As many as 79% of organisations have no assessment processes or tools in place to identify employee potential that could help shape the future of their business, according to a new survey. At the same time, more than three-quarters (81%) agree that developing potential is ‘fairly’ or ‘extremely’ important.
Looking at the issue from the employee perspective, the survey by HR Consultancy, Penna, also found that 71% of workers were more likely to stay with an organisation that recognised their potential. The company estimates that almost a quarter (23%) of talent has quit in the last year because an organisation has turned a blind eye to their potential.
Understanding that you have a problem is one thing, but addressing it may require a change in perspective. Forward-thinking organisations are now looking at the value of assessing staff competencies based on personality both at the selection stage and as part of their employees’ on-going personal development. By identifying an individual’s potential from a personality perspective, it’s possible to go beyond the experience on their CVs to understand which other skills and behaviours come naturally to them, even if they’re not currently putting them into practice.
By assessing an individual’s personality characteristics you can identify not only who is suitable for an existing role but who, for example, has the strategic awareness or leadership potential to succeed in future. You can also pinpoint which employees are likely to be able to devise creative solutions, or manage a project well – skills that could easily be transferred across the organisation.
Given recent findings by the CIPD suggesting that over three-quarters (78%) of organisations experienced recruitment difficulties in the last year, staff development is the ultimate win-win strategy. Investing in an existing team and focusing on developing and promoting talent trumps over-reliance on recruiting new staff on many fronts. Not only do organisations benefit from the immediate cost-savings associated with harvesting their talent, they gain from increased staff morale and commitment, which ultimately help drive performance.
Get in touch at info@psychological-consultancy.com or call 01892 559540 to speak with one of our psychologists about how to assess employee competencies.