This document outlines Practicus' capabilities in succession planning, talent mapping, and community engagement. They offer a flexible end-to-end approach including defining future needs, mapping talent communities, engaging communities to understand their needs, developing talent pipelines, and delivering talent. Practicus has experience across sectors using traditional and digital techniques. Their commercial models are designed for commitment and focus on delivering client outcomes over quantity of information.

1. BESPOKE RESEARCH
PARTNERING
Succession planning, engaging
talent communities and
building pipelines

2. Contents
Executive Summary 3
The Need 4
Meeting Your Needs 5
Our Approach 6
Our Capabilities 7
Why Practicus? 8
Our Track Record 9
How Our Commercial Models Work 10
Contacts 11
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3. Executive Summary
SUCCESSION PLANNING, ENGAGING TALENT
COMMUNITIES & BUILDING PIPELINES
A recent survey of the FTSE100 revealed that 79% of large companies
rely on internal succession planning alone to replace their most critical
roles. Only 17% say they look externally to feed their succession
*
pipeline to a high or very high extent.
With organisations evolving to better meet customer needs, developing talent
internally is definitely part of the answer. However, it is also clear that gaining
a source of competitive advantage in today’s markets means mapping key
external talent communities, engaging its members and nurturing a strong
pipeline of talent into the business.
Robust succession planning and talent pipelining strategies are complex,
requiring a clear view of what is available both internally and in the wider
market. Understanding your future talent needs is only the first step.
Understanding their needs is the key to designing an attraction strategy that
will engage your communities of interest and position you as the employer of
choice.
You need a credible partner who can help you build a detailed picture of target
talent by understanding and interpreting your succession needs and mapping
the market thoroughly. Practicus, with its competencies around organisational
change, transformation, succession planning, market research and community
engagement, has the unique ability to help organisations to do this.
*
Conducted by Leadership Risk Management firm Talent Intelligence
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4. The Need
HOW YOU IDENTIFY, UNDERSTAND, ATTRACT,
NURTURE AND DELIVER THE TALENT THAT YOUR
ORGANISATION NEEDS IS A KEY SOURCE OF
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
For years, effective succession planning has been seen as critical to the
success of organisations. If people are your most valuable asset then talent
identification, engagement and succession planning are primary mechanisms
for creating value in your business. Today, organisations face complex
challenges around succession planning. Tightened purse strings, dynamically
changing marketplaces and emerging social and technological trends are
impacting not only the kinds of talent companies are seeking but also
intensifying competition for the best resource.
Meanwhile, talent identification, engagement and pipelining are becoming
increasingly sophisticated. Technology makes more market information
available than ever before – for those who know how to access it effectively.
Businesses are starting to take notice of these changes and the opportunities
for competitive advantage on offer but they face a key challenge. Harnessing
this information and making it actionable is something that few organisations
are equipped to do.
Moreover, there is a world of difference between obtaining information and
nurturing a talent community with your employer brand.
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5. Meeting Your Needs
AN END-TO-END APPROACH TO SUCCESSION PLANNING
The industry for supporting succession planning is highly fragmented. If a Practicus is uniquely placed to help you do this. We offer a flexible and end-to-
business needs to deliver executive talent, it can go to an executive search end succession planning proposition:
firm. If it needs to shape the roles within a future state, it can talk to a
 Defining future needs and role definitions
management consultancy. If it needs to map the market, it can engage a
research firm.  Mapping talent communities
 Engaging communities and nurturing your employer brand
Ultimately, to gain a competitive advantage in current circumstances,
organisations need to build a holistic strategy for succession planning where  Developing and maintaining a talent pipeline
all these pieces of the puzzle join together. Done right, this not only shapes  Delivering talent into vacancies quickly
the future roles of the business but fills critical gaps now, when they are
This joined-up partnership approach will help you both implement your
needed, and develops a pipeline of talent for the medium to long term with a
strategy and provide ‘hands-on’ support for delivering the outcome quickly,
strong employer brand.
cost-efficiently and effectively.
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6. Our Approach
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH YOU TO UNDERSTAND
YOUR REQUIREMENTS AND FOCUS ON DELIVERING
TANGIBLE OUTCOMES
Step I Defining & Shaping – Our approach begins with defining the Step IV Deliver urgent needs – We engage individuals regarding your
outcomes you wish to achieve. We work with you to understand the internal immediate needs and bring candidates into your recruitment process rapidly
talent landscape, define current and future talent requirements and then that may have been unresponsive to a more traditional recruitment campaign.
shape roles to meet these. We then conduct a gap analysis and design a Even if you are not recruiting right then, we can engage with talent in advance
bespoke mapping project that will identify the external talent you need to fulfil of when you need it, articulating your story and positioning you as the
your strategy. employer of choice for their next career step.
Step II Map the market – We work with you to target the skill blends you Step V Build the pipeline – With the talent pool now visible, we will work with
require by location. We engage our experienced Research Specialists to you to develop and manage a talent pipeline by selecting individuals to nurture
target the specific skills you require, and map out communities of talent that over the medium-term. We can instigate a ‘Keep in Touch’ strategy that will
posses those skills, giving you visibility of where these individuals sit. This will enable us to deliver the talent you need when you need it.
enable you to build an actionable map to recruit from immediately or in the
future.
Step III Engage talent communities – We then go further and actively
engage that talent on a one-to-one basis, enabling us to personalise the
approach to each and allowing you to build a complete picture of where skill
blends exist and what you need to do to attract and retain them. This is an
important employer brand touch-point with valuable prospective talent, and we
recognise the responsibility of crafting and delivering that message effectively.
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7. Our Capabilities
DEFINING FUTURE NEEDS AND ROLES TO MEET
THEM
 Mapping talent communities: Our experienced Research Specialists  Understanding and evangelising your employer brand: Adapting
can build a detailed picture of where the talent you want to attract lies your employer brand to the particular drivers of a talent community is
externally. Outcome focussed, committed and using a blend of the a powerful tool for engaging and attracting talent and positioning you
latest online techniques and more traditional offline methodologies we as the employer of choice for that community. By directly engaging
are expert at identifying talent communities. Understanding where the with key individuals, we can evaluate the perception of your brand
talent you require is located and who they are will inform and shape within that community and identify how to best position it in a way that
your succession planning and attraction strategies. will resonate effectively. We can build and nurture your brand with
talent ahead of when you need to recruit, telling your story and
 Engaging with communities of talent: A mapping exercise will show
positioning you as the employer of choice for when the time is right.
you where the relevant talent you need is located, but you need to go
We are experts at understanding and expounding the opportunities
further to understand the drivers and aspirations of that community
presented by the businesses we work with.
and build an effective attraction strategy tailored to it. We engage with
talent on a one-to-one level, talking directly to key individuals to build  Developing and maintaining a talent pipeline: The timing isn’t
a relationship and asking the right questions to identify the information always right for talent to move immediately. We can implement a
you need to target and attract them effectively. The success of our ‘Keep in Touch’ strategy to keep target individuals engaged and
business is based on our ability to engage talent and deliver the right interested in working for you, nurturing your employer brand regularly
resource to meet your requirements. so that when the time comes, you can bring them into your
recruitment process smoothly and with no surprises. Practicus prides
 Delivering talent into vacancies quickly: We can identify, engage,
itself on the strong relationships we build with the talent we work with-
and qualify talent for immediate requirements, bringing them to you
it is a key factor in our success.
rapidly.
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8. Why Practicus?
THE OUTCOME DELIVERY PARTNER
Practicus prides itself on an overwhelming focus on the delivery of our clients’  Define future needs and shape roles to meet them
desired business outcomes. We are uniquely positioned to offer a complete  Identify key talent you require to satisfy both immediate and future
external talent mapping and succession planning solution that defines future needs
requirements, identifies talent and nurtures your employer brand. We deliver  Engage with that talent to gain the information you need to
talent to meet immediate needs and build a pipeline for when you need it. understand expertise, drivers and aspirations
 Use this insight to design effective attraction strategies that resonate
Our approach is more time and cost effective than a traditional executive with specific talent communities, positioning you as the employer of
search exercise. Our experienced in-house team have a real interest in choice with those individuals
exploring new talent identification techniques and technologies, and are expert  Build a pipeline of talent now for when you need it
at approaching and engaging with respected figures and thought leaders  Open dialogue with future talent you need, before you need it
within various sectors. Each project is unique, flexible, and bespoke to you.  Build and nurture your employer brand and tailor it to specific
The research is freshly conducted, and delivered to you in the channel you individuals you want to attract
need and in a manner that allows you to get to the value quickly. The  Partner with a dedicated and experienced specialist, committed to
information is relevant, actionable, and current. working closely with you to deliver that outcome, and passionate to
ensure your project meets its objectives
 Evaluate and evolve your project throughout. Practicus ensure
transparency of process and regular communication, keeping you as
informed and involved in the evolution of the project as you want
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9. Our Track Record
Our specialist team have experience from across a number of sectors
and are experienced at using a combination of traditional and digital
techniques to deliver the information you need.
ASSET TRANSITION TALENT MAPPING
Scenario: Four week project to map out Asset Transition specialists within Output: The right number of individuals were recruited to satisfy immediate
requirements. In addition, a talent pipeline of further individuals was identified
Life and Pensions businesses for a global financial services business.
to satisfy future requirements as the team grew over the medium-term. A
Objective: To ascertain whether a particular skill blend existed in significant ‘Keep in Touch’ strategy was established to manage this effectively. The
numbers, and to identify alternative options. To deliver candidates to meet an client was supplied with a document clearly mapping out where key talent was
immediate need. located and the skill blends present. This included those individuals who
exhibited a less pure version of the particular expertise the client was seeking,
Activity: A number of organisations were identified in which relevant skill
but could still become viable future options. The document contained full
blends were likely to exist. The project targeted these as priorities but did not
contact details and notes on all individuals engaged during the project. The
ignore other options. We identified and engaged with a large number of
client now had a clear view on where talent was located, and had an
individuals within competitor businesses, identifying parameters of their
established pipeline of talent to grow a key specialism within the business.
current role (including remuneration), career and personal aspirations, and
reactions to the client brand.
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10. How Our Commercial Models
Work
DESIGNED FOR SUCCESS, STRUCTURED FOR
COMMITMENT
We can offer a range of approaches to risk-share and are very happy to We understand that your requirement is unique. We design a project tailored
clearly align our remuneration to the successful delivery of your sustainable around the specific outcomes you need to achieve. Many firms charge by the
outcomes. As part of our engagement with you we will examine the most volume of information they source. We believe this is counter-productive, and
appropriate reward model for the circumstances, one designed to provide leads to a ‘quantity over quality’ approach which often results in unmet
predictable costs and more assured delivery of value. expectations and unusable information.
 Time and Materials – transparent model where you pay for the Our approach is built around flexibility and focussed on delivering the
resource used for the duration of the project. If we reach your desired outcomes you need. Our commitment to partnership and open communication
result ahead of schedule, you only pay for the time spent getting means that you will have regular opportunity to review your project and ensure
there. If you need to add further time on to the project, you can add as it is meeting your expectations. We will also work with you to ensure that all
much as you want to invest. This approach makes it easy to control avenues are being explored to deliver the outcome you require.
your spend, and there are no hidden costs.
.
 Fixed Price – a clearly articulated price for a well defined set of
deliverables to an agreed timeframe.
 Fees at Risk – An agreed proportion of our fees paid subject to your
overall satisfaction with our delivery.
 Payment by deliverables/ milestones – fees attached to
deliverables are signed off as they are achieved, for example
delivering the insight you need or the right individuals for immediate
requirements.
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11. Contacts
Daniel Bruce Practicus Bristol Office
General Manager
M. 07814 531799 Tel: 01179 221 777
daniel.bruce@practicus.co.uk Fax: 01179 221 755
Practicus Ltd.
1 Temple Back
Giles Lewis
Bristol
Head of Research
BS1 67L
T. 01179 221 777
www.practicus.com
giles.lewis@practicus.co.uk
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consent of Practicus Limited. This document and any enclosures or attachments are prepared on the understanding that it is solely for the benefit of the addressee(s).
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