Discovering Succession Management Tools

The Succession Org Chart (SOC) v12 is a tool used to create and manage staffing plans for critical positions in an organization. It’s a hierarchical view of the reporting relationships of people and positions in your organization, and the primary interface for managing succession plans from the perspective of your organization.

• Search for positions or people and navigate through the position hierarchy, reviewing succession plans for the reporting line you selected.
• Key positions are clearly marked, making it easier for you to manage your succession strategy.
• Display Options (the eye icon) allow you to change the reporting type, talent icons, number of successors per position card, and key positions.
• The information you see for people and positions on the SOC is controlled by the various role-based permissions and target populations, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected.

Data from enabled modules like Recruiting Management or Career Development Planning is captured within the Succession Org Chart, position card, or the succession talent card.

The SOC incorporates a succession talent card for more detailed viewing of succession information. Talent icons for the successors as well as incumbents may be included in the chart with the initial assistance of a professional services consultant.

An administrator can easily modify the information displayed on the succession talent card by navigating to Manage Talent Cards in Admin Center. Select the succession talent card for configuration options. To see a current successor’s talent card details, choose their name or photo.

Permissions control the ability to nominate, view, or edit information like talent pools within the succession talent card. The succession talent cards may also appear in side-by-side comparisons as seen below. If an area in the succession talent card is not populated or states no record found, be sure to populate that information block in People Profile.

The sorting of successors is consistent across all Succession pages including the Succession Org Chart, the Lineage Chart and the Position Tile. This will respect the sort-setting that has been configured in the Nomination Setup tool in Admin Center and also the personal settings defined in the Succession Org Chart. The same order will also be reflected in the succession slides in presentations.

The Lineage Chart provides insight into the "domino effect" that could take place if a succession plan is put into action. This view helps us understand the implications of staffing decisions by clearly displaying an employee’s successors, the successors’ successors, and so on. It is easy to identify the readiness of the successors and where any gaps may exist.

Talent Search is a configurable search tool that allows users to find employees based on defined fields and permissions, and helps them do the following:

• Perform effective talent searches
• Look up individuals quickly
• Find people for staff projects
• Nominate successors directly from Talent Search
• Make global assignments

Additional security located in role-based permissions and Talent Search settings in Admin Center allow the administrator to restrict sensitive fields or default popular search fields. You can even search by adding competencies/skills.

Search Results can also be refined by further selection criteria. Select names to add one or multiple candidates to a talent pool, compare data, nominate successors to a position, or export the names.

The matrix grid reports offer insights across available talent and help you compare succession candidates from a target population like a team or department. Matrix grid reports are also called the "9-block" or "9-box" because a popular matrix grid has nine sections when using a 3-point rating scale on the x and y axis. However, for example, this can differ based on the matrix grid ratings scales configured and tied to the report. For example, if the performance rating scale is five points and potential is three points, then the report would yield 15 boxes or blocks instead.

Two matrix grid reports are available:

• Performance-Potential: A matrix tool to plot employees on a graph based on performance reviews and manager’s judgment of potential; used to quickly identify high-level performance/potential for succession management purposes.
• Objective-Competency (How vs. What): A matrix tool to plot an employee’s competency rating relative to their objective rating in a matrix chart. This chart visually demonstrates the impact of an employee’s overall performance.

Once the team or other target population is selected, the matrix report results display in a clean and colorful fashion:

To utilize the matrix grid reports, you initially need the assistance of Customer Success or the Upgrade Center. If you have previous configurations of the matrix grid reports, the feature simply needs to be enabled. If you have never utilized these reports in the past, you will need additional instructions.

The position tile view is especially useful for planners who are responsible for managing, by department or level, discrete positions that are not necessarily connected by a position hierarchy. The tile view lets planners filter a list of positions and manage the corresponding succession plans. Many customers who use SAP organizational management capabilities and identify successors at the position level, often find the position tile view to be especially useful. It is not an alternative to the Succession Org Chart. It is complementary to it.

The Position Tile View offers the following benefits:

• Complements the Succession Org Chart by providing succession planners a view of a group of positions for which they are responsible
• Advanced search and filters based on position attributes
• Integrates with the Talent Card for insights into successors and incumbents
• Provides a modern, consumer grade user experience

Talent pools also offer an alternative approach to succession planning by allowing you to group successors based on any criteria. They can also be used to group your talent for non-succession-related needs like development plans, rotation programs, or high-potential pools.