Career Development Plan Summary
HRM 531

Kudler Fine Foods: Career Development Plan Summary
In 1998, Kathy Kudler had a vision to start her own gourmet food shop. Over ten years later, her wish has been realized by Kathy and her business continues to be well received in the neighborhood. Now Kudler Fine Foods has a straight more daring vision to eventually become the premier gourmet grocery shop for everybody seeking the best meat, create, cheese, and wine. Kathy should form a management team effective at managing growth, if the firm is anticipated to develop past the three shops already in-operation. To satisfy this type of challenge, Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) is promoting a fresh team of workers, developing a mentoring program, efficiency evaluation method, compensation plan, and strategy for improving performance along with the professional goals of each and every worker.
New Employee Positions
Since the conception of the first Kudler Fine Foods, Kathy Kudler has been involved in every decision. In fact, not only has she made the decisions, but she has carried them out as well. The following positions reduce Kathy's individual responsibilities so she can oversee the opening of a new store and the future expansion of KFF across the region.
Regional Manager
The Regional Manager oversees all the currently operating stores and their store managers. The Regional Manager also maintains communication and directly reports with Kathy Kudler to keep her informed of store events and operations. The Regional Manager supervises all store managers and their subordinates. Qualifications for this position include an advanced degree in business management and at least 5 years of experience as an upper level manager.

Store Manager
Each store will have its own store manager to oversee daily operations and report to the regional manager regularly. Store Managers supervisor all store clerks and part time employees. They are responsible for customer relations and for handling employee disputes. They also keep communication open with Kathy Kudler regularly. Qualifications for this position include a degree in business management or at least 3 or more years of management experience.
Logistics Manager
The Logistics Manager takes over all the ordering for Kudler Fine Foods. The Logistics Manager will also create an automated ordering system that will help track sales and plan budgeting needs (University of Phoenix, 2010, Kudler Fine Foods Strategic Plan, p. 15). Other job duties include supervising the rotation of merchandise of each store and overseeing shipping and distribution of merchandise, including traveling when necessary. Qualifications for this position include a combination of education and experience in the field of logistics or business management.
Special Events Coordinator
The Special Events Coordinator develops and oversees all special events, such as wine tastings and cooking classes. The Coordinator also handles the store website and works with outside marketing agencies for designing and printing art work for the store. The Coordinator also facilitates the movement of perishable goods to local shelters. Qualifications for this position include experience in public events, marketing experience, and interpersonal and organizational skills.
Caterer
Along with all the other managerial and special duties, Kathy has been solely responsible for catering events, hence the reason why this area of business has been fairly slow. The Caterer is responsible for promoting the catering aspect of Kudler Fine Foods and hiring clients. The Caterer is also responsible for developing a catering team among the existing employees from the KFF stores. As the catering business expands, the caterer will be responsible for hiring new employees exclusively to help with events. Qualifications for this position include experience in catering, and great interpersonal and organizational skills.
Education and Training
Orientation
Newly hired employees at KFF receive an orientation packet in the mail prior to their first day; the packet includes background information about the company, its vision and mission statement, along with policies and procedures. In preparation, employees are given a chance to fill out all the required paperwork before training begins. Because Kathy wants to remain involved and personable, she introduces herself to new hires on the first day of training. Formal training is conducted at the original store in La Jolla by designated staff that has been taught how to guide others through the learning process. Formal training lasts a few days of the first week of employment and consists of information presentation in the form of short lectures, videos, DVDs, and Power Point presentations. Trainees are assigned a supervisor and are introduced to coworkers. Then they report to their assigned store to learn through on the job training with their supervisor and head personnel of each department.
Ongoing Training and Mentoring
Employees at Kudler Fine Foods experience ongoing training as needed. The store manager introduces new food items and services as they are brought into the store so that employees are better equipped to answer customer inquiries. Employees receive mentoring from supervisors and other experienced staff. The relationship between each supervisor and employee develops over time and mentoring is adapted to meet the unique needs of the employee. Mentoring is much like ongoing training but is more individualized. For example, if an employee shows an interest in learning about wines and how they complement meals, the supervisor would facilitate learning opportunities from the wine steward.
Career Opportunities and Development
The purpose of both ongoing training and mentoring is for continuously developing employees to their fullest potential. Employees are expected to constantly learn more about their job and the store in general. Store clerks are encouraged to acquire new skills and information from the wine steward, catering service, and employees running each specialty shop. KFF has education and training opportunities for all employees; employees who take advantage of such opportunities are favored during times of promotion based on their dedication to the company. Kathy prefers hiring employees from within because she already knows their level of performance and they are well versed in the inner workings of the company.
Kathy Kudler developed her company while keeping in mind the diverse needs of the community in which she planned to serve; therefore, she considers it advantageous to hire a diverse group of employees. As employees continue to work together, Kathy finds that their differences become less of a hindrance and more of an asset to the company. KFF makes every effort to accommodate persons with disabilities or difficulties. For example, Kathy hires many students and offers part time and flexible hours to accommodate single parents and employees with other responsibilities (University of Phoenix, 2010, Kudler Fine Foods Strategic Plan, p. 4). Being flexible encourages employees to remain loyal to the company and to continue serving Kudler Fine Foods in other capacities as they advance in their education and experience.
Program Implementation
Although each store will carry out training, mentoring, and evaluations in much the same way, KFF plans to implement this new plan at the original store in La Jolla prior to establishing it as the program of choice. Employees of Kathy's original store have been with KFF the longest and are ready to take on such a challenge because they are already familiar with the inner workings of the company. The plan is to introduce the program during a season where business is slower, such as right after the busy Easter holiday. This way, Kathy rationalizes the program would be in place for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday when business is the busiest. Implementing the program and evaluating it during the off season causes the least amount of disruption. Doing so also minimizes any possible loss of income from potential clients as a result of a failed program. The plan is to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program after three months before implementing the program within all of Kudler's stores.
Employee Evaluation
Individual Performance
Individual performance appraisals are given to employees by their supervisors, one on one. There is an initial feedback session, a midterm feedback, and any others deemed necessary by the supervisor or the employee. During the performance appraisal, supervisors voice any concerns and expectations; employees ask questions and list future personal and professional goals to assist the supervisor in the employee's training and mentoring needs. When areas of improvement exist, supervisors may request one or three month follow up sessions to check progress. Employees can request feedback at any time for personal review. Individual assessments are fairly easy to conduct because the employee's performance is directly observed by the supervisor; however, the supervisor also gains perspective from fellow employees.
Team Performance
Team appraisals are different from individual appraisals because individual performance within the team is more difficult to ascertain. Team appraisals differ because the overall team is evaluated along with each of its members. Many of the new positions work closely together and with employees from each store; therefore, employees get the chance to evaluate one another using a 360 degree approach. Another unique and possibly complicating factor among teamwork is the specific job duties held by each employee. One employee might not know the intricacies of another's job, such as that of the Caterer or Special Events Coordinator.
Team members have expectations of one another. Each member has a responsibility to the team to carry out individual duties while working toward the group project, such as a catered event or class. Individual equity can either be a hindrance or an asset; members must function well in teams, in both the work they turn in and their behavior. To discourage social loafing, assessments are conducted at the end of each project. This way, problems are solved right away and performance is improved for the next team project. Feedback of each team member is also given during individual performance appraisals.
Progressive Discipline
Kudler Fine Foods is taking a progressive approach to discipline employees. The employer and employee must work together to resolve the problem at the lowest level and as quickly as possible. Employers must address any problems with employees immediately and are obligated to give them a realistic amount of time to fix the situation (Cascio, 2005, p. 555). Employees must determine what is expected and take the necessary steps to meet the demand. Another important aspect of progressive discipline is identifying the consequences that occur as a result of noncompliance. The disciplining process begins with a verbal warning from the supervisor. Next, the supervisor provides the employee with the written policy. The employee signs a letter that clearly outlines company expectations, acknowledging his or her understanding, and the paperwork is filed with the employee's personal file. If the behavior continues, the supervisor evaluates the situation and determines a course of action. In some instances, the investigation may result in a formal reprimand by the store manager or regional manager, or in termination of employment.
Compensation Plan
Direct Benefits
Kudler Fine Foods prides itself in being dedicated to meeting the needs of all staff members. It is still a growing business; therefore, Kathy is not able to offer highly competitive wages. Instead, Kathy promises comparable wages and the opportunity to reap the benefits of the profits through pay raises and yearly bonuses as her business expands. Employees receive a discount on all merchandise and catering services. She has also introduced stock options to all employees so they may profit from the company's increased success. Being included in the company's success is motivating for employees and gives them a sense of ownership (Cascio, 2005, p. 448). One added benefit of working with KFF is the opportunity to take home perishable items that are unfit to sell (University of Phoenix, 2010, Kudler Fine Foods Strategic Plan, p. 9).
Indirect Benefits
Kathy has a very dedicated and loyal staff because of her reciprocal loyalty and dedication. Again, Kathy cannot offer an expansive array of benefits but she does provide support for employees and their family members. In fact, Kathy treats all employees like family members. All friends and family of employees are invited to store openings and special events. She also provides flexible work schedules and grants time off when employees are in need. The corporate culture already in place is reassuring to employees and contributes to their success (Schur, Kruse, & Blanck, 2005, p. 4). Eventually, Kathy hopes to provide a contributory healthcare plan where employees pay a portion of coverage and KFF covers the rest.
Conclusion
Kathy Kudler knew her workload was becoming overwhelming. She needed a plan to hire experienced staff members who could assume many of her responsibilities. Her goal was to shift focus toward expanding the company's products and services and make Kudler Fine Foods a household name. With newly operating staff, the development of training and mentoring programs, and a comprehensive compensation package, Kudler Fine Foods is well on its way to achieving Kathy's vision of becoming the leading premiere gourmet grocery store.

References
Cascio, W. F. (2005). Managing human resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Schur, L., Kruse, D., & Blanck, P. (2005). Corporate culture and the employment of persons with disabilities. Behavioral Sciences & The Law, 23(1), 3-20. Retrieved from MEDLINE with Full Text database. PMID: 15706620
University of Phoenix (2010). Kudler Fine Foods Strategic Plan. University of Phoenix online, Week Four, MGT/521—Management Course Website.