“But I don’t have any openings right now.” This is a statement we hear far too often when discussing talent acquisition and management programs.
When organizations wait until an employee gives notice to start recruiting for a new position, they’re already behind, faced with skills gaps they simply can’t fill in the standard two-week notice. As HR and hiring managers scramble to backfill the role, other employees – many of whom are already dealing with full workloads – are left picking up the slack. The result? Work isn’t completed on time, isn’t completed well, or isn’t done at all; employee morale declines; and business results suffer.
The problem is exacerbated when hiring managers go years without recruiting due to employee tenure. Building talent pipelines falls off their radars entirely. Sometimes, they tolerate mediocre performance because upgrading talent seems daunting.
Savvy businesses that cultivate relationships with talent – both external and internal – will always come out ahead in the race to attract exceptional people. Whether employees retire, move to new roles, or need to take unexpected leaves, a proactive succession planning framework will help ensure your organization always has top talent. Read on to learn how to build a comprehensive, sustainable succession plan.
Evaluate succession planning at your organization
If your managers can’t identify anyone on their team ready for a promotion, your organization has a succession planning problem. This scenario tells you one of two things:
- Your leadership team lacks the systems to continuously build and develop internal talent.
- Your team is filled with people who simply aren’t ready for primetime.
Neither option is where you want to be when an unexpected vacancy arises.
Think of it this way: Disaster recovery specialists who work for banks or technology firms don’t wait for a flood or fire to create their continuity plans. They develop an executable plan to ensure continuous, uninterrupted business operations long before disaster strikes. Your talent strategy should work the same way.
If you’re not constantly cultivating the next generation of talent, you’ll always have to go external to find it. That can cost you time and culture. No matter how qualified they are, external hires need time to learn how the business works, its values, and unique team dynamics.
On the other hand, promoting from within drives a healthy culture by sending a powerful message to your entire team. You’re telling them that you invest in your people’s growth and see their potential.
Build a talent succession planning program
It is never too early to start succession planning, and external talent partners can help. At Motus, we help our clients create comprehensive frameworks to ensure they always have a pipeline of top talent at their fingertips, no matter what the future brings.
Here’s how you can get started:
- Create success matrices for key roles. Develop clear frameworks that define what success looks like in each position. This isn’t just about years of experience or technical skills – it’s about identifying the quantifiable outcomes and deliverables you expect from someone in that role.
- Identify and map top talent. Now that you know what success looks like, identify top and promising talent on your current team. Who has potential? What are their strengths and opportunity areas? Then, be prepared to invest in them! Create a clear career path for people to move from low to mid to high level positions.
- Model after your best leaders. Look at those who fall in the highest performing positions. What skill sets and qualities do they have that make them successful? These become models for developing others on your team.
- Update job descriptions regularly. When was the last time you reviewed key job descriptions for current team members? Some companies haven’t looked at certain descriptions for years, but it is a simple practice that can reveal significant gaps.
We recommend managers send job descriptions to team members annually to assess accuracy. Often, employees reveal they’re performing duties not mentioned in the job description. This exercise will help you identify skills gaps, licensing needs, or other areas where teams would benefit from upskilling, training, or certifications.
- Develop competency matrices. Separate from a success matrix is the competency matrix, a rubric for the behavioral competencies that align with success in your organization. So, what does teamwork look like? How do your company values show up in day-to-day work? How does this person align with organizational values? Then, you can coach to these often overlooked qualities.
Make it sustainable
Armed with a comprehensive succession plan, managers can build a culture of continuous development by asking themselves:
- What projects aren’t getting completed due to skill gaps on the team?
- Where does my team need the most support?
- Who would be ready for a promotion tomorrow?
- What skills or certifications would make my team more effective?
- Are there responsibilities that could be consolidated into a new role?
The most effective organizations don’t treat succession planning as a once-a-year exercise. They build it into their regular operations through regular career development conversations, ongoing assessments, and integration of succession planning into the performance review process.
And remember, succession planning isn’t about predicting the future – it’s about being prepared for it. When you consistently cultivate the next generation of talent within your organization, you create a competitive advantage and build a culture where people want to grow, stay, and contribute their best work.
If you’re ready to build your organization’s comprehensive succession planning strategy, Motus can help. Our experts will help you create the frameworks, assessments, and development plans you need to ensure you’re cultivating the best talent from within. Connect with us today to learn more.
