By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the basics of career development and succession planning
• Distinguish succession planning and management from replacement planning, talent management and human capital management
• Compare traditional HR focus with career planning oriented HR focus
• Explain the role of employee and employer in career development
• Apply innovative corporate career development initiatives
• Evaluate and operate an effective succession planning program to close the developmental gaps in the organization
• Prepare individual development plans and manage career choices

Course Outline:

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

• Putting people before numbers
• People’s wants from their organizations
• Organizations’ wants
• The war for talent
• Today's top priorities in HR
• Disengagement and the downward performance spiral
• People based strategy
• HR activities: traditional focus versus career development focus

THE BASICS OF CAREER MANAGEMENT AND SUCCESSION PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

• Careers today: the importance of development
• Definition of career development
• The career development process and links to HR
• Essential elements in an integrated career development system
• Definition of succession planning
• Main aims and reasons for establishing a succession planning and management system
• Distinguishing succession planning from replacement planning

ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS FOR CHANGE

• Promoting a development culture
• Characteristics of a development culture
• Career development as a change agent
• Roles and responsibilities in a development culture
• Role of human resources
• Role of line managers
• Role of top management
• Role of developers

IDENTIFYING HIGH POTENTIALS

• Key positions
• High potentials and high professionals
• Assessing individual potential
• Best practices to improve the management of high potentials
• Qualities of processes to spot, develop, and retain high potentials

CAREER DEVELOPMENT: TOOLS AND METHODOLOGIES

• Competencies: the foundation for career development
• Competencies framework
• Coaching: an essential managerial function
• Mentoring: a must have system for career development
• Career counseling services

DEVELOPING INTERNAL SUCCESSORS

• Making the business case for succession planning and management
• Starting the systematic succession planning and management program
• Refining the program
• Assessing present work requirements and individual job performance
• Assessing future work requirements and individual potential
• Closing the development gap: the Individual Development Plan (IDP)
• Designing the individual development plan