UK food and clothing retailer Marks and Spencer has hired a New York business guru to motivate its entire staff of 56,000 in a bid to boost the company’s sales.
Retail motivationist Mary Gober is running a series of day-long mass sessions for the staff this week at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, reported The Guardian. Staff are attending the sessions 5,000 at a time.
Shopworkers’ union Usdaw has estimated that the events will cost £10m (US$17.7m), which it believes is a waste of money, the newspaper said. But M&S defended the move.
“We chose Mary Gober from six contenders – not because she was American but because she has an individualistic approach. The whole idea comes from the fact that M&S want a new, motivated, trained workforce with good careers … We are also training people in-store and have had 8,000 staff volunteering to become coaches and team leaders,” human resources director Keith Cameron was quoted by The Guardian as saying.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData