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Buckle: Project Scope and Organizational Assessment

Janae Bajorek, Sophia Lantz, Chloe Parsons, Jamie Harris

Central Michigan University

February 12, 2015

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Buckle Project Scope

Scope Summary

Central Michigan’s Consulting Group is excited to begin working with Buckle to enhance

the current internship program with the addition of a campus liaison position. Buckle is in need

of a position to fill the current career path gap between internship and management trainee (MT).

In addition, Buckle is looking to gain more of a presence on campuses at which they currently

recruit. The complete design and creation of a campus liaison position will mend both these

current issues. This role will be initially rolled out to Central Michigan University, but should be

intended for use at many different colleges. The campus liaison position for Buckle will be

responsible for promoting the internship and bringing the Buckle culture and energy to campus.

Key Takeaways

The team at Buckle is looking for a candidate with the right subjective qualities to

represent Buckle on campus- formulation of the ideal candidate profile will be a main takeaway

for Buckle. It is always possible to teach an intern or liaison objective skills such as fashion

sense or business matters, however, Buckle sets themselves apart from the competition with high

energy, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a guest focused culture. All these subjective traits must be

exuded through the campus liaison role. The interpersonal skills and energy required to bring this

culture to campus cannot be taught so organizational fit is the top priority in designing a

candidate profile for the campus liaison position. Specifically, deliverables or takeaways for this

project include a full program for the campus liaison position including a job description,

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requirements and expectations for liaison during tenure, candidate profile for liaison selection,

and framework along with materials for liaison presentations on campus.

Relevancy

This project will be relevant to Buckle’s existing needs by attending to two primary

current issues surrounding the internship program. First, Buckle is seeing a gap in the career path

of management interns between the end of the summer internship and when associates officially

begin working with Buckle as a management trainee after graduation. The campus liaison

position will give the interns a chance to remain connected with the company and gain more

experience with the brand and culture prior to being their management career. Secondly, Buckle

currently participates in career fairs and focuses recruitment on many college campuses but is

experiencing difficulty creating a more established presence on campus. The addition of a

campus liaison position will allow Buckle to participate in more events on campus and spend a

significant amount of time recruiting candidates for the internship program all semester long

while creating an energy of excitement around Buckle career opportunities on campus.

Steps to Complete Project

Buckle has requested service from the Central Michigan Consulting Group in

creating a plan to hire a liaison between Buckle and Central Michigan University. In order to

complete this goal the team has created a step-by-step plan on how CMU’s consulting team will

complete this objective. This process includes the ten following steps.

For step one the Central Michigan Consulting Group will survey past interns. This survey

will contain questions regarding their internship and particularly about what kind of personality

make a good organizational fit. It will also ask questions on how they became aware of the

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internship program offered by Buckle. The reason for this step is to create a knowledge base on

Buckle’s company culture the information regarding their internship. This basic knowledge is

needed to move on to the next step of creating determining liaison fit and job description. If

surveying the students doesn’t become an option then the alternative plan would be to set up

meetings with these students individually. This way the team would still be collecting

information but through a different strategy.

Step two would involve surveying the schools that Buckle normally recruits at. These

schools include Central Michigan University, Western Michigan University, and Michigan State

University. This will be done to determine what Buckle is already been doing successfully on

these campuses. Based on these surveys, it will make is easier for the Central Michigan

Consulting Group to define the roles and tasks the liaison will need to cover in their job. The

reason that the team needs this step is to better understand how each university works and what

the liaison is expected to do throughout their campus. If the surveys don’t seem to work then the

team will schedule individual meetings with each university to gather this information.

Step three would involve compiling the information received from both the past intern

surveys and recruited schools along with discussions with Jason to develop a candidate profile

determining what would make a good liaison fit. With information received from these three

sources, the team will have a good understanding on the characteristics needed for the position.

The reason for this step is to gather and compare as much information as possible so that the

team is able to create an effective liaison position.

Step four would require the development of a list of responsibilities, tasks, and quotas

using the survey and school information. This will give a better representation of what the liaison

position will require. The reason for this step is to understand the certain things the job will

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require. Once the requirements are established, the team will better be able to create the KSAO’s

needed for the position.

Step five puts both step three and step four together to format and create a job description

that fits the current format of other recruiting materials for Buckle. Developing a complete job

description will help better determine what characteristics will be needed to carry out the

responsibilities, tasks, and quotas that the job requires. The reason for this step is to be able to

provide a job description proposal for Jason based on the knowledge acquired from steps three

and four. Having this job description will be enough information to provide to Jason and discuss

further on the creation of the liaison position.

Step six is the time when the Central Michigan Consulting Group will have a checkpoint

meet with Jason. The reason for this is that it is almost necessary to have a meeting with our

client to make sure we are completing the planning process based on their wants. If there is no

meeting the team runs the risk of developing an unsatisfactory plan, which would result in

wasted time. Central’s team wants to make sure we have continuous communication with the

client throughout the project. If getting in contact with Jason is not an option then we will look

into contacting Megan West, who is an alumni of the internship program.

Step seven will be to work with the established quotas and responsibilities for the liaison

to develop a handbook and materials that the current liaison can use as a reference to the job.

This includes informational posters, handouts, and packets that give a detailed description on

what is expected from a campus liaison. The reason for this step is to make sure the future

liaisons are well aware of the job description, responsibilities, and quotas. This will make the job

expectations clear and give the liaisons easy tools to help them throughout their daily job tasks.

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Step eight would be for the Central Michigan Consulting Group to schedule another

checkpoint meeting with Jason to go over the created materials for the liaison position. The

reason for this step is to make sure Central’s team is following the demands of Jason’s scope

appropriately. Checking in with him will allow the team to move on to the next step in

confidence that a successful planning process is being created. Again, if Jason is not able to be a

person of contact then getting in contact with Megan West will be the best alternative option.

Step nine would be to work with Buckle’s current internship and managerial training

materials to ensure there is a smooth path transition from intern to liaison managerial training

program. The reason for this step is to ensure the liaison is prepared and ready to take on the

roles of their new job. The team at Central Michigan University wants to make sure the transition

from intern to liaison then management trainee runs smoothly each and every time.

Step ten would be to finalize all information and deliverables. The team would start this

by putting together materials and documents for a final presentation to the client. The reason for

this step is to make sure all information is correct and is ready to be given the final presentation

to the client.

Project Timeline

The Central Michigan Consulting Group has created a timeline with project deadlines and

weekly goals in accordance with the project steps. The timeline is found below.

Timeline

Week 1 Survey past interns at Buckle

Week 2 Survey other universities that Buckle has recruited at to get a better idea of their past involvement

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Week 3 Develop a candidate profile from the information gathered through surveys

Week 4 Make a list of job responsibilities and tasks that a Buckle liaison will have to perform

Week 5 Complete a job description based on the candidate profile and previous job responsibilities

Week 6 Meet with Jason to ensure that the job description has been done to his liking

Week 7 Develop a handbook and materials that will assist the liaison

Week 8 Meet with Jason again to show him the newest materials

Week 9 Ensure that the transition from intern to liaison to management trainee (MT) will go smoothly

Week 10 Finalize all information and prepare for presentation to the client

Contact Information

The point of contact for both the client and the group for this project will be Janae

Bajorek. Janae will be responsible for maintaining open lines of communication between the

client, Buckle, and the rest of the team. The team members of Central Michigan’s Consulting

Group will communicate with Buckle, at minimum, once a week. The Consulting Group will

meet, at minimum, once a week on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM. During these meetings, the group

will review the next steps appropriate to continue on track to meet project deadlines and goals

appropriately. Exact tasks and responsibilities for the upcoming week will be discussed for each

team member and updates on project development will be reviewed ensuring all team members

are on the same page regarding status of the project. During these meetings, Janae will along

with the rest of the team formulate an informative email to be sent to Buckle as a way of

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communication and updated information regarding current project status and may questions or

concerns that may have arose from the last meeting time.

Aside from email, other forms of communication such as FaceTime and phone calls have

been discussed as valid options of communication between the consulting group and Buckle.

Jason Lynn will be the primary contact for the Buckle team. Jason is available via phone, email,

or in person at the Saginaw store on scheduled appointments according to work schedule. In

addition to Jason, a second SME (Subject Matter Expert) identified during the initial meeting is

Megan West, an alumni of the internship program and current Buckle representative. Megan will

serve as another opinion and source of information and expertise in the event that Jason is not

able to work with us at a certain time or a second opinion is needed.

Organizational Assessment

Purpose of the Business

Buckle specializes in designer clothing, a unique customer experience, and most

famously, jeans. With clothing suited for both men and women, Buckle lies in the niche market

of designer clothing at less than designer prices. In addition, Buckle builds their business on

lasting customer relationships by offering a personalized shopping experience, a frequent

shopper program, layaway, and free alterations. Buckle’s mission statement is as follows: “To

create the most enjoyable shopping experience possible for our guests” (Buckle.com).

Today Buckle has grown into an organization with over 450 retail stores over 44 states.

Buckle is headquartered in Nebraska where it was originally founded in 1948 under the name

“Mills Clothing”. With many stores all over the country, it would be virtually impossible for

Buckle to operate with a truly centralized organizational structure. Centralized organizational

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structures are defined with one individual making all decisions regarding the business of the

organization in all aspects. Buckle represents a decentralized organizational structure in which

decisions are made in more of a team environment at different locations or levels of the

company. As a retail chain, many decisions come from headquarters and down to stores around

the nation. This is an example of top-down management style, meaning top managers make

decisions that then flow down through the rest of the company. However, smaller scale decisions

and culture will vary from location to location store-side as needed. For example, daily

operations of the Saginaw location may vary slightly from daily operations at the Somerset

location as to better serve guests and drive sales in each unique location. Still, large decisions

regarding company direction and culture will be received top down from headquarters align with

the company vision.

Target Market and Competitors

The target market for Buckle are fashion forward men and women on a budget. Buckle

offers the exclusivity, consumer relationship, and brands of a designer shop at prices between

designer and non-designer retail. Offering both private label and brand name clothing, footwear

and accessories, Buckle appeals to both men and women around the young adult age group. Also

focusing on the same target market, Buckle’s main competitors are Abercrombie and Fitch,

Express, Hollister, and primarily American Eagle due to the similar focus on jeans.

Company Review

To get a better understanding on Buckle, two articles describing the company have been

reviewed and summarized. The first article, Buckle’s Big Bet by Monte Burke describes Buckle

and their recent growth trends. The company has experiences same-store sales growth in 40 of

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the past 41 month and have found success while other companies have struggled. Buckle has not

seen too many negative effects from the recession. Dennis Nelson believes that the reason for

this is a tight control of the inventory of hip jeans, shirts and hats with a lot of customer service.

Another reason Buckle may not be affected by the recession is the fact that they haven’t strayed

too far from their small-town, Midwestern roots. Most of their stores can be found within the

U.S. in Metropolitan Statistical Areas with 50,000 people. Adrienne Tennant from FBR Capital

Markets says, “They are the leading edge of fashion in most of their markets.” Buckle likes to

stay in their Midwestern roots because expanding into larger markets brings more challenges like

higher rent, larger competition, and less brand recognition. The reason that Buckle often does

better then their rivals like Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters is that Buckle

gets most of its sales from producer brands. Other stores carry store brands, which customers

seem to be more fickle than for producer brands. Buckle stores also receive new inventory

everyday, whereas other stores buy nine months out and push their inventory on their customers.

The article The Buckle: King of Clothing Retailers Blows Away Competitors by Larry

Meyers goes on to explain what makes Buckle a top competitor within their market. The answers

to Buckle’s success can be found in their annual report. Page 7 mentions that most of their stores

are located in Middle America. Page 4 provides the data that 43% of company sales are denims,

37% are tops, and 29% is private label. Buckle doesn’t rely on the latest fashion and their simple

clothing and jeans have shown consistent demand. Another thing that makes Buckle special is

their personalized service given by their employees. This special attention given by its

employees are what stands Buckle above its competitors. Buckle tends to promote from within.

“Of its 7,000 employees, almost 2,000 are full-time, and almost all began on the sales floor”

(Meyers, 2012). An employee who is more familiar with the company culture is more likely a

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better manager then a new hire. For example, “The Chairman has held his position for 20 years

and prior to that was the CEO. The current CEO began as a part-time salesman in 1970. The

CFO has been with The Buckle since 1987. The newest director has been with the company five

years, with the others having served between 10 and 20 years” (Meyers, 2012).

Outside of articles and press releases, Buckle also has been reviewed by guests who have

or currently shop with the company. The Buckle’s energetic and guest-focused culture are

generally taken well, but of course, there are certain individuals who do not take well to this

particular culture. In addition to candidates who are not great organizational fits, some guests

who enter the store find this customer-focus environment intimidating and pressuring. However,

the sales and success of Buckle prove this culture as an extremely positive secret ingredient to

the company’s success.

Company Culture

The company culture of Buckle is extremely important to our organizational assessment

during this project. It is imperative that the campus liaison position is equipped and able to

successfully bring the bold culture of Buckle to college campuses around the state. Buckle

strives with a fast-paced and exciting environment. This stimulating culture creates a fun place to

be for both employees and guests. Employees at Buckle are outgoing, creative, and equipped

with a sense of entrepreneurship which helps the company strive in the cut-throat retail

environment. Buckle strives on a competitive environment focused around commission based

pay. This motivates employees to exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit and build long lasting guest

relationships. In addition to looking for outgoing employees, Buckle also looks for individuals

who are creative. Buckle’s main goal is to create a positive shopping experience for customers so

it is essential to have employees who are able to provide quality, creative customer service.

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Through training and development, Buckle associates are also educated on fashion trends and

styles in order to assist guests with purchase and suggest outfits that will fit the guest’s personal

style.

This high energy and hands-on environment stands out amongst competitors in both a

positive and negative light. On the employee side, reviews from current and past associates are

collectively positive regarding the experience of working for Buckle. Although the competitive

spirit may not be suitable for all candidates, those that fit the organizational culture of Buckle

often prove successful and recall Buckle as an awesome experience that is rewarding both

monetarily and developmentally. Some other Buckle associate benefits mentioned in reviews

include flexible scheduling, growth potential within the company, a 40 percent discount on

clothing, and the overall excitement of the culture.

Buckle Associates and Career Retention

Job autonomy is the degree or level of freedom and discretion allowed to an employee

over his or her job. Buckle employees experience the freedom to develop their own sales method

when trying to sell store guests buckle merchandise. They are free to use their own personality

and to focus on the items of their choice. However, Buckle employees are held accountable to

share certain promotions and services with store guests such as the buckle card, free alterations

and the option of lay away. Buckle employees are also expected to organize the clothes and clean

the store when they are not working with a store guest.

The majority of Buckle employees are female but efforts to recruit more men are

currently a priority according to the store manager in Saginaw, Jason Lynn. A retention strategy

Buckle embraces is long term career planning for store associates. As a result, the majority of

associates are young adults in their 20s. Store associates have the option of doing a sales and

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management internship or participating in the management development program as an assistant

manager. Once the internship or development program has been successfully completed,

associates are eligible to be promoted to store manager of that location or relocate to manage

another store. The next promotions within the career path are area manager and then district

manager. Store managers Jason Lynn and Jamie Culina work to continuously develop and

improve staffing polices. The project scope to design and implement a campus liaison position

between internship and management trainee will fill the gap in this developmental career path

within Buckle and aid with continued attraction and retention of college talent.

Conclusion

The Central Michigan Consulting Group is excited to work with Jason and the rest of the

Buckle team on this stimulating project. It is believed that through the use of a campus liaison

position, both the gap in employment for interns to new managers within Buckle and the

company’s presence on campus will benefit greatly. The team is excited to see the culture and

energy of Buckle represented on college campuses, ensuring the bridge between spirited college

graduates and the developmental and entrepreneurial essence of Buckle.

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References

Burke, M. (2010, February 25). Buckle's Big Bet. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0315/companies-retail-clothing-real-estate-buckles-

big-bet.html

Meyers, L. (2012, June 27). The Buckle: King Of Clothing Retailers Blows Away Competitors.

Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://seekingalpha.com/article/688631-the-buckle-

king-of-clothing-retailers-blows-away-competitors