SPHR Succession Planning and Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which metric is MOST useful for evaluating the effectiveness of a succession planning program over time?
- Number of external hires in senior roles
- Percentage of key positions filled internally from the succession pool (Correct answer)
- Total number of employees enrolled in development programs
- Average tenure of senior leaders
Correct answer: Percentage of key positions filled internally from the succession pool
Internal fill rate of key positions from the succession pool directly measures whether the program is producing ready-next leaders.
Question 2: A 'talent inventory' in succession planning is best described as:
- A list of vacancies projected to open in the next five years
- A catalog of employees' current skills, competencies, and career aspirations (Correct answer)
- A ranking of high-potential employees by performance score
- A database of external candidates for executive roles
Correct answer: A catalog of employees' current skills, competencies, and career aspirations
A talent inventory captures the current capabilities, credentials, and goals of employees to inform development and placement decisions.
Question 3: When an organization uses a 'nine-box grid,' the two dimensions assessed are typically:
- Tenure and education level
- Current performance and future potential (Correct answer)
- Leadership style and cultural fit
- Job level and compensation band
Correct answer: Current performance and future potential
The nine-box grid plots employees on current performance (x-axis) against future potential (y-axis) to guide succession and development decisions.
Question 4: An HR leader notices that the succession pool for VP-level roles contains 90% men despite a 50/50 gender split in the eligible talent pipeline. The FIRST recommended action is to:
- Mandate gender quotas for succession nominations
- Audit the nomination criteria and process for potential bias (Correct answer)
- Hire an external search firm to identify female candidates
- Accelerate promotions for women regardless of readiness ratings
Correct answer: Audit the nomination criteria and process for potential bias
Auditing the nomination process identifies structural or evaluator bias before any corrective action is taken.
Question 5: Which approach to succession planning is MOST aligned with an organizational strategy focused on rapid digital transformation?
- Emphasizing seniority and longevity in the organization
- Prioritizing candidates with deep industry tenure over tech skills
- Building a pipeline of agile, tech-savvy leaders regardless of current job level (Correct answer)
- Limiting succession planning to C-suite roles only
Correct answer: Building a pipeline of agile, tech-savvy leaders regardless of current job level
When strategy demands digital transformation, succession plans must surface and develop leaders with the technical and adaptive capabilities to drive change.
Question 6: A 'readiness rating' assigned to a succession candidate typically indicates:
- Whether the candidate wants to be promoted
- How soon the candidate could assume the target role with current development (Correct answer)
- The candidate's compensation relative to the target role
- The probability that the incumbent will leave within one year
Correct answer: How soon the candidate could assume the target role with current development
Readiness ratings (e.g., 'ready now,' 'ready in 1-2 years') estimate how prepared a candidate is to step into a higher role.
Question 7: Emergency succession planning differs from long-term succession planning primarily because it:
- Focuses only on retirement-eligible employees
- Identifies immediate replacements for sudden, unplanned vacancies (Correct answer)
- Requires board approval before implementation
- Is limited to roles below the director level
Correct answer: Identifies immediate replacements for sudden, unplanned vacancies
Emergency succession plans designate who steps in immediately if a key leader departs unexpectedly, rather than developing long-term pipeline depth.
SPHR Succession Planning and Management 2
Which metric is MOST useful for evaluating the effectiveness of a succession planning program over time?