Finding the right succession planning software isn’t always easy. Many tools claim to solve leadership pipeline issues, but they either lack the depth to provide actionable insights or are too rigid to adapt to evolving workforce needs.
HR leaders often struggle with fragmented data, poor visibility into internal talent, and outdated methods that don’t align with today’s fast-changing business landscape.
This article aims to dispel this technological fog. In it, we break down the nine best succession planning software solutions that help organizations future-proof their leadership pipelines, identify and develop internal talent, and ensure business continuity with minimal disruption.
Fuel50: Best succession planning software for skills-based workforce planning
While Fuel50 isn’t exclusively a succession planning tool, its talent intelligence platform offers powerful capabilities that transform how organizations approach this critical function.
By focusing on skills, career development, and internal mobility, Fuel50 provides a foundation for more dynamic and effective succession planning.
Identify hidden talent with state-of-the-art technology
Fuel50’s talent marketplace leverages sophisticated AI to identify potential successors based on skills and capabilities rather than just job titles or tenure. This approach uncovers talent that traditional succession procedures might overlook.
“Fuel50 allows us to build a super learning environment where we put the employee at the heart of their career…. We’re really looking forward to leveraging the full power of Fuel50.” — Nick Holmes, Vice President of Employee Experience at Avalere Health
By creating a comprehensive view of your talent landscape, Fuel50 helps organizations:
- Discover high-potential employees across all levels of the organization.
- Match talent to critical roles based on skills and potential, not just experience.
- Build diverse talent pipelines by reducing bias in the identification process.
Create a dynamic skills inventory with expert-driven ontology
At the heart of effective succession planning lies a thorough understanding of the skills present in your organization and those needed for future success. Fuel50’s expert-driven skills ontology transcends traditional taxonomies by providing a living ecosystem of employee capabilities.
“Fuel50 helps us understand what skills we need or what ways we need to grow to get into the cloud to hit our corporate goals.” — Larry McAlister, VP of Global Talent at NetApp
Fuel50’s skills ontology includes:
- Over thousands of unique capabilities, specialist skills, and tools
- Clear definitions and outcome-focused, proficiency-level descriptors
- Suggested developmental actions for each skill
- Built-in bias checks to ensure inclusivity and fairness
- Continuous updates to reflect emerging skills and market trends
Enable data-driven succession insights
Fuel50’s analytical capabilities provide unprecedented visibility into your organization’s succession readiness:
“The new Insights function has added an immense layer of value by allowing our organization to have a better view into the skills our employees possess.” — Zachary McCleary, Senior Learning Program Owner at KeyBank
With Fuel50, HR leaders and executives gain:
- Real-time understanding of skills distribution across the organization
- Identification of critical gaps in succession pipelines
- Predictive analytics to forecast future leadership needs
- Objective data to support succession decisions
- Visibility into the readiness levels of potential successors
Support career development for succession candidates
A successful succession strategy requires ongoing development of potential heirs. Fuel50 makes this possible through comprehensive career development tools:
“Our people can now see career pathways and the skills and competencies needed for any role in the company…. Our engagement around career immediately increased when we introduced the tool.” — Z Energy
Fuel50 facilitates development through:
- Personalized career pathing based on skills and aspirations
- Visibility into skills required for leadership roles
- Tailored learning recommendations to close skill gaps
- Mentoring connections to accelerate development
- Project and gig opportunities to build relevant experience
Build a culture of internal mobility
Effective succession planning relies on a strong foundation of internal mobility. Fuel50’s talent marketplace creates an environment where talent can flow to where it’s needed most:
“We’ve seen an increase in internal talent mobility by 67% since using Fuel50.” — Trane Technologies
By fostering internal mobility, Fuel50 empowers organizations to:
- Test potential successors in new roles and projects.
- Develop broader skill sets in high-potential employees.
- Retain key talent by providing growth opportunities.
- Create more agile workforce planning capabilities.
- Build institutional knowledge across functional boundaries.
8 other succession planning software solutions to consider
Below, we’ve listed some alternative succession planning software solutions for you to look into.
1. SAP SuccessFactors: Best for enterprise-level organizations needing a comprehensive HCM suite
- Key features: AI-powered talent insights, career pathing, performance tracking
- Customers: Large enterprises across finance, healthcare, and manufacturing
- Unique differentiator: Advanced analytics that align workforce planning with broader business goals
SAP SuccessFactors is a powerhouse in talent management, offering AI-driven insights into employee potential, career paths, and readiness. It enables HR teams to plan for leadership changes proactively, track succession risks, and support career mobility through real-time analytics.
Beyond succession planning, SAP SuccessFactors offers deep integrations with performance management, learning systems, and workforce analytics. Its AI-backed recommendations help companies not only identify future leaders but also ensure they receive targeted developmental opportunities.
2. Cornerstone Succession: Best for companies focused on internal talent development and upskilling
- Key features: AI-driven skills assessments, leadership pipeline visualization, internal mobility tracking
- Customers: Mid- to large enterprises emphasizing leadership development
- Unique differentiator: Deep integration with learning and developmental initiatives
Cornerstone Succession helps businesses map their leadership pipeline by assessing skills, experience, and potential. Its succession planning module integrates seamlessly into learning and performance management tools, ensuring employees are constantly nurtured for leadership roles.
The software also provides real-time visibility into talent gaps, which allows businesses to design targeted training programs and mentorship initiatives. HR leaders can track high-potential employees and create career paths that align with organizational growth strategies.
3. UKG Pro: Best for mid-size to large businesses needing workforce analytics and AI-driven succession insights
- Key features: Predictive workforce analytics, AI-backed career planning, integration with HR functions
- Customers: Enterprises in healthcare, retail, and financial services
- Unique differentiator: Advanced AI models that analyze workforce trends for proactive succession planning
UKG Pro combines workforce analytics with AI-driven insights to identify succession risks and readiness gaps. The platform’s real-time data ensures HR teams make informed talent decisions and develop a solid pipeline for key roles.
With a strong focus on personnel analytics, UKG Pro provides predictive modeling to assess leadership readiness. It also integrates seamlessly with payroll, benefits, and performance management, making it a holistic solution for workforce planning beyond just succession needs.
4. Workday Succession Planning: Best for organizations using Workday’s HCM suite for seamless integration
- Key features: Talent tracking, predictive analytics, workforce skills assessment
- Customers: Large organizations using Workday’s HCM platform
- Unique differentiator: Seamless integration with Workday’s full suite of HR tools
Workday provides a data-fueled approach to succession planning, offering visibility into workforce skills, leadership readiness, and potential career trajectories. Its intuitive dashboards and predictive analytics make it easy for HR leaders to track and nurture internal talent.
The software’s people analytics feature helps organizations make strategic workforce decisions by identifying employees with leadership potential and tracking their progress. Workday’s integration into learning management ensures future leaders receive continuous development opportunities.
5. TalentGuard: Best for businesses that prioritize competency-based leadership development
- Key features: Competency mapping, career pathing, AI-driven assessments
- Customers: Mid-sized to large enterprises focusing on skills-based development
- Unique differentiator: A robust competency framework that aligns talent development with business objectives
TalentGuard specializes in competency-based succession planning, enabling organizations to assess employee skills and match them with future leadership roles. The software helps HR teams design structured career paths and track employee progress in real time.
Beyond succession planning, TalentGuard’s career pathing tool provides employees with personalized growth recommendations. Its AI-driven competency assessments ensure organizations develop leaders based on merit and potential rather than subjective evaluations.
6. Saba Cloud: Best for companies seeking a personalized, AI-driven succession planning approach
- Key features: AI-powered career pathing, leadership development programs, engagement tracking
- Customers: Large organizations that prioritize internal leadership mobility
- Unique differentiator: AI-backed learning recommendations tailored to future leadership roles
Saba Cloud helps businesses identify high-potential employees and create targeted development plans. The software leverages AI-powered career pathing and continuous learning tools to support leadership readiness at all levels.
HR teams can leverage Saba Cloud to track employees’ growth over time, assign personalized development programs, and monitor engagement. The system also integrates with performance management tools so organizations can make data-driven succession decisions.
7. ChartHop: Best for data-driven companies that want a visual approach to succession planning
- Key features: Interactive org charts, workforce analytics, real-time talent mapping
- Customers: Fast-growing businesses and data-driven enterprises
- Unique differentiator: A visually intuitive approach to succession planning and talent mobility
ChartHop visualizes workforce data to help organizations map out succession plans in an interactive, real-time environment. It offers dynamic org charts and talent analytics, making it easy to spot gaps and develop leadership pipelines.
The tool integrates with various HR systems to provide a centralized view of employee data, enabling organizations to make proactive succession decisions. It’s particularly beneficial for businesses that want a highly visual and collaborative approach to workforce planning.
8. PeopleFluent Succession Planning: Best for enterprises looking for a customizable succession planning solution
- Key features: Customizable workflows, leadership tracking, advanced reporting
- Customers: Large enterprises with complex succession planning needs
- Unique differentiator: Highly flexible and customizable succession planning framework
PeopleFluent’s software focuses on leadership continuity by tracking employee growth, performance, and potential. It incorporates into learning management systems to equip future leaders with the right skills.
The platform’s customizable workflows allow organizations to tailor succession strategies to their unique business needs. It also provides robust reporting and analytical tools to help HR teams monitor talent readiness and leadership gaps effectively.
Choosing the right succession planning software
The best succession planning software depends on your organization’s size, structure, and talent development strategy. Enterprises may benefit from AI-powered analytics and deep integrations (e.g., SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, UKG Pro), while smaller companies might prefer visual planning tools like ChartHop.
But if you’re looking for a solution that’s comprehensive and allows for:
- Dynamic skills inventory with expert-driven ontology
- AI-powered internal mobility and career development
- Data-driven workforce planning and predictive analytics
- A culture-first approach to skills-based transformation
Then Fuel50 is what you’re looking for.
