HRM3701 May June Portfolio (ANSWERS) 2026 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED

Comprehensively structured HRM3701 May June Portfolio (ANSWERS) 2026 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED. Prepared to a distinction standard with detailed and well-developed responses.. MKN Fashion is an upcoming company specialising in the sale of clothing and accessories. The company was founded by Michelle Kirsten in 2003 as a venture to assist unemployed women in her community by providing employment opportunities. MKN Fashion started as a small store in Durban and has since grown into an established organisation with multiple stores nationwide. The Human Resource (HR) department is based at the head office in Durban and coordinates the recruitment, selection, compensation, performance management, employee relations, as well as the training and development activities of the company’s employees across all stores. When recruiting employees, MKN Fashion aims to attract and retain talented individuals who are most suited for the job. Currently, applicants are found predominantly through employee referrals. If suitable candidates are not identified through this method, the company makes use of recruitment agencies such as PNet, Kelly, and Careerjet. MKN Fashion strives to ensure that all employees are treated fairly and are provided with opportunities to progress in their careers. Furthermore, the company offers competitive salaries and a wide range of benefits with the aim of attracting and retaining talented employees in the market. As the organisation expanded from a single store to several stores nationwide, the operational demands on the organisation increased significantly. Many stores currently operate with limited staff numbers, and store managers have reported that employees are often required to perform multiple roles, including sales, merchandising, and stock control. From a financial perspective, the organisation operates within a tight operational budget. Michelle has expressed concern about the rising costs associated with recruitment agencies, employee turnover, and the training of new employees. Although the company offers HRM3701 June 2026 competitive salaries and benefits, management has become increasingly concerned about the cost implications of replacing employees who resign. In terms of technology, the HR department currently relies largely on basic administrative systems and manual processes to manage recruitment and employee records. As the organisation continues to grow, there have been discussions about the need to introduce more advanced human resource information systems to improve workforce planning, recruitment efficiency, and record management. Store managers have also indicated that stock management and supply coordination across stores can sometimes be inefficient. Employees are often required to manage customer service responsibilities while also ensuring that stock is received, unpacked, and displayed correctly on the sales floor. Furthermore, the company’s recruitment and selection processes have not been formally standardised across the organisation. Interviewing practices often depend on the individual manager conducting the interview, which has resulted in inconsistencies in hiring decisions and concerns about fairness and professionalism in the selection process. Michelle has repeatedly emphasised that “Employees are MKN Fashion’s greatest asset. Only if the employees are satisfied will the company thrive.” The Challenge Currently, employees at MKN Fashion have begun to complain that they are overworked and unable to meet deadlines. Due to these pressures, the company has lost several key employees who have joined competitor firms. At present, MKN Fashion recruit employees on a needs basis, meaning that recruitment takes place only once a position becomes vacant. Michelle has recently expressed concern that the organisation’s current HR strategies no longer appear to be effective. She has questioned the existing recruitment and selection practices and has stated that MKN Fashion needs to improve its ability to attract and retain talented employees. There have also been complaints regarding the interviewing process at MKN Fashion. Some applicants have claimed that the questions asked during interviews are too personal and not always relevant to the job requirements. In addition, the company has previously made the mistake of hiring candidates based solely on the information they provided during interviews. In many cases, candidates portrayed themselves in a more favourable light than was later reflected in their actual job performance. Michelle has therefore requested that the HR department review the organisation’s current HR practices and identify ways to improve recruitment, selection, and workforce planning in ordetro better support the company’s continued growth. CRITERIA EXCELLENT Goop AVERAGE Poor PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE (72TO90OUTOF | (54-71 0UTOF90) | (45-53 0UTOF 100) | (0-44 oUT OF 100) 90) QUESTION 1 (6 MARKS) HR Issues | Identifies all key Identifies most key | Identifies few Fails to identify key Analysis (6) HR issues with issues with some issues or provides | issues or provides clear explanation and linkage to the case study explanation. Minor omissions. limited explanation irrelevant responses. QUESTION 2 (33 MARKS 2.1 Strategic vs Clear and accurate Good comparison Basic Limited or incorrect Operational distinction across with most elements | understanding, but | understanding of Planning (6) all required covered minor gaps | incomplete or concepts dimensions. Well- | or lack of depth. unclear distinctions. structured comparison. 2.2 Importance of | Provides clear, Good application Limited Weak or irrelevant HR planning (6) well-analysed with some explanation, mostly | response. discussion linking application to the descriptive. HR planning to case study. retention, productivity, and growth with strong case study application. 2.3 5M’s Analysis | Clearly explains all | Covers most 5M Partial coverage of | Incomplete or (15 marks) 5M elements and elements with 5M’s. Limited incorrect provides strong reasonable explanation or application of application to case, | application. Some | weak case study model. including internal & | areas lack depth. linkage. external factors. Demonstrates analysis and integration. QUESTION 3 Provide a structured analysis of the key HR issues at MKN Fashion and the envisioned implications of such issues. (20 MARKS 3.1 Valid &| Clearly explains Good explanation Basic Incorrect or minimal Reliable Selection | validity and but lacks depth or | understanding, response. (4 marks) reliability and full clarity. limited explanation. provides relevant methods with case study linkage. 3.2. Verification | Identifies multiple Identifies some Limited or Incorrect or missing Methods (5 marks) | relevant methods methods with superficial methods. with clear explanation. responses. explanation. 3.3 Justification (6 | Provides strong, Justification Weak or generic No meaningful marks) logical justification | present but lacks justification. justification. linking depth. recommendations HRM3701 June 2026 to case problems and HR theory. QUESTION 4 (35 MARKS Learning Journal | Answers show Answers are Answers are Answers are either evidence of deep generally well- surface-level and irrelevant, have reflection, selfregulation, Michelle has approved the inclusion of HR planning in the company’s HR strategy. Within the case study it states that, “WKN Fashion has in the past made the mistake of hiring candidates based solely on interview performance...” Explain how you would ensure a more valid and reliable selection process. (4) Justify your recommendations indicated in question 3.1. (6) Provide methods for verifying a candidate’s job application information. structured, with some elements of are limited to selfassessment. No minimal to no reflection and no proactive deep reflection and | clear link to link fo learning is behaviours with a links to learning. reflection or evident. clear link to learning. learning. QUESTION 5 (1 MARK) Bibliography or reference list Fully correct Harvard reference list included. Minor errors detected in style. Some references not included. Incorrect or incomplete Harvard reference list. Provide a bibliography for all sources you have used in this assessment as per the Harvard Referencing style. Complete the self-reflective learning journal as per the instructions provided. You have identified Human Resource Planning (HRP) as a strategic solution to MKN Fashion’s recruitment and retention challenges. Michelle Kirsten, the founder, is unsure how HR planning can help improve the company’s human resource strategy. You are required to: Distinguish strategic HR planning from operational HR planning in terms of definition, purpose, focus, time horizon, level of decision making and nature of activities. (12) Critically analyse the importance and benefits of HR planning for MKN Fashion in relation to employee retention, productivity, and organisational growth. Using the 5M’s model, analyse the internal and external factors affecting HR planning at MKN Fashion. In your answer briefly explain each element of the 5 M’s model and apply each element to the case study, using relevant examples from the scenario.