Cultivating Talent: How to find a queen bee (aka your next superstar)
Hands down, the queen is the most critical actor needed for the hive to fulfill its mission. How does a hive find its queen, and where is your next queen hiding?
In a beehive, the queen bee is unique — and critical to the beehive’s survival.
She’s the only one who lays eggs, she is physically larger and distinguishable from other bees, and her lifespan is almost 10x longer than a typical worker bee. The hive cannot survive without a queen.
How is it possible that the queen is the only one who has these special characteristics? Where does she come from?
It turns out that bees are the ultimate believers in investing in junior talent and letting them grow.
Any fertilized egg is capable of becoming a queen.
When bees determine that a new queen is needed, they start by creating a slightly larger cell for the egg to grow in. This larger cell signals that this egg should receive a special type of food, called royal jelly.
The space the queen has to grow and develop, and the resources she’s given access to, are the key differentiators in creating a queen.
While organizations should probably not be all in on the “queen bee model” — (I mean…it’s the actual definition of key person risk!) — every organization has talent it considers to be critical for its survival.
To find that talent, some organizations “import” a queen (more on that some other time) vs growing their own.
While importing talent is a great option, especially if you need a new queen ASAP, what if, like a beehive, your organization saw the potential in any of its employees to become that next critical individual — the next queen bee?
Given the space to grow and the right investment in resources, that any one of the talented individuals within the organization could emerge and flourish as the company’s leading talent?
Studies show that today’s talent is most focused on the opportunity to grow and develop. For example, a 2022 study showed that 74% of Millennials & Gen Z employees were likely to quit in the following year if the right skills development opportunity wasn’t available.
That’s a huge number of your workforce thinking about a change — especially since 89% of those folks are “extremely” or “somewhat” motivated to improve those skills.
The will is there — if you can help people gain the skill.
When employees experience tangible investment in their development— from the right leaders, right scope, to the right learning ecosystem — they are more likely to stay and grow their careers.
So, what can you do now?
- Listen to your employees. Survey them formally or ask! Does each manager know what their team members’ short and mid-range career goals are, and whether your organization can help them achieve those goals?
- Look inside your org for potential. That queen you’re looking for might be right in front of you! They know your organization, and you’ve seen their aptitude for learning and acquiring new skills and knowledge. What resources might you need to cultivate your next queen internally?
- Ensure folks know what resources are available to them. Even with limited to no L&D budget, managers can help by connecting people with 1) someone (internally or externally) aligned with their growth plan, 2) a structured learning opportunity (conference, course, webinar) or 3) an on-the-job learning experience that gives someone space to expand their scope and try something new.
What are you doing currently to facilitate the growth and support of your internal talent? Where else could you offer more support?