Skills-Based Succession Planning
Identify and develop successors using skills data
Transform succession planning from subjective nominations to skills-based matching, identifying hidden talent and ensuring development for critical roles.
Duration
6-8 weeks
Steps
6 phases
Category
Decisions
Step-by-Step Guide
Identify Critical Roles
Determine which roles require succession planning focus.
- Assess role business impact
- Evaluate replacement difficulty
- Consider retirement risk
- Prioritize top 20-30 roles
Duration: 1 week
Define Success Profiles
Document skills and competencies for target roles.
- List required technical skills
- Define leadership competencies
- Include experience requirements
- Note cultural fit factors
Duration: 1-2 weeks
Run Skills Matching
Use AI to identify potential successors across the organization.
- Match employee skills to success profiles
- Score readiness levels
- Surface non-obvious candidates
- Include adjacent skill potential
Duration: 1 week
Assess Readiness
Evaluate successor candidates on readiness dimensions.
- Review performance history
- Assess leadership potential
- Identify development gaps
- Categorize as Ready Now/1-2 Years/Developmental
Duration: 2 weeks
Create Development Plans
Build targeted development for successor candidates.
- Map skill gaps to learning
- Assign stretch assignments
- Pair with mentors/sponsors
- Schedule exposure opportunities
Duration: 1-2 weeks
Establish Review Cadence
Create ongoing succession review process.
- Schedule quarterly reviews
- Track development progress
- Update bench strength metrics
- Report to leadership
Duration: Ongoing
Expected Outcomes
- Identified successors for critical roles
- Skills-based, objective succession slate
- Targeted development for high potentials
- Reduced key person risk
Related Capabilities
WeSoar features that support this playbook
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