Business Project on Talent Management: Strategies Used by Waitrose

This report, prepared by a freelance market researcher, investigates talent management strategies within organizations, focusing on Waitrose as a case study. The project aims to identify strategies for attracting and retaining talented workforces, drawing insights applicable to local goods transport providers. The research methodology includes project planning, primary and secondary data collection, and a presentation of findings. Key aspects covered are the concept of talent management, strategies used by Waitrose, and the benefits derived from these strategies. The report employs both quantitative and qualitative research methods, incorporating surveys and secondary sources to gather comprehensive data. Ethical considerations were addressed through informed consent, and the project was managed using tools like Gantt charts and work breakdown structures to ensure timely and effective completion. The findings aim to provide actionable recommendations for implementing successful talent management practices in smaller businesses.

MANAGING A
SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESS PROJECT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
PART A: Project planning..........................................................................................................1
PART B: Conduct research.........................................................................................................6
TASK 2..........................................................................................................................................10
Present Findings........................................................................................................................10
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................15
Reflective practice.....................................................................................................................15
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................16
Recommendations.....................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................18
Questionnaire............................................................................................................................18
Performance Review.................................................................................................................19
Project Logbook........................................................................................................................20

INTRODUCTION
Talent management defines as an anticipation of required human capital for organisation
and the planning to fulfil the needs of workforce. It represent as a process of organise the
management of human resource so that company attain profitable results within marketplace.
Talent management is define as an important asset to company because they are responsible for
carry out activities and duties in prominent manner (Anlesinya and Amponsah-Tawiah, 2020).
Talent management within an organisation offer benefits in relation to maintain employees who
are working within firm or also emphasis on attracting new one. This report is developed by
freelance market researcher that is hired by local goods transport provider to implement talent
management strategies within organisation. For this researcher emphasis on finding talent
strategies that giant organisation use so that they implement in local business properly. To
complete this project Waitrose is to be undertaken that is a British supermarket since 1904. To
conduct this research several task are framed such as project planning, conduct research, present
findings that helps in draw the conclusion and recommendation in appropriate manner.
TASK 1
PART A: Project planning
Aims
“To determine various talent management strategies used by prominent organisations for
the purpose of retaining and attracting talented workforce.” A study on Waitrose.
Objectives
 To understand the concept of talent management in giant organisation
 To explore strategies used by Waitrose to attract or retain talented workforce
 To determine benefits of talent management in Waitrose
Research Questions
 Explain the concept of talent management in giant organisation?
 Explain various strategies used by Waitrose to attract or retain talented workforce?
 What are the benefits of talent management in Waitrose?
Project management plan
Project management plan is a formal approved document that express how project is to be
completed by carry out activities (Crane and Hartwell, 2019). It reflects various aspects such as
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cost, time scale, risk, resources, budget, ethical consideration etc. This project management plan
is essential to complete the project on set time frame. Several aspects of project management
plan are presented below:
 Scope is an effective element that express the concept of talent management in
appropriate manner. The scope of this specific research is to recognise the benefits of
talent management in giant organisation and strategies that they used to attract or retain
talent. The format of this particular research is mainly emphasis on variety of strategies
related to talent management so that SMEs could understand the same and implement
prominently on the local good transport provider. This also represent several aspect of
methodology that is used to develop appropriate information so that objectives are meet
successfully.
 Cost- It refers to a amount that is essential to conduct the business and activities in
appropriate manner. The amount for conducting this project is £300 in which researcher
implement the project plan effectively and complete the aims and objectives prominently.
In this volume this particular research is completed in appropriate manner. The proper
explanation of budget are presented below:
Estimated amount (£)
Activities Total amount (£)
Travelling cost 100
Primary information 50
Project management plan 80
Miscellaneous 70
Total 300
 Time scale- To complete this particular project in successful manner it is very crucial to
develops the time scale by prioritise the activities as per deadline (Shet, 2020). To
complete ths project researcher need 12 weeks in which whole analysis about topic is
done in systematic manner so that overall objectives are attained proficiently.
 Communication- It represent as a crucial determinant within project management plan.
Communication is very important to collect, gather appropriate information about
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particular topic. In this several channels are to be used by researcher so that appropriate
information is delivered to correct person in right time. For communicate an information
e-mails is to be used so that person get data properly and easy to understand.
 Quality management- Practices of quality management is very beneficial because it is
concerned about gather data that are of great quality. To maintain quality different
practices are included so that proper outcome is to be gathered (Sivathanu and Pillai,
2019). The quality of project is to be maintain with the assistance of primary and
secondary sources. As these present data effectively about the talent management in giant
organisation. This help in collect prominent data of great quality so that appropriate
information is gathered that is effective for local good transport provider.
 Resources- It is a significant element to attain objectives. The resources that are needed
in particular research is financial resource, human resources. Therefore, the involvement
of these resources helps in attaining objectives in appropriate manner because these
resources help in attaining every task prominently (Harsch and Festing, 2020). Therefore
using the resources in appropriate manner helps in gaining the outcome in shorter time
period. In this researcher also adopts the use of MS-EXCEL to develop spreadsheets,
graphs, table so that particular project aims and objectives are attained successfully.
 Risk- There are several types of risk that are determined at the time of gather information
from the participants. To complete this particular research, risk of copying is one of the
major risk due to which ineffectiveness within the research is generated. Therefore to
remove the issues researcher emphasis on proper time to frame strategy so that complete
and effective information could be collected in appropriate manner.
Gantt chart- It represent as an understanding in which proper planning is to be done so that
overall objectives is to be attained successfully. Gantt chart is a type of project planner tool that
bifurcates variety of activities and task in appropriate manner so that it could be completed on set
time frame. This chart is mainly divided into two parts where in first part activities are represents
and in second part time for completing the activities are scheduled (Meyers, 2020). There are
several benefits of using Gantt chart such as it is used to track all the activities in effective
manner so that overall objectives are to be attained in proficient manner.
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Work break down structure- This is an effective structure that helps in managing projects in
prominent manner. This framework helps in dividing the large activities into small segments so
that overall objectives is to be attained effectively. Hence, work breakdown structure consider
that smaller task are easily to attain and helps in attaining the activities in an effective manner
within set time frame.
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PART B: Conduct research
Research methodology refers to a specific procedures that is used to collect and analyse the
information in an effective manner. Various determinants of research methodology are presented
below:
 Research philosophy- It refer to an aspect of methodology that is useful to measure the
gathered data. It represent two types of philosophies that are interpretivism and
positivism (Anlesinya, Dartey-Baah and Amponsah-Tawiah, 2019). To complete this
particular research researcher adopts positivism philosophy because it express
information in numeric manner. On the other hand, researcher does not chose
interpretivism research because it express data in non-numeric manner.
 Research approach- This research methodology reflect an action that are effective to
examine objectives in proper way. This mainly divided into two major approach i.e.
inductive and deductive approach. To conduct this research deductive approach is used
because it measure or analyse information in numeric manner. Due to this statistics of
data are easily understand in short time period. Whereas inductive approach is not
adopted by researcher because it offer information in non-numerical manner and take
huge time in analysing and collecting data.
 Research choice- It refers to an accumulation of proper information. It is mainly divided
into two types such as quantitative and qualitative research choice. To conduct this
particular research, market researcher emphasis on selecting quantitative research
because it offers data in numerical manner and helps in attaining aims and objectives in
effective manner (Anlesinya, Dartey-Baah and Amponsah-Tawiah, 2019). This choice
helps in present the more reliable information related to talent management. On the other
hand, qualitative research choice is not to be chosen because in this only text are gathered
and it only present the data in theoretical manner. In this researcher believed that
quantitative choice is best because it does not consume more time and also present in
authentic manner on talent management.
 Research strategy- This is a type of strategy that represent the process of collecting
information. Research strategy are of several types such as action research, case study,
experimental research, grounded theory and many more (Pantouvaki, 2019). To complete
this project on talent management, researcher adopt survey strategy because in this
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primary information is collected. Survey is great strategy as it helps in collection of data
directly from the respondents directly. In which close ended questions are included.
 Data collection- Data collection define as a procedure of integrated information by using
two methods of data collection i.e. primary and secondary collection of data (Novikov
and Novikov, 2019). To conduct this research, researcher adopts both the methods of data
collection i.e. primary method and secondary method. Therefore using primary research,
researcher tried to take out raw data from selected respondents and for this they
emphasis on using questionnaire. Further secondary data collection helps in gather data
using already existed books, articles, journals, blogs etc.
 Sampling- Sampling defines as a selection of certain number of respondents from the
large number of population. It is requisite because it helps in selecting representative that
present the whole population. Sampling has two methods i.e. probability method and
non-probability method. Therefore in the current research market researcher adopts
probability sampling where samples are collect on random basis. It does not create
biasedness in respondents so that authentic information is to be selected (Mistry, 2020).
On the other hand non-probability method is not selected because in this samples are not
selected on random basis that creates biassed in information collection. The sample size
for conducting this research is 30.
 Ethical consideration- In aspect of conducting research, researcher focus on carry out
varieties of research activities in ethical manner. To represent ethical consideration
investigator take the consent form from the Waitrose before collecting any data related to
talent management so that it does not harm the image and position of respondents in
mental or physical basis.
Secondary research
Explain the concept of talent management in giant organisation?
According to “White. S., 2019” Talent management defined as an organised method of
recognising the several vacant position within an organisation, hiring suitable candidates for
vacant position, within organisation, developing skills and expertise of candidate to match
desired position of job within organisation. Talent management within organisation does not
restricted to just recruiting the right candidate for job role but in this they perform the role of
improving the ability of employees that are useful to attain objectives.
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Explain various strategies used by Waitrose to attract or retain talented workforce?
As per the viewpoint of “Molis. J., 2021”, The market is full of talent and a wrong move
of company lose the suitable candidate. In the Waitrose, company adopts the use several
strategies that is helpful to attract or retain talent effectively. Some of them are presented below:
 Be flexible- This strategy is adopted by Waitrose to attract or retain talent at workplace.
As currently, organisation offer so much to their employees by offer balanced work
condition and flexible working hours so that workers work freely and this represent
productive work and helps in satisfied them for longer time period so that they would
retain with company to more time period.
 Offer high visibility assignments- It is another strategy that Waitrose adopts in attract or
retain talent. As company offer high visibility opportunity to their employees so that they
keep engaged at working and also they come out with their comfort zone. It motivates
workers talented workforce to retain within company for longer time period.
What are the benefits of talent management in Waitrose?
According to “ Holiday. M., 2021” Organisation are emphasis on recognising the value of
talent management by spending more on HR related technology. In context of Waitrose, several
benefits are framed on talent management that are presented below:
 Increased, diversity, inclusion and equity- Talent management is very beneficial for
the organisation because due to this Waitrose enhance their diversity of employees so that
targets are attained on global level. Due to effective activities of talent management
employees are highly engaged in their working due to which organisation overall aims
are attained. Diversify workforce within Waitrose enhance employee learning, sense of
belonging that present positivity in business results.
 Deeper employee engagement- In an organisation good processes like on-boarding,
development, learning maximise the employee engagement. By using these practices of
talent management company engaged their employees effectively and retain them for
longer time period. In this they use the KPI tool to examine employees efforts on work
around employee engagement.
Primary research
Frequency distribution table
Questionnaire
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Q1) Do you have any idea related to concept of talent management? Frequency
a) Yes 20
b) No 10
Q2) According to your viewpoint, Waitrose followed proper talent
management strategies in relation to attract or retain talent?
Frequency
a) Yes 10
b) No 15
c) Neutral 5
Q3) What local good transport provider employees thinks related to
concept of talent management?
Frequency
a) Develop employee performance 9
b) Motivate employees 7
c) Attract new talent 6
d) Retain employees 8
Q4) What talent management strategies are mainly used by SMEs in
attract or retain employees?
Frequency
a) Offer flexibility in working hours 7
b) Offer perks and incentives 7
c) Organise training and development session 8
d) Develop participative culture 7
Q5) In your perspective what are the benefits of applying talent
management in SMEs?
Frequency
a) To accomplish goals on time 9
b) To retain employees for longer time period 12
c) Improve performance of employees 9
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Q6) What suggestions are giving to Waitrose in terms of developing talent
management strategies?
Frequency
a) Timely organise training sessions 10
b) Evaluate weekly performance of employees 11
c) Develops career path 9
TASK 2
Present Findings
Q1) Do you have any idea related to concept of talent management? Frequency
a) Yes 20
b) No 10
a) Yes b) No
0
5
10
15
20
25
20
10 Frequency
Interpretation- From above data it is interpreted that 20 out of 30 respondents said that they
have an idea about talent management concept. Whereas 10 said that they does not have any idea
regarding talent management.
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