Introduction to People Management

Introduction to People Management

Introduction

In the light of recent COVID pandemic, the dynamics of managing people in an organisation have completely changed. There are certain skills, knowledge and behaviour which the management must possess in order to successfully sustain the functionality of business operations. This report is going to contain an analysis of these required factors along with the issues faced by line managers when it comes to people management. It is also going to evaluate different Human resource process that identifies the issues in people management and provide support to attain effective management of performance of the UK-based fashion organisation Arcadia.

Founded in the year 2002, and operating from London, England, Arcadia Group Ltd. is a British fashion retailer which sells high-end clothes in multiple countries worldwide. This company has around 2500 stores in the United Kingdom alone, owning clothing brands such as Topman, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans,Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, and Wallis (Arcadiagroup.co.uk, 2020). Moreover, the revenue of this global giant is estimated to be £1.66 billion in 2017 (Arcadiagroup.co.uk, 2020).

Task 1

What contemporary issues face line management when it comes to people management

Arcadia is a multinational fashion retailer which has its headquarters in London, England. Having more than 2,500 outlets in the United Kingdom alone, with employing 13,000 people, Human resource and managers play a crucial role in the sustainability of this giant organisation (Arcadiagroup.co.uk, 2020). As such, the issues faced by line managers are just as severe posing a big challenge in maintaining the harmony of the work environment. Following are some of the issues:

• Compliance with Laws and Guidelines

This is one of the biggest challenge faced by line managers in the current scenario of COVID pandemic. New guidelines and regulations are issued by the government of the United Kingdom to ensure the health and safety of the workforce of different organisations which are to be strictly followed. Managers at Arcadia are in need to comply with all these laws all the while maintaining the production rate and performance of the business gaining profitability. It is very essential for line managers to obey the labour laws in order to avoid any legal issues which could prove to be very damaging for the reputation of a high-end fashion retailer like Arcadia (Oppenheim et al., 2020).

• Training and development of employees

Managers are responsible for training the workforce along with identifying the skills and talent of the employees and providing them room for improvement. It is essential for line managers at Arcadiato ensure that they are not only proving best products to their customers but best customer service as well. Since many employees of Arcadia group directly interacts with the customers, managers are tasked with training the employees in a way that a positive image of the organisation is projected through them when they communicate with their audience.

• Technological innovation

With the rapidly changing technology in the world, the fashion industry is also experiencing evolutions in terms of technology. Staying updated to such innovations is one of the biggest obstacle faced by line managers. Administration at Arcadia has to make use of innovations in the best manner possible while maintaining the traditional reputation of the organisation as well. One such challenge would be the implantation thermal trial rooms for winter clothing in the stores at Arcadia. Line managers must understand how this technology can be implemented and used by customers in order to stay ahead of the curve in the market.

• Gaining top talent

Finding and recruiting top talent in the market is very crucial for managers at Arcadia to achieve a competitive advantage in the industry. This is certainly very problematic as many of the company’s competitors try just as hard to recruit such employees. The line managers at Arcadia are responsible for offering lucrative payments and added benefits along with a safe and peaceful work environment in order to attract talented and skilled assets.

• Managing diversity in the workplace

Since Arcadia is a multinational fashion giant, the diversity among the employees of the organisation is just as vast. Line managers at Arcadia are tasked with ensuring a fair and secure work environment for employees belonging from different social groups, ethnicities and communities. Line managers are responsible for making the workplace devoid of any harassment and injustice to any of their employees or even the customers (Kamales and Knorr, 2019).

• Employee benefits

It is necessary for line managers to comprehend the concept of employee benefits and implementing it in a way that will be profitable for both the employees and the organisational business. Managers at Arcadia have to make sure to provide employee benefits that will be more motivational and pressuring all the while ensuring that it will not project negatively on the performance management of the company.

• Compensation

Providing compensation to employees without any conflict is a huge challenge for line managers at a big firm like Arcadia. Managers have to organise a balanced payroll structure that will satisfy the workforce as well as the management of the organisation. This presents an issue as the organisational objectives are often in conflict with the employee payroll benefits and perks. Managers at Arcadia have to deal with this issue without causing any damage to the reputation and performance of the company (Younget al., 2017).

Task 2

What knowledge, skills and behaviours are needed to be an effective people manager

To be an effective manager is a primary objective of managers existing at the Arcadia group. This company emphasis on managing its most valuable asset to the organisation, people. Managers at Arcadia are carefully hired and trained to be an efficient people manager. Following are some of the skills, knowledge and behaviours that a valuable people manager at Arcadia must possess in order to bring sustainability to the business of fashion retailing:

• Innovative ideas and problem-solving skills

Managers at Arcadia must possess skills and mind-set to solve problems with innovative thinking. Managers at this company not only have to find a solution to issues faced by the customers but also problems raised among the employees and work structure. For instance, the system of changing rooms or trial rooms have been affected because of COVID pandemic. Managers at Arcadia outlets must come up with innovative ways to provide safe and sanitized trial rooms for their customers without causing any discomfort to them (Proctor, 2018).

• Great communication

Having good communication skills is a fundamental factor for stable functionality of any business. Managers must have the ability to interact with their employees belonging to different levels and background. From the higher-ups to the staff, manages at Arcadia have to make sure that there is clear communication of goals and vision of their company through their workforce to the customers. Arcadia managers must be skilled at interacting with the customers as well, understanding their queries and requirements and assuring them an improvement in the organisation (Shimizu, 2017).

• Prioritizing the tasks

Arcadia being a giant company has varieties of tasks assigned to a manager. These managers must have the knowledge of how important each task is, what immediate or late effects it will have on the company's profit and how these tasks will be performed effectively. The jobs should be carried out accordingly by the managers at Arcadia and distribute the tasks among their staff in the most efficient manner. For instance, keep the trial rooms sanitized should be prioritized more than restocking the shelves at the outlets of Arcadia.

• Flexibility

Sometimes managers at Arcadia have to approach a problem in a different way than their traditional one. Managers at the organisation should have the flexibility to adapt to the different process in their business functions. Flexibility also refers to the managers' ability to adapt to the changing situation for the business and the organisation.For example, the physical retailing of the fashion industry has changed and the managers have to identify changed needs and demands of their consumers and alter their mode of operations accordingly (BarariNokashtiet al., 2018).

• Leadership qualities

This is probably the most important behavioural quality managers at Arcadia ought to possess in order to lead the business in a progressive way. Managers at the organisation must encourage their employees to do their best; simultaneously pointing out where there is a room for improvement. For this to be achievable, managers must have the ability to listen to their staff and possess empathy while offering them a solution to solve the issues. For instance, a manager at anArcadia store will not be able to manage the people effectively if he/she does not have the patience to listen and understand the concerns in the first place (Bryanet al., 2018).

• Macro management

In contradiction of the term micromanagement which refers to closely monitoring and controlling the work of the employees, macro-management refers to the abilities of managers to take a step back and give freedom to their staff for working the way they feel most productive in. This is a very useful skill as it allows the staff to give their best work while building trust between the workforce and management. Furthermore, this also shows that the managers at Arcadia are responsible enough to be held accountable for both the successes and failures of the business (Visser, 2018).

Task 3

What HR process underpin and support management when it comes to effective performance management

Human resource department compliments the management of the organisational business and functionality of any organisation. Here are some of the human resource processes that provide support to for efficient management of performance at British giant Arcadia:

• Defining organisational goals and visions

It is very crucial for the workforce of Arcadia to know the visions and values of the organisation in order to carry out their job in a way that is reflective of these organisational goals as well. Human resource strategy of defining and communicating the principles of Arcadia plays a vital role in achieving this. Employees of Arcadia will not be able to meet the expectations of effective performance if the goals are not clearly conveyed. A concise outline of objectives at Arcadia is achieved via different software that tracks the goals and objectives of the organisation.

• Employee Performance feedback

Providing performance feedback of the employees from time to time can prove to be very beneficial for maintaining a productive and healthy work environment. This HR process at Arcadia can provide motivation to the staff if they receive positive feedback on their performance all the while indicating where the staff needs to improve if they receive a negative response. This can be viable if the HR operations perform an evaluation of the employee performance and management as well (Greve and Gaba, 2017).

• Recognition and reinforcement

The HR process of recognizing different skills and potential of the employees at Arcadia is a very crucial step in order to offer different rewards and benefits on achieving a set target. This way, employees feel acknowledged and motivated to achieve productive work performance. Additionally, the staff knows what benefits they will receive if they perform as required by the organisation, further encouraging them. One of the biggest examples of this strategy is 'employee of the month' where every month, one employee who has worked best among others, receives lucrative perks.

• Implementing training programs

Human resource is tasked with training both the employees and the managers as well. Different training programs can be implemented to train managers to ensure that effective management of performance is seen through. This is a very crucial step as managers at Arcadia directly communicate and interact with the employees, thus understanding the organisational goals and structure by managers is vital for the functionality of the business and achieving profit (Mayfield et al., 2016).

• Planning regular meetings

This is a very innovative way to obtain a healthy and productive work environment. HR functions at Arcadia are responsible for setting up frequent meetings for managers and the workforce of the organisation to discuss the outcome of the company or its particular outlet (Ali and Akter, 2018). Doing so fosters a nourishing communication between the staff and make them comprehend the current situation of the business enabling them to strategize accordingly.

Conclusion

People management is of the essence in attaining sustainability in any business. Human resource and line managers at the multinational fashion retailer company Arcadia seek to achieve an effective performance of their workforce all the while maintaining a safe work environment. Due to the COVID pandemic, approaches to people management have evolved, but it remains crucial nonetheless. To sustain a stable operating business, line managers and Human resource department are in need of communicating and collaborating to attain efficient outcome in the business of Arcadia. As discussed before, a most important asset of any organisation is 'people', thus management needs to adapt different strategies and organisational plans to safeguard the success of the organisation as well as employee satisfaction.

Reference list

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