Succession Planning

Guide"A g o o d p l a n t o d a y i s b e t t e r t h a n a p e r f e c t p l a n
tomorrow"

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PREPARED BY
Reema Almisfer
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Table
of Contents
1 Overview

2 Key Succession Planning Process

3 Critical Role Identification Questionnaire

4 At-a-glance org chart

5 Succession Nomination Survey

6 Succession Bench Worksheet

7 Succession Profile Worksheet

8 Candidate Profile Worksheet

9 Internal Capabilities Assessment

10 Develop Talent\Coaching Plan

11 Development Actions Form

12 Talent Progress Scorecard

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Overview
The Succession Planning guide is a
straight-forward process for
identifying and developing people
within an organization to replace
critical position in the
organization.

With this planning guide, users

can identify critical leadership
roles, build leader success
profiles, nominate high potential
talent, assess development needs,
develop talent, and measure
organizational progress.

Templates for each stage are

included in the guide

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Key
Succession Planning
Process

Identify Critical Build Success Nominate

Roles Profile Successors

Assess Develop Talent Measure

Development Progress
Needs

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 Critical Role Identification
1 Questionnaire

The goal: tosuccession

Identify the roles your organization should target in your
program

The steps:

Step 01 Step 02 Step 03 Step 04

Starting with the vital roles in

List the roles that you think
will be important to include
upper management and Rate each role on Calculate a total score for
leadership, administrative staff, three criteria: each role and star the roles
and areas with high that
dependencies and little overlap 1. Impact
2. Skill Scarcity will be critical to include in
of skills 3. Disengagement the succession plan
outlook

Important note: You shall discuss the critical roles also with
Recruitment team ( to identity critical role to fill)

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 critical role identification
1 questionnaire

"1" Not true of "2" Slightly true "3" Some what true "4" Moderately true "5" Extremely true
this role of this role of this role
of this role of this role

Impact Skill Scarcity Disengagement Outlook

ROLE A vacancy would immediately Role requires specialized The depart will negatively Total

impact business skills or knowledge create disengaging outlook

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3 Success profile Template

Template Supported by Sigma Assessment systems.

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 2 At-a-glance org chart

The goal:  to Identify the level of urgency for succession planning for each of the
critical roles  

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 Build Success Profiles
3 Worksheet

The goal:  To describe the talent needed in each critical role, both now and in the
future for the organization  

Factors to consider:

◦ Use existing job descriptions to list position criteria (e.g.,

education required, skills needed, and duties to be aware of) 
◦ Develop the Success Profile by considering:
◦ skills commonly needed for success in the senior
leadership team
◦ anticipated future requirements for all senior leaders
◦ specific characteristics needed for the core role
◦ potential skill requirements for this role in the future
◦ emotional intelligence or other important personal
characteristics
◦ Utilize validated measures to ensure complete and accurate
Success Profiles

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 Succession Nomination
4 Survey

The goal: To gather feedback from organizational leaders to determine

potential succession candidates for each critical role

Factors to consider:

◦ List the name of each candidate for the position

◦ For each candidate, indicate when you think they will be
ready for the position
◦ Provide additional information on the candidate in the
comment box to add context to your evaluation
◦ Gather ratings from multiple sources, including:
◦ the current role incumbent
◦ the Performance Management
◦ the senior leadership and succession advisory teams
◦ leaders, peers, and direct reports of the succession
candidate
◦ The 9-grid box tool
◦ Complete this survey for each critical role

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4 Nomination Survey Sample

Template Supported by Sigma Assessment systems.

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 5 Succession Bench Worksheet

The goal: To track readiness of succession candidates for critical roles

The steps for this process:

◦ Indicate incumbent and urgency information for position

◦ List succession candidates according to three levels
◦ level A: candidates ready for role in less than 3 years
◦ level B: individuals ready for role in 3 to 5 years
◦ level C: potentials ready for role in more than 5 years
◦ Provide name and current role for each candidate
◦ Record candidate growth with dates spent at each level
◦ Use the worksheet to track the overall strength of your
Succession Bench, and individual candidate’s progress over
time

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5 Succession Bench Sample

Template Supported by Sigma Assessment systems.

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 6 Candidate Profile Worksheet

The goal: To identify gaps between role requirements and candidates,

and assess opportunities for growth

The steps for this process:

◦ Indicate target position information

◦ Report candidate demographics, education, and experience
◦ Provide position criteria gathered in Success Profile
◦ Use validated assessments to evaluate candidate on qualities
required for target role, as indicated in Success Profile
◦ List gaps between current candidate skills and those required
for the target position in each category
◦ Use this worksheet to identify priorities for candidate growth
and development opportunities

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6 Candidate Profile Sample

Template Supported by Sigma Assessment systems.

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 7 Internal Capabilities Assessment
Quantitative Measures

The goal: To decide which to select, we shall rate the internal capabilities using
the following measures and scales.

Academic Qualification

Rating

1 2 3 4
Does not possess the Possess the required
required educational educational level Possesses the Exceeds the required
Definition level (one level below / required educational educational level
(More than one level same level but level (One level above)
below) different field)

Professional Qualification

Rating 1 2 3 4

Does not hold any of

Holds some of the Holds the required Holds extra
Definition the required
certificates required certificates certificates certificates

Relevant Experience

Rating

1 2 3 4

Does not meet the

Slightly below the Meets the required Exceeds the required
required
Definition required (Up to 1 year below/ (2 or more years
(More than 3 years (2-3 years below) above) above)
below)

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 7 Internal Capabilities Assessment
Quantitative Measures

People Management Exposure

Rating

1 2 3 4

Does not meet the

Slightly below the Meets the required Exceeds the required
required
Definition required (Up to 1 year below/ (2 or more years
(More than 3 years (2-3 years below) above) above)
below)

Performance History

Rating 1 2 3 4

Needs Improvement
Definition Effective (EF) Highly Effective (HE) Outstanding (OS)
(NI)

Final Calculation

MEASURE CONTRIBUTION WT. (%)

Qualification 20
%
Relevant Experience 35
%
People
Management Exposure 15
%
 Performance
History 30 %

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 7 Internal Capabilities Assessment
Qualitative Measures

The goal: After obtaining the quantitative assessment results, the following
qualitative measures can solidify the output from the assessment.

Psychometric Assessment

What is a psychometric test?

Tests of psychometrics measure an individual's abilities and preferences to determine his or her suitability for a specific
job and organization. A psychometric test determines an individual's suitability for a particular job and organization
based on his or her abilities and preferences. Under standardized conditions, psychometric tests consist of multiple test
items (questions or statements). Large numbers of items are usually included in tests in order to make them more
accurate and reliable.

How It Is Related to Succession Planning

It can provide a strong insight into a number of relevant leadership areas such as leadership and subordinate styles, how an
individual would likely cope with pressure and how they would typically influence others. Personality assessments can provide a
strong indicator into many strengths and development requirements.

Assessment Providers to consider:

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 8 Develop Talent\Coaching Plan

To hold at least three one-on-one sessions with each candidate

The goal: to facilitate their goal-setting, training, and skill acquisition

Session

01 Review assessment results, noting

strengths and
development opportunities

Session
Create individualized development
plans (IDPs) 02
with Development Actions Form
worksheet

Session
Review progress by tracking
03 successes,
opportunities, and goal attainment

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 9 Development Actions Form

The goal: To create individual development plans for succession

candidates and track their progress

The steps for this process:

◦ Provide information on candidate and their current function

◦ List position the individual may be a candidate for
◦ Choose top development areas from Candidate Profile
◦ Rank development opportunities on two criteria:
◦ largest gaps between role requirements and incumbent
abilities
◦ most important or frequently used skills
◦ With the succession candidate, mutually decide which areas
to develop in the short- medium- and long-term
◦ Create measurable goals with action plans and deadlines
for each area of development
◦ Keep detailed progress notes on successes and setbacks

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 Development Actions Form
9 Sample

Template Supported by Sigma Assessment systems.

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 10 Talent Progress Scorecard

The goal: To review program outcomes across important indicators

The steps for this process:

◦ Choose organization-specific indicators of success for your

Succession Planning
◦ Gather information from other worksheets, such as the
Succession Bench, and from HR tracking systems
◦ Update this scorecard every 6 months (at a minimum)
◦ Use this scorecard to communicate success to senior
leadership, succession candidates, and across the organization

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 Talent Progress Scorecard
10 Sample

Talent Progress Scorecard

Indicator Date

Critical Positions Filled Internally (%)

Management Positions Filled Internally

(%)

Average Time High-Potentials in Same

Role(Yrs.)

High-Potential Turnover

Positions with 3+ High-Potential

Candidates (%)

Average Years Until Ready

High-Potential Engagement

Individual Improvement

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 "When it comes to talent,
the grass is often greener in
your own backyard."
Thank you

This concludes this document. Your

feedback and comments are always
welcome and much appreciated. You can
reach me via my linkedIn profile or my
email address below.

Reema Almisfer

Reema.almisfer24@gmail.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/reemaalmisfer/

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