Workflow 10
Succession & Talent Review
9-box, critical roles, and a bench you can defend
Illustrative current-practice design
This is one worked example of how the process is commonly run, not a standard and not advice. Timings, thresholds and percentages are illustrative. Verify anything legally sensitive against local law and your own counsel.
Use it as a complete starting point, then adjust it for your company's strategy, culture, workforce, jurisdiction, collective agreements, technology, risk appetite and future-of-work direction.
Content last reviewed 28 July 2026.
Philosophy
A critical role is one where a 30+ day vacancy hurts the business. Plans are confidential: employees hear about development investment, not successor designations.
Cadence
March to June annually, tracked quarterly
The steps
- 01
March: critical roles
- HRBP identifies critical roles using the 30-day vacancy impact test
- Current bench strength assessed per role
- 02
April: ratings
- Each VP and Director rates direct reports on performance and potential
- Succession readiness and flight risk flagged
- 03
May: 9-box calibration
- Leadership team calibrates; HRBP maps people across performance and potential
- Stars: accelerated development and retention focus
- High performers: reward and retain
- Emerging talent: coaching to lift performance
- Core performers: recognition and growth opportunities
- Bottom left: PIP or exit strategy
- Each critical role mapped to incumbent and successors by readiness level
- Critical role with no successor is a red flag: TA builds an external pipeline of 3-5 passive candidates
- 04
May-June: development plans
- IDPs for top talent: stretch assignments, mentoring, learning, rotations, with tracked budget
- 05
June: dashboard
- CHRO presents the Talent Dashboard to the CEO: succession health, 9-box distribution by BU, top 20 talent and plans, flight risks and retention strategies, diversity of the pipeline
- 06
Ongoing: execution
- Stretch roles assigned, mentoring pairs matched, progress tracked quarterly
Who does what (RACI)
| Step | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical role identification | HRBP | BU Leader | CHRO | TA |
| 9-box calibration | Leadership team | CHRO | HRBP | None (confidential) |
| IDP execution | Manager | BU Leader | L&D, HRBP | Employee |
Stress tests
Critical role opens suddenly
Activate the plan with a Ready Now successor; if none, launch executive search and assign interim coverage.
Internal bench does not match the market
Passive external pipelines are maintained for critical roles for exactly this case.
Plans leak
Confidentiality is the control: development investment is communicated, designations are not.
Protected class consistently underrated
Flag immediately for root cause analysis with the D&I team.
Future-of-work considerations
- Skills and capability evidence alongside performance and potential
- Internal talent marketplaces widening the visible bench
- AI-assisted talent matching with human accountability for decisions
- Bias review of potential ratings and pipeline diversity