Predicting Retail Worker Engagement - Assignment Example

Predicting Retail Worker Engagement Name Tutor Course Date Predicting Retail Worker Engagement 1. What is the managerial significance of the higher level of worker engagement among workers approaching retirement and retirement eligible employees? As the older workers approach retirement age or become retirement-eligible, they become more engaged than the younger ones. This is attributed to the fact that the older workers become more obligated to their employer and demonstrate stronger work ethics. This revelation is important for the managers since they will be supportive to the older workers in terms of improving their working and living standards. The older workers are seen to be actively participating in the operations of the business. The managers should therefore be willing to give the older workers duties and responsibilities that would help them keep up with their efforts. The managers would also need to be aware of assigning the responsibilities that requires stronger work ethics and higher obligations to the older workers. The duties and responsibilities that would require little obligations would hence be assigned to the younger workers (Berman and Evans, 2013). Moreover, the way the managers treat the older workers is significant, as it will determine the success of the company. The older workers show more orientation toward authority. This means that the chain of command in the company should be explicit and clear to the older employees. They would also be more willing to be delegated tasks and assigned authority over their junior employees. The managers should be able to delegate authority to the older workers so that they can be motivated in achieving the goals of the company (Armstrong-Stassen and Templer, 2005). In addition, the older employees show more loyalty to their employees than their junior counterparts. The display of loyalty by the older employees is important for the managers. They will trust the older workers with some specific tasks than the junior employees. The building of trust and respect among the employees will be fundamental in attaining the objectives of the company and achieving a harmonious working relationship at the workplace (Angus and Reeve, 2006). The older workers can easily compare their goals and those of their supervisors as well as the organization they are working in. This helps them to be more engaged in their duties while working. Therefore, the supervisors and managers need to be supportive and have clear goals when assigning duties and responsibilities to the older workers (Armstrong-Stassen and Templer, 2005). Managers need to appreciate the useful resource represented by older workers. They also have to give credit to the fact that there is a close connection between retaining older workers and their organization’s productivity. The organization’s profitability into the future also relies on older worker’s workforce. Employers and managers may review the workforce demographic statistics to evaluate the number of older workers, and the definite roles where they are represented. The workforce must be surveyed in case sufficient data about retirement intentions is to be obtained (Berman and Evans, 2013). In addition, the employers would need to identify the timeframe for action and develop age management strategies (AARP, 2007). Moreover, the managers may come up with mixed-age parties to ensure that the experience of older workers is spread across the organization. They should also develop a concrete plan for capturing corporate knowledge. Consequently, they should also consider some specified recruitment options for older workers (Burkhauser, Butler and Weathers, 2002). Managers need to take strategically driven actions to ensure they understand the significance of stereotyping. They should also identify age discrimination and threats that result from the stereotype in preventing older workers involvement. This signifies eliminating assumptions and introducing on core management expertise such as analysis of job requirements, and assessment of individual workers ‘skills and capacity (AARP. 2003). Employers and managers may decide to review recruitment practices to ensure candidates are assessed on their merits. Besides, they may review recruitment package to make sure that it lays emphasis on factors such as experience and knowledge. Other factors would include expertise, insight, images, and traits of older workers. The workplace culture should be established such that there are values, which are diverse in contributions like the proficiency and practice of older employees (Bjelland et al., 2010). On the other hand, the workplace culture should be formulated such that it supports older workers to discuss with their manager in a mutual perspective. Moreover, well-established mixed-age teams will help to demonstrate the effectiveness of older and younger workers. It will facilitate communication between generations. Managers need to value the importance of flexible work to many older workers. They need to put more investments in flexible work arrangements that will help to facilitate the engagement and retention of older workers. This should also include reduced hours and teleworking (Adler & Hilber, 2008). Managers are helpful in establishing and supporting effective and flexible work arrangements. In addition, they may be able to assist older workers to achieve the desired balance between work and non-work responsibilities. Other responsibilities would be to establish policies that promote flexible hours to older workers and having measures that offer flexible leave options to older workers (Berman & Evans, 2013). Managers have to reflect on the instruction and growth needs of older workers. This will involve having the right form of training offered to ensure its appropriateness for older workers. It will involve identifying roles in which older workers can assist with in-house training (Dennis and Thomas, 2007). Managers may be involved in discussing training and professional development with older workers. This will help to ensure that older workers can access the opportunities. On the other hand, the managers should review the training policies to make sure that they are offered to all employees. Moreover, they should re-evaluate the training policies to ensure they support the organization’s age management and retention policies (Angus and Reeve, 2006). 2. How should a retailer respond to the findings of worker engagement being associated with immediate supervisors who are supportive and that recognize the accomplishment of employees? A retailer should evaluate the various findings in case the worker engagement is associated with immediate and supportive supervisors who recognize the accomplishments that employees make. This realization by the retailer should help them develop an excellent system that defines the rewards to be given to the employees. There are important aspects that employees are provided with: A fair and just return for their contributions and motivation to keep improving the way they perform (Adler and Hilber, 2008). Motivation and encouragement of the workers will help to some of the major customer service elements needed in a retail business. They include: great appearance by the workers which will help to create a good impression from the customers. The employees would also develop a positive attitude towards customer service development as a result of motivation from their supervisors (Berman and Evans 2013). Other employee behaviors that would help improve customer service include friendliness, creation of a good impression, responsibility, commitment, team thinking, communication, service and personal excellence. Some of the structures that are useful in identifying and rewarding employees who are helpful in coming up with a successful ideas include involving them in designing the retailer’s recognition program. The retailer does not require many resources to come up with a meaningful recognition structure. Employees show gratitude when they receive an award when it shows that they displayed great performance that that pleased their employers. This will help them know that they have to work hard to earn rewards (Armstrong-Stassen, 2006). Each employee in the retail firm needs to be treated equally to encourage a harmonious relationship at the working place. Equality will depend on factors such as gender balance, level of experience, age, position held at the company and other considerations (Berman and Evans 2013). There should be gender balance when assigning tasks as well as giving promotions and rewards at the work place. The retailer should encourage both the younger and older employees to participate in decision making and evaluation of the best policies for the company. All the employees could also be given the opportunity to participate in challenging and satisfying tasks and job activities in the retail firm (Crampton et al., 1996). If the criteria used in performance appraisal, then the employees are going to be motivated to achieve it the retail firm’s obligations. The different types of behaviors and their outcomes should be recognized. Many organizations have systems where rewards are given according to the results. This is carried out by recognizing behavior changes like arriving at work on time, correcting the previously done mistakes and helping other people (Berman and Evans, 2013). Through this, the workers are going to foster incremental improvements. Showing gratitude for the work done can be a good response. This will create a positive feedback that will encourage and motivate employees. The rewards could also be individualized such that people are given what they want (Armstrong-Stassen and Templer, 2005). Moreover, the recipient of a given project should be questioned or consulted before the retailer decides to reward them with what they think would be an exciting new project. This would help to nurture self-esteem in their employees. The employees will be glad to have a positive and realistic feedback that relates with their potential. The employees are raised up to be confident while carrying out their duties. They end up setting and achieving challenging goals and self-manage their tasks. Besides, they will be able to overcome challenges (Barusch, Luptak and Hurtado, 2009). Moreover, the reward system should incorporate intrinsic rewards that refer to the good feelings employees derive from carrying out their daily work activities. The workers are usually thrilled by the tasks and are very excited about the opportunities that they get at the workplace. This gives them a sense of achievement as they enjoy their tasks. The retailer should create a favorable environment that establishes an intrinsic reward system within the workplace. The retailer should make sure that the employees enjoy their work as well as create opportunities for innovations that arise from the problems facing them. They should find the work they do as challenging and motivating enough as they find new ways of solving and tackling problems (Berman and Evans, 2013). 3. How should a retailer motivate younger workers to become better engaged Younger workers need challenging duties and tasks at the workplace. The retailer could decide to give them more challenging and rewarding responsibilities that keep them motivated. The expectations and level of performance for these employees should also be measured to know how well they fit in the challenging work environment they have been introduced to. Moreover, younger workers could be given the chance to make their own decisions that helps them to empower themselves. By doing so, the retailers would be able to evaluate individual performance of the younger employees as per the personal decisions they have made regarding operations at the workplace (Berman and Evans, 2013). The retailer could reward the younger workers who show exemplary performance at the workplace. This would involve the retailer calling up a meeting in which they announce or mention the junior employee who has shown the best performance at the workplace. In addition, the retailer could request the best achieving junior employee to stand in front of others and give an account of how they managed to achieve such a fate. They could also be asked to give their opinion about a certain idea concerning their achievements. This helps to shift the attention from the senior employees to the junior employees. The retailer could ask the younger employees who achieve great results at the workplace to confirm their growth within the company as that will elevate their status in relation to their colleagues (Bjelland et al., 2010). The retailer should be able to ask frequent questions to their junior employees so that they can get direct feedback about their progress at the workplace. Any useful question that helps the employees reflect on the performance of the company will be critical in identifying the areas that require improvement and adjustments (Berman and Evans, 2013). The fact that the retailer is asking questions to the younger employees will make them realize his interest in what they are doing and how they feel about the environment and entire workplace conditions. The younger employees will be stimulated into thinking broadly about the business aspects of the growth of the company. The responses from the employees will be a revelation to the retailer since they will realize whether they are making the right step towards achieving the objectives of the company (Armstrong-Stassen and Templer, 2005). When the retailer gets a negative feedback, they will be able to plan and organize the appropriate measures to avert any losses that the company could make. This will act as a learning point for the retailer and the junior employees. The feedback system established in the company will be useful in establishing the loopholes in the company when it is carrying out its projects. Consequently, the organization will be well organized, workers motivated, and confusions will be minimized (Bjelland et al., 2010). The retailer may decide to give the junior employees personal attention. One of the best ways is keeping a personal profile of employees so that they may feel as part of the organization. The junior employees may be congratulated during their birthdays, wedding ceremonies, or other lifetime event that the employees might be experiencing. The junior employees would be grateful and glad when the retailer acknowledges their lifetime achievements (Burkhauser, Butler and Weathers, 2002). The younger lazy employees performing poorly at the workplace should be allowed to give up their jobs or trained in order to help them catch up with the goals of the company. This would act as a lesson to other junior employees who are not keen in enhancing their performance while carrying out their tasks (Angus and Reeve, 2006). When the lazy younger employees are not punished or corrected, they tend to influence their peers into lazy and sluggish behaviors. They normally end up becoming a bottleneck in achieving success in the company. Managers who are not well experienced in working with younger employees are not usually able to understand the body language displayed by their employees. The younger employees’ communication style may easily be mistaken for disrespect (Berman and Evans 2013). 4. How should a retailer motivate older workers to become better engaged? The retailer could make use of the talents and skills of the older workers. A motivated older worker is likely to be more loyal and obligated to their supervisor as well as the company (Berman and Evans 2013). They are also likely to be more willing to participate in job activities that contribute to the advancement of the company but outside their specific job description. For example, an older worker with advanced skills in marketing could be given the responsibility of being the marketing manager of the company (Dennis and Thomas, 2007). Learning and professional development opportunities should be provided to the older employees. This will help them to maintain a competitive advantage for the success of the company. When older employees realize that there are growth opportunities in the company, they are going to be more engaged and devoted in their duties. They should also be provided with mentorship programs that aid to facilitate development of their careers (Barusch, Luptak and Hurtado, 2009). The retailer should not make assumptions: The retailer may assume that workers with advanced years are difficult to train. They should get rid of this form of stereotyping the older worker. The workers with advanced years are people just like everyone else in the team. The retailer should treat them as such (Burkhauser, Butler and Weathers, 2002). Communication: Efficient communication is important to knowing what the older worker expects from you and what you expect from them. The retailer should be very clear on what they would like to be carried out and what the criterion for measuring success will be. Their life experience should be valued: The older worker’s life experience as well as the wealth of professional experience they have should be recognized and valued. The retailer should learn from it. The younger members from the retailer’s team should be encouraged to learn from it (Berman and Evans, 2013). Training: Older workers need to be trained as much as junior workers are. The subject and methods of the training may be different, yet the need is the same. The retailer should not believe that workers with advanced years could not be trained. More often than not, they are just as receptive as their junior peers are (Dennis and Thomas, 2007). Their security needs should be met: Older workers probably need security benefits more than the junior workers do. The workers who have advanced years require medical coverage, eye care, and financial considerations. The retailer should make sure that the company's benefits plan augurs well with their needs (Crampton et al., 1996). Motivation: The retailer’s fundamental duty is to motivate all their employees. On the other hand, older workers have various ways in which they can be motivated. The chance for progression is less important than recognizing that a job has been executed according to the set goals (Armstrong-Stassen, & Templer, 2005). Flexibility: The older workers may want flexible time that conforms to their planned schedules. The older workers who need flexible time have to consult the retailer who should be willing to be flexible. The retailer needs their technical skill. 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