SPAR builds the future of retail on its own people

The retail company is developing structured career paths from university students through to store managers, enabling it to rely on its own professional and managerial talent pipeline in the long term.

Finding suitable professionals is becoming an increasingly significant challenge in the retail sector, making the development of existing employees and the deliberate creation of internal career paths ever more important for companies. This is at the heart of SPAR Magyarország’s long-term HR strategy: the company is not simply looking for new employees but is developing its own experts and managers. A structured development system supports progression from university students through store-based professionals to managers. As a result, nearly 3,500 employees took part in face-to-face training last year, with more than 8,000 attendances recorded across the programmes, while the total duration of e-learning courses exceeded 37,000 hours.

“Training and development are not separate HR programmes at our company, but part of our corporate culture. We take a long-term approach to our employees, which is why we want to create an environment where the next step in their development is visible and accessible to every colleague. We need to prepare the experts and leaders of the future today, and to do so we must provide professional knowledge, practical experience, mentoring and genuine career opportunities,” said Ildikó Szijjné Kállai, Strategic HR Director at SPAR Magyarország.

The career path can begin as early as secondary school

SPAR’s talent pipeline strategy begins by engaging students in secondary and higher education. For years, the company has been an active partner in the vocational education and training system, providing practical placements for students enrolled in vocational training and thereby supporting their professional development and preparation for the labour market. SPAR works with more than 100 educational institutions across the country, enabling more than 500 students each year to gain practical experience in its stores. During their training, young people can learn the fundamentals of their profession in a real working environment, with the support of experienced colleagues, while gaining an insight into how modern retail operates. For years, the company has been working systematically to continually expand the range of stores participating in training, enabling it to offer practical opportunities to students at an increasing number of locations.

Over the past ten years, SPAR has supported the professional development of nearly 100 students on dual study programmes, while it also regularly welcomes young people

undertaking professional placements. As part of its strategic partnership with Budapest Business University, students can learn from the company’s professionals while working on real business situations. SPAR also provides opportunities for development in an international environment: coordinated by SPAR Austria, participants in the International Trainee Programme gain an insight into the company’s operations during their professional placements in Hungary, working in stores, logistics centres and food production facilities, before becoming involved in day-to-day work across various areas. Participants in the Future Leaders Programme organised by SPAR International can build relationships with international colleagues, learn about the latest market trends and best practices. The professional programmes are complemented by community-building events as well as visits to facilities and stores, giving participants a comprehensive overview of international operations.

Store employees can become store managers and then area managers

One of the most important features of SPAR’s development system is that it offers employees a clearly defined, structured career path. Through the Top Eladó (Top Salesperson) programme, store-based professionals can acquire a high level of professional expertise, which is then built upon by the SPAR Mester and SPAR Mester PRO management development programmes. The effectiveness of the system is clearly demonstrated by the fact that half of the employees who completed the development programmes for the store network were promoted. Several colleagues who are now working as store managers began their careers in the Top Eladó programme and subsequently progressed to increasingly senior positions after completing management development training. There are also employees who now support the operation of stores as area managers. Continuous renewal of professional knowledge is also supported by targeted professional training and the development of practical trainers, ensuring consistent, high-quality operations across the entire store network.

Developing talent is an investment in future leaders

The next stages in building the internal talent pipeline are the Talent Expand It! talent development programme and the Management Academy. Young talents take part in mentoring, coaching, corporate projects and international study trips while preparing for careers in management or specialist roles. The programme’s effectiveness is clearly demonstrated by the fact that 79 per cent of participants have moved into higher positions. The development of colleagues already working in management roles is supported by the Management Academy, which focuses on developing modern leadership competencies. As a result of the management development programmes, assessments of managers in employee engagement surveys improved by almost 20 percentage points.

Development is continuous, and training prepares employees for the challenges of the future

An important element of SPAR’s development system is the annual goal setting and career discussions, in which 96 per cent of eligible employees took part this year. Managers and employees jointly determine the next steps in their development, which also form the basis of the company’s training system. In recent times, interest has grown most significantly in digital competencies and knowledge related to artificial intelligence, while programmes aimed at developing management, communication and collaboration skills continue to receive strong emphasis.

SPAR’s long-term goal is to provide every employee with opportunities for development, regardless of whether they work for the company as a new starter, store-based professional, or manager. This approach, built on continuous learning, not only supports current operations but also provides a solid foundation for the company to continue building the success of its retail business on its own experts and leaders in the future.