SHRM developed this guide using the same general-purpose AI tools it describes. The prompts are intended as starting points and may need to be adapted, reviewed, and validated for your specific use case.
AI can help you get more done with the HR work you already do, from drafting and summarizing to organizing information and generating ideas. But it does not know your organization, your people, your policies, or your obligations unless you provide that context. This prompt gives you a starting point, with space to add the unique information AI needs to support your work.
Prompt — Analyze Succession Planning Coverage
Replace everything in brackets before you run it.
Analyze our succession coverage.
Role and structure data:
[PASTE: critical roles, why each is critical, current
incumbents by ID not name, reporting structure]
Readiness assessments made by our leaders:
[PASTE THEIR CONCLUSIONS — e.g., "ready now," "ready in 1-2 years," "development needed"]
Give me:
- Roles with no identified successor, ranked by how damaging a vacancy would be.
- People named as successor for more than one role, and where that creates a single point of failure.
- Roles where the only successor is at or past typical retirement or tenure patterns for our organization.
- What a realistic time to fill and time to productivity looks like for each uncovered critical role.
- Scenario: if [these roles] became vacant in the same quarter, where would we be exposed.
Rules:
- Do not generate, infer, or adjust potential or readiness ratings. Use only the assessments our leaders provided.
- Do not recommend individuals for roles they have not been assessed for.
- Do not infer anything about anyone’s intentions, ambitions, or likelihood of leaving.
- Work from role IDs, not names.
- Where our data is too thin to support a conclusion, say so.
Write in plain, everyday language. Do not use jargon or invented terms; if a simpler word exists, use it.
[Optional, if available: give the AI your organization's style guide, brand voice guide, or writing standards document alongside this prompt so the output matches how we write.]
Check Before You Publish
Before you publish, review the AI-generated draft carefully. You are responsible for the final version.
- Check facts, figures, dates, requirements, and other details against the information you supplied or the original source.
- Paste in any legally required or compliance-sensitive language yourself. Do not let AI generate it.
- Confirm nothing was invented, assumed, or taken out of context.
- Verify that the final version reflects your organization, your audience, and the purpose of the work.
Use your judgement as an HR professional. AI can assist with the work, but you make the final call. Looking for more prompts? Explore the AI Prompts Guide for HR for more prompts and templates to support your HR work.
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