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5.0 Pit Stop #5: Succession Planning
5.0 Pit Stop #5: Succession Planning
Welcome to Succession Planning!
You are at the final stop in your Leader Journey!
Whether you have hired new talent externally or filled your position internally, succession planning is a key talent process that enables growth and retention.
Succession planning is a primary consideration your organization needs to make to ensure the longevity of your leader pipeline.
5.1 Succession Planning: Program Development
Developing a robust succession planning process and program ensures that employees can visualize their journey to becoming a leader, and current leaders see growth in their roles.
leading practices:
- Provide candidates from priority groups with the opportunity to participate in informational interviews so they are able to prepare for the promotion process and receive feedback
- Integrate equity, diversity and inclusion into leadership competencies and link back to performance evaluation
Considerations for Intermediate / Advanced Organizations
Specific actions to follow:
- Develop a formal succession planning program so candidates are aware of opportunities to grow within the organization, if resources are available
- Create a structure where employees are able to self-nominate for promotions and / or participation within a succession planning program
- Ensure an established structure and criteria are in place to assess candidates objectively and mitigate various biases
Priority Group
This publication from the Government of Canada provides guidance on how your organization can provide labour market opportunities for people with disabilities.
5.2 Succession Planning: Accountability
It is important you remain accountable for your role and contribution to sustaining the pipeline of leaders within your organization.
leading practices:
- Collect disaggregated self-identification data to identify gaps in current leadership composition and where action is required
- Place accountability by sharing progress and results towards diverse representation at leadership levels externally, via communications
Specific actions to follow:
- Actively track representation across all levels and metrics to measure priority group success in achieving leadership and board positions within the organization
- Leverage analytical solutions to visualize and report changes internally
Succession Planning: Regional and Industry Considerations
Industry: Forestry
Statistics Canada identified that the forestry industry currently employs 17% women, 9% Racialized, Black and/or People of Colour, 7% “Aboriginal” and/or Indigenous peoples and 12% newcomers to Canada.
Due to working conditions within the forestry sector, such as often operating in remote areas, as well as performing heavy-lifting and labour, there is currently a lack of diversity within the industry.
Consider the following:
- Provide flexibility in employment opportunities with internationally accredited individuals, who have the right skills and possess potential to grow
- Sponsor priority group talent to grow into leadership roles
- Consider new arrangements to help caregivers better manage work-family conflict and improve work-life balance. For example, those that require time to commute to place and pick-up their child from daycare should be provided time and accommodations to do so
These additional resources from the national Free to Grow project discuss how to advance EDI in the forestry sector.
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