Leveraging High-Potential Employees

As aging baby boomers retire from the senior ranks of corporate America, there are fewer potential leaders ready to take their places, creating a demand for tomorrow's leaders that is rapidly outpacing their supply. Between the smaller numbers of Generation X (born 1965-1977) and expectations of higher demands for recognition and promotion from Generation Y/Millennials (born 1978-1994), the retention of high-potential employees is a major concern to many organizations.

According to The Conference Board CEO Challenge, a global survey of more than 500 CEOs conducted annually over the last six years, talent-related issues have been one of the greatest concerns of top business leaders. Still, few organizations are effectively identifying and cultivating high-potentials.

High-potential employees tend to know their potential and will move on to another organization if they are not recognized, motivated, and challenged, while long-term employees often remain with their organizations without being encouraged to make new contributions. How can organizations identify and cultivate employees with the potential to be star performers? What attracts them to an organization and motivates them to commit to that organization for the long-term, and how can that commitment produce maximized results over the course of their careers?

The Conference Board® Research Working Group on Leveraging High-Potential Employees will bring together a group of executives, thought leaders, and specialists for a series of discussions and presentations that will explore the implications of developing high-potential employees. Working group members will define the critical skills needed for sustainable success within their industries, strategically linking human resources to organizational objectives. They will also explore methods to identify hidden talent across the career cycle.

Issues on the Table

A vital part of this working group will be the opportunity to participate in candid and confidential discussions about the challenges businesses face as they strive to identify and develop high-potential employees. These issues impact companies on the organizational, managerial, and cultural levels, raising potential questions including:

Organizational

• What does "high-potential" mean, and what does "potential" mean in various organizations? Is it possible to have one definition that cuts across industries?
• How does operating in the global economy and dealing with multiple cultures impact a company's development of high-potential employees?
• How can high-potentials impact a company's growth rate and competitive advantage? How do we measure and evaluate the ROI of an organization's high-potential initiatives?

Managerial

• Why is it important to differentiate between employees who display high performance as opposed to high potential and how do you do so?
• How can managers develop "high-potentials?" How can HR support managers in this work?
• What are the best practices, methods of assessment, and criteria for development of high-potentials?

Cultural

• What are the benefits and risks of informing employees of their high-potential status? What are the risks and benefits of not disclosing high-potential status?
• How do race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, country of origin, and generational differences impact the grooming and development of high-potentials?
• How can we marshal the talent and expertise of retirees and mature workers to develop high-potentials?
• How do you maintain morale among high-performance employees who are not selected as high-potentials?

Note: This Working Group is closed - Report Pending

Download Full Description (pdf)

For more information please contact:
Lynne Morton
lynne.morton@conference-board.org
(1) 917 673 7490

Matthew Dornfeld
matthew.dornfeld@conference-board.org
(1) 212 339 0497

Jeanne Shu
jeanne.shu@conference-board.org
1 212 339 0491