Talent reviews and succession
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6 min read
Key findings
Seven free succession templates were compared, from AIHR, TalentGuard, OmniHR, Engagedly, Lattice, the NHS and Talentient.
Only some help decide which roles are critical; most assume the list exists.
Readiness ranges from a single label to defined scales and evidence scores.
Three of the seven downloaded without a form in October 2026.
No template answers all four alone, so the right choice depends on which question the team is stuck on.
The best free succession planning templates in 2026 are from AIHR, TalentGuard, OmniHR, Engagedly, Lattice, the NHS Leadership Academy and Talentient.
They differ most in three ways: whether they help decide which roles are critical, how they define readiness, and whether the download needs a form.
Talentient publishes one of the seven, and it is assessed here on the same basis as the others.
Each entry was checked on its publisher's page in October 2026.
How The Templates Were Compared
Four questions decide whether a succession template is useful in a real talent review.
Does it identify critical roles, or assume the list already exists
Is readiness defined, or a single label anyone can apply
Does it record the gap and the development action for each successor
Can it be downloaded and used without a sign-up or a platform
No template answers all four alone, so the right choice depends on which question the team is stuck on.
The Seven Templates
AIHR Template Collection
Five template types in one download: simple, nine-box, CEO, employee development and leadership development
The simple template records the role, the holder, the timeline, key competencies, candidates and a readiness rating
Downloads directly as a zip file from the article page
Best for: HR teams that want several formats to choose from in one place.
Limitation: Readiness is a single rating per candidate, so the reason a candidate is or is not ready is not recorded.
TalentGuard Succession Planning Template
TalentGuard Succession Planning Template.
Editable in Excel and Google Sheets
A main template plus five variations: emergency succession, skills gap analysis, employee development, candidate comparison and role profiles
Download requires a form with name, company, job title and email
Best for: Organisations that want an emergency succession variant alongside the main plan.
Limitation: The form asks for five required fields before the download.
OmniHR Succession Planning Template
OmniHR Succession Planning Template.
A role risk assessment that rates business impact, external time to fill and current bench strength
Successor mapping in three tiers, a readiness scale, a development planner and a skill gap tracker
Supplied as a CSV file, after a details prompt
Best for: Teams that want role risk and successor mapping in one file.
Limitation: A CSV file carries no dropdowns or formatting, so those have to be rebuilt in a spreadsheet.
Engagedly Succession Planning Template
Engagedly Succession Planning Template.
Ten columns on one sheet, from the position to plan for to the emergency contact
Readiness scored from 0 to 10, with four defined bands from not ready to could step in this quarter
Scores and review cadence are locked to dropdowns, so several managers can fill it in consistently
Best for: Managers preparing their own team before a calibration meeting.
Limitation: The page does not describe a step for deciding which roles are critical.
Three of the seven downloaded without a form in October 2026.
Lattice Succession Planning Template
Lattice Succession Planning Template.
A framework for identifying key roles and potential successors
A talent readiness matrix and space for development actions and timelines
Download requires a form
Best for: Organisations already evaluating Lattice as a people platform.
Limitation: It is a lead-generation asset for the Lattice platform, and no dedicated risk column is listed.
NHS Leadership Academy Critical Role Assessment
NHS Leadership Academy Critical Role Assessment.
A template for assessing how critical each role is, against criteria set by the organisation
Sits alongside guidance on approaches to succession planning and implementation
Published free as part of the NHS Talent Management Toolkit
Best for: Public sector teams, and anyone deciding which roles to plan for first.
Limitation: It covers criticality only; successors are planned in a separate template.
Talentient Succession Plan For Critical Roles
Talentient Succession Plan For Critical Roles.
Two or more successors per critical role, each scored on capability, credibility, team and client readiness, and growth in time
Flags each name as aligned, inflated or hidden by comparing the stated readiness with the scores
A coverage sheet shows which roles have no one genuinely ready now, and the download needs no sign-up
Best for: Talent leaders who need to test whether the ready-now names on an existing plan hold up.
Limitation: It was published in October 2026 and is Excel only, with no platform integration.
Which One To Choose
No agreed list of critical roles yet. Start with the NHS critical role assessment or the free Talentient critical role assessment
A plan exists, but every name is ready now. Use a template that scores readiness on defined evidence, such as Engagedly or Talentient
A sudden exit is the main worry. Use the TalentGuard emergency succession variant
Several formats are needed at once. Use the AIHR collection
A people platform is being chosen. The Lattice template shows how that platform frames succession
What Every Template Needs Added
Three practices decide whether a succession plan holds, whichever file it is kept in.
Define ready now before any name is discussed, such as able to take the role within 90 days on evidence
Name at least two successors for each critical role, because one name fails the first time that person leaves
Give every gap an owner outside HR and a date, and review the plan at each talent review
How to agree critical roles with the business is set out in succession planning for critical roles.
Where The Tools Sit
Talentient's template is a free version of a tool inside Trusted Talent Advisor, a seven-part practitioner system for HR and talent leaders who advise the business.
Sources
1. AIHR Template Collection, publisher page, accessed 28 October 2026: https://www.aihr.com/blog/succession-planning-template/
2. TalentGuard Succession Planning Template, publisher page, accessed 28 October 2026: https://www.talentguard.com/resource/succession-planning-template-a-free-editable-framework-plus-how-to-use-it
3. OmniHR Succession Planning Template, publisher page, accessed 28 October 2026: https://www.omnihr.co/templates-guides/succession-planning-template
4. Engagedly Succession Planning Template, publisher page, accessed 28 October 2026: https://engagedly.com/templates/succession-planning-template/
5. Lattice Succession Planning Template, publisher page, accessed 28 October 2026: https://lattice.com/templates/succession-planning-template
6. NHS Leadership Academy Critical Role Assessment, publisher page, accessed 28 October 2026: https://tmtoolkit.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/identifying-managing-and-retaining-talent/succession-planning/
7. Talentient Succession Plan For Critical Roles, publisher page, accessed 28 October 2026: https://talentient.com/blog/succession-plan-template
From the system
Trusted Talent Advisor sets out the full method: seven components, 51 tools, The Talent Template Pack and The Prompt Library.
See the system
Questions this answers
What is the best free succession planning template?
It depends on the gap. AIHR offers the widest set of formats, Engagedly the clearest readiness scale, and Talentient tests whether stated readiness matches the evidence.
Which succession planning templates need no sign-up?
As checked in October 2026, the AIHR collection, the NHS Leadership Academy templates and the Talentient template download without a form.
Is there a free succession planning template in Excel?
Yes. TalentGuard offers Excel and Google Sheets versions, and Talentient's template is an Excel file with dropdowns and formulas.
What should a succession planning template include?
Critical roles, at least two named successors per role, a defined readiness scale, the gap and development action for each successor, an owner and a review date.
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