Employability Skills and Professional Development Report - ALDI

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of employability skills and professional development, focusing on a sales associate role at ALDI. It begins with an introduction to employability skills and their importance, followed by a skill audit to assess personal roles and responsibilities. The report then delves into tools and techniques for enhancing interpersonal and transferable skills, including empathy, active listening, and negotiation. A personal SWOT analysis is presented to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The report also includes a performance appraisal and a professional development plan, including reflections on what was done well, problems encountered, and areas for further improvement. The conclusion summarizes key findings and emphasizes the significance of continuous professional development. References are provided to support the analysis.

Employability Skills and
Professional Development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Conduct skill audit to perform the personal roles and responsibility.....................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
a) Analyse tools and technique to enhance interpersonal and transferable skills...................2
b)Personal SWOT analysis.....................................................................................................5
c) Performa for individual appraisal.......................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
Personal and professional development.................................................................................8
TASK B.........................................................................................................................................10
What did I do well in the completion of my development plan?.........................................10
What were the problems?.....................................................................................................10
What do I want to further improve?.....................................................................................11
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Employability skill is determined as a transferable skill which is required by individual
person to make them employable. It includes knowledge, capability of individual person for
performing different task and work in an appropriate manner. Professional development is
considered as a process of increasing capability of subordinate by providing appropriate training
session to them. It helps organisation in building moral or confidence level of subordinate during
particular phase of time period. According to this report, the company is taken named as ALDI.
It is considered as international organisation which is located in Essen, Germany. There are
different variety of product and services such as grocery, household essentials provided by
company to its customer in order to satisfy them. There are around 8000 outlets of ALDI operate
at global level. It continues to boost their business in different countries such as Europe, North
America as well as Australia. This assignment includes skill audit, assessment of important
interpersonal skill, assessment of tools and personal SWOT analysis. In addition to this, they also
focus on performing appraisal of individual person, preparation and execution of professional
improvement plan. In addition to this, reflection is related to my personal and professional
improvement plan for further improvement are also explained in this assignment (Gerken,
Beausaert and Segers, 2016).
TASK 1
Conduct skill audit to perform the personal roles and responsibility
It is necessary for an individual person to achieve performance objective in timely manner.
Apart from this, it is critical to have a smart objective in order to minimise chances of deviation.
In context of ALDI, it provide me opportunity related to placement for the position of sales
associate that help in increasing my performance level in future period of time. It also increase
my skill for providing better services to its customer and enhance sales by approx 15% in a year.
Person role and responsibility For the position of sales associate, I am focusing on doing
various activities for generating awareness regarding products as well services and sustaining
trust and loyalty of customer and its employees. There are different types of personal
accountability which is going to be mentioned below:
 Increase the involvement of customer by communicating regarding the organisation and
also understanding their interest area in an appropriate manner. Furthermore, by gaining
1

more and more knowledge regarding the product I can resolve queries of client that help
in decreasing chances of dissonance.
 Cross selling is determined as appropriate strategy through which I have to focus on
generating more and more revenue in order to operate different functions and activities of
organisation in an appropriate manner. It increases the relationship of customer that help
in dealing with them in an better way by providing products and services at reasonable
price.
 Included in visual merchandising help me in represent goods into outlet for attracting
large number of customer and also analyse their need during particular phase of time
period.
Skill Audit it is considered as an important process for assessing and recording skills of
individual person or team member (Chowdhur and Miah, 2016).The primary purpose of
organising specific audit within ALDI is to assess the skill and competence which required and
they already have. Furthermore, it is considered as a prominent method that help in analysing
overall crucial skill that is required to execute specific job for the position of sales associate of
organisation.
Skills Good Average Poor
Complaint handling ✓
Persuasion skill ✓
Negotiation skill ✓
Decision taking skill ✓
Empathy ✓
Time management skill ✓
Problem solving skill ✓
Communication skill ✓
Technical skill ✓
2

TASK 2
a) Analyse tools and technique to enhance interpersonal and transferable skills
There are different kinds of tools as well as technique that are assessed for increasing
interpersonal and transferable skills which is going to be mentioned below:
Interpersonal skill included the strategy of individual person through which they can
capable to connect with other person of organisation in an appropriate way. There are various
roles and responsibilities of higher authority that help in increasing skill of employees in an
appropriate manner. The management team of ALDI focuses on increasing specific skill by
providing appreciation, listening opinions of staff member and also resolve conflict that help in
increases the chances of cooperation (Tan and Laswad, 2018).
Empathy it is determined as an emotional intelligence that is used for the position of sales
associate that help in understanding the feelings of other individual person within business
organisation. It creates synergy between relationship of employer and staff member by providing
positive atmosphere to other individual person within business organisation (Tran, 2017) It is a
type of skill that is needed to be improved and implement by sales associate into outlets of
particular organisation as by active listening to its staff member help in understanding their needs
and wants and also know the issue which is confronted by its customers during particular phase
of time period. Similarly in context of client, if they are not satisfied because of their past
experience than it is important to analyse their feelings and communicate or interact with them in
regular way for increasing their satisfaction level in future period of time. Hence it provides
assistance to other person in increasing understanding level between stakeholder of organisation
after using particular tools and techniques. Furthermore, increasing curiosity regarding others by
taking direct review is considered as a workable technique that help sales associate to understand
the situation as its provide appropriate understanding level regarding experience of customer or
not. These feedback or review can be taken by using digital media or any other source in an
appropriate manner. The feedback which is taken by customer helps organisation in providing
them products and services as what they need and satisfy them in timely manner. In context of
ALDI, they focus on bringing particular alteration or modification in its operations or function
that helps in providing convenient to its end user. The main objective of the specific
interpersonal skill helps in generate leads and achieve competitive advantage over rivalries at
market place.
3

The other tools and technique can be Active listener it is important for the position of
sales associate to have a skill of active listening that help in listening queries or issues which is
confronted by customers during particular phase of time period. It is considered as a practice that
helps in gaining more and more information by taking feedback from its customer. For
appropriate assessment, sales associate focuses on increasing their communication by responding
back to its customer and follow up calls that help in gaining final outcome in future period of
time.
Negotiation skill it is determined as other types of skill in which it is necessary for the
sales associate to discuss everything with its client as well as its staff and focus is on particular
conclusion in an appropriate manner. The organisation focuses on performing their work in
dynamic environment for favourable outcome in future period of time. There are various
situations or circumstances that are connected to customer in which the management team
needed to understand regarding various perspective and then offer appropriate solution during
particular phase of time period. The appropriate negotiation helps in increasing mutual
understanding between two people in better way. Furthermore, there are different tools and
techniques that help in maximizing or enhancing specific skill is considered as an organised
meeting. Therefore, for conducting this meeting, it is necessary to assess whole scenario and
thereafter improve them for final meeting. Specifically, it help in understanding the goal which is
achieved in future period of time and also they focus is on making appropriate strategy in order
to achieve objective in future period of time (Griffiths, Inman and Williams, 2018).
Communication skill this is considered as a capability which help in providing
information that is connected to organisation by interacting and connecting with is stakeholder in
an appropriate manner. The sales associate focuses on interacting with its customer and
increasing their awareness regarding brand, increasing level of experience of customer for
smooth running of organisation. Furthermore, there are various tools and techniques like active
listening which is necessary to be used by particular post rather all conversation will goes to
other direction. Also, deliver presentation this is determined as other technique which is useful
for overcoming from different kind of hesitation and providing information that is necessary for
achieving goals as well as objective in future period of time (Wolff and Booth, 2017).
Decision making skills it is determined as a process through which the organisation
focuses on external surrounding and gaining necessary information for finding proper solution. It
4

involves strategy or tactics selected for different option that help in achieving objectives in future
period of time. This method is utilised by sales associate which is completely depend upon
behaviour of consumer and various tasks which organisation can do for overcoming the gap that
helps in achieving goal in an appropriate manner.
Brain storming it is determined as appropriate tool that help team member to share their
point of view or ideas that help in dealing with different critical situation in an appropriate
manner. This innovative tool and technique help in taking appropriate decisions that help in
achieving favourable outcome in future period of time Ayoubi, Alzarif and Khalifa, 2017).
Transferable skill this skills are adopted for increasing knowledge of an individual person
that can be transfer from one person to another person. It includes conflict resolution, time
management, problem resolving and other activities that help in making appropriate strategy for
smooth running of business organisation in future period of time. There are several transferable
skills that are required for the position of sales associate which is going to be mentioned below:
Problem solving is it is determined as a most important skill for the position of sales
associate in which they focus on eliminating the possibility related to frustration of customer
throw confronting their issues in an appropriate manner. It will provide assistance to ALDI to
decrease pessimistic chances and assess innovative method for resolving different issues and
problems in an appropriate way. In addition to this, all functions and activities of organisation
can combat several types of problem to increases skills related to problem solving. It is necessary
for top management of chosen organisation to provide training session to its sales associate for
smooth running of business organisation. It provides assistance to its staff member to identify
issues which must be resolved in particular phase of time period (Griffin and Coelhoso, 2019).
Time management skills this is determined as a skill which is used for managing time for
executing different activities and function of organisation in an appropriate manner. It also helps
in increasing productivity level in future period of time. Apart from this, for the position of sales
associate, it is necessary to perform different work in an appropriate manner and also need to
prioritise workload according to different activity for which they needed written down routine
activity. Furthermore, it is also necessary to decreasing chances of distraction through which
concentration is offer to its subordinate during particular phase of time period.
5

b) Personal SWOT analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
My strength is my communication skill as
when I interact with staff member that help in
increasing understanding regarding message
that is delivered to them. Furthermore, it is
necessary to increase knowledge regarding
product as well as services of ALDI that help
in dealing with its customer in an appropriate
manner. It increases the optimistic behaviour
of its consumer regarding organisation and
resolve issues during particular phase of time
period. The appropriate communication is
important for own post of retail sector. As I
have to interact with other staff member by
using virtual channel or any other medium. It
also involves active listening capability that
helps me in understanding the problem or
queries of customers during particular phase of
time period. It also helps in maintaining
interpersonal skill with its client in an
appropriate manner. This kind of skill aids
assistance in executing different role like
greeting clients, describing to user and take
order in an effective manner. By using
communication and interpersonal skill, it helps
me in understanding the interest level of
customer and interacts with them in an
appropriate manner. In reference of loyal as
I needed to put contribution regarding
complaint handling but several times, I cannot
capable to manage difficult circumstances or
resolving the queries and resonance of its user.
As I have appropriate knowledge regarding the
product as well as services provided by
organisation and also to its brand. Therefore,
by concentrating on this skill, I will learn
innovative skills that can assist me in
confronting complaint of its user in an
appropriate manner and decreases the
profitability of organisation. It is necessary to
provide attention to its customer for
performing different task in an appropriate
manner. Therefore, because of increasing
burden of task I have not perform different
work in timely manner that is considered as a
weakness for me while performing various
functions and operations of business
organisation.
6

well as trustworthy customer, I am focusing on
cross selling strategy. Therefore, my strength
do not execute for satisfying the need of client
and motivate them for managing superior
relationship with customer and increases the
goodwill and reputation of organisation.
Opportunities Threats
With increasing awareness regarding customer
and their engagement towards online shopping
which is considered as an opportunity for
ALLD on which they focus on conducting
different task in an appropriate manner. By
using innovative technology and innovation
determined as an opportunity for me within an
organisation that I needed to obtain or remain
flexible to use modification for the welfare of
business organisation.
Because of improvement of retail industry and
there are various competitive organisations
who provide similar kinds of products and
services to its user is considered as a threat to
organisation. Therefore, it is considered as a
challenge for the post of sales associate that
increases insecurity pressure related to job
during particular phase of time period.
c) Performa for individual appraisal
Individual appraisal is considered as a process in which the management team provide
facility to take feedback from person according to their performance in previous time
(Bridgstock, 2019) it provides direction to the activity of its employees and enhances its
performance level on regular basis. The primal significance of this procedure helps individual
person in gaining knowledge regarding skill they want to improve in order to conduct overall
performance in an appropriate manner. Therefore, the individual person focuses on increasing
knowledge and skill that help in achieving goals as well as objective in future period of time.
Hence, the position of sales associate in ALDI my performance appraisal is going to be
mentioned below:
Quality Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Good Excellent
7

Work relations ✓
Work quality ✓
Integrity ✓
Time management skills ✓
Technical skills ✓
Decision making skill ✓
Communication skill ✓
Problem solving skill ✓
Empathy ✓
Therefore, according to my performance appraisal it helps me in increasing the skill
regarding handling different circumstances in an appropriate manner. It also helped me in
achieving goal as well as objective in future period of time. In addition to this, time management
as well as development related to technical knowledge is needed to be improved more that help
in achieving favourable outcome in upcoming period of time (El-Temtamy, O'Neill and Midraj,
2016).
TASK 3
Personal and professional development
Personal as well as professional development is considered as a process through which
organisation and person focuses on involving into procedure of learning that help in facing
challenges and achieving objectives in future period of time. Furthermore, it means the
individual person focuses on achieving objective and favourable outcome to execute whole
analysis in an appropriate manner. The main objective is to concentrate or focus upon weakness
of individual person in order to overcoming from shortcoming that is required for success or
growth of organisation.
8

Development areas Clear aims &
objective
Resource and activities Time scale
Time management
skills
The main goal and
objective is related
to managing time
help in maintaining
the procedure in an
appropriate manner
and reduce the
chances of
destruction which
results in
performing different
activities and
function of
organisation in
systematic manner
for increasing
progress in future
period of time
(Heflinger and
Doykos, 2016).
In context of ALDI, they
focus on providing effective
training session to its staff
member for increasing ability
in future period of time. By
attending different seminar I
as well as another subordinate
of organisation increase
knowledge regarding various
methods in order to handle
different task in an
appropriate manner. Also I
acquire various benefit or
advantage by this and I can
alter my behaviour and
attitude towards task or work
which help in achieving
profitability as well as
optimistic results in future
period of time.
30 to 60 days
Complaint handling The primary
objective of
handling
complaint is to
provide
attention to its
queries or
I have to use a significant
capability that is beneficial
for enhancing the behaviour
and attitude of its user by
using oral and written
communication with
customer that can aids
45 to 60 days
9

dissonance of
customer and
make
appropriate
efforts or
contribution to
alter attitude or
behaviour of
customer
towards product
and services of
business
organisation.
assistance to organisation in
resolving different queries of
client and promote them to
become the part or parcel of
ALLD for longer period of
time.
TASK B
What did I do well in the completion of my development plan?
After the 60 days of my placements, I frames personal and professional development plan
to concentrate on the field which I have to increase or needed to put more effectiveness on that
for executing my duties and responsibilities as well as roles in to ALDI in appropriate and
adequate form. According to the assessment of skill audit, I get to know about my capability and
weaknesses through which I find out the complexities for suffering the conditions and responses
or guidance received from other people like manager and teammates which assisted me for
incorporating entire PDP plan. Thus, also I was somewhat curious or acknowledging the areas or
abilities in which I was either good or average (Suleman, 2018). The rationale of development of
such feelings is that I acquired the efficiency perspectives about myself as well as knowledge
about how actually I needed to execute my work appropriately and efficiently. Moreover, in case
I defined about the assessment then at starting I was in-cognizant towards how the overall PDP
plan needed to be executed cause of which I can capable to find out the complexities as well as
confusion for carrying out the plan in effective form which will directs me regarding acquiring
10

effective results. Converse, as I was acknowledged about the time scale so I determined the time
duration that are to be needed for developing my knowledge, abilities and hand over particular
timeframe effectively as well as efficiently. Therefore, the entire processes helps to know and
acknowledge the abilities in clear manner on which I am poor or average and effectively assisted
me to accept the required tools for developing the same. The main goal and objective is related to
managing time help in maintaining the procedure in an appropriate manner and reduce the
chances of destruction which results in performing different activities and function of
organisation in systematic manner for increasing progress in future period of time.
What were the problems?
The major and key complexities which I have gone through while preparing Personal and
professional development plan was incompetent direction that majorly directs regarding
complexities as well as caused miscommunication and mismanagement cause of I offered more
that desirable time frame for attaining the work in effective and adequate form (Di Gregorio and
et. al., 2019). Moreover, I took helps from my colleagues of teammates but cause if undefined
and unclear data as well as range of perspectives and insights do not workers into my favour,
Although, there are several situations into establishment so this is not important that if particular
abilities do not work at one situations then that will not work on another also. Such as I feel that
an average upon determination making abilities but few times during determination devising I
offer effective and worthy suggestions that are assumed by the another workers into
establishment. Even though, many time when I has to make the final decision, I remain stunned
towards which alternative may be included as the best potential away for offering appropriate
and adequate results. Therefore, there are explicit abilities on which I am poor such as time
management, problem solving and many more. So I will have to widely put more effectiveness
for developing my skill and get over probabilities of doing mistakes by executing significant
potential as much I can.
From the above complexities, I has been summarised that when I formulated and created
the PDP plan I suffered divers types of disquiets that affect the aims and goals which I wish to
accomplish (Adeyinka-Ojo, 2018). In context of that, it is much possible to assess each aspect of
oneself to develop execution through making concentration on my weakness and issues as well
as complexities in adequate and appropriate form.
11

What do I want to further improve?
As now, I has acquired the experience and knowledge for preparing the personal and
professional development if in upcoming time when I get the chance of framing and developing
this, then I can design it ineffective and adequate forms as well as administrate my time as per
this. Earlier, this is very much complex and hard for me to take my huge and more effectiveness
and invest time but in upcoming time if I execute the same work and task then I can capable to
do that in more development and amended form or n appropriate manner. Along with this, if
there is any kind of issues and complexities rather than taking help from my teammates, staffs
and colleagues I will tale help form my specialist who will aids me for executing my work in
more positive and favourable manner so that I can perform my work in more developed way.
This plan enables me in determining and monitoring the diverse circumstances as well as how I
dealt with that doe doing and executing adequately and attain my task with probable outcomes
(Kenayathulla, Ahmad and Idris, 2019). This can further be used for representing the new
benchmarks and standards with the objective for developing and enhancing up entire abilities as
well as obtain efficient position but my execution and develop or improve numerous abilities that
is required for executing the responsibilities and accountabilities in reference to accomplish
organisational and personal objectives. Therefore, the existing execution can be further helping
me to improve my existent abilities as well as attain the growth option in adequate and
appropriate manner.
CONCLUSION
From the above defined information and content, this has been concluded and
summarised that employability abilities is most essential capabilities as well as keeps and
manages efficient significance into enterprise or establishment. Thus, employees or managers are
responsible to develop the abilities of its individuals and people of company so that they can
perform their work and task effectively as well as to able to handle the situations effectively. The
role and duty of skills audit to determine the places upon which an individual have to focus on
for accomplishing business aims and goals. There are majorly several types of abilities which
come under interpersonal or transferable abilities so this needed to be utilised in to diverse
situation and circumstances in effective and efficacious manner. Furthermore, the aim and
objective of personal and professional development plan is to execute shortcomings for particular
12

time period for accomplishing long term and time revenue. This assignment includes skill audit,
assessment of important interpersonal skill, assessment of tools and personal SWOT analysis. In
addition to this, they also focus on performing appraisal of individual person, preparation and
execution of professional improvement plan. In addition to this, reflection is related to my
personal and professional improvement plan for further improvement are also explained in this
assignment.
13

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Adeyinka-Ojo, S., 2018. A strategic framework for analysing employability skills deficits in
rural hospitality and tourism destinations. Tourism management perspectives, 27, pp.47-54.
Ayoubi, R.M., Alzarif, K. and Khalifa, B., 2017. The employability skills of business graduates
in Syria. Education+ Training.
Bridgstock, R., 2019. Graduate employability 2.0: Learning for life and work in a socially
networked world. In Education for Employability (Volume 1) (pp. 97-106). Brill Sense.
Chowdhury, T.A. and Miah, M.K., 2016. Employability skills for entry-level human resources
management positions: Perceptions of students and employers. Australian Journal of Career
Development, 25(2), pp.55-68.
Di Gregorio, A. and et. al., 2019. Employability skills for future marketing
professionals. European management journal, 37(3), pp.251-258.
El-Temtamy, O., O'Neill, K.K. and Midraj, S., 2016. Undergraduate employability training and
employment: a UAE study. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.
Gerken, M., Beausaert, S. and Segers, M., 2016. Working on professional development of
faculty staff in higher education: Investigating the relationship between social informal learning
activities and employability. Human Resource Development International, 19(2), pp.135-151.
Griffin, M. and Coelhoso, P., 2019. Business students’ perspectives on employability skills post
internship experience. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.
Griffiths, D.A., Inman, M and Williams, K., 2018. Transitioning student identity and sense of
place: future possibilities for assessment and development of student employability
skills. Studies in Higher Education, 43(5), pp.891-913.
Heflinger, C.A. and Doykos, B., 2016. Paving the pathway: Exploring student perceptions of
professional development preparation in doctoral education. Innovative higher education, 41(4),
pp.343-358.
Kenayathulla, H.B., Ahmad, N.A. and Idris, A.R., 2019. Gaps between competence and
importance of employability skills: evidence from Malaysia. Higher Education Evaluation and
Development.
Suleman, F., 2018. The employability skills of higher education graduates: insights into
conceptual frameworks and methodological options. Higher Education, 76(2), pp.263-278.
Tan, L.M. and Laswad, F., 2018. Professional skills required of accountants: what do job
advertisements tell us?. Accounting Education, 27(4), pp.403-432.
Tran, L.H.N., 2017. Developing employability skills via extra-curricular activities in Vietnamese
universities: Student engagement and inhibitors of their engagement. Journal of Education and
Work, 30(8), pp.854-867.
Wolff, R. and Booth, M., 2017. Bridging the gap: Creating a new approach for assuring 21st
century employability skills. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 49(6), pp.51-54.
14

15