Marks and Spencer developed a promotional campaign which emphasized “you’re M&S”; this promotional campaign helped the company to connect its customers with the heritage of the business, which basically means, to connect customers with the long standing tradition of the business, which is to offer customers top quality products and services.
The objectives that Marks and Spencer set themselves to handle the change are as follows;
- develop products that customers want
- invest in the environment within stores
- provide good customer service to look after customers
The changes that have been made within Marks and Spencer have created a business that now has a flatter organization structure, and in a flatter organization structure many employees have bigger job roles. Once employee numbers grow, flat structures become more and more difficult to maintain.
The various methods that Marks and Spencer used to identify the training needs to meet these objectives;
Keeping their staff well trained so they are able to respond to the businesses needs. There is also a need for succession management. Succession management is when you are making requirements for the development, replacement and strategic application of employees over time; this requires the identification of the organizations values, mission and strategic plans.
Marks and Spencer use competency profiling to identify gaps in skills. Competency profiling identifies the skills required for effectiveness in a job role. At the end of every 6 months of working, a performance review or appraisal takes place, in which employees discuss their progress with their managers. Employees are then given ratings for their skills which they have shown over the past year. These skills are compared with expected skills for any department in the company. Finally, this feedback helps the employees to identify how they are performing.
Marks and Spencer gave two types of training, and these are;
- On-the-job training. This takes place in the workplace.
- Off-the-job training. This takes place away from the workplace.
Training and development benefits both the business and the employees’ working for them, training does not only help employees to work effectively and efficiently, but it also helps motivate them to work harder. On the other hand, development helps employees use the training to meet their individual needs and ambitions.
By training and developing its staff, Marks and Spencer is in a position to develop a competitive advantage over its competitors.
In other words, Marks and Spencer will be able to beat its competitors by training and developing its employees to the highest of their standards.
The training they give meets the objectives that the organization set themselves to handle the change, below are the objectives that Marks and Spencer have themselves to handle the change, and how training and development can help them to achieve these objectives;
- Developing products that customers want;
Training and development allows employees to learn new skills; these skills can then be used to add value to the products/services being offered. For example: cutting costs. This enables Marks and Spencer to keep prices very low to benefit the customer.
Developing a product could also enable Marks and Spencer to benefit the customer. When you develop a product, you are changing it, or adding something to it, for example; Marks and Spencer and one of their competitors could both offer the same product, but Marks and Spencer could make changes to it, or they could even introduce a newer latest version.
- Investing in the environment within stores;
Training and development would allow much better technical skills in both sales and stock management, which means members of staff can use the store to the better of their advantage which would result in higher sales being made.
- Providing good customer service to look after customers;
Training and development can be very effective when learning communication, inter-personal skills. Employees can improve their skills to benefit their customers, and offer them excellent customer service.
Overall, to handle the change, Marks and Spencer set themselves objectives which can be met by training and developing employees, and making them work much more effectively and efficiently.
Training is costly, but it is also an investment as it allows employees to be developed to the highest level.
Training and development helps Marks and Spencer to link the people who have the right technical skills and business competencies with the roles they are best able to do.
Training and development equips individuals with the skills they need to achieve their targeted role in the business and it also helps to create the future leaders for the organization.
