Asda to offer underperforming staff extra training as part of turnaround efforts

The grocer, which is currently in the midst of a turnaround under executive chair Allan Leighton, will analyse how quickly workers are currently packing orders for home deliveries and whether those orders have the correct products in them or are being replaced with appropriate substitutes, according to The Telegraph.

The lowest-performing employees from these home shopping team tests will then be given more training to ensure they work more efficiently.

As many as one in five staff members may be asked to participate in the extra training courses, with the grocer also offering similar programmes for its delivery drivers.

An Asda spokesman said: “This proposal to introduce additional coaching to our home shopping colleagues will provide an opportunity for us to engage earlier with colleagues to understand any concerns that they may have or support that they require to help them excel in their roles and deliver outstanding service to our customers.

“This proposal would not introduce any additional targets for our colleagues and does not replace the performance improvement processes we already have in place.”

Asda has also been tinkering with its hybrid working policy, having recently issued orders to staff to ensure they include Mondays and Fridays in their three-day office working week, as was first reported by Retail Week.

It represents a wider trend in the grocery sector of a push for greater productivity and efficiency. Last week, it was reported that Morrisons had told store staff that it would be giving limited access to its stockrooms in order to have “the right colleagues in the right place to deliver the best service to all customers”.