I was wondering who sets the potential? Is it your supervisor or their boss or higher? If they haven't talked to you before, then it seems you are at a disadvantage?
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If you've ever wondered about that Magic 8 Ball in your supervisor's office...
Potentials are set by 1 over 1 in consultation with direct supervisor. For higher potentials approvals from 1 over 2 or 1 over 3 which is usually a VP.
Potentials come in discreet numbers. 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 34, 36, 38.
Post bachelors folks have a default of 29.
31, 33 are technical potential, principals, senior principals, chief.
34 exec manager. 36 VP 38 SVP.
Rare breeds will get 40 (presidents), 44 (MC)
I had to place some engineers on HiPo as their Supervisor. I had zero input into which engineers, was told verbally.
I outright complained to my Manager about putting one asshoIe on the HiPo fast track curve, and my Manager said these choices were made above him and he and I could not affect who was chosen.
That asshoIe is still tracking that steep curve and moving up through the positions I mapped.
Your supervisor should be able to tell you the types of assignments the company expects you to reach by the end of your career. It is then up to you to guess the potential. If your supervisor is more open, they may tell you the actual CL number.
Potential can move up or down through your career. Recent changes seem to have added somewhat to the fairness of the process….at least by making sure all employees have some amount of sustained performance before receiving a high potential.
Tell them you want to be fast tracked
The first comment is good. I didn’t know most of that. I heard potential is based on willingness, performance, and business need.
I also heard a simpler explanation that potential is 29 for O, 28 for E, etc. I’m assuming that’s if you have <5 years
Jesus take the wheel
God sets it
All my former supervisors claimed that they could not tell me my potential. After the re-org, my new supervisor gave me a rough zip code of my potential (around Chief level) but then, bo-m, a slap in my face, told me that I would not be able to make it and just do not worry about it. Guess what’s gonna happen next?
This who process is basically astrology for MBAs. Wouldn’t be shocked if HR uses Tarot cards to optimize the process.
Do they inform you that you are a HiPo?
Potential is measured as follows:
Some high-potential person (your sponsor) yields to all possible implicit cognitive biases you could imagine to assess your potential.
Thus, if your sponsor has a gender bias, and you meet his/her gender implicit preference, you will be chosen.
If he/she is a homophobic and you are an alpha male/woman you will be chosen.
If he/she is a neo-na-i and you are blond with german ancestry, you will be chosen.
If he/she is an extrovert that judges introverts as unassertive and you are an extrovert too, you will be chosen.
If he/she is racist and you are white, you will be chosen.
Other more subtle biases also influence the process: if he/she judges disagreeable people as trouble makers and agreeable people as "team-playes" only agreeable people are chosen.
Hope this helps.
The “old days” of hi-po identification could be disastrous. I once was assigned a mentee who had already been marked for high office….after all of 2 months. I was told to “be careful” with him because he was a VP favorite. The mentee had already gotten wind of this and was, of course, useless for technical work. He eventually flamed out and left the company.
There was another guy who as new hire wore a full suit to a prospect review to a VP….AND IT WORKED!! He too was marked for high office, but was eventually “found out” as well, and flamed out. The good ol’ days!!
Your boss and their direct superior every year around September/October time frame.
Starting a couple years ago, policy became that everyone has CL potential of 29 until they hit 5 years experience. Before they changed this, you could have a higher CL potential during those first 5 years. At the 5 year mark, they can make the decision to change you to a CL 34 or keep you at 29. It’s all in CareerConnect. Your supervisor can see your potential for each year you’ve worked here. If you get a transparent supervisor, they’ll may show you what they see.