Moving From “Mini-Me” to
Diversity Inclusion in
Succession Planning
Objectives
 Provide an overview of the most critical factors for
succession planning
 Introduce the role of diversity in effective
succession planning
 Demonstrate how these two activities must come
together for organizational success
 Explore the complexity of attracting, developing,
and retaining a diverse workforce
Table Talk:
Almost 50 years after the
Civil Rights Act of 1964,
why we do we still need
have to talk about
diversity?
What does diversity look like to you?
Surface Level:
 Race
 Gender
 National origin
 Age
 Disability
Deep Level:
 Personality
 Culture
 Thought/ideas
Goal of Succession Planning
1. Identify better talent
2. Create bench strength
3. Other???
Critical Factors for Succession Planning
1. Begin with commitment from the top
2. Identify and communicate a common set of
3.
4.
5.
6.
leadership attributes
Use candid, comprehensive performance
reviews
Keep regular schedule for performance reviews
and identification of talent pool
Link all decisions about talent to long-term
strategy of the organization
Assess program success
Talent Management
Promote
Retain
Recruit
Best Practices
Pepsico
Workforce Diversity :
Diversity is a strategic business imperative
essential to Allstate's success in today's
marketplace.
Women make up 58.8% of total workforce.
From: http://www.allstate.com/diversity/workplace.aspx
Pepsico
Diversity & Inclusion
At PepsiCo, we approach diversity and inclusion as
fundamental business priorities.
Win with diversity and inclusion.
We embrace people with diverse backgrounds,
traits and ways of thinking. Our diversity brings
new perspectives into the workplace and
encourages innovation, as well as the ability to
identify new market opportunities.
From: http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Talent-Sustainability/Diversity-and-Inclusion.html
Global Diversity
 The rich diversity of our people, our thinking, our
talent and our suppliers is key to our success.
 "Recognizing and valuing the many differences that
make us who we are is vital to our culture. This
diversity includes more than the obvious traits, like
nationality, culture, race and gender. Our diversity also
encompasses many differences that are not so easily
seen, such as life experiences, religion, sexual
orientation and family situations, just to name a few.”
From: http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/LivingOurValues/Diversity/HomePage.cvsp
As an inclusive company we embrace diversity of individuals,
opinions, cultures and abilities.
Workforce: To achieve a globally diverse talent pipeline we
embrace and value diverse individuals and we actively seek
them. We want to create a diverse workforce and a leadership
team that is well represented around the world.
In 2010, among senior management (directors & VPs):
• 16% globally are female
• 15% U.S. people of color
• 13% outside the U.S.
In 2011 we will continue to work with organizations that
source diverse candidates.
From: http://responsibility.motorola.com/index.php/employees/diversityinclusion/
Diversity
Management
Succession
Planning
Robust
Strategic
Planning
Diverse
Workforce
Firm
Reputation
Robust
Strategic
Planning
Flexibility of
Deeper Pool
of Talent
More
Options for
Strategy
Formulation
Business Strategy
Leadership
Planning Practices
• Forecasting Demand
• Identifying and
Accessing Talent
• Dealing with Shortages
Development Practices
Program Management
Practices
From Greer & Virick, 2008. Human
Resource Management, Vol. 42
Strategic
Implications of
Effective
Diverse
Succession
Planning and
Strategy
Integration
Moving from “Mini-Me”
 Involve employees in the conversation
 Require career development plans
 Build a transparent system
 Hold supervisors accountable
 Ensure recruitment firms aren’t adding to
the problem
 Beware unconscious bias
Reading/Resource List
Full reference for Greer and Virick article:
 Greer, Charles R., and Virick, M. (2008). Diverse succession planning: lessons from the
industry leaders. Human Resource Management, 47, 351-367.
SHRM online library and SHRM Foundation products include extensive resources on diversity,
succession planning, and related topics
Effective Practice Guidelines from SHRM Foundation:
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New! Transforming HR Through Technology
New! Onboarding New Employees The Search for Executive Talent
Employment Downsizing and Its Alternatives
Recruiting and Attracting Talent
Learning System Design
Human Resource Strategy
Retaining Talent
Developing Leadership Talent
Implementing Total Rewards Strategies
Employee Engagement and Commitment
Selection Assessment Methods
Performance Management
DVD Series from SHRM Foundation:
 Once the Deal is Done: Making Mergers Work (Strategic credit)
 World Economic Forum: Creating Global Leaders (Strategic or International credit)
 Seeing Forward: Succession Planning at 3M (General credit)
 Trust Travels: The Starbucks Story (Strategic credit)
 Ethics- The Fabric of Business (Strategic credit)
 Fueling the Talent Engine-Finding and Keeping High Performers (Strategic credit)
 HR in Alignment: The Link to Business Results
 HR Role Models