We are all familiar with the small Mom & Pop companies that don’t have any real HR departments in place, lack procedures and documentation, and basically do what they’ve been doing because “hey it works for us!” As an HR professional, this is definitely not the recommended path for our clients and blog readers! No matter the size of the company, HR is necessary. The same can be said for succession plans and career development. Without a plan in place for what happens if someone leaves the company abruptly, or health concerns take a beloved long-term employee out of the office for months at a time, you are opening your business up for failure. Why not take a proactive approach and train your junior-level employees so that should a succession plan need to be implemented, you already have the training and groundwork underway? #successionplans  #careerdevelopment

Authors Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni are both successful businesswomen and leaders who have penned a book about the how-to’s of career coaching and development. Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go is a straightforward guide for CEO’s, managers, and leaders to implement strategies in the workplace to foster growth in employees, encourage career development, adopt succession plans that allow for cross-training, learn the duties and responsibilities of colleagues and utilize the talent within your employees to build a strong and confident team approach.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), “succession planning is a means for an organization to ensure its continued effective performance through leadership continuity.” Combining this definition of succession planning with the tools suggested by leaders such as Kaye and Giulioni in encouraging career development amongst all levels of employees will allow companies to be prepared in the case of necessary organizational change.

At Peoplescape, we would suggest a team training followed by mentorships, pairing up a greener employee with a more seasoned employee, and allowing them to share ideas and learn from each other. We truly enjoy helping companies grow and working with them on their organizational development plans. Follow us on Twitter  @PeoplescapeHC or Like us on Facebook at Peoplescape Consulting to see our latest tips and ideas on how to improve your career development plans!