How it works

Succession management is essentially a prediction of the future – who will eventually grow into a successful executive or critical role-holder? As such, the adoption of formal, structured criteria for determining successors and HIPOs is a key element in ensuring a more accurate succession management process. There are five primary criteria to consider that offer the best likelihood of accuracy in the long run.

looks_oneReview performance ratings

Annual evaluation ratings are the most common criteria but should be used with caution. First, as the succession process is trying to assess future potential, past performance is a look back, not forward.  Second, a single year’s rating might be a result of good market conditions or fortune, an easy-grading supervisor, or a particularly motivating set of goals for that individual. As such, multiple years (three) of excellent ratings are recommended. Third, ratings tend to rise as an individual completes multiple years in a role (as what it takes to succeed in a role is learned), so it should be expected that a third or fourth-year incumbent receiving higher ratings may not translate to potential for success in a more demanding role.