A company's long-term success depends not only on today's performance but also on its future leadership strength. However, according to the 2024 Deloitte Human Capital Trends report, only 16% of companies say they are "very ready" for leadership development. This shows that talent management and succession planning are still a weak link in many organizations.
So what should be done to grow the leaders of the future today?
The answer lies in the SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development module.
🌍 The Leadership Crisis and Talent Gap: Global Realities
For companies worldwide, leadership succession planning is rising among strategic priorities:
- Gartner (2024): 54% of HR leaders admit there are delays in growing leaders for critical positions.
- McKinsey: 46% of organizations report being inadequate at filling senior leadership positions.
These data show that companies can sustain growth not only through recruitment but through competency development and succession planning.
💡 What Is SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development?
SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development is an integrated solution that enables companies to identify potential candidates for critical roles, track their development and structure their career paths. With this module:
- high-potential employees are identified,
- succession plans are made for at-risk positions,
- employees are supported with leadership-development programs.
🚀 Benefits of Digital Succession Planning
1. Preparedness for Critical Positions - According to Harvard Business Review, leaders from internal sources have 25% higher organizational commitment. SuccessFactors systematizes this advantage by increasing the visibility of internal talent.
2. Early Identification of High-Potential Employees - Thanks to SuccessFactors algorithms and performance data, potential leadership candidates are detected early.
3. Competency-Based Development Plans - Personalized development plans are created for each employee. Worldwide, 61% of companies report that attrition drops by 30% among employees offered career development (LinkedIn Talent Trends, 2023).
4. Visual Talent Matrix and Risk Map - The module makes it possible to visualize leadership gaps and critical risks. This lets HR managers act proactively.
📈 Real Results: Examples from SAP Users
- Unilever, using SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development, made internal-candidate appointments to more than 150 positions within 3 years.
- Coca-Cola HBC reduced external hiring for leadership positions by 35% while increasing internal mobility by 60% thanks to this module.
- According to SAP's 2024 data, 70% of companies using the module reported shorter time and higher accuracy in the leadership-succession process.
🔧 Where Should Companies Start?
- Do a Position Risk Analysis: Critical roles should be identified and a list of backup candidates created for these positions.
- Create a Talent Inventory: Identify in-house potential leaders and their strengths.
- Build Development Programs: Support with mentoring, leadership academies and digital learning tools.
- Integrate the SuccessFactors Module: Build a holistic structure with the performance, learning and talent-management modules.
🎯 Conclusion: Plan Today for Future-Ready Organizations
In today's rapidly changing business world, the "we'll just replace them" approach is giving way to a "let's build the future today" strategy. The SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development module makes organizations resilient against leadership crises while also supporting employee engagement and development.
If you want to grow the leaders of the future, you must take a step today.