--- title: Use data in Succession Planning description: Use data in succession planning by drawing together 360 degree feedback information and remove the line management bias in talent reviews --- [![HeadLight-logo-from LF for website](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/hubfs/HeadLight_Sep2016/HeadLight-logo-from%20LF%20for%20website.png)](https://head-light.co.uk/) - [About Us](https://head-light.co.uk/what-makes-head-light-different/) ### [Our Clients Our clients come from industry, justice, government and not for profit sectors.](https://head-light.co.uk/our-clients/) ### [Case Studies Find out what people have said about Head Light and how we have helped.](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/case-studies) ### [Client Charter We like to be clear and upfront in how we work – and how we won’t work. Our Client Charter sets this out.](https://head-light.co.uk/client-charter/) ### [Consulting Partners When you partner with another organisation to deliver services to your clients, your reputation and future business success rests on your Partner’s ability and commitment to make it happen.](https://head-light.co.uk/consulting-partners/) ### [Our Location Head Light is based in Ascot, if you visit us with an electric vehicle, then you can have a free charge on us!](https://head-light.co.uk/contact-us/) ### [About Head Light Head Light helps public sector and regulated organisations turn workforce signals into intelligence about capability, readiness and risk. We are recognised in the Fosway 9-Grid™ for Talent & People Success and have supported customers for 20 years.](https://head-light.co.uk/what-makes-head-light-different/) - [Workforce Capability Intelligence](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/) ### [Workforce Signals Surfacing the evidence layer that turns workforce data into intelligence.  ](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/) ### [Capability Intelligence Understanding workforce capability across your organisation.](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/capability-intelligence/) ### [Workforce Readiness Tracking organisational readiness in real time.](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/workforce-readiness/) ### [Succession Intelligence Understanding leadership continuity and succession risk.](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/succession-intelligence/) ### [Workforce Risk Identifying workforce capability risk before it becomes operational risk.](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/workforce-risk/) ### [Organisational Insight Understanding workforce sentiment and organisational confidence.](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/organisational-insight/) - [Products](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/) ### [Talent 360 360-degree feedback software - spot potential, pinpoint development focus, embed recognition.](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-360/) ### [Talent Performance Embedding a culture of performance conversation and recognition.](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-performance/) ### [Talent Navigator Individual career ownership through career path mapping.](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-navigator/) ### [Talent Successor Succession planning software: providing a strategic line of sight.](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-successor/) ### [Talent SafeGuard Skills management: by the individual and for the individual.](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-safeguard/) ### [Talent En-Gauge Plan and take action to strengthen employee engagement.](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-en-gauge/) ### [Talent Advance Keep track of goal planning.](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-advance/) - [Consultancy & Training](https://head-light.co.uk/consultancy-training/) ### [Design a Skills or Competency Framework Get a skills or competency framework right for your organisation and your talent management practices make a real and lasting contribution.](https://head-light.co.uk/designing-your-competency-framework/) ### [360 and Performance Assessment Design We develop, test and validate bespoke assessments across all sectors, at every level of talent and every stage of talent management.](https://head-light.co.uk/assessment-design/) ### [Designing a Talent Management Strategy Do you have a Talent Management strategy? Do all your talent activities integrate, utilise the same language and align with your organisational strategy?](https://head-light.co.uk/talent-management-strategy/) ### [Talent Management for Managers Talent Management is not the sole domain of the HR or Learning & Development team. delivering your organisation’s people a strategy.](https://head-light.co.uk/talent-management-for-managers/) ### [Feedback Facilitator Training Investing in 360-degree feedback delivers little benefit if the review and feedback conversation is not handled properly.](https://head-light.co.uk/facilitator-training/) ### [Administrator Training Deploying a talent management software system successfully is not about luck. It requires robust and secure software, solid processes and great administrators.](https://head-light.co.uk/administrator-training/) - [Our Blog](https://blog.head-light.co.uk) - [Blue Light Services](https://head-light.co.uk/blue-light-services/) ### [Blue Light User Group Sharing talent management best practice and collaborating on new features to the Talent platform.](https://head-light.co.uk/blue-light-user-group/) ### [Talent Management for Police 360, PDR and talent and succession planning for police officers and staff.](https://head-light.co.uk/talent-management-for-police-forces/) ### [Talent Management for Fire and Rescue Services 360, PDR and succession planning for fire and rescue services.](https://head-light.co.uk/talent-management-for-fire-and-rescue-services/) [TELL ME MORE](https://head-light.co.uk/contact-us/) # Use data in Succession Planning --- ### How do you use data in succession planning and talent review activities within your organisation?  Are you able to cut and slice the data to make informed succession planning decisions? Our recent article in [HR Magazine](http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hro/features/1149377/line-management-bias-holding-talent) has clearly given food for thought. In it, we look at how, one of the challenges we face in succession planning is identifying potential or rather, *defining* potential at the outset. And because it is so tricky to define, line managers often all fall back on the natural, inherent biases that we all have and bring the 'great guys' and the 'ones to watch' to the discussions at the Talent Review Boards - with not necessarily much to back their choice up. Isn't it the role of the HR team to make sure that the Talent Review Boards gather, use and interpret data more effectively and not rely on those being put forward based on a manager's 'gut feel'. The article in [HR Magazine](http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hro/features/1149377/line-management-bias-holding-talent) illustrates how, when 360 degree feedback is used as part of the talent identification process, different rankings of 'potential' can be found based on whether one is looking at line manager feedback or feedback from peers and direct reports. If you'd like to read the full article, then visit our [Resources](https://head-light.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/WT-Is-line-management-bias-holding-back-your-talent.pdf)section of the website and, if you'd like to learn more about how our [Talent 360](https://head-light.co.uk/products/talent-360/) tool can help you, then do get in touch.   [360 degree feedback](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/topic/360-degree-feedback) [Succession Planning](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/topic/succession-planning) ## Related posts ### [The Police Leadership Commission Report: What It Means for Your Force](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/police-leadership-commission-report-what-it-means-for-your-force) The Police Leadership Commission report sets a clear direction for policing - and it has immediate i... 23 Jul 2026 ### [Organisational Insight: evidence that organisations fail to use](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/organisational-insight-evidence-not-used) Organisational insight is one of the most underestimated assets available to HR and business leaders... 13 Jul 2026 ### [How your Workforce Intelligence platform turns data into signals](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform-turns-data-into-signals) Every organisation generates data about its people continuously. Performance ratings, development ac... 13 Jul 2026 [![HeadLight-logo-from LF for website](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/hubfs/HeadLight_Sep2016/HeadLight-logo-from%20LF%20for%20website.png)](https://head-light.co.uk/) [![Fosway-2025](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Fosway-2025-150x150.jpg?width=150&height=150&name=Fosway-2025-150x150.jpg)](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/news/head-light-fosway-grid-2025)   ### Useful Links - [Home](https://head-light.co.uk/) - [About](https://head-light.co.uk/what-makes-head-light-different/) - [Workforce Signals](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/) - [Products](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/) - [Blue Light Services](https://head-light.co.uk/blue-light-services/) ### Workforce Signals - [Capability Intelligence](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/workforce-mobility/) - [Organisational Insight](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/organisational-insight/) - [Succession Intelligence](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/organisational-insight/) - [View All](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/) ### Our Products - [Talent 360](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-360/) - [Talent Performance](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-performance/) - [Talent Navigator](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-navigator/) - [View All](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/) ### Consultancy & Training - [Consultancy & Training Services](https://head-light.co.uk/consultancy-training/) - [Designing your competency framework](https://head-light.co.uk/designing-your-competency-framework/) - [360 and performance assessment design](https://head-light.co.uk/assessment-design/) ### Support - [Contact](https://head-light.co.uk/contact-us/) - [Blog](https://blog.head-light.co.uk) - [FAQs](https://head-light.co.uk/faqs/) - [Resources](https://head-light.co.uk/resources/) - [News](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/news)   Copyright © Head Light Ltd. All rights reserved. Company Number 05087004. **[ISMS Statement](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/news/head-light-retains-iso-27001-certification-audit-for-2025)** | [**Privacy Policy**](https://head-light.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PV01-HL-Privacy-Policy-v4.5-Website.pdf) | **[Terms](https://head-light.co.uk/stage/?page_id=253)** | [**ISMS Policy**](https://head-light.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISMS-SIgned-2020.pdf)   Search Head Light This is a search field with an autosuggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Head Light", "url" : "https://blog.head-light.co.uk/author/head-light" }, "dateModified" : "2025-12-03T10:07:23.088Z", "datePublished" : "2015-02-05T00:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Use data in Succession Planning", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.head-light.co.uk/blog/use-data-in-succession-planning", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.head-light.co.uk/hubfs/Version%202%20(text%20without%20shadow)-%203x%20300.png" }, "name" : "Head Light" } } ```