The majority of HR professionals say they are not confident their organisations currently have the right people to lead the company into the future, according to a survey by consultancy Korn Ferry.
Just over a quarter (29 per cent) of the 1,009 respondents polled reported feeling confident their employer already had its future leaders within the workforce, with 71 per cent not confident of this. Additionally, 45 per cent said their organisation had no programme for developing high-potential individuals.
The overwhelming majority of those without such a programme (91 per cent), said their companies could benefit from one.
Of the 55 per cent of respondents whose organisations did have a high-potential programme, just 14 per cent said they were ‘very confident’ that the right people were selected for it.
Lisa Niesen, Korn Ferry vice president and general manager for assessment, said the survey results showed “it’s critical to take a look at the business strategy and the type of talent that will be needed to achieve goals, and then properly and scientifically assess which people have the potential to grow and guide the company into the future”.
“Your future CEO could be sitting in that small cubicle doing entry-level work,” Niesen added. “If you don’t identify them early on and help develop their talents, you can rest assured they’ll leave and one day be leading another company, not yours.”