Career and Succession Management for Professional Services
Named backups for the roles that cannot be vacant.
What this looks like in professional services
The parts of career and succession management that are specific to this sector, rather than general.
Career Track and Progression
From trainee to partner, written down.
What this coversHide
Career Track and Progression
From trainee to partner, written down.
What this coversHideThe commonest reason a good associate leaves is not money — it is that nobody has told them what the next level requires or when it is assessed.
- Level definitions
- Progression criteria by level
- Technical competency per level
- Client-handling expectations
- Business development expectations
- Time in grade norms
- Promotion review cycle
- Partner track criteria
- Alternative senior-expert track
- Level
- Required competency
- Current assessment
- Gap
- Development plan
- Promotion readiness
Firm HR Dashboard
Capacity, progression and cost.
What this coversHide
Firm HR Dashboard
Capacity, progression and cost.
What this coversHide- Headcount by level and practice
- Open positions
- Utilisation by level
- Billable hours
- Overload flags
- Attrition by level
- Promotion counts
- Qualification status
- Training completion
- Employee cost as share of fees
The general method — what career and succession management covers, the questions it answers and what an engagement produces — is the same whatever the sector, and is set out on the succession and leadership development page. What is above is the part that differs for professional services.
Where to start
Most engagements begin with a review of how this runs in your business today, then a written process and the sequence to implement it.
See all HR topics for professional services, or another industry.