Talent Management including Succession Planning and High Potential Management

Level 4 - Transparent Talent Systems

Highly transparent succession planning systems, pool based and dynamic.
Long term planning for critical positions.
Long term workforce planning is in place reviewing turnover, retirement profiles, and long term sickness patterns.
High potential people are identified across the FRS in a systemic way and this is transparent to all and fully integrated into the succession planning process.
Systems in place to avoid ‘blue eyed person and favouritism in succession planning and internal selection decisions.
Focus is on building everyone to high performance.
High potential people are supported in transition to new roles so their potential is realised.
All staff are supported to manage and maintain the skills they need for long term career regardless of whether they want promotion. Helping people understand career management.
Full disclosure to high potential people of status but with sensible expectations management.
Managers excel at giving regular, targeted feedback.
Development planning can be sourced in different forms and not wholly reliant on line manager, e.g. coaching, mentor, 360 appraisal, development centres.
Appeals to succession plan are the exception, not the norm.
Personal goals are set and adapted.
Coaching is regularly used across the FRS not only to meet needs, but to support longer term learning.
Critical vacancies are regularly reviewed and plans in place for internal and external sourcing. Key people who could fill role are identified.
Vacancies are predicted and co-led by HR and the line manager to ensure effective sourcing of people.

Level 3 - Integrated Succession Management

Talent management is observed at a senior level with evidential support for decisions. Owned by senior leaders.
Coaching is regularly used across the service.
Vacancies are forecast against organisational data.
People identified for promotion have support in developing expected new skills before roles come up.
Central and local support for joiners and leavers, with some follow up comms.
Critical vacancies are regularly reviewed for flight risk and some plans in place to fill.
Jobs are reviewed to ensure needs remain current and match skills required at vacancy stage.
Goals are set for individuals and often reviewed.
Coaching by managers is supported. Peer to peer or coaching up is starting to be encouraged.
Difficult feedback is given in most cases.
Process is guided by HR, with a framework in which to operate for managers.
Critical vacancies are filled at the point they are vacated.
Central support for joiners and leavers, but more local support or endorsement needed.

Level 2 - Standardised Talent processes

Limited executive engagement in planning for critical posts.
Some support for coaching by managers but on a needs basis.
Difficult performance feedback is not given.
Development plans are in place and talent/ succession review but HR led and not fully owned by all managers.
Some support for joiners or leavers, but limited uptake.
Effective assessment of candidates against job requirements.
Critical vacancies are left unoccupied for less than a month.
Positions posted with some prior notice, but no flexibility as to alternative resourcing such as temporary vacancies, traineeships, apprenticeships etc.
Recruitment routes only considered once basic recruitment route is unsuccessful.
Some managers are carrying out analysis of high potential people.

Level 1 - Fragmented replacement planning

Performance review process is non-existent, or sporadically applied.
Inconsistent decision making process with little to no standardisation.
Low support for manager/peer coaching.
Goals are not set for/with individuals.
Little or no technology to support.
No support for joiners or leaver/retirees.
Individuals are not graded accurately, or are graded to give the manager an easy time.
Individual performance is spoken about the individual, but seldom to.
Talent sourcing is reactive.
Positions posted on an as needed basis with no follow up as to needs met.
Critical vacancies are left unoccupied for inappropriate time.
People are left in temporary posts for too long.
Little standardisation of talent sourcing processes outside of HR.
No alternative recruitment routes.
No focus on identifying high potential people.