Strategic Talent Management: Methods and Tools for Employee Retention

This report discusses the talent management strategies used by companies to attract and retain employees. It focuses on Next plc, a retail business, and explores the aim and objectives of the project, project management plan, time framework, research methodology, and recommendations for the organization. The report also highlights the benefits of employee retention and the importance of designing a project management plan.

Considering a strategic approach
to Talent Management
1

Table of Contents
TOPIC: “What talent strategies do the best companies use to attract and retain people?”.............3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Designing a suitable aim and objective for a selected scenario.............................................3
Designing of a project management plan that involves showcase of aims of project,
deliverable, time, quality, communication channels, involved risk and resources................5
Devising time fames using models of work breakdown structure and Gantt chart that will be
taken to complete all stages of this project management plan...............................................7
conducting research on small scale with the help of application of primary and secondary
tools that are suitable in achieving aims and goals of project................................................9
Presentation of results and data with the help of suitable tools and techniques..................12
Interpretation and communication of results of data and findings so as to state
recommendations so as to achieve appropriate conclusions................................................15
Reflect on the value of undertaking the project to meet stated objectives and own learning
and performance...................................................................................................................16
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX I.................................................................................................................................19
Appendix 2: Performance Review.................................................................................................22
2

TOPIC: “What talent strategies do the best companies use to attract and retain people?”
INTRODUCTION
To run a business successfully, it is necessary that organisation manages human resources
in company in efficient manner. One of the biggest issues that management of a company faces
in increased labour turnover (Ameyaw and Chan, 2015) . It is a situation when frequency of
employees leaving the workplace increases. For ensuring efficient and effective operations
within organisation, it be comes important that company retains experienced and productive
employees in organisation. This report discusses various methods and tools those can be adopted
so as to achieve high retaining rate of employees in organisation. Chosen company for the
purpose of discussion of given topic is Next plc, that was established in the year of 1864 at
Leeds, United Kingdom. It is retail business dealing in footwear, home and clothing. This report
highlights about project aim as well as objectives, project management plan, time framework,
research methodology along with reflection and recommendation provided to organisation.
MAIN BODY
Designing a suitable aim and objective for a selected scenario
Introduction:
Talent management is the strategy that will improve employee satisfaction and thus, will
be helpful in retaining them for a longer period of time. Another useful strategy in this context is
to pay employees according to a fair scale. Fair scale means that payment should be in
accordance of what an employee is contributing and also it should be compared to payment that
other employees on the same profile are getting in the same industry.
Overview of the chosen company:
The selected company for this report is Next plc and it was founded in 1864. headquarters
of this company is situated in Leeds, United Kingdom. It is operations as a multinational
corporation in retail business line and it is dealing in several segments, such as, home décor,
wears, footwears. The company is operating in more that 500 outlets and at all these places, it
has employee base of around 43,970 employees.
Research aim:
To evaluate the requirement of implementing different Talent management strategies for
staff retention and attraction in an organisation. A study on Next PLC.
3

Research objective:
To analyse the requirement of employee retention and attraction in an organisation.
To evaluate potential benefits of employee retention practices for Next plc.
To discuss different talent management strategies that Next plc can implement for
employee attraction and retention.
Research question:
What is the requirement of employee retention and attraction in an organisation?
What are the potential benefits of employee retention practices for Next plc?
What type of talent management strategies can be implemented by Next plc for employee
attraction and retention?
Literature review:
Talent Management
Importance of employee retention and attraction to an organization: In opinion of Lainie
Peterson, 2020, employee retention is an important concept for any company as it captures the
most important part of a company and that is, human resources (Biesenthal and et.al., 2018) . In
the opinion of above author, if employees are leaving the company on a regular basis, than it
may lead to increased cost of hiring and it will be a total wastage of funds of company. If an
employee is serving in the country for a longer period of time, than it increases the value that
employee will contribute in the company. Experienced employees are the real asset of the
company and due to increased turnover of employees, it will never be possible to have long term
employees.
Benefits for employee retention in the chosen organization: In view of Dan Kelly, 2018,
employee retention is very beneficial for chosen company as it will help in saving of cost that
will have to be incurred for recruiting new employees. Another benefit is availed by the company
in form of experience that employees earn for staying for a longer period of time in company.
They are well aware and familiar with the work culture of the company and this will contribute
in achievement of organizational objectives in more efficient manner. If employees are staying in
the company for a longer period of time, than, it will contribute to enhancement of motivation in
working culture and it will be helpful for the company to obtain increased performance from
employees.
4

Talent management strategies to improve employee attraction and retention: In view of
John Rampton, 2020, there are various strategies those can be implemented so as to improve the
retention rate of employees in the company. Company can create a motivational and comfortable
working culture in the work place. This will help the employees to settle better in the company.
Designing of a project management plan that involves showcase of aims of project, deliverable,
time, quality, communication channels, involved risk and resources
Project Management Plan is prepared by project manager and it is build on the basis of
inputs provided by project team and other key stakeholders (Cennamo and et.al., 2020) . It is
basically a formal, approved document that defines the path through which the proposed project
will be executed, monitored and controlled. It is basically a sum up of a detailed document which
involves baselines, subsidiaries and other related management plans. The basic aim of project
management plan is to take out better communication between employees and other members so
as to provide effective information so that project can be completed in an efficient manner. This
technique will assist manager in time saving and also the cost for the company. Different parts
and components of project management plan are explained below:
Deliverable: These are the products, services, results or inputs those are delivered to
project investigator so as to make the inspection and planning more easy and also accurate. In
this context, inputs that are provided to the investigator of this chosen project are cost that will be
incurred and also access to internal matters. Cost will involve the funds that will be required to
be incurred so as to gather related information and data. Access should be provided to
investigator so that he can ask all related information and data. This will smoothen the process of
inspection.
Scope- this identifies about the range of scope of the chosen research for the chosen topic
that helps the researcher in future time period. According to this segment, company will ensure
formulation of better policies and decisions in creating a motivational work culture with the help
of adoption of several strategies. On the other hand, researcher comes to know about different
strategies and initiatives that will be implemented so as to promote employee retention in the
company.
Time: It is defined as the total period of time that is taken for completing the whole
proposed project in efficient and effective manner. For estimation of this time period, two major
techniques are used and they are, Gantt Chart and Work Breakdown Structure. Researcher takes
5

three weeks to complete given work whereas, respective organization, i.e., Next plc will take five
weeks to implement strategies related to retention of employees at work place and also to
decrease employee turnover in company (Chaston, 2017) . This step is important to design the
work policy and strategies in such a way that task and activities in estimated time period.
Estimated time period for this project is 10 weeks.
Quality: In this step, it is the responsibility of investigator that they have to collect data
and information from authenticate and relevant sources. The respective company wants to gather
data from reliable sources like online links, certified courses so that the task that is done are
maintaining high quality in it. In the similar way, investigator is obliged to retain all related data
and information in secret manner or confidential so as to prevent occurrence of any fraudulent
activity and it will also contribute in improving the quality of research work in respect of
challenge of high labour turnover.
Communication: It is a way on interaction among different individuals involved in the
process of project management plan. Through this tool, all members understand about different
roles and responsibilities that they need to take up in execution phase. This communication can
be oral or written as well. They are done only to gather positive outcomes of a specific process.
Next plc is using the channel of oral communication those are needed to be done to schedule and
conduct meetings and also to implement strategies of increasing retention of employees at work
place (Eskerod, Huemann and Savage, 2015). In the given case, researcher is using both channels
of communication and they are oral and written way of communication. These methods are used
to collect data from respondents in respect of allotted topic in suitable manner.
Risk: In the path of carrying out research, the investigator is confronted with various
types of risks, such as, inadequate budgets, limited resources, lack of time, false or inaccurate
response and so on. In the other phase, company is also confronted with issues like unskilled
staff members, lack of motivation to perform, deflated utilization of resources, inaccurate data
and information and many more.
Resources: It can be explained as that segment or component which assist in determining
resources or materials required for carrying out the research work in an efficient manner. From
the point of view of an investigator, this part is related with reliable and accurate resources and
also suitable and authentic replies from respondents in relation with the company so that research
6

is also carried out in a reliable manner. Other materials that may be required are pen, paper, or
some other tools.
Devising time fames using models of work breakdown structure and Gantt chart that will be
taken to complete all stages of this project management plan
For the purpose of estimating time period that is required to complete the project is
calculated majorly by two methods and they are explained as below:
Work breakdown structure
As the name suggests, it is a process of breaking down the complex work structure into
small and easy works (Halibozek and Kovacich, 2017). These small parts will be manageable
and simplified form of work. This procedure is adopted by managers so as to simplify their task
and activities. Structure is followed with an aim of executing the planned project in more
efficient and effective manner. In work breakdown structure, large activities and tasks are
divided into small and easy components that are aimed to be completed in specific time frame.
This will be a strong point in the process of completing the requirements of proposed project.
This tool is adopted by the researcher so as to provide reliable and appropriate information
through channels of reliable sources, allotment of roles and responsibilities, assigning time, risk ,
funds and so on. (Jetzek, 2016).
7

Gantt chart
This method can be explained as that bar chart that assists in illustrating project plan so as
to ascertain relationship within status of schedule and tasks or activities. (Kendrick, 2015). this
is a model which is presented in form of vertical and horizontal axis that is representing the
status of activities and work in effective and efficient manner. This theory contains several
segments like dependencies, bars, progress, lists, timelines, deadlines, datelines, etc. This whole
model helps in different functions like planning, organising, coordinating and also tracking of
tasks and work in the best possible way.
8

Conducting research on small scale with the help of application of primary and secondary tools
that are suitable in achieving aims and goals of project.
Data Collection Method and sampling
Data is the new revolution in the industry which helps in finding relevant information.
Data Collection is the accumulation of facts and figures on a research problem. It can be
collected with the help of quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. It is done with
primary and secondary research method (Mattel, 2015).
Primary research- In this data is collected directly by individuals to gather original
information on a problem. It is done to collect real solutions on a problem with the help of
authentic data to solve a problem. It is a time consuming activity which involves various efforts
in sourcing relevant information.
Secondary research- Secondary research is done by other individuals on a specific
problem. It is the past efforts of other people which is available on various sources. These
sources consists of online sites, magazines, articles, survey conducted by government, books and
9

library etc. (Patanakul, 2015). Data gathered may involve biases in opinions, unrelevant and
obsolete information.
Quantitative methodology- This methodology is one of the vital technique used by
researchers. Quantitative methods helps in analysing numerical data to represent information in
graphs, charts and tables (Vu, 2016). It is popular because of its interpretation of data in numbers
and for a meaningful conclusion. It helps in comparing and measuring data which results in
solving hypothesis more accurately.
Qualitative methodology- In this method data is collected with the help of various
techniques. It is expressed in words due to its subjective nature of data. Data is gathered from
open ended interviews, observations and literature review are considered for accumulating
insights to solve a problem (Stephenson, 2020) . This method helps in solving various theories,
concepts, ideas and opinions of a research problem.
Sampling- It is the designing of a framework or outline to divide data on the basis of its
size, frequency, data type, methodology, target people and required information etc. Thus, it is
the structure which guides and organise overall research of a problem. Also, it helps in making
decision for a larger population by narrow downing its factors. Sampling of data is necessary for
avoiding unrelevent data and wastage of resources. It includes random sampling, non random
sampling, cluster and systematic sampling. In this research random sampling is used for
collecting data (Peppers and Rogers, 2016). The chosen size of sample is 30 in order to collect
data and information.
Q1. Do you have any knowledge about talent management practices as
need and improvement of a firm?
Frequency
• Yes 20
• No 10
Q2. According to you, what are the key aspects of talent management? Frequency
 Performance management 8
 Learning and motivation 7
 Talent acquisition 5
 All of the above 10
10

Q3. Does employee retention and attraction is beneficial for Next plc? Frequency
 Yes 25
 No 5
Q4. What type of talent management strategies, Next plc can implement
for employee retention and attraction?
Frequency
 Continuous training and development opportunities 5
 Employee reward and recognition 6
 Cultivate an honest career path 7
 All of the above 12
Q5. What are the potential challenges does Next plc can face due to the
absence of talent management practices?
Frequency
 Employee turnover 6
 Lack of leadership 4
 Unappealing office culture 9
 All of the above 11
Q6. Does effective implementation of talent management strategies may
help Next plc to retain employee for a longer duration?
Frequency
 Yes 21
 No 9
Q7. Does recruitment, development and retention are the primary
responsibility of HR department for talent management in Next plc?
Frequency
 Yes 18
 No 12
Q8. Does employee retention and attraction will assist in improving
overall productivity of Next plc?
Frequency
 Yes 22
11

 No 8
Presentation of results and data with the help of suitable tools and techniques.
Theme1. Knowledge about talent management practices
Q1. Do you have any knowledge about talent management practices as
need and improvement of a firm?
Frequency
• Yes 20
• No 10
Interpretation: From the above graphical representation it has been summarised that out of 30
respondents, maximum 20 have appropriate knowledge about talent management strategies as a
need and requirement of firm.
Theme 2. Key aspects of talent management
Q2. According to you, what are the key aspects of talent management? Frequency
 Performance management 8
 Learning and motivation 7
12
• Yes • No
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
20
10
Column C

 Talent acquisition 5
 All of the above 10
Interpretation: On the basis of above graphs it has been summarised that in between 30
respondents, maximum 10 are thinks that performance management, learning and motivation as
well as talent acquisition all are the key aspects of talent management.
Theme 3. Effectiveness of employee retention and attraction
Q3. Does employee retention and attraction is beneficial for Next plc? Frequency
 Yes 25
 No 5
13
Performance management
Learning and motivation
Talent acquisition
All of the above
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
8
7
5
10
Column C

Interpretation: By analysing outcomes from above information, it has been summarised that
employee retention and attraction is beneficial for Next plc as in between 30 participants,
maximum 25 are in its favour whereas 5 are not.
Theme 4. Talent management strategies
Q4. What type of talent management strategies, Next plc can
implement for employee retention and attraction?
Frequency
 Continuous training and development opportunities 5
 Employee reward and recognition 6
 Cultivate an honest career path 7
 All of the above 12
14
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
25
5
Column C

Interpretation: On the basis of above graphs it has been analysed that Next plc can implement
Continuous training and development opportunities, Employee reward and recognition and
Cultivate an honest career path as a talent management strategy because in between 30
respondent maximum 12 are in its favour.
Theme 5. Potential challenges due to absence of talent management practices
Q5. What are the potential challenges does Next plc can face due to the
absence of talent management practices?
Frequency
 Employee turnover 6
 Lack of leadership 4
 Unappealing office culture 9
 All of the above 11
15
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
5 6 7
12
Column D

Interpretation: From the above graphical representation it has been analysed that Next plc can
face challenges due to absence of talent management practices. As out of 30 participant
maximum 11 think that employee turnover, unappealing office culture and lack of leadership
could be potential challenges.
Theme 6. Effective implementation of talent management strategies
Q6. Does effective implementation of talent management strategies
may help Next plc to retain employee for a longer duration?
Frequency
 Yes 21
 No 9
16
Employee turnover
Lack of leadership
Unappealing office culture
All of the above
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
6
4
9
11
Column D

Interpretation: From the above graph it has been analysed that in between 30 participants, 21
are think that implementation of talent management may help Next plc in employee retention for
a long duration.
Theme 7. Recruitment, development and retention as primary activity
Q7. Does recruitment, development and retention are the primary
responsibility of HR department for talent management in Next plc?
Frequency
 Yes 18
 No 12
17
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25 21
9 Column D
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20 18
12
Column D

Interpretation: On the basis of above presentation it has been identified that recruitment,
development and retention are the primary responsibility of HR department as in between 30
participants, maximum 18 are in its favour.
Theme 8. Impact of employee retention in improving overall productivity of firm
Q8. Does employee retention and attraction will assist in improving
overall productivity of Next plc?
Frequency
 Yes 22
 No 8
Interpretation: From the above graphs it has been analysed that employee retention and
attraction will help in improving overall productivity of Next plc as out of 30 participants,
maximum 22 thinks the same.
Theme 9. What are the major requirement of implementing talent management practices
in Next plc?
18
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25 22
8
Column D

Answer: Talent management practices are a must to be followed and adopted by employer so
that, they are able to take optimised utilisation of human resources. In addition to this, employees
will feel more satisfied and hence, it will decrease employee retention rate.
Theme 10. What strategies could be used by Next plc for employee attraction and
retention?
Answer: To implement the decreased employee turnover concept, employer should devise
strategies like creation of motivational work place environment, fair and equitable compensation,
good employee relations, etc.
Findings
As per the views of Mona Momtazian, 2020 HR department of an organisation requires
to implement talent management strategies that can help in meeting immediate needs and
requirements of a firm. With the help of such, Next plc can effectively address gaols and future
objectives by improving overall productivity. Thus, it is required for firm to recruit most talented
and skilled employees by managing quality of work strategically(What is Talent Management
and Why is It Important?, 2020). Furthermore, it is also needed to implement employee
motivational practices for attract and retain their worker for a longer run.
Interpretation and communication of results of data and findings so as to state recommendations
so as to achieve appropriate conclusions
In order to improve the functions in the company, it is recommended that company
should implement various strategies that will enforce employees to stay longer in the company.
For this purpose, suggested strategies are to create a motivational working culture and also to pay
the employees as per the fair value (Polonsky and Waller, 2018). Another important
recommendations in this respect are that employer should establish good employee relations with
the employee so that they are satisfied and are not leaving the organisation. Company should try
to be more flexible and should also offer certain incentives and offers that will be helpful in
achieving low employee turnover (Rowden, 2017).
Reflect on the value of undertaking the project to meet stated objectives and own learning and
performance
In the preparation of above report, I learnt various skills and qualities, such as,
communication skills and risk taking skills(Rubin and Abramson, 2018). Another important
19

quality that I learnt is the time management technique, which is helpful in achieving not only
organisational goals and objectives but also in gaining personal development objectives. During
the process of this project, I also faced many problems like accessing to information and
resources for successful completion of project. The project aims as well as objectives me in
accessing to final output in proper manner. I too analysed that this projects assist me in
development of my knowledge at higher scale and managing of continuous professional
development. With proper consideration of this project will assist me in gaining wide field of
knowledge & achieving of growth as well as development at higher level.
The biggest problem which is faced was allocation of tasks through using tools GANTT
Chart and WBS. This is because due to heavy workload, it was difficult for me to understand the
these tool as I was new users. So, it took time to understand these tools & use them in efficient
manner. Moreover, I further examined that my strength during this project was that I was
confident enough to manage all activities of project in systematic manner. Also, my weakness
which his analysed was that due to involvement of technical and non technical data, many
conflicts were faced by me. With overview of this project, I have seen that my overall knowledge
and information sources has been developed at higher level.
Therefore, from above matter it has been examined it is essential for me to access the
project and review all the activities so that it is easy for me to access to new opportunities in
proper manner.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that company needs to induce various
strategies that will be helpful in improving the employee retention rate in company. This is a
very important concept for an organisation as it will help in achieving organisational goals and
objectives in efficient and effective manner.
20

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
21

Ameyaw, E. E. and Chan, A. P., 2015. Risk ranking and analysis in PPP water supply
infrastructure projects. Facilities.
Bell, J. and Harrison, B. T. Eds., 2018. Vision and values in managing education: Successful
leadership principles and practice. Routledge.
Biesenthal, C. and et.al., 2018. Applying institutional theories to managing megaprojects.
International Journal of Project Management. 36(1). pp.43-54.
Cennamo, C. and et.al., 2020. Managing Digital Transformation: Scope of Transformation and
Modalities of Value Co-Generation and Delivery. California Management Review.
62(4). pp.5-16.
Chaston, I., 2017. Managing Process. In Technological Entrepreneurship (pp. 169-190).
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Eskerod, P., Huemann, M. and Savage, G., 2015. Project stakeholder management—Past and
present. Project Management Journal. 46(6). pp.6-14.
Halibozek, E. and Kovacich, G. L., 2017. The manager's handbook for corporate security:
establishing and managing a successful assets protection program. Butterworth-
Heinemann.
Jetzek, T., 2016. Managing complexity across multiple dimensions of liquid open data: The case
of the Danish Basic Data Program.Government Information Quarterly. 33(1). pp.89-
104.
Kendrick, T., 2015. Identifying and managing project risk: essential tools for failure-proofing
your project. Amacom.
Mattel, B., 2015. Catering: a guide to managing a successful business operation. John Wiley &
Sons.
Patanakul, P., 2015. Key attributes of effectiveness in managing project portfolio. International
Journal of Project Management. 33(5). pp.1084-1097.
Peppers, D. and Rogers, M., 2016. Managing customer experience and relationships: A strategic
framework. John Wiley & Sons.
Polonsky, M. J. and Waller, D. S., 2018. Designing and managing a research project: A
business student's guide. Sage publications.
Rowden, M., 2017. The Art of Identity: Creating and Managing a Successful Corporate Identity:
Creating and Managing a Successful Corporate Identity. Routledge.
Rubin, G. D. and Abramson, R. G., 2018. Creating value through incremental innovation:
Managing culture, structure, and process. Radiology. 288(2). pp.330-340.
Stephenson, J. A., 2020. Managing Schedule Risk Associated with Large IT Projects (Doctoral
dissertation, The George Washington University).
Vu, T. S., 2016. Develop a framework for successfully managing public transport development
projects in Vietnam (Doctoral dissertation, University of Leeds).
Online
What is Talent Management and Why is It Important?. 2020. [Online]. Available
through:<https://expert360.com/resources/articles/talent-management-important>
22

APPENDIX I
Template for evidence collection to be attached with the report by the learner:
Project Logbook for the chosen organisation: Next plc
Name of the learner: Name of the Supervisor:
Project Title:Considering a strategic approach to
Talent Management
Date:
Update of weekly research/ tasks achieved (Account
for a minimum of six weeks with dates) What have you completed?
 Did you fulfil Task requirements?
 Are you on track and within deadlines set?
 Did you need to make any changes to your
project management plan?
Comments
I completed the research project on the
subject matter of “What talent
strategies do the best companies use to
attract and retain people?”
Yes
Yes
No
Any risks and / or issues identified? Did you identify risks/issues with a lack of
skills required for undertaking research
tasks?
 Did you identify any additional risks/issues
that have an impact on the project
management plan?
Yes, many kinds of concerns faced by
me during the project that are constraint
of funds and also the time allotted for
this project.
No
23

Problems encountered What barriers did you face?
 How did you overcome them?
The main issue that I face is that I was
finding it difficult to collect all data and
information from primary sources in
specific time period.
Through adoption of time framework
models like work breakdown structure
and also Gantt chart.
New Ideas and change of project direction It is recommended that more time and
funds should be given for completion of
this project.
What Have I learnt about myself this week? How did I feel when I had to deal with
tasks/problems? Did I find it useful to complete the tasks? How well have I performed? What did I
contribute? What can I improve on next week? How might this learning apply in the future?
I feel frightened due to it leads towards
failure while deal with problems.
Yes
by contributing in honest manner by not
discriminating on ground of sex, religion
and language that enhance morale of
team members and other individuals
positively.
Respective learning that is provide equal
opportunities to all people helps in future
to achieve desirable outcomes promptly.
24

Tasks planned for next week Which tasks are priority? Have you set aside sufficient time for
completion?
Allocation of tasks and duties is priority
for me in the next week.
Yes
Project plan status to date (on, ahead, behind)
Supervisor comments to address
Signature of the Supervisor and date:
25

Appendix 2: Performance Review
Performance Review
 What was the project supposed to accomplish?
I have achieved this project n the estimated time frame and it was done completely in
accordance of the requirements that were mentioned. Every objective and goal is attained
keeping in view the efficiency and effectiveness that is required.
 Did the project succeed in its aims? How do you know? Specifically, please
outline any evaluation and assessment undertaken.
The main goal of this allotted project is to develop an overall knowledge of the concept of
talent management and this is achieved through identification of several forms and types
of strategies and initiatives that the chosen company, i.e., Next plc can implement in order
to improve the employee retention rate in the company. In my opinion, the allotted project
has been completed in accordance of all the guidelines and I have succeeded in achieving
all the aims and objectives.
 What things do you think worked well and why?
According to the guidelines mentioned in the project brief, I was supposed to fulfil various
responsibilities in a given time frame work. For the preparation of this report, I conducted
literature review so as to understand the importance and benefits of employee retention
for an organisation. In addition to this, I also conducted a literature review so as to
understand different strategies those can be implemented so as to ensure long stay of
employees in a company. Furthermore, I also prepared a time frame work chart using two
famous models. These models are work breakdown structure and Gantt chart.
 What problems emerged during the project and how were they tackled? Was
there timely identification of issues and resolution during the project process?
The main issue that I confronted during doing this research is constraint on the time
frame work allotted for this project. It becomes very difficult to collect data and
information from primary sources in such a short frame of time. To solve this issue, I broke
down the whole process in short works and than tried to find the optimum solutions for
these problems. Yes, I was able to confront each and every issue and also solution for
every problem was given in the specific time period.
 What did you learn from undertaking the project?
There are several learnings that I received during the preparation of this plan of project

management. Some of significant qualities that I learnt are communication skills and risk
taking.
 How would you rate your performance as Project Manager?
In the role of a project manager, I give myself a rating of 8 out of a scale of 10 and the
main reason behind this rating is that I lack in my performance in few segments.
 What strengths and weaknesses of your performance did you identify?
With the help of this research paper, I have determined my strong and weak points both.
The main strong segments in my professional view are time management capabilities,
analytical decision making, leadership skills and on the contrary my weaknesses are risk
management and effective communication skills. The next future step I should make is to
improve my weak points in an appropriate manner.
 How will this inform and support your continuous professional development?
Learnings and information that I received in this research will help in developing my
professional capabilities in continuous manner so as to create improvisation in weaknesses
and it will ultimately result in success and growth for my professional life.
Appendix 3
Questionnaire
Q1. Do you have any knowledge about talent management practices as need and improvement of a firm?
 Yes
 No
Q2. According to you, what are the key aspects of talent management?
 Performance management
 Learning and motivation
 Talent acquisition
 All of the above
Q3. Does employee retention and attraction is beneficial for Next plc?
 Yes
 No
Q4. What type of talent management strategies, Next plc can implement for employee retention and attraction?
 Continuous training and development opportunities
 Employee reward and recognition
 Cultivate an honest career path

 All of the above
Q5. What are the potential challenges does Next plc can face due to the absence of talent management practices?
 Employee turnover
 Lack of leadership
 Unappealing office culture
 All of the above
Q6. Does effective implementation of talent management strategies may help Next plc to retain employee for a longer
duration?
 Yes
 No
Q7. Does recruitment, development and retention are the primary responsibility of HR department for talent
management in Next plc?
 Yes
 No
Q8. Does employee retention and attraction will assist in improving overall productivity of Next plc?
 Yes
 No
Q9. What are the major requirement of implementing talent management practices in Next plc?
Q10. What strategies could be used by Next plc for employee attraction and retention?