Analyzing Talent Strategies: A Case Study on Marks and Spencer Project

This project is a comprehensive case study focusing on the talent strategies employed by Marks and Spencer (M&S) to attract and retain employees. The assignment begins with an introduction outlining the importance of talent management in the business environment and sets out the aims and objectives of the research. It delves into the project management plan, covering cost, time, scope, quality, communication, risk, and resources. The project also includes a work breakdown structure and Gantt chart to visualize the project's activities and timeline. A literature review provides the context for talent management strategies. The project explores talent management, identifies essential talent strategies, and examines their impact on employee attraction and retention. The report discusses the benefits of talent management within M&S and provides recommendations. The project includes a logbook in the appendices to document progress and reflections, and also contains research questions to guide the investigation.

Managing a Successful
Business Project
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Contents
Title: ‘What talent strategies do the best companies use to attract and retain people”- A Case
study on Marks and Spencer............................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Aims and objectives of the research............................................................................................3
A project management plan.........................................................................................................5
Produce work breakdown structure and Gantt chart....................................................................7
Small scale research...................................................................................................................13
Present findings and data...........................................................................................................15
Discussions................................................................................................................................22
Communicate appropriate recommendation..............................................................................22
Reflect value of undertaking project..........................................................................................23
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................25
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................26
APPENDICES...............................................................................................................................29
Log-book....................................................................................................................................29
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Title: ‘What talent strategies do the best companies use to attract
and retain people”- A Case study on Marks and Spencer
INTRODUCTION
Business environment are contingent in nature which affects the sustainability of
organisations operated at large scale. Thus, to maintain long term sustainability it is important for
management to carry out a project which makes their organisation strong and more competitive
in market. In the context of this, employees are considered as a valuable asset whose contribution
decides whether organisation can achieve its desired goals and objectives or not. Thus,
organisations need to take initiatives to attract new skilled candidates and retain experiences
employees so that maximum output can be received towards achievement of organisational goals
and objectives (Berger, 2020). The current project report is based on “Marks and Spencer’
which is presently engaged in providing wide range of products at global market. The company
was established in 1884 and founded by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer and having
headquartered in London, UK. It includes clothing, accessories, food products etc. The report
discusses the aims and objectives of research carrying out by researcher for its client i.e. M&S.
The report also briefly explains methods of research and other aspects required in carrying out an
effective research.
MAIN BODY
Aims and objectives of the research
Overview of the Research: In the context of Marks and Spencer, the management need
to identify the relevancy of recruiting new candidates and retaining experienced employees for
which their management hire a researcher who conduct research for them. As M&S is
multinational organisation which has attained strong market position at global level with the help
of their skilled workforce (Burns, 2016). Thus, it is important for the management to make an
effective decision for the betterment of its employees as well as an organisation which can be
possible only when their appointed carrying out an effective research and draw a justifiable
conclusion at the end.
The aim of research : aim of current research is Title: To explore talent strategies and
their importance in attracting and retaining of people. A Case study on Marks and Spencer
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Objectives of the research: The objectives of the research are:
 To analyse the basic understanding about talent-management and its strategies.
 To identify the talent strategies that are essential within an organization.
 To determine the ways for attracting and retaining of employees at workplace.
 To examine the relationship between the talent strategies and attraction and retaining of
employees.
 To measure different benefits that is achieved through talent-management within Marks
and Spencer. To determine the impact of talent-management in Marks and Spencer in relation to
retention and attraction of workforce.
Research Questions:
 To analyze the basic understanding about talent-management and its strategies.
 To identify the talent strategies that are essential within an organization.
 To determine the ways for attracting and retaining of employees at workplace.
 To examine the relationship between the talent strategies and attraction and retaining of
employees.
 To measure different benefits that is achieved through talent-management within Marks
and Spencer.
 To determine the impact of talent-management in Marks and Spencer in relation to
retention and attraction of workforce.
The research rationale is to produce better information about talent-management under
which ability to retain and attract skilled and talented employees is achieved in satisfactory
manner. The research significance is dependent over the importance that is processed as per
conduction of research and in this better knowledge about talent-management is addressed
through which modest outcome is achieved from which employee attractiveness and retention is
managed in controlled mode.
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A project management plan
A project management plan is a formalised document that consist of different objectives
and target that company wants to achieved within the specific period of time. In this productive
amount of changes is addressed by which ability to control and manager various functions and
operations of business is getting managed systematically. It also get promote efficient learning
and development and it is carried out with support of budget, finance, timeline, deliverables,
goals, scope and objective is carried out to manage and control that project is processed at right
track (Krishnan and Scullion, 2017). In support of this document sufficient collaboration of
several aspect such as communication and processing is undertake in timely constraint. It is used
by researcher to develop effectual understanding about adequate pathway that is followed to
complete the research in systematic format. It provide appropriate clarity so that ability to reduce
rate of redundancy is also get managed and controlled within timely constraint. It basically
consist of different task and activities that is required to be followed so that detailed analysis is
processed about the progression of research and it is as furthermore explained below as:
 Cost: It is a component that is used to make better estimation about the cost that is
associated with the completion of research. It is actually get offered by the business to
researcher and consist cost of travelling, legal compliances, research tool and technique,
equipment and miscellaneous (Rasul, 2018). It actually provide adequate pathway from
which it is easy researcher to divide overall task and time and it is completely dependent
on completion rate.
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 Time: It is an aspect that consist of different norm under which researcher get adequate
time period to complete certain task of a research so that productive outcome is
developed in timely basis. It usually consist of particular time period through which
ability to pertain persistent goals in timely basis is achieved with perfection. It promote
certain period of time under which ability to make profitable outcome is increases and
rate of suitable outcome also get enhanced (Möller and Halinen, 2017). For this research,
researcher need a time period of about 3 week within which all the task is segmented and
efficient outcome is conceived that is completely from any of risk. Scope: It is an ability of a researcher that defines that its research is either favourable for
the growth of business or not. In this long term sustainability is achieved by developing
higher effectiveness. For this various set of strategies and policies are induced by
researcher so that achievement of standardised objectives and target is perceived with
adequateness. It also get promote higher working standards in which all the resources is
effectively utilised. It also ensure that balanced deliverables is processed so that
productive amount of changes is addressed over regular basis. Quality: It is an essential prospect under which ability of a researcher to provide
favourable outcome is developed with balanced management (Stewart and Brown,
2019). In this suitable set of actions is taken by researcher so that productive rate of
outcome is generated. For this researcher collect and gathered different set of information
and statistics and make appropriate judgements so that sufficient utilisation and
interpretation of goals is pertained with perfection. Communication: It is a suitable mode under which information is transferred and
collected in form of better clarity and transparency (Mousa and Ayoubi, 2019). It is used
to promote working standards as if clear information is transmitted then ability of
researcher and other respondent is increases. It processed with support of suitable
transmission of goals and objective that promote balanced level of transparency. In this
authenticity is managed and for this researcher make adequate usage of internet services,
computer, face to face interaction and many other form as well. Risk: It is an aspect that define risk factor and in this rate of redundancy is reduced either
removed by researcher in clear manner. For this profitability and productiveness of
research is processed without measuring any loop holes. Thus researcher make suitable
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utilisation of different tools and techniques such as Gantt chart and work breakdown
structure that assist to segment overall task in slots so that productiveness of research is
enhanced.
 Resources: It is a basis under which researcher make adequate usage of various resources
that is required to manage various prospect of research (Pandita and Ray, 2018). In this
favourable outcome is collected by researcher as with the effective usage of printers,
equipments, tools and techniques, mobile phone, human resource etc. It is used to
develop satisfactorily outcome under which profitable outcome is developed that is
suitable for research completion.
Produce work breakdown structure and Gantt chart
Gantt chart: It is commonly used in project management as it is devised by Karol
Adamicecki, in the mid 1890s. It is an effective tool under which different activities get analysed
under which overall working standards of business get analysed in perfect manner. In this
researcher get better support as ability to understand and segment overall activity is enhanced
over continuous period of time (De Sousa Sabbagha, Ledimo and Martins, 2018). This is more
commonly used for tracking project schedule and used by researcher to make sure that suitable
decision making is processed as by removing complexity in ordinate manner.
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Work Breakdown structure: It is a structure that refers to the breaking of work into a
smaller task which is commonly productive technique used to make the work more manageable
and approachable. Work breakdown structure is a key project transferral that organizes the team
work in the manageable sections (Ramanathan, 2016). It consists of different elements such as
data, product, service or any combination. WBS also provides the framework for the cost
estimation and control along with the proper guidance schedule for the development and control.
It assist researcher to develop better understanding of project scope and description that must be
done at desirable period of time.
Literature Review
To analyze the basic understanding about talent-management and its strategies.
As per the viewpoint of Prarthana Ghosh, 2019, talent-management consist of specified
trends that is necessary to upraise human capital and renaissance at workplace. It is basically a
methodology under which organized and strategic functions are operated so that sustained
growth is measured. It is used to produce and develop optimized capabilities as by keeping
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standardized objectives and target in mind. It is a process that usually consist of identification of
talent gap so that vacant positions of the business is getting fulfilled with timely basis (Cappelli
and Keller, 2017). In this on-boarding of suitable candidates is induced as those having better
skills set and under which basic requirement and demand is getting satisfied in appropriate
manner. In this development of skills and abilities is induced by which adequate training and
development is processed so that long terms sustainability in attained in effective manner. In this
effectual engagement and involvement of various expertise is induced so that ability of business
to attain long term success and growth is measured with perfection. It also consist of various
elements that is needed to get ensure about existing skills and capabilities of employee has been
fitted within an organization (Alves, Dieguez and Conceição, 2019). In this generic progression
of various events is processed as by making ultimate change as by inducing planning, attracting,
selecting, developing, retaining and transitioning of several strategies.
To identify the talent strategies that are essential within an organization.
According to the viewpoint of Karim Ansari, 2020, a talent management is processed
with the effectual concept within which an individual get attract, retain and develop suitable set
of skills and knowledge on continuous period of time. It actually encompassed with the support
of organizational strategies that is used to design and achieve maximize potential and ability with
systematically (Collings, Mellahi and Cascio, 2019). It is basically used to promote as well as
allow various ways through which flourished outcome is developed. In this business make sure
to make better understanding about power that is used to analyze job description as it is an
essential strategy that outline specified various factors such as necessary skills and abilities. It
induces clear accessibility by which employee get fitted into the business culture in ordinate
manner. In this learning is processed as by providing appropriate couching and it is processed
with support of training and development. For this business collects feedback of employee and
then make adequate changes as per suitability and demand of business. It also being used to build
better trust and believe so that productive learning on consistent basis is developed. Furthermore,
several opportunities is offered to the business in which talented employee get retained and
attracted for longer period of time.
To determine the ways for attracting and retaining of employees at workplace.
As per according to the viewpoint of Greg Smith, 2020, engage and reserve young, and
educated employees are important in any business. Businesses can upgrade their abilities to
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engage, retain and improve by applying the five steps PRIDE process: Provide a positive
working environment, proper educated and trained managers play an huge role in effective
retention strategy (Ling and et. al., 2018). Mangers needs skills, tools and knowledge that help in
understand the employees in business and retain them in organisation. Recognize, reward and
reinforce and the right behaviour, a successful reward recognition program dose not have to be
complicated or expensive to be effective. People have basic needs to feel appreciated and proud
of their work. Involve and Engage, people are more engage and committed when they can
contribute their ideas and suggestions. Develop skills and potentials, for most employees, career
opportunities are just as important as the money they make. Managers should focus on
development of skills and potentials of their employees. Evaluate and Measure, continuous
evaluation and never ending improvement is the final step of the PRIDE system (Crane and et.
al., 2019). The evaluation process includes the measurement of attitudes, moral, turnover and the
engagement level of workforce. Thus it is very important for managers to retain and keep their
customers in organization.
To examine the relationship between the talent strategies and attraction and retaining of
employees.
As per the viewpoint of Fisher Vlsta, 2014, Talent-management and employee engagement have
become very important phrases in businesses (Mičík and Mičudová, 2018). It offer more value in
terms of revenue generation, client pleasure, product expansion and marketing modernism all
benefits that is used to accomplished task with perfection. Various links between the talent-
management and employee engagement: aggressive benefit connection, competition for talent is
fierce leading factor in terms of competitive reward. Recruiting, initial and retain talent are tools
that used to achieve better competitive gain. Performance improvement, talent join a company to
appreciate its product, as talent engage more fully in company's operation, assignment, project
that appreciation grow. Performance improvement is very important for an organisation for gain
competitive advantages. Reduce turn over, increase retention link, the more employees is
authorized and encourage to get connect in job, squad and corporation pains, the more they see
value. Worker stay with manger they trust (Elegbe, 2016). The more managers and employees
engage in continuous communication, the more trust develop in its relationship. Thus it is very
important for every manger to mange strategies for talent management that help the employees to
retain in the organisation.
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To measure different benefits that is achieved through talent-management within Marks and
Spencer.
As the the viewpoint of Emon Dastidar, 2019. talent management is essential to build a
stable employee base in company. It looks into the development of whole organisation, the need
of talent management dose not just include involvement hr departments, but also the decision
maker in the company as well. It involves the development of employee potentials according to
company strategy and aims. Furthermore, occupied personnel can prompt better result in
organisation. Well-built talent management strategies help about bringing and engaged
workforce and hire best employees for suitable job. A resourcing and talent-management system
simplifies the hiring process for mangers and applicant alike. It is a succession planing
framework helps to develop proper training and development strategies. With better training and
development sessions, employees will surly become better leaders in the future. Furthermore,
retaining best employees helps in nurture better stakeholder and leaders in the organisation. They
could help the organisation to grow faster and make their company successful by their skills and
talent (Ghasia, Wamukoya and Otike, 2017). Thus, talent management is important key to gain
success in organisation by proper training and development programs within the company.
To determine the impact of talent-management in Marks and Spencer in relation to retention and
attraction of workforce.
As per viewpoint of Minha Younas, 2019, Organisation require to design as well as
develop the talent management processes and practice to get better and keep employees career,
information, skills and align employees talent pool with strategic goal and objectives of the
organization (Podolsky and et. al., 2019). Talent management improves business performance
when there is proper allocation of work according to the employee’s skills and knowledge and
they are motivated which will provide a satisfaction to client and will increase the proficiency
and performance of the business .a systematic approach of talent management means that there is
a wide integration in a company and consistent approach to management , it translate in the
general communication and dissolve the squabble within an organization. Talent management
have a impact on the continuous coverage of critical roles, it will be prepared for the gaps in
critical roles and have a plan to address the critical and highly specialized roles to meet the
organization goals and objectives effectively.
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