Executive Assessments

Ours predict performance better and cost you less.

There are many approaches to executive assessments. And, the differences between them are substantial. First, the time investment for executives can vary widely, from 2 days to as little as 1 hour. There’s also a wide range of price tags, from about $1000 to $35,000 USD or more per assessment! Finally, and most importantly, some assessments are far more predictive of performance than others. In fact, some have no research to back them up. We’re proud that our executive assessment approach offers superior validation evidence and remains reasonably priced. We’ve achieved this by focusing on science staying committed to creating value for our customers.

PCI's Approach to Executive Assessment

Since 1957, we’ve used the individual assessment approach to assess executives.

Why do individual differences matter?

People differ greatly in their capabilities, preferences, and natural wiring. Knowing how much more (or less) of an ability, preference, or trait a person has compared to most people allows us to predict their behavior. That’s because there’s a lot of scientific research showing that things like Cognitive Ability, the “Big 5” personality traits, and preferred leadership style predict a wide range of behaviors and work-related outcomes. Additionally, the most objective and accurate way to measure these individual differences is with reliable, validated tests. However, the psychometric tests are just one part of our executive leadership assessment process. See below for a quick view of how testing fits into the bigger picture.

Executive Assessment Process: At a Glance

The 4 core process steps are the same for hiring, development, or succession planning. There are some differences in the details. The below graphic is specific to executive assessments for hiring.

Intake Call

We meet with the hiring team to discuss the culture, the role, and what the person must be able to do well to succeed.

Assessment

A 2-hour online test battery and a 1-hour phone interview with a psychologist that includes feedback on the results.

Report Delivery

In 2 days, you get a comprehensive, custom-written report, ratings, interview probes, & guidance on next steps.

Debrief & Support

Discussion with hiring team to review results. Optional Development Report and Coaching for new hires to accelerate onboarding.

A little more about the psychometrics....

Psychometric test battery. Because the science is clear, we place significant weight on the results of the psychometric tests. And, because we’re not a test publisher, we can review the technical research on all the available tools on the market and make unbiased choices.
Efficiency. Through rigorous research and continuous improvement efforts, we’ve designed a highly predictive executive assessment test battery that’s delivered remotely and takes only 2 hours to complete. This eliminates travel expenses for you, speeds up report turnaround (just 2 days for hiring assessments), and provides a less time-consuming experience for busy executives.
Proprietary Norms. We compare each person’s scores to a norm group consisting of thousands of others who have completed the executive assessment process. This benchmark tells us how different a person is compared to most people. Sometimes being different is good, but other times it can be problematic. It all depends on the role requirements and the company’s culture. Consider the below example.

The Art of Executive Assessment

Anyone can sell you tests and help you interpret the automated reports. But very few can do what we do with the data. We’re a small group of deeply experienced business psychologists who do one thing – assessments for hiring, development, and succession planning. Over decades of experience, data collection, and research, we’ve mastered the art of executive assessment.

Interviewing with Feedback. We conduct a 1-hour phone interview that provides valuable context and deep insights. During the conversation, we integrate the executive’s responses with their test data to spot areas of alignment and potential disconnects. At the end of the call, we give feedback on the online tests, tying it back to their responses whenever possible. Executives appreciate this courtesy, and it gives us additional insight into their self-awareness and coachability.
Data Integration. The test battery includes around 70 percentile scores. Understanding how the different ability, trait, and preference scores interact to make the person unique requires expert knowledge and insight. Additionally, the interview responses add another layer of complexity because we need to integrate the qualitative information with the hard data to form a complete picture.
Evidence-based Story-telling. Every executive assessment report, whether for hiring or development, is custom-written by the psychologist from scratch. We carefully consider the organizational culture and role responsibilities, drawing implications about fit based on the data. By translating the complexity of the data into a clear, concrete story, we help you hire the right people, develop leaders wisely, and plan for succession.

Differentiators of PCI's Executive Assessments

Measure your competencies and core values. This is especially important when hiring external candidates, given the high failure rate of executive leaders.
Customized deliverables. Different audiences want to see different data. We give you what you need with comprehensive executive assessment reports, executive summaries, and dashboards.
Participant Feedback. This is uncommon in the industry and leaves participants with a positive impression of your organization.
Customer attentiveness, responsiveness, and flexibility. As a boutique executive assessment consultancy with the expertise of large firms, no one will match our service level.
Validation Studies. Many executive assessment firms talk about validity on their websites, but fewer have it documented. Check out some of our study summaries. We’re also happy to do a validation study with your participants.
Objectivity. This point can’t be overemphasized, as many firms rely heavily, or solely, on subjective data. When you engage with us, you get an honest, candid, objective assessment. You won’t always like what you hear. But, we’re not afraid to say what needs to be said, based on the data, so you can make informed decisions.

How We Ensure Objectivity in Our Executive Assessments

We don’t recruit. It’s hard to be both advocate and judge, so we don’t do executive search. We do executive assessments, and we do it very well. Because we have no stake in the game, you get a purely objective evaluation – every time.

No invasive interview questions. We don’t ask about a person’s upbringing, childhood experiences, or decisions they made decades ago. These things are subjective, don’t predict well, and make people uncomfortable.

We don’t evaluate experience or “pedigree.” Why? Because they are poor predictors of job performance. Also, you don’t need a psychologist to tell you what prior experiences are needed. You and your search firm can do this.

The psychometric test results are heavily weighted and compared to PCI’s executive assessment norm group. Interviews provide secondary data to improves the preciseness of our interpretations of the test data.

Structured interviews. We ask the same questions every time to evaluate their motivations, personality, leadership style, and self-awareness. Consistency ensures reliability. And, an assessment can’t be valid if it’s not reliable.

Two psychologists review the test data and interview notes and assign ratings independently. Then, they come to a consensus using data-driven arguments.

Interviews are voice only to remove biases that can result from the person’s mannerisms or appearance.

Experience the Difference

Get more. Pay less.

To speak with a business psychologist about our executive assessments for hiring, development, and succession planning, call us at 1-412-887-1007.

Executive Assessment Partner Checklist

Many factors go into selecting a partner for executive assessments. So, we’ve created this list of questions to ask when talking with different firms. This will help you pick the right one for your needs.

The Executive Assessment Firm and it’s People

How many executive assessments have you conducted? At what levels? In what geographies? For what industries?
Have you conducted validation studies to show the relationship between your assessment and work-related outcomes? If so, can you provide some case studies?
Has an official EEOC complaint ever been brought against your company?
What qualifications do your assessors have in terms of education and experience conducting executive leadership assessments?

The Psychometric Tools

What online psychometric tools are used to measure cognitive ability, leadership style, and personality?
Is there a personality survey that measures the Five Factor Model of personality?
What languages are they available in?
When was the last time that you reviewed and updated the online assessment battery? What changes were made and why?

The Interview

Is it required or optional?
How long is it?
Who conducts it?
Structured or unstructured?
What types of questions are asked?
Phone, videoconference, or in-person? Why this approach?
What days/hours are interviews available?
In what geographies are your interviewers located?

The Process

How long does it take to complete the online test battery?
Do candidates receive feedback? If so, how?
What process is used to assign assessment ratings?
How much weight is given to the psychometric tests versus the interview? Why?
Is there a single rater or multiple?
How long after I submit a request will the candidate be contacted? What days/hours do you process requests?
What is the turnaround time for receiving the report?
What is the average number of days from the time we put in a request to the time we receive the assessment report?

Customization

Can you customize the report format/content?
Can you rate our competencies and values? What is the cost?
Can you create different levels of assessment/reporting at different price points?

Executive Assessment Inclusions and Add-ons

Do you do intake calls prior to the assessment to talk to the hiring manager about the role and what they are looking for? What’s the cost?
Do you offer debriefs with HR and the hiring manager after the report has been received? What’s the cost?
Do you provide any metrics, such as number of people assessed, group level analysis of results, assessment-to-hire ratio? What’s the cost?
Are you able to do a validation study for us? What’s the cost?
What other services do you offer that may complement the executive assessments?