Identifying and developing talented employees is a human resource strategy that can help companies achieve business success. However, with the multitude of theories and techniques currently being used by practitioners and academics, how do you know the best way to identify talent in your organization? Researchers (Silzer & Church, 2009) introduce a new integrated model of potential that includes theories from previous literature and trends from current practices regarding high potential employees which can be applied to a variety of settings and talent pools.
NEW RESEARCH MODEL
Trends in talent management are shifting from using short-term strategies for selecting employees for positions here and now, to hiring employees who will grow with the organization and eventually become successful in a higher-level organizational role. The authors explain that there are generally two types of potential assessed within organizations—the stable traits and competencies that a person already has, and the ability a person has to develop and learn new competencies. The authors note that within these two broad categories are three components of potential that should be considered in any talent management strategy: foundational dimensions, growth dimensions, and career dimensions.
(1) Foundational dimensions refer to stable competencies that people have throughout their adult careers. They include cognitive ability, personality characteristics, and interpersonal abilities. (2) Growth dimensions are components that facilitate or obstruct a person’s growth and development. These may include adaptability, flexibility and motivation. These traits may be fairly stable across situations, but if a person has the opportunity to learn more about a particular area of interest in a supportive environment, these components can become stronger. (3) Finally, career dimensions are early indicators of potential for a specific career area. These will be specific to different careers but may include supervisory skill (indicating potential in a management role) or design and implementation skills (indicating potential in project management).
SELECTED COMMENTARIES
The commentaries that the original received expanded upon their model for identifying potential. The first commentary (Robinson et al., 2009) addressed an issue that many organizations face: what is the difference between performance and potential? They suggest a model of potential in which performance is only one aspect. The first criterion in their model is for employees to exhibit behavior consistent with the organization’s culture and values. Second, employees must consistently exceed performance expectations. The third stage in the model is for employee’s behavior to align with high potential indicators. Finally, an employee should demonstrate a thirst for self-development and be resilient to adversity.
Another commentary (Dalal & Nolan, 2009) offered an intriguing perspective on identifying potential: using “dark side” personality characteristics to identify potential failure. They argue that the majority of managers derail before they have the chance to reach their full potential. Achieving employee potential thus depends on the presence of the positive indicators of potential and the absence of the negative characteristics associated with derailment, including arrogance, mischievousness, and rigidity.
THE BOTTOM LINE FOR ORGANIZATIONS
So, how should organizations assess potential in their employees? The authors of the focal piece believe that building behavioral models of the skills, knowledge, and experiences needed at various stages of specific career paths may be beneficial. These models should include foundational, growth, and career dimensions. Organizations should keep in mind that many signs of potential might be hidden because of the context and situation. Employees who are in ill-fitting positions should be moved to different jobs (with more interesting tasks and challenges and supervisory support) before conclusions are made about potential. Finally, leaders may consider assessing signs of derailment in their employees as part of their strategy for identifying potential.
Silzer, R., & Church, A. H. (2009). The pearls and perils of identifying potential. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 2, 377–412.
Commentaries: (1) Dalal, D.K. & Nolan, K.P. (2009). Using Dark Side Personality Traits to Identify Potential Failure Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 2, 434-436. (2) Robinson, C., Fetters, R. Riester, D. & Bracco, A. (2009). The Paradox of Potential: A Suggestion for Guiding Talent Management Discussions in Organizations. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 2, 413-415.
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