BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - December 11, 2007) - In the new benchmark report, "The Looming
Leadership Void: Identifying, Retaining, and Developing Your Top Talent,"
Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (
NYSE:
HHS), found that while only
48% of all organizations surveyed are currently pursuing succession
planning, 84% of Best-in-Class organizations leveraged succession planning
to increase the percentage of key vacancies filled by internal candidates,
as compared to only 19% of Industry Average and 0% of Laggards. This
benchmark report is a compilation of surveys and interviews from 245
organizations globally and highlights how Best-in-Class performers are
using a combination of strategies, processes, and technology solutions to
identify, develop, and retain their top performers and ensure continuance
in key positions throughout the company.
"There exists a strong correlation between an organization's ability to
achieve Best-in-Class status and the longevity of its succession planning
efforts," said Kevin Martin, Research Director, Human Capital Management at
Aberdeen. "The extent to which an organization has pursued succession
planning has a direct impact on overall organizational awareness and the
adoption of a succession planning strategy. This, in turn, helps establish
and reinforce the 'development' culture or mindset that organizations
strive to achieve."
To achieve Best-in-Class status in succession planning, organizations
during the previous 12 months were required to have improved the percentage
of key positions filled by internal candidates, improve the performance of
successors, and improve the company's bench strength -- calculated as a
percent of key positions for which at least one qualified succession
candidate is identified. However, Best-in-Class companies were also found
to decrease the time for successors to achieve desired productivity as well
as the percentage of managers who resign or are terminated for performance
reasons, while enhancing overall employee retention and satisfaction. The
report found that a key differentiator between Best-in-Class, Industry
Average, and Laggard organizations was having a company-wide succession
planning strategy that is integrated with the company's strategic plan (as
was the case for 60% of Best-in-Class versus 25% of Industry Average and
23% of Laggards). "It is imperative to approach succession planning
holistically when searching for high potentials," said Jayson Saba,
Research Associate, Human Capital Management at Aberdeen. "Almost half of
our Best-in-Class companies allow access to employees across divisions
rather than limiting the internal search to each business unit."
This report examines how global enterprises are utilizing succession
planning strategies, processes, and solutions to prepare for the loss of
key leaders to retirement, prevent the loss of high potential talent to
competitors, and strengthen bench strength in terms of quantity and quality
of successors. The report also offers recommended actions that all
companies can take to become more proactive and empowered in planning for
future talent needs and engaging the talent they need to keep.
A complimentary copy of this research report is made available due in part
by the following underwriters: Taleo, SHL, and Fidello. To obtain a
complimentary copy of the report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4157
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market
intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more
than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely
positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating
demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment
analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets,
corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.
© 2007 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
260 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3112
Telephone: (617) 723-7890
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Kevin Martin
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5314
kevin.martin@aberdeen.com