Training and development

We are committed to providing opportunities to enhance team members’ performance at work, promoting a learning culture and investing in training and development to help advance careers.

Wesfarmers’ businesses have primary responsibility for training and developing their team members. This includes job-specific technical and career development training for full-time, part-time and casual team members.

Building data and digital skills has been a key focus, alongside investment in technologies to enable flexible working (for those in suitable roles) and on-demand learning. In recent years, the divisions added training for leaders and team members on wellbeing and mental health.

 Wesfarmers Corporate Office partners with each division to develop leaders across the Group. We believe the partnership approach helps connect leaders and aligns with Wesfarmers’ values. 

Know

• Annual talent and succession discussion with the Wesfarmers Board
• Twice yearly divisional succession and talent reviews focused on leadership teams, critical roles and talent, chaired by the Group Managing Director and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
• Collective Talent Roundtables held annually with the Wesfarmers Leadership Team to deepen understanding of key succession candidates, discuss opportunities for key talent and share insights on emerging talent
• Aggregate succession planning, calibration and management of successor development
• Assessment of candidates for selection/promotion into critical roles to add to bench strength

Grow

• Bespoke assessments and individual development plans for the Group’s critical leaders, such as managing directors, chief financial officers, profit and loss leaders, chief operating officers and leadership team members, on a rotational basis
• Biannual development reviews with each division, chaired by the Group CHRO and attended by divisional HR leaders and GM Leadership and Succession, with a focus on highest impact experience, exposure and education to accelerate critical leader development
• Facilitating talent mobility across the Wesfarmers divisions
• Digital insight platform; access to a digital library, curated emails on leadership challenges
• Executive coach and mentor panel, bespoke executive wellbeing assessments, executive transition labs

Connect

• Induction experiences for new general managers, including Wesfarmers induction workshops connecting general managers to the Group's objectives, values and Leadership Team
• Biennial leadership conference connecting general managers to Group leaders and each other, the Wesfarmers Way and exploring topics such as data and digital, circular economy, and innovation
• Virtual Wesfarmers leader series events to connect leaders, share knowledge and learnings across the Group to reinforce leadership capabilities, mindsets and behaviours that are important for Wesfarmers’ success, today and tomorrow
• Digital resource library for divisional HR team members to access Group Talent resources for developing and managing talent

Include

• Best practice sharing through community of practice
• Access to shared Group memberships to leading diversity and inclusion organisations

In addition to these activities, the divisions have primary responsibility for delivering training and development to their team members. The ‘Include’ workstream reflects activities and resources supported by Group Talent. Work done in diversity and inclusion by the divisions is more specifically outlined in the Diversity and inclusion section.

 Technology talent – data and digital capabilities

The divisions continue to invest in technology talent and to build data and digital capabilities in their team members. The Corporate Office provides support by delivering events and creating connected communities to share knowledge, best practices and innovation and to help team members establish a valuable network of peers across the Group.

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