Building bench strength before you need it

On-demand webinar
Succession planning in retail is often reactive — triggered by unexpected departures, hiring pressures and fast-changing role requirements. In this practical webinar, retail people leaders explore how to build true bench strength by moving beyond traditional performance-based approaches and into more agile, skills‑led and human‑centred talent planning.

The session focuses on why succession planning commonly fails in multi‑site retail environments, how AI and skills shortages are reshaping roles, and what pragmatic, tech‑enabled approaches can help retailers future‑proof critical roles without defaulting to external recruitment.

What’s covered in the webinar

• Why UK retailers often rely heavily on external senior hires — and the risks this creates
• The limitations of performance-only succession planning and nine‑box approaches
• Why development is often cut under pressure, creating a “hamster wheel” of recruitment
• How AI is reshaping retail roles — reducing transactional work and increasing the need for expertise and human skills
• What “succession ready” should look like as roles continuously evolve
• The risks of over‑automation and its impact on burnout and churn
• Why static competency frameworks and spreadsheets quickly become outdated
• How tech‑enabled, iterative talent mapping supports faster, better decisions

Key takeaways

• Bench strength depends on skills, learning agility and relational capability — not performance alone
• AI changes the shape of roles, making human judgement, expertise and connection more critical
• Succession planning must shift from static plans to continuous, real‑time role and talent mapping
• Regular, structured career conversations help improve readiness, retention and internal mobility