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The Pearls and Perils of Identifying Potential

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2015

Rob Silzer  and
Allan H. Church
Rob Silzer*
Affiliation:
HR Assessment & Development and Baruch College/CUNY
Allan H. Church
Affiliation:
PepsiCo
*
E-mail: [email protected], Address: HR Assessment & Development and Baruch College/CUNY, 14 West 11th Street, New York, NY, 10011
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Abstract

Organizations today are increasingly focused on talent as a strategic asset and a competitive advantage for achieving business success. As a result, most major organizations have recognized the need for and outlined a formal process to identify and assess high-potential talent. There is, however, little agreement within or between organizations on the definition and components of the concept of potential. The existing definitions and models of potential are often narrowly focused on only a few select factors and give little attention to the broad spectrum of potential talent in an organization. This article introduces a new integrated model of potential that incorporates previous literature and current assessment practice regarding high potentials, provides a coherent structure of potential, and is reflective of a variety of different talent pools. The model provides a useful method for answering the key question—Potential for what? Three key components of potential are described by the model: (a) foundational dimensions, (b) growth dimensions, and (c) career dimensions. Implications for assisting organizations in more effectively managing their high potential talent for strategic business objectives are discussed.

Type
Focal Article
Information
Industrial and Organizational Psychology , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , December 2009 , pp. 377 - 412
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2009 

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