21 percent of employees have no emotional attachment to the employer, 66 percent will be the
call of duty. The figures have almost doubled since 2001.
To counteract this trend, it is important to identify and motivate high potentials to retain them
in the company. This primarily concerns the highly dedicated staff, but also the tacit
knowledge of the employees that is not explicitly written down.
The author chooses the following title for his Master-Thesis, to take up this subject of
economic scientific: Identification and motivation of high potentials to keep their intellectual
property in the company.
On this occasion, it is started in the introduction to the subject and the problem is explained,
the objectives of the Master-Thesis are presented and it will set a demarcation issue.
Then it is shown how a simple method can identify high potentials.
Chapter 3 describes the proper motivation of A-staff. This chapter includes case study.
The following chapter is about keeping the previously identified employees in the company in
order to exploit the existing potential. The top 10 employee retention tools are presented
therein. This topic will also be completed by a case study.
A final conclusion collects all the previously mentioned points and ventures a prognosis for
the future.
Appropriate literature used to work on this Master-Thesis is present. A corresponding list of
references can be found in section IV: Bibliography.
The author chose the above topic, as it is becoming increasingly difficult in the future, to find,
identify and motivate good employees, to keep them in one’s own company. The demand for high potentials is unimaginably high. In the end, it is in the interest of the company itself, not
to lose the high potentials.
Therefore there is always the same principle: “Companies are only as good as their
employees”. So it should be a prioritized ambition for every company, to employ and retain
the best of the high potentials.[...]
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC AND PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE MASTER THESIS
1.3 TOPIC DEMARCATION
2 IDENTIFIACATION OF HIGH POTENTIALS
2.1 SYSTEMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF HIGH POTENTIALS
2.1.1 ABC APPROACH TO EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION
2.1.2 EXAMPLES OF BEHAVIOR, PERSONALITY TRAITS AND SOCIAL SKILLS OF DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE GROUPS
2.2 IMPORTANCE OF APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS
2.3 MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES
3 MOTIVATION OF HIGH POTENTIALS
3.1 HOW MOTIVATION WORKS
3.2 EMPLOYER BRAND
3.3 OVERLOAD AND BURNOUT
3.4 EXECUTIVES AS ENERGY MANAGER
3.5 THE LAW OF SERENITY
3.6 CASE STUDY ‘HOW TO INCREASE THE MOTIVATION OF HIGH POTENTIALS’
4 KEEP THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF HIGH POTENTIALS IN THE COMPANY
4.1 EMPLOYEE RETENTION
4.2 TOP 10 RETENTION INSTRUMENTS
4.2.1 OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
4.2.2 PROFESSIONAL TRAININGS
4.2.3 RESPONSIBILITY SCOPES
4.2.4 RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION OF JOB PERFORMANCE
4.2.5 OPPORTUNITIES TO CO-DECIDE AND PARTICIPATION
4.2.6 PERFORMANCE ORIENTED PAYMENT
4.2.7 WORK LIFE BALANCE
4.2.8 EXCELLENT WORKING ATMOSPHERE AND ENVIRONMENT
4.2.9 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
4.2.10 HONESTY AND CREDIBILITY OF THE COMPANY
4.3 CASE STUDY ‘HOW TO KEEP INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN THE COMPANY’
5 CONCLUSION
Objectives & Themes
The primary objective of this Master-Thesis is to analyze the critical importance of identifying and motivating high-potential employees to ensure the retention of their intellectual property within the company, thereby preventing knowledge loss and maintaining competitive advantage.
- Systematic identification of high-potential employees using the ABC approach.
- Strategic application of management tools such as appraisal interviews and Management by Objectives (MbO).
- Examination of motivational theories and the impact of employer branding on staff commitment.
- Analysis of employee retention strategies and the top 10 instruments for retaining key talent.
- Discussion of burnout prevention and the role of leadership in energy management.
Excerpt from the book
2.1.1 ABC APPROACH TO EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION
For the assessment of customer value in marketing customers are often categorized as A-customer, B-customer and C-customer. The largest revenue and profit will realize with the A-customers. The B-costumers usually form the majority and are regular loyal customers with an average revenue and profit. C-customers are often customers with small or micro transactions, a lower company binding and staff attrition rate.
Basically, the ABC approach raises the question if the method is ethically permitted. Can and is it allowed to classify employees like customers – maybe this is the question on which critics can get a word in edgewise.
But why not – with such a tool companies pay not the patter merchant but the high potential. It is a fact that high potentials are the people, who are responsible for the success of the company. Employees, who are identified as C-staff are counted as losers, because they damage the company.
The ABC approach should not be used as a tool for rating the human himself, but it should be used as a tool for rating the performance of each employee. This is indeed a big difference.
A further critical point is that the team building is just a task of the manager. The manager decides by himself which employee should be in which group. There could be some facts why an employee is certainly a B-staff member or C-staff member. For example, the employee has not yet the right qualification to do the job or the performance is not yet good enough to be an A-staff member. There could be also a lot of soft facts, like being worried about the job, psychotic topics or personal difficulties. Of course, there are many more facts why employees are not yet in the A-staff category. In this case, the crucial fact is that a good and socially competent manager will search for the reason why exactly this employee is a B-staff member or C-staff member. The managers have to seek the dialogue to the employee, help to eliminate problems and try to increase the performance of the employee’s work, provided the employee is willing to do this.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter highlights the necessity of finding and retaining high-potential employees as a critical success factor for modern companies and outlines the three-step approach: recruitment, identification, and retention.
2 IDENTIFIACATION OF HIGH POTENTIALS: This chapter introduces the ABC approach for categorizing staff and discusses essential leadership instruments, including appraisal interviews and Management by Objectives, to systematically evaluate and develop employee performance.
3 MOTIVATION OF HIGH POTENTIALS: This chapter explores the theoretical foundations of motivation, the significance of employer branding, and the risks of burnout, concluding with a case study on improving motivation.
4 KEEP THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF HIGH POTENTIALS IN THE COMPANY: This chapter details top retention instruments and explains how maintaining a positive working atmosphere and honest communication helps bind key talent and their knowledge to the organization.
5 CONCLUSION: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, emphasizing that systematic identification and motivation of high potentials is a vital management responsibility for long-term corporate success.
Keywords
High potentials, Employee retention, Intellectual property, Motivation, ABC approach, Appraisal interviews, Management by Objectives, Employer branding, Burnout, Leadership, Talent management, Staff classification, Employee commitment, Performance management, Human resources strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on the challenge of identifying and motivating high-potential employees to ensure that their vital intellectual property remains within the company, rather than being lost to competitors.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
Key themes include systematic talent identification, motivation theory, employee retention strategies, the impact of corporate culture, and the prevention of burnout among top performers.
What is the main objective or research question?
The objective is to provide a practical guideline for managers on how to distinguish A, B, and C-staff and how to implement effective tools to retain the "A-staff" who drive corporate success.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The author uses a mix of literature review on motivation and management theories, as well as qualitative analysis through practical case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of specific management tools.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the ABC approach to staff classification, the mechanics of appraisal interviews, the application of Management by Objectives, and detailed retention instruments categorized as the "Top 10".
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as High potentials, Employee retention, Intellectual property, Management by Objectives, and Employer branding.
How does the author define the "ABC approach" for employees?
The author adapts a marketing classification method to classify employees based on performance and potential, where A-staff are the high-performing core, B-staff are reliable followers, and C-staff are low performers requiring management intervention or potential separation.
Why is the "Law of Serenity" relevant to motivation in this thesis?
It is presented as a professional motivation tool, helping employees focus their energy on things they can change, such as personal development, networking, and skill enhancement, rather than uncontrollable factors.
- Arbeit zitieren
- MBA Stefan Henkel (Autor:in), 2013, Identification and motivation of high potentials to keep their intellectual property in the company, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/215483
