An employee with great potential is valuable beyond measure. This employee is the future of your company. They motivate and innovate their industry every day.  You don’t want to lose this special talent to another organization. Losing these employees could lead to the demise of your business.

It is important to truly understand the value of keeping High Potential Employees (HiPO’s). It is also crucial to determine  which employees are considered top talent in your company. Once you establish which individuals deserve grooming efforts, it’s time to take action.

Most employees will appreciate incentives and a salary increase. Although these won’t hurt the effort to retain your top talent, you should also consider this valuable step: Job Rotation.

As the name suggests, job rotation allows employees to change their job position while remaining in your company. It enables employees to challenge themselves professionally. They can experience different job responsibilities within your organization. Job rotation will benefit both your company and your high potential employees for these reasons:

It keeps employees engaged.

Starting a new job can be exciting and challenging. Once the honeymoon phase is over, however, employees may start to feel stagnant, complacent, and (let’s face it) bored. If a job becomes monotonous, productivity may decrease. The employee may even be tempted to look for employment elsewhere. This is where job rotation can help revive the employer/employee relationship.

It provides new challenges and responsibilities.

By allowing an employee to experience a new job position, they will be challenged to explore and learn new skills. By adapting to these challenges, the employee will gain valuable traits. These new skills help to develop their professional growth in order to become well-rounded leaders.

It prepares for future leadership roles.

Not only will your employee gain new skills, they will also be gaining a larger professional network. This network will provide key communications, collaborations and friendships necessary for leadership roles. Job rotation will also provide much needed insights to determine if an employee is up for the stress of new challenges. If the individual can welcome new tasks and excel during times of pressure, you may have found your next top leader.

It helps to prevent burnout.

According to a Gallup study, 67% of employees studied were experiencing some form of burnout. This professional exhaustion often leads to a lack of motivation and productivity. If an employee feels so overwhelmed by the stress of work, they are even more likely to quit. Gallup’s study found that employees experiencing burnout are 2.6 times more likely to leave their job. Before burnout sets in, consider giving employees a renewed zest for their career through job rotation.

Job rotation can be an essential tool in keeping HiPO’s in your company. It can provide them with the opportunity to grow their skill set, maintain excitement and passion for their job, and prep for leadership roles.  This strategic move can prove invaluable for all of those involved.

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