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HR Strategies for Employee Engagement at Norries

This assignment involves preparing a report for the new owners of Norries, a large department store in London, with recommendations to address issues with employee engagement and manager capability. The document provides background on Norries, including high employee turnover, lack of support from line managers, and ad hoc manager recruitment and development. The report should critically assess the roles of HR specialists and line managers in people management, distinguish between employment contracts and psychological contracts, review if assessment centers could improve manager selection, outline a performance management approach, evaluate how employee engagement could benefit Norries, and explain how learning and development could contribute to future success. The submission is a 5000 word case study report structured as outlined.

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21 views3 pages

HR Strategies for Employee Engagement at Norries

This assignment involves preparing a report for the new owners of Norries, a large department store in London, with recommendations to address issues with employee engagement and manager capability. The document provides background on Norries, including high employee turnover, lack of support from line managers, and ad hoc manager recruitment and development. The report should critically assess the roles of HR specialists and line managers in people management, distinguish between employment contracts and psychological contracts, review if assessment centers could improve manager selection, outline a performance management approach, evaluate how employee engagement could benefit Norries, and explain how learning and development could contribute to future success. The submission is a 5000 word case study report structured as outlined.

Uploaded by

junior josiah
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

BAPF- Human Resource Management

Assignment title: Norries

Due date: 20th October 2022

Introduction

This assignment is based on an organisational scenario containing various components. In the


scenario and the following tasks you will need to address these components. Your role and
background is that of a regional manager who needs to prepare some ideas for a newly appointed
store manager about how he might deal with some of the issues at his store. Therefore, this
assignment requires knowledge of:

 Human resource management as a discipline


 Organisational development as a process.

Scenario

Norries is a large department store located in central London that has been in business for over 120
years. It currently employs 3,500 staff directly with an additional 2,000 agency and concession
employees. This is a very competitive sector with competition from not only other stores but also
on-line retailers to whom the ‘high street’ stores are losing ground.

Last year, Norries was purchased by Lammy Holdings. The new owners recognised that ‘engaged
employees’ are essential to the continuing success of the business and firmly believe that if
employees are happy they are likely to be consistently high performers and will want to progress
their careers within the business. Norries Human Resources (HR) team is researching a variety of
approaches to increase employee engagement, which focus in particular on recruitment and
selection, performance, and development. Early findings from the team suggest that in reality the
organisation is some way off achieving the owner’s vision. Employee turnover statistics indicate that
Norries has a higher rate of employee turnover than its competitors and that this has risen in recent
years. This represents both a significant cost and has performance implications for the business.
These include the costs associated with recruitment, the loss of expertise, and the increased need
for the training of new employees.

Following this discovery, Norries has carried out its first comprehensive employee survey to find out
what employees thought about working at Norries. The intention is to use the results to create plans
for change focused on improving employee engagement. It has emerged from this survey that, on
the whole, employees at Norries do not feel supported in their work by their line managers. Some
have mentioned lack of information about what is going on in their department and in the business
more generally. Others describe not receiving the support and training they need to help them deal
more effectively with customers.

The work by the HR team has been shared with the new owners and both are concerned about the
overall capability of the line managers in the business. The recruitment of managers has been rather
“ad hoc’ in the past as has been their subsequent induction and development. As a result, turnover
is a problem at this level as well. It is in this area that they believe they must intervene to secure the
level of improvement in employee engagement they believe will improve performance.

Aim

Prepare a report for Lammy Holdings that addresses the following issues:

Task 1 – 15 Marks

Critically assess the relative contribution that both line managers and the Human Resource
specialists might make to improving people management at Norries. Specifically, critically assess
how the former might support the latter as ‘business partners.’

Task 2 – 17 Marks

It is evident that the line managers at Norries are not clear about their role in relation to the
‘psychological contract’. Distinguish between the nature and contribution of the employment
contract and the psychological contract to employee engagement.

Task 3 – 16 Marks

Lammy Holdings are becoming increasingly concerned about the capability of managers and about
how they are recruited and selected. Review whether the use of assessment centres might improve
the reliability and validity of the process for selecting managers at Norries.

Task 4 – 17 Marks

Outline the elements of a systematic approach to performance management to be introduced at


Norries, with specific recommendations about what might be included.

Task 5 – 15 Marks

Much is made by Norries’ new owners about the ideas of employee engagement. Evaluate how the
ideas associated with employee engagement might bring benefits that support Norries in achieving
its performance objectives and outline any limitations associated with this concept.

Task 6 – 15 Marks
Explain why investing in a systematic approach to learning and development might contribute to
Norries’ success in the future.

Task 7 – 5 Marks

Combine your findings into a single, written case study report that is properly structured and
contains:

• Title page

• Table of contents

• Main body of the case report

• References and bibliography

• Appendices (if necessary)

Guidance

Consult with your Lecturer if you are uncertain about any aspect of this assignment.

Submission requirements

You must submit a word-processed case report as indicated in Task 7. Your report should answer
Tasks 1 to 6. The word count for your report is 5000 words.

Common questions

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A systematic approach to performance management at Norries should include clear goal setting and alignment with organizational objectives, regular performance appraisals, and feedback sessions. It should also involve developmental plans tailored to individual employees' needs, recognition and reward systems to incentivize high performance, and mechanisms for ongoing communication between employees and their supervisors. Such a structure ensures consistency in performance evaluation and supports employees in achieving their potential while aligning their goals with those of the organization .

The collaboration between line managers and HR specialists as 'business partners' can improve people management at Norries by integrating HR insights with operational needs, leading to more informed and strategic decision-making. HR specialists provide expertise in recruitment, training, and performance management, while line managers bring an understanding of day-to-day operations and team dynamics. When working together, line managers can leverage HR's expertise to implement tailored HR strategies that align with business goals, thereby enhancing employee engagement, reducing turnover, and improving performance .

The employment contract at Norries serves as a formal, legal agreement outlining the rights and responsibilities of both parties, focusing on economic exchange aspects such as salary and job duties. In contrast, the psychological contract encompasses the unwritten expectations and obligations between employees and employers, such as trust, mutual respect, and job satisfaction. While the employment contract ensures compliance with legal standards, the psychological contract significantly influences engagement by impacting employees' feelings of being valued and supported, which can affect their commitment and motivation .

Investing in a systematic approach to learning and development is crucial for Norries because it enhances employee skills and knowledge, leading to improved performance and innovation. This investment prepares employees to adapt to changing business environments and technological advancements, increasing the company's competitiveness. Furthermore, a strong learning culture can boost employee morale and engagement, reducing turnover and attracting top talent. Such initiatives align with the strategic goals of Norries by fostering a more capable and agile workforce prepared to meet current and future challenges .

Implementing assessment centers for selecting managers at Norries can enhance the reliability and validity of the recruitment process by providing a comprehensive evaluation of candidates through simulated tasks and exercises. This approach allows for a thorough assessment of managerial capabilities, including decision-making, leadership, and interpersonal skills, rather than relying solely on interviews or résumés. By generating diverse performance data, assessment centers can help identify candidates who are better fit for managerial roles, thereby potentially reducing turnover and improving overall managerial capability .

Employee engagement can provide Norries with benefits such as increased productivity, higher employee retention rates, and improved customer satisfaction by fostering a motivated and committed workforce. Engaged employees are more likely to go beyond their basic job requirements, contributing to innovation and overall organizational effectiveness. However, the limitations include the challenge of accurately measuring engagement levels and translating them into concrete performance improvements. Moreover, focusing solely on engagement without addressing underlying issues such as poor management practices can lead to strategic misalignment .

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