Career Planning and Development: Sainsbury's Challenges and Solutions

This report examines career planning and development within Sainsbury's, a major UK supermarket chain. It begins by explaining the process of career planning and development, emphasizing its importance in aligning employee skills with organizational goals. The report then introduces Sainsbury's, highlighting its business operations and structure. It recommends various methods to enhance workforce quality, including training programs, clear goal setting, performance management, employee benefits, and feedback mechanisms. The analysis further identifies the challenges Sainsbury's faces, such as high competition, technological advancements, and effective advertisement strategies. Finally, the report suggests improvements to the career planning and development process, summarizing key findings and emphasizing the continuous nature of career development. The report underscores the significance of ongoing evaluation and adaptation to meet both employee needs and business objectives.

CAREER PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
1. Explanation on how career planning and development takes place........................................3
2. Introduction of the selected company.....................................................................................5
3. Recommending methods to increase the quality of workforce employed in the company.....5
4. Analysis the challenges faced by the company to its future growth.......................................7
5. Suggestions to improve career planning and development process........................................8
6. Summary of all the key points of the projects.......................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Career planning refers to identifying various skills, talents, interest and knowledge of
employees and also establishing plans and policies to attain specific goals and objectives of
organisation. Career development means that making plans, policies and programs in a way that
matches individuals needs and abilities to gain available opportunities within the business
environment. Sainsbury's operates its business in chain of supermarkets in UK. The company
aims at increasing the quality of workforce employed in the company in order to bring effective
and better results. In this report, methods for increasing quality and skills of employees is
discussed. The report also includes various challenges faced by company. Suggestion for
improving career planning and development is discussed further in the report.
MAIN BODY
1. Explanation on how career planning and development takes place.
Career planning and development is a continuous on going process that aims at ensuring
that business has recruited right people having right skills and knowledge at right time. It focuses
on establishing different policies and strategies for improving skills and strengthening business
activities and operations (Career Development Planning – Stages, 2019). Employees gets
effective benefits from career planning and development programs held by organisation.
Sainsbury's aims at career planning and development so that it leads to encourage and motivate
employees for exploring and gathering information which makes them to gain competencies and
setting goals and accordingly taking actions. Following is given the explanation and examples of
how career planning and development takes places.
Assessment of Strength and Weakness:
The first step of career planning and development process is to find out the strength and
weakness of employees or workforce. Individual employees personal interest, priorities, strength
and weakness are assessed and identified as this greatly helps in developing plan for career.
Assessment of skills and knowledge provides clear transparent picture of requirement of other
skills and talent for specific job in the organisation. Sainsbury's aims at identifying skills and
talents of employees so that it can get a realistic data of his growth in the organisation (Oh,
Weitz and Lim, 2016).
Career Opportunities:

After properly assessing the available qualities and skills of the employees and
identifying need for developing skills, the next step is to check opportunities available for
employees within organisation. Organisation provides opportunities to employees for developing
and improving their skills and knowledge. This brings effective benefits for employees to
increase their technical, analytical and various interpersonal skills.
Setting Goals:
Organisation sets goals and targets which describes skills and knowledge required to
accomplish business goals. The goals and targets developed by Sainsbury's includes two factors
i.e. business plan and career path of employees. Sainsbury's sets goals that enables employees to
develop their technical and presentation skills. This targeted goals enables employees to gather
information and improve skills which also brings effective results for employees in their personal
and professional career (Mason and Roman, 2015). Improved skills and knowledge of employees
brings benefits for both employee and overall organisation.
Planning Actions:
After setting up goals and targets, organisation aims at taking effective action that leads
to develop and improve skills and talents of employee. Various training and development
programs are arranged by Sainsbury's to improve the performance of employees and also their
skills. Technical skills can be improved by arranging technical tutorial sessions, lectures from
professional personnels and embracing various software. These actions taken by Sainsbury's
brings effective results and improves skills and knowledge of employees. Presentation skills can
be developed and improved by motivating and encouraging employees to be more confident.
Individuals also needs to adopt self- learning and aim at developing their interpersonal skills.
Periodic Evaluation:
Organisation focuses on taking periodic evaluation after taking appropriate actions for
career planning and development. Career planning and development ensures that organisation
takes various steps for improving skills and knowledge of employees which can be used in both
personal and professional career (Imna and Hassan, 2015). Improved skills of employees brings
benefits of improved performance and brings effectiveness in business operations. Sainsbury's
take appropriate actions for career planning and development and brings effective results for
overall organisation. Since career planning and development is a continuous and life long

process, organisation aims at taking periodic evaluation on the performance of employees. This
guides organisation if any skill or knowledge needs to be improved for gaining better results.
2. Introduction of the selected company.
Sainsbury's is a supermarket company located in United kingdom. This is the second
biggest chain of supermarkets in UK (Jackson and Wilton, 2016). Sainsbury's deals in retail
industry offering products and services such as, home products including kitchenware, bed lines,
cutlery. It also deals in food products like snacks, sandwiches, salad and pasta. Sainsbury's offers
clothing products for both children and young people. The company offers beverages and food
items which are produced in accordance to organic standards.
Sainsbury's was founded in the year 1869 in Holborn, London. Founder of Sainsbury's
was John James Sainsbury's. It is a public limited company having approx 1415 shop around
UK. Sainsbury's provides employment to around 186,900 employees and generates revenue of
approx 28.456 Billion Euros. Its operating income is around 518 million Euros and net income is
around 309 million Euros. Sainsbury's came in joint venture contract with Bank of Scotland and
established Sainsbury's Bank and offered services insurance to home, pet, life, car and travel
(Sewell, Mason and Venter, 2017).
Sainsbury's is divided into three different divisions i.e. Sainsbury's Argos, Sainsbury's
Bank and Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd. The head office of Sainsbury's is located in Holborn
Circus, City of London. The Qatar Investment Authority holds 21.99% shares of the company.
Organisation also operates 270 pharmacies in its supermarkets and provides services related to
hospital pharmacy.
3. Recommending methods to increase the quality of workforce employed in the company.
Effective career planning and development ensures that organisation has adequate human
resources with right skills at right time and place. Business organisation aims at career planning
and development in order to improve skills and knowledge of employees which bring effective
benefits for organisation. Skilled and talented employees are becoming important in order to
sustain in competitive business environment and achieve overall goals and objectives of the
organisation. This is the process that aligns skills and interest of employees with needs of
business organisation (Walters, Burns and Stettler, 2015). Organisation aims at increasing and
improving skills and knowledge of employees so that they can effectively sustain in competitive
markets and leads to increase productivity and profits as well. Basically career planning and

development refers to improving and increasing quality of workforce and some methods for the
same are recommended as follows:
Training and Development:
`Proper training and development programs organised at workplace leads to improve
performance of employees. These programs helps in improving skills, knowledge and talents in
the employees which can be used in both personal and professional career. Various interpersonal
skills such as, communication, presentation and analytical skills can be developed by providing
training. Sainsbury's aims at improving quality of workforce by first identifying need of skills
and then providing various training sessions to them.
Setting clear and achievable goals:
Sainsbury's needs to ensure that it provides clear guidance and direction for employees
regarding accomplishment of task or objectives. Organisation needs to set clear and achievable
goals that guides and encourages employees to achieve it. Employees needs to be motivated and
encouraged to complete the given task and employees put extra efforts for accomplishing it (Top
10 Ways to Improve Employee Efficiency, 2017). Setting clear goal makes employees work
harder and leads to improve their performance and quality of work.
Performance Management:
Organisation needs to aim at properly measuring and monitoring work and performance
of employees and accordingly providing them with rewards and benefits. Sainsbury's needs to
measure performance of employees and provide them with monitory and non- monitory rewards
so that they feel motivated and satisfied. Performance management approach used in
organisation makes employees to work harder and improve their performance in order to get
recognized and appreciated. Therefore, this way workforce quality can be improved in the
Sainsbury's (Leelavati and Chalam, 2017).
Benefits and Rewards:
Employees feel motivated and satisfied when they are rewarded for their performance.
Sainsbury's can improve and increase quality of workforce employed by encouraging them to do
so and also providing them a reason for doing so. Employees brings improvements in their
performance when they know they will appreciate and rewarded for the same. Benefits can be
provided in any form to employees for improving their performance level and capabilities.

Sainsbury's uses both intrinsic and extrinsic methods for providing benefits and rewards to
employees.
Feedback:
This method may bring effective and efficient results in Sainsbury's regarding
improvements in performance of employees (Clark, Feldman and Wójcik, 2018). When
workforce employed in the company is provided with feedback for their performance will lead to
bring effective changes. Workforce employed will come up with innovation ad creation in order
to get positive feedback from co-workers, collogues, seniors or top management. Providing
feedback does not only give clear direction for improvement but also encourages open
communication and allows continuous development process.
4. Analysis the challenges faced by the company to its future growth.
Every business faced some challenges in their career path. That give negative impact on
the organisation's growth. That challenges are as follows:
High competition:
Businesses are struggles when high competition is in market for same goods and services.
Sainsbury's manage the largest supermarket chain in market. Company faced high competition
from their competitors (Chen and Wang, 2018). It affects very badly to daily lives. Business
competition harm to businesses through various labour costs, production and price factor. But
most of time company learn from the high competition that how to manage the labour cost, what
kind of production done and what are the price of product fix. Competition when high then same
product come at market with lower prices, attractive packaging and additional quality and
quantity of product. For example: other company launch the same product which is also sales by
the Sainsbury's and its prices is lower from it, then company face problem. It is the very biggest
challenge for the company. So, it gives negative impact on firm and its productivity.
Technologies:
It is also a very biggest challenge which is faced by the company in their future growth
but it is also important for the future growth of the company and its employees. Technologies are
help to improve their productivity of company. For example: when management is not uses the
proper tools and technique in their all process like recruitment, selection, training, production
and operation department, then company face various problems regarding that in the future
(Dijkhuizen and et.al., 2018). It is critically analysis that the technology plays an important role

in production and operation department. Sainsbury's have not uses the online application and
tools for developing employees ability and improve productivity. So, it is the biggest challenge
which is faced by company in present and future.
Advertisement:
Advertisement is important part of business to promote their product and services in the
marketplace and also give knowledge about product to customer. For example; when company is
not uses the proper and useful advertisement technique to promote their goods and services, then
they face problem regarding to knowledge of particular goods to customer (Fasbender,
Wöhrmann and Klehe, 2018). It gives negative impact on the consumers. For this they can use
the proper advertisement tools and techniques to promote its. This will help to gain knowledge to
its customer regarding super market. So, Sainsbury's face this problem in future growth and it is
not good for the company growth and development.
Recruitment:
That is the big challenges which is faced by Sainsbury's in their future. Management of
company can minimize cost of the recruitment. By that management are able to eradicate the
costs on this process. For example: management invest on their recruitment process of employee
hiring. In that they can reduce the cost price. This challenge is faced by the company. That give
negative impact on the company's recruitment process. Recruitment process is critical process to
hiring candidates for the work role. Example: company when is not able to hire proper and
eligible people for work role, then they will face problem because not eligible candidate is not
able to give their contribution to achieve work goal of the company. So, that it give negative
impact on company and its faced by Sainsbury's (Rothwell and et.al., 2015).
That all challenges are face by the company on future growth and its employees
performance. It affects to productivity and profit of the company.
5. Suggestions to improve career planning and development process.
Challenges are faced by the company but it can be improve for future growth. Many
challenges are there which is affect to business. It can be overcome by making and creating some
strategies for develop career planning.
Digital transformation:
It is effective and best to improve the challenges by this they can increase the data and
analysis the actually what problem is faced by the company and what affect to company. To

overcome the above challenge is advertisement company Should use the effective and useful
technologies to improve their advertisement process (Taber and Blankemeyer, 2015). That can
be online marketing, software, online shopping, social media and webpages. Digital platforms
always help to improve their advertisement process of company. For example: when Sainsbury's
is uses social media to promote their products and services at marketplace, then management is
able to reduce advertisement cost by using online marketing. This help to improve advertisement
process of Sainsbury's. It will be effective and beneficial for the growth of company and career
planning and development process.
Encouraging differentiation:
Competitors will try to offer better customer services, product quality and marketing. For
overcome the high competition and maintain its productivity, Sainsbury's should encourage the
differentiation of product. By these customers will attract towards the product and services. For
example: management of Sainsbury's give better services, suitable prices, understand the needs
and demands of customers, use better quality of product and maintain its quantity which are
totally different form any other company's product and attractive (Clark, Feldman and Wójcik,
2018). It can reduce the chances of the of high competitions which are happing in market and no
one company attract their customer towards its. This help to improve the career planning and
development of company and also help to improve productivity of the company.
Automated software:
Software are plays an important role at the market and in business. To overcome the
challenge of recruitment process Sainsbury's should use automated software in their recruitment
process. This help to reduce time and cost which are invested in hiring process. For example:
when company use the traditional and Morden method of this process, then they waste their on
this process. For that management of Sainsbury's can use the automated software to overcome
the recruitment process. By that company can save their time and use this in another process.
This software helps to company to hire new candidate using of social media, webpages, twitter,
Instagram and online interview (Jackson and Wilton, 2016.). This help to global level hiring
candidate for the company. This support to improve career planning and development of
company and also improve their recruitment process of company.

6. Summary of all the key points of the projects.
Career planning and development takes place in growth of the company. It is the
continuous ongoing process that aim is ensured about the business having the right people, at
right job at right time with right skills and knowledge of the job and work task. Career planning
and development is depends on the strength and weakness of company, selected career
opportunities, goals setting for achieve it, make effective planning resources uses and effective
evaluation for better result.
Sainsbury's is the largest super market store in the UK. Increase the quality of workforces
by using the effective methods. It can be increase by giving proper training and development to
employees. They can sets clear and achievable goals for the team. Management can manage the
performance of employees. Company can give motivation and satisfaction to employees by
giving effective and attractive rewards to employees. In that feedback plays an effective role.
Manager of Sainsbury's can give effective and special comments to their employee to motivate
them towards company growth and development. By these employees can give their hard
contribution to achieve work goal of Sainsbury's's.
Some challenges are faced by the company in its future growth. That are high
competition at marketplace. Is give negative effect on it. Technologies are also affected to
business growth of Sainsbury's. Recruitment of candidate also difficult challenge which is faced
by the company in their recruitment process. Marketing advertisement is very effective and
useful element which is affect to marketing process. For that some suggestions giving in the
report that is company can uses the automated software to improve recruitment process.
Company can use the differentiation techniques to faced high competition at market place.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it had been concluded that the career planning and development
has important part of the organisation. It helped develop planning for company growth and
productivity. Report had been covered by the assessment of strength and weakness helped to
overcome the elements which affected to company growth. In study also discussed on the
methods help to improve the efficiency of workforce of the firm. For that company organised the
effective training and development program, provided effective rewards to employees for
motivate them. In report also evaluated by the same challenges has affect and faced by the

company and also given soma suggestions top overcome that challenges. In also describe the
summary of overall project at the end of report.

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