Global Study Underscores Need for Succession Planning
'No Matter the Location or the Industry, There Remains a Gap in Succession Planning by Many Organizations,' says IIC Partners
NEW YORK, March 6, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eighty percent of senior executives said that their company would not be able to replace them quickly if they left, according to a survey of 1,270 business leaders from around the world by IIC Partners.
Despite the fact that almost six in 10 respondents said their company had a succession plan in place, only one in five said their organization would be able to replace them immediately if they were to leave.
"The findings of this survey point to a gap in succession planning at many companies," said Paul Dinte, chairman of IIC Partners. "It is one thing to have a written succession plan, but quite another to be prepared for the departure of a C-level executive." Two-thirds of the survey respondents were C-suite executives.
When asked if there was a succession plan in place for their position, the senior-level executives responded this way:
- 31 percent said their company had a succession plan and could replace them within 12 months
- 26 percent said their company had no succession plan and they did not speculate on how long it would take to replace them
- 20 percent said their company had a succession plan and could replace them immediately
- 16 percent said their company did not have a succession plan and it would take 1-3 years to replace them
- 4 percent said their company had no succession plan and it would take more than three years to replace them
Companies that reported being least ready to replace a senior executive were not-for-profits (40 percent said it would take up to a year to replace them) and family-owned businesses (37 percent).
"No matter the location or the industry, there remains a gap in succession planning by many organizations," Dinte said. "This oversight will likely be worsened with the continued exodus of Baby Boomers from the workplace, as well as the different relationship with work that many younger employees have.
"Gen-X employees tend to change jobs more frequently. As this generation moves into C-suite positions, corporate expectations for length of service may have to be adjusted."
Companies from the following industries reported suffering the most when a senior executive departed unexpectedly:
- Not-for-profits (68 percent said it caused some or considerable difficulty)
- Pharmaceuticals (67 percent)
- Professional Services (67 percent)
When asked what the most negative impact of an unforeseen executive departure was, the senior-level executives responded this way:
- 38 percent said an unforeseen departure would have a negative impact on the current culture
- 18 percent said it would lead to the loss or delay of a new product or service
- 16 percent said it would lead to the departure of another executive
- 14 percent said it would lead to loss of revenue
- 13 percent said it would lead to negative publicity
Respondents at smaller organizations reported being the least affected by unforeseen departures, with 56 percent saying that they had no significant business impact. Family-owned businesses reported suffering the most, with 94 percent saying that there was a negative impact on their organization.
"Not surprisingly, family-owned businesses experienced the most pain from an unexpected executive departure, most likely because of the intertwined personal relationships involved," Dinte noted.
About the Survey
A total of 1,270 senior-level executives completed the online survey on succession planning during a six-week period in late 2013.
- 62 percent of respondents are at the C-suite or Managing Director level.
- 520 are from the Americas, 383 are from EMEA and 347 are from Asia-Pacific.
- Respondents represent 18 different industries.
- 38 percent of respondents work in publicly held organizations, 43 percent work in privately-held firms, eight percent represent family-owned companies, five percent work in not-for-profit organizations, and three percent work in other types of firms.
- The survey, developed by IIC Partners, was administered by Amarach Research of Dublin, Ireland.
About IIC Partners
IIC Partners (www.iicpartners.com) is one of the top 10 executive search organizations in the world. The network of "Independent International Consultants" is made up of 40 independently owned and managed executive search firms representing 48 offices in 34 countries, all considered to be leaders in the geographic and industry markets they serve.