Succesion Planning - Essay Example

The disadvantages of succession planning and promoting from within Succession planning is a process which involves making decision on company’s critical roles. The potential successors are identified, assessed and qualified candidates are selected. Selected candidates must be guided to tackle both present and future opportunities by giving them adequate skills and experience. There are several disadvantages of succession planning. According to Overby (2005), succession planning can be a great blow to the organization.

This happens when a good track record attained in one level is assumed to bring out better outcome in another level. Instead, companies should take time in studying the competencies and personality characteristics of individual employees. This will help in clarifying the roles of each job level. However, such studies are costly and time consuming to most organization; hence they are done in a hurry and incorrectly. The second disadvantage is the cloning syndrome, where managers in the organization tend to pick people like them.

The replica of the incumbent is a great mistake as an organization seeks a new direction. Thirdly, the focus is narrowed in succession planning. Succession planning limits leaders in an organization to focus internally on prospective employees who can join the managerial team. Candidates outside the company with great potential are not considered. In most companies, the candidates chosen are those direct to top leaders. They are viewed as having the required potential. This boosts career development for the internal employees but does not fulfill the company’s best interests.

In most circumstances, when filling a managerial post, an external candidate would be the best to bring along new skills to the team. Fourthly, it can have negative effects on motivation. Succession planning if not handle carefully can be disastrous to the organization. Other employees may conclude those selected are favored. The outcome will be lack of motivation among the rest of the workforce. Fifth, it may result in family rivalries. In small organization run by family members, it can be tough when making succession plans.

In most cases, if an individual child is favored by the parents, the rest will oppose and this results in disastrous effect. This is because it can bring down the organization. Sixth, succession planning can cause organizational structure changes. Succession planning sometimes happens before the organization gains its stability. Leaders will be forced to alter and develop organizations to be able to tackle current business challenges. In addition, an individual employee can be developed to fill a position which may not materialize in the future.

The employee assigned to fill that position will be affected negatively and may loose motivation. Moreover, organization resources are wasted in developing the individual for a position which does not benefit the company.The impact of finding out that the right candidate is not available within the organizationThe organization will be forced to hire external candidates. The external individual will require some time to familiarize with the organization and the rest of the employees. Organization will also be forced to incur productivity loss resulting from recruiting, selecting, and training an individual to fill up a vacant position.

Lack of a successful candidate within the organization can lead to resentment because the available workers feel that the company does not give them an opportunity to develop their careers. This may lead to loss of productivity and higher staff turnover. The potential reaction of employees to succession planning and promoting from withinDifferent reaction to succession planning arises from organization employees. Employees will feel they have strong opportunity to progress and develop their career in the organization, hence satisfaction.

The employees will perceive the organization as awarding equal opportunities to all. They will be positive to be associated with an organization and reduces the negative feeling that the top management is always considered first. According to Atwood, (2007) employees react positively to succession planning. This is because employees benefits from improvement of understanding of the potential career paths available and development of needs along those paths. This leads results in improved retention, morale and commitment of the workforce.

According to Fager and McKinney (2007); succession planning can result in anxiety and stress. Stress arises from departure of fellow employees or those being promoted to take up new roles in the company. Employees may face difficulty in coping with daily routine loss and how to support the new organization structure. Employees who are not promoted with be faced with difficulty in handling increased workload when forced to take up positions of those who are promoted .they may lack motivation and even from the organization.

ReferencesAtwood, C. (2007).Succession Planning Basics USA: American Society for Training and Development.Fager, M., & McKinney, D. (2007). Succession Planning for the Family Owned Business. Langdon: sub- scribe literary services.Overby, S. (2005, May). Bound to fail, CIO, Vol. 18, No. 14