Identifying
High Potential
Building Your Future Talent Pipeline
At The Talent Enterprise, we define high potential leaders as those who have the capacity, mindset and drive to exponentially contribute to the success of their organisation.
They are ‘force multipliers’ raising the bar for others and particularly for their direct reports and teams.
Separating Fact from Fiction.
Some Truths and Myths About High Potentials
Past performance is not always an indicator of future potential.
Research by The Talent Enterprise establishes that only 4 of every 10 high performers are also high potential.
Hence, organisation’s should refrain from using performance ratings or manager recommendations as part of any talent identification process.
Conversations around ready now, ready in 1-2 years may not be the best talent strategy.
While high potential talent may be driven to advance their own career, they always put the needs of the organisation’s before their own.
An overemphasis on their individual readiness and career growth without clarity on how they would achieve organisational growth is inconsistent and incomplete.
Most people focussed organisation’s should already know who their Hi-Po’s are.
Organisation’s with robust people and talent processes should already know who their current high potentials are. Your current high potentials will be vocal and visible.
The key objective of any good high potential program is to identify the “Shy-Po’s” – those hidden and under-represented pools of talent who may be less visible.
Define Your Purpose.
Clearly Articulate the Objectives and Outcomes from Any Talent Identification Process
Potential
The very definition of potential helps us appreciate that assessing human behaviour is complex, especially when we are seeking to identify future talent.
It requires a multi-faceted approach to identifying potential. It is absolutely critical to ensure that the assessment criteria and program objectives are clearly articulated before starting any talent assessment project.
- What kind of potential are you looking to identify? Define your purpose, objectives and outcomes.
- Potential to be effective in a specific role?
- Potential to be effective in a particular function?
- Potential to be effective at a particular level?
- Potential to take up future leadership roles?
- Potential to move up the organisational hierarchy in an accelerated timeframe?
- Potential to manage complexity and lead transformations?
- Potential to execute and deploy based on organisational priorities?
The Four Critical Dimensions of Assessing High Potentials.
Based on research by The Talent Enterprise, assessment of future potential is complex and multi-faceted, and requires a multi-modal approach to ensure that the process is objective, robust and future-proofed.
The Talent Enterprise’s proprietary approach to assessing high potential talent includes four crucial dimensions.
High potential talent demonstrate cognitive ability and learning agility to meet future business demands and lead growth acceleration in a high complexity, high volatility environment.
High potential talent need to develop themselves, with a willingness to make career compromises and career decisions which are in the best interest of the organisation.
High potential talent need to consistently role model the right values and behaviours which positively shape organisational culture and raise the bar for others.
High potential talent need to demonstrate long term commitment to the organisation and create a shared vision amongst others.
Representative Tools Used in Assessing High Potentials.
Tools may vary based on level of seniority, project purpose as well as client requirements.
Cognition
AGILE Level 1, AGILE Level 2 or Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory Cognitive ability and learning agility such as numerical fluency, reasoning, data interpretation etc.
Behaviour
The Thriving Index® Critical behaviours, strengths and personality across 34 factors mapped to your competencies
Commitment
The Alignment Perspective Index® Individual commitment to the organisation across 7 dimensions
Aspiration
The Work Perspective Index® Understanding career history, future career aspirations and work motivation across 10 dimensions
All
Virtual Learning Centres Immersive Virtual Learning Centres to assess overall potential using work simulations, situational judgment tests, case studies, role plays and in-depth interviews
Our Research on Critical Strengths and Behaviours Demonstrated by High Potential Leaders.
Analysing data of over 18,000 managers and leaders, representing a workforce of over 284,000 employees,
The Talent Enterprise has identified critical individual behaviours strengths, and attributes that predict high potential leaders and high performing teams.
4X
higher levels of Accountability than others.
22%
greater Resilience in dealing with setbacks and challenges.
37%
higher Efficacy and a Sense of Agency to get things done.
High Potential
Leaders Step Up.
- Demonstrate 4 times* higher levels of accountability than others
- Have 37%* higher efficacy and a personal sense of agency to get things done
- Demonstrate more agility than the rest (54%* compared to 39%).
- Differ from others by 23%* in having a growth mindset, which is one of the highest predictors of high potentials
- Have 25%* more empathy, another critical predictor for future leaders
- They also showcase higher sense of collaboration than others (75%* versus 60%)
High Potential Leaders Focus On Others.
High Potential Leaders Are Resilient.
- Have 22%* greater resilience in dealing with setbacks and challenges compared to the rest
- Showcase 18%* more optimism than others
- Demonstrate 26%* higher comfort with ambiguity
- Have significantly higher purpose at 91%*
- Are driven by a sense of right and wrong, i.e. congruence (79%* versus 64%), one of the most critical predictors of high potential talent
- Believe that their personal values should align with their organisation (90%* versus 79%)
High Potential Leaders Are Purpose Driven.
High Potential Leaders Are Committed.
- Showcase a high level of energy at 87%*
- Are willing to go about and beyond their day to day job, i.e. contribution at 87%*
- Demonstrate a higher level of perspective (71%* versus 57%)
