Case study
Creating a global talent and succession planning framework
The client
A global manufacturing company, operating across multiple markets, providing expert services to businesses within their industry. Despite their success, they were facing challenges in managing their rapid growth, particularly in the area of talent management.
The brief
The company, primarily composed of technical experts, had been heavily reliant on external hires for leadership roles. However, with a wealth of untapped talent within their organisation, there was a significant opportunity to develop their internal people into future leaders, thereby reducing costs and maximising the value of their existing resources. The challenge was to create a unified talent and succession planning framework that could be implemented across all subsidiaries, each of which was operating under different procedures and lacked a common understanding of talent potential.
“Communicating with the markets in other regions was a challenge; we could never really get on the ‘same page’. It was easier to just work in isolation.”
Head of Talent Acquisition, UK
The goal was to foster collaboration, create a consistent employer brand, and establish a more connected and efficient organisation.
What we did
Develop a management toolkit
We recognised the need for a shared resource across the entire organisation. To achieve this, we collected existing tools and processes from all global subsidiaries and created a comprehensive talent management toolkit and guidebook. By incorporating familiar vocabulary and approaches, we ensured the toolkit felt accessible and relevant to the company’s employees, promoting its adoption.
Define potential
Understanding that ‘potential’ varies between organisations, we conducted in-depth interviews with 25 individuals working closely with general management. This allowed us to identify the qualities and attributes that defined potential for leadership within the company. The insights gained were used to create a framework grounded in the organisation’s commercial realities, avoiding a one-size-fits-all definition.
Insight into action
To translate our findings into practical tools, we performed a somatic analysis of the interview transcripts, identifying common competencies and mapping them onto a psychometric assessment. This tool, customised to the company’s needs, introduced objectivity into the talent management process while preserving the importance of human judgement. We then internally verified the model to ensure its effectiveness.
Embedding change
Before stepping away, we ensured that key personnel were confident in using the new toolkit, guidebook, and potential model. We facilitated a calibration process, using last year’s talent data, to guide the organisation in applying the new approach to talent identification and development. This collaborative effort ensured consistency and alignment across all markets.
The results
Successful integration
The new talent and succession planning framework has started to take root, with promising high-potential individuals now transitioning into leadership roles. The organisation is already experiencing the benefits of a more connected and collaborative approach to talent management.
“People are always suspicious about the ‘new way of doing things’ – especially engineering types who are very focused on the technical. But the new framework wasn’t full of jargon and meaningless buzzwords. It made sense, right from the beginning”
COO
Ongoing development
Plans are in place to continue engaging us in the ongoing development of these new leaders. This will help close the loop and establish a sustainable leadership cycle, ensuring long-term success.
In summary
By developing a unified talent and succession planning framework tailored to the company’s specific needs, we successfully empowered the organisation to harness its internal talent, fostering a more collaborative and efficient approach to leadership development. The positive impact of this transformation is already evident, with high-potential individuals advancing into leadership roles and the groundwork laid for sustainable, long-term success.
