Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Laurie Ruettimann for Halogen Software’s TalentSpace blog. To read the complete article, check out others, learn more about the firm, and sign up for email alerts, please click here.

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Here are [three of] five ways to engage and develop your high-potential employees without jumping on the HiPo bandwagon.

1. Meet all the levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

You pay your people well. You give them a great work environment with beer and ping pong tables. You have summer hours, a flexible work environment and a generous bonus plan. That’s great, but I love the idea of offering your HiPos an opportunity to create their own career paths and professional identities.

If I had a cohort of HiPos to shape and mold, I would create opportunities to meet industry leaders and icons. I would send those individuals to retreats, conferences and workshops where they could think about themselves in a more holistic way. I wouldn’t focus on love and esteem. I would ask these HiPos to engage on a journey of self-actualization and mastery.

2. Give opportunity, not more work

Being special is a blessing and a curse. Hard-working adults are often rewarded with more work because everybody knows they can get stuff done. When assigning a HiPo to a project or a new team, remove administrative hurdles and rote work before piling on more tasks.

3. Pair HiPos with likable colleagues

HIPOs like to hang out with other HiPos. Create a mentoring group to help create a strong internal link between newly hired employees and successful legacy employees who know how to navigate the political scene.

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Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Laurie Ruettimann pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in Human Resources. Her expertise as a Human Resources leader in Fortune 500 organizations allows her to frame the world as it used to be known. Now, as a woman in the thick of the social world, Laurie is a writer and speaker who covers topics on Human Resources, technology and employment. For the Halogen TalentSpace blog, Laurie shares her insights and perspective on how HR professionals can rethink their profession to better support employee productivity and engagement.

You need to know about the work of David Zinger. Here’s a link to his website and to his Amazon page.

I also urge you to check out the Employee Engagement Network, an international organization that David founded.