Human Resources Functions at Next Essay

Introduction contiguous is one of the UKs largest fashion and home retailers. Their current success is built upon a passion for the contiguous brand that is sh bed by the whole organisation. This involves a commitment to providing excellent product in wellspring run stores and through an attractive Directory. Head Office Located in an award-winning complex near Leicester, their Head Office in Enderby is home to a multi-skilled population. There youll find a comprehensive infrastructure including Product, Sales and Marketing, Finance, IT and HR teams.StoresAt side by side(p) they piss over 340 stores spread throughout the United acres and Ireland. Over 20,000 concourse work in these stores which are heavily supported by their Head Office and a network of warehouses. These stores range from stand-alone units to practi dealy larger flagship stores offering the full Next range.Next DirectoryThe Next Directory provides a facility for good deal to shop from home and has over I mill ion customers and 1,000 pursueees. The Next Directory customer services call centre is situated at two sites close to Leicester City Centre.WarehousesNext warehouses are among the most modem in Europe and employ around 2,200 people. Located principally in West York and distribute stock to stores and Directory customers beneficial across the United Kingdom and Ireland.E1* humane Resources PlanningAt Next they undertake human resource planning to determine a course of action which helps them to function more efficiently by having the office fatigue, in the right graze, at the right time and cost. This requires accurate forecasting organisations need to forecast their manpower needs, both in terms of the number of employees needed and the types of skills and qualities required.It is likewise essential for them to monitor and assess the productivity of the existing and available workforce and recognise the impact of technological change on the way in which production lines are carried out. Human resource planning at Next takes place over different time frames, though for simplicity they coffin nail consider is two time horizons in that respect is planning to meet short-term needs and planning to satisfy long-term intentions. short-run plans are referred to as tactical plans and ordinarily contain precise, detailed, measurable objectives. Short-term planning is carried out at lower levels in an organisation like Next, at middle manager and supervisor levels.Long-term plans are not as detailed or measured as short-term plans. The longer the time horizon of the plan, the less certain managers thunder mug be about outcomes. They are usually made at higher levels of management Long-term plans are also known as strategic plans.Next has to plan carefully to ensure they find the right number of suitable employees for their needs. To do this Next need a good understanding of the labour market in the areas where they operate.Next need to be able to consider t he effects of the following labour market factors for human resources planning in a seam* Employment trends* Skills shortages* Competition for employees* Availability of labour (internal and external to the business).HR palnning also involves looking at how labour is organised within the business.You need to understand the need for businesses to take account of a clip of factors when making decisions about their internal staffing. Such factors include* Labour turnover (stability index, Wastage rate)* Sickness and accident rates* Age, skills and educate* Succession.You need to know how to use statistics to see these factors when appropriate.* Recruitment and SelectionNexts human resource planning team also needs to be able to identify and analyse the factors influencing and formative the labour markets from which the organisation recruits staff to satisfy its manpower needs. Human resource specialists have to work in Next within these labour markets to acquire fitting resources to meet the productive needs of the organisation.At Next Head Office youll find an environment, where each employees personnel contribution is encouraged. They believe strongly that, although qualifications can give you a head start, its initiative and self determination is what makes all the difference. This is why they dont always insist on degree qualifications.If you can show that you have good experience and great potential in a relevant discipline, youll be considered. People do well at Next and seize the opportunities presented to them. This is why they look for motivated graduates with drive, commercial acumen and a passion for fashion.Individuals who will thrive in an open and creative environment where teamwork is valued. It is a fast-paced environment and it can be demanding. But the people that work there at Next take real pride in their work, and its their commitment that has made them what they are today. In return, they offer generous rewards and bonuses.For e.g. Sta ff Shop access and cut price clothing. Not to mention nurture and development.Businesses much(prenominal) as Next recruit staff for a variety of reasons. The reasons for why and how they recruit staff are* The growth of the business* Changing capriole roles withtin the business* Filling vacancies created by resignation, retirement, dismissal* Temperorary staff holidays* Internal promotionThe enlisting process can be very costly, in terms of resources devoted to the recruitment process and costs associated with recruiting poorly performing staff, due to the lack of motivation. It is important therefore to accurately select the right candidates for the interview or you could lose the right one before even the first process. Next are often straight to he point and make it very clear about the requirements of the job and about the person they are looking for.The way in which they do this is through* The preparation of personal specifications and job descriptions* Carefully planning h ow, where and when to advertise* Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of job applications curriculum vitae and letters of application* Shortlisitng candidates.* Training and DevelopmentTo join Next as a Trainee Buyer, youll need either a fashion/clothing/ material/design tie in degree or HND. They prefer relevant retail experience with strong evidence of fashion awareness.For Trainee Merchandisers, youll need a business related or numerically biased degree/FIND or relevant retail experience as a Trainee Fabric Technologist or Trainee turn Technologist, youll also need a relevant degree or an HND in textiles, fashion or clothing design. It is important to have these qualifications due to the demanding customers Next have.Computers have become an integral part of modem day life and are becoming increasingly important as teaching and training tools. In the work place and many other program lineal institutes computers and networks have become commonplace. This supports companies such as Next and educational establishments to utilise many possible computer training and education techniques.Today the use of computer based training and education covers a very broad spectrum of uses. Many companies now use computers in staff training and education. Computers are used as both a resource to present information and as a tool to develop practical expertise in staff. Computers can be used as a resource to present information because of presentation programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint. This presentation package can be used for basic training such as an employee induction the presentation could give information about the company and what the employees will be doing.Computers can also be used as tools because they can help develop employees practical skills e.g. an employee who would be working with the companies database would probably be trained on a sens database this would allow the employee to build up practical skills. Among the many gains of computer-based training the major benefit to an employer is the reduced cost. As they do not have to send people away on courses which mean they dont have to pay for travel or accommodation.So the investment in a suitable training scheme often pays for itself, as the computers are already available. The only drawback is that the computer based training courses can be indifferent and the employee may have to be a computer literate to do the course. One of the other advantages is that staff can train when they like at there own desks on the computer. The downside to this is that they are being taught by a computer, which cannot explain to the employee what they did wrong when they make a mistake, although some training packages may be able to do this to an extent.The major benefit to the people being trained close to Next is the convenience as they do not have to travel away and can learn in there own time. They can also get immediate feedback on how well they are doing. The only real disadvantage to using computer-based training is the impersonal touch of being taught by a computer.* Performance ManagementA need to manage the performance of its employees effectively if Next is to remain competitive. This operator that they must use effective management control exercised at both individual and organisational level.A range of processes and techniques need to be in place which allow individual employees to know how well they are doing and for managers to be able to monitor how well their subordinates are performing.At Next they monitor their employees whilst they are working. For e.g. they monitor your call with a customer if you are working in the directory and they observe you when you are serving customers on the shop floor.They do this because they wish to maintain the high standards people think they are at and their value in the market would increase.