Development and Validation of a Framework to Identify High Potential Employees in Organizations

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop and validate a multidimensional framework for identifying high-potential employees (Hi-Pots) to support succession planning and leadership development in organizations. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach was employed. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with seven organizational leaders were conducted to identify key traits and behaviors of Hi-Pots. The subsequent quantitative phase involved 276 managerial employees who responded to a newly developed measurement scale. The data were subjected to statistical validation to reinforce the proposed model. The validated framework comprises three dimensions: Foundation, Growth, and Career. The Foundation dimension includes inherent traits such as optimism and sociability. The Growth dimension, encompassing promotability, adaptability, and proactiveness, showed the strongest predictive power for leadership readiness. The Career dimension involves performance-based competencies like technical proficiency and time management. Among these, the Growth dimension emerged as the most influential for leadership potential. Organizations can utilize this framework for structured talent identification, improving leadership pipelines, and strategic HR planning.