HR Toolbox Newsletter

What happens when key people leave?

Every small business has those key people you rely on. When they leave after years in the role, they take with them knowledge about suppliers, processes and client relationships that nobody else has.

It’s a  familiar story. But it’s also completely preventable through succession planning.

“Succession planning” sounds corporate, but it simply means knowing who could step into key roles and getting them ready before you need them.

Without it, knowledge disappears. You pay agency fees for replacements. Your business value stays tied to specific
people who could leave tomorrow.

The practical approach involves:

– Identifying which roles would hurt most if empty: often not the senior titles, but the people whose absence would disrupt your week
– Documenting what really makes them effective: which customers need special handling, which suppliers are flexible, problems only they spot
– Looking at your existing team differently: who asks about the wider business and keeps things running during busy
periods
– Testing potential successors with holiday cover and routine decisions

– Writing it down, sharing it with the people involved and reviewing quarterly

The benefits are clear: good people stay when they see opportunities, you can take proper breaks from the business and, if you ever want to sell, buyers see a business that runs without depending on specific individuals.

We suggest starting with 3 critical roles and you can build from there.

Our latest guide covers all of this in more detail, so get in touch for your copy.

And if you’d prefer to talk it through, we can help to design something simple for your business.

Interested in more… please click the link  HR Newsletter – December (002)