Preparation
- Gain a thorough understanding of agency workforce profiles, turnover patterns, and projected retirements
- Determine how to proceed organizationally (e.g. by division, by occupation)
- Determine who to involve in the plan development process
- Identify key occupations or positions likely to experience turnover
- Identify any retention or workforce environment issues that need attention
- Identify key or critical occupations or positions for carrying out agency mission (criteria may need to be developed)
- Identify competency profiles for these occupations or positions
- Identify potential changes in needs over the next five years
- Ensure link with strategic objectives
Talent Pool Development
Internal Resources
- Identify existing employees who could potentially replace those leaving (criteria may need to be developed)
- Assess competencies of these employees (tools may need to be developed)
- Identify the gaps between competencies needed and the level of readiness of the potential replacement employees
- Establish development plans to heighten the level of readiness of the employees. (The plans may be for groups of employees, for individuals, or a combination. Developmental activities may be readily available or may need to be developed)
- Track development plans and the progress of employees, individually and collectively, toward readiness to fill the vital positions
External Resources
- Identify outside sources for areas where external hiring is the norm, or where internal applicant pools will not be sufficient
- Identify potential recruitment problems
Communication
- Develop a communication plan to inform employees of anticipated turnover and potential developmental opportunities
- Share the plan with appropriate labor organizations and any other interested parties
- Develop means of maintaining dialogue and feedback
Plan Implementation
- Set up an implementation schedule
- Set up a process for evaluating plan implementation
- Develop strategies for resolving problem areas identified in preparation stage
- Establish ways to modify the succession plans as circumstances change or new problem areas occur
Sources and References
This document was written by The Task Force on the Changing Age Profile of the Washington State Government Workforce. The original document can be downloaded for free by visiting this link