Superstar Employees: Asset or Liability? Among employees, there are some who have above-average skills. Not just that. They are willing to sacrifice their energy, thoughts, and time for the company. Their hard work is not in vain because of them, the company is respected. These are the superstar employees.
Superstars seem irreplaceable. What do they have? High work ethic, seemingly limitless creativity, and their ability to overcome challenges. This makes them admired by their colleagues. They become the go-to person for questions. They are able to work under even the most intense pressure. If the company faces complex problems, these superstars offer innovative breakthroughs. People like this can be relied upon when the company is in crisis. When it comes to leadership, never doubt their ability. Natural talent is in them. In short, they are the most valuable asset the company has.
Superstar Employees: Asset or Liability?
According to Harvard Business Review, superstars are estimated to be four times more productive than the average worker. They can generate 80% of a business’s profit and attract other star employees.
In the world of sports such as soccer and basketball, it seems that the figure above is represented by legends such as Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant.
Superstars are Human Too
Although the contribution of superstars should not be doubted, companies must be careful. The reason is, many superstars have a dark side. It is this dark side that can be a burden that makes the organization limp, even collapse. What are some of these dark sides? Because they are always praised and feel irreplaceable, they grow arrogant, haughty, and self-centered. As a result, they do not like feedback, resist change, and are reluctant to take responsibility.
The presence of a superstar can lead to chronic dependency within the team. As a result, the team becomes helpless if the superstar leaves or cannot contribute optimally at some point due to certain circumstances. This is analogous to the world of soccer. Such a high dependency on superstar players results in the team being helpless if the superstar is injured.
Superstars can also feel that they are free from rules. As a result, he breaks them at will, including crashing the norms. This is very dangerous for the organization. Even more so if the superstar commits misconduct and breaks the law.
Remember that superstars are humans too. They have feelings, they have hearts. It is impossible for them to perform at their best all the time. If they are tired, of course, their performance is disappointing. Either way, they lose motivation.
Reap Benefits, Prevent Harm
The key is to optimally utilize the competencies of superstars while preventing harm by their presence. The first way is to prioritize collaboration, continuous learning, and mutual respect. Ask superstars to mentor others. If necessary, make this mentoring one of the superstar’s performance indicators. This means that the superstar’s performance is considered not optimal if he/she has not been able to mentor others, even though individually his/her achievements are so prominent.
As good as the superstar’s performance is, there must be things that can be improved. Discuss these areas of improvement in a motivating and assertive manner.
Don’t overburden the superstar. Make sure responsibilities are distributed fairly. By doing so, fatigue can be avoided.
In soccer or basketball, no matter how great a superstar is, he cannot go alone without the support of his colleagues. It’s the same in a company. The superstar still needs the support of his colleagues. Therefore, make sure the company still values the team’s contribution. In fact, this team contribution should be emphasized without neglecting the role of each individual.
Rules must be enforced; values must be implemented indiscriminately. This also applies to the superstar. If he or she violates them, sanctions must be imposed. Remember that work is not about boasting of merit, but rather giving your best to the organization.
There comes a time when superstars must leave the company. Even if he stays, don’t always expect him to play well. Therefore, the company must strategize in such a way that it does not rely too much on superstars.
Let’s again refer to Harvard Business Review. According to the study, avoiding toxic employees can save the company more than twice as much as hiring outstanding employees. Specifically, avoiding toxic workers is worth about US$12,500 in employee turnover costs, but even the best 1% of employees only add about US$5,300 to the bottom line. The real difference is even greater when you factor in other potential costs, such as litigation costs, regulatory fines, lower employee morale, and disappointed customers.
What does it mean? Superstars can indeed boost a company’s value. However, the superstar is not everything. Without superstars, companies can still perform well. This is thanks to a conducive culture, cohesion, appropriate training, a solid team, and the right strategy. Isn’t it true that in sports, many teams without stars can beat star-studded teams? But the team atmosphere can become unfavourable if there is just one toxic employee. What’s worse, if the toxic employee is also the superstar.
In short, avoiding toxic employees should take precedence over recruiting superstars.
Superstar Employees: Asset or Liability?
Category: Organization Development & Behaviour
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