At VCA Ltd, we support the professional development of Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) personnel through our Career Progression Gateway (CPG), which identifies, assesses, and develops emerging leadership talent.

This article shares insights into High Potential (HP) candidates identified through the CPG since 2020 and explores key trends and challenges for L&D professionals tasked with nurturing leadership talent.

Defining High Potential Candidates: The Career Progression Gateway Approach

The CPG assesses candidates via structured Case Study and Role Play exercises. A candidate qualifies as HP by achieving an average score of 78% or higher across both. This benchmark, based on years of assessment experience, reflects the performance required for progression in FRS roles.

HP Candidates by Service: Insights from the CPG Data

Since 2020, 24 HP candidates have been identified across seven FRSs through the CPG. FRS X, Y and Z reported the highest numbers, with FRS Z leading at 16 HP candidates. Notably, two FRS Z individuals progressed from Firefighter to Watch Manager within three years, demonstrating the impact of leadership development and consistency in the way they have been assessed, despite using different exercise sets and assessors at each CPG.

HP Candidates by Level: Analysis Since 2020

Breakdown of HP candidates across roles:

  • Leading the Service: 10 candidates, 1 HP (10%)
  • Area Manager: 42 candidates, 0 HP (0%)
  • Group Manager: 75 candidates, 3 HP (4%)
  • Station Manager: 98 candidates, 4 HP (4%)
  • Watch Manager: 84 candidates, 4 HP (5%)
  • Crew Manager: 217 candidates, 13 HP (6%)

Total: High Potential candidates represent 5% of the total

HP candidates are most often found at Crew and Watch Manager levels. Percentages drop at more senior roles, though Watch and Station Manager levels both saw four HP candidates.

Key Insights from the CPG Data

  • HP Candidates Mostly in Earlier Roles: Most are identified at Crew, Watch, and Station Manager levels, roles with diverse leadership responsibilities that reveal potential early.

  • FRS Z Sets a Model: With 16 HP candidates, they exemplify how the CPG and strong internal development culture can effectively cultivate leadership.

  • Re-evaluating the 78% Benchmark: While this score has worked well, it is worth review to determine if this is the score which best reflects what organisations are seeing in the workplace. Our project gathering performance ratings from HP candidates line managers 6 months+ after the CPG should make a useful contribution to this discussion.

  • Senior Leadership Potential: Group and Station Manager roles may represent untapped leadership potential. Deeper exploration here could broaden the HP candidate pool.

Supporting HP Candidates: A Challenge for L&D Professionals

Identifying and supporting HP candidates remains a challenge for L&D teams.

As we’re currently exploring how CPG scores align with line manager evaluations, if you’ve used the CPG in your FRS, we’d love your input.

Next Steps

Next month we will be exploring ‘what’s next’ for High Potential candidates by working with those with the greatest potential to input into a plan for ongoing support and development- the HP candidates themselves! Watch this space.

Let’s Discuss

What are your thoughts? Do you use other methods to assess leadership potential in your organisation? Let’s connect and share strategies for identifying and developing leadership in FRSs.