If you find value in content like this, sign up for my Talent Edge Weekly newsletter.
Many organizations conduct a talent review process—where one goal is to accurately identify (and develop) employees with the greatest potential to move into more complex and larger roles. However, accurately assessing potential is not easy. This new study challenges the conventional approach, which often relies on universal measures of potential and focuses on vertical advancement. The research finds that context-specific methods are more effective, as each organization has a unique success profile shaped by industry, strategy, and culture. Also, viewing potential through a framework for lateral moves (not just upward moves) not only improves opportunities for employees but also helps organizations with their talent management. The study underscores the need for organizations to develop internal models of potential aligned with their values and business context. While you will need an account to download the research paper, here is a podcast episode that summarizes the article. Thank you to John Golden, Ph.D, one of the paper’s authors and VP of Talent, Development, & Organizational Enablement at T-Mobile, for providing the podcast summary link. As a bonus, I am resharing my HiPo identification playlist with five additional resources.
