How are top companies assessing their high-potentials and senior executives? A talent management benchmark study.

Although high-potential and executive assessment has been a popular topic in practice for decades, the primary emphasis in the literature has been on the development and use of specific tools and interventions. As a result, when organizations seek guidance on the practice of assessment in corporations, Industrial-Organizational psychology (I-O) practitioners and consulting psychologists have limited information available with which to compare. Moreover, industry reports often represent a specific tool, technique or point of view. There are relatively few empirical perspectives of the current practice of assessment in corporations, and even fewer that focus specifically on high-potentials and senior executives. This article attempts to close the gap in the literature by presenting the results of a benchmark survey. The survey was designed to provide insights and visibility to talent assessment efforts in large organizations with strong talent management and leadership development functions. Specifically, the results focus on the use of formal assessments with high-potentials and senior executives, including the purpose of the assessments, the application of various methodologies, a discussion of scope and ownership models, and the type of resources used to support such efforts. The article concludes with summary observations and implications for internal and external I-O, talent management and consulting practice.