HR Teams Need to Plan on Succession
Almost half admit they have no plan in place, finds CIPD HR Outlook surveyHR teams have some way to go to improve their own succession planning, according to the CIPD’s latest HR Outlook survey of senior HR professionals.
Just under half (48 per cent) admitted that they do not have a good succession plan in place, while only 29 per cent were confident that they did. A lack of capability within the HR function, uncertainty over future requirements and an unwillingness to see the issue as a priority were the three most common reasons for not having a succession plan. At a time when HR leaders are increasingly called upon to facilitate succession planning throughout the organisation, a lack of such planning within their own department could be seen as a concern.
“Nearly half of of our survey respondents do not have a good plan for the future, although some admit it’s because they don’t know what that future will look like,” said Louise Edwards, senior HR capability consultant at the CIPD. “For the remainder, there’s a need to ensure that they hold up a mirror to themselves, to ensure that they do for themselves what they clearly know they need to do for their business.”
Other professional areas that HR leaders identified as in need of development are OD and talent planning, while ‘curiosity’ is the behaviour of the HR Profession Map least likely to be displayed by HR functions.
Meanwhile, there was evidence that senior HR professionals are adopting a more commercial focus in response to today's challenges, a trend also identified in the CIPD's Next Generation HR research.
Asked their priorities for the coming year, 73 per cent of the respondents identified managing costs as a key concern, while other popular responses were growing the business (55 per cent), and focusing on customer needs (57 per cent). Asked what leadership skills could make their organisations more agile, a third of respondents identified ‘business savvy’ – ahead of knowledge sets relating to the organisation or the wider environmental context.
The HR Outlook survey was conducted along with YouGov, using a sample size of 1600 senior HR professionals.
Just under half (48 per cent) admitted that they do not have a good succession plan in place, while only 29 per cent were confident that they did. A lack of capability within the HR function, uncertainty over future requirements and an unwillingness to see the issue as a priority were the three most common reasons for not having a succession plan. At a time when HR leaders are increasingly called upon to facilitate succession planning throughout the organisation, a lack of such planning within their own department could be seen as a concern.
“Nearly half of of our survey respondents do not have a good plan for the future, although some admit it’s because they don’t know what that future will look like,” said Louise Edwards, senior HR capability consultant at the CIPD. “For the remainder, there’s a need to ensure that they hold up a mirror to themselves, to ensure that they do for themselves what they clearly know they need to do for their business.”
Other professional areas that HR leaders identified as in need of development are OD and talent planning, while ‘curiosity’ is the behaviour of the HR Profession Map least likely to be displayed by HR functions.
Meanwhile, there was evidence that senior HR professionals are adopting a more commercial focus in response to today's challenges, a trend also identified in the CIPD's Next Generation HR research.
Asked their priorities for the coming year, 73 per cent of the respondents identified managing costs as a key concern, while other popular responses were growing the business (55 per cent), and focusing on customer needs (57 per cent). Asked what leadership skills could make their organisations more agile, a third of respondents identified ‘business savvy’ – ahead of knowledge sets relating to the organisation or the wider environmental context.
The HR Outlook survey was conducted along with YouGov, using a sample size of 1600 senior HR professionals.
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