Recently in the HR field there has been a lot of talk about employees with high potential, the so-called high potentials. Everyone wants to attract and keep these employees, even though they often do not know exactly which employees they are. Employers also often do not realize that not every employee is a high potential and not every job requires a high potential employee.
Who is a high potential? Designsontalent.com explains that a high potential is an employee who has the potential to grow, advance in his career and lead bigger and more complex parts of the company. You can find the specific areas in which you need high potential employees the most when you answer the following questions:
- What areas are crucial for your business?
- In which areas can upward mobility be possible?
- In which areas of business are you missing talent?
4 tips for finding and managing high potentials
1. Start by clearly defining who your high potential employees are and in what roles. Focus on specific knowledge, skills and abilities. You have to know specifically who you are looking for and what role they will fulfill.
2. Set the recruitment process so as to include your definition of high potential employees. Ask yourself the following questions: Where can you find the best high potential candidates? How do you communicate with them? How do you motivate them to move to you? What assessment criteria should you use? How will you measure your hiring success?
3. Define what high potential means for your existing employees. What characterises your best people? What results do they achieve? How is this manifested in different roles at your company?
4. Focus on how to retain your high potential employees. You need to know what positions are essential for you and what qualities and skills are required. Target your training and motivation accordingly.
Do you know who the high potentials in your business are and how do you work with them?
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