Succession planning is the systematic identification and development of internal candidates for key positions that may become vacant in the future — through departure, promotion, retirement, or growth of the structure. It avoids the classic scenario in which a critical position falls vacant and there is a rush to recruit externally, without evaluating internal alternatives in a structured way.
The process typically maps critical positions, identifies 'high potentials' for each (usually 2-3 candidates), assesses competency gaps against future requirements, and designs individual development plans that close those gaps over 12-36 months. It requires regular conversations — between HR, managers and candidates — to keep the plan alive.
In pplPortal, talent management and recruitment live in pplTalent, while performance, competencies, training and objectives live in pplAdvanced. The AI layer can support the reading of risks and trends, always as a support to human decision-making.