Current Workforce and Succession Plan Status

In accordance with HR Manual Policy 2901, CalHR tracks the following on an annual basis:

• Organizations with a current workforce plan and/or succession management plan.
• Actions the organization is taking to address any classifications with significant underutilizations, if applicable.
• Progress of action items in the workforce and succession management plans.
• Workforce challenges and risks organizations face.

• Organizations are asked to share the status of their workforce and succession management plans and select their workforce challenges and risks during the annual survey and plan collection period from September 1-30.
• Organizations submit current plans to CalHR for compliance review during this time. CalHR checks each plan to make sure it contains the requirements outlined in HR Manual Policy 2901.

The Dashboard below can be used to view current and historic data related to workforce plans and succession management plans by year and by department. The Dashboard can be navigated using the various navigation tabs at the top. Please see the Dashboard Overview tab for more information.

Click HE​RE ​for the full screen dashboard.

Beginning in 2024, organizations provided survey input about the types of proactive strategies contained in their plans.​ CalHR uses the data to inform educational offerings and tools for departments to continue developing effective workforce planning and succession management strategies.

About the Data

Survey respondents selected from several subcategories within each of the broader focus areas of Recruitment, Retention, Employee Development, Knowledge Transfer, and Succession Management. Respondents were able to select all subcategories relevant to their workforce planning and succession management efforts. The totals in the graphic are a roll-up showing how often departments selected items within each category.

Trend Analysis

Although the total departments with current plans in place increased by about 30% from 2024 to 2025, the categories were ranked similarly by departments from one year to the next. Retention-related strategies were most common, followed closely by Knowledge Transfer and Succession Management related strategies, with Recruitment and Employee Development related strategies being less frequently cited by respondents.

The number of responding departments with plans in place increased from 53 in 2024 to 72 in 2025. During this period, departments reported using a greater number of workforce and succession management strategies overall. This increase suggests growing organizational emphasis on strengthening workforce planning practices across the state.

Retention-focused strategies remained the most widely used area, reflecting continued investment in approaches designed to improve engagement, strengthen workplace culture, and reduce turnover.

Succession Management strategies also saw notable growth, indicating heightened attention to preparing future leaders, ensuring leadership continuity, and building internal pipelines for critical roles.

Knowledge Transfer strategies increased steadily, highlighting ongoing efforts to preserve institutional knowledge and reduce the impact of knowledge loss due to retirement or turnover in operations.

Recruitment strategies are a continued focus for attracting qualified candidates and competing effectively in the labor market.

Employee Development was the lowest-volume category but still grew meaningfully, suggesting increased attention to expanding employees’ skills, competencies, and career development opportunities.