Succession planning is one of the most important issues that a growing business should consider, even more so than for larger, established enterprises. This is because the company relies on a smaller number of employees to drive internal motivation and push external marketing presence. That includes you, the business owner and leader. If these key employees move on or lose their effectiveness, the business will be hamstrung and the energy they brought to the team may fade.
The best way to keep this momentum going long after these “drivers” have passed is proper succession planning. If done properly, a company can replace the original employee with another that is equally enthusiastic, driven, and committed to the company’s growth. So how can you create a succession plan that accomplishes this?
External Recruitment is the Last Option
Although it’s perfectly fine to hire from outside the organization to replace employees, certain positions (like those mentioned above) demand otherwise. Simply put, external hires are less likely to have the background or investment in the company to be as effective as the original employee. They may grow that way eventually, but high-demand positions need a candidate that can hit the ground running with as little orientation and “adjustment period” as possible. And that means hiring from within.
Clarify your Requirements
Don’t just make a blanket announcement to the company and wait for the applications to roll in. This is not a rank-and-file position that you’re filling, it’s a company-critical one. Your recruiting efforts should be highly targeted to focus on several key qualities. These strict criteria will often result in a few highly qualified candidates—which is good, because you’re going to be spending a lot of time with them to see if they meet your expectations.
Successors are Grown, not Appointed
Even if a candidate is internal, and already knows the business’ inner workings, it’s not a guarantee that they will come into the job with the required mindset. This is especially true for management positions. This is why candidates should be identified and prepared well in advance, if possible. Mentoring these candidates and giving them tasks related to what they will be doing in the new role paves the way for them to be effective successors.
Don’t Rely On Just One
Just because you’ve identified a candidate for possible promotion doesn’t mean he’s going to stick around until it happens—or even after. It’s good to have a backup in case your primary candidate leaves in the middle of his mentorship. If you have the resources, you may even be able to mentor them both at the same time as part of a leadership initiative. This way, you have two possible candidates for the position, and whoever doesn’t get promoted will have new skills that they can use to be more effective in their current role.
Expect Politics
When the organization discovers you’re looking for promotion candidates, expect a lot of internal politics to sprout up. While some competition is healthy, too much can be damaging. Things like infighting and brown-nosing can scrape away at employee morale and make the position an undesirable one, just because interested candidates can become targets for backstabbing and sabotage.
Tamp down immediately on any untoward behavior, and make it clear that your chosen candidates will have upper management’s full support and confidence.
Do you have any other advice for potential succession plans, or stories of succession plans gone wrong/right? Share them below!
