Executive Assessment
Executive placements are often multi-million dollar decisions. These senior leaders make daily judgments that have an enormous impact on departments, customers, vendors, employees and stockholders. When an organization invests and puts its faith in a person, it is essential to know the potential risks associated with this decision. You need to truly evaluate both sides in order to understand a candidate's potential to succeed in your organization. Select International's Executive Assessment process offers a thorough evaluation, followed by a developmental plan. This proven process has made us a trusted partner when it comes to identifying and assessing executives, and developing organizational talent.
Executive Assessment Overview
Some leaders are effective in every area. They have an amazing ability to communicate a vision, reframe problems, focus on what is important, inspire others to believe in themselves, hear what is not being said, put a plan into action and move people to achieve great things. Their actions and words demonstrate integrity; they are admired and respected, not feared. We refer to these leaders as being "transformational."
Conversely, some leaders display these productive behaviors only when it serves their purpose. This is a basic survival technique that has helped many senior leaders rise to their current positions. The truth is that these desirable behaviors are often turned off and on like a light switch. It's not uncommon for some leaders to display perfect, productive behavior in a high-level meeting, and then display nonproductive, destructive behaviors a few minutes later in a meeting with subordinates. It's also not uncommon for some senior leaders to be blind to the path of destruction that some "high potentials" leave at lower levels in the organization.
Executive Assessment Process
Through a battery of widely normed assessment instruments, we are able to define a candidate's:
- Cognitive capacity
- Decision-making style
- Management capabilities
- Approach to working with and leading others
- Values
- Beliefs
Once an interpretation is made of the raw data, a Ph.D.-level psychologist, experienced at assessing executives, conducts a thorough, yet conversational interview with the candidate. The psychologist will explore areas - suggested by the testing - to fully understand how specific traits, abilities and personality characteristics would actually play out on a day-to-day basis in your organization. The psychologist writes an interpretive report that clearly outlines each candidate's potential for the future.
A developmental feedback session can be arranged for those candidates who are hired. The feedback is insightful because it not only covers practical behaviors required for success, but also reveals productive and counterproductive personality traits. Interestingly, some of these personality traits are obvious to everyone except the candidate.
Armed with this powerful feedback, practical suggestions and specific resources, the candidate is now able to become a more effective leader. In addition, the organization is confident in making key leadership decisions.
