Competency Gaps
Whole Foods, the supermarket chain engages in the retail of organic foods. Which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, has more than 80,000 employees in its workforce. After the acquisition of the organization by Amazon, the primary presumption is that the automation of different systems will replace the employees in the company. For this reason, a considerable number of employees are likely to be laid off. Unlike employees in other supermarket chain stores, the employees at Whole Foods are not unionized, which is a provision that would put the employees at risk after the merger (Pearson, 2012).
One of the organization’s core competencies is its ability to work towards ensuring that it appeals to its customers. The organization’s workforce is responsible for fulfilling this core competency by taking advantage of the expectations of the customers, consequently working towards exceeding their reputation. On the other hand, the organization is committed to its mission and vision, which is a provision that allows the public to perceive the company as one that values relationships over materials. It is difficult to determine whether there are competency gaps in the workforce based on the idea that the company empowers its staff to be accountable for team development. By empowering its staff, Whole Foods guarantees that the team members work together as equals (Pearson, 2012).
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There is a possibility of positing that Whole Foods' hiring process overrides the technical and industry competence, which is a provision that could be relied on when indicating that the measures put in place to identify competency gaps are implemented during the hiring process. According to Pearson (2012), the company reduces employee turnover through the implementation of strict hiring policies. The policies filter out staff members that are not considered fit for different positions in the organization or a particular team. The policies strengthen the existing teams in the organization, which is a provision that enables them to receive a competent employee during the hiring process. Additionally, the organization provides individual as well as teambuilding mentorship, which is a provision that seals possible competence gaps (Pearson, 2012).
The hiring policies in place could be considered as the human resources strategy that has enabled the company to realize low turnover rates and almost non-existent layoffs. On the other hand, the retention strategy used by the company involves the rigorous selection of staff. Conversely, all the employees undergo a 90-day probationary period, which is followed by a team as well as the evaluation by the management (Pearson, 2012). The strategy ensures that the employees remain motivated and contribute effectively to the objectives of the organization as team players.
Strategies
The appreciation of employees could be considered as one of the most essential elements that the leadership in an organization can do to retain their workforce. The bottom line of appreciating employees, including providing them with benefits such as incentives, is one of the provisions that will ensure the employees feel valued. For this reason, they are likely to utilize their talents fully with the knowledge that they are likely to be satisfied with their position in the organization. In this light, it is possible to take note of the idea that the talent development strategy employed in the organization is dependent on the provision that individuals flourish when they work in smaller teams that are part of the large organization (McChrystal et al ., 2015). This strategy allows the employees to support each other in supporting the different talents.
According to McChrystal et al . (2015), it is possible to determine that the strategy aligns with the goals of the employees. In this case, the small teams in which the employees work to make decisions regarding everything that goes on in the different stores. For instance, they have the freedom to select an individual they would consider to join their work teams. However, the teams have to observe democracy since the majority make decisions.
This strategy aligns with the company's organization goals in the sense that its primary goal is to ensure that the employees are happy. Once the employees are happy, the customers will, in turn, be happy. In this case, the company has the employee happiness embedded in the organization's mission. For this reason, the organization's investment in ensuring that their employees are happy is one of the driving factors behind their significant turnover rates. On the other hand, employee happiness is the other factor considered when indicating that the company has a low employee turnover rate. The employee retention rate in the organization is presumably one of the highest among the other retail organizations in the United States (Pearson, 2012). With the implementation of the employee-driven approach, the company supports them in ensuring that they fulfill the objectives of the organization. In this regard, the company focuses on pursuing strong leadership and ensuring consistent communication, which are the two fundamental provisions that enable it to retain its employees.
Training
One of the fundamental aspects of human resource management in contemporary business relates to the provision of training and development (DuBrin, 2012). This provision is primarily concerned with the enhancement of the performance of an employee, with the primary aim being that his or her acquired skills will be beneficial to the organization. The training and development need at Whole Foods are in inventory management. Inventory management refers to the specification of the details of the organization’s commodities in stock or on transit. The different provisions covered in inventory management are inclusive of elements such as lead times, asset management, costs attached to shipping and handling of goods, and the demand for the commodities, among other provisions. Providing training and development to the employees is in inventory management is one of the critical components that could assist the organization to save on the attached costs.
The most suitable way to provide training to the employees would be formal. In this case, the company implements the training provided through job instruction, which begins with the planning process, the recording of what should be done, and the presentation of materials on what a trainee needs to cover during the training process. Through on-the-job training, the trainer provides the trainee with the necessary steps, consequently receiving immediate feedback that could be used to measure the performance or skill acquisition of the employee (DuBrin, 2012). On-the-job training is beneficial in the sense that the employee will be exposed to the practical aspect of the process, consequently receiving corrections whenever necessary and possible. After the training process, the employee will be in a better position of implementing the practical aspects of the job, which is one of the elements that might be considered during team selection.
References
DuBrin, A. J. (2012). Essentials of management . Mason, Ohio: South-Western/Thomson Learning.
McChrystal, S. A., Silverman, D., Collins, T., & Fussell, C. (2015). Team of teams: New rules of engagement for a complex world . New York, New York: Portfolio/Penguin.
Pearson, K. L. (2012). Whole Foods Market Case Study: Leadership and Employee Retention (MBA Dissertation). Johnson & Wales University.
