HCM GROUP

HCM Group 

HCM Group 

Building on identification by highlighting capability gaps and crafting targeted development actions

Introduction: From Identification to Readiness

Identifying successors is only the starting line. The real strategic value lies in preparing them. Too often, organizations designate successors without a systematic process for understanding what stands between “identified” and “ready.” An effective HR leader must ensure that successor slates are not just lists—but development journeys.

This guide focuses on how to rigorously assess the development gaps of succession candidates and link those insights to high-impact, targeted development actions that accelerate readiness.

1. Begin with a Clear, Future-Oriented Success Profile

You cannot assess a gap without a benchmark. The success profile defines what “ready” looks like—not just based on today’s job, but on where the role is heading.

To craft a high-quality success profile:

• Clarify role-critical capabilities, experiences, and behaviors.
  • Use interviews with current leaders, performance analysis, and stakeholder input.
  • Focus on future strategic requirements, not legacy expectations.
• Include leadership style, decision-making context, and cross-functional complexity in addition to technical expertise.
• Example: For a future CFO role, the success profile may include M&A experience, investor communication skills, and digital finance transformation—not just financial reporting proficiency.

This profile becomes the measuring stick for successor assessments.

2. Assess Successors Holistically, Not Just by Competency Scores

Gap assessment should be more than a check-the-box skills matrix. Instead, build a multidimensional view using diverse inputs:

• Behavioral assessments: Insights into how a successor operates under pressure, handles ambiguity, and influences others.
• 360-degree feedback: Perspectives from peers, direct reports, and managers.
• Business simulations or assessment centers: Especially effective for evaluating leadership agility, judgment, and role realism.
• Career history and experiential exposure: Does the person have relevant scale, complexity, or international experience?

Example: A succession candidate for a regional GM role scored highly on leadership behaviors but had never led a turnaround or scaled operations. The gap was not in competence, but in experience under specific conditions—which shaped the development path.

3. Translate Gaps into Development Objectives, Not Just Labels

Labeling someone as “not ready” is not enough. HR must translate that diagnosis into a concrete, developmental agenda.

Instead of:
“Needs to improve strategic thinking.”

Reframe as:
“Needs exposure to enterprise-level decision-making and multi-market strategy formulation.”

Development objectives should:

• Be specific and tied to real business scenarios.
• Be linked to the success profile and readiness timeline.
• Prioritize gaps that are most critical to role success—don’t try to fix everything at once.

4. Co-Create Development Actions with the Business

Development is not owned by HR alone. It requires shared ownership with line managers, mentors, and the business.

High-impact actions go beyond training:

• Stretch roles or secondments: e.g., temporary lead of a transformation project or integration team.
• Shadowing senior executives in key decision forums.
• Mentoring with role incumbents or former executives.
• Board-level presentations or customer negotiations as confidence-building exposures.
• Executive coaching focused on targeted behavioral adjustments.

Example: A Head of HR preparing to become CHRO was asked to co-lead the digital strategy board for 6 months. This addressed her development gap in digital fluency and boardroom dynamics.

5. Ensure Alignment with Time-to-Readiness and Succession Risk

Not all successors require the same investment. Your approach should be guided by two variables:

• Time to readiness: What’s the development runway?
• Succession urgency: How likely is the need to activate the plan within 6–12 months?

Use this matrix to prioritize development:

This ensures that both timing and risk are managed systematically—not just reactively.

6. Embed Review Mechanisms to Track Development Progress

Development plans lose power if not reviewed regularly. Set up structured checkpoints:

• At least quarterly discussions with the successor and their manager.
• Integration into performance reviews or career conversations.
• Alignment with talent reviews or succession governance forums.

Ask:

• Have gaps narrowed? Have new ones emerged?
• Have development actions translated into observable behavior shifts or business results?
• Is the candidate still on track within the projected timeline?

You are managing a portfolio of leadership futures—treat it with the same rigor as a business investment.

7. Balance Development Rigor with Retention Strategy

Successor development is not only about capability—it also signals commitment. Ignoring development or delaying movement can cause high-potential successors to disengage or leave.

To mitigate retention risk:

• Communicate the “why” behind development priorities.
• Offer visibility and feedback, even if promotion is not immediate.
• Ensure the process feels fair, personalized, and connected to their ambitions.

Example: A successor felt discouraged after being passed over for a COO role. The HRBP scheduled a direct conversation with the CEO, who acknowledged the potential and committed to specific development actions. The result: The successor stayed and was promoted 18 months later—with a higher level of engagement.

Conclusion: From Gaps to Growth

Assessing development gaps is not about highlighting what leaders lack—it’s about building what they’ll need. A succession plan is only as strong as the developmental clarity and commitment behind it. By anchoring assessments in strategy, translating them into real actions, and reviewing progress with discipline, HR leaders turn a list of names into a future-ready leadership bench.

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