HRM students go behind the scenes at QVC

12 January 2012

Ten LJMU students studying on BA (Hons) in Human Resource Management (HRM) recently visited home shopping giant QVC's impressive distribution centre in Knowsley.

During the tour, organised by the HRM programme team in partnership with Sandra Nixon, QVC's Training and Development Manager, students saw the facility in full swing in the build up to the company's busiest time as tens of thousands of Christmas presents were being dispatched to customers across the UK.

The visit included a tour with Distribution Trainer, Graeme Williams, who showed the students how QVC plans its operations so that it is resourced well enough to deliver a consistent, quality service to meet fluctuating seasonal business demands.

Following the visit, the students had structured meetings with the HRM HRD (Human Resources Development) teams to learn about how they work in partnership with the organisation's varied business areas.

"Students were most impressed with the depth of business knowledge that is required to perform the job of a HR professional," said Peter Cureton, Senior Lecturer HRM at LJMU.

"QVC is a vast and complex operation which requires a dynamic and flexible human resource policy to meet seasonal shopping demands. During the visit our students got a real flavour for how professionally managed HR policy can contribute to business success."

Sandra Nixon and her colleague Rachael Egerton, HR Manager at QVC, helped coordinate the visit. Sandra said:

"The team really enjoyed sharing our knowledge and experience, and business information with the students. We put everything into context with a tour of our Customer Operations Centre, showing our employees at work, and hope that the visit will help them with their current studies."


Students who took part in the QVC visit commented:

"(the visit) provided the potential to see how HR theories you learn in class are implemented within a business environment."
Hussain Ahmed

"(the) trip was an eye opener into the working and modern day HR professional world."
Bethan Ryvar

"Talking to the HR team about their roles was the most beneficial part of the trip because I got to hear how things I have learned are used on the job."
Helen Taylor

The HRM team at LJMU’s Liverpool Business School aims to give their students a broad vocational understanding of the real-world application of human resource management, with a mix of specially designed classroom-based activities and field studies. BA (Hons) HRM students can expect regular, insightful field studies to regional large and medium-sized organisations.

Further information about the course is available at: ljmu.ac.uk/lbs