HRM FPX 5310 Assessment 2

Executive Summary

Fleet Farm & Home (FFH) currently has 18 store managers older than age 65, and nearly all of them are contemplating retirement. This poses a serious problem for FFH in a shifting economic climate. Therefore, there exists a need to implement a succession plan strategy charting job advancement throughout the company, addressing specific internal policies, and designing training programs, and then subsequently practical suggestions.

A well-structured succession plan will create career opportunities that motivate, develop, and train internal employees. Succession planning benefits are more capable individuals, fewer challenges in filling leadership roles, fewer chances of losing experienced leaders, less time and money spent on hiring outside candidates, and development of processes to enable management selection (“The 4 Key Benefits of Succession Planning in 2022,” 2022).

HRM FPX 5310 Assessment 2:Career Development Plan

A career development plan is essential in holding on to internal talent in FFH. According to the University of California, Berkeley, successful career planning and development align organizational goals with personal employee goals, and it is cost-effective to use existing employees for career development. Career development enhances employees’ motivation and productivity (“For Career Development | People & Culture,” 2022). FFH wants to develop a career development plan that will foster internal talent as well as provide opportunities for growth. The career development plan shall have the following elements:

• Establishment of a Career Ladder
• Establishment of Training Opportunities
• Emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The next three sections will touch upon these three very critical elements that are needed in preparing staff for long-term FFH work.

Implementation of a Career Ladder

Career planning begins with the determination of main career streams that align organizational needs and employees’ aspirations. FFH will need to establish a conventional career ladder system, where internal employees are promoted based on a combination of work experience, educational attainment, and available positions. This is a classic step ladder career path that allows for continuing career advancement until an employee departs to work for another company, retires, becomes mired in a step where additional promotion potential no longer exists, or is fired. The succession plan involves a tier and level model that determines an employee’s grade, number of direct reports, and type of compensation. Recognizing the problem posed by 18 managers who are more than 65 years old and are nearing retirement, the new career system will enable internal workers to advance in rank. Offering prospects for advancement is the most effective way to limit future turnover.

Creation of Training Opportunities

To create consistent employee growth, training programs should be developed to meet the necessary needs. Multiple types of training programs exist with which to advance the skillset of employees. FFH must implement Fleet, Farm, Home University (FFH University), educational development programs, and STA.

Fleet, Farm, Home University

FFH University is an online learning campus that offers differing learning modules, videos, and virtual classroom opportunities. While this technology is not specific to on-site job shadowing, it is a beneficial technology for ongoing learning and growth. Soft and hard skill building, job-specific training, and learning systems and software that are job-related are all found at the training location. All FFH positions have had required training that must adhere to company specifications as well as legal specifications.

For instance, if FFH has 20 internal managers, these managers need to be educated on daily functions, ethics, HR policies, labor and employment laws, and other training that will improve them as leaders. Offering a widely utilized platform for training, FFH can improve job performance and lead employees to success.

Educational Advancement

Most businesses today are offering tuition assistance to demonstrate concern for employee development. Education of employees can also help the company by improving the level of highly skilled employees and decreasing turnover. FFH will partner with local colleges and universities to offer tuition reimbursement, associate degrees, and trade certification programs.

These skills obtained from the programs will enhance workers’ candidature for promotion. Individual learning opportunities to advance studies may cover Commercial Driver’s License training, school of nursing, information technology certification, and leadership, entrepreneurship, retail management, and human resources certification.

Short-term Assignments (STA)

A short-term assignment (STA) is a four- to six-week assignment that allows employees to support another work location while getting some hands-on experience to facilitate transition to the new job. As Fleet, Farm & Home (FFH) continues to grow, every store location will have to identify its own good patterns of operations. Store managers have space for flexibility to change their stores in an effort to accommodate their customers’ requirements. Staff to be placed for short-term will have an assigned sponsor with whom to work and will be the liaison for communication during the term of the assignment. The mentor to be chosen must have worked within the organization for a minimum of two years, with stable leadership qualities, performance in their area of work, and deep comprehension and rapport in the corporation. On the successful completion of the short-term work task, they will be emotionally positive, competent, and aware of responsibilities in their own field of work and will be more job-contented, along with having a more powerful network within the company.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are fundamental corporate values of FFH. Retaining employees is imperative, and well-written career development objectives can go a long way in enhancing DEI and retention. Clearly defined career paths are most vital to underrepresented and diverse employees, who are even further alienated and disoriented at the workplace.

The moment an organization defines its career paths and promotion criteria and makes them public, it eliminates the possibility of racial or gender discrimination as the reason for promotion (“How Clear Career Paths Strengthen Retention—and Diversity,” 2022). In the spirit of advancing career growth, DEI affinity groups must be established, such as Women @FFH, FFH Pride, and StrongNAble.

Internal Policy Review and Implementation

To truly craft a growth-enhancing succession plan, FFH will be required to look to the past and apply labor laws and ethics in internal policy so that it ensures compliance and ethics in practice. These policies will be on growing internal development as well as how to improve employee retention and professional growth. Below are three crucial policies for FFH:

Code of Conduct Policy: 

It is significant that FFH has to have a Code of Conduct policy with behavioral standards for the employees and the managers. The managers must act as role models and must adhere to ethical practices. The policy must determine managerial boundaries based on the company’s Code of Conduct. Legally, all the workers should have equal chances of development, and it should be noted by the managers that inappropriate conduct—such as favoritism, hindrance of development on a personal basis, and misuse of authority—is unacceptable. The HR department should interact closely with managers to ensure that the conflicts of interest in the hiring process are not instigated. HR also educates managers on how to eliminate biases and offer equal chances to all the employees, thereby promoting diversity.

Performance Management Policy: 

Performance management must achieve high organizational performance through effective management of individuals and teams. Performance management involves expectation setting of managers and personnel, agreement on targets, measuring performance, and review (“Performance Management Policy | HR Expert,” 2022).

Through a performance management policy, FFH will be in a position to evaluate internal candidates’ performance, record development opportunities, and gauge readiness for new assignments. An effective evaluation process will enhance the possibility of internal candidates being promoted based on their contribution to the success of the firm and performance.

Employee Tenure Policy: 

Besides the performance management policy, there can also be an employee tenure policy, which can reduce the attrition rates, and that’s efficient employee retention. The policy can include at least the minimum tenure period before being promotable so that the employee gets ample time to learn skills and is job confident. Knowledge gained through in-job activities will make the majority of positions under the succession plan eligible for employees for career opportunities.

It would be better for FFH to implement a policy of at least one year in an employment position before one can be promoted. Exceptions, however, can be accommodated; for instance, in case an employee earns a related degree towards the end of their first year, then they can be promoted as long as they are meeting performance requirements and any other training needs.

Succession Plan

Fleet Farm & Home (FFH) has identified the need to replace a number of significant positions, such as one store manager, two assistant store managers, four shift supervisors, twelve department supervisors, and assistant department supervisors.

As FFH continues to grow and expand, there will be a succession plan that will identify vacant positions and the action plans required for workers to assume these vacancies.

It is important that the succession plan address employee development based on business needs so that the right individuals are placed in the right roles. The staffing requirements outlined in the succession plan will determine the skills, qualifications, and job titles for current and future roles.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Conduct interviews, train assistant store managers, and employ staff.
• Develop strategic plans to drive store foot traffic and sales by establishing target goals.
• Offer one-to-one managerial and supervisory training to develop employees.
• Coordinate day-to-day operations, such as measuring performance, budgeting, forecasting, inventory, and marketing plans.
• Hold monthly team meetings to celebrate success, review store performance, and implement training for sustained growth.

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Knowledge of at least six FFH store departments.
• Five years of supervisory experience.

Assistant Store Manager (Level 4)

Assistant Store Manager 1 Job Description/Responsibilities:

• Oversee inventory control and order supplies.
• Ensure store appearance meets company standards.
• Execute store manager duties in their absence.

Assistant Store Manager 2 Job Description/Responsibilities:

• Oversee the hiring and promotion process.
• Address employees’ issues, including salary adjustments and performance evaluation.
• Execute store manager duties in their absence.

Job Qualifications:

• College degree or within one-year completion.
• Three years of supervisory experience.
• Familiarity with a minimum of three FFH departments.

Succession Plan Requirements:

• Four years of management experience.
• Completion of required training in FFH University.
• Completion of 80 hours of job shadowing with the store manager.
• If applicable, training in “Making High Judgement Decisions—Hiring the Perfect Employee for FFH” to aid in hiring and promotion processes.

Shift Supervisor (Tier 3)

Job Description:

• Reporting directly to the store manager.
• Management of sales floor daily operations.

Job Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree.
• Proficiency in at least three FFH store departments.
• Two years of supervisory experience.

Succession Plan Requirements:

• Four years’ experience as a manager.
• Job shadowing the store manager for 80 hours.
• Completion of required training from FFH University.

Department Supervisor (Tier 2)

Job Description:

• Direct supervision of the two assistant managers of twelve functional departments (e.g., hardware, agricultural supplies, clothing).
• Supervision of assistant supervisors.

Job Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree.
• Completion of corporate supervisory training (web-based course).
• Two years of experience in the selected FFH department.

Succession Plan Requirements:

• Three years of management experience.
• Completion of 80 hours of job shadowing with the store manager.
• Completion of required training in FFH University.
• Cross-trained in a minimum of two FFH store departments with working knowledge of at least three departments.
• Currently attending college.

Assistant Department Supervisor (Tier 1)

Job Description:

Directly responsible to the department supervisor.

• Plan and develop weekly employee schedules within department requirements.
• Assist in managing day-to-day business operations.

Job Qualifications:

• One year towards a two-year college degree, with coursework completed.

FFH’s succession plan is planned to enable the company to effectively fill key roles as it expands. Through developing well-defined job descriptions, qualifications, and career paths, FFH can create a robust group of internal candidates that meet the company’s business requirements.

Assistant Department Supervisor Role

The Assistant Department Supervisor position with Fleet, Farm & Home (FFH) is an hourly position where the employee is on the floor right away working alongside employees and not in a specific desk area. The assistant department supervisor’s duty is to assist the department that they are working with. To qualify for promotion to Tier 2, applicants must meet specific requirements, such as:

• A minimum of two years of work experience in the assigned FFH department.
• Cross-training in three other FFH store departments.

Conclusion

Following the era of an ever-developing economy and the looming retirement of the majority of leaders, the FFH succession plan is a daring way of beginning opportunities for internal employees.

Not only does this strategy provide promotional advice but also facilitates the implementation of career development programs, which can result in increased internal development, improved retention, and reduced attrition.

It has been discovered by WorldatWork in research that firms that do not invest in employee development and training will likely lose their most desired employees to competitors. By focusing on the career advancement of employees, companies can better differentiate themselves from competitors (Developing Employee Career Paths and Ladders,”