Assessment of Executives

Managing Risk

Executive selection is a risky process. In the UK, 40% of new senior executives fail within 18 months, despite a previous track record of success.

Alium’s Executive Assessment service uses in-depth interviews and analysis to help you choose the most suitable candidate. Our expert business psychologists use a variety of proven techniques for evaluating and comparing candidate competencies, identifying both strengths and limitations right from the start.

This results in Alium being able to identify and evaluate individuals most suited to your business - with the right combination of attributes to thrive in a demanding executive environment.

Building success for the future

Too often, individuals are selected primarily on past job performance. But this is no assurance of future success in a different, more demanding role. Research has shown that behavioural indicators are a far more accurate predictor of performance. To minimise risk, these must be assessed during the executive selection process.

At Alium, we take an in-depth approach to executive assessment, using structured interviews to help you make the right choice for your business.

Carrying out executive assessment in this way can be of great value when you are looking for individuals to maintain your growth and success, or when you want to increase the pace of your business. It can also be extremely valuable when you need to re-align your business to realise strategic objectives, or to identify development needs to match your leadership requirements.

How Alium’s Executive Assessment works

Our business psychologists use rigorous structured psychological interviews lasting about two hours to thoroughly assess an individual’s competencies and achievements. They then our choose from a variety of questionnaires to understand fully an individual’s strengths, weaknesses and personality profile, along with tests of numerical, verbal and abstract reasoning skills if appropriate.

Candidates will be thoroughly briefed on the process, and will have the chance to ask any questions.

The Alium Executive Assessment process

During executive assessment, Alium’s business psychologists can examine:

• How well a candidate matches your specific leadership requirements
• Their entrepreneurial abilities
• Their future potential – which may not yet be realised
• Any personality traits that may derail them
• Their cultural fit
• Their ability to represent and promote your organisation
• Their collaborative skills
• Their ability to make an early contribution, hit the ground running – and go the distance.

Results presented and discussed

We provide a thorough assessment of the capabilities clearly linked to key achievements; the sometimes less transparent, but vital competencies; the personality traits driving positive behaviour; and factors indicating potential weaknesses or development needs. We present the assessment in a complete, but concise report and discuss it with you as appropriate. This can help you understand the strengths and limitations of your candidates at the evaluation stage and – most importantly – right from the start of an appointment.

Alium can also provide additional services such as executive coaching. This can help an individual to make an effective contribution from the start of their employment, building the basis for longer-term success.

Who can be targeted for Executive Assessment?

Executive Assessment can be highly valuable when appointing:

• CEOs
• Directors
• Senior executives
• Functional heads
• Senior managers
• Key professional staff.

Your questions answered:

How can the potential, talent, capabilities, teamwork ability and collaborative skills of several individuals be evaluated?

How can psychological profiles be compared and contrasted?

How can feedback to a selected person form the basis of leadership transition coaching?

Who provides the executive assessment and coaching services?