COMMENT AND RECOMMENDATION ON HUMAN

RESOURCES MANAGMENT OF MARKS AND

SPENCER:
As part of academic requirement, this article is the 2nd and follows up of
the group assignment. In this article mainly recommendation is
presented based on the human resource and related strategic discussion
done in the group assignment.

Recommendation on People Planning In M&S

People planning is a process of analyzing people resources across the
company and deciding on future need of the company as per location,
skill shortage and number. As a futuristic company M&S has to think
ahead to plan accordingly about its workforce. M&S business strategy is
to expand both in domestic and international market. Its vast operation
needs talented workforce who will bring the right level of knowledge,
skills and aptitude.
In M&S job opening occurs because of the following:
As the company expands in domestic market with new stores or when it
enters new market internationally.
Vacancies arises when existing people leaves the company or retires or
even gets promoted to a higher position within the company.
In situations where company derives new strategy or introduces new
lines or technology.
M&S always evaluates its workforce and trains employees with
exceptional management capabilities. Employees with high performance
is often selected for more challenging roles. In recent years 2013/14
M&S trained 5000+ management staff to support their growth
worldwide.
M&S needs people for various roles within the organization and they
have both store based positions and non-store based positions.
Head office enables the company to operate efficiently by allocating
resources. Role of head office includes managing company capital,
human resource management, legal service, managing properties,
marketing & PR, accounting and IT support.
Stores needs administrators, stock handlers, checkout operators,
supervisory teams, senior management team and core assistants.
Its distribution depots requires skilled people for logistics and stock
handling.
M&S ensures employees at all level work together to achieve company
targets and objective. To do that M&S has to ensure they have right
skilled people in a right number at the right job to do at right time. In a
structured process recruitment is carried out to attract right level of
applicants in managerial or operational level.
Bratton & Gold (2000) discussed one of best accomplishment of an
organization will be to generate transferable skills in their employees. In
todays economic situation no company now guarantees a job for life so
people have to evolve in their job. Only top employees have the scope to
make choice about scope of their job, have better job security, way of
promotion etc.
In M&S this people planning process starts every year in February. There
are continuous review process May, August and November hence M&S
can recruit as per companys requirement. This continuous process
allows the company enough time and flexibility to create demand for new
staff and work on strategic goals. By doing this company can expand new
store maintaining same service standard.
M&Ss prime purpose is to maintain customer satisfaction by providing
them excellent service. In the organizations structure customers comes
top in the priority list. M&S needs right people at the right level
throughout its operations. In the company there are six levels these six
levels are there to manage and control people in the organization. Each
level has definite set of skills and knowledge.
Job Level 1 This level involves directly facing customers. Various in
store tasks involve stocking the store with right level of products. This
position requires following company procedures and working
accordingly. Enthusiasm is needed to interact with customers.
Job Level 2 In this level employee needs to lead a group of customer
service team members. These people are needed to maintain and manage
resources. Also their task includes setting and achieving targets.
Motivating team members to perform at their best is also an important
role they have to play.
Job Level 3 In this level of operation it is required for the employee to
run a whole unit. It will require higher level of management with running
an operating unit. Requires management skills, including planning,
continuous target setting and reporting to higher authorities.
Job Level 4 In this level support is given to the operating unit as
M&Sll as recommending required strategic changes. This will involve
sound knowledge of the company. In this position it is needed to have
skills to analysis information to make decision. This level requires higher
ability to lead the operating units.
 Job Level 5 This level employee is accountable for the whole business
operations. This level will require ability to make critical decisions,
making strategic changes leading the company to compete with
competitors.
Job Level 6 Creating the aim, value and targets for M&S. This position
is the ultimate top level where excellent knowledge of retail environment
in cross cultural market is essential. Building a vision for changes in
future and how to differentiate from others is important.
M&S tries to fill vacancies from insiders of the company as it recognises
the importance of doing so to motivate employees to progress to next
level and make a successful career. M&S has Talent Planning where
they have annual appraisal scheme where existing employees can apply
for higher rank jobs. Employees identify what higher rank they want to
go to then they explore possible ways to achieve that. Their line
managers formulates necessary technical, appraisal, competency and
behaviour skills demanded by the role. Senior management trains the
employee and makes pathway for him/her to achieve the dream rank.
This not only helps M&S to have success as a company by retaining
talented staff but also promotes their company as a place to work for.
People will be highly interested to work for the company as they will
know they are with a good employer who takes care of their personal
objectives.
To do this what is needed is perfect job description followed by person
specification. A good job description should clearly state:
Title of the position
To whom the person will report
Description of duties
Target audience (customers, buyers etc)
Person specification will state required skills, knowledge, attributes
of the prospective employee for that particular opening. Task of HR
is to clearly advertise both job description and person specification.
This ensures right person is attracted to apply for the job
( Ulrich,2008) . While sorting out the CVs HR department makes
critical decisions to decide who has the right skills. By targeting
right people from the beginning sustained growth can be ensured.

Recommendation of Using Human Resources as the part of

strategic growth in M&S

People are at the heart of what makes M&S different. As M&S continues
to transform the business, M&S need to work hard to ensure that M&S
has the capabilities in place to drive the company forward. M&S should
continue to make sure that 86,000 employees throughout the business
are confident, engaged and knowledgeable. As the retail landscape
evolves, M&S need to continue to train colleagues in the latest digital
developments in retail. But despite changing shopping habits, M&S know
that customers still want the personal touch. Thats why M&S store
employees should be as dedicated as to providing exceptional levels of
customer service. An engaged, positive team It is crucial that all people
understand priorities and objectives, and that they are engaged with the
ongoing transformation of the business. According to recent survey of
M&S annual Your Say survey shows M&S are achieving this levels of
engagement among our employees grew by 2% on last year to 80% and
overall positivity score also rose compared to last year (M&S Annual
Report, 2014). Meanwhile, 95% of the employees said that they regularly
look for ways to better serve customers. An increasing number of store
employees said that their store managers are making more time to keep
them informed about the Companys overall performance and plans. This
fits in with belief that knowledge bolsters confidence, which in turn leads
to increased levels of customer service and employee motivation. Your
Say survey was conducted online this year for the first time, making it
easier for our international colleagues to participate. M&S management
was pleased that the response rate rose by 2% compared to last year
following this change. This type of survey should be more frequently and
there should be enough encouragement among employees to participate
in such feedback practice to enable management what needs to be done
exactly.

Bolstering capabilities as technology continues to change the way that

customers shop, M&S neeed to build in-house skills to ensure M&S have
the capabilities to evolve with the retail landscape. M&S have to also
actively look to recruit people from outside the company with skills to
suit the new environment. From designers to online editors to
copywriters, M&S nee to have substantially bolster digital team. For
example, the recent launch of M&S.com saw create a 50-strong software
development team. Graduate Scheme and Business Placement
Programme can offer over 200 opportunities across stores and offi ce-
locations, and IT software engineer scheme was one of the biggest
graduate programmes for the second year running. This should continue
to attract more talent from the univisetiies and from other sectors.

M&S also need to enhance leadership team with a number of senior

appointments and around two-thirds of top 100 managers have
international experience. Transformation as part of the ongoing
transformation of M&S over the last year, M&S need to look at how M&S
could become more connected with each other and with the customers.
Over 60,000 of store colleagues should be involved in the Notice Me
programme to continue to improve the in-store customer experience. The
majority of senior leaders have also need to attend development days to
support them in leading the way in a multichannel, international business
and responsible leadership.

Staying connected employees have to have access to an internal social

network, which can allow them to ask and answer and questions, join
groups and post comments. M&S need to keep employees informed
about which products have made the headlines through M&S weekly
press summary that goes to all the stores. In-Touch programme can
include weekly video downloads to help employees stay in touch with
whats happening across the business

M&S need to drive a performance culture by continuing to nurture talent

within M&S, as well as recruit skilled people from outside the business.
As digital technology continues to change the way that people shop, M&S
will train employees with the relevant skills needed to serve customers.
M&S needs to continue to embed clear, core M&S values across
business.

Conclusion

People and organisational culture and structure limit the ability to adapt
to market changes with pace. To support transformation to an
international, multi-channel retailer, it is essential that organisational set-
up allows M&S to respond to market changes and competition with pace.
External hires recruited into a number of senior roles bringing an
alternative perspective and new skills. Robust employee engagement
process for effective communication is essential. Alignment of
development programmes with business strategy. Faster decision-making
enabled through the removal of structural complexity

M&S must continue to undertake a number of major programmes to

underpin the achievement of the development plan. The delivery of
forecasted benefits is critical to this. Strategic Programme office in M&S
centrally governs group initiatives which provide regular status and
benefits. There has to be regular feedback and meeting with Executive
Board of the company. Overall employees should be more enourage to be
proactive and enthusiastic in doing new things which will in turn will be
better for the company.