Succession Planning
Succession planning allows the precautionary planning of the new staffing of jobs. The goal of succession planning is to minimize the unfilled position risk. In particular with respect to jobs defined as critical key positions, early succession planning is critical. Succession planning is primarily based on the company's objectives and the requirements for (future) skills. First, the objectives are determined and the conditions are clarified (e.g., budget constraints), which then form the basis for subsequent action planning.
Identification of Potential Successors
After you have defined the key positions for succession planning, potential successors may be assigned to the respective jobs. You have various options for finding potential successors:
- Manual assignment of potential successors to the job
- Use of interactive search
- Vacancy notice in-house (self-nomination of employees)
Criteria from the employee interview, such as development potential or risk of leaving, may also assist you in the selection.
Allocation of potential successors using the interactive search
If you would like to find a potential successor using the interactive search, it is useful to search based on a function profile.
If you select this option, the job should initially be assigned a successor function profile. In general, this is identical with the previous function profile. Then select the "Copy search criteria interactive search of successor function profile" option. If you perform the interactive search next, then the criteria which are identical with the function profile will be selected automatically. However, you can also perform the interactive search without assigning a function profile by determining the search criteria manually.
For reliable succession planning, it is therefore recommended to select the option Job key is "unique" from the settings. This way the succession planning from previous jobs will be kept for additional jobs with the same keys and may be continued. Decisive here is the combination of the job keys, or the source key in combination.
Please note the difference between competencies and skills.
Development of potential successors
If you have assigned potential successors to a job, the next step is to assess and prioritise them using different criteria such as the degree of readiness. As a support, you may compare the candidates or have the suitability of a potential successor with the job profile graphically represented (
). By showing the suitability and the comparison with other potential successors, a targeted development and the specific sponsorship through participation in continuing education programs for your candidates are possible.
Towards the end of succession planning, i.e. when the potential successors have been assigned, usually the intended successors are nominated.
Complexity and organizational chart of succession planning
Succession planning can be very complex at times and certain aspects require special attention.
Resulting chain reaction: If an employee is assigned as the planned successor for a job, there will be a chain reaction since the previous position of the employee must therefore be filled as well.
Risk of over-planning: Since an employee can generally only take on one single job, the nomination number of the jobs of the employee as potential successor has to be considered.
The organisational chart represents a good tool for succession planning, for example by illustrating the described complexity.
| Explanation of the adjacent figure 2 |
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Person P4 occupies job S4, which is a so-called key position. The successor for this position shall be planned:
⇒ Risk of chain reaction:P4 accepts new position S6, P3 moves up to unfilled position S4, therefore the successor for S3 needs to be planned! ⇒ Risk of over-planning:P1 has been nominated for both S5 and S4 as a potential successor. However, she can definitively only take one position. |
| Explanation of the adjacent Figure 3 |
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⇒ Risk of chain reaction:George Clooney has been nominated as successor to Daniel Craig, i.e. a succession planning for the current job of Clooney is necessary. ⇒ Risk of over-planning:George Clooney is a potential successor both for the job "Director Berlin Branch" as well as the job "Director London Branch". Ultimately he will, however, only occupy one position. |