High-Potential (HiPo)

Definition

An employee management has decided will be the next leader, often based on charisma rather than actual competence.

Example Usage

He's been designated HiPo status, which means he gets all the opportunities while actually competent people get overlooked.

Origin

Formalised in talent management literature in the 2000s

Fun Fact

70% of HiPos eventually leave the company because they don't get the promised promotions.

Source: Talent management terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

job hopper

An employee who frequently changes jobs every one to three years, accumulating varied experience while terrifying HR managers who value 'loyalty.' What older generations call 'unstable,' younger generations call 'career advancement.'

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

recency bias

The tendency to weight recent events more heavily than earlier performance when evaluating employees. Why your annual review is really just a reflection of the last six weeks.

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Intermediate

culture add

The evolution of 'culture fit' focusing on what diverse perspectives a candidate brings rather than how well they mirror existing employees. It's progress, assuming hiring managers actually understand the difference.

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Beginner

Icebreaker Activities

Team-building exercises designed to help people get to know each other. They break the ice in the sense of creating a thin layer of discomfort that melts slowly.

👥 Human Resources

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job posting

The public advertisement of an open position, often legally required even when there's already an internal candidate selected. Corporate theater pretending the decision isn't already made.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

mediate

To play referee between feuding parties without the whistle, attempting to negotiate peace through diplomacy rather than letting them duke it out in court or the parking lot. Mediators are the Switzerland of conflict resolution—neutral, patient, and hoping both sides can adult their way to a settlement. It's counseling meets diplomacy meets "can we all just get along?"

👥 Human Resources

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