Managing Talent: A Study of Strategic Initiatives at John Lewis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of talent management strategies at John Lewis. It begins with an introduction to the importance of talent management and outlines the research aims, objectives, and questions. The project plan details the time, quality, and cost considerations, along with the use of WBS and Gantt charts. The research section presents secondary data on the significance of talent management, new initiatives such as training and development, and the challenges faced by John Lewis. The research methodology includes a positivism philosophy, deductive approach, survey strategy, and quantitative data collection. Findings from a survey of John Lewis managers are presented through frequency distribution tables, highlighting the importance of strategic approaches, employee engagement, and new initiatives. The report concludes with recommendations for improving talent management practices, emphasizing communication, regular fund tracking, and fostering a positive work environment. The report aims to provide insights into the challenges and opportunities in talent management within John Lewis, offering practical recommendations for strategic improvement.

MANAGING A
SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESS PROJECT
(Types of new initiatives and innovative ways
of working do companies put in plan to achieve
a strategic approach to talent management)

TABLE OF CONTENT
SECTION 1- INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................3
SECTION 2- PROJECT PLAN.......................................................................................................3
SECTION 3- RESEARCH..............................................................................................................4
SECTION 4- FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................7
SECTION 5- EVALUATION.......................................................................................................11
SECTION 6- CONCLUSION........................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
APPENDICES...............................................................................................................................16

SECTION 1- INTRODUCTION
Companies or organizations in the world run by the assistance of their most important asset
known as employees. It requires proper attention towards every employee so that they could be
motivated to stay in the organization for achieving objectives (Ritz and Sinelli, 2018). For
fulfilling these motives organizations make talent strategies time to time for retaining,
developing and attracting qualified workers in the organization. The current project is based on
new ways and initiatives to strategic approaches to talent management and the selected
organization is John Lewis.
Research Aim: To identify the importance of new way of working for the fulfilment of
attracting and retaining talented employees in the workplace. A study on John Lewis
Research Objectives:
 To determine the significance of talent management in the workplace within organization
 To ascertain the different new ways and initiatives to have strategic approach to talent
management in the workplace within John Lewis
 To investigate about the challenges that are faced by John Lewis while implementing
new ways and initiatives of talent management in the workplace within John Lewis
Research Questions:
 Describe the significance of talent management in the workplace within organization?
 What are the different new ways and initiatives to have strategic approach to talent
management in the workplace within John Lewis?
 What are the challenges that are faced by John Lewis while implementing new ways and
initiatives of talent management in the workplace within John Lewis?
SECTION 2- PROJECT PLAN
Project management plan is referred as the systematic procedure to conduct project with
all the required resources. There are different types of components required for completing the
present project.
Time
It is defined as one of the most needed component of project management plan. Time is
needed for completing every task in an appropriate manner. The project manager needs 5 weeks
for achieving every aim and objectives (Alam, 2019).

Quality
In the current project, project manager has selected primary and secondary sources. Both
sources are great in carrying out high-quality piece of information in order to meet objectives
and aim of the project (Grit, 2019).
Cost
In simpler words cost is defined as needed money to take out each and every activity in a
manner so that predefined objectives could be attained. Project manager has taken assistance of
budget because it allocates required fund to do every activity. The amount needed is £400 to
successfully perform every task.
WBS
Work breakdown structure is an effective method to divide big activities into small tasks.
It is identified that small tasks are easier to complete than large activities. This particular
structure provides assistance to project manager to easily divide activities into task (Brčić and
Mlinarić, 2018).

Gantt chart
Gantt chart is generally known as timeline to complete every task and activity mentioned
in the project. This chart helps in classifying every activity with right time to complete them. It
mentions beginning and ending date of every activity so it becomes convenient for project
manager to perform all activities in a systematic way (Posner and Applegarth, 2019).

SECTION 3- RESEARCH
SECONDARY DATA
Describe the significance of talent management in the workplace within organization?
According to Santhanalaxami and Chandramohan (2019), talent management is simply
not just a key term for human resource that an organisation or an individual would come across.
It is concerned especially to the activities like selecting, managing, retaining and educating the
most skilled, excellent and superior employees in the company. The great talent management
process assists in testing the potential of employees and adding more value to the skills of
employees. This ultimately gives result of decreasing the chances of errors and generates
opportunity of learning.
In the opinion of Akar and Sharma (2018), talent management also helps in eliminating
poor employee engagement that directly assists in increasing the retention level of employees.
The most important asset that is employees are provided with opportunities of training and
development which is important to existing employees and new job seekers.
What are the different new ways and initiatives to have strategic approach to talent management
in the workplace within John Lewis?
According to Ntaopane and Vermeulen (2019), talent management of John Lewis comes
with initiatives and new ways so that their talented employees could be retained in the
organization for the maximum time period. Some of the initiatives to have strategic approach to
talent management are:
Training and development: In the view of Oseghale, Mulyata and Debrah (2018), John Lewis
believes in providing training to employees according to the need of time. These kinds of
training sessions assist in increasing the knowledge and improving the skills of employees so that
they could become more efficient in achieving their targets without taking make much time.
These trainings make employees to develop in their career as they are improving their knowledge
day by day in the organization.

Prioritizing needs of employees: John Lewis with the help of talent management easily finds
needs and requirements of employees at the right time and they provide benefits and perks
according to the employee’s requirement. The company makes sure that they give equal
importance to the needs of employees as they give to their fulfilment of objectives.
Perks and benefits:
What are the challenges that are faced by John Lewis while implementing new ways and
initiatives of talent management in the workplace within John Lewis?
According to D’Annunzio-Green (2018), every organization has to face different
challenges and difficulties at the implementation time of new ways and initiatives of talent
management because sometimes employees do not cooperate and sometime external factors do
not allow in implementation of strategies successfully. Some of the challenges faced by John
Lewis are:
Demand of employees: Mangers of John Lewis have to face problem while implementing new
strategies of talent management. Employees demand large amount of compensation and benefits
from the organization that becomes unable to provide it to every employee.
Need of high amount of investment: In the opinion of Mensah (2019), John Lewis has to keep
large amount of investment aside then only it becomes possible to give different types of benefits
to employees. Company has to invest big portion of money in the formation of talent
management strategies.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is described as procedure that provides assistance for collecting,
gathering, interpreting and analyzing data according to the project.
Research Philosophy
Research philosophy is defined as a process that gives foundation of conducting project
as it has variety of beliefs on which project is dependent upon. It has been classified in two main
parts that are positivism and interpretivism. Positivism philosophy chose by project manager as it
facilitates in successful evaluation of data presented in numeric format (Melnikovas, 2018).
Research Approach
Research approach refers to the method for analyzing every piece of information related
to the topic. It is being divided into two types that are deductive and inductive approach.

Researcher chooses deductive approach for measuring and analyzing quantitative information in
a very short period of time and it also does not increase the cost of project manager (Whicher,
Philbin and Aronson, 2018).
Research Strategy
Research strategy is defined as method that is available to researchers so that appropriate
information could be collected at right time. Grounded theory, experimental research, action
research, case study, survey etc. are some of the examples of this strategy. Project manager has
selected survey because it helps in gathering numerical information in the current project
(Ratnam, 2019). This particular strategy is helpful in taking out appropriate piece of information
in short duration.
Research Choice
Research choice is the method that mentions about the type of data to be gathered. It
provides two research choices that are qualitative and quantitative (Arantes do Amaral and et. al.,
2018). The project manager has dependent on quantitative research choice to gather numerical
information related to the topic. This kind of piece of information is accurate, appropriate,
relevant and authentic.
Data collection
Data collection is classified into two significant kind that are primary and secondary data
collection. The current project is dependent upon both the methods of data collection. Primary is
chosen to take out new or fresh piece of information by the assistance of survey strategy whereas
secondary method is chosen to take out existing information for filling the gaps in existing data.
This type of information is taken out by using sources such as journals, magazines, publications,
articles, newspapers etc (Shahar and et. al., 2019).
Sampling
Sampling is defined as effective method for choosing respondents from large number of
population (Zawacki-Richter and et. al., 2020). It has majorly two types known as probability
and non-probability sampling. Probability sampling is chosen by project investigator as it allows
choosing participants with no specific requirements. 10 managers are chosen as respondents
from John Lewis as they have great knowledge approaches to talent management.

SECTION 4- FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION TABLE
The collected information with the assistance of questionnaire is analyzed and evaluated
by taking frequency distribution analysis. MS-Excel is also used to form table and graphs so that
reader could understand the data clearly.
Q1) As per your opinion, does John Lewis should invest in different
strategic approaches to talent management?
Frequency
a) Yes 8
b) No 2
Q2) According to your knowledge, what is the importance of talent
management in the workplace within organization?
Frequency
a) Make employees engaged 3
b) Motivated employees 2
c) Skilled workers 2
d) Client satisfaction 3
Q3) What are the different new ways and initiatives to have strategic
approach to talent management in the workplace within John Lewis?
Frequency
a) Training and development 4
b) Great perks and benefits 2
c) Prioritizing needs of employees 2
d) Developing opportunities 2
Q4) What are the challenges that are faced by managers of John Lewis
while implementing talent strategies in the workplace?
Frequency
a) High demand of employees 4
b) Need of big investment 3
c) Conflict among employer and employee 3
Q5) As per your understanding, what would you suggest to John Lewis
for decreasing the number of challenges faced by managers of John
Lewis?
Frequency
a) More communication 5
b) Regular track on funds 3

c) Positive environment at work 2
Question 1: John Lewis should invest in different strategic approaches to talent management
Q1) As per your opinion, does John Lewis should invest in different
strategic approaches to talent management?
Frequency
a) Yes 8
b) No 2
Interpretation: From the above information majority of managers believe that investment in
strategic approaches to talent management is necessary.
Question 2: Importance of talent management in the workplace within organization
Q2) According to your knowledge, what is the importance of talent
management in the workplace within organization?
Frequency
a) Make employees engaged 3
b) Motivated employees 2
c) Skilled workers 2
d) Client satisfaction 3

Interpretation: With the data it is interpreted that 3 respondents said that engagement of
employees is one of the importance. Motivated employees, skilled workers and client satisfaction
are important for talent management.
Question 3: New ways and initiatives to have strategic approach to talent management in the
workplace within John Lewis
Q3) What are the different new ways and initiatives to have strategic
approach to talent management in the workplace within John Lewis?
Frequency
a) Training and development 4
b) Great perks and benefits 2
c) Prioritizing needs of employees 2
d) Developing opportunities 2

Interpretation: Training and development, great benefits and perks, prioritizing employees’ need
are some of the new initiatives of John Lewis strategic approaches to talent management.
Question 4: Challenges that are faced by managers of John Lewis while implementing talent
strategies in the workplace
Q4) What are the challenges that are faced by managers of John Lewis
while implementing talent strategies in the workplace?
Frequency
a) High demand of employees 4
b) Need of big investment 3
c) Conflict among employer and employee 3