Which employees have the highest potential? The answer isn't always obvious. Sometimes, these workers are early in their careers, and other times they're farther along. It's possible that a mid-career employee has the capacity to take on much greater responsibility and move into a leadership role. Likewise, a potentially great employee may be low-key, rather than always clamoring for a promotion.
In most cases, though, high-potential employees are younger workers who should be on the fast track but have escaped your notice. These workers could jump ship if you don't give them the chance to shine. Whatever their age, you first need to make a conscious, systematic effort to identify them.
Your instinct (and unconscious bias) might be to focus on employees who are outgoing, energetic and easy to like. While people skills are important, they might not be the most valuable attributes you're looking for, depending on the skills gaps you need to fill going forward. After all, an employee with a great future as a sales executive may have a very different personality and skill set than an accountant, engineer or product development specialist has. Also, be aware that a great personality may mask critical shortcomings.
Once you've looked at data points captured in performance reviews, watch for employees that:
These assessments tend to be subjective and, thus, potentially biased. So, when possible, consider supplementing them with objective skill and psychological testing tools and services. A quick internet search with terms such as "leadership assessment tools" and "employee personality profile test" will give you several options, should you decide to follow that path, including content on which tests are the most accurate and meaningful.
As you scout out the high-potential workers in your organization, you also need to develop a plan to keep them on board, productive and motivated. Whatever you do to select employees for high-potential treatment, be sure the steps you take to nurture them are justifiable. That may help minimize the appearance of unwarranted favoritism.
What does that treatment look like? In simplest terms, it means showing them that their potential for professional growth is high if they stick around, and that promotions may come sooner if they earn them.
In your assessment of individual potential, don't focus only on the positives. Even high potentials have shortcomings. The key is to craft a customized development program that will address both weaknesses and strengths.
Customization of your training efforts for employees with high potential will show them that they're being treated as individuals. To achieve their buy-in, incorporate these employees into decisions about the training program you plan to put in place for them.
On-the-job training, or learning by doing, often can motivate high potentials as much as formal training programs (except in highly technical areas). Rotating them around your organization with different kinds of jobs is a tried-and-true method not only of helping employees to gain new skills but also helping assess their potential.
Assigning a mentor to high potential employees can also be fruitful — assuming the mentor is enthusiastic about taking on that role. It's important to lay out clear expectations and provide some structure for a mentoring relationship to make the most of the process.
Picking high-potential employees and doing all that you realistically can do to support them isn't guaranteed to meet your goals. You might misjudge an employee's potential or judge it accurately and still lose the employee. But it's usually worth the effort, given the fact that a small number of employees typically have the greatest positive impact on an organization's success.
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