Best Practices in Developing High-Potential Employees

A 2010 Corporate Executive Board survey reports that one in four of your high-potential employees may be about to walk out the door. That’s a pretty large number, considering the current job climate. With fairly high unemployment rates, finding a new job can be a gamble – but it’s a gamble one in four high-potential employees appear poised to take.

There are no foolproof ways to develop your high-potential employees so that you can realize their potential (and prevent them from walking out the door). However, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to evaluate how effectively you are helping your high-potential employees realize their potential.

1. Do you know who your high-potential employees are?
You may think you know who these team members are, but do you? If your company does not have a strategy for identifying employees with potential, it may be time to develop one.

2. Do these employees feel challenged (but not overwhelmed)?
If your high-potential employee is bored at work, that’s not a good sign. You want all employees to be engaged, of course, but a non-engaged, high-potential employee is probably one that is thinking about leaving. Ensuring your high-potential employee has good, stimulating challenges as part of their work can help him or her feel satisfied with their job. On the other hand, you don’t want your employee to feel overwhelmed, so be careful to find the right balance.

3. Do these employees feel they are making a contribution?
And do they like the contribution they are making? Along with engagement and challenge, employees will feel satisfied if they feel like they’re making a positive contribution of some kind. A satisfied employee is often also a happy employee.

4. Do they feel listened to and respected?
All employees want to feel that you’re listening to them and that you respect them. This also helps with job satisfaction, but it’s a crucial part of best practices in high-potential employee development. Showing employees that you value the work they do and support their ideas and initiative can also help them feel they are making a contribution.

5. Do you have a vision of where they could be – and how to help them get there?
Okay, you’ve identified someone as “high-potential,” but what does that mean? Where do you think she or he could be in the company in two, five, or ten years? To really develop a high-potential employee effectively, you need to have some idea of where you think their potential could best be used. You may also want to talk with your superiors about this to let them know about your team member and get their ideas on how to best develop your employee. Additionally, talk to the employee directly to learn about their own professional goals and interests. You may think you know where they should be, but if you don’t know what they want out of their career, you may get nowhere.

6. Do they know about their potential?
The point here is that communication is key. If your employee feels valued, respected, and supported, they probably feel like you think highly of them. But that doesn’t mean they know that you think they have potential – and don’t be afraid to tell them. It may be just the boost they need to keep working hard and progress toward realizing that potential.

7. How do you help them realize their potential?
As the manager of a high-potential employee, think about the role you play in their career development. This includes talking to your superiors or the leadership team about this employee, so that they know who to watch for and keep in mind as opportunities open – or helping your employee develop networking contacts within the company or industry.