Benefits

Benefits are a kind of remuneration, additional to the cash pay in any employment. (Armstrong,
2003).
The objective of the benefit package offer by JLP is reward partners when they are successful,
and protect their physical and mental well being (Partnership Handbook 2009).
In order to achieve the above, HRM department has created a wide package of benefits, some of
them fix such as Partnership bonus. Each year the profit made on the previous trading year is
announce, JLP separates the funds needed to develop the business, and the rest is shared among
partners, which is a percentage of the pay for that particular trading year, so partners enjoy the
rewards of their own success. Some of the benefits offered by JLP are flexible, these include
PartnerChoice. PartnerChioce includes leisure activities organized locally by every branch or
special events organized by the head office; discount in restaurants, cinemas, hotels, and services
such us mobile provider, and car repair services, to mention some. All these contribute to a worklife balance that helps partners to keep their enthusiasm at work, leading to achieve JLP goals.

Employee Voice - Partnership Council

Employee voice is one of the employee involvement (EI) practices, which empowers employees
to contribute to decision making in an organization (Boxall and Purcell, 2003). In JLP employee
voice takes the shape of Partnership Council, which main objective is to share the responsibilities
of ownership, as well as its rewards - profit, knowledge and power-, representing all partners and
reflecting their opinion (Partnership Constitution, 2009). Democracy is at the heart of JLP. Every
branch of the business has a representative or councillor elected by the partners of that particular
branch; any partner can stand for election, and also has the right to vote. "The council has the
right to discuss, to ask questions, and to make recommendations on any subjects it wishes" (JLP
intranet), also it holds the Chairman to account (The Gazette, vol. 91, #22, 2009).

Occupational Health
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (1950; cited by Gilmore and Williams,
2009) occupational health is the promotion and maintenance of wellbeing of HR through illness
prevention, risk controlling, and adjustment of the work environment to people, and people to
their work environment. The objective of occupational health in JLP is to provide advice to all
partners on health, and safety within the work place, for their benefit and the Partnership's.
(JLPnet - Intranet site) For example, all JLP computer users receive a work station assessment by
the physiotherapist, where she identify the right kind of chair for the particular partner, if feet
support is needed, the right high for the screen, among other issues..
Two HRM models partially applied at JLP are:
Karen Legge (1995) model seems to be present in the Partnership HRM because within JLP
flexibility, numerical and functional, is practiced. In one hand, numerical flexibility is use as

"The Partnership is committed to provide the best work life balance possible to all partners...
[who] are able to make a request for flexible working" (Partnership Handbook, 2009). In
addition to part time post, partners can make arrangement to decrease their contractual hours, or
change working patterns, if their personal circumstances change (due to health or family issues,
studies etc.); take unpaid leave without losing benefits, or work from home (if the duties for a
particular job may be achieved out of site). On the other hand, functional flexibility is developed
through training partners in different aspects of the business, in addition to the training they need
to do their particular job. Such is the case of till training, all partners are encouraged to undergo
till training in order to support their branch at particular times e.g. Christmas, especial
promotions, sale periods.
The Partnership encourages empowerment in a direct way, as owners of the business partners not
just share the profits, but also the responsibility of the business successes and failures. JLP
support partners to make decisions on the spot as difficult situation may arise, as well as develop
new ideas to improve the business.
Another model partially developed at JLP is the John Storey (2001) model. HR is at the centre of
the Partnership, as stated in JLPnet "the happiness of partners is at the centre of everything we
do". From the moment of recruitment, and during all the employment in JLP, partners are
reminded of the importance of their role in the Partnership independent of the position they hold.
Through informal meetings, weekly communication meetings, and internal publications, such as
the Gazette (Partnership wide), or the Chronicle (local branch magazine), to mention few,
partners are constantly reminded that the most valuable asset in the partnership is the people, and
are encourage to their potential to achieve personal satisfaction, and at the same time help the
business achieve its goals.
Three HR planning and development methods at John Lewis Partnership are:
HR planning method
According to Foot and Hook (2003) HR planning is a way to prepare an organization to deal with
future HR requirements in order to achieve strategic goals.
Recruitment
A way of recruitment at JLP is E-recruitment. External vacancies are advertised on the
Partnership's vacancies website www.jlpjobs.com. Applicants fill an online questionnaire, which
simultaneously creates a personal application centre, where they can monitor the status of their
application; if the applicant meet the requirement for that particular vacancy, he/she is ask to
book an interview via the personal application centre previously set . Internal vacancies are
accessible to partners through JLP intranet, partners are able to apply to any vacancy, whether
external or internal, in any of the divisions of the Partnership, an unlike external applicants,
partners just have to fill up personal details, including present position, and write statement
instead of a full questionnaire.
HR development methods

As defined by Armstrong (2002) HR development is involve with learning, development and

training in an organization, through which reach to improve individual, team and organizational
performance.
Horizons
Horizons "is an integrated approach to learning and career development" (JLP intranet) cater
specifically for the Partnership. Horizons offers training packs for the different skills required in
a retail business, through handbooks, multimedia training, on and out-the-job training, and
courses, to mention some, partners are trained on the systems use by JLP such as checkout, stock
availability, stock ordering, and delivery booking. Partners also have the opportunity to acquire
new skills, or improve the ones they have for example commercial awareness, developing
effective relations, delivering results, or how to prepare for your ARP.
Using similar tools, Horizons also offers development packs for partners that want to advance on
their career at JLP, some of those are aspiring to be section manager, which helps partners to
develop leadership, communication, and business awareness skills in order to become a
successful manager.
Critical evaluation of the effectiveness of the above methods to meet JLP objectives
The Partnership objectives are based on three elements: partners, customers, and profit. At JLP
recruitment is open to all; however as applications are mainly process online - E-recruitmentapplicants without good writing skills maybe turndown, although they may have good "people
skills" which is a valuable asset for the Partnership. For post like selling assistant, there should
be an alternative kind of recruitment, such as open days, where recruiters can assess applicants
face to face, and recognize their potential and qualities they can bring to JLP.
Horizons has been a very effective method at JLP. For every partner the learning experience is
different, some are keen on reading and self assessment, others rather to attend courses, some are
confident to learn on-the-job, while others prefer to practice behind the scenes first (off-the-job
training). Horizons allows partners to customize their learning and development experience,
using as many ways as they want in order to achieve their particular goals that will help them to
improve their performance, which apart from bringing personal satisfaction, also brings
monetary rewards -pay rise-.
Critical evaluation of performance of HR in JLP is monitored
The Partnership uses several methods to evaluate HR performance, for the purpose of this
assignment I will refer to those that are use in most parts of the business.

Annual Review of performance (ARP)

This is a mix between management by objectives (MBO) appraisal, and rating scales appraisal.
In the ARP first partners themselves, and then their line managers evaluate partners by analyzing
his/her previous year performance against a standard set of behaviours that correspond to JLP

objectives and also specific objectives set by the partner and his/her line manager in the previous
ARP. ARP is a very objective and effective process, clear and straight forward, as all partners are
evaluated under the same criteria, and if there is any disagreement both parties are able to see
each other points.
Mystery shopper
The Partnership has an external agency that send people to all part of the business to evaluate HR
performance; it is done once a month, and consists in qualify partners and the shop in general
against a standard questioner and a set of behaviours based on ABC. In addition to evaluate
partners, the mystery shopper evaluates the branch in terms of the way it looks -tidy, clean-,
stock availability, time of queuing at the till, and others. Mystery shopper results not always
reflect the standards of the partners and the shop, as in the particular day of the visit they could
be partners absent; there could be an issue with the goods coming to the branch hence low or not
stock
Balance score card
At the Partnership the information contain in the balance score card are share with partners. This
includes sales on the day before, year on year, number of transaction at the tills, average money
spend by customers, wastage, partners absent, to mention some. At John Lewis stores this
information is shared on a daily basis trough emails, communication meetings, or information
boards.
Customer feedback
On all Partnership branches there are feedback forms available, that customers use to write a
compliment for the service received, to complaint for a particular aspect of their visit, or a
comment when a partner is keen to ask them for feedback. Through this feedback partners have
an opportunity to receive direct opinions from a very important part of the business: the
customer; and JLP has the possibility of evaluate partners; see if there is any training needed at
individual or collective level and leads to maintain the same level of performance.
Suggestion to enhance HR performance in JLP

ABC should be done directly by partners from another branch, which would be not
known to the partner that is going to be assessed, so the information use to complete the
questioner is first hand.

Mystery shopper should be done more often, in order to analyze the areas that need
improvement, and apply those improvements, in a short period of time.

Balance score card, especially in Waitrose, should be either place on the information
board, or printed and made available to partners in all departments.

New line managers should be made aware of all what the Partnership has to offer in terms
of training and development, benefits, reward system so they can pass this information
and encourage partners under their wing.

JLP should encourage further functional flexibility by allowed partners to spend few days
in a different post, which will give them confidence in any new skill learnt, and also give
them the opportunity of coming back to their department with a fresh view.