Detecting high potentials in business: effective methods and mistakes to avoid

Identifying high potentials within a company is essential to detect future leaders who can positively impact the success of the organization, while understanding that their profile is often different from that of other successful employees. These people, often referred to as “HiPo”, stand out for their ability to evolve into leadership positions, going beyond simple current skills. They often show signs of above-average intelligence and ambition, which are decisive factors for a large company.

Characteristics of high potentials include remarkable adaptability, effective pressure management, a strong ability to learn, and a focus on achieving ambitious results. They also have strategic thinking, keen self-awareness, and behavioral skills advances like problem solving and emotional intelligence, preparing them for leadership roles.

We will then discuss the methods to identify these individuals and the pitfalls to avoid, in order to strengthen the potential of your team and to ensure the success of your business.

1 - Effective methods for identifying high potentials

1.1 - Use of performance evaluations

Identifying high potentials requires a careful evaluation of their past and current performance. This involves examining their ability to excel in specific areas and to achieve pre-established goals. Past results and performances are particularly revealing, as they provide an accurate view of competencies and skills of the employee. The annual interview also plays a key role in allowing for a thorough discussion of these results.

It is important that these performance reviews are well-structured and cover a variety of aspects, including the quality of work, project management, strategic decisions, as well as the ability to overcome challenges and manage stress.

With this analysis, HR managers can identify employees who show consistent performance and have the potential to evolve into more complex functions.

1.2 - The importance of 360-degree feedback

360-degree reviews are another key technique for identifying high potentials by getting opinions from multiple angles on each person, ensuring a more nuanced assessment. They compile the opinions of various evaluators, including superiors, colleagues, and subordinates, and even include a self-assessment. This method offers a global and nuanced perspective on the individual, taking into account their skills, behavior, and interactions within the team.

Particularly valuable for evaluating relational skills such as communication, collaboration, collaboration, empathy, and influence, 360-degree feedback also makes it possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the employee, thus facilitating the implementation of personalized development plans.

In addition, the People Reviews, which are regular qualitative evaluations conducted by HR teams and managers, make it possible to monitor the evolution of talent over the long term and to further refine the identification of high potentials.

1.3 - Assessment Centers

Les Assessment Centers are a particularly effective assessment method for measuring the skills and potential of employees. They employ a variety of techniques, including professional simulations, group exercises, presentations, and psychometric tests, to observe candidate behavior in situations that mimic the real work environment.

These centers assess a wide range of competencies, such as social skills, leadership, leadership, planning, planning, management, management, analysis, problem solving, conflict management, assertiveness, and communication skills, in order to simulate the real challenges that candidates will encounter in the professional world. With their high predictive validity, Assessment Centers are essential for identifying future leaders (managers and leaders), often in addition to other methods for a complete and reliable assessment.

Exactly, discover Yuzu, a Digital Assessment Center specialized in the evaluation of soft skills (the famous soft skills) designed after several years of R&D with researchers in Psychology and Neuroscience.

With the method Yuzu, talents are immersed in Situations developed with the latest technologies of Video game.

The evaluations, on the other hand, are accessible to all profiles thanks to simplified orders and cloud technologies (all you need is a computer and an internet connection to be evaluated).

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The advantages of our solution:

• One candidate experience exceptional to boost your employer brand ;
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2 - Common mistakes to avoid in detecting high potentials

2.1 - Confusing high potentials with high-level performances

A common mistake is to confuse high potentials, those people with exceptional intellectual capacity and strategic vision, with employees who simply perform at a high level. It is important to get a clear idea of the differences between these profiles in order to better assess them. High performance, although indicative, is only one criterion among others and does not in itself define high potential.

High potentials, for example, are characterized by a unique combination of skills, cognitive and emotional abilities, and personality traits. It is difficult toassess this potential, as it is critical to look beyond immediate results and to understand the ability to learn, adapt, and take on future leadership roles. High potentials not only shine in their current role but also have a thirst for learning and challenging themselves that allows them to rise and take on more complex responsibilities and a wider range of operations within the company.

2.2 - Neglecting the diversity of talents

Another common mistake is to overlook talent diversity and limit yourself to a single form of high potential. However, there are many forms of potential. In addition, taking into account only individuals who fit a pre-determined model can make you miss out on exceptional people with more atypical but equally relevant profiles.

A thorough analysis of the potential of these talents is needed, recognizing that each high potential has its own strengths and weaknesses, requiring personalized development advice to respond to these diversities.

2.3 - Lack of post-identification follow-up

The lack of follow-up and support after identifying high potentials is a critical point.

Once identified, these individuals require a work and development environment that is conducive to their growth and the realization of their potential. This includes regular communication with their manager, training and mentoring opportunities, and constructive feedback. Failure to follow up can lead to isolation, frustration, and exhaustion, giving high-potentials the impression that there is a disconnect between expectations and company resources. Maintaining active engagement and ongoing support is vital to ensure the integration and valorization of these talents within the organization.

To remember

Identifying high potentials within a company is a major challenge, but it is essential to ensure its future success. Having the right information and understanding the right indicators can have a decisive effect on the success of this approach. It is essential to differentiate high potentials from high-performing employees, focusing on their ability to learn, adapt, and take on leadership roles. Tools such as performance reviews, 360-degree feedback, and assessment centers are particularly effective in getting a true picture of everyone's abilities and potential.

It is just as important to avoid some common mistakes, such as the confusion between high potential and high performance, forgetting the diversity of talents, or the lack of follow-up after identifying talent.

By adopting these methods and avoiding these pitfalls, businesses can foster an environment that nurtures talent development and supports long-term growth. We therefore encourage managers and human resources professionals to develop and implement strategies dedicated to the detection and development of high potentials.

By investing in these individuals, you are not only strengthening their potential and that of your organization as a whole. Taking action now to identify and support your high potentials is a strategic approach that will prove successful in the long term.