Issue - meetings

To receive a discussion paper on Succession Planning and Future Proofing.

RESOLVED: That the Committee commented on and noted the Discussion Paper on Succession Planning and Future Proofing.

Audio recording – 21 minutes 30 seconds

The HR Services Manager presented the Discussion Paper entitled ‘Succession Planning and Future Proofing’ and advised that:

·                Succession Planning focused on identifying and growing talent to fill leadership and business-critical positions.

·                The Council was committed to the development and progression of current employees through various initiatives, and this commitment was crucial, especially with LGR approaching as teams would need to be prepared for evolving demands.

·                Staff were encouraged to develop through both formal and informal training but were also supported to complete formal qualifications and take on opportunities in the form of secondments or ‘acting up’.

·                Discussions with line managers at Regular Performance Reviews (RPRs) and 1-1s were vital to this process along with HR support and advice.

·                Succession planning and development could support retention but it was recognised that there would not always be a position for employees to progress into due to the flat organisation structure of the Council which meant that some individuals sought promotion opportunities elsewhere.

·                However, they have benefited from former employees returning to the Council when an appropriate position became available after gaining skills and experience at another authority.

·                Where there had been staff turnover in senior positions over recent years, these had filled by several internal candidates and there were examples of employees at all levels of the organisation achieving promotions within.

·                In addition to developing staff for future roles, they were preparing staff to adapt to change within the world of work.

·                The apprenticeship levy had been incorporated as one of the tools for development and several staff were improving their digital skills by undertaking courses in AI for business value, data insights for business decisions and advanced software engineering to support the Council workforce of the future. 

·                However, any form of learning and development came with challenges, the primary one being a constraint on time and workload both inside and outside of working hours as the apprenticeship levy required 20% off-the-job learning. HR were supporting employees with this and encouraging them to find the best methods of learning to suit their needs. 

·                The future would bring new structures, roles, processes and technologies and it was vital that staff were not only prepared for these changes but could use them as an opportunity.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Claire Strong

·                Councillor Bryony May

·                Councillor Ian Albert

·                Councillor Keith Hoskins

Councillor Claire Strong highlighted that the Council had been successful with succession planning as there were recent examples of internal candidates filling positions in the Senior Leadership Team, however, it was recognised that they would not be able to satisfy all Members of staff with career opportunities. 

In response to questions, the Human Resources Services Manager advised that:

·                There was no formal process for recognising talent within the Council, however, RPRs and 1-1s could be used by managers to spot progression and HR provided guidance on appropriate training if a suitable career path was identified.

·                RPRs and 1-1s were continuous and an annual log of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6