Executive Assesment
Objective Experts.
For over 25 years, we have specialised in rigorous, in-depth leadership assessments for CEO, C-Suite, and other senior executive roles. We work with organisations across the world, from some of the largest multinationals to mid-cap PE portfolio firms. And we have experience with every type of industry and every type of commercial, technical and functional leadership position.
Our assessments explore the degree of fit between a role, team &/or company, and a leader’s capabilities and character. They can be used with either internal or external candidates, and where there is more than one candidate, we provide comparisons.
We specialise operating in some of the most sensitive and time-pressured scenarios and with high-profile public appointments.
Our role is to provide an objective and rigorous view. We provide detailed outputs with clear recommendations, including risks associated with appointment and possible mitigations that can be taken.
Proprietary IP.
Our assessments are founded on key pieces of proprietary thought leadership, based on a 15-year research programme, which allow us to take a unique perspective on individuals' leadership.
Origins Diagnostic - so we understand how people come to be who they are and what comes out under pressure. Based on the ground-breaking research described in our book, The Leadership Code: How your childhood made you the leader you are, and what to do about it, our proprietary tools enable us to explore and pinpoint the origins of individuals' adult personalities. This is critical for both fully understanding individuals - particularly what happens to them under pressure - and identifying which aspects of individuals' leadership style are developable, and which not.
Power Analysis - so we understand how people use power and will be changed by it. Our Power Analysis methodology focuses on individuals' relationship with power: how much they want it, why they want it, and and how they are likely to use it, and change as a result of having. The methodlogy is based on resarch that is described in our book, The Power Trap.
Leadership Impact Survey - so we understand the impact leaders have on others. A leader’s performance and ability to create value is not just driven by their know-how and capabilities, it is also determined by their impact on the people and processes around them. Our Leadership Impact Survey is the only commercially available, benchmarked tool that provides feedback on the actual impact leaders have on the people and processes around them. For example, rather than asking how confidently a leader behaves; it asks whether the people around the leader feel more confident when they are with them. The survey is based on our global research programme into the most important elements of a leader’s impact for performance, published in our book Leadership OS, which assesses 12 aspects of leaders’ impact.
Our Approach.
We use a holistic approach to provide an engaging assessment experience that provides clear and practical outputs to support selection decisions and improve the effectiveness of onboarding processes. This means:
We provide a rigorous assessment. We use multiple sources of data, including a suite of psychometric tools, and explore individuals’ backgrounds in depth, right the way from childhood through to leadership experience.
We combine elements of behavioural interviewing with a deeper, psychological and biographical approach, because we know that going below the surface enhances the decision-making process by getting to the core of people.
We provide a positive candidate experience. Our assessment is a conversation, not an interview. Our developmental approach builds the trust necessary to enable transparent flow of information, generating deep insight and clarity about leadership capability.
Our assessors are experts at what they do. They are all psychologists, all coaches and all experienced assessing leaders in some of the world’s biggest and most well-known companies, in different geographies and different industries. All of them have over 25 years of business experience, including within in-house corporate positions.
The Process.
Our assessment process involves five steps:
Briefing. Briefing calls with key critical stakeholders, including HR &/or the hiring manager, to understand key elements of the role, context and challenges prior to the assessment.
Candidate engagement & psychometrics. We engage with candidates before the assessment to ensure they know what to expect and are as comfortable with the process as the situation allows. Candidates then complete a suite of psychometrics online. We will work with you to choose which are best suited to your context. The psychometrics are fed back during the assessment and used to promote further discussion and insight.
Interview. A one-to-one biographical assessment interview, 3.5 hours in length. During this, we discuss the individual’s career, background, achievements, performance, influences and challenges in an engaging and participative way. We triangulate data to get an accurate understanding of the personal and psychological characteristics that underpin the person’s success.
Reporting & Debrief. A written report that provides a clear recommendation and describes the person’s psychological profile, strengths, and development areas. A 30-minute debrief session with HR &/or the hiring manager and consultant. The aim is to share insights from the assessment process, and discuss issues related to the hiring decision, and how best the individual can be supported to onboard successfully if selected.
Feedback. Regardless of whether a candidate is successful, a 1.5 hour feedback and coaching session is set up to discuss the report and start building on the insights it offers. For successful candidates, this provides coaching to help ensure the candidates joins the business successfully. For unsuccessful candidates, it provides an opportunity for a career development conversation, which leaves the candidate with positive brand associations with your organisation.