Strengthening Succession and Development in a National Retailer
Client: A leading South African retailer with 60 000 employees
Industry: Retail
Focus: Talent Advisory; Line Manager Upskilling; Talent Strategy
What They Were Up Against
Following a significant business shift and the appointment of a new executive to lead the talent function, the client recognised the urgent need to rethink the organisation’s entire Talent Management approach.
At the time:
- Talent Management lacked a coherent framework, with no consistent way to differentiate between performance and potential.
- Development actions were largely tactical and generic (e.g., ad hoc training and conferences) rather than strategically aligned to business needs.
- Succession planning processes were underdeveloped, with inconsistent criteria for identifying potential.
- HR and line managers did not share a clear understanding of what effective Talent Management looked like, creating risks in succession readiness and retention.
At stake was the organisation’s ability to deliver the right talent, at the right time, with the right skills to execute on strategic priorities. Without intervention, the business risked misaligned development investments, weak leadership pipelines, and further strain on an already stretched HR function.
Where We Chose to Focus
Our discovery process – through interviews, diagnostics, and workshops – revealed that many of the visible challenges were symptoms of a deeper issue:
Line managers lacked the mindset, tools, and confidence to take ownership of Talent Development.
HR Business Partners (HRBPs) were not consistently skilled in facilitating talent processes, leading to execution gaps.
The root cause was the absence of a structured, user-friendly Talent Management framework that could bridge high-level strategy with everyday leadership practice.
We therefore chose to focus on:
Building a custom Leadership DNA and competency framework aligned to the new business strategy.
Designing a clear Talent Value Chain with defined steps, metrics, and processes.
Developing a simulation-based onboarding experience to upskill HRBPs and line managers, equipping the client to enable Talent Management with confidence and consistency.
How We Partnered for Impact
The solution was co-created with the client and rolled out as a national programme. We began with a prototype simulation tested by a group of business leaders, refined it based on feedback, and then expanded it across the organisation. HRBPs were trained and equipped to facilitate the company-specific simulation in each region, embedding capability for long-term sustainability.
The simulation became the heart of the programme. Grounded in design thinking, it used real-world scenarios drawn from the organisation’s context, making the experience highly relevant and practical. Line managers were able to practise:
Differentiating between performance and potential.
Interpreting psychometric profiles with confidence.
Conducting meaningful talent conversations.
Designing development actions that were strategic rather than superficial.
The programme also established a common language and approach across HR and line managers, ensuring consistency while remaining tailored to the organisation’s specific context.
What Shifted
The impact was visible at multiple levels:
- Leaders moved from intuition-driven to data-informed, transparent conversations about talent.
- Line managers gained confidence in making succession and development decisions.
- Distinguishing between performance and potential became part of regular dialogue.
Most importantly, the programme catalysed a mindset shift: Talent Management was no longer seen as an HR-owned process but as a shared responsibility actively driven by line managers.
Success Enablers
Several factors contributed to success:
- Executive sponsorship provided credibility and momentum.
- Use of real organisational scenarios ensured immediate relevance and practical application.
- “What’s in it for me?” Framing helped managers see Talent Management as a lever to achieve the client’s own business goals, not an administrative burden.
- Design thinking principles ensured a user-centred, co-created solution.
- Upskilling HRBPs created internal capacity to embed and sustain the programme over time.
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