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Module Title: Managing Human Resources

Module Code: MOD003486

Assessment code: 010 Academic (Year:

2021/2022)

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Word Count: 3000

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Executive Summary:

The goal of this paper is to create a human resourcing business model for a hypothetical small
corporation. A fictitious FinTech business has been formed for this purpose. A concept has been
offered to help any small firm match its business strategy with a competent HRM model. To
begin, the Ulrich HR operating model that considers COVID-19 consequences has been proven
to tackle the problems of Cardlytics. A resourcing strategy is devised to include and attract
competent personnel for this SME based on this model. Finally, skill development program for
employee development, to give them practical skills that will help them fulfill corporate
objectives. To determine the success of this report's outcomes, all of these models were
compared to an emerging Fintech start-up, Cardlytics. Cardlytics employs this same operating
model strategy that proven to be very successful with slight shortcomings. Cardlytics has
continued to use the same methodology, which has been critical to their growth and
development.

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Contents
Executive Summary:........................................................................................................................2
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................4
Main body:.......................................................................................................................................5
Method of research:.....................................................................................................................5
Human Resource Management business proposal:.....................................................................5
HR operating Model:...................................................................................................................5
Model followed by Cardlytics:....................................................................................................6
Advantages and disadvantages of Ulrich model:.........................................................................7
A resourcing proposition that assists new employees and attracts skilled talent through
innovation:...................................................................................................................................7
The development considerations to enhance all employees' skills to execute business
strategies:.....................................................................................................................................8
Benchmarking:.............................................................................................................................9
Effectiveness of this report:.......................................................................................................10
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................11
Recommendations:....................................................................................................................11
References:....................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction:
It's pretty tough to win the allegiance of hundreds or thousands of people in one firm so that they
can focus their efforts on the company's aims. The corporation's objectives are long-term and
broad in scope: profit and expansion. On the other hand, employees are more likely to focus on
short time horizons to satisfy their demands in terms of pay, salary, working conditions, fair
treatment, and advancement. It's not simple to see how these two sets of objectives are related.
That is the primary reason why human resource management is critical for any expanding
company. Aligning aims might be challenging at times (Cooper, 2010). However, numerous
scholars have provided several models for this position throughout history. Individual
psychology, leadership, power, authority, responsibility, and the subconscious, for example, are
all topics covered by the individual behaviour school of human relations. Its primary interest is
the impact of an individual's feelings and motivations on the workplace (Taamneh, 2018).
According to another school of thought, Organizational development takes it a step further by
emphasising the need for individuals to reason together about their everyday problems. Its core
tenet is that employees are often better at managing themselves than managers are. So, managing
human resources is really imperative for an organisation (Blom, 2019).

The purpose of writing this assignment is to find or devise a human resource business
management model for an imaginary SME and benchmark its model with that so an international
company of choice. The company with which this assignment will compare the chosen model is
Cardlytics. Cardlytics provides consumers with customized offers through their banks' digital
platforms. Banks offer special offers to help their clients save money. Consumers just click to
activate their offers, then spend later using their bank's credit or debit card to receive cashback
(Hanafizadeh, 2019). The goal is to create a business plan for Human Resource Management that
focuses on the HR operating model (structure), resourcing, and development. Advice and an
overall HRM business plan highlight business alignment considerations. So, the reason to carry
out this analysis is to give a proposal that may help any start-up or SME.

Duncan Brown has presented a strategic human resource management proposal because he
believes that with technological advancement and the future of AI, many firms might face issues
even before adopting automation. So, he gives a new direction for this field on how to clear this

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chasm as tech advancement affects the labor market and thus employees' behaviours (Brown,
2019).

Main body:
In this section, the main findings of the assignment will be presented with a summary. It also
discloses the research methodology devised to conduct the research to find the best possible HR
business model for SME benchmarked by an international SME. The imaginary SME for this
assignment will be a FinTech company. So, the primary focus of the project will be on the HR
model for such companies. However, recommendations will provide such insight on how to alter
this model for any other SME.

Method of research:
For this research, an imaginary SME that works in the Fintech sector has been considered. To
devise a human resource management business proposal, books and journals have been utilized
as secondary sources of knowledge, and a combined mixture of them is presented for the
recommendation. Also, the ideas are benchmarked with Cardlytics HRM strategies. Various sites
have been used to understand their model and statistics that show those plans' value impact.

Human Resource Management business proposal:

HR operating Model:
The global corporate landscape is shifting. Human resource departments and organizations have
adjusted their objectives because of the quick pace, increased use of technology, and rising cost
demands. As a result, HR executives evaluate HR department operating models to assure agility,
uncover cost-cutting options, and fulfil employee demands. The dynamism of the global business
environment is a significant factor. It moves quickly, makes extensive use of technology,
necessitates drastic cost reductions, and must meet employee expectations. (KOKOVIKHIN,
2017).

A vision of the future HR operating model guided by five imperatives is one method to rethink
HR department organisation. First, strategic talent leaders should take the position of HRBPs.
Create a dynamic pool of issue solvers after that. Evolve talent analytics into human capital
intelligence to provide agile assistance with next-generation CoEs. Finally, put together a
substantial HR operations and service delivery team (Kumar, 2019).

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Model followed by Cardlytics:

Currently, Cardlytics, a FinTech firm, is following The Ulrich Model for human resources
management. Cardlytics has a single mission: to make marketing more relevant and quantifiable.
They make strategic relations with banks to manage their banking rewards programs, which
encourage client loyalty and strong banking relationships. Customers gain more appropriate
incentives, marketers receive more qualified leads, and banks obtain more committed customers
as a result of their offering. Cardlytics is focusing on the platform's upkeep. Customer-focused
firm employs the David Ulrich HR model to increase the efficiency and efficacy of their HR
departments. Ulrich's model aids Cardlytics in the organisation of roles and duties across HR
departments, identifying who is responsible and accountable for the critical activities that
contribute to a company's smooth operation (Shim, 2019).

So, after Cardlytics has been presented HR operation model, keeping in view the changing
workplace environment and ergonomics, this HR operating model will help optimize the whole
HR department and take its role to the next level.

Here are the points Cardlytics HR operating Model for the imaginary firm.

 In fintech companies, the HR focus is more shifted towards strategic management of

goals for timely completion of goals rather than administrative management. The Ulrich
model was created with the intention of shifting the HR mindset and function from
administrative to strategic. So, with this model the SME has to create trust relationships
with business leader and other employees for successful completion of business goals. As
technology continues to change workplace ergonomics, companies must link HR
operations and strategies with their overall company strategy. Cardlytics is also following
this strategy (Banfield, 2018).
 As Cardlytics uses the policy of change agent for their HR model, it will be highly
encouraging to use it in an imaginary SME. As technology continues to change
workplace ergonomics, companies must link HR operations and strategies with their
overall company strategy. Nothing in more imperative of Fintech company then this point
(Kesler, 2015).

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Advantages and disadvantages of Ulrich model:

 It raises HR function expectations because enterprises want more from HR in terms of
contributing to strategy, supporting business plan execution, and providing actual
commercial advantages.
 It raises competition since organizations want HR operations that can provide personnel
that are talented, creative, motivated, adaptable, and devoted.
 None of these benefits are easily obtained because they require the majority of HR
managers' time and effort.
 While the compositional HR design used above is simple and clear, the comprehensive
framework that lies beneath it, as well as issues of reporting relationships, spending plan,
capacity utilization, and budget allocation, are inherently more complicated, and can spur
to some ineffective arguments and squabbles over decision-making liberty and integrity
(Brockbank and Ulrich, 2014).

A resourcing proposition that assists new employees and attracts skilled talent through
innovation:
Being a smaller firm, in particular, allows SMEs to be more flexible and avoid the bureaucracy
that comes with more giant corporations. It can be appealing to potential employees. Thus, it's a
crucial part of any employment package. Consider SEM's corporate culture, workplace
regulations, and what it's like to work at such a business model when determining their
employment proposal. Small firms have the ability to sustain tight cooperation among employees
considerably more effectively than massive corporations, resulting in a company culture that
values collaboration and teamwork (Hook and Jenkins, 2019).

A recent Robert Walters poll found that 91 percent of respondents loved a collaborative and
ethical workplace. As a result, taking advantage of this is critical for recruiting top-tier prospects.
As a smaller company, this step might be beneficial in promoting a healthy corporate culture.
(Walters, 2021).

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Cardlytics, which was founded in 2008, is a well-established corporation that enjoys hiring
Georgia State University alumni, with 15.8% of its workers having attended the university. It
demonstrates how crucial internal hiring is at Cardlytics. Cardlytics is placed 15th on the list of
the best non-profits to work for in America. The rankings are based on data from the government
and private companies on salary, financial health, and staff diversity. It shows that implementing
the above core values will create an excellent HR operation model for resource positioning (37
Cardlytics Careers & Jobs, 2021).

So, here onward is Cardlytics resource propositioning to find new talent and making them
successful. To attract the best talent Cardlytics, ensure that its HR think like a Fintech company.
It creates job descriptions that are focused on innovation in order to attract the greatest fintech
talent available. It's essential to break down what would encourage outstanding talent to work for
you. They create an employer value proposition and collaborate with top management to think
about the overarching purpose and objective of recruiting. They also make an appeal to be found
in understanding their company's aim and ethos, as well as the essence that makes it so
successful. Focus on what the company does to bring about real change in the sector as they
examine this. As a well-established organisation, they place a premium on its reputation and
history in order to recruit top people. They pose a question like this: Why should a candidate
choose to work with them? Why should the world's top talent be forced to work for a single
company? What makes Cardlytics such a special place to work? (Souza, 2013)

Candidates that are truly exceptional will not wait a month to be contacted for an interview. As a
result, Cardlytics first action is to wage a talent war, ensuring that they have the mechanisms in
place to swiftly attract in-demand workers while consulting with expert recruiting firms.

Because of the fintech skills scarcity, the top fintech talent will be spoiled for choice if they have
to wait too long to hear from organisations. Attracting the top fintech talent on the planet is only
half the fight. Cardlytics focuses on keeping fintech professionals while the skills scarcity
persists. An emphasis on innovation - spending more in new technologies and modernising
existing systems - would help them retain personnel who are thinking about the future of finance.
They also provide high-performing personnel with opportunity to attend international
conferences and expand their skill set (Publisher Partner Executive at Cardlytics, 2021).

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The development considerations to enhance all employees' skills to execute business strategies:
Human resource development is a large and ever-evolving field of study that includes individual
training and development and organisational and national learning processes. There is no
agreement on whether human resource development should be considered a "sub-set" of HRM or
whether it should be considered a separate organisational function and profession. (Bérard,
2013).

A new way of engaging staff at Cardlytics that helps them understand user demands, see the
larger picture, and enhance their personal financial abilities. When a lack of engagement
continues neglected, it may cost SMEs a lot of money in task explanations, as well as a lot of
time from the IT product team. They ran an experiment in which they invited their engineers to
play a personal finance simulator dubbed "The Life Capital." They matched the game with a one-
of-a-kind practical training on managing personal finances. Employees at Cardlytics must
possess a variety of skills, the most important of which are adaptability and flexibility. Also, for
FinTech companies that operate with a large quantity of data, attention to detail and
accountability are critical, since even a minor error may cost a lot of money (Working At
Cardlytics: Employee Reviews and Culture, 2021). FinTech isn't for the faint of heart, but there
are methods to make it simpler for staff to become specialists and to incentivize them to do so.
This game teaches teams how to form relationships and prioritise collectively, which is critical in
the software development business in general and in the start-up FinTech environment in
particular. Employees learn personal money management skills while playing. Developers can
foresee difficulties by putting themselves in their consumers' position. Cardlytics productivity
and common knowledge benefit from seeing the full picture. As a result, personnel transform
from workers to specialists capable of creating amazing solutions. (Pera, 2019).

Benchmarking:
The statistic about the employee's satisfaction can help understand the value of this model.
According to a survey, individuals from the HR department are not satisfied with this model.
They believe that this model focuses too much on customer privacy and thus results in a
deacceleration model that simply puts employees at the stake of being fired. The human
resources department of Cardlytics has a significant influence on the workplace. Staff at
Cardlytics give their work environment a C and are dissatisfied (Grimes, 2021). An employee

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champion is required by the company. HR plays a crucial part in this. Employee advocates must
understand what employees require, and HRM should as well. Employee advocates are capable
of looking out for the interests of workers and protecting them throughout times of organisational
transformation. Cardlytics has overlooked this issue, and as a result, their employee satisfaction
score is poor.

If recruiting model is compared with Cardlytics, then the results are pretty supportive of this
mechanism. At Cardlytics, the essential thing the hiring team does is attract and retain talent. As
they continue to build the business, the dynamic team is looking to add a Talent Partner to assist
various executives and their high-performing teams (Taylor, 2018). Their HR department is in
charge of Fintech oriented talent recruiting with hiring managers and facilitating a smooth
interview process with external applicants. They run point on hiring within engineering, product,
and other business units as needed to build the company. Their hiring team is a vital element of
their growing Talent Acquisition team. They provide suggestions and tactics for promoting
diversity, equity, and inclusion in the employment process. Their diversity score is 9.4 out of 10
on a scale of one to ten. Multiple characteristics, such as an employee's ethnic heritage, gender
identity, and language abilities, are used to determine a company's diversity score (Best
Companies | Cardlytics, 2021).

If this development idea is compared with Cardlytics, it is identical in many aspects. They have a
Director of Learning and Development who is responsible for providing strategic direction and
leadership in the L&D department as well as developing an exciting and inspirational learning
culture throughout the Cardlytics platform (Director, Learning & Development job in Atlanta at
Cardlytics | Lensa, 2021). Additionally, it creates and implements cutting-edge enterprise
learning solutions that help us achieve our goals. It significantly influences them since it instils a
passion for learning, a desire to try new things, and a sense of creativity in creating their learning
platform. In exchange, we'll provide you the flexibility and autonomy to create L&D. They
develop and implement evident learning programs that help leaders and managers establish high-
performing teams and generate organizational results. By Identifying essential business
objectives and determining development requirements to support the achievement of these
objectives (Salary.com, 2021).

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The reason to apply this HR model of Cardlytics is because it gives results and it is the leading
FinTech SME in Europe. This model fulfill strategic needs of Cardlytics and strengthen their
talent pool.

Effectiveness of this report:

 Although no one operating model design will be appropriate for every organization's HR
function, the Ulrich HR Operating Model study revealed a set of principles for
developing an effective and adaptable HR operating model that can be used in any
situation. It may occasionally stand-off corporate growth by putting too much emphasis
on staff. It's critical to strike a balance between consumer and staff needs.
 Formulating a innovation based fast track recruitment may be costly in terms of time,
resources, and money however, for any small businesses, it will bring a significant
challenge. So, SMEs have to align with AI technology recruiters to cut the cost of
interviewing several candidates. Cardlytics hiring pattern will mitigate talent
sustainability issue.

Conclusion:
To sum up, this report is focused on developing a human resourcing business model for an
imaginary small business. For this, an imaginary FinTech company has been created. A proposal
has been presented that will be effective for any SME to align their business strategies with a
competent HRM model. Firstly, the Ulrich HR operational model has been shown to meet the
challenges in the 21st century. A resourcing proposition is devised to attract effective talent and
draw active talent for this SME to build this model. Lastly, for employee development for
teaching practical skills in them to meet business strategies. SME does have 50-200 employees,
so an effective learning and engagement model of Cardlytics will be enough to identify the issue,
and later on, will fortify those shortcomings to find potential experts. All these models have been
derived from an emerging Fintech company, Cardlytics, to ensure the efficiency of imaginary
SME. Later on, Cardlytics implemented model which has been imperative for their growth and
development. So, this business proposal will be highly practical and ensure diversity, inclusivity,
and growth in the sector.

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Recommendations:
 As mentioned above, a single HR model will not be effective for all organisations. So, in
the future, HR can try a comparative approach rather than sticking to a single model.
They can use an amalgam of two or more model that suits their organisation.
 With rapid technological advancement, the model should be adopted so that new skills
for employees can be added to the same system without any interruptions. In the 21 st
century and changing workspace spectrum, it is essential to learn and relearn skills. So,
any management model must ensure that it also looks at external events and realign them
with an internal setup.

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References:
Blom, R., 2019. HRM philosophies and policies in semi-autonomous agencies: identification of
important contextual factors. The International Journal of Human Resource Management,
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Brown, D., 2019. Strategic Human Resource Management: Back to the future?. Institute for
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Taylor, S., 2018. Resourcing and talent management. London: Chartered Institute of

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