Few organisations are preparing future leaders for key roles, leaving businesses exposed when senior HR vacancies arise and forcing many to rely on last-minute hiring.
Just 9 percent of UK businesses have fully integrated succession plans, new data from recruitment firm HR Recruit say, while a small but notable proportion have given no thought to the issue at all, pointing to a widespread lack of long-term workforce planning.
The shortfall is becoming more visible at senior level, where internal appointments to chief people officer roles have fallen sharply over the past year, suggesting fewer organisations are developing candidates ready to step up.
Succession planning often starts too late
Jo Thompson, a divisional director at HR Recruit, warned that many businesses only act after problems emerge.
“We see the same pattern repeatedly. Businesses come to us after a departure, after a failed hire or after promoting someone who was not ready. By that point, the options are already limited,” she said.
The issue begins well before vacancies arise. Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the professional body for HR and people development, found fewer than one in three UK organisations attempt to identify future skill needs or retention risks.
Where succession planning does exist, it is typically focused on chief executive or managing director roles. Senior HR positions such as HR Director and Head of HR are often overlooked, despite being critical stepping stones to top-level people leadership roles.
Weak pipelines and rising role demands deter candidates
Many organisations are also struggling to build a strong internal pipeline, particularly as fewer professionals are motivated to move into senior roles.
Separate research indicates only a minority of UK workers see promotion to senior leadership as an attractive goal, with hesitation especially pronounced among mid-level HR professionals who are familiar with the demands of senior roles.
Thompson said expectations attached to senior HR positions had expanded significantly in recent years.
“The most capable HR professionals I speak with are weighing up what the People Director role now requires. The role now covers Employment Rights Act changes, National Insurance increases, workforce planning, culture and employee wellbeing, often all at the same time. Some decide the trade-off is not worth it, and for organisations with no pipeline, that’s where the search starts from scratch,” she said.
The result is a narrower pool of candidates that becomes harder to rebuild, particularly when organisations have not invested in developing talent over time.
Gender imbalance adds further pressure
Challenges in succession planning are also linked to broader issues around progression and representation.
While women have accounted for a majority of chief people officer appointments in large listed companies in recent years, representation at chief executive level in mid-sized businesses has declined, limiting the number of potential leaders gaining broader strategic experience.
Evidence from workplace research suggests women receive fewer opportunities for sponsorship, stretch assignments and career progression, which can affect readiness for senior roles.
Thompson said the imbalance was visible in HR leadership pipelines, where capable candidates often lacked the exposure needed to progress. “The women who should be building towards HRD level are often carrying the heaviest workloads, none of which builds a board-level profile. By the time we recruit for the senior role, they have not had the visibility the role requires,” she said.
She advised organisations to identify a small number of high-potential HR professionals and give them the development, exposure and feedback needed to prepare for future leadership roles. “The businesses that manage this well are not doing anything extraordinary. They are simply thinking about it before they have to.”
The data suggests that without earlier planning and clearer pathways, many organisations will continue to face disruption when senior HR roles become vacant, with fewer internal candidates ready to step in.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
