Pre-employment testing has been around since the 1930’s in one form or another, and until now was rarely used with executive candidates.  Today, evaluation instruments run the gamut but generally measure two things: 1) what an individual does and, 2) how an individual is.  A proper evaluation needs to consider both: competencies and traits.

Historically, when testing occurred it was used to measure specific job-related skills, not personality traits.  Unfortunately, most tests of traditional skills are not relevant to the executive candidate; most candidates likely exhibit the essential competencies or they would not be in a position to be under consideration.

Attributes of successful leaders are often personality traits, though are often described as "competencies or skills."  If we look at some oft used descriptors of leadership such as hardiness, adaptability, creativity, the ability to deal with paradox and optimism, we see that these illustrate how an individual is, they depict the personality.  Studies have shown that by adding only personality testing to traditional hiring practices, predictive validity can increase by 22%.  If an organization combines additional proven selection processes and techniques, the success rate would improve even more.

Emersus Consulting will analyze the unique needs of your organization given the current environmental demands.  From that evaluation, we will recommend the type of appraisal process and tools needed to determine whether candidates presented to you by recruiters are right for your company.

Our psychologists will administer the particular instruments needed to assess candidates, create a detailed profile and explain the implications of the results. You can feel confident that your final choice will be based on both a thorough understanding of the needs of and demands upon your organization and the makeup of your final candidates.  

The profile prepared for you will include an analysis of your potential leader's persona, historical experiences and the complex and often obscure attributes that make each unique.  You will have a valuable assessment of your candidate's compatibility to assist you in making your critical selection decision.

...starting your executive development process requires knowing what candidates bring to the organization.

No longer can executives tell their organizations that they have to change without changing themselves.  Executives who introduce change as if they are manipulating an object independent of themselves are foolish in thinking that systemic change will occur.  These executives do not learn that they play a complementary part in the systems change and, therefore unconsciously undermine the reorganization or cultural changes they initiate.  

Emersus Consulting will create an assessment process that is tailored to the needs of your organization by identifying the leadership requirements needed to successfully lead.  Since development can be costly it is important that an organization identify those most capable of being developed.  To do so we will assess an individual in the following areas:

• Personal Stability or balance, self-understanding, a capacity for self-management and a relative absence of limiting fears and doubts.
  
  

• Social Acuity recently popularized by the term Emotional Intelligence, this implies perceptiveness and accuracy in reading subtle, often nonverbal, interpersonal cues.
  
  

• Intellectual Competence or knowledge of practical, routine day-to-day matters ("common sense") and latent functional knowledge which a person must acquire indirectly by alert and attentive social observation.
  
  

• Interpersonal Skill or the ability to establish and maintain relationships with a wide range of people, to diffuse interpersonal tensions and solve social dilemmas, to use humor appropriately and to create rapport with people young and old, strange or familiar.
  
  

• Tenacity or a desire to improve and/ or get ahead, persistence in the face of obstacles, a sense of purpose and a sense of one's ultimate ability to succeed.
  
  

• Originality or the ability to combine elements into new patterns to detect meaningful parts within larger wholes, to think systemically and to be open to innovation and change.
  
  

• Maturity and Responsibility or tolerance, integrity, self-awareness with an emphasis on ethical and human values and an ability to defer immediate gratification for long term accomplishment.

The assessment process that may include personality inventories, 360° feedback instruments, interviews and/ or work assignments will culminate in a comprehensive report for the individual and/or the organization.  We can, if the executive and/or organization desires assist the executive in developing, implementing and monitoring an improvement plan to address any individual characteristics amenable to change. 

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