Undercover Big Boss

First up is Alfie Best, owner of Wyldecrest Parks, the largest caravan and park home operator in Europe. While other businesses have struggled through the pandemic, it's been a boon for Alfie, with staycations at an all-time high. He starts his undercover journey with Richard, one of his sales team. But he's soon tearing his hair out over missed sales opportunities.

This week, it's the turn of Robert Forester, chief executive of Bristol Street Motors, one of the largest car dealership groups in the UK, to go undercover. With forecourts finally reopening after months of lockdown, Robert decides to start his mission by looking at the most important part of his business - sales. In his Nottingham branch he works alongside top performing salesman Jevan, but, after trying and failing to sell a car himself, Robert is saddened to discover that the sales targets Jevan has been given are putting him under so much pressure that he's contemplating leaving the business.

Mark Taylor is managing director of Pickfords, which is Britain's largest removals company and has a £50million turnover. Unlike many companies, the pandemic actually boosted Pickfords business - the stamp duty holiday encouraged many house buyers, but the increase in workload also helped to highlight the lack of new boots on the ground. With a big increase in customers but an ageing workforce and a shortfall of new applicants, Mark needs to act fast. He wants to go undercover to try and find out why it's proving so hard to recruit the next generation of Pickfords staff.

This week, it's the turn of Shelim Hussain MBE, Managing Director of Euro Foods, one of the biggest suppliers of Indian food in Europe.

Having grown his company from an initial investment of £20, thirty years ago, today Shelim's turnover stands at £200 million and he hopes to double that in the next five years.

But before Shelim puts his supersizing plans in place, he wants to go undercover to make sure his workforce are ready for what's to come.