Succession planning is a strategic method focused on identifying and developing internal candidates for critical managerial positions, ensuring the organization effectively addresses potential job vacancies due to turnover or attrition. It involves a systematic approach that includes assessing current employee skills, filling competency gaps through targeted training, and linking succession planning to the organization's long-term strategic goals. Effective succession planning is crucial for organizational growth, talent retention, and minimizing costs associated with external recruitment.

1. ANOTHER TOPIC
Succession Planning

2. Introduction to Succession Planning
 Succession planning is a method that focuses on
identifying employees who might be viable
successors for top managerial positions. Succession
planning is a systematic approach that helps in
building a leadership pipeline. It ensures
development of potential successors who fit in the
job profile and ultimately the focus is on talent
development in a manner that yields greater return
on Investment.

3. CONTIN…
 Ideally, succession planning is the identification of job vacancies that
might occur because of employee turnover, retirement or attrition. Thus,
a strategic consideration is required as to where and how internal
candidates might fill those vacancies. It involves assessing/evaluating
the job requirements and skills of existing employees and then seeking
to fill the gaps between needs and skills with targeted training and
development activities.
 Succession planning recognizes the need of having the most talented
and qualified person to fill the vacancy that is vital to an organization's
growth. Effectively done, succession planning is critical to
organisation’ssuccess and creates an effective process for recognizing,
developing, and retaining top leadership talent.

4. Importance of Succession Planning
Succession planning can be treated as an important way to
identify employees who have the
current skills--or the potential to develop new skills which can help
them grow and move up in an
organization.
In addition, the process of succession planning can help to identify
other areas of
performance where employees may not be performing well and
thus, training has to be imparted so
as to manage and improve the employee’s performance

5. a. Savings
Succession planning activities can have a positive
impact on performance management. It not only
ensures that the key positions get filled with
competent performers, but also brings about saving
of money on external recruitment and training, which
can be much more expensive than promoting from
within.

6. b. Beyond Training
While many consider succession planning to be purely about training, it has to
be treated a part of the whole process.
Certainly training has to be put into place to provide employees with the
knowledge, skills and abilities they may need to move into future vacancies,
but it is the initial
assessment of potential vulnerabilities that can impact performance
management.
For example, a company at risk of losing a top professional without anybody
in line to step into that role is at high risk. By identifying these risks early,
organizations can assess areas that may be at risk and take
steps to identify and train internal successors.

7. c. Competency Gaps
An important benefit in strategic succession planning is identifying
in advance where there may be gaps between what employees
need to know and what they currently know--competency gaps.
The gaps may be based on current needs for key positions and the
lack of employees with the required skills, and also on a look into
the future to determine what new competencies may be necessary.
A focus on the strategic consideration of these needs will ensure
that companies don’t break their stride in terms of productivity and
Performance in the event of a vacancy in a key area.

8. Factors in Succession Planning Initiatives
 The involvement of senior leaders.
 Workforce data and analysis inform the process.
 Senior leaders hold themselves accountable for growing leaders.
 Employees are committed to their own self-development
 Development is based on challenging and varied job-based
experiences.
 Challenges such as diversity, recruitment, and retention are taken care
of.
 Success is based on a business case for long-term needs.
 Succession is linked to strategic planning and investment in the future.
 Leadership competencies are identified and used for selection and
development.

9. Succession planning is treated as just one strategy that can help
or support the organization to address HR issues related to:
 The ageing workforce
 Competitive labor markets
 Shrinking population
 Potential skill shortages
 Internal competency gaps
 Immigration and employment equity

10. Succession Planning Process
1.
• Linking the Strategic and Workforce Planning Decisions
2.
• Analyse Gaps
3.
• Identify Talent Pool
4.
• Develop Succession Strategies
5.
• Implement Succession Strategies

11. Step 1: Linking the Strategic and Workforce Planning
Decisions
In this step, the long-term vision and direction of the
organization must be identified. The future
requirements for product and services
 Analyzing future requirements for products and services
 Using the data that has been collected
 Connecting succession planning to the values of the
organization
 Linking the succession planning to the needs of senior
leaders and organization overall.

12. Step 2: Analyse Gaps
This step involves:
 Identifying the core competencies and technical
competencies required.
 Determining the currentsupplyand demand that may be
anticipated.
 Determining the talents needed in long-term perspective.
 Identifying “real” continuity issues.
 Developing a business plan based on the long-term talent
needs.

13. Step 3: Identify Talent Pool
This step involves using pools of candidates to match and fit
into the vacant positions.
 Identifying talent with critical competencies from multiple
and levels.
 Assessing competency and skill levels of current workforce,
using instruments that can be used for assessment.
 Using 360° feedback for performance evaluation and
subsequent training/ development plan.
 Analyzing external sources of talent.

14. Step 4: Develop Succession Strategies
This step involves:
• Identifying recruitment strategies, bonus pertaining to the
recruitment and relocation, and other
special programs
•Identifying retention strategies, retention bonuses, quality of
work life programs.
•Identifying development/learning strategies, planned job
assignments, mentoring and coaching, Formal training and
development, Assessment and feedback, Action learning projects,
Communities of practice, Shadowing.

15. Step 5: Implement Succession Strategies
This step involves:
•Implementing recruitment strategies (e.g., recruitment and relocation
bonuses)
 Implementing retention strategies (e.g., retention bonuses, quality of
work life programs)
 Implementing development/learning strategies (e.g., planned job
assignments, formal
development, Communities of Practice) Communication planning
 Determining and applying measures of success
 Linking succession planning to HR processes Performance management,
Compensation, Recognition, Recruitment and retention, Workforce planning.
 Implementing strategies for maintaining senior level commitment.

16. Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate
This step involves:
 Tracking the selection made from the talent pools
 Attending and focusing on leader feedback on the
success of internal talent and internal hires
 Analyzing satisfaction surveys from customers,
employees, and stakeholders
 Assessing and evaluating the response to changing
requirements and needs.

17. Challenges in Effective succession planning
 Lack of training and development mechanism;
which ultimately results in an employee who is not
prepared for a promotion.
 Size of the organization. Smaller, nonprofit
organization may have very few positions and thus,
opportunities for career advancement are not
possible. Employees who have the potential and
competency may move to bigger organizations rather
than sticking to the present organization.

18. CONT…
In case where organizations do not focus on developing a good
compensation plan, employees leave for better salaries and benefits
offered in other organizations.
 Ineffective communication results in confusion and chaos in the
organization. The staff may not be clear about succession plan.
 When organizations do not promote people in a timely fashion, leading
potential successors may leave the organization to seek new opportunities
 Sometimes, incompetent, demotivated employees are involved in
succession planning and for obvious reasons, they affect the process.

19. THANK YOU