Corporate Performance at Risk as Today's Rising Talent Prepares to Jump Ship

The Corporate Executive Board announced that the business world's rising stars are increasingly disengaged and actively seeking new employment opportunities. The findings are the result of a recent employee engagement study revealing that 25 percent of employer-identified, high-potential employees plan to leave their current companies within the year, as compared to only 10 percent in 2006. The study, also revealed that 21 percent of employees today identify themselves as "highly disengaged." This group has increased nearly three-fold since 2007. CEB's Corporate Leadership Council identified six tips companies can use to identify, re-engage, and more effectively manage high potential employees:

Stimulate. Emerging leaders need stimulating work, recognition, and the chance to grow. If not, they can quickly become disengaged.

Test. Explicitly test candidates for ability, engagement, and aspiration to make sure they're able to handle the tougher roles as their careers progress.

Manage. Having line managers oversee high-potential employees only limits their access to opportunities and encourages hoarding of talent. Instead, manage these high-potential employees at the corporate level.

Challenge. High-potential employees need to be in positions where new capabilities can - or must - be acquired.

Recognize. High-potential employees will be more engaged if they are recognized through pay, so offer them differentiated compensation and recognition.

Engage. Incorporate high-potential employees into strategic planning. Share future strategies with them and emphasize their role in making them come to fruition.