UK organizations are at risk of losing talented employees by failing to identify their potential. A survey found that nearly 8 out of 10 businesses do little to recognize potential in their staff. Many employees were unsure if their employer saw potential in them, and managers lacked clear definitions and processes for assessing potential. As a result, valuable talent is wasted or leaves the company. Both employees and managers agreed that identifying potential is important for retention, productivity, and costs, but most organizations do not prioritize this.

1. UK organisations risk losing top talent
by failing to spot their potential
People stay longer at companies that
recognise their potential, yet nearly 8 out of 10
businesses are doing nothing or little about it
24% had no idea whether or
not their company thought
they had potential
of managers regarded
developing potential as fairly
or extremely important
30% of managers admit that
their organisation has no single
definition of what potential actually
is and no real way of assessing it
79% of managers said they
didn’t have proper assessment
processes or tools in place to
spot potential
25 – 34 year olds appear to be
the focus of attention for 62%
of managers despite this age
group making up only a small
proportion of the workforce
With the result being that valuable talent
has either gone to waste or left the business
(estimated at around 23% in the past 12 months).
Organisations’ lack of
formal processes for
recognising potential, was
highlighted by 37% of
employees as an issue
EMPLOYEES
MANAGERS
Staff
disengagement
of employees said that
they would be more
likely to stay with
an organisation that
recognised their potential
71%
When potential is recognised,
only 23% of employees said
that there had been any
investment in developing
their skills
?
High staff
turnover and
recruitment costs
Decreased
productivity
31% of managers feel they
lack senior management
support in identifying
employee potential
A quarter say it
isn’t considered a
business priority
Based on a survey of 1,000 employees and 1,000 managers across the UK
43% 34%
Managers
recognise that
failing to spot
potential can
lead to...
50%
penna.com
Ident
ifying pot
ential
81%