Fazza Galleria: Employees Competencies Framework Proposal

The competency framework for Fazza Galleria (a luxury mall) defines competencies and benchmarks expected of its employees. They form the basis for employees’ skills, expertise and behaviours expected for successful operations and management of the mall. There are three levels of competencies defined in the framework: Level I (managers), Level II (mid-level managers) and Level III (senior level managers). These levels are all supported by professional behaviours and ethics expected from all employees.

All managers are expected to demonstrate behaviours, skills and expertise that retail employees must possess and apply in their roles. Overall, employees at Fazza Galleria must possess a combination of expertise, knowledge and behaviours and be able to offer strategic and tactical solutions to operations and customers’ needs. These will include the following:

• Change management and adaptation skills
• Technical and business knowledge of the retail industry in Dubai and the entire UAE
• Business ownership, understanding and delivering products and services to customers
• Risk management along the supply chain
• Interpersonal skills
• Demonstrates abilities to transfer knowledge and skills to others
• Demonstrate creative and analytical thinking
• Observing codes of conducts and ethical practices and the industry best practices

In addition, managers at all levels must demonstrate the following competencies.

Personal effectiveness competencies

• Interpersonal skills – employees must demonstrate skills to work with others. These will include effective verbal and non-verbal communications, teamwork, speaking and listening skills and personal appearance.
• Integrity – managers should demonstrate accepted social and work behaviours and observe code of conducts and ethics.
• Adaptability/flexibility – employees must be open to change and consider different dynamics in the retail industry. Change can be either positive or negative.
• Motivation – all employees must demonstrate willingness to work and support others.
• Willingness to learn – employees must understand the importance of acquiring new knowledge about the industry, understanding current challenges and potential future problems and abilities to solve them.
• Dependability and reliability – Fazza Galleria employees must demonstrate responsible behaviours at work.

Academic competencies

• Reading and understanding information – all employees must demonstrate abilities to read and understand information related to products; product descriptions; retail mall memos, procedures and policies; instructions, safety issues and emergency directives; training materials; newsletters; marketing and promotion materials; and customers’ letters and queries.
• Writing and reporting skills – employees must demonstrate their abilities to write reports, business letters to customers and colleagues, memos and reports to managers and associates.
• Numeracy skills – Fazza Galleria employees must possess mathematical skills to calculate prices and discounts, taxes, shipping costs and other related fees, currency conversion and other related skills for understanding inventories.
• Computer skills – all employees must demonstrate abilities to use computer for communication and retrieving stored customer data and analysing them for decision-making.
• Communication – Fazza Galleria must ensure that all employees can communicate effectively with customers and colleagues.
• Locating and using information – all managers must understand relevance of information to the mall and therefore they must locate, identify and use such information.

Workplace competencies

• Retail industry and business fundamentals – Fazza Galleria managers must possess knowledge of management and business principles. Managers must understand the retail industry, consumer preferences, customer service and products sold to customers.
• Teamwork – all managers must apply interpersonal skills to meet customer needs and deliver products and services as scheduled.
• Professionalism – employees must demonstrate professional ethics and standards in their relations with customers and colleagues.
• Customer focus – all managers must actively find innovative ways to enhance customer service and meet their unique demands.
• Planning – Fazza Galleria employees must demonstrate abilities to plan, prioritise work and accomplish assigned tasks as scheduled.
• Problem solving and decision-making – Liner managers and senior executives must demonstrate abilities to apply problem solving and decision-making skills to grow the business and resolve workplace conflicts.
• Technology – all managers should demonstrate abilities to use technologies for different work-related roles.

The retail industry technical competencies

• Sales – employees must possess the initiative and business skills to drive sales and increase revenue and profitability for the mall.
• Customer service – Fazza Galleria employees must have initiative to build a strong customer base and loyalty through products, excellent customer experiences and reward programmes.
• Retailing – line managers must possess knowledge of the mall’s products and display methods.
• Operations – line managers and senior executives must understand skills needed to support retail operations, sales and services.
• Human resources management – Fazza Galleria human resource department must understand HR practices and policies relating to employee relations, recruitment, selection, retention, promotion, management and dismissal.

Management competencies

• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking – managers must understand how to sell, drive sales and establish a shopping experience that creates brand identity and customer loyalty. They should measure sales performances against targets.
• Inventory management – managers must demonstrate competencies in receiving, managing and controlling stock volumes.
• Human resource management – Fazza Galleria will succeed if there are right employees for the job. Hence, managers must identify, employ, retain and develop retail talents at the mall. Employees must understand job requirements, profiles and skills for a luxury shopping mall.
• Operations – Fazza Galleria managers must understand different operation processes that support sales and customer experiences, safety standards, legal requirements and loss prevention.
• Financial reporting – managers should have financial reporting competencies on sales measures and drivers, basic financial formulas and ratios and fundamental financial reporting systems. In addition, managers should possess knowledge in using financial reporting tools, analysing financial reporting statements, data and reporting outcomes.

Level I Competency -managers

Sales and service provision

• Understand customer segments, shopping patterns and habits
• Build customer base and loyalty, relationships, communicate retail sales targets, reports to employees and maintain schedules for supporting daily operations
• Support customer service, customer satisfaction, experiences and manage customers’ complaints

Inventory

• Understand inventory management and risk controls
• Handle all issues related to pricing and stock performances
• Ensure operational efficiency

Human resources

• Identify the right employees for different roles
• Train and orient employees and promote both individual and team performance
• Monitor performance and provide feedback
• Motivate employees, organise rewards and promote collaboration

Operations

• Maintain positive physical appearance and clean conditions of retail stores
• Ensure safety and security of the mall for shoppers and employees
• Observe local regulations and laws
• Conduct inventory reconciliation
• Understand the role of technologies in supporting operations

Financial

• Comprehend daily, weekly, monthly and annual sales plans, patterns, targets profits and losses
• Identify fast moving products and non-performing products against expenses

Level II Competency – Mid-level managers

Sales and service provision

• Develop the retail marketing plan, sales targets and objectives
• Ensure customers’ needs are met through products and services
• Execute store communication strategies at different levels, including branding, promotion and communication with customers
• Review customers’ feedback, survey results and suggestions
• Identify factors that influence sales opportunities
• Train staff, coordinate operational activities and evaluate and monitor sales activities

Inventory

• Understand suply chain management
• Monitor, audit and reconcile inventory
• Review, analyse and present reports on daily sales information
• Review stock performance to avoid low stock
• Identify opportunities for promotion
• Determine favourable product pricing

Operations

• Identify product shortage and ensure product protection, quality and standards
• Physical inventory and reconciliation
• Ensure store security and safety standards

Human resources

• Communicate vision, mission and objectives of the mall to employees
• Identify and communicate work plans and priorities
• Conduct staff meetings
• Determine employees’ needs to support operations and financial obligations
• Review and implement employees’ compensation structures
• Review individual and team performance
• Coordinate roles of team members
• Conduct performance measure and appraisal

Financial

• Review, analyse and interpret financial information and store performances
• Identify sales and revenue trends and create appropriate action plans to increase them

Senior management

• Develop and implement strategic objectives for the mall, demonstrate strategic thinking, business-oriented strategies and problem solving and decision-making capabilities
• Result-oriented thinking – identify required actions to execute and accomplish tasks and achieve desired results
• Customer focus – demonstrate commitment to promote positive customer experiences, service and satisfaction
• Lead the team – demonstrate abilities to organise and motivate employees to achieve their targets and ensure order and direction in the company, as well as offer mentorship opportunities to other employees
• Flexibility / change management – Fazza Galleria senior managers must demonstrate abilities to accommodate change, modify processes and integrate change processes with minimal resistance.
• Integrity and accountability – senior managers must be accountable and uphold integrity.
• Self-management – top executives must prioritise their tasks and deliver expected results as scheduled.
• Interpersonal skills – senior managers must demonstrate abilities to communicate effectively and interact positively with all stakeholders.
• Develop self and others – they must demonstrate capabilities to acquire new knowledge for career growth and personal development and encourage other employees to do the same.
• Planning and organisation – Fazza Galleria senior management must demonstrate abilities to develop processes for implementation of strategic objectives, procedures and practices in order to achieve desired outcomes.

The Competency Framework

This competency framework for Fazza Galleria considers strategic business objectives and aligns them with specific competencies required to deliver such objectives. It is designed to reflect current knowledge, skills and behaviour expected of managers, as well as potential changes. It offers a robust system for the mall to acquire the best employees, train and retain them as strategic resources.