HR leaders - this one's for you! You've all worked with that high performer, that employee that you literally cannot keep. You know what I'm talking about - they're the high performer that salary bands will never solve for.
They operate several levels above their role.
Their value grows faster than your leveling system.
You can't give them enough scope fast enough.
So how do you engage them? Motivate them? Retain them?
The truth is organizations are designed to reward progression, not acceleration, and these high performers are already functioning like owners (sometimes more than the founders themselves). Eventually, they want autonomy, upside, control that you can't offer them because we're all constrained within a system.
I cherished the time I worked with them but when it was time for them to move on, I didn't try to restrain them. I truly believe that would have killed their mojo. I know this isn't what HR leaders are supposed to say, but I don't think most companies are built to manage people who can probably build their own companies, and dare I say, better? It's not that people within companies are the "status quo," but companie were built to keep the majority inside the box.
Thoughts?