When leadership teams discuss succession planning, the conversation typically centers on identifying high-potential employees, developing leadership pipelines, and ensuring smooth senior leadership and C-suite transitions.
These are critical considerations, but they represent only part of the equation. If your organization is focused solely on succession planning without addressing workforce stability, you’re building a talent pipeline—both of leadership and the rest of the team—on unstable ground.
The reality is that succession planning and workforce stability are inextricably linked, and three significant workforce trends are reshaping how we must approach both.
The Generation and Trades Gap Is Real
Across industries—particularly in trades, nursing, manufacturing, and technical fields—we’re facing a sobering reality: there simply aren’t enough younger workers entering these professions to replace those retiring. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has been sounding the alarm for years, and organizations are now feeling the impact firsthand.
This isn’t just about demographics. It’s about a fundamental mismatch between the roles that need filling and the career paths younger generations are pursuing. While baby boomers and Gen Xers populated trades and technical roles in large numbers, millennials and Gen Z have been steered toward four-year degrees and knowledge work. The result? A widening gap that threatens operational continuity across entire industries.
When we can’t fill these critical roles, we’re not just missing skill sets—we’re missing the foundation upon which our succession plans depend.
Entry-Level Roles Matter More Than You Think
Here’s where many succession plans fall short: they focus on the top of the organizational chart while overlooking the bottom. Entry-level and lower-tier positions aren’t just operational necessities, they’re the essential first rung on the career ladder for the next generation of leaders.
When organizations struggle to fill these positions, they create a cascading problem. Young workers need somewhere to start, to learn the fundamentals of an industry, to understand organizational culture, and to develop the skills that will carry them forward. Without these opportunities, you’re not just short-staffed today; you’re starving your leadership pipeline for tomorrow.
Consider a manufacturing facility that can’t attract entry-level technicians, or a healthcare system unable to fill nursing assistant positions. These aren’t merely operational gaps—they’re future supervisor, manager, and executive vacancies in the making. Every unfilled entry-level role represents a missing link in your succession chain five, ten, or fifteen years from now.
The Tenure Mindset Has Shifted
Perhaps most challenging is the fundamental shift in how younger workers approach their careers. The days of spending 30 years with one employer are largely behind us. Today’s workforce—particularly younger generations—views career development through a different lens. They seek growth, impact, and purpose, and they’re willing to move frequently to find it.
This isn’t a character flaw or lack of loyalty; it’s a rational response to a changed employment landscape. But it poses a significant challenge for traditional succession planning models built on the assumption of long-term tenure and gradual development.
Organizations must adapt by rethinking retention strategies, accelerating development timelines, and creating compelling reasons for talent to stay. This means investing in culture, offering clear career paths, providing meaningful work, and demonstrating commitment to employee development from day one.
Building Workforce Stability Into Your Succession Strategy
The path forward requires integrating workforce stability into your succession planning from the ground up. This means actively recruiting for entry-level positions with the same strategic rigor you apply to executive searches. It means partnering with educational institutions, investing in apprenticeships, and creating compelling career narratives for trades and technical roles.
It also means accepting that shorter tenures are the new normal and building succession plans that can withstand higher turnover. Cross-training, knowledge management systems, and accelerated development programs become essential, not optional.
Most importantly, it requires acknowledging that you can’t plan for leadership succession if you don’t have a stable workforce to develop leaders from. The two challenges are one and the same.
This blog was penned by Denise DiMascio, Senior Partner at Empirical Consulting Solutions. The Empirical team is passionate about helping organizations navigate the intersection of succession planning and workforce stability. We’d love to discuss how these trends are impacting your organization and explore strategies that can strengthen both your leadership pipeline and your workforce foundation. Reach out to us at hello@thinkempirical.com to continue the conversation.
