Free Competency Framework Template | Role-Based Examples & Proficiency Levels
Free Competency Framework Template | Role-Based Examples & Proficiency Levels
Succession planning only works when leaders honestly assess how ready, how risky, and how developable their candidates actually are. This template provides 60+ ready-to-use survey questions — organized by readiness, risk, and career opportunity — that HR teams can use directly as a survey, calibration input, or conversation guide.
Why Succession Planning Fails Without Structured Surveys
In a global survey of more than 2,500 business leaders (Pinsight 2026), 86% said succession planning is critical — yet 70% said long-term succession planning feels futile in today's fast-changing environment. That contradiction typically stems from the fact that succession planning relies on subjective individual assessments rather than structured, comparable data.
A survey directed at leaders who assess succession candidates solves this: it structures assessments, surfaces gaps, and forces explicit statements about readiness and risk.
According to iMocha, 45% of directors are concerned they won't have a single internal successor ready — and 66% worry about not having two or more ready candidates. Without structured data collection, this blind spot stays in the system.
Who Fills Out This Survey — and Why That Matters
Succession planning surveys are typically completed by three groups — each with a different focus:
| Audience | Perspective | Main Questions for This Group |
|---|---|---|
| Direct managers (assessors) | Know candidates from daily work; often have conflicts of interest (talent hoarding) | Readiness, strengths/gaps, development plan |
| Skip-level managers (validators) | Neutral view; see cross-team behavior | Strategic maturity, org-wide visibility |
| HR Business Partners (process owners) | Consistency across teams; fairness check | Calibration, process quality, communication |
Each perspective provides a different data type. The strongest succession surveys combine all three — with a shared core section and specific modules per group.
Module 1: Readiness Assessment — Is the Candidate Truly Ready?
Readiness is the hardest judgment in succession planning. Too often, candidates are labeled "ready in 1–2 years" without clear evidence. These questions force a concrete assessment:
| # | Question | Scale / Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Would you recommend this person for the succession role today if it opened tomorrow?" | Yes / No + mandatory explanation |
| 2 | "When do you estimate this person will be fully ready?" | Ready now / 6–12 months / 1–2 years / 3+ years |
| 3 | "What specific experiences or results support your readiness assessment?" | Free text (required) |
| 4 | "What three competencies or experiences does this person still need to fully step into the role?" | Free text + prioritization |
| 5 | "Has this person already taken on parts of the target role in an acting or deputy capacity?" | Yes / No / Partially + description |
| 6 | "How would stakeholders outside your team (peers, other leaders) assess this person?" | Very positively / Positively / Neutral / Unknown |
| 7 | "How consistently does this person show leadership behavior — including under stress or setbacks?" | 1–5 scale + free-text example |
| 8 | "Compared to other leaders you know at a similar career stage, where does this person rank?" | Top 10% / Top 25% / Middle third / Lower third |
Module 2: Risk Assessment — How High is the Flight Risk?
Succession planning without risk assessment is incomplete. If you're investing in building a candidate, you also need to know how likely you are to lose them — and what it would take to retain them.
| # | Question | Scale / Format |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | "How would you assess this person's flight risk over the next 12 months?" | Very high / High / Medium / Low / Very low |
| 10 | "What are the main reasons this person might leave the organization?" | Multiple choice + free text: Compensation / Growth / Leadership / Market offers / Other |
| 11 | "What currently keeps this person most committed to the organization?" | Free text |
| 12 | "Has the person been openly told they are a succession candidate?" | Yes / No / Indirectly |
| 13 | "Does this person understand what concrete steps are needed to reach the target role?" | Yes, clear plan / Somewhat / Unclear / No |
| 14 | "Has this person shown any signals in the last 12 months that suggest external exploration?" | Yes / No / Unsure + free text if Yes |
| 15 | "What would it take for this person to stay long-term — and what's within your sphere of influence as their manager?" | Free text |
Module 3: Career Opportunities and Development Plan — What Does the Person Concretely Need?
Without a concrete development plan, "succession candidate" is a label without substance. These questions force an actionable plan:
| # | Question | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | "What are the three most important development actions for this person in the next 12 months?" | Free text, prioritized |
| 17 | "What experiences or projects would most quickly qualify this person for the target role?" | Free text (stretch assignments, rotations, cross-functional projects) |
| 18 | "Are there mentors or sponsors actively supporting this person's development?" | Yes / No / In progress |
| 19 | "Where does this person have blind spots that are hard to recognize without external feedback?" | Free text |
| 20 | "How well does this person understand the company's strategic priorities and contribute an enterprise-wide perspective?" | 1–5 scale + example |
| 21 | "Does this person have experience with budget, P&L, or investment responsibility?" | Yes / No / Partially |
| 22 | "How effectively does this person lead teams through change — e.g., restructuring, pivot, uncertainty?" | 1–5 scale + specifics |
Module 4: Process Quality — How Fair and Reliable Is the Succession Process?
These questions are directed at all participants and check whether the process itself is credible:
| # | Question | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | "Have leaders received sufficient training to assess readiness consistently?" | 1 = Not at all, 5 = Fully |
| 24 | "Do you trust the readiness ratings assigned in the succession process?" | 1 = Not at all, 5 = Fully |
| 25 | "Are candidates who are not selected treated with respect and given development-oriented feedback?" | 1–5 scale |
| 26 | "Does the succession process improve the quality of career conversations in your area?" | 1–5 scale |
| 27 | "Is flight risk for critical roles actively managed — not just addressed reactively?" | Yes / No / Partially |
| 28 | "Does every critical role have at least one credible internal succession candidate?" | Yes / No / For some roles |
Common Mistakes in Succession Surveys — and How to Avoid Them
| Mistake | Consequence | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Asking only about readiness, not risk | Candidates are developed and then leave the organization | Make Module 2 (risk assessment) mandatory |
| No required free-text fields | Scale ratings without evidence are meaningless | At least one required free-text justification per core question |
| Candidates don't know they're candidates | No personal investment in development; trust breakdown when discovered | Transparency question (Question 12) as mandatory field + internal communication strategy |
| No calibration step after the survey | Inconsistent ratings from different teams go unchallenged | Calibration workshop as a mandatory step in the process |
| Annual survey with no follow-up | Development plans end up in a drawer | Quarterly review of committed development actions |
9-Box Grid and Succession Survey: How They Work Together
Many organizations use the 9-box grid (performance × potential) as a visualization for succession candidates. The survey provides the data points that otherwise leave the 9-box grid subjective:
- Performance axis: From the regular performance review process — no survey questions needed here.
- Potential axis: This is where the succession survey provides evidence: Can the person deliver in a more complex role? Do they show leadership behavior beyond their current level? Do they take feedback and develop?
- Risk dimension: The 9-box grid doesn't show this — the survey fills that gap.
FAQ: Succession Planning Survey Questions
How many questions should a succession planning survey have?
15–25 questions is optimal. More leads to declining answer quality and survey fatigue. Fewer often doesn't provide enough evidence for calibration conversations. Prioritize: readiness and risk first, development plan as required, process quality as an optional module.
Should candidates know they're in the succession plan?
Yes, generally — with clearly defined boundaries. Transparency about being identified as a candidate increases engagement and retention. What should not be shared: ranking positions, comparisons with other candidates, and internal discussions about their gaps.
How often should the succession survey be conducted?
Annual full survey (all modules), quarterly short check on risk assessments and development plan progress. Critical roles should be re-assessed ad hoc after significant organizational changes.
What's the difference between a succession plan and a succession survey?
The succession plan is the output document: who is identified as a successor for which role. The survey is the assessment instrument that ensures the quality of those assessments — structured, comparable, evidence-backed.
How do you handle managers who hoard talent and won't name their best people as successors?
Talent hoarding is one of the most common structural problems in succession processes. The survey makes it visible (questions on readiness assessment vs. external perception). Solutions: skip-level validation as standard practice, talent mobility as a leadership KPI, and explicit cultural work at the senior level.
Jürgen Ulbrich
Jürgen Ulbrich has more than a decade of experience in developing and leading high-performing teams and companies. As an expert in employee referral programs as well as feedback and performance processes, Jürgen has helped over 100 organizations optimize their talent acquisition and development strategies.
