Talent Management in Adidas: HR Training Programme Essay

Introduction

The effectiveness and productivity of most international business enterprises depend not only on competent approaches to managing assets and available resources but also on the quality of employees’ work. Hiring specialists of an appropriate profile is the task of the human resources (HR) department. The professionalism of the members of this sector largely affects companies’ success. One of the strategies promoted by HR specialists today is talent management expressed in retaining potentially valuable subordinates and motivating their high-performance work.

However, despite the goals and objectives that the supreme managerial staff sets for the HR department, employees of this field sometimes neglect important operational strategies, which, in turn, affects the productivity of firms and the employees’ dissatisfaction with their job conditions. As an object of review, the HR sector of the international Adidas corporation will be considered, and the analysis of this organisation’s activities will be carried out in the framework of talent management as an important and integral HR practice.

Adidas is a German sales concern that specialises in the manufacture and marketing of sportswear and accessories worldwide. This corporation also includes the Reebok trademark, which is another world-famous brand. The company is considered multinational since it has branches in different parts of the world and provides services to residents of all continents. According to the 2018 official report, Adidas’ total sales were approximately €21.915 billion, which is an extremely high indicator (Profile, no date).

Nevertheless, despite its popularity, the company is forced to overcome a competitive barrier regularly because the sportswear and equipment industry is in demand in the market. According to official statistics, such brands as Nike, New Balance, Puma and some other trademarks are Adidas’ leading competitors, and consumers are well aware of all these corporations (Adidas competitors, 2020). Accordingly, this multinational organisation in question needs an impeccable reputation and highly professional and creative employees who can promote the Adidas label in the international arena.

The purpose of this work is to develop a relevant training programme for the HR department of Adidas to improve the quality of talent management, thereby enhancing productivity. This plan will need to be implemented in all branches since products are sold at outlets around the world. Managing worker motivation and engagement is a significant aspect of the company’s business success, and stimulating HR initiatives in Adidas is a valuable practice in the context of achieving the highest position in the global trading arena.

Design

The work of the HR team in Adidas is important in view of the number of tasks that this department solves. The activities of HR specialists include not only assessing employees’ professional potential and controlling the hiring of qualified labour but also introducing relevant strategies for staff engagement and stimulating productive work aimed at achieving the company’s intermediate goals. In this regard, it is essential to analyse the learning needs of the employees of this profile and determine which area of ​​work deserves particular attention as a weak and insufficiently advanced field of activity of the department.

For this purpose, the current performance of the corporation will be evaluated in the context of existing gaps in HR practices. According to the official report of 2017, Adidas makes many efforts to test and implement valuable personnel management methods, for instance, involves subordinates to interact on a special online platform where interested parties can evaluate and discuss specific work issues – salaries, career topics and other themes (Group management report – our company, 2017). However, this initiative may not be enough to assess the success of the HR sector comprehensively.

Learning Needs Analysis

Since the corporation is large and world-famous, monitoring the activities of employees is not an easy task. In addition, the situation is complicated by the fact that Adidas has branches in different countries, and the processes of performance control and the interaction of management with subordinates are difficult. Bird (2019) notes that for some teams, it is not easy to work in conditions of dynamic and flexible market trends, and the lack of motivation is manifested.

As a result, a decrease in labour performance and low-income indicators are direct consequences of such a gap, which is unacceptable in the context of competition in the sportswear and equipment market. According to Etim and Uford (2019), such key business parameters as customer loyalty and brand recognition are directly dependent on the professionalism of employees involved in the distribution and advertising of products. In case teams cannot provide sufficient interest to potential customers due to unwillingness to take the initiative, this is fraught with the loss of market positions. Therefore, as the learning needs for the Adidas HR team, managing employee motivation and engagement is defined in the context of existing gaps.

A learning needs analysis is an important process that can help improve the performance of any business organisation, including Adidas. As Cascio and Boudreau (2016) note, learning is inextricably linked to development, and addressing specific gaps in operational activities is the first step to resolving problems. Meyers et al. (2019) add that HRs’ learning agility should be a mandatory professional property since the personnel management sphere is a dynamic environment with constantly changing trends and approaches that are essential to implement timely competently.

In the case of Adidas, addressing relevant learning needs was carried out on the basis of the official reports of the company, as well as the evaluation of individual pieces of news taken online. One of the crucial goals in this analysis is an opportunity to influence talent management as a significant factor in retaining highly qualified employees. Collings, Mellahi and Cascio (2019) argue that today, there are many approaches and strategies in this HR area, and motivation is one of the main drivers. Thus, monitoring employee engagement in order to improve the quality of talent management is the basis of a learning needs analysis.

Another reason for this analysis is the threat of employee turnover. According to Long, Kowang and Chin (2017), turnover intentions are generally not explicit, making it difficult for HRs to identify this problem timely. Consequently, the ability to retain talented subordinates through their active involvement in the work process and effective motivation are conditions for preventing the outflow of professionals in competitive companies. In Adidas, the functions of managers monitoring the area of ​​talent development include a number of obligations, for instance, communication with individual departments, consultations with corporate leaders and other procedures (Senior manager HR talent strategy & projects (M/F/D), 2019).

Meyers (2019) notes that, despite a wide range of tasks, neglecting talent control is unacceptable in a dynamic international organisation with high-profit capitalisation. The author mentions the social exchange theory, the approach that allows assessing the significance of HRs’ activities in the industry in question and helps increase employee productivity (Meyers, 2019). Nevertheless, when assessing this area in Adidas and analysing the company’s internal reports as the main sources to determine learning needs, some challenges have arisen.

Despite the advantages of such a method of evaluating data as analysing internal reports, which can provide objective data regarding specific work results, identifying the issues of talent management has caused difficulties. In Adidas’ white paper, this activity is mentioned; at the same time, company representatives do not provide accurate information on successes and failures in this area of activities, and there are no numerical correlations of work results (Group management report – our company, 2017).

However, identifying gaps in this HR practice does not imply the inherent presence of percentage ratios. Khoreva, Vaiman and Van Zalk (2017) state that the aforementioned social exchange theory involves investing in subordinates as an integral component of corporate strategy where high productivity is encouraged. Accordingly, there is no need to create focus groups and conduct lengthy interviews to determine existing successes or failures in the field of talent management. Enhancing employee work engagement and motivation is driven by the growth needs for which Adidas aspires (Kigo and Gachunga, 2016). Thus, reviewing the organisation’s reports is a sufficient measure to identify basic learning needs and develop an appropriate training programme.

As a rationale for the proposed learning need, the neo-institutional theory may be cited. Beamond, Farndale and Härtel (2016) describe this concept as an approach recognising the relevance of talent management in institutional settings with developed subsidiary systems. Thus, in Adidas, addressing the topic of retaining and motivating highly qualified professionals is an important procedure. Bratton and Gold (2017) remark that this corporation implements talent management practices as part of HR initiatives, focusing on engaging professional employees.

However, increasing subordinates’ motivation is the skill that develops directly within a specific work environment; therefore, in addition to theoretical knowledge, practical skills are crucial. According to Longley (no date) who is a representative of the Adidas HR department, the corporation adheres to a holistic approach to managing talent. Pratap (2019) confirms the company’s activities in this direction and mentions the Talent Carousel programme aimed at identifying and supporting employees who may eventually occupy senior positions. Nevertheless, high competition in the analysed market dictates special conditions for specialist training. Therefore, the identified learning need is important as a driver for maintaining the company’s continuous development and stimulating the productivity of its HR department.

Training Programme

When developing a training programme for the HR department, potential challenges should be taken into account. Tafti, Mahmoudsalehi and Amiri (2017) argue that in this intervention environment, behavioural barriers can arise when specialists are not ready to participate in change projects. To address this issue successfully, Muratbekova-Touron, Kabalina and Festing (2018) recommend paying attention to creative approaches to talent management, which may attract the interest of the target group of the programme.

Organising specialised workshops is a valuable practice for improving HRs’ work and enhancing the productivity of subordinates through sufficient motivation created by managers (Bakker, 2017; Furnham and Treglown, 2017). As Tuck (2019, para. 3) states, in the sportswear and equipment industry in question, “the war for talent” is observed, and the Adidas corporation should make every effort to retain highly qualified professionals. As learning objectives for the involved employees of the HR department, the following tasks are set:

• Improving staff motivation and engagement skills;
• Enhancing personal knowledge regarding talent management;
• Introducing modern and creative methods for solving the issue of retaining highly qualified specialists.

In order to develop a specific development programme, special strategies for working with the target audience are necessary. As these approaches, coaching, mentoring, group work activities and role-play simulations will be involved. According to Glaister et al. (2018), coaching provides an opportunity to maintain close contact with project change participants. Engaging experienced employees to organise master classes is an essential task. Skill training should be constantly monitored to avoid mistakes or task misinterpretation; therefore, both one-on-one coaching and mentoring are crucial elements of the programme in question (Cascio and Graham, 2016; Hartoyo, Efendy and Utama, 2017).

Since Adidas’ HRs have an educational background, it will not be difficult for them to delve into the features of the project; in addition, according to Geoghegan (2018), in the corporation, a supportive environment is encouraged. Organising group activities by creating separate teams without clear leaders can facilitate the sharing of experiences (Armstrong, 2016). Finally, when citing an example from another industry, Pinto and Thalgaspitiya (2017) note that employee engagement should be accompanied by a clear division of responsibilities among HR specialists. Therefore, a role-playing strategy is relevant and convenient as a creative approach.

The proposed training programme will include three main types of sessions that Adidas HRs will attend – workshops where they will be offered practical tasks, webinars for interaction with colleagues from different branches and discussion boards where employees will evaluate the results of the work done. Such an algorithm is universal and convenient since, as Pradhan, Jena and Panigrahy (2016) state, by leveraging knowledge comprehensively, HRs can develop relevant and efficient projects to interact with subordinates in the framework of talent management activities.

According to Mayfield, Mayfield and Wheeler (2016, p. 4), all three components of activity (“talent inventories, workforce planning and training/development processes”) make it possible to create a productive employee engagement system, which is an important objective of the described programme. Therefore, the HR department of the corporation will have the necessary theoretical and practical tools to hone valuable skills. In Table 1, the progress of the project is presented, and the main activities are described in a specific sequence.

Table 1. Training Programme for HRs in Adidas.

One of the main advantages of this programme is studying motivational drivers. As Dhamija, Dhamija and Singh (2017) state, this knowledge contributes to the retention of talented employees, although the programme itself does not imply direct contact with subordinates, which is a gap. The sequence of classes is logical and reasonable because specialists hone team and individual skills gradually, which, according to Taylor, Doherty and McGraw (2015), allows avoiding the loss of valuable data during preparation. To enhance learning transfer, more information about HRs themselves needs to be found out because this will make the interaction process more productive and person-centred.

Delivery

The implementation of the training programme for HRs in Adidas should be carried out in appropriate conditions that could stimulate the effective memorisation of learning materials and help employees understand the goals and objectives of the course better. Over ten days, the interaction between coaches and project participants will take place in specially equipped rooms with a convenient layout and all available resources, including visual materials and online communication platforms. Acquiring the necessary knowledge is the key objective of the programme, and talent management training should be accompanied by stimulating action learning as a dynamic process (Smith, 2016).

Therefore, the presence of all possible educational tools, for instance, several laptops with online communication programmes, a whiteboard for visual displaying diagrams and graphs, and teaching aids are significant elements of comprehensive training. One of the disadvantages of the layout is the need to place many specialists inside the same room for productive group work. However, competent pair placement can help save space for convenient learning activities.

An opportunity to present relevant educational materials to the HRs group should be accompanied by comfortable learning conditions. According to Griggs and Allen (2018, p. 43), “the integration of research, practice, reflection, and knowledge sharing” contributes to successful communication and solving assigned tasks. However, for the implementation of these lenses, additional factors are to be taken into account, for instance, the competent distribution of study time with the possibility of refreshments and breaks.

It is anticipated that HRs will spend full time throughout all learning sessions. Consequently, the safety of programme participants should be respected, and special instructions may be provided to avoid overwork or other unpleasant outcomes caused by prolonged activities. Such factors as room temperature and fresh air access are significant aspects of comfortable learning so that no external influences could distract project participants.

Since knowledge sharing is one of the main types of learning activities, the delivery style chosen refers to coaching but not observing. Jiang et al. (2016) note that this way of interacting with the audience stimulates team performance and helps prevent intra-group conflicts because all participants are in equal conditions. At the same time, potential challenges may arise during the programme delivery process. The Adidas corporation can make a mistake when hiring insufficiently professional coaches and mentors, thereby reducing the likelihood of effective HR training. This, in turn, may affect the company’s future operations adversely in relation to personnel engagement and talent management.

Therefore, selection specialists for the training of employees should be thorough and objective. Throughout the programme, feedback should be given to the course participants. According to Heller (2017), this will help learners to be aware of the coaches team’s commitment to achieving high learning outcomes and their support. The combination of means for presenting educational materials, for instance, visual diagrams and tutorial videos, will improve the quality of training and make learning activities more diverse.

The aforementioned learning objectives may be addressed efficiently if group dynamics management is organised in accordance with the specifics of the company in question and the professional background of its HR department. Consequently, it is crucial to take into account the level of the project participants’ preparation and approach each individual case differently to stimulate the progress of low contributors and support the success of those who pass the programme successfully. Such a mechanism will provide an opportunity to not only influence the learners’ group but also maintain effective interaction with each employee.

Griggs and Allen (2018) state that projects involving a large number of participants require assessing the level of course members’ training. This will help not both improve the outcome of the intervention and bring positive implications for the organisation as a whole because the management will have an idea of ​​ subordinates’ professionalism.

Finally, in order to deliver the programme, it is essential to take the necessary measures to prevent group conflicts caused by disagreements regarding methods for solving the tasks and misunderstandings among the course members. The theory of transformational leadership can be a valuable concept of behaviour in this case. As Leroy et al. (2018) argue, this method of interacting with colleagues allows addressing the needs of each programme participant, which is important in an unusual learning environment.

In addition, since teamwork involves group discussions, stimulating the interest of all members helps establish a productive working atmosphere and mutual understanding in the collective. When organising the delivery of the programme, the Adidas management should take into account that HR department employees often work individually, and a new form of communication may be unusual for them. Accordingly, establishing a productive work environment may have a positive effect on the organisation’s future work through the development of valuable team skills of programme members.

Evaluation

Evaluating the training programme for the HR department of the Adidas corporation is an important procedure that may help not only determine the level of specialist preparation but also identify the areas of development for the whole company’s subsequent activities. According to Akhondzadeh-Noughabi et al. (2016), assessing contributes to the productivity of employees significantly since the resulting feedback opens up opportunities for self-reflection and the analysis of potential errors. Concerning this project, the outcomes of work and the evaluation of all the involved participants’ activities will not be summed up immediately but several days after the completion of the course.

The company management needs time to discuss the results o with coaches and mentors and hold a meeting with the HR department in order to receive data on the quality of the programme from the project members themselves. In addition to these procedures, the outcomes will be evaluated from a theoretical perspective by engaging a relevant evaluation model that may allow summarising the results of the work done from the standpoint of essential assessment components.

In this context, Kirkpatrick’s concept of four-level evaluation may be of good use. In collaboration with his wife, the scholar has developed a model that includes four reflective components – “Reaction, Learning, Behavior, Results” (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016, p. 6). When utilising this assessment methodology, the company management can obtain comprehensive data on the different implications of the training programme and analyse subordinates’ feedback regarding this course.

Some opponents of this model define it as the one that lacks important components. For instance, Reio et al. (2017) argue that Brinkerhoff’s model is a more suitable analysis tool because it includes six steps and focuses on needs assessment. Nevertheless, based on the company’s reports, the HR sphere of talent management should be improved due to a number of factors, including high competition in the market segment under consideration and the business dynamics. Therefore, Kirkpatrick’s model is a suitable and convenient methodology for evaluating the results of the work done.

When evaluating the outcomes of the programme, it is essential to analyse several relevant criteria. In particular, such indicators need to be considered as the quality of the course from the position of mentors, coaches and HR department employees, the success of the project regarding the set learning objectives and its importance for the organisation’s future activities. Lussier and Hendon (2017, p. 39) call this activity “360-degree evaluation” because it makes it possible to assess the success of interventions from different perspectives and obtain unbiased analysis results. In addition, such a mechanism facilitates quick interpretation of results since parallel data collection can help speed up the evaluation process.

Some potential challenges may arise, for instance, the complexity of the analysis due to the subjectivity of individual opinions regarding the outcomes. However, a convenient data collection mechanism, such as brief interviews with stakeholders, is a simple and reliable tool for obtaining credible information.

As a result, when analysing the presented programme, one can note that it corresponds with the assigned learning tasks and makes it possible to convey the necessary knowledge to the target audience as efficiently as possible. The exchange of experience helps improve HRs’ personal qualifications and is a valuable tool for enhancing such area as talent management at Adidas. The results of the assessment will be presented visually at the second meeting after all the necessary data has been collected and analysed, and both the top management and the direct participants of the learning course will be invited.

Conclusion

An opportunity to influence such HR areas as talent management and work engagement is valuable in the context of the work of the Adidas corporation as a company that conducts dynamic market activities and competes with other participants in the sportswear and accessories industry. The presented training programme addresses these areas and defines specific learning needs of the employees of the HR department. The entire course is designed to improve the skills of the target group by expanding attainments and knowledge in the indicated areas to retain highly qualified specialists in the company.

The educational load is divided into three key sections, and the ten-day project includes workshops, webinars and discussion boards. The delivery of the programme involves creating optimal conditions for employees’ successful training, and competent mentors and coaches are engaged. The sequence of activities is phased with subsequent individual tasks. Coaching, mentoring, group work activities and role-play simulations are the key learning methods. A comprehensive evaluation proves the compliance of the course with the company’s development objectives and helps strengthen the professionalism of its HR department in the field of talent management.

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