Sunstone’s

High Potential
Program
What is a hi-po program?
• Identifies employees who are high-potential,
based on our unique definition of
potential and purposefully selected
assessments.
• Provides hi-pos with development
opportunities to develop employees for
future roles within the organization.
• Differs from succession planning but does
inform and act as a funnel for it.
 • Creates equitable development
opportunities
• Improves retention rate for high
performers’
• Prevents a homogenous talent
pipeline, leading to a diverse
leadership team
• Informs succession planning

Having a high • Reduces personal bias/favouritism

potential
program:
Define High Potential
All high-potentials are
high-performers, but not
all high-performers are
high-potentials.
Performance Potential
measures the determines the
employee’s ability to employee’s ability
deliver in their current to take on greater
role. responsibilities.

High-performers

Hi-po
Hi-po

It is possible for an employee to be a high-performer but not have the

potential to move into more senior and/or leadership roles.
 e

As
fin

se
s
De

High-

s
Potential
Program 1. Define High- 2. Select
Potential Assessment
Methods
Develo
p

4. Plan to Support
3. Outline High- and Implement
Potential the Program
Development

Recommended Approach to create

an impactful hi-po program
1. Define High Potential - Structure
The high-
potential
Hi-Po
Hi-PO for What? definition Definition

Future Leadership role/Individual contributor Role?

has two
parts:

Hi Po Components?

Growth competencies: The competencies that are needed to be successful in the future. Hi-po
employees have the potential to develop and exhibit these competencies soon.

Foundational traits: The foundational traits (aspirations, personality, behaviors, etc.) that are needed
for an employee to be categorized as hi-po.

Performance: The performance level that is defined as table stakes for an employee to be a hi-po (e.g.
needs to be rated exceptional for the past two performance cycles).
Sunstone’s hi-po definition
Existing active employees who have high potential to build Questions to ask ?
future success for the organization in a leadership position.
Hi-Po
Definition • Are we only looking at high-
Growth competency: potentials for certain types
Learning agility: Employee continuously seeks opportunities to of roles,?
learn, displays curiosity, demonstrates an ability to operate in • What problem would this
uncertainty, questions the applicability of past approaches in the program solve?
current environment, owns their growth, and persists when faced • What does high
with obstacles. performance look like?
Foundational traits:
• What are the competencies
• Aspiration: Employee has a high desire to grow into more challenging that we need for the future
roles and take on more work. and are looking to develop
• Engagement: Employee is emotionally connected and committed to the in our talent?
organization and their role, exerting discretionary effort for the betterment • What are the foundational
of the organization. traits (aspirations,
• Values: Employee models the organization’s desired culture of personality, behaviors, etc.)
that a hi-po will need to
collaboration, teamwork, and commitment to excellence.
possess to drive
Performance: The employee has been rated exceptional ( 4or 5 rating) organizational success?
for the past two performance cycles
 Let’s define Participant
Outcomes?

What is in it for the Hi-Po? – so, Hi-Pos will commit and invest time into the
program.
 DNA Cohort
 Internal Mobility
 Accelerated Career Path
 Successor for a critical role
Questions to
 Exposure to Senior Leadership / High Visibility Projects
ask ?
 Job Variety
• Are we building 1
unique DNA Cohort?
• Any other outcome?
 1. Define High- 2. Select
Potential
Assessment
Methods

4. Plan to
3. Outline High- Support and
Step -2: Select Potential
Development
Implement the
Program
Assessment
Method
Selection Criteria
 Level – From Assistant Manager till
AVP
 % Hi-PO – Not more than 5%
 Assessment Cadence: Annual

9 box Grid
• Only SLG to • Panel
Nominate • At least 3 SLG Interview -
amongst the min 4
Members to members of
top raters fill the form the DH group
for the
individual
Nominations Interview

*Must be in the upper right quadrant of the 9-box to make it into the
 The 9-box grid
It help assess an employee’s potential
and performance
Low Medium High
Performance Performance Performance
High / / /
High High High
Potential Potential Potential

Performance is straightforward to
Potential

Low Medium High

Performance Performance Performance assess ( use rating scale), but
/ / / potential is less concrete and can be
Medium Medium Medium more difficult to measure without
Potential Potential Potential introducing bias.
Low
Medium
Performance High
Performance
Low / Performance
/
Low / Low
Low
Potential
Potential
Potential Assess potential by using observable
criteria so you can reduce the bias
Low Performance High involved and create consistent
evaluation of employees that will
better inform their placement across
the organization.
Step -3:
Outline High
Potential
Development 1. Define High- 2. Select
Potential Assessment
Methods

3. Outline
4. Plan to
High-Potential Support and
Development Implement the
Program
 360-degree competence
report as backbone

• Doing a detailed 360 for all participants

• The growth gaps and areas of development identified in the
assessment results will impact the development required to
achieve the defined participant outcomes
• The training programs identified will be cohort, individual or
combination
• HR to ensure a formal bi-monthly cadence on IDP formulation and
its progress tracking
• It will primarily involve mentorship programs, cross functional high
visibility projects and exposure to org groups – CORE and SAT
Step -4: Long
term plan

1. Define High- 2. Select

Potential Assessment
Methods

3. Outline
4. Plan to
High-Potential Support and
Development Implement the
Program
Align HR Programs with HI-PO
Programs
Learning & Development:
*Build a mentoring Program
*Build a formal Job Rotation Program
2. Total Rewards:
*Ingrain and sustain recognition
*Create non-monetory HI-PO Rewards
3. Succession Planning
*Define a high value succession planning program
4. Performance Management
*Develop a comprehensive Competency Report
*Enable fast track career growth
Thank-You!