Succession Planning Template: Sections, Examples, and How to Fill It In

This succession planning template gives you seven sections to copy into a document or spreadsheet, each followed by guidance on what to write. They cover the plan header, key roles, the role profile, successors and readiness, knowledge transfer, a review log, and outside hiring. There's also a one-page version for small organizations that don't need the full set.

A succession planning template is a structured document that records your key roles and the people who could step into each one. It also records what each candidate still needs before they're ready, so a sudden departure doesn't leave the organization guessing. This template covers key roles inside an organization, not handing over ownership of a business.

What a succession planning template should track

A succession plan template should track three things: the roles that matter most, the people who could fill them, and how ready each person is. OPM's succession planning page describes its consulting for federal agencies in similar terms, as assessing key positions, identifying talent risks, and clarifying readiness. That's OPM's work with federal agencies rather than a rule for private employers, but it makes a sensible checklist.

The sections work in a spreadsheet, a document, or the printable form below. If you're building a plan from scratch, follow the full process in create a succession plan and use this page for the template itself.

The example rows come from one hypothetical case. Consider a regional credit union whose HR lead is planning for its branch operations manager. That role combines compliance knowledge, staffing for several branches, and the main vendor relationships.

Fill in the template section by section

The blank form below fits every section on one page per key role.

Download template

Or copy each table below and replace the example row with your own.

Plan header

The plan header records what the plan covers, who owns it, who can see it, and when it's next reviewed.

Naming who can see the plan up front makes it simpler to decline requests from outside that group. Set the next review date when the plan is approved, since people and roles change between reviews and the plan needs a fixed point to catch up.

Key roles table

The key roles table lists the positions where a vacancy would cause the most disruption, along with the reason and the backup arrangement.

Vacancy risk describes how likely the role is to open and how soon. Base it on what the holder has told you, such as a planned retirement date, and mark it unknown otherwise.

Fill in interim cover even when you have a successor, since the successor may not be ready on the day the role opens.

Role profile

The role profile sets out the skills, experience, and knowledge the next person in the role needs, which gives you a fixed standard to rate successors against.

Write the profile from the work the role does and will need to do, rather than from the current holder's personal strengths. The last row feeds the knowledge transfer checklist later. Drafting the profile as a search-ready job description means you can reuse it if the role ends up going to an outside hire.

Successor table and readiness ratings

The successor table lists each internal candidate for a role, their readiness, the evidence behind that rating, and what will close the remaining gaps. Define the readiness levels in words so everyone rating candidates means the same thing.

• Ready now: The person meets the role profile today and could step in with normal onboarding.
• Ready in one to two years: The person meets much of the profile and has specific gaps that a planned assignment or training can close.
• Ready in three or more years: The person shows potential but needs substantial experience first.

The evidence column is what makes a rating defensible. A reviewer should see the reasons behind each rating, drawn from documented performance and the role profile rather than impressions. Give each development action an owner and a date, so someone is responsible for following up before the next review.

Some organizations rate successors on a performance-and-potential grid, and OPM's page names a 9-Block Matrix among its own tools. If your team already runs a 9-box grid, carry its results into the evidence column, but the template works without one.

Knowledge transfer checklist

The knowledge transfer checklist captures what the current holder knows that isn't written down anywhere, while that person is still available to explain it.

• Recurring tasks and deadlines: List the filings, audits, and reports the role owns, with when each one is due.
• Key contacts: Record the vendors, regulators, and internal partners the holder deals with, plus a note on each relationship.
• Systems and access: Note which systems the role administers and who else holds credentials.
• Contracts and commitments: Capture renewal dates, negotiated terms, and any open disputes.
• Judgment calls: Ask the holder how they handle recurring exceptions that no written procedure covers.

Work through the list with the current holder over several months rather than in their final weeks, since departures can come with little notice. When the role does open through a resignation, use an exit interview to capture what the checklist missed.

Review log

The review log records each check of the plan, what changed, and who signed off.

Choose a review interval that matches how fast your roles and people change, and review early when a key person resigns, a successor leaves, or the organization restructures.

Find outside candidates before a key role opens

When no internal successor is ready, the external hiring section records how you'll find outside candidates, so the search has a head start if the role opens.

Consider how this plays out at the credit union. The assistant branch manager could take over staffing in a year or two, but nobody inside handles vendor contracts or exam preparation. So the HR lead might develop the internal candidate for the staffing side and look outside for the compliance and vendor experience.

The build-now field is a choice about effort. Start with a talent map when you mainly need to know who holds similar roles at peer organizations, since it costs research time but no hiring commitment. Move to a talent pipeline when a role looks likely to open soon, because keeping warm contact with a shortlist takes ongoing outreach.

Who leads the search depends on capacity. An in-house team knows the role and the culture, while an agency brings an existing network and spare time. Put any planned outside hire into your hiring plan so budget and recruiter time are set aside before the search begins.

If you're an agency recruiter, this section is where your work fits. Reviewing a client's key roles table with them shows which searches may come up, and it gives you time to map the market before the client calls.

Keep the plan fair and confidential

A plan stays fair when ratings and timing rest on facts, and it stays confidential when only the named group can see it.

• Record departure dates only when shared: If the current holder has told you their plans, record the date and when they shared it. Otherwise leave the field blank or mark it unknown.
• Never guess timing from age: Inferring someone's retirement from their age is guesswork, and it can lead to decisions that treat people differently because of their age.
• Limit who sees the plan: Share it only with the roles listed in the header, and store it where access can be restricted.
• Decide whether to tell people they're named: Telling a successor can support development conversations, but it can also create expectations the plan can't guarantee.

A middle path is to discuss development goals openly without promising the role, applied consistently across people in similar positions. Agency recruiters working from a client's plan should ask the client which details can be shared with candidates before any outreach starts.

A one-page version for small organizations

Small organizations can fit the essentials on one page: each key role, its likely successor and readiness, interim cover, and the outside fallback. In February 2024, SHRM's Data Watch found 46% of HR professionals at small organizations reported no succession plan, versus 31% at medium and 27% at large ones. Those are self-reports rather than an audit, but they suggest small teams are the likeliest to have nothing written down.

This shorter succession planning template still needs the owner, access, and next review fields from the header at the top of the page.

Start with the roles you couldn't cover before you fill in the rest

A succession planning template is most useful when it shows, in one place, which roles are exposed and what you'll do about each. Evidence-based ratings, a written role profile, and an outside hiring fallback make that answer credible to leadership. Clear rules on access and timing keep people willing to take part. Pick the two or three roles you'd struggle most to cover next month, fill in their rows first, and set the first review date before moving on.