← HR Metrics·Workforce Planning
Bench Strength
Average number of ready successors per key position
How it’s computed
COUNT(ready_successors) / COUNT(key_positions)
What the evidence shows
Evidence (effect sizes, priors, validity) is syncing from Principia.
What this metric can show you
Bench Strength can tell roughly 25 pre-built stories — each a designed scene the data either confirms or it doesn’t. Bring your numbers and the Story Finder runs every one of these shapes against them.
specific to workforce planning
{mover} is becoming a bigger share of who you are
workforce-composition · T1
{mover} is fading from the mix
workforce-composition · T1
One unit is over-managed
workforce-composition · T1
Retention is working
retention · T1
Spans are stretched thin in one corner
workforce-composition · T1
The mix is holding steady
workforce-composition · T1
The organization you have isn't the one you had
workforce-composition · T1
universal shapes — any single metric can take these
A few large values are doing the talking
any focus · T1
A one-time event, not a trend
any focus · T1
It doesn't track — the premise is false
any focus · T1
It's concentrated — one group stands apart
any focus · T1
Scenes are pre-built; your data is the toggle. Browse the full deck or watch one play end-to-end in The Quiet Exodus.
Run it on your data
This metric is computed in the People Analytics Toolbox on your own numbers. See pricing — posted, no quotes.
sources: toolbox:metrics-catalog
What the literature says
The measurement literature behind this signal — sourced, so you can defend it.
“Bill Gates once said, “Take our 20 best people away from us and I can tell you that Microsoft would be an unimportant company.” Retain Key Position Backups The second directive involves the identification and development of high-quality replacements for a limited number of…”
— The Compensation Handbook (6th ed.)match 44%
“These programs become the vehicles that implement the talent management strategy which is necessary to build a high-performance workforce. • Positioning: Programs that manage all internal employee mobility actions. It includes replacement planning, career planning, and all…”
— The Compensation Handbook (6th ed.)match 39%
“Being fast at choice-reaction time is not simple athleticism, however, since its correlation with “simple reaction time” (“When I say, ‘Go,’ press the button as fast as you can”) is negligible. Why should intelligence be so closely related to mental speed? My father, Adrian…”
— Flourish a Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well Beingmatch 38%
Resources: The Compensation Handbook (6th ed.) · Flourish a Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well Being