14 • Continued from previous page In fact, according to the ILO, there was a decline of 9.9% in total hours worked in the Caribbean, at the peak of the pandemic4. Such data shows that the impact of COVID-19 on organisations and the workforce is significant. COVID-19 has intensified the need for PSOs to seriously consider well-tailored risk-management programmes to plan for the unexpected absences or loss of key persons during times of crises and subsequent Recovery effort. The adoption of succession planning and structured interim replacement planning must now become critical HR processes to ensure business continuity. The idea of succession planning is certainly not new; however attention to the process has increased due to the COVID -19 pandemic. Its adoption will therefore require a reinvigorated approach to the development of talent which includes re-skilling, upskilling, and retooling of public sector employees. Succession Succession Planning requires purposefulness in terms of deliberate action by PSOs Succession Planning and Talent development go hand in hand and are two critical HR processes. For clarity, talent development focuses on processes and programmes that build capabilities which in turn impact an organisation’s ability to drive results. Succession Planning is the process whereby an organisation ensures that employees are recruited and developed to fill critical roles. This process ensures that there will not be a critical role vacant for which a replacement employee is not prepared. It is now recognised that critical roles are not only strategic in nature such as senior managers, but also include those roles that are critical to the success of essential workflows. deliberate action Planning requires purposefulness in terms of While Succession Planning may be commonly understood as the identification of critical positions and preparing to move people into higher-level jobs, I hold the view that succession planning is not just about preparing for the automatic replacement of employees who leave or retire. The concept is broader. Succession planning is about developing a clear approach to the identification and development of talent for all levels of staff, through which skills development interventions can be prioritised and delivered. PSOs would therefore need to develop clear approaches to the identification and development of high performing talent, identifying future workforce and talent requirements, ensuring effective retention, talent management, robust data, and development strategies across staffing levels. As the above suggests, Succession Planning requires purposefulness in terms of deliberate action by PSOs. It is worth noting that the majority of CARICAD Member States that responded to our surey do not have a Succession Planning programme in place (CARICAD Survey-2018). The reasons given for not having such an important HR process in place include financial constraints, the lack of HR systems to support succession planning, the absence of meritocratic systems, and the failure to recruit, train and retain the right individuals who will lead in the future. As PSOs re-evaluate their succession planning efforts, several key factors should be borne in mind. Succession Planning in the Public Sector must entail active engagement by top executives, Public Service • Continues on next page
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