The short version
You do not need a big HR program. Define what good looks like for each role, check in on a rhythm, ask how people are doing, and name a backup for every critical role.
Start with what good looks like
Skills check-ins on a rhythm
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Self-rating plus manager check
Two views of every skill, with disagreements called out, on a schedule you set and with history kept for the year review.
In Grow - 2
A good check-in conversation
- Start where self-rating and manager rating disagree.
- Pick one skill to work on until the next check-in.
- Agree on what practice or support that needs.
- Write it down so the next check-in starts there.
Short pulses, not annual surveys
Succession for a small team
In a small team, one resignation can stop a whole function. Succession planning here is simple: for every role you cannot leave empty, know who could step in and what they would need.
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Readiness and the nine-box
Place people by readiness and on a nine-box view, from their profile or the job page, with signed-off reviews.
In Grow
For each critical role
- Name at least one person who could cover it.
- List the skills they would need to grow into it.
- Turn those into their next check-in goals.
- Revisit the plan when someone changes roles or leaves.
Close the loop with hiring
When check-ins keep showing the same gap in new hires, change what you screen for. Add a question to the journey or adjust the scoring criteria, so the next hire arrives stronger in that skill.