic or joined approach of performing activities, which will strive to exploit the available opportunities.
Increase- this is referred to as continuous development in production activities by increasing people efficiency. Proper employee engagement with an attitude of motivation that can reduce the work related complaints (Mars, 2018).
Task 1
British Gas has undertaken many development activities that can enhance the ability of existing employees. Activities such as awareness sessions, availing them toolkit, and associating their work with the professional bodies to treat and create a balance between work and health life. Nuffield health ensures that a strong and effective life balances helps in reducing the stress level that further improves physical health. These activities meet the needs of different employees through either incentive method or healthcare services. For instance- In British Gas, engineers play different roles through different roles such as fitting insulation and heating boilers, which require strong physical strength and it is quite probable that they work in a forced environment. In these different situations, different workforce need different support for the lifestyles.
While developing development plans, British Gas undertakes to launch workshops and virtual musculoskeletal toolkit to reduce the major injury risks. Guidance to manage the occupation can contribute to 60 percent reduction in health issues that have happened due to disasters in occupation.
To retain the employees and improve the productivity in work performance where functional department of HRM in British Gas undertakes to use five statement to create and encourage the positive workplace-
Clear statement- this helps in increasing ethics and attitude among its employees with a vision for activities they actually do in the company to make it global.
Undertaking the selection process properly- Motivation and leadership are two important components of organisational success. Employees with positive attitude and happy nature agrees to take opportunity to show the determination to handle the difficult situations at the time of hiring.
Motivational communicational skills- free business environment provides a platform to talk freely and share the problems and opinions with one another including leader.
Not keeping secrets- In every organisation, leader, and manager keep forward certain phases of operations that can be discussed behind the doors and is a suspense for all employees. Telling every employee regarding what to achieve and how to achieve can lead to exposure of secret ideas and the idea can become common. Moreover, if employees are given a goal to achieve, it becomes a way to achieve a healthy environment.
Accomplishing gratitude- reward, recognition, and incentive plan to the employees can lead to better performance and if organisation provides a better way to appreciate and motivate them by saying well done and thank you.
Employment legislation in UK regulates the relations of employees with their employers. It provides a direction to meet the expectation of the employers from the company`s workers, their rights and their privileges at their workplace (Purce, 2015).
Employment Legislation for compensation and reward system (Compensation Act, 2006)
This act specifies important factors such as Rewards and compensation by determining a claim due to either negligence or breach of duty. This act discourages the persons to undertake the functions that are connected to a desirable activity. This section do not prevent a responsible person from claiming contribution from another or finding the contributory negligence. There are certain provisions provided by regulated claim management services and under this section, a person couldn’t regulate the management services unless the person is an authorised person or an exempt person. While imposing the enforcement and offence, a person who is guilty can convicted to imprisonment not more than two years and fine or inclusion of both. Compensation includes salary, commission, allowances, incentives, travel allowances and cash rewards which when an employee gets through time in the organisation. Reward helps in motivating employees that perform at their best (Legislation.gov.uk, 2018).
Meeting the Needs of Customers
Employment Legislation for health and safety standard (Health and safety at work Act, 1974)
Health and safety work act, 1974 focuses on occupational safety and health. It provides a welfare provision to the employee that ensures safety and health in work environment. It provides adequate provision to employees and it maintain a safe environment. Employer needs to sustain a written safety record for employee safety policy (The Mover, 2018).
These regulations include sanitation of employees such as washing facilities and drinking water to sustain a suitable working environment. Moreover, proper ventilation, suitable working environment, spaces, protection from the objectives and lights.
Conclusion and recommendation
From the above conclusion of the text, British Gas has undertaken development strategies that have driven it to competitive advantages in the energy market. Human resource management (HRM) has planned to maintain the highly skilled employee by an effective retention programs and attractive schemes and benefits for the employees. British Gas have some high expectation especially when it offers an accurate price. British Gas is involved in health well-being. British Gas helps the customers to deal with difficulties while choosing the right product and the focusing health and safety cultural programs for the employees.
Throughout workforce planning, British Gas helps the customers to grab the opportunities to show the capabilities and share those experiences to help them to find their career paths in the organisation that increases the productivity. To maintain a competitive advantage to position among the top competitors such as SSE, business Gas, and Utility etc. British Gas keep providing best services with best-skilled employee`s performances and keep it encouraging them with a bright future.
References
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Albrecht, S.L., Bakker, A.B., Gruman, J.A., Macey, W.H. and Saks, A.M., (2015) Employee engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage: An integrated approach. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2(1), pp.7-35.
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