Succession Planning Paper

Succession Plan to Retain Employees
Marcella Westfall
[e-mail]
Keller Graduate School of Management - HRM 594
Professor Victoria Ashiru
September 28, 2014

My research paper is on a Succession Plan for the city of Miami– a plan that will outline the process of retiring employees and the strategic staffing plan that will those positions. This is important to me as a Human Resource professional because succession planning encourages staff development by promoting and retiring which sends a message to all employees that the organization is stern on developing employees. It also aids in continuity within the organization. In this paper I will discuss four elements of a succession
Most of the individuals I spoke with told me that although they were anxious to implement succession plans in their departments they lacked adequate funding. Several departments I examined have taken the first steps in workforce planning, but there is still much to be done. The first step agency officials should take to prepare a succession plan is to examine the literature that exists on how to create and implement a succession plan. By examining the literature, agency officials can begin to establish both the structure and the content of a succession
Another purpose is to identify factors that might either influence the employee to not leave, delay exit, or, in the case of retirees, induce returning to work in some capacity after retirement. This will continue to be important in the future as employees continue to age. Although management succession planning can be problematic and even painful, it is vital to ensuring the continuity and perhaps even the continued existence of businesses following the departure of an employee. It may be helpful to consider succession planning as an extension of employee development programs. Succession planning, Marshall (1997) wrote in America 's Community Banker, "should reach deeply into an institution 's management ranks to prepare managers at all levels for career advancement, perhaps to the very top."
I would hope that if my plan was put into use, it would serves as a guide to help retain, cross train and empower employees with motivation to stay with their current employer. I would also hope that the employer would implement some of the ideas that were suggested in this paper. My research paper was designed to retain employees and give employers/management ideas on how to motivate employees for professional growth with the