HPC’s work in the retail sector focuses on building practical career development frameworks that support colleague growth, internal mobility and long-term talent retention.

We worked in partnership with our client’s Group Learning & Development and Group HR teams to design a Career Pathway Framework for colleagues across corporate functions. The opportunity was to bring greater clarity and consistency to how people understand career progression, skills development and movement across roles, functions and specialist pathways.

Through facilitated workshops with business subject matter experts, we explored the culture, complexity and future capability needs of the organisation. Together, we identified the skills, experience and mindset required to progress vertically, make lateral or “squiggly” moves, and deepen expertise within current roles.

The resulting framework gives colleagues a clearer view of career opportunities and supports  more meaningful career conversations. In a sector shaped by scale, pace and frontline delivery, this strengthens internal talent pipelines, supports retention of organisational knowledge and helps develop future leaders from within.

Mary-Jane Halpin, L&D and Talent Consultant at HPC, shares her experience of working closely with the client to explore new possibilities for career development and progression:

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this work was taking the journey with the client, exploring their culture, understanding their future capability needs and looking at career development through a fresh lens. By bringing the right people together, asking questions and challenging conventional views of career progression, we were able to uncover new possibilities and translate them into a framework with real potential to make a difference. At HPC, we believe the value lies not just in developing solutions, but in working collaboratively with clients to explore what’s possible and create meaningful opportunities for their people to grow.”