Having a succession plan with a pipeline full of capable, talented employees is critical for the long-term success of most organizations. One way many organizations opt to achieve this goal is through recruiting and grooming high potential (HIPO) employees. These employees are generally deemed to have the necessary skills not only to do the job they’re hired for but also to advance quickly within the organization and eventually take on ever-increasing responsibility—a critical part of succession planning.
Do you look for HIPO employees in your recruiting? Perhaps you even have a designated talent development program to groom these employees for the future. Either way, here are some tips for recruiting and utilizing HIPOs.
Tips for Recruiting and Developing HIPO Employees
Before you consider recruiting HIPO employees, first you must define what it would mean for your organization and what your goals are for such employees. Are you looking to fast-track these employees up the career ladder? Are you looking to groom them for specific executive roles to fill your succession planning? Or, are you simply looking to increase your overall talent base and have no specific plans that separate these employees from any other? Knowing your goals up front can make a big difference in how you recruit—and who will apply. It will also make a difference in the qualities you look for in your new recruits. Here are more tips to get you started.
- Determine what characteristics are important for these HIPOs. Some examples include ability to learn quickly, desire to advance in the organization, problem-solving skills, leadership abilities, and motivation to succeed.
- Assess whether you will recruit internally, externally, or both. This is an important question, as it will shape both internal and external communications. Even if you decide to only recruit externally, you’ll want to communicate to current employees how they can be involved and how they can apply.
- Think long-term. A HIPO development program has the ability to help the organization long-term, not just for current needs. Be sure to consider this when evaluating what experience and education are required for these roles. It may pay to expand your search.
- Assess how your HIPO program fits with your existing programs and processes. There are quite a few that could be affected, such as:
- Succession planning;
- Performance appraisals;
- Employee development programs;
- Mentoring programs; and
- Training and/or cross-training programs.
- Depending on what your plan is for these employees, set up the processes necessary to get them the job experience they need to fulfill their potential. For example, if the goal of recruiting high potential employees is to groom individuals for executive roles, they will need broad experience across multiple departments and divisions. They will need high-profile work and access to upper levels of management. They may need additional training opportunities. If there aren’t already processes in place within your organization to ensure these things happen, you may need to create these processes and determine how they will be implemented in practice.
- Plan your communications about recruiting and about the HIPO program. You’ll need communications for both the high potential employees and for the entire organization. The last thing you want to do is de-motivate employees who are not deemed “high potential,” since this could obviously be counter-productive! Bear in mind that some organizations opt to not communicate about their HIPO program. They instead select HIPO employees and groom them for advancement without making announcements, reducing their risk of rocking the boat. This can be an effective option, but only if you plan carefully.
- With all of these potentially big organizational changes, it’s paramount to ensure that upper-level management and executives are on board. They need to agree with the premise of the program and its implementation, and they must be involved with the HIPO employees too. They should have a lot of input every step of the way.