Indicators and Problems
The primary problems experienced by the three stores that can be solved through employee training are poor motivation, lack of experience, and unbalanced performance management. The aspect of poor motivation is witnessed in the inability of the employees to meet set targets more than twice within a year. Moreover, poor motivation could be associated with high employee turnover as evidenced by frequent replacement of experienced with inexperienced workers. The aspect of lack of experience could also be linked with the inability to meet targets since new employees are inexperienced with the dynamics of the organizational culture (Karadjova-Stoev & Mujtaba, 2016). Lastly, the organization has inadequate systems for tracking efficiency frequently in order to create remedies that are capable of reversing the poor performance in the last two targets. For instance, the poor customer feedback suggests that the employees do not have adequate soft skills for managing the channel of communication or interaction with the clients (Gableta & Bodak, 2014). These challenges can be solved through employee training since they are directly related to skills and work environment (Obeidat, Masadeh, & Abdallah, 2014).
Training Proposal
The negative performance described above necessitates the creation of this training proposal. This is a strategy for turning around the supermarket chain into an effective work environment for optimal employee output against set targets.
Specific Training Initiatives
The proposed training initiatives encompass development of soft and hard skills, creation of motivational channels, and customer relationship management.
Development of soft and hard skills. This initiative involves creating a program that systematically and periodically improves the social and professional skills with the organization. The process should begin with defining specific desirable soft and hard skills for the organization after which they are transformed into a training manual. The manual should be systematic to ensure that the soft skills and hard skills are separated during the presentation (Sostrin, 2013). For instance, on a monthly basis, the organization should have a single training session organized at the departmental level to internalize the soft and hard skills for all the employees. The soft skills that should be considered in the program are personal etiquette, understanding the organizational hierarchy, and interpersonal relationships. The hard skills include a review of tasks assigned against the level of qualification (Shammot, 2014). This is followed by integration of the desirable skill sets through enrolment of the employees to vocational training. When the training program for this initiative is properly done, the organization will be in a position to improve on the performance of each employee (Suma & Lesha, 2013). Moreover, the soft skills will ensure that every employee understands his or her role in the performance matrix and work towards meeting targets.
Employee motivational initiative. The supermarket should introduce an employee motivational training program that could be done after every three months. The program should be organized around the need for inspiring employees at a personal level by reminding them of the potential benefits of meeting targets and getting positive feedback from customers. For instance, the program could be merged with the current employee motivation benefits for meeting targets (Sotrin, 2013). The program has the potential of turning around the current poor performance to optimal and sustainable level of efficiency. Moreover, the program will create a healthy and competitive work environment since employees will be inspired by the potential benefits for meeting targets (Vanhala & Stavrou, 2013). In addition, the program is projected to make the employees more responsive to customer needs in a timely and effective manner.
Customer relationship management. This initiative could be created in the form of a continuous communication training program to ensure that customers’ needs are met. The customer relationship management training may integrate specific elements such as a positive attitude towards clients, effective socialization, and prompt response. In addition, the program will internalize the feedback management strategies to ensure that positive reviews exceed any negative response (Wilkinson, Redman, & Dundon, 2017). This program is expected to improve on customer feedback and improve organizational performance. For example, a satisfied customer would come back and invite others to try the satisfactory services (Sostrin, 2013). As a result, the supermarket chain will have an all-round team of employees in addition to increased business from satisfied customer referrals.
How to Conduct Training
Instructor Manual
Delivery mode
- The program will be presented via a Power Point presentation through the human resource department and hired experts.
- This delivery mode is affordable since the program targets more than three hundred employees.
- Duration of the Training
- The training initiatives are continuous and done on a monthly basis for soft and hard skills review and after every three months for customer relationship management and motivation.
- The first training phase will encompass personal development while the other phases will be performance quality skills and teamwork.
Target Audience
The program targets all employees and will be done at the departmental level. The audience will be grouped into junior, intermediate, and senior staff.
Training Schedule
Personal Skills
- Understand the supermarket’s expectations.
- Understand personal targets and benefits associated with the same.
- Understand professionalism and personal etiquette for optimal customer satisfaction.
- Recognize the effects of self-evaluation in performance.
Team work and production Skills
- Understand the impact of teamwork in meeting the targets.
- Understand the reporting hierarchy for healthy balance.
- Evaluate intra- and interpersonal communication skills within the team.
Implementation procedure and effectiveness
The proposed training program will incorporate the people subsystem to match the objectives and potential outcomes (see table 1). As a result, the program will create desirable competency standards and an effective organization.
Table 1: Training initiatives and expected outcome.
Budget for Implementing Customer Relationship Management Initiative
Table 2. Budget estimates.
References
Gableta, M., & Bodak, A. (2014). Employee interests in the light of human resource management concepts. Management, 18(1), 9-20.
Karadjova-Stoev, G., & Mujtaba, B. (2016). Strategic human resource management and global expansion lessons from the Euro Disney challenge in France. International Business & Economics Research Journal, 15(3), 79-88.
Obeidat, Y., Masadeh, R., & Abdallah, B. (2014). The relationships among human resource management practices, organizational commitment, and knowledge management processes: A structural equation modeling approach. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(3), 9-10.
Shammot, M. (2014). The role of human resources management practices represented by employee’s recruitment and training and motivating in realization competitive advantage. International Business Research, 7(4), 55-57.
Sostrin, J. (2013). Beyond the job description: How managers and employees can navigate the true demands of the job. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Suma, S., & Lesha, J. (2013). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment: The case of Shkodra municipality. European Scientific Journal, 9(17), 41-52.
Vanhala, S., & Stavrou, E. (2013). Human resource management practices and the HRM-performance link in public and private sector organizations in three Western societal clusters. Baltic Journal of Management, 8(4), 416-437.
Wilkinson, A., Redman, T., & Dundon, T. (2017). Contemporary human resource management: Text and cases (5th ed.). London, UK: Pearson.