Human resource planning is a very important aspect in any organization where success and growth is needed. The most valuable asset in an organization is the human capital who provides labor in an organization. Human resource planning is a process that involves linking the HR needs in an organization to its strategic plan ensuring that the organization gets the right staffing at affordable rates and at the same time reduce staff turnover. The process is also responsible for maintaining competitive advantage as well as increased efficiency within the organization. The core objective of human resource planning is ensuring the best match between employees and the jobs.

Human resource planning is inevitable in any organization and Tesco Company is not an exception.  Several reasons have been put across to explain why it is important to have a human resource department that is careful in its planning process. For instance, the process of hiring and recruiting of new staff can be very exorbitant. To avoid recurrence of such high costs, it is very important for the HR to ensure that its operations are planned to get and retain qualified personnel.

Another reason why HR planning is important is because it offers the platform for identifying employees with special capabilities. This can play a great role in determining those employees who can fit in leadership positions (Bhattacharyya, 2006). This is a very important aspect in Tesco Plc since it will guarantee the company of its stability and success in future.

Another reason why the human resource planning could be of great importance to the Tesco is to develop performance management systems. Failure to have an effective HR planning may result to employees being in jobs which do not match their skills and expertise. In addition, if there is no proper planning there are high chances that the company will keep on making payments to non-performers thus resulting to money wasted. Proper planning will be critical in making the best rewards according to employee performances (Armstrong, 2006).

Human resource planning is also associated with determining the level of employees’ satisfaction within the company. After interviews and other data gathering processes, the company’s human resource can plan accordingly to address the issues related wi9th employee dissatisfaction. Addressing such issues is a vital step towards retaining productive staff within the organization.

Stages in HR planning

Human resource planning is not an easy task as many people would think. This is because it involves data gathering in order to get the right decision for the development of the company. The human resource is tasked with ensuring that the company responds to the changes within the industry and it gets the right people for the right job within the organization. The HR planning is a process that involves major steps that includes; forecasting, inventory, audit, HR plan and auctioning of plan.

Forecasting

In order to have an effective HR planning in Tesco, the HR department has engaged in fact finding mission. This involves gathering of critical information on the organizational goals and objectives. At this step, the management of the organization must have a clear road map of where the company wants to be in future and how to get to that destination. This will help determine the quality of staff required and the estimated costs to implement the company’s objectives.

Inventory

This forms the second step in human resource planning.  After identifying the human resources required in Tesco, the other step involves taking stock of the current employees in the company. Under this step, extensive information concerning ages, locations, and skills of employees among other crucial information is gathered. Skills inventory provides valid information on professional and technical skills and other qualifications provided in the firm. It reveals what skills are immediately available when compared to the forecasted HR requirements.

Audit

The transport industry is a dynamic one where there are continuous changes within the sector. While human resource inventory is concerned with data collection, human resource audit is concerned with analysis of the inventory data. At this stage, Tesco human resource looks at the past occurrences and the present in terms of age, turnovers, training costs, absenteeism and sex groupings just to mention but a few. This information is very important in predicting future occurrences within the company.

Human resource plan

In the Tesco plc, people are treated as the greatest assets within the organization.  It is for this reason that the company is at liberty to develop its staff at full pace in the way ideally suited to their individual capacities. The company always strives to ensure that it derives the optimum potential of its employees. Therefore, career planning may also be referred to as HR Planning or succession planning and is concerned making utmost use of the talent at the company’s disposal now and in future. This step is also concerned with the employees’ satisfaction in terms of career development as well as reward and other areas of importance.

Action plan

The last step in Tesco HR planning is the action plan. The step has three fundamental elements which are also important for the first step. One of these fundamentals requires that one must get to know where he is going; the second fundamental requires that there must be acceptable backing from the top management for the planning process. It is also essential to have the necessary resources in terms of finances, physical and human capital. After having all these resources, the plan becomes a corporate plan and should be put in action.

Recruitment and selection of Tesco and Sainsbury

Sainsbury supermarket limited and Tesco limited are among the leading companies in UK.  The two companies are leading employers in the domestic country and their expansion strategy to other countries has increased the demand for more employees to match the company’s growth and development agenda.

It is for this reason that the two companies have several relationships in their recruitment and selection practices. To start with, the two companies advertise their vacancies to their companies’ websites as well as other printed and digital media. After such advertisements, interested candidates will have a platform to make their applications if they feel they have the right skills and techniques for the advertised posts.

After sending their applications to the companies’ human resource departments, the next step involves screening of the interested candidates. Both Tesco and Sainsbury are known to take the screening process very serious. In most cases, they start by screening the candidates CV after which shortlisted candidates are invited for interviews. After successful interview, the candidates are required to attend assessment centre. Those who successfully complete the assessment centre are invited for a second interview. At this juncture, some qualify while others fail and are dismissed. Those who are successful are sent offer letter and a contract. All these processes are aimed at ensuring that the right people are selected to match job description.

Tesco is also known to have a special grievances policy. The company is very much concerned with problem solving within the organization. Constant problems within the workplace are responsible for increased fatigue, stress, health problems as well as other health problems. It is for this reason that the companies has a special treatment for complaints and are acted upon immediately. The company is also actively involved in training and development which makes the employees feel they are growing their career aspects as much as possible.

The two companies are involved in both internal and external recruitment. Both Tesco and Sainsbury have internal talent programs which allow current employees within the companies to move to higher positions or promotions. The vacancies are advertised on the intranet for the employee to see and apply. If the posts lack qualified positions within the organization, then the posts are advertised externally (Reddy, 2005).

Effectiveness of recruitment and selection in Tesco and Sainsbury

The recruitment and selection processes both at Tesco and Sainsbury limited have been very effective over the years. This has made the companies to be leading players in their different fields. For instance, Sainsbury supermarket limited is positioned as number three supermarket chain in United Kingdom. The company also has 16% market share of the supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Tesco limited on the other hand has been a leading company in UK and other parts of Europe. The company offers more than 23,000 items that range from clothing, stationary, groceries and digital appliances just to mention but a few (Hensmans & Johnson, 2013). All these achievements can be attributed to effective recruitment and selection processes which has resulted to the companies getting staff that match the organizations objectives.

The two companies have over the years competed for the best talents in UK. However, employee retention has been a critical factor which has been instrumental to the success of these companies. The companies ensue that there is maximum employee satisfaction which has resulted to low staff turnover. Great levels of motivation and good reward systems have also been critical components in HR which has ensured that the employee retention in the companies is at desirable levels. Effective selection and recruitment exercise within the companies has also played to ever increasing profit and efficiency within the two companies.

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