Marks & Spencer: Employee Training & Development Program Analysis

This essay examines the training and development programs at Marks & Spencer, focusing on various methods used to enhance employee performance, skills, and knowledge. It discusses on-the-job training, induction programs, and technology training, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages in the context of Marks & Spencer's operations. The essay also explores employee development methods such as employee training, effective coaching, and leadership mentoring, assessing their impact on team bonding, self-confidence, and creating a positive work environment. Furthermore, the essay provides recommendations for improving these programs, such as implementing fixed schedules, increasing physical training, and ensuring mentors remain patient. The analysis concludes that continuous training and development are crucial for enhancing employee productivity, reducing turnover, and fostering a cooperative organizational structure at Marks & Spencer.

Training and
Development Programs

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Training..................................................................................................................................3
Development...........................................................................................................................6
Recommendations............................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
To run a successful business an organisation needs to run employee training and development
programs. These programs not only provide opportunities for employees but also enhance their
productivity and improve company culture. These programs are an integral part of the
management. These programs create healthy environment, improve quality of work, build team
spirit and also motivate employees to perform better. These programs help in understanding the
employees by reducing their dissatisfaction and complaints towards the company (Chazan-Cohen
and et. al, 2017). For the purpose of this report the employees of Marks and Spencer are taken
into consideration.
MAIN BODY
Training
Training is an important part of an organisation for its development and success. It is a program
conducted within organisation for employees to improve their performance, skills and
knowledge. Training enhance the personal growth of employees and also build team spirit within
them. Some of the methods used to train employees are:
On job training
In this method of training new employees are instructed by some experienced employee. This
method improves the practical skills of employees. It is one-to-one training method where
employees can find answers to their quires directly from the instructor or supervisor. This
training method enables the manager to manage or guide the employees to carry out everyday
tasks (Dwyer and et. al, 2018). In context of Marks and Spencer, company's experienced
employees share their unique internal experiences in order to provide relaxed and supportive
environment to the new employees.
Advantages
 Practical knowledge: The employees works in actual environment rather than artificial
environment. This method is does not need any theoretical work instead it provides
practical knowledge to employees where a manager assigns them some tasks to perform.
 Quick learning: This method is less time consuming. It helps in learning quickly as it
provides information about where and when an employee is needed the most. Therefore,

no extra time is wasted in understanding the system. Marks and Spencer employees
delivers the relevant information to the trainees in order to consume time. Immediate Productivity: The employees develops their skills in short time. Immediate
productivity is achieved as the employees works in team and this makes company assured
that their resources are being used in right way. Experienced employees of Marks and
Spencer encourage and provide coaching to trainees for increasing productivity.
Disadvantages
 Rushed Process: This training is highly chaotic and disorganised. Employer wants its
employee to work as soon as possible therefore this process results into rushing of things,
confusion and doubt within employees (Gleason and Hays, 2019)
 Accident Possibility: As the trainees are learning in the real production conditions there
are changes of accidents as they lack the knowledge and dexterity of working with the
resource.
 Low Productivity: Trainee may lack motivation towards receiving training this results
into low production. As the experienced employees are involved in the training programs
it means that they are unavailable to work hence it may lead into lower productivity level.
Induction programs
Induction program is provided for new employees to give them information about the company
policies. This program includes tour of the company premises, introduction with colleagues,
health and safety information (Jacob, Hill and Corey 2017). In the induction program Marks and
Spencer educates the new employees about the history of the company and organises team
building exercises.
Advantages
 Saves time: Induction Program saves time as it provides all the necessary information
about the organisation to the new employee. An employee can easily adapt to the
environment and delivers results quickly by understanding his role within the company.
 Ensure efficiency: An employee becomes familiar with the firm's work, culture, vision,
goal and environment through induction program this helps in enhancing their efficiency
quickly.

 Establish good communication: A new employee is able to communicate properly with
the organisation with the help of Induction program. As the new employee is introduced
with the other employees, directors and managers of the organisation.
Disadvantages
 Too much information at once: An organisation tries to provide all the information at
once that can trigger the stress within the employee.
 Getting lost in details: Many organisation focus only on the formalities rather than
knowing the new employee. The employee gets lost in the details provided on the very
first day and it demotivate them (McComb and Eather, 2017).
 An impersonal induction experience: New employees have their own expectations of
their role which company forgets to acknowledge and forgets to provide personal
information to them.
Technology programs
Technology training improves the technical skills of an employee. Marks and Spencer provides
an 18-month data fellowship program under which employees get training in data analysis. This
program makes them a digital expert by providing unique knowledge in programming language.
Advantages
 Learning experience: With the help of this program an employee has an access to new
tools and technology. This evolves their creation and open doors for new opportunities.
 Provide long term benefits: The knowledge an employee has acquired during this
program remains with him throughout his career. This program takes short time but gives
a long term benefit. Cost- effective: This program is in digital format which reduces the engagement of
physical training rooms and equipment’s. Employees only need to have a smartphone or a
computer device and internet connection for learning (Rehfeld and et. al, 2017).
Disadvantages
 Lack of human interaction: These training programs lacks social interaction with other
colleagues or instructors. Employees feel isolate which can be frustrating and
demotivating for them.

 Unstructured learning: There is no fixed routine or schedules this makes easy to put off
learning process. The unstructured learning can cause a problem and demotivate the
employees.
 Technology meltdown: Online learning needs upgraded equipment’s and reliable internet
connectivity. If the employees' equipment is incompatible or unreliable internet
connection, then they will not be able to learn.
Development
Development is a process in which an organisation train its employees to improve their exiting
skills and develop new ones to achieve firm's goal. Development programs modifies employee's
thoughts and behaviour in such a way that builds a healthy work environment (Savina and et. al,
2020). Development programs prepares an employee for any future challenges. Some of the
methods used for employee development are:
Employee Training
Training methods helps in establishing basic knowledge of working environment to the
employees. In the case of Marks and Spencer, training programs builds companionships and
reliability at workplace. This method develops skills of employee through lectures, videos,
exercises and individual or group based activities (Slocum and et. al, 2019).
Advantages
 Improves performance: Training programs improves the performance of employees. It
helps them to improving their existing skills and developing new skills.
 Team bonding: Employees' training is organised in groups which improves the team
boning within them. When employees get engage in producing quality products they need
help from other departments then they will work together. Improve self-confidence: Training programs increase self-confidence within an
employee. During the training programs trainee get to know about each process of
making products which make them aware about everything related to the company.
Disadvantages
 Lack concentration: Sometimes excessive of training results into loss of concentration
and productivity among employees. The workload or pressure of performing well results
into lack of interest.

 Increase Stress: The long process of training exhausts the employees which makes them
stressed. In order to keep employee updated company runs hours of meetings which
makes employee frustrated.
 Loss of interest: Too much theory lessons for long hours make employees' learning tough
and hard to remember which results into lack of interest in the session.
Effective Coaching
Skilled coaches share their work experience with employees. In Marks and Spencer coach
polishes employees' skills and helps them in working on their growth (Chazan-Cohen and et. al,
2017)
Advantages
 Positive environment: Leaders create a positive and stable workplace environment for
employees. The leaders provide feedback to the employees to encourage them to face
difficult situations in future. Turn weakness into strength: Leaders analyse the internal weaknesses in the professional
environment and by implementing required actions turns them into strengths. This
increase the overall performance of the organisation.
Disadvantages
 Ineffective coaching: Coaching style needs plenty of time, concentration and patience
which is not possible for everyone to achieve. Leaders may get frustrated by continuous
quires of learners (Dwyer and et. al, 2018).
 Different approaches: Each coach have different approaches to train employees. The
styles of training changes according to the situation which can lead into misunderstanding
and confusion between the employees.
Leadership mentoring
In this method a Senior leader or manager takes the junior employees under their supervision and
train them to develop their important or relevant skills. Marks and Spencer provide single time
mentoring sessions for career planning to build the interest of employees towards company.
Advantages
 Create professional relationship: Mentoring helps in building relationships where
employees praise and protect each other. Mentoring provides support network at work
place.

 Give confidence to new employees: Mentor helps new employees in learning the internal
environment of the firm and in communicating with everyone efficiently (Gleason and
Hays, 2019).
Disadvantages
 Time consuming: To become a mentor is not an easy task, it requires a lot of training
classes, work experience and patience which is a time consuming process.
 Creates Loyalty issues: The new employee and mentor may have some legal, ethical or
moral issues between them which can create conflicts or loyalty issues between them.
Recommendations
Training and development programs are an important part of all the organisation. Not all the
employees have the same level of talent and skills when they join the organisation. Company
needs to organise orientation programs to know their new employees. A fixed schedule or time
management must be implemented in order to decrease the hours of training programs. More
physical training programs must be organising rather than virtual training to make employees
social. The mentors or managers must train themselves to remain patient or calm during training
programs.
CONCLUSION
Employees training and development programs are important for enhancing their performance.
Training and development programs help employees in managing tasks in teams or individually.
Organising these programs regularly improves the productivity of employees and reduce
employee turnover. Training programs helps in creating team spirit within employees while
development programs create opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge to achieve
better growth in career. Therefore, every business must constantly provide training and
development programs for employees to mould the attitude of employees for better co-operation
with the company. These programs support in building a satisfactory organisational structure.

REFERENCES
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Jacob, R., Hill, H. and Corey, D., 2017. The impact of a professional development program on
teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching, instruction, and student achievement.
Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness. 10(2). pp.379-407.
McComb, V. and Eather, N., 2017. Exploring the Personal, Social and Occupational Elements of
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