Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce: Strategies for Growth, Mobility and Engagement

Retail has always been a people business, employing approximately 2.8 million people across the UK. But the environment in which retailers attract, develop and retain talent is becoming more complex, shaped by new technology, shifting economic pressures, and evolving expectations from employees at every level.

In a recent BRC webinar, we explored what it takes to future-proof a retail workforce. 

Career development in the retail workforce

For some retail professionals, the idea of taking personal ownership of career development and progression has been challenging. It’s is easy to see how that challenge formed: traditionally, development has been something done to people, as part of an annual review cycle, rather than something they actively shape themselves.

But this model no longer reflects the pace of change in retail. As well as changes in hiring practices, shaped by new technology, artificial intelligence, and shifting economic pressures, it’s also a cultural shift.

For retail professionals to have the confidence to own their own growth, there needs to be strong support from managers and a clear path forward within their organisation.

The shift being called for is a shared model: HR creates the structure, managers enable growth as part of everyday work, and employees take ownership of their own direction, involving everyone in the process. In retail, where operational pressures make it easy to deprioritise these conversations, that balance takes deliberate effort, but the organisations that get it right tend to see stronger retention and performance as a result.

Internal mobility

One of the more practical ideas in the session was the case for internal mobility: developing and redeploying talent within the organisation rather than defaulting to external hiring.

For some retailers, internal mobility is not yet the first instinct when a role needs filling. But when people can see genuine opportunities to grow and move within the business, they remain in the organisation longer, bring more to their role, and are less likely to look elsewhere. The organisations furthest along this journey are the ones where mobility has become cultural - where people explore internal options before they even consider leaving.

Getting there requires managers who are equipped and willing to have honest career conversations, clear visibility of what opportunities exist, and employees who feel safe enough to express ambition without fear.

Watch this session on-demand

In the full recording, speakers from the BRC and LHH go on to discuss further elements of the shaping workforce, such as career activism, talent enablement, and employee value – and in retail’s changing employment landscape, the responsibility for shaping a positive retail workforce is crucial, and shared between all retail professionals.

To hear more, access the full session on demand – or explore more on-demand content available to BRC Members.