Differentiating Between High Potential and High Performer

It may come as a shock to employers, but star employees don’t always equal a great deal of potential. In fact, many high performing individuals simply don’t have the capacity to handle high-stress, leadership roles. What’s more, these individuals may burnout once they are promoted. In turn, companies that invest in the wrong people find it difficult to reduce employee turnover.

Of course, highly motivated staff are a boon to any business. And, high performance does not imply low potential – far from it. Some of the hardest working people have the highest degree of potential.

With that in mind, identifying individuals with high potential is crucial for growth. Not only are talented employees more productive, but they raise the bar for the rest of the team. In the same way that a bad hire slows a team down, these individuals actually improve the performance of their colleagues. As such, companies benefit from hiring the right fit in many ways.

Past Performance

People often lie on resumes, and references aren’t always reliable sources. With that being said, many resumes convey an accurate depiction of an individual’s history; he or she may have truly excelled in their previous role.

Sadly, previous performance won’t indicate how much potential a candidate has for a position in a new workplace or in a new role. For one, promoting a high performing employee to a leadership role may prove extremely problematic. An individual may have excelled in a previous role, but ultimately doesn’t possess the skills necessary to lead. As such, the team won’t feel inspired, and top performers won’t reach their potential.

While this is especially true for leadership positions, it may even be the case for relatively similar roles. What’s more, each company has a unique standard of excellence, and each team has its own chemistry. Finding the ideal candidate requires a much deeper understanding of an individual’s workplace aptitude.

Assessment Benchmark

A pre-employment assessment allows an employer to see how a person’s personality traits will affect their performance. A psychometric assessment measures mental and behavioural characteristics against a specific benchmark, which illustrates exactly what a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses are. What’s more, a Prevue Job-Fit report displays these results in both visual and written formats. As a result, employers have access to clear and thorough insights right that are right at their fingertips.
Many employers find themselves wondering how they didn’t realize that an individual wouldn’t be a good fit; however, past performance and first impressions can fool almost anyone. People are subject to biases, and therefore performing a career personality test ensures that these won’t affect a critical choice.