Succession Planning is the strategic process of identifying and developing internal employees to fill key leadership or critical roles in the future. It ensures business continuity by preparing a pipeline of talent that can step into essential positions when leaders retire, resign, or transition into new roles.
Without succession planning, organizations risk leadership gaps, loss of institutional knowledge, and disruption to operations. A strong plan ensures long-term stability, motivates employees by providing career growth opportunities, and reduces costs associated with external hiring for senior roles.
Succession planning sits in the talent management and workforce planning layers of the HR stack. It integrates with performance management (to identify top performers), learning and development (to prepare employees for future roles), and people analytics (to evaluate readiness and gaps).
Succession planning should be more than titles and tenure. Plum uncovers the soft skills that signal future leadership potential, helping you identify and grow tomorrow’s leaders today. With science-backed insights, you can prepare a strong, diverse pipeline that drives long-term success.
Strengthen succession planning with PlumNo. While commonly associated with leadership roles, succession planning can also apply to any critical role where the loss of an employee would significantly impact operations.
HRIS, performance management platforms, and talent analytics systems often include succession planning modules to track readiness and development needs.
Career development focuses on individual growth, while succession planning aligns organizational needs with employee readiness for future roles.
Yes. By proactively developing diverse talent pipelines, succession planning can address representation gaps in leadership.
Risks include leadership gaps, rushed external hires, loss of institutional knowledge, and reduced employee morale due to unclear career paths.