Succession planning – top tips

We don’t just talk to our clients about their current staffing needs – we also encourage them to think ahead and plan how they might fill key jobs if the current postholder leaves. We call this succession planning.

It is not simply about damage control or replacing a key employee as quickly as possible – the focus is on ensuring that you have people lined up who are prepared for particular roles, who have the potential to succeed, and who can help you to take the business forward.  

 To plan for the future, some key questions to ask are: 

• What are the key positions in the business and what skills do they require?  

• Where might the business lose vital skills and experience, for example: 

• Which employees are about to retire? 

• Are any employees about to take parental leave? 

• Are you aware of any particular employees who might be at risk of leaving, perhaps to a more senior job elsewhere? 

• What is the overall attrition rate? 

The answers can then provide the foundations for a succession plan outlining how you might fill these roles in the future. This could include putting in place personal development plans for existing employees so that they can take on larger more senior roles. 

If you want to discuss how to plan for the future – or simply want to use us as a sounding board – do let us know and we will set up a call to talk about practicalities.