Getting more out of your retail career is now easier than ever with leadership development opportunities available at many companies across the country. Young professionals who thrive in a retail environment could find themselves an opportunity to move up in the company they currently work for. Here are a couple large-scale Canadian examples:
Loblaw
At Loblaw Companies Limited, recent and soon-to-be post-secondary graduates can apply to be accepted into their grad@loblaw development program.
According to Loblaw's careers website, grad@loblaw is a full-time program that provides successful applicants an opportunity to learn more about their company from a variety of different perspectives.
Asma Moten, talent manager at Loblaw, says grads participate in three rotations over 15 months: store, merchandising, and destination department.
Everyone completes the first two standard rotations where they learn how stores operate, how to provide a great customer experience, and how Loblaw chooses and sources products that end up on their shelves.
The area that they have applied to and have been accepted into is considered their destination department, says Moten. Grads can be placed in any destination department such as IT, store management, marketing, and finance, for example.
The last rotation is where they get a rounded perspective of that department before they assume a full-time role within that department, she says. And not only do the trainees receive valuable retail-relevant skills, they're also guaranteed a position at the end of the program, only adding to the value of programs like these.
EB Games
The group manager program at EB Games is intended for store managers in the top 30 per cent of in-store results, says Janine Tadier, divisional vice-president of people, risk, and organizational culture.
We very much pride ourselves on developing our internal talent and we're committed to ensuring that they can be the best that they can be [by] giving them opportunities to do so, she says.
Successful candidates must go through a three-step process that focuses on theory and hands-on experience on how to become a successful multi-unit manager.
According to Tadier, the first two sections of the program involve conference calls. Candidates from across the country participate in biweekly calls to first talk with subject experts from EB Games for the traditional classroom learning segment. On the off-week, they participate in a conference call amongst each other to help promote their own personal development.
We also have them read selected readings regarding what makes a good leader and leadership that get results, she says. Really looking deep into what they're doing, how they're managing currently, and how that affects not only their business but the individuals who are reporting to them and have contact with them on a day-to-day basis.
During the final portion of the training program, candidates receive a mentor who is either at the senior manager or director level in the company. They receive the hands-on training during this time and learn what it takes to become a district manager.
If they're successful, they have the potential to be promoted into an area manager position, says Tadier.
Whether the development program is intended for internal employees or external applicants, they're an excellent way to gain a deeper understanding of how a certain company operates and does business.
I think for both the organization and for the grad it's win-win in a sense that the grad or the colleague in question gets an exposure to a variety of areas in the business, says Moten.
Both Tadier and Moten agree that establishing solid relationships by networking with colleagues, managers, and other participants in the program and throughout the company is also a great benefit.
If our future leaders grow, develop, and progress within the company together, Tadier adds, we believe that they are more committed to those relationships and, in turn, this has an effect on the team dynamic as well as long-term retention.
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