Purpose
This paper will review Harrods with regard to workers’ training and development. It will look into how Harrods has succeeded in recruiting and retaining its workers.
Difference between Training and Development
Training is about getting the skills required in a certain job. The skills may be learned at work (on-the-job training). Learning could also be done away from the place work. Training while working is less expensive and can be conducted by supervisors. Off-the-job training is carried out by professionals and it involves facilitation expenses. The good attribute of training is the fact that it is specific and measurable. An employee is trained to do a certain task and the results are gotten at once. A good example is training in IT where the progress of tech recruits can be tested (Bednarz, 2013).
On the other hand, development makes an individual efficient. Such an individual achieves capability in handling a variety of challenges. Unlike training, which is narrowed down to a particular subject, development is broad. One of the examples that can be mentioned is acquiring decision-making skills.
Importance of Developing Employees
It is important for a company to develop its employees. Developed workers are known to perform better (Liu, Li, Zhu, Cai & Wang, 2014). Good performance enables the company to realize its goals. If what has been observed at Harrods’s is anything to go by, then the development of employees leads to increased performance. Enabling the workers to be skilled and become experts goes a long way in achieving much-needed motivation. A company can easily retain its employees if they are well motivated.
Methods by Which Harrods Ensures It Recruits and Retains Its Employees
Harrods hires employees with diverse educational backgrounds, level of competence, and experience. Learning and development opportunities are offered to cater to the needs of individual employees. This ensures that they progress from junior to senior levels. New employees are inducted through sales and services programs such as ‘Harrods Welcome’. Workshops are designed in such a way that off-the-job training takes the least time. Motivation through progression is the employees’ retention secret at Harrods. As the management systems improve, workers tend to stick to a company. This is further boosted by raised benefits and the creation of initiatives. Ultimately, the employees get good pay, discounts, commissions, and bonuses alongside a fair work schedule.
During recruitment, identification of competences is crucial as it ensures that the company gets the best candidates. At Harrods, there is a clear career path for all the employees. This means that one could progress upwards no matter in what department an employee works. The communication channel is open and it enables the employees and the management to exchange information effectively. Clarifications are done in time and feedback is used to improve the working conditions.
How Training and Development Leads to Career Progression at Harrods
Employees of Harrods are offered learning and development opportunities as sale associates and warehouse operatives. Senior managers are trained in developmental programs. This means that a worker who started as a sales associate may get a managerial position with time. Company business competencies are a key component in the development of employees and are supported by the workshops. The workshops are meant to improve every skill of an employee. Training prepares workers for mobility (Ismail, Noor & Awang, 2011).
There is also the Harrods sales degree program. It is worth noting that this degree is one of a kind and it is not offered anywhere else in the world. There are also high potential programs tailored to ensure smooth succession at Harrods. Through these programs, a data bank for potential managers is prepared. The Harrods management programs place workers with clear career vision in management positions. The duration for progression from a junior position to managerial level could be as little as three years (Harrods, n.d.).
Conclusion
Based on the foregoing, Harrods can be described as an entity that really cares about its workers’ career progression. It proves that work in a retail outlet is a career like any other.
References
Bednarz, A. (2013). Training/professional development: If you build it, IT will come; Companies that offer IT training and professional development have an edge when it comes to recruiting new tech talent. Web.
Harrods: Developing a career path in retail. (n.d.). Web.
Ismail, R., Noor, Z., & Awang, A. (2011). Impact of Training under Human Resource Development limited on Workers’ Mobility in Selected Malaysian Services Sector. Eurasian Business Review, 1(2), 146-159. Web.
Liu, Z., Li, J., Zhu, H., Cai, Z., & Wang, L. (2014). Chinese firms’ sustainable development–The role of future orientation, environmental commitment, and employee training. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 31(1), 195-213. Web.