Who Are These People?

Corporate leaders typically look to the top-rated 3 percent to 5 percent of their employees as candidates for fast-tracking. Writing in the June 2010 Harvard Business Review, researchers Jay Conger, Douglas Ready and Linda Hill describe high-potentials as individuals who “consistently and significantly outperform their peer groups in a variety of settings and circumstances. … They exhibit behaviors that reflect their companies’ culture and values in an exemplary manner. Moreover, they show a strong capacity to grow and succeed throughout their careers within an organization—more quickly and effectively than their peer groups do.”

In an August, 2011 article in HR magazine, Robert Grossman cites 14 retention strategies (below). In our experience, many of these strategies are less effective when administered internally/implemented without outside guidance.

Hippotential is one of those outside guides who work with employers to nurture their high potentials and move them from potential to performance!

1. Tell them they’re special.
2. Align individual and company needs during a consultative process.
3. Delegate real responsibility.
4. Be flexible.
5. Show them they matter.
6. Tap effective mentors.
7. Foster visibility.
8. Make learning and advancement seem never-ending.
9. Focus on developing the attributes leaders are bound to need.
10. Give managers assessment tools they need and will use for selection.
11. Use a systems approach.
12. Put assessment to the transparency test.
13. Part on friendly terms.
14. Get buy-in from top leaders.