Human Resources Assignment - Sainsburys.

Every job in Sainsbury’s will have a written job description. If there is an issue with an employee’s responsibilities then this job description is referred to. But a job description will have to be regularly updated as the nature of can change over time.

A job description will include the following:

• Job title

• Grade

• Department/section
• Location
• Responsible to (manager’s title)
• Responsible for (staff for whom the post holder is responsible)
• Purpose of the job
• Duties/responsibilities
• Qualifications/skills/experience required
• Background or special notes on job
• References to show date prepared and name of the person who prepared it

A person specification shows the skills, qualifications, aptitudes and abilities that a person will need to effectively carry out a specific job at Sainsbury’s. It will list the necessary and the not so necessary features needed.

A person specification should include:

1. Physical characteristics e.g. minimum height
2. Experience
3. Qualifications needed indicating level of skill and training
4. Aptitude-any special qualifications or abilities
5. Motivation
6. Special circumstances e.g. working away from home for a few days or work unsociable hours

• Internal vacancies only Sainsbury’s might already have people within the company, who have the right skills to do the job needed, especially if their training and development programme has been effective. Where this is the case, Sainsbury’s might appoint someone for the job internally, but this means that a post elsewhere may become vacant. Vacancies are advertised internally by putting advertisements on notice boards, and in company newsletters, bulletins and newspapers. These advertisements can also be used to promote Sainsbury’s as a whole. There are disadvantages and advantages to appointing internally. The advantages are that it is cheap, fast, and problems with training and induction can be avoided. Sainsbury’s will also know the person appointed. The disadvantages are that existing staff might think that they have an automatic right to promotion. Also Sainsbury’s is preventing the incoming of new ideas and skills that could be brought in from outside, meaning that they would become resistant to change.

• External vacancies

Most of the time it is necessary to appoint staff externally, and some companies are obliged to advertise all vacant posts externally. Therefore the recruitment and selection process must be carefully planned, so they have the right people applying for the jobs. The process of external appointing can be very expensive and can take up valuable time as the following steps have to be taken, advertising, despatching application forms, checking returned forms, shortlisting and interviewing, which is often done by senior staff.

There are many ways of looking for staff outside Sainsbury’s:

• Through job centres, which is a free service
• Employment agencies sell a service of finding people jobs
• Educational establishments e.g. schools and colleges
• Management recruitment consultants used to recruit senior management
• Executive search consultants are employed to recruit senior staff directly

• Advertising in the media is the common way of attracting staff.

The advertisement should:

• Attract attention and arouse interest among the right people
• State what is being offered-at least in general terms
• State what is required by the employer-such as experience, qualifications, ability
• State what the next step is-how the candidate applies

Applying for the job

The steps in selection

Shortlisting

Many people would have applied for a particular job, but not all of these may be suitable for the job, so interviewing them all would be a waste of time. Shortlisting is selecting a smaller group from the long list of applicants by working through it. From this small group the final candidate will be chosen. Shortlisting starts with items from the person specification being used as a selection criteria. Each method of application will be checked against these. The judging should be based only upon the written application whether the applicant is known to the organisation or not.

Testing  

Some form of test is now given to a candidate along with their application and interview. These could be:

• Medical tests- which is usually a medical examination to find out if the candidate is fit for work..
• Proficiency tests-this test is to find out if the candidate can do the job they are applying for.
• Psychometric tests-this test is to find out the candidate’s potential for doing the job they applied for. The test measures a person’s personality, attitude and mental abilities.

Interviewing

This is when the employer meets the applicant face-to-face. An interview can be taken for the following reasons:

• To decide which of the shortlisted candidates should be employed
• For staff already working at Sainsbury’s as part of their performance review
• For staff who are leaving Sainsbury’s by resigning, redundancy or retirement.

• The recruitment interview

Two basic types of recruitment interview are :

• One-to-one interview which has one interviewer and one interviewee
• Panel interview where there are several interviewers and one interviewee

• Planning the interview

For the interview to be fair and for a reliable judgement to be made the following points should be considered:

• The panel should be selected so as to enable a fair hearing for each candidate
• Questions should be agreed in advance so that each candidate is treated in the same way
• The selection criteria should be agreed in advance.

During the interview:

• The candidate should be helped to feel at ease
• Panel should listen fairly to the candidate’s replies
• Candidates should be given the opportunity to show their strengths
• Where candidates are known to the panel, this could be if they already work at Sainsbury’s, only evidence from interview should be taken into account.

• How should the interview be conducted?

There are ten points the interviewer should do before, during and after an interview. These are:

1. The interviewer should check that the interview arrangements are satisfactory.
2. The interviewer should know the job description and person specification as a basis of the interview.
3. The interviewer should read the application forms again and make note of any specific questions to ask the candidate.
4. The agreed questions should be written down that every candidate will have to answer.
5. At the start of the interview the candidates should be welcomed by name and invited to sit down. Also the purpose of the interview should be made clear to the candidate.
6.  The interview should be started with an easy question to help the interviewees to relax, any ethical or legal issues should be made aware of. Misunderstandings should be avoided.
7. The employer should always stay calm and uninvolved and be ready to listen.
8. The candidate should be observed for body language, etc.
9. At the end of the interview the candidate should be thanked, asked if they have any questions, asked when they could start work, asked if they still want the job and then they should be told how and when they will find out if they have got the job or not.
10. Candidates should leave the interview feeling that they were treated fairly during the interview. Notes to help with the decision should be made. Information exchanged during a interview should be kept confidential.

• Getting the job-giving a good impression

It is important for a candidate to be prepared for an interview. They must show their strengths. Points that a candidate can take into consideration whilst preparing for an interview are:

• Appearance
• Manner
• Achievements
• Personality
• Ambitions
• Value of the job
• Presence of mind
• The job offer

• Are the interviews effective?

There are advantages in meeting the candidate face-to-face but there are also some disadvantages:

• Incorrect assumptions based on first impressions
• Stereotyping
• Qualities such as motivation and loyalty cannot be assessed by an interview
• Candidates might not be themselves at an interview

Evidence is that, alone, interviews are not very reliable.

RECRUITMENT DOCUMENTS

The application form for Sainsbury’s is similar to an application form for any other company. It is structured in a simple and straightforward way. Therefore it is easy for the applicant to complete. Sainsbury’s have designed their application form so that it is user friendly to both the applicant and Sainsbury’s.

Sainsbury’s form has sufficient space provided for the relevant information that is required. The form follows the Equal Opportunities legislation. Their form is not written in a very small font, therefore it is easy to read. They have also used simple language that can easily be understood by the applicants.

A suitable CV for Sainsbury’s should be presented well. It should be written in the applicant’s own style of writing. It should be carefully checked for mistakes before it is submitted to Sainsbury’s. When writing sentences, they should be kept short. Sainsbury’s require their CV’s to be word processed, as this is a much more neat and presentable method of presenting the CV to Sainsbury’s. It must be produced on an A4 paper, of a white or close to white colour. The CV should be spaced out, so it looks neat and can clearly be read. To impress Sainsbury’s applicants have to try and make their CV at least a bit interesting, as this will give Sainsbury’s a reason as to why they should be considered for an employee. Sainsbury’s usually prefer that a letter of application be produced together with the CV and given to them. As this gives Sainsbury’s an idea of the type of job the applicant is applying for and hoping to get.

QUALITY OF INFORMATION

The quality of the information that is provided on the application forms and the CVs is of great importance to Sainsbury’s.

Therefore when completing application forms for Sainsbury’s, the applicants should photocopy the application form, and fill out the photocopy form as a first draft. They can then look over this several times to see for corrections. Also the applicants should make sure that they read the instructions for filling out the form, as a certain coloured pen might be required. Sainsbury’s use this as a test to see if instructions can be read properly and followed, also so that Sainsbury’s can clearly understand the information. The quality of the information should be very good, as this gives Sainsbury’s an idea of why the applicants want to apply for the job. The forms ask questions that are relevant to Sainsbury's in collecting the required information, therefore the quality of the answers should be good as well. This shows an understanding and commitment to the application, and also that an effort has been made to provide such answers.

The quality of the information provided in the CV should be twice as good as the quality of information provided on the form. This is because the applicant has prepared their CV alone without any questions asked for them to provide answers to. But this should be better in quality because through a CV an applicant is trying to sell themselves to Sainsbury’s.

INTERNAL LABOUR MARKET AT SAINSBURY’S

Sainsbury is located in West London, inevitably therefore it will have to compete for recruits in an area of high employment. The boroughs in West London e.g. Hillingdon, Hounslow and Ealing, have extremely high employment above the national average. The Sainsbury’s branch used in this report is in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

       In the United Kingdom there is a North/South divide. A big difference can be seen in the economy in the North of the UK and the economy in the South of the UK. This is mostly due to the fact that the South is densely populated, whereas the North is less populated. But there are other factors to why the economies in the two parts of the UK are different. The North has a less tertiary industry than the South, there appears to be more primary and secondary industry in the North. But now people are becoming highly skilled and educated and look for jobs in the tertiary industry e.g. teaching, nursing etc. So because there is more tertiary industry in the South, the South has high employment rates. People living in the North who look for jobs in the tertiary industry often decide to move to the South as they will easily be able to find a job in that industry there. The South would also offer better wages. The largest airport in the world, Heathrow Airport, is also based in the South of the UK, London to be precise. Many people are employed at the airport. Also near the airport there is the biggest service area in Europe called Stockley Park. Many organisations base here due to the excellent transport communications available e.g. Heathrow Airport, rail services, M4 corridor and the M25 leading to other motorways. Therefore the Southern economy is well ahead of the Northern economy in the UK.  

       West London is in the south-east of the UK, meaning it is in the South divide. Here tertiary employment is available in the service industry. Sainsbury’s being one of the many that offers tertiary employment. Sainsbury’s in the Borough of Hillingdon has approximately 450 people employed, whereas a Sainsbury’s store in the North has about 50-100 employees. This could be because the Borough of Hillingdon and the surrounding Boroughs are highly populated, therefore the Sainsbury’s branch in this Borough is large enough to offer many jobs and provide a service to everyone that lives in the Borough. When deciding on building new stores the size needs to be considered, Sainsbury’s use the number of people in the surrounding areas of where the new store has to be built as a factor in deciding the size of a store.  

INTERNAL STAFFING INFORMATION (Continued)

Many of the staff at Sainsbury’s have been working there for many years, approximately 65% of the full-time employees at Sainsbury’s have been working with Sainsbury’s for 3 years or more. This is known as the retention of staff.

A large of the rest of the staff at Sainsbury’s, meaning the part-time staff are mostly students who are studying at college or university. Therefore they cannot work full time due to their studies. Students working with Sainsbury’s work mostly as general assistants, meaning they either work in the aisles, or behind the checkouts. Although some do work in the restaurants and bakeries, butchers and the fishmongers.

HUMAN RESOURCES FUNCTION

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AT SAINSBURY’S

Sainsbury’s provide training and development programmes in twelve different areas of the business of Sainsbury’s. The twelve different areas are:

• Finance
• Marketing
• Buying
• Supply Chain
• Quality and Innovation
• Human Resources
• Formats
• Retail
• Pharmacy
• Property
• Summer Placements
• Business Placements

Each of these areas is explained in more detail below, where the training and development methods are also stated and how a person can join the programmes and where each area will take a person in their career.

• Finance

Sainsbury’s is seen as a major blue-chip company, finance underpins everything they do. When an employee joins the finance department of Sainsbury’s they will be involved in key projects and making a difference, right from the start. Sainsbury’s believe that they can deliver their promises to their customers and shareholders by building teams of first-class financial talent and acumen. The training here involves obtaining a CIMA qualification, an employee trying to achieve this will be training in a highly supportive environment. They will also have the opportunity to train with other parts of the group and CIMA partners who are part a dynamic finance team at Sainsbury’s.

The finance graduate development programme lasts approximately three years. The programme provides a sound base that ensures a trainee’s professional and career development progress rapidly. A trainee will be studying for a CIMA qualification, at the same time they will also be receiving pay rises to accompany their achievement. They will also receive behavioural and cross-functional training, which could prove very beneficial for trainees.  The behavioural training covers a number of off-the –job training activities, these are scheduled throughout the trainees’ functional scheme. These activities are designed to support the development of the trainee’s personnel capabilities and maximise the trainee’s personal effectiveness. Sainsbury’s cross-functional is a series of technical training and activities that also take place throughout the functional scheme. The aim of the cross-functional training is to equip the trainee with the knowledge and skills that are needed to operate successfully within Sainsbury’s. To join this programme a person will need a 2:1 degree, although this does not have to be numerate discipline. They will also need to be good with numbers and have personal qualities such as being disciplined and organised, a result-oriented individual with integrity and the tenacity to achieve. The highest performing graduates in this programme can volunteer to join Sainsbury’s Corporate Leadership Programme.

• Marketing

Sainsbury’s is known for the quality of their products, but they know that not even the best products can sell themselves. Sainsbury’s is at the forefront in developing new products, innovative concepts and fresh initiatives, therefore Sainsbury’s marketing team have its work cut out. Marketing at Sainsbury’s encompasses everything from brand development to market planning and customer marketing as well as Sainsbury’s formats and online divisions. The successful trainee will experience placements across Sainsbury’s business, they will be able to run their own projects and they can do a CIM qualification if they already do not have one. The trainee will need energy, confidence and a determination to get a great idea noticed. Sainsbury’s will provide the trainee with the opportunity to gain a CIM qualification. They will be set up with a mentor, this mentor will help them to get the most out of their training and provide them with advise on what they should do next. Every graduate that joins the scheme will get personal attention whilst they are developing a solid ground in the key areas of Sainsbury’s large marketing department. These key areas are planning and performance, brand marketing, customer marketing, formats and online. The Marketing Graduate Development Programme lasts one year. To do this programme a person will need a good degree in any subject.

• Buying

At Sainsbury’s buying directly has an impact on them, through increased profits, market share and customer satisfaction. In Sainsbury’s Trading Division, teams of individuals work cross-functionally with other colleagues. Also with many suppliers, but they do this with one objective, which is to deliver the best possible high-quality products. The trainee will develop their negotiation skills, influence, IT and awareness. To do this the trainee must have a lot of confidence, a collaborative attitude, and a real knack for analysing facts and figures with a view to adding value to Sainsbury’s. At Sainsbury’s they will have the opportunity to be involved in the buying process in many different products. Working in the buying section is exciting, stimulating and constantly changing.

The Buying Graduate Development Programme lasts for 12 months and a person will need a good degree in any subject to do this programme. The programmes prepares the trainee for Sainsbury’s own ‘Certificate of Trading’ qualification and their first major role within Sainsbury’s. After the induction, the trainee will be assigned to a small buying area where they will work alongside a team of professionals who will support the trainee to develop their knowledge in a real life situation. The trainee’s technical knowledge will be developed on the job, but it will also be underpinned by training courses in key areas such as finance, negotiation skills and trading law. They will also be placed on placements in operational areas of Sainsbury’s such as Retail and Supply Chain, this will develop the trainee’s skills further and encourage them to work cross-functionally and to develop a strong network of contacts. To be successful in this area the trainee must have a passion for food retailing. They should be a strong communicator, with very good analytical and organisational skills, they will have to be confident and able to work efficiently with others.  

• Supply Chain

Sainsbury’s is organisation that has an advanced supply chain plan. They have focused their thinking and they have improved their existing network hugely. The Supply Chain area involves forecasting and the logistics of operations ordering and distribution and development. When the trainee is working in Central Operations, they will learn the importance of product management, industry forecasting, ordering and the management if goods through the network. In Sainsbury’s development area the trainee will be able to work on some projects and discover the system which are the best and how they are applied to see real results across the Sainsbury’s stores. The trainee will also be taught how to balance costs and services, and improve accuracy and availability without compromising Sainsbury’s offer. The trainee will have to look at the distribution area of the network at Sainsbury’s, looking at what makes Sainsbury’s national network tick, looking at how goods go from A to B and how to optimise delivery times.

The Supply Chain Graduate Development Programme lasts for 18 months and to do this programme a person will need a good degree in any subject. After the 18 months programme, the trainee will have the opportunity to progress to many positions including a Supply Chain Forecasting Analyst, a Depot Supervisor or a Team Leader. After another 18 months they could be gaining a promotion plus plenty of ongoing development and support.

• Quality and Innovation

Sainsbury’s Quality and Innovation Group (QUIG) are behind every new product launched by Sainsbury’s. From Conceptualiser to Project Management to Delivery, Sainsbury’s Product Development and Technology ensure that they are delivering the innovation and the quality their customers expect, also that their suppliers are as compromising as they are. To work in this area a person will need creativity, confidence and commitment. The Quality and Innovation Graduate Development Programme lasts for 12 months, and to join the programme a person will need a good degree in a food related subject or life science degree. The scheme offer a focused on-the-job training and technical courses and the trainee can choose between two areas. One of them is Product Development, this develops ideas for new products and works closely with suppliers and our own teams, for this the trainee will need a food-related degree such as Food Technology or Food Science. Or the trainee can focus on the Technology side, this is committed mostly to quality issues, for this the trainee will need a Life Science or Food Technology, Chemistry or Materials Science degree. The trainee will also need some experience of working in food retail or manufacturing.

• Human Resources

Sainsbury’s mission is to have talented people on their team. Sainsbury’s offer Human Resources experience across the full spectrum of generalist and specialist Human Resources. Working in this area would mean that the trainee could work at Sainsbury’s business centre or in a store or distribution centre ensuring that the Human Resources underpins the business strategy. The trainee will follow a structured programme, where the emphasis will be on delivering Sainsbury’s business strategy through people, translating Sainsbury’s maxim Faster, Simpler and Together into top level Human Resources performance. This will include overseeing change in management initiatives, people management processes and personnel performance standards. Through this programme a trainee will be able to develop their technical and wider business skills. The Human Resources Graduate Development Programme lasts for approximately two years, offering a number of placements, across generalist and specialist training within various divisions within Sainsbury’s. After 18 months the trainee can self-select for a six-month placement in an area based on their experience over the past year and a half. At the end of the first year of the programme the trainee will be given the opportunity to study for the CIPD. To do this programme the trainee will need a good degree in any subject, they should have the ability to relate to and get on with the widest range of people, coupled with the confidence to make the trainee’s case to senior managers and deal with day-to-day issues that face a busy Human Resources team.

• Formats

For Sainsbury’s to succeed in today’s competitive market they need a carefully tailored approach to their customers whatever their profile of needs, expectations and objectives. The product range, price, service and even the ambience of the Sainsbury’s stores has to be spot on for the shoppers using each store.  All Sainsbury’s customer’s are looking for is quality, customer service and choice they associate with the Sainsbury’s name. The aim is to make it look easy and that’s the job of Formats. Formats will help deliver exactly what Sainsbury’s customers have come to expect in the Sainsbury’s suburban stores, the Sainsbury’s Central and the Sainsbury’s Local, because of Sainsbury’s proactive approach to meeting the demands of changing lifestyles more rapidly than ever.

Sainsbury’s will put a trainee forward for a CIM qualification if they do not already have one. The Formats Graduate Development Programme lasts for 12 months, and the trainee will need a good degree in any subject to join the programme.

• Retail

Some of Sainsbury’s smallest stores have a turnover of £8 million and the larger stores have a turnover of £80 million. If a person wants to achieve early responsibility and rapid career development then they can join Sainsbury’s.  Sainsbury’s are making large investments as part of a long-term strategy. They are expanding their main stores and improving Sainsbury’s Locals. They are providing retail careers on a different scale.

Sainsbury’s have a structured hands-on management programme that can put a trainee on a very fast track to management positions. The trainee will be in a management role from the moment they start the programme, they will have the opportunity to become a duty manager in three years and a store manager after five. The trainee will gain experience in different areas of the business (explained previously), the trainee must also show that they can be put forward for a postgraduate qualification in retail management at the end of the second year of the programme. The Retail Graduate Development Programme lasts about three years. For this programme a good degree in any subject is needed, together with a real passion for retail. The trainee will need to be resilient, and have the ability to balance issues (such as sales, labour costs and stock loss) with customer service. They should also have vital people skills to motivate and get results, and a positive approach to new challenges.

• Pharmacy

Working in Sainsbury’s Pharmacy, the successful trainee will be providing an invaluable healthcare service to the community. The job involves dispensing prescriptions, and giving advice to people from their child’s earache to contraindications of specific medicines. For a job in this area the trainee will need to have the relevant pharmacy skills and be a real people person, meaning being professional, creditable and approachable constantly. Working as a pharmacist at Sainsbury’s will mean that a trainee will have the opportunity to develop the management side of things. This could range from running the administration of the department to dealing with the staff matters such as appraisals, training and development. To join the programme the trainee must complete Sainsbury’s pre-registration training scheme. The Sainsbury’s scheme provides the training, knowledge and experience to successfully complete the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) pre-registration requirements. This scheme includes one-to-one tuition, in-store mentoring and personalised backing from our Central Pharmacy Training Department. The Sainsbury’s Pharmacy Pre-registration training scheme lasts for one year. To apply for this scheme the trainee must be studying for a Pharmacy Degree.

• Property

This job involves how Sainsbury’s plan the site of their stores, and build them to maximise their potential, as this has a significant impact on their business performance. To do this job the trainee can spend time on a placement during their Surveying degree. Sainsbury’s has one of the largest corporate property portfolios in the UK.

This is a suitable programme for someone that is studying a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) degree, as they can gain first-hand experience during their sandwich year. The placements include a tailored training plan that focuses on two or three key skills that trainees need to develop. To do this placement programme the trainee must be studying the degree stated above and they must be in their third year of this degree to do the placement.

• Summer Placements

This is a six to eight weeks placement programme. The placement could be focused on many areas of the Sainsbury’s. It is a real job that is complete with a real project on a specific aspect of Sainsbury’s business.  In those few weeks a trainee could learn quite a bit about Sainsbury’s and the way they work, allowing them to do the Graduate Development Programme. To join the placement a person must have a real desire to do real work and be determined to work their best in the few weeks they have. It would give them a real insight into Sainsbury’s, and the chance to develop and work on their own projects.

• Business Placements

A Business Placement with Sainsbury’s lasts for six months or one year. The trainee will be placed in one of Sainsbury’s business areas as part of their four-year degree. This will give them the true insight they need, and invaluable experience in the different elements involved in a successful retail business. Throughout the placement Sainsbury’s will ensure that the trainee receives support, learning and career opportunities that they may need in their future. If the trainee successfully completes their placement Sainsbury’s will sponsor their final year of their degree. When the trainee has graduated from their degree they will undertake another six months training before choosing a junior management position from one of the many areas that they worked in during their business placement.

Sainsbury’s value training and development, therefore each business area ensures that a person is receiving the training that will give them the opportunity to succeed in their chosen role. The training and development programmes give people a deep insight into the way in which businesses work and what they need to do to succeed in their job.

All Sainsbury’s schemes are modular-based, so that the trainee progresses through a number of exercises step by step, with mentoring and job shadowing. In the long term they can become very successful in their role and they can gain a possible higher level position at Sainsbury’s.

Sainsbury’s also have the Corporate Leadership Programme, this is a fast-track graduate training scheme. It is only offered to successful and highest performing graduates. The aim of this programme is to develop generalists with a broad business perspective, underpinned by experience in the corporate change programme. It also offers a cross-functional experience over a 14-month period including project management development and coaching from Sainsbury’s senior mangers. This programme will raise a trainee’s profile and quickly develop their capability to manage successfully throughout our business.

CONTRIBUTION OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT TO SAINSBURY’S

The training and development at Sainsbury’s plays a big part in the contribution to the activities that are conducted at Sainsbury’s.

The training and development at Sainsbury’s provides the staff at Sainsbury’s with the opportunity to work efficiently and effectively so that they can stay on the job. It also provides the staff, who complete the programmes, with the opportunity to work with the higher levels of staff at Sainsbury’s.

The finance training and development programme trains people so that they can work with Sainsbury’s finance department, and to help them meet one of Sainsbury’s objectives, which is to provide shareholders with good financial returns.

The marketing training and development programme trains people so that they are able to work with Sainsbury’s marketing team and produce marketing plans and promoting products to customers and the public.

The buying training and development programme trains people so that they are able to work with Sainsbury’s Trade Divisions and also work together with suppliers to deliver good quality products to Sainsbury’s customers.

The supply chain training and development programme trains people so that they are able to work with Sainsbury's and so that they have the ability to forecast and know about the logistics of operations ordering and distribution and development. The trainees will then know the system in which Sainsbury’s operate their supply chain, and they will then be able to help Sainsbury’s by managing the supply chain.

The quality and innovation training and development programme trains people so that they are helping Sainsbury’s deliver the innovation and quality of goods and service that their customers expect.

The human resources training and development programme trains people so that they are able to deliver Sainsbury’s business strategy through people. They will be taught how to manage people, therefore they will have the ability to manage Sainsbury’s staff.

The formats training and development programme trains people so that they can offer Sainsbury’s customers exactly what they expect. And changing to suit the changes in lifestyles.

The retail training and development programme trains people so that they can reach management positions at Sainsbury’s and make decisions and plans that help Sainsbury’s in meeting its objectives.

The pharmacy training and development programme trains people so that they are able to work with Sainsbury’s pharmacy department. So that they can meet Sainsbury’s customers’ needs not only by providing them with medicine, but also by providing them with advice if they have any problems.

The property training and development programme trains people so that they are able to aid in planning the sites of Sainsbury’s stores and to help build them.

The training and development provided by Sainsbury’s provides a variety of knowledge that allow people to work in any area of Sainsbury’s just by completing the training and development programmes and by receiving the required qualifications.

EVALUATION

POTENTIAL AREAS OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE H.R. DEPARTMENT AT SAINSBURY’S

A major conflict that the Human Resources Department faces is the conflict between the training and development at Sainsbury’s and the Finance Department at Sainsbury’s. For Sainsbury’s to provide effective and efficient training and development to their employees Sainsbury’s must also be able to provide the money to finance the training and development. As training and development can be very expensive depending on the types of training and development that is provided. Sainsbury’s provide a wide range of training and development for each different area of the Sainsbury's business. Sainsbury's finance department may not be able to fund the training and development completely; therefore this causes a conflict between the two departments. The finance department believe that the money could be spent on other areas of the Sainsbury’s business rather than on so much training and development.

When appraisal meetings are conducted, targets are identified and set in these meetings, also budgets and long and short-term needs are identified. When performance management is carried out, Sainsbury’s H.R. department uses appraisal systems. As a reward to employees for good performance, Sainsbury’s reward them with performance-related pay. The Finance Department has to arrange the performance-related pay; this is another conflict, as the Finance Department may not have the budget to finance the performance-related pay.

There also is a conflict between the Human Resources Department and Sainsbury’s management. As Sainsbury’s management may not agree with decisions made by the Human Resources Department. When the H.R. Department employ new staff, Sainsbury’s management may not agree with the decision to employ those certain staff. The management will disagree, they may have found some fault or reason why that employee may not be suitable for working with Sainsbury's.  

Another conflict is between the Internal Labour Market and the Finance Department at Sainsbury's. This is because in West London there are many jobs available, as West London is quite large. The jobs that are available offer highly competitive notes of pay. Therefore the Finance Department at Sainsbury’s need to compete with these notes of pay, forming a conflict between the Internal Labour Market, which is part of the Human Resources Department, and the Finance Department.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE H.R. DEPARTMENT AT SAINSBURY'S

The Human Resources Department at Sainsbury’s can resolve the conflicts that they face in many ways, using a range of methods.

Sainsbury’s already use quality assurance systems. Like nearly every organisation Sainsbury’s also feels that quality should be at the top of the list when it comes to aims and missions. Sainsbury’s also abides by the four Total Quality Management principles. Sainsbury’s have a high commitment in making sure that their customers’ needs are fulfilled to the most that they possibly can.

In every store they have a customer service department, that deals with customer complaints and problems. Also Sainsbury’s staff are fully trained to treat customers in the right way, and to look after them. They are also trained to listen and respond to any complaints or views the customers share with the staff. Sainsbury’s staff are continuously making improvements on their products and the services they offer. Sainsbury’s are improving their brand name by improving their packaging, and the quality of their product. Sainsbury’s are also continuously offering new services to existing and new customers. This is an overview of how Sainsbury’s works, this was identified using TQM, Total Quality Management.

Another approach that the H.R. Department could use to be effective and efficient and be able to resolve conflict is the use of Quality Circles. A quality circle consists of a small group of people, therefore Sainsbury’s management could organise a small team of people that could form a quality circle. It would be preferable if the team consists of people who are trained to make effective decisions, and solve problems. So it would be ideal if Sainsbury’s Human Resources Department could arrange the team so that the team is made up of volunteers who want to help work on specific issues, that are causing problems within the H.R. Department and within Sainsbury’s itself, in a Sainsbury’s store. Every Sainsbury’s store should have to have their own quality circle made up of the supervisors. This would be good for Sainsbury’s because each supervisor will know how their department works and to what quality their department works at.

Sainsbury’s Human Resources Department could try improving the communications system they have with each department. This will not only resolve conflicts, but help Sainsbury’s H.R. Department in the future when they are trying to get their views and ideas across to the other departments in Sainsbury’s. The Human Resources Department at Sainsbury’s can improve communications in many ways; one way is by incorporating the use of ICT in their communication. They could also discuss all decisions and ideas they have with every other department at Sainsbury’s before taking further action on them ideas and decisions.

The H.R. department could come up with long term aims on how to manage and work in the department.