5 Ways Companies Lose or Damage High Potential Employees and How to Fix It
In my career, I’ve seen this happen more than once and it’s painful to watch.
I would painstakingly go through resumes and applications, looking for the best of the best, and then feel that giddy joy when I found a high potential candidate. It was not a frequent occurrence and exhilarating when it happened – for me and the manager who is bringing on the employee! HR Managers can surely attest to that moment in the interview when you know you’ve found “the one.” You get them on board. Do a fantastic orientation. Tell them how wonderful the company is and pass them on to their manager.
A couple months later, the manager says there are problems and there you are, stuck between a rock and a hard place. The employee was clearly the perfect candidate, the references raved about them, and you can see yourself that their work is top notch. If you know anything about the cost of turnover, just thinking about this makes your stomach hurt.
Here is where I’ve seen the train derail and what you can do to fix it:
1. The manager fails to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate and other team members to determine who is best for what tasks.
It is all too common to simply look at the company’s job description and send the person off without any consideration as to what they may or may not be good at. After all, that’s the job and they need to do it, right? Wrong. Job descriptions are fluid objects. The addition of a new team member is the perfect time to review all of the job descriptions in a department or a company, depending on size, and discuss strengths and weaknesses among the employees.
The goal here is to increase efficiency by giving people what they are good at and increase employee happiness and loyalty in the process.
2. The company fails to develop the employee.
I’m not sure why investing in someone is so difficult. Think about the incredible value you come back with after a conference or a course or even a webinar. That energy, new information, the ability to contribute in a whole new way… It’s invaluable.
The positive impact on the bottom line could be thousands of dollars. It’s the same in online business…people struggle to invest in something that could same them thousands or even millions of dollars down the road and increase their quality of life. It’s a real head shaker. Just do it!
3. The manager is intimidated by the high potential and works to diminish their work and reputation.
This is more common than you think. I’ve had it happen to me and I’ve seen it happen to others. It is soul crushing for the employee and a real detriment to the company that allows it to happen.
My advice here is to quit the age-old practice of believing everything your managers tell you. I know that’s a tough one because trust is critical in business. But it can also be a detriment if trust is given blindly. Pay attention to what you see and hear. Do you see that manager degrading people and making snarky commentary often? Is there ALWAYS something wrong with the employee in question or their work according to that manager? Does that manager have a ridiculously high turnover rate in their department? Is it always someone else’s fault with that particular manager? Do you get an uneasy feeling that you may be getting bs’d by that manager? Your instincts are good. Follow them closely.