Potential assessment is about finding out who can grow into bigger roles in the future, not just who is doing well today.
- To find future leaders
- To guide career growth
- To decide who to invest in for training
- To make succession planning easier
- Thinking Ability → Can the person solve tough problems and learn new things quickly?
- Motivation → Do they want to grow, take responsibility, and keep going even after failure?
- People Skills → Can they work well with others, communicate, and inspire trust?
- Leadership Readiness → Can they take decisions, handle change, and guide teams?
- Learning Agility → Do they learn from mistakes, adapt to change, and try new ideas?
- Tests (aptitude, personality, learning agility)
- Case studies or role plays (see how they act in real situations)
- 360° feedback (from managers, peers, and team)
- Interviews (ask about past challenges and growth)
- Projects (give them a tough task and see how they handle it)
- Identifying High Potentials (HiPos)
- Choosing future managers/leaders
- Career development planning
- Training program nominations
- Keeping strong talent engaged
Performance = what you do today.
Potential = what you can do tomorrow.