CAREER PLANNING &

SUCCESSION PLANNING
By
Dr Rahul Raj
 CAREER

 Defined as all positions occupied by a person during his working life.

 Comprised of series of work related activities in terms of responsibilities, status,
power, rewards etc.
 For Example: person might enter the sales department as a sales counselor, then
be promoted to account director, to sales manager, and finally to vice-president of
sales – Organization-centered career planning
 Individual-centered career planning focuses on individuals’ careers rather than
organizational needs. It is done by employees themselves, and individual goals
and skills are the focus of the analysis
ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL CAREER-
PLANNING PERSPECTIVES
CAREER PLANNING

 Is the process by which one selects career goals and the path to these goals.
 Major focus is on assisting the employees achieve a better match between
personal goals and the opportunities that are realistically available in the
organization.
 Also offers psychological success instead of vertical growth if the opportunities
are limited in the organization.
 Not an event but a continuous process of developing human resources for
optimum results
 OBJECTIVES

 Attract and retain talent by offering careers not jobs

 Utilize human resources effectively and achieve greater productivity.
 Reduce turnover
 Improve employee morale
 Meet the immediate and future human resource needs
PROCESS
Identifying
individual needs
and aspirations

Action plans and Analyzing career

periodic reviews opportunities

Aligning needs
and opportunities
 CAREER DEVELOPMENT (CD)

 Career development consists of personal actions one undertakes to achieve a

career plan.
 CD looks at long-term career effectiveness.
 The actions for CD may be initiated by the person or by the organization
 SUCCESSION PLANNING -DEFINITION

Strategic, systematic and deliberate effort to develop competencies in

potential leaders through proposed learning experiences such as targeted
rotations and educational training in order to fill high-level positions without
favoritism (Mathew Tropiano, 2004)

Deliberate and systematic effort by an organization to ensure leadership

continuity in key positions and encourage individual advancement (St-Onge,
Mercer)

A structured process involving the identification and preparation of potential

successors to assume a new roles
WHAT IS SP?
Constant change planning
An organizational journey, not a project
Ensuring continuity of leadership
Identifying gaps in existing talent pool
Identifying and nurturing future leaders

Why SP?
Organization supersede Individuals
– visionaries are those who groom their young ones to take the lead
position and to take the cause of organization forward
Succession Planning Process
Assessment of
Key Positions

Identification of
Key Talent

Development Key
Monitoring & Elements
Review
Assessment of
Key Talent

Generation of
Development Plans
 Succession Planning: Key Elements

1. Assessment of Key Positions:

• What are the competencies and experiences needed to qualify for each
key position?

2. Identification of Key Talent:

• Typically people at the top two levels of the organization and high
potential employees one level below.
• Identified by their management’s assessment of their performance and
potential for advancement.

3. Assessment of Key Talent:

• For each person on the radar screen, primary development
needs are identified focusing on what they need in order
to be ready for the next level.
 Succession Planning: Key Elements

4. Generation of Development Plans:

• A development plan is prepared for how we will help
the person develop over the next year.

5. Development Monitoring & Review

• An annual or semi-annual succession planning review
held to review progress of key talent and to refresh or
revise their development plan.