Top 12 Succession Planning Tools in 2025

Q: What are the five steps to succession planning?

Identify key roles, assess internal talent, define development plans, monitor readiness, and transition successors into roles when ready.

Q: What are the types of succession plans?

Emergency plans for unexpected departures, planned succession for long-term transitions, and talent-based plans focused on developing high-potential employees.

Succession planning tools are software solutions designed to identify, assess, and develop employees for critical roles within an organization. These platforms support leadership continuity, mitigate hiring risks, and align workforce strategies with long-term business objectives.

Key functionalities often include competency mapping, skills gap analysis, internal talent mobility frameworks, and individualized development planning. According to the 2023–2024 SHRM State of the Workplace Report, 49% of organizations have prioritized succession planning to strengthen resilience and future-readiness.

This blog features top 12 succession planning tools that support long-term workforce planning and future-ready leadership development.

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Top 12 Succession Planning Tools

1. iMocha

iMocha is an AI-powered succession planning tool that enables organizations to identify future leaders and address skill gaps through data-driven talent insights. The platform supports a skills-first approach by combining intelligent skills matching, real-time gap analysis, and internal mobility mapping.

Key features:

Skills Assessments: Offers over 3,000 validated technical and behavioral assessments to evaluate readiness for succession-critical roles.
Skills Gap Analysis: Identifies development needs through skill benchmarking, empowering strategic upskilling and reskilling.
Skills Matching & Benchmarking: Match employees to future roles based on validated skills data and industry benchmarks.
Career Pathing & Internal Mobility: Facilitates internal mobility by aligning employee capabilities and aspirations with future leadership paths.
Personalized Development Plans: Provides personalized upskilling plans designed to meet succession goals.

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (267 reviews)

Price: Visit iMocha's pricing page for more details.

Struggling to bridge the leadership skills gap? Use iMocha’s Skills Intelligence Cloud to benchmark capabilities and fast-track leadership development.

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2. PageUp

PageUp succession planning software helps organizations build internal leadership pipelines by identifying high-potential talent and preparing them for critical roles. It is part of PageUp’s unified talent management platform, designed for enterprise-wide visibility and agility.

Key Features:

Successor Identification: Flags high-potential employees using performance and potential indicators.
Bench Strength Insights: Visual dashboards to assess readiness levels, risk of loss, and development needs.
Integrated Development Plans: Aligns succession data with targeted leadership development actions.
Customizable Workflows: Adapts to organizational succession frameworks and governance processes.

‍G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (134 reviews)

Price: NA

3. SAP SuccessFactors

SAP SuccessFactors offers a robust succession planning solution as part of its cloud-based Human Experience Management (HXM) suite. It enables organizations to align talent pipelines with business strategy and retain top performers through structured development paths.

Key Features:

Succession & Development Planning: Identify and groom future leaders with role-based readiness assessments.
Talent Pools: Build dynamic pools of high-potential employees for critical roles.
Competency-Based Assessment: Evaluate skills and leadership potential using predefined competency models.
Integration with Core HR: Seamlessly connects with SAP’s broader HXM platform for unified talent and performance data.

G2 Rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars (656 reviews)

Price: Starts at 3.15 CAD per user per month

4. Cornerstone OnDemand

Cornerstone OnDemand offers an integrated succession planning software that supports long-term workforce continuity. Its platform emphasizes development-driven succession, linking career growth to organizational strategy.

Key Features:

Successor Readiness Tracking: Evaluate internal talent based on performance, potential, and career aspirations.
Role-Based Talent Pools: Maintain visibility into candidates for key roles across departments.
Learning Integration: Connects succession data with personalized learning paths and development programs.
Workforce Analytics: Offers dashboards and reports for succession risk, pipeline strength, and diversity insights.

G2 Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars (491 reviews)

Price: Available on request

5. PeopleFluent

PeopleFluent provides a comprehensive succession planning platform that supports strategic talent mobility and long-term workforce planning. It is particularly suited for complex organizations with evolving leadership needs.

Key Features:

Succession Scenario Modeling: Simulate role changes and leadership transitions to forecast readiness gaps.
Performance-Potential Grid (9-box): Visualize talent across performance and potential metrics.
Integrated Career Development: Aligns succession plans with career pathing and skill development initiatives.
Analytics & Reporting: Tracks leadership pipeline health and readiness through configurable dashboards.

G2 Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (17 reviews)

Price: Available on request

6. SumTotal

SumTotal offers a flexible succession planning solution within its broader talent development platform. It emphasizes continuous learning and competency development as part of leadership pipeline growth.

Key Features:

Competency-Based Succession Planning: Identify successors using skill proficiency and job role alignment.
Personalized Learning Paths: Link succession data with upskilling content tailored to readiness gaps.
Performance & Readiness Tracking: Assess internal candidates based on custom-defined metrics.
Integrated Talent Suite: Works seamlessly with SumTotal’s learning, performance, and recruiting modules.

G2 Rating: 3.3 out of 5 stars (42 reviews)

Price: Available on request
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Check out the Top 6 Succession Management Tools to enhance leadership continuity and support strategic workforce planning.

7. Plum

Plum is a science-backed succession planning software that leverages behavioral data and predictive analytics to identify leadership potential. It supports evidence-based talent decisions across all stages of the employee lifecycle.

Key Features:

Talent Mapping: Aligns behavioral and cognitive strengths with succession-critical roles.
Predictive Success Profiles: Matches candidates to future roles using psychometric and performance data.
Soft Skills Insights: Surfaces strengths in adaptability, communication, and decision-making.
Bias-Resistant Assessments: Supports equitable succession planning through structured, validated methodologies.

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (73 reviews)

Price: Available on request

Facing challenges in identifying future leaders? Discover how iMocha streamlines succession planning with data-driven insights.

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8. UKGPro

UKGPro includes succession planning capabilities as part of its unified HCM suite. The platform helps organizations identify, track, and prepare internal talent for key leadership positions.

Key Features:

Talent Profiles: Centralized view of employee skills, experience, and career preferences.
Succession Readiness Indicators: Evaluate candidates’ leadership potential and bench strength.
Automated Workflows: Streamline succession planning with configurable alerts and tracking.
Career Development Integration: Link succession plans with personalized learning and development paths.

G2 Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (1,472 reviews)

Price: Available on request

9. TalentGuard

TalentGuard is a cloud-based succession planning software designed to identify high-potential employees and support their leadership development through competency-based frameworks.

Key Features:

Competency & Skill Assessments: Evaluate employees against role-specific requirements.
Career Pathing: Visualize growth opportunities aligned with organizational goals.
Succession Dashboards: Monitor readiness, risk of loss, and pipeline depth in real time.
Development Planning: Create targeted learning plans for potential successors.

G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (3 reviews)

Price: Available on request

Discover the top 10 Career Development Tools helping organizations map career paths, close skill gaps, and nurture tomorrow’s leaders.

10. Bullseye Engagement

Bullseye Engagement offers a configurable succession planning platform that integrates performance data with development planning to identify and prepare future leaders.

Key Features:

Talent Assessments: Evaluate employees across competencies, performance, and leadership potential.
Career Path Visualization: Map internal mobility opportunities linked to succession targets.
Individual Development Plans (IDPs): Support readiness through structured growth plans.
Succession Planning Dashboards: Track progress and pipeline health in real time.

G2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (2 reviews)

Price: Available on request

11. Arcoro

Arcoro is a modular HR software platform that includes succession planning tools tailored for compliance-driven and high-growth industries. It helps ensure leadership continuity through structured internal talent development.

Key Features:

Succession Planning Reports: Monitor readiness, gaps, and critical role coverage.
Talent Identification: Surface high-potential employees based on performance data.
Career Development Plans: Guide growth through defined learning and development pathways.
Integrated HR Suite: Syncs with Arcoro’s broader performance and workforce management tools.

G2 Rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars (89 reviews)

Price: Available on request

12. EmpXtrack

EmpXtrack is a cloud-based HR software platform that includes a robust succession planning module. It supports proactive workforce planning by linking talent data with development strategies.

Key Features:

Competency Mapping: Aligns individual capabilities with future role requirements.
Career Pathing: Visual tools to map leadership tracks and promotion pathways.
Talent Review Workflows: Streamlines evaluation of succession candidates across departments.
Development Planning: Create targeted learning plans to prepare successors for key roles.

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (3 reviews)

Price: Available on request

Want to utilize succession planning to ensure smooth operation of your team? Leverage iMocha to upgrade skills analytics to keep employees motivated & foster talent and development.

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In Conclusion

Succession planning tools play a critical role in building future-ready organizations by identifying internal talent, closing skill gaps, and preparing successors for mission-critical roles. These platforms enhance visibility into leadership pipelines, promote internal mobility, and reduce external hiring dependency.

Among the tools listed, iMocha stands out for its AI-driven Skills Intelligence platform that integrates skill assessments, gap analysis, career pathing, and benchmarking. Its ability to align employee capabilities with organizational needs makes it a strategic choice for succession-focused enterprises.
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Dive into our blog on 10 Succession Planning Metrics that help evaluate future leader readiness, monitor development, and ensure seamless role transitions.

FAQs

What is the main tool used in succession planning discussions?

A succession planning template or framework is the main tool used in succession planning discussions. This may include templates for identifying key positions, assessing potential successors, and creating development plans for employees.

What are the tools of succession planning?

These are platforms designed to identify successors, assess skills, and support leadership development. Top tools like iMocha, SAP SuccessFactors, and TalentGuard offer capabilities such as skill benchmarking, talent mapping, and internal mobility tracking—all essential for building resilient leadership pipelines.

How to create a succession plan?

Start by identifying critical roles, evaluating internal talent, and mapping development paths. Use skill assessments and readiness indicators to track progress and ensure alignment with organizational goals.