Solving the High Potential Challenge | Korn Ferry

With the current skills shortage and emphasis on “Building” talent, most organizations see the value in identifying and developing high-potential (HiPo) talent within their firms. To realize this value, two things must happen. 1) accurate identification of HiPos 2) intentional development of HiPos so that their readiness to assume expanded work is accelerated. According to this ebook by Korn Ferry, only 14% of organizations surveyed feel very confident that the right people have been selected for their programs and only 11% are very satisfied with their return on development investment. This ebook focuses on issue #2 (development) and how to avoid some of the pitfalls. One potential pitfall I see is that there is sometimes a disproportionate emphasis on developing a HiPo for a very specific role. With roles and business models changing so quickly in today’s environment, it is increasingly important to develop HiPos in skill areas that enable them to successfully meet broader leadership challenges associated with the future of work, regardless of the role they might assume. Integrating this broader, role-agnostic component into role-specific development efforts could enable greater ROI.