Of Workforce Management
Introduction
Workforce management is one of the most important aspects of operating a business (Randolph Thomas & Horman, 2006). From a Workforce Management standpoint, Bass Pro Shops is strategically committed to the pursuit of quality over the long term. However, there are areas for improvement, as employee complaints of cutbacks, lack of job security, pay reduction, and so on, have led workers to view what was once a great place to work as now an organization that is more focused on customer service than it is on employee support. This paper will discuss the workforce environment of Bass Pro Shops, the nature of engagement and performance at Bass Pro, and how the workforce and leadership are being developed there. It will conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of Bass Pro’s workforce management, opportunities for improvement, and proposed actions.
Field of inquiry #1: Workforce Environment
How does your selected organization build an effective and supportive workforce environment?
Bass Pro Shops used to incentivize its workers with good pay, job security and benefits; however, in recent years, the company has been undergoing restructuring in order to address sales declines (Bass Pro Shops Employee Reviews, 2017). There is also a lack of mentorship for new employees. Mentorship is important as it allows workers to learn on the go and to be supported by colleagues and guides in their line of work (Orpen, 1997). If they have questions they can ask their mentor instead of looking stunned and lost in front of a customer or continuously making mistakes through a process of guess and check until they get it right.
At the same time, Bass Pro uses inspirational leadership to guides its workers to be self-motivated (Life at Bass Pro Shops, 2018). It promotes teamwork in an effort to build a supportive workforce environment, and it is focused on developing a caring culture—even in the toughest of times, the company wants its employees to know it will be there for them to help them with their financial needs: “When disaster or personal hardship strikes, we are there to provide a hand up through the Bass Pro Cares Fund. Associates help contribute to the fund and support our Bass Pro family in devastating times of need” (Life at Bass Pro Shops, 2018). This shows that in spite of whatever complaints some employees may have, the company does still offer unique incentives and benefits.
How does your selected organization organize and manage your workforce?
Bass Pro Shops organizes and manages its workforce in a hierarchical manner with managers overseeing lower level employees, regional and district managers overseeing individual local shops, and higher level executives overseeing the regional and district managers. The workforce is managed by promoting a values-based workplace, wherein a culture of inclusion and diversity is utilized to create sense of teamwork among the employees. Benefits are also used to incentivize the workforce to perform at a high level (Life at Bass Pro Shops, 2018).
How does your selected organization assess your workforce capability and capacity needs?
The company assesses the workforce capabilities and capacity needs through internal auditing, sales performance, customer feedback, and employee surveying. Managers are tasked with examining areas where the company comes into barriers in terms of performance and looks at what factors may be causing the issue—whether they are cultural, personnel-related, customer-related, product-related, or motivation-related. The managers will gauge capacity needs on the number of customers who come through in any given part of the year and what the expected number can be. Employees are trained to work hard and stay positive, which is not always a good fit for some workers, who lack that kind of character that fits this type of management approach; nonetheless, the company appeals to many others who like the family-atmosphere and the ambiance that the workplace creates.
How does your selected organization recruit, hire, place, and retain new workforce members? (NIST, 2015f)
Workers are recruited, hired and placed through a lengthy hiring process that involves...…the new environment, allows them to ask questions until they feel comfortable standing on their own, and creates a better feeling of solidarity among workers. To decrease turnover rates and keep workers happy, focusing on implementing a true mentorship program would be a step in the right direction.
Proposed ACTIONS
The company must start focusing on employee needs. Currently it is very occupied with satisfying customers—but in order to satisfy customers the company is going to want to have happy workers. By satisfying its workers first, the company can ensure that good will is passed on to the customers. The employees need to feel secure and satisfied in their work and that may mean offering them better incentives to keep them happy and to make them feel that they do have job security. The company should be more transparent about what is going on during restructuring so that employees do become panicked about their future with the company.
The company should also start focusing more on mentoring its new hires and teaching them how to be effective leaders within the company. Mentors offer the best opportunity for new hires to develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding they will require to perform at a high level. The more instruction and support the new hires receive, the more likely they will feel confident. This can lead to a reduction in turnover rates and an overall improved employee morale.
The company’s approach to leadership using the inspirational style may work for some employees but it is not going to work for all. Finding workers who are the right fit may be difficult to do and ultimately unrealistic given the changes in culture over time. Thus, the company should aim to personalize its approach to leadership and implement more of a servant leadership style, which would facilitate the mentorship program that it should also implement to keep workers informed about their duties and trained to the best of the organization’s abilities.
References
Babin, B. J., & Attaway, J. S.…
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