Induction, training and developing management talent

Home Retail Group takes an active stance in developing the skills of its people. In the last year, we provided over 236,000 days of training. The figure includes the number of training days allocated in stores for both off-job and on-job training and inductions.

Every new starter has a formal induction to orientate themselves within the Group. Additionally, every employee has access to a development training programme. Entry to the programme is agreed with an employee’s line manager during bi-annual performance reviews where training needs are assessed and agreed. 40 different training programmes are offered to all managers across the Group and all head office staff and this offer is refreshed every quarter. Workshops are available for managers in order for them to develop the necessary skills to get the most out of the performance reviews with their teams and offer good support.

Both Argos and Homebase have an internal programme of developing management talent to enable employees to step up to senior management and future Board positions. Three different programmes are offered based on an individual’s grade and in total five programmes are run every year, covering a period of approximately six months training.

The coming year sees the launch of a pilot graduate leadership programme for Argos, to employ six of the country’s top university students to enter an intensive, fast track, 24 month programme designed to develop business leaders of the future. Should this pilot prove successful, we have plans to repeat the process and roll it out to Homebase also.

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