The need to retain and accelerate high-potential employee talent

With average organisations seeing 19% of their high-potential employees (HIPO) leave in the past year, the need to engage effectively with this cohort and develop great strategies for acceleration and retention are key.  

According to recent Gartner research, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, HIPOs had a 7.2 times greater improvement in performance compared to non-HIPOs.

The value of experiential and exposure-based learning cannot be underestimated, and have been seen to be more effective than more traditional L&D methods such as group training sessions.  

From the research, the top 5 strategies to accelerate are:

• Special Projects (60%)
• Career Moves (57%)
• Job Rotations (45%)
• Executive Sponsorship (40%)
• Executive Coaching (38%)

Just 12% of the HR Leaders in this survey say that live, classroom-style training sessions are very effective in accelerating HIPO talent.

As we continue to focus on ways to retain teams in the face of the Great Resignation, developing strategies aimed at retaining high potential talent is also a key strategic HR priority, with promotions the method highest rated as being effective by HR leaders (57%).  Clearly promotion is not always an option for every single HIPO, and other strategies include providing exposure to senior leaders, providing development support such as coaching and mentoring and offering exclusive development opportunities such as high visibility projects (all at 55%), .   

Business leaders have a clear role to play in all of the above, however 64% of HR leaders noted that business leaders don't always clearly understand their role in the development and retention of HIPO talent.