Performance and Retention for Workforce Stability Assignment Sample

Introduction Of Performance and Retention for Workforce Stability

With the constant change in the social environment and the presence of challenges maintaining a proper balance between the high performance and retention of employees is crucial. This balance is further supported by the managers and the chief executive officers of the company, and the further issues of the workforce's poor mental presence or physical capabilities might be disturbed in the long term. In association with this, the application of the management structure should be made as per the scope, mission, and vision of the company, through which the company will be able to achieve true sustainability as well as stability in the financial flow can be acquired. Choosing the proper management structure can also help the HR managers of the company to perform their functions, which is recruiting and placing the employees appropriately, which can further improve the decision-making process and access to information over time.

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Apart from this, the marketing mix strategies are also necessary to place the products on the competitive marketing efficiently so that the company can gain more customers than its competitors and achieve the desired profits. It can also help the company to enhance its valuation in the marketing world through which the managers can also make delegate decisions without any issues of confusion in the workplace. Companies like Kier Group have been facing many problems in their structure and marketing mix after the pandemic, which is further discussed in the study. The study also briefly discusses the marketing strategies the company uses to target and retain customers. It also provides a set of recommendations through which the current issues faced by the company can be resolved immediately.

Discussion

Company's background

Kier Group is an American company which operates in the construction industry of the UK. The company provides a range of services such as building projects, renovating homes or apartments for clients, promoting civil engineering, and supporting the services of collaborators through which it is able to attract and retain customers from the marketplace. The company has also created one of the most popular projects that are the Lution Direct Air to Rail Transport (DART), with extraordinary design so that the issues of high traffic can be removed in the area through which it has been able to maintain high-profit margin over the past few decades (Kier Group, 2023). The company was founded in 1928 by Jorgen Lotz. It was originally an engineer-based company that provided specialized concrete services to its client base. To adjust to the changing environment and due to the poor availability of the staff members, the company has established a program of hiring the ex-prisoners and training them appropriately so that they are able to meet the expectations of the company for an extended period. This has also led to sustainable employment and has increased the profit margin of the company in the competitive marketplace. The company currently has around 9000 highly skilled employees, and they are completely based in the UK. However, the managers of Kier Group also hire the expats through which it is able to maintain proper creativity in the workplace so that the challenges in the marketing environment, such as the changing needs of the customers, can be addressed on time (Kier Group, 2023).

The main purpose of the company is to deliver the infrastructure as per the demands of the clients at a very cheaper rate with high quality and sustainable materials through which they are able to achieve long-term sustainability in the global market. The revenue of the company, as per the reports of 2022, is $15 billion, through which it has been able to develop a high reputation in the marketing economy of the UK (Kier, 2023). The company has been currently assigned by the healthcare department of the UK with a budget of €36 million, through which it can help to enhance the treatment process of the individuals living in the country efficiently (Kier, 2023). This is the main reason why the company has been selected, as the study can analyze the issues properly and present proper strategies which can further be implemented by the company to improve its growth or development.

The management structure of Kier Group

The company follows a democratic organizational structure through which the employees are able to participate equally in the workplace and are able to stay creative in nature. This can also influence positive decision-making for the company through which it is able to enhance the profit margin in the competitive marketing environment. It also helps the employees to perform their tasks efficiently, through which they will be able to meet the expectations of the company that it will retain the customer base for the long term. The structure includes the chain of supervision with the Chief People Officer, Group Strategy and Development Director, Chief Transformation Officer, and Head of talent management, through which the entire base of employees and staff members can perform efficiently without any issues of misconduct (Kier Group, 2023). The company also has managers for different departments of the company through which proper information on the needs of the customers can help the company to innovate new products and attract new audiences from every corner of the world. Apart from this, the HR department of the company also helps to maintain proper recruitment and training of the employees through which they are able to adapt to the changes or can even develop the growth of the company in the global market. Employees like the democratic structure because they feel really connected with the workplace as their opinions are mattered and their ideas are considered while planning new strategies, which can further help it to achieve successful expansion in emerging economies (Molis, 2021). The company is also able to achieve its goals because the managers are able to appraise the performance of the employees timely, through which they are able to stay committed to the objectives.

The main advantages of democratic leadership include that it is a transparent process through which the issues of misrepresentation can be resolved in the workplace, which might destroy the activities of the company due to the lack of information transferred from one department to the other. The employees, in this case, also know that if they face problems regarding the conflict dynamics in the workplace, they can report to their departmental head or the supervisor, through which the problems can be addressed timely (Molis, 2021). The leaders working under the company have generated interpersonal skills through which they are able to promote open communication in the workplace and plan decisions efficiently, through which the company is able to stay competent in nature. Apart from this, the leaders of the company are also able to stay intuitive in the workplace as per the structure through which they are able to boost the motivation of the employees, which can further develop its overall performance. Lastly, the managers under this structure are also able to maintain a smooth flow of operations through which the issues of waste in the company can be resolved, and it will also be able to reduce its operational cost over the time being (Chief, 2019). This can further boost the morale of the employees through which they are able to stay coordinated with the diverse workforce.

The disadvantages of the democratic management structure include that it is not time-constrained, through which the managers require more time to conclude or finally implement a particular decision in the workplace. One of the main reasons behind this also includes the inclusion of real-time data or direct reports on the competitive forces in the decision-making process of the company. On the other hand, the leadership style used in the democratic management structure is unable to maintain high performance of the employees during crucial periods such as the pandemic of COVID 19 where the workforce has to perform their tasks from a remote workplace. The leaders, in this case, are also unable to take immediate actions to improve the motivation or creativity of the employees through which the issues of misconduct might be created in the company (Chief, 2019). Apart from this, the structure also depended on the expert solutions through which the managers might be unable to maintain the development of the employees as a team. The reason behind this is that leaders are unable to maintain final decisions without considering the plans of the employees, through which conflict dynamics can be noted in the workplace.

Marketing mix in Kier Group

The marketing mix of the company includes 4Ps which are further described below:

Product- The managers of the company have promoted a unique design for the projects through which it has been able to train the audience in the competitive environment. In this case, the eco-friendly material such as the recycled gypsum and durable materials has been used by the company to construct the projects under the budget provoked by the clients through which its competitive edge has been maintained over the past few decades (Harvey, 2018). Apart from this, the augmented services which are provided by the company in terms of its collaborators have also helped it to achieve the desired position in the UK. the product and the services, in this case, Laos target to fulfill the changing demands of the customers through which high customer experience has been achieved. The company also guarantees the clients that the projects will not harm future generations, which further contributes to an increase in the sales margin of the company (Addison, 2022). The increase in the shelf life of the projects has also helped the company to retain its customer base from the competitive market of the construction industry. The approach of the company in terms of fully utilizing the resources is also delightful for the clients who are driven towards maintaining a sustainable social environment.

Price- The managers of Kier Group, in this case, first analyze the available substitutes in the marketing environment and then decide the price margin of the projects they are planning to construct. The managers sometimes also consider the valuation of the project while deciding the price through which they are able to stand above its competitors. Apart from this, sometimes the managers also agree to the budget needs of the customers to enhance their satisfaction and loyalty so that they are able to earn sustainability for the current and future period (Harvey, 2018). The main focus of the proving strategy selected by the company includes the listing prince of the clients, the credential amounts, the payment period, and the occasional discounts (which are further provided to attract the customers). The managers of the company have recently selected the penetration strategy for its pricing through which it is able to construct the projects at the cheapest rates as compared to its competitors. This has also helped the company to gain more market share than usual. The discounting policy, on the other hand, has helped the company to spread awareness among the targeted audience base through which it has successfully achieved competitive advantage. The price skimming strategy has also been used by the company to discord the traits of the new entrant in the marketing environment and has also helped to generate a positive relationship with the potential customer base.

Place- While planning the placement or distribution strategy, the managers have to focus on certain things. This includes selecting the channel for the distribution, whether the distribution of the projects will be done through the intermediaries or not, whether the distribution of the products will be maintained through brick and mortar system or online distribution. In this case, the company has decided that it will mitigate the involvement of the middleman because the projects can sometimes get damaged during the process of distribution. The managers, in association with this, have also decided to analyze the customers' needs or preferences by themselves, through which they will be able to reduce the waste of resources in the workplace (Harvey, 2018). The managers have also decided to personalize or customize the projects as per the requirements of the customers, through which it has maintained long-term growth. To maintain the effectiveness of the resources and its capabilities, the managers of Kier Group have decided to promote a cost-benefit plan so that it can reduce the operational cost and increase the profits over time. The company also books the client's projects through its online portals.

Promotion- The unique selling propositions used by the company includes the use of the green materials for the building of the projects. To spread proper awareness and actions for generating desire among the client base, the managers of Kier Group are using the discounting scheme so that it is able to maintain the competitive edge in the construction industry of the UK (Addison, 2022). The most important step in association with promoting the projects made by the company includes the analysis of the target market, that is, the age of the customers or their social status, so that ads on the price margin of the company can be provided, which can further help the company to improve the satisfaction of the potential audience base. The company uses both TV advertisements and online ads on different social media applications to attract customers from every corner of the world.

HR functions in Kier Group

Human resource management is the most important aspect for the companies because it helps to maintain internal development through which the firm is able to address their daily requirements to achieve their goals, and it also helps to reduce the risks of employee burnout or turnover in the workplace. The main functions of the HR managers, in this case, include recruitment and selection of the employees, managing the talents, managing the performance of the workforce, developing the team base, providing rewards, ensuring the health and safety of the employees, maintaining equal participation of the employees, ensuring the motivation and wellbeing of the employees, and many more (Vulpen, 2023).

The recruitment process of the company includes the normal face-to-face interviews, which further includes the research on the background of the individuals consisting of their qualifications and work exercises. Professional interviews further help the company to hire skillful or capable employees as per the workplace requirements through which it can achieve its goals efficiently. The employees are also asked about their salary or wage rate expectations before the generation of the appointment letters, through which the company is able to maintain their needs over the time period (Kier Group, 2023). The placement of the employees is, however, based on their ability to adapt to the departments. For example, the experienced engineer is placed in the planning or the construction department through which the company is able to meet the demands of the clients with appropriate designs of the projects.

The company hires a mix of skilled and unskilled workers, such as interns. The HR managers further train the unskilled workers through which they are able to fit among the experienced workers and stay competent, which resolves the conflicts or confusion in the workplace. To further maintain proper talent management, the HR managers maintain proper track of the mobility of the employees through which they are able to gain the loyalty of the workforce (Kier Group, 2023). They also track the turnover of the employees so that the skill haps or the unwanted talents can be removed from the company immediately with the help of training, which also helps to maintain a positive workplace culture.

The company also has different career paths when the HR managers mean to hire new employees or staff members for its workplace. In this case, the graduates and the engineers are first targeted by the company, but in some cases, to support the job opportunities of the country, the HR managers also hire the undergraduate individuals and further invest in their training so that they are able to earn a better life for themselves (Kier Group, 2023). This aspect of the company further helps it to gain the trust and loyalty of the staff members available in the labor market of the UK. In association with this, the company also provides a yearly appraisal and promotional program, which helps to retain the employees and also improves their development in the long run. It further helps the company to meet the expectations of the customers in the competitive world.

Conclusion

The study concludes that the managers of the company are able to achieve the desired position with the current marketing strategies and the manager's structure, but certain developments, such as the channeling of the raw materials through a huge base of suppliers, can be helpful for Kier Group to reduce the operational cost. This can further help the company to enhance its rate of return on the investment and can also boost its growth in the emerging economies like China and India. The managers, in this case, are also allowed to stay flexible and time-constrained while planning the strategies through which they are able to maintain timely development as per the changes in the marketing environment of the construction industry. It was noted through the study that the managers should implement a transformational style of leadership in association with the democratic leadership style so that it will be able to enhance the performance as well as the dedication of the employees for an extended period.

Apart from this, to improve the digital growth of the company, the managers shall also implement a cloud-based computing system, big data analytics, or artificial intelligence so that it is able to track the changing needs of the customers efficiently and innovate new strategies which can enhance its position in the competitive marketing environment. However, the study also shows that there is no problem with the HR management of the company, and the departmental leaders are able to address the skill gaps on time and fill them with proper training of the staff members through which they are able to improve their personal or professional development. Lastly, it was also noted through the study that managers should take timely feedback from the employees through which they are able to address their issues on time.

References

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• Kier Group, 2023. A leading UK Construction and Infrastructure Services Company (Online) Kier. Available at: https://www.kier.co.uk/ (Accessed: 11 May 2023).
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