Human Resource Development

Succession planning is the basis for a company dealing successfully with staffing changes such as retirements, transfers, promotions, and turnover. Succession planning is the process of preparing for inevitable vacancies in the organization hierarchy.

The individuals identified as possible successors should be told what specific development they need and possible action steps to build their competencies. Succession planning is the process of preparing for inevitable vacancies in the organization hierarchy.

Succession planning can be an important way to identify employees who have the current skills - or the potential to develop skills - that can help them move up in an organization, or on to other positions. As companies become larger, the benefits of formal succession planning become greater, and for these larger companies, formal planning is recommended.

Actions such as planning careers and development follow from succession planning efforts. Organization-centered career planning focuses on identifying career paths that provide for the logical progression of people between jobs in an organization.

A career is an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress. Development is about the efforts to improve employees’ abilities to handle a variety of assignments and to cultivate their capabilities beyond those required by the current job.

Development involves efforts to improve employees’ abilities to handle a variety of assignments and to cultivate their capabilities beyond those required by the current job. Leadership development is expanding a person’s capacity to be effective in leadership roles.

Management development is a special focus in many organizations, including supervisor development and leadership development. Management modeling, coaching, and mentoring are valuable parts of management development efforts.