HR Basics: Succession Planning

Planning for both the foreseen and unexpected absences of people who hold key roles in an organization. Succession planning is the process of identifying high-potential employees, evaluating and developing their skills, and preparing them for advancement into positions that are key to organizational objectives. Planning for both the foreseen and unexpected absences of people who hold key roles in an organization is a task that we as employers often avoid or engage in only in an informal manner. Without concentrated effort on this activity, known as succession planning, a business that has been successful can quickly fail if it loses one or more of its leaders.

Succession planning involves understanding the organization’s long-term goals and objectives, identifying the high-potential candidates and their respective developmental needs and determining workforce trends and predictions. When succession planning is carefully conducted and the plan periodically reviewed, organizations can avoid extended and costly vacancies. Succession planning must be a priority for every employer and should be part of its strategic business plan.

A key position is generally defined as a position that is critical to the viability and continuity of an agency. Identifying key positions takes a holistic approach and needs the input of managers and executive sponsors regarding critical KSAOs, current and future competency gaps and environmental scanning to identify opportunities and obstacles. Owners and sponsors of succession planning will need to continuously and systematically assess critical positions, KSAOs and competencies needed, and plans for future roles each time a new strategy or mission is created.

To maximize succession plan initiatives, it is important to identify critical employees through performance metrics and outputs. It is also important to ask not only who is ready now, but who may be ready in the next 3-5 years.
Otherwise, agencies are depriving themselves of longer-term pool diversity/depth. Agencies will need to determine relevant competencies and experiences necessary for each of the potential areas of succession.

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Thank you for this. Do you have book reference/s for this? And is it possible to have a list of it? Thank you.