The Function of the HR Manager at Manchester1 - Essay Example

The Function of the HR Manager at Manchester1 Content Page Title Page No. Executive Summary 2 HR planning 2 Recruitment and Selection 2 Contracts 3 Employee Relations 4 Grievance and Disciplinary 4 Volunteer Management 5 Works Cited 6 Executive Summary This report discusses the function of the HR manager at Manchester1that is a medium sized venue that where small comedy events are arranged and gigs are offered. The seating capacity of the venue is 2600 and for the standing people is 3600. There are permanent staff members in the company as well as staff members with 0 hour contracts. The rate of contract staff turnover is high in the fast paced environment which imparts the need for the HR manager to use the appropriate techniques of recruitment including advertising and hiring. The functions of HRM discussed in the paper include HR planning, recruitment and selection, contracts, employee relations, grievance and discipline, and volunteer management. HR Planning Since Manchester1 arranges small comedy events, the main clients of the company would be from the media. The company needs to start booking the local acts that can be featured (Drew). The company might have to build relationships with the booking agencies with the growth of the business to attract better comedians so that the workload can be reduced. Recruitment and selection Manchester1 recruits in two fundamental ways; online advertisement and with the help of the employment agencies. The company has its own personal website where it advertises the vacancies in the “jobs at Manchester1” section. In addition to that, understanding the power and usability of the social networking websites for the purpose of advertisement, the company advertises vacancies on Facebook. Facebook is being increasingly used by companies for advertising all over the world and “social ads” are considered as advertising’s future (Pickering). The company also has its personal profile on Facebook where it shares the information regarding the vacancies. HRM at Manchester1 also lists the criteria of eligibility for the interested candidates in each of these mediums to ensure that only the possibly qualifying people send their CVs and the HRM has lesser load of applications to deal with. In addition, HRM at Manchester1 also render the services of the employment agencies especially when they have to recruit the employees on immediate basis. Candidates for interview are short-listed after a thorough review of their individualistic talents, achievements, and competences, and the short-listed candidates are called upon for a structured interview. The selected candidates are recommended to the top management which after a second interview, selects the employees. Contracts At Manchester1, the selected employees are first offered a place at the company temporarily during which, no written contract is made between the employee and the company. The temporary status remains for a period of three months. This is termed as the “probation period”. “The probationary period is intended to give managers and supervisors an opportunity to review the ability of this new employee to perform all aspects of the position” (“Probationary period”). The employee’s performance during the probation period is carefully monitored and if found up to the mark, the employee is offered a permanent place at the company, in which case, the management makes the employee sign a written contract with the company. According to the contract, the employee is obliged to work in the company for a minimum duration of one year. The employee’s salary, and all benefits are mentioned in the contract. The employee is told to inform the company at least one month before the intended date of departure from the company, should a need arise. If the employee leaves without informing, not only his/her last month’s salary is sapped, but the company is also free to file a lawsuit against the employee. The contract is renewable after the completion of the year. Employee relations Management of employee relations is one of the most demanding challenges in front of the HRM of any organization. At Manchester1, the HRM manages employee relations by keeping them motivated for work and resolving their interpersonal conflicts. To motivate the employees, the HRM has tied rewards with good performance. “The individual taking care of the HR activities plays a key role in involving all the employees into something productive which would give them an opportunity to know each other well” (“Role of HR”). To achieve this, the HRM has established a system of points in which employees are given points for showing good behavior, avoiding conflicts, and delivering the work. Employees scoring points above a certain limit are given specific bonuses and increments in pay. Since the system is quite organized, employees understand why somebody amongst them is specifically being given a reward so there is no room for confusion or conflicts that could otherwise result from such practices. Grievance and disciplinary For grievances and disciplinary, the HRM at Manchester1 has established a code of conduct that every employee whether temporary or permanent is required to study and follow right from the very first day of employment. The code of conduct describes the procedure for firing an employee if, for any reason, the management is unsatisfied with his/her performance at work. At Manchester1, in such cases, the HRM issues warning letters to the employees, one followed by another after a period of two weeks if the problem persists. The case is monitored for another two weeks and still if the problem is found to persist, the employee is fired. “Discipline and grievances require a clear and transparent framework for dealing with the difficulties which may arise as part of an employer's or employee's working relationship, from either perspective” (“Discipline and Grievances”). The employees are required to sign that they have studied, understood, and would abide by the code of conduct in the conditions of contract. To handle grievances, the HRM encourages the employees to bring their issues up to the management so that they can be sorted out in a meeting and the suitable action can be taken. Volunteer management At Manchester1, volunteers are frequently approached by the HRM to help them plan and arrange a comedy event especially when the event requires services that are not routinely provided by the company. Sometimes, the clients have to arrange the comedy event at a wedding function for which, the HRM at Manchester1 also works in collaboration with the volunteers and the wedding planners. This not only helps the HRM ensure that the events are organized professionally, but also lets them have an insight into other dimensions of the business that they might want to expand into in the future. Works Cited: “Discipline and Grievances.” 2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2013. . Drew, Bettina. “How to Start a Comedy Club Business.” 2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2013. . Pickering, Ben. “How to Use Facebook Ads: An Introduction.” 3 May 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2013. . “Probationary period.” 14 May 2010. 7 Jan. 2013. . “Role of HR in Employee Relationship.” 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2013. . Read More