SHL
People Science. People Answers.
  • Solutions
    • Virtual
      • RemoteWorkQ
      • Coding Interview
      • Smart Interview Live
      • Smart Interview On Demand
      • Virtual Assessment & Development Centers
    • Talent Acquisition
      • Tech
      • Volume
      • Graduate
      • Professional
      • Manager
    • Talent Management
      • Leader Assessment & Development
      • High Potential
      • Succession Planning
      • Workforce Review
      • Mobilize
    • Services
      • Professional Services
      • Managed Services
      • Training Services
      • Integrated Solutions
  • Assessments
    • Assessments
      • Behavioral Assessments
      • Personality Assessments
      • Cognitive Ability Assessments
      • Job-Focused Assessments
    • Assessments Catalog
    • TalentCentral™
  • Resources
    • View by Type
      • Blogs
      • Podcasts
      • Webinars & Events
    • View by Topic
      • AI in Talent Assessment
      • Gender Diversity: Mind the Gap
      • The Promise of Gen Z
      • U.S. Programming Skills Report
      • Women in Leadership Report
  • Customers
    • Success Stories
    • Testimonials
    • ROI Calculators
  • Company
    • Careers
    • Leadership Team
    • Global Offices
    • Newsroom
    • Awards & Accolades
    • Channel Partners
  • Get Started
  • English
    • Deutsch
    • Français
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • 简体中文
  • Contact Us
  • Buy Online

Can we help you?   1-800-899-7451 (US)   0330 100 3435 (UK)

SHL Blog Our Insights on the 21st Century Workplace

  • View By Recent
  • View By Category
    • Assessment and Selection
    • Data and Analytics
    • Develop and Accelerate
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Life at SHL
    • Workforce Trends
  • View By Popular Topic
    • AI
    • HR Technology
    • Candidate Experience
    • Talent Strategy
    • Digitalization
    • Organizational Culture
    • Workplace Diversity
  • Subscribe
Leadership

The Myth of the New High Potential Employee in the Digital Era

We need to identify a different type of HIPO because digitalization requires a different kind of leader. Myth or reality?

February 28, 2019 Mark Van Buren Digitalization, High Potential, SHL High Potential, Talent Strategy

blog-people-at-window-IS001

We’ve heard a lot of talk recently about digitalization and the leaders of the future. The extent of digitalization today and its impact are unparalleled. According to a recent survey, 87% of business executives agree that digitalization is a priority for their company. And they expect its impact to grow: 67% of those same executives believe their organizations must become significantly more digitized to remain competitive.

The process of moving to digital business strategies, products, and services alters how organizations operate, how work gets done, and the contexts in which employees do their jobs. To succeed, these organizations must attract, hire, develop, and retain the talent they need to meet their strategic objectives.

87% of business executives agree that digitalization is a priority for their company.

In their quest to secure the “right” talent for this digital era, many organizations are starting with their most critical talent, the employees with the greatest potential to lead them forward into the future. Unfortunately, their high potential (“HIPO”) strategy could be grounded in some false assumptions.

Here’s how this myth goes:  We need to identify and develop a different type of HIPO because digitalization requires a different kind of leader. Given the uncertainty of future leadership roles, we need HIPOs who are agile, possess unique, “digital” skills and who are likely to perform in any leadership role.

A closer look at the reality doesn’t support this argument. Let’s view this through the lens of SHL’s three-part model of high potential which defines successful HIPOs by their ability, aspiration, and engagement.

In our previous blog on digital talent, we dispensed with the idea that agility is the key ability to unlocking the performance of digital talent.  This applies to leaders as well. The core competencies of successful leaders have not fundamentally changed. More important is their effectiveness at applying existing competencies to new digital contexts, especially competencies like creativity and innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, and initiative.

SHL Model of High Potential based on research by SHL and Gartner
SHL Model of High Potential based on research by SHL and Gartner

What about aspiration and engagement? Does digitalization change their importance or how they work? Actually, no. SHL research finds that no matter the work environment or context, the most successful HIPOs demonstrate the same aspiration and engagement to perform in future leadership roles.

What should change is how your organization prepares its future leaders.  With greater uncertainty, HIPO development becomes a journey taken one step at a time. Organizations should look ahead to each HIPO’s next role, focus on defining the specific challenges of the digital context associated with that role, and then provide development experiences that build their readiness for those challenges.

In short, to ensure your high potential employees are well prepared to become the digital leaders of the future, transform how you develop them not how you define them.

Find out how we can help you uncover your future leaders with our High Potential Identification and Development solution.

Share

Author

Mark Van Buren

Mark Van Buren

Dr. Mark E. Van Buren is a Research Leader in the Research & Development group for SHL. With a background of more than 25 years research experience on talent management practices, he currently oversees teams engaged in a wide range of R&D projects exploring innovative analytical approaches and new sources of data to predict key talent outcomes. Prior to joining SHL, he led several best practice research divisions at Gartner and served as Director of Research at the American Society for Training and Development.
Singing From the Same Hymnal: 5 Tips Toward an Effective Competency Model Brexit: Deal or No Deal, Change Is Coming to Your Talent Strategy

Related Posts

blog-blurred-people-UN001

Leadership

Talent Mobility Has Become Essential in 2021

How the power of context can help your leaders become more agile in a world that is constantly changing.

blog-fiber-optics-PI004

Leadership

Over the Crisis: Designing the Post-Pandemic World

In a joint event with ENEL and HBR Italia, SHL discussed the impact and new way of managing organizations in the post-pandemic world.

blog-andy-diversity-is-nothing-without-inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion

Insights by Andy: Diversity Is Nothing without Inclusion

How to keep the passion for justice and equity alive in your business through a talent strategy that includes diversity and inclusion milestones.

Recent Stories

  • How to Improve Internal Mobility Using Contextual Challenges

    How to Improve Internal Mobility Using Contextual Challenges

    4 days ago
  • 7 Best Tips on How to Attract Top Tech Talent

    7 Best Tips on How to Attract Top Tech Talent

    5 days ago
  • How to Keep Your Customers at the Center of Innovation

    How to Keep Your Customers at the Center of Innovation

    6 days ago

Related Stories

How Will Your Organization Be Remembered after the Current Crisis?
What Do Agility, Diversity, and Digitalization All Have in Common?
Finding the Right Leaders for the COVID-19 Pandemic Environment

© 2021 SHL and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Follow SHL

LinkedIn Twitter Facebook YouTube Instagram

Keep Up with Our Blog Follow SHL on social media to find out when a new article has been shared.