HQ Executives Work in Stores
Tesco, the British retailing giant, has sent hundreds of managers from its headquarters to work in company stores in an effort to become more familiar with their own business.
According to an archived story on ananova.com, Tesco company directors and senior managers are required to spend a week working alongside store staff. Many log additional time working in stores during busy sales periods such as Christmas.
The company’s chief executive is no exception, having recently worked at a Tesco store’s fish counter and warehouse. Changes have been made as a result of executives’ in-store experiences. One example is that barcodes are now printed on “both sides of bulky cases of beer so they can be more easily scanned at the check-out.”
Moderator’s Comment: Do headquarters executives get
a clear picture of store operations when they work on the frontline? Are programs
such as this of practical value or more public/employee relations?
We can’t imagine that it is business as usual in stores
when they have a guest worker for a week. [George
Anderson – Moderator]