The recruitment, selection and training of people at Arcadia

In 2002, Philip Green bought Arcadia for £800 million. He changed it from a public limited company (plc) to a private limited company (Ltd). Since then the Arcadia Group has been extremely successful. In 2005, the Group’s turnover was over £1.7 billion. Its profits were over £326 million.

Philip Green’s management style is entrepreneurial. He is always looking for new business opportunities. He seeks new and better ways of doing things. Green says, ‘I am brave but I take a view. It is an educated view. I am careful; I am not reckless.’

Green is interested in all aspects of Arcadia’s business. He wants to know what the stores are stocking and how the products are displayed (this is known as ‘visual merchandising’). His employees set high targets but have the authority to decide how best to achieve them. They are encouraged to use their initiative.

The success of Arcadia relies on the quality of its employees, such as its store managers and its sales staff. To attract the right applicants the company must have an effective recruitment process.

With these programmes, Arcadia is looking to recruit the next generation of students who are passionate about a career in retailing and able to become future leaders in the business.

• The Retail Management Trainee Programme (MTP) targets students with 2 A levels or equivalent.
• The Graduate Retail Management Programme targets students who have Graduated from University.

To attract applications the company:

• attends career fairs and presentations
• produces advertisements and posters
• uses in-store communications
• advertises on the company website
• Then recruiting new employees Arcadia looks for specific abilities. These are called competencies.

The key competencies are:

• working with people
• putting the customer first
• maximising impact
• inspiring performance
• driving the business forward
• making the right choices
• understanding the role.

Recruitment is an important part of workforce planning. Organisations must anticipate their workforce needs and take action to meet these. At Arcadia, the opening of new stores and the expansion of existing outlets means more staff must be recruited.

The selection process for the Retail Management Trainee Programme has two stages:

The selection process at the assessment centre takes place over one day. It involves structured interviews and team activities. Group exercises allow a close analysis of how well someone works with other people. This is a key aspect of retailing. A place on the Retail Management Trainee Programme is offered to candidates who are successful at the assessment centre.

Recruiting the right people does not guarantee performance. Employees must also be trained effectively.

Much of the training at Arcadia is on the job and occurs within the stores. Off-the-job training is used for general management skills. The training at Arcadia is linked closely to developing the competencies that the company looks for in its recruits (see section 2). These competencies are enterprise related. They are essential for anyone wanting to be a successful retail manager.

The training on the Retail Management Trainee Programme includes:

• induction training to learn about retailing and store operations
• workshops that focus on core skills, these include team motivation and planning
• learning about specific areas of responsibility, such as managing a store team
• visiting stores on placements to learn about how they operate.

Successful recruits must also produce a personal development plan. This helps them prepare for their future management position.

• Know the culture of the business already; this means that they understand how the business works and already have a network of contacts so can adapt to their new role more easily.
• Understanding the business saves time in training.
• Are motivated to remain with the business because of the promotion opportunities. This reduces recruitment costs because staff stay longer.

The following profiles show examples of current Arcadia employees.

Management Trainee

Troy Fairlie, Burton, Leeds Headrow

‘It has been a whirlwind few months since joining Arcadia’s Retail Management Trainee Programme. I now have the skills and confidence to manage the day-to-day running of the store on my own. I have also been given some important responsibilities, such as overseeing the recruitment of all the Christmas temporary staff. I managed the entire process from shortlisting and interviewing candidates to making the final decisions. The training programme also gives you the opportunity to attend workshops. At these workshops, you learn about the theory behind retail management. You can also discuss and share your experiences with the other trainees. A retail manager’s role involves many skills – I cannot wait to develop all of these!’

Deputy Store Manager

Natasha Minty, Evans, The Plaza, London Oxford Street.

‘As a Deputy Manager, my responsibilities vary on a day-to-day basis. They range from managing and training a large team of people to influencing the commercial success of the store. I have to be a multi-specialist. I am often a coach, strategist, and accountant all in one day! As a Deputy Store Manager, you have to be people orientated. You have to enjoy interacting and influencing those around you.’

Operations Manager

Rosalyn Rasdale, Topshop Dublin St Stephens (Giga-Store).

‘I am the Operations Manager of one of the largest stores within Arcadia. This involves implementing operational controls and procedures, which means looking after the running of everything that goes on behind