Leadership assessment solutions and effective succession
How can leadership assessment drive organizational success?
Leadership assessment is a vital process for identifying and developing those leaders able to drive your organization forward. The constantly evolving business landscape demands leaders who can navigate change and adapt to new technologies, are risk aware, and can effectively drive innovation and a digital culture. Finding leaders with the agility and adaptability to thrive in such an environment is more important than ever. This process enhances decision-making and ensures your organization is prepared for future challenges.
Leadership assessment can also quantify and close leadership gaps, helping to mitigate risks associated with poor executive hires and ensuring strong value alignment and business continuity. Robust assessment benefits organizations by not only ensuring a competitive edge today but also interpreting the blueprint for future leader readiness.
Key benefits of leadership assessment
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Identifies leadership potential
Recognizes individuals with high potential to take on more senior or complex leadership roles -
Enhances decision-making
Provides data-driven insights for informed leadership appointments and targeted development -
Supports succession planning
Ensures a pipeline of capable leaders ready for key roles and flags succession slate risks
High-performing companies know that deploying your best leaders to the highest value drivers is the ultimate key to achieving their mission.
Senior Principal, Client Success
What makes executive assessment essential for business growth?
Hiring the right executive talent is crucial for driving organizations — and society — forward. However, it’s a complex process that requires a thorough analysis of candidates’ critical experiences, business mindsets, skills and behaviors. Decision makers face high stakes and must carefully evaluate candidates based on leadership abilities, strategic thinking and long-term potential.
Without a thorough and scientific approach, the success rate of executive selection is alarmingly low. Fortunately, amid these challenging realities, there’s a better way. Well-designed executive assessments have the potential to create enormous value. Prioritizing executive talent assessments underpinned by rigorous methodology ensures leadership teams will be equipped with the right skills, values and mindsets to drive the organization forward. Effective assessments reduce the risk of poor leadership appointments and help leaders successfully transition into their next appointments.
Discover how our Executive Assessment Approach can help your organization thrive.
How can organizations mitigate succession risk and ensure business and cultural continuity?
Succession planning is a proactive strategy for ensuring your organization is prepared for future leadership transitions. It’s vital for maintaining stability and continuity, especially in times of change or uncertainty.
Organizations around the world continue to face significant risks related to succession and business continuity. Future-proofing against these risks and building a leadership pipeline are key to sustainable success
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How are you safeguarding against leadership risks?Thirty percent of C-suite and executive leaders are likely to leave their organizations in 12–18 months, and 20% expect to be let go or their roles to be made redundant.1
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How are you assuring business continuity?More than 50% of organizations could not immediately name a successor to their CEO, and 39% of employers said they have “zero” viable internal candidates.2
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How are you ensuring that leaders are effective in their new roles?Ineffective leadership is the most severe risk for organizations globally, with a 50% chance that the appointed executive will depart within 18 months.3
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How do you mitigate the potentially catastrophic financial impact of leadership failure?US$1 trillion of market value is wiped out annually by badly managed CEO and C-suite transitions.4
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How are you empowering leaders to drive team excellence?Half of all leaders cannot engage employees and fail to turn their teams or organizations into high-performing machines.4
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How are you building your leadership pipeline?More than 40% of individuals in high potential programs may not belong there, hindering companies from building effective leadership pipelines.4
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How are you aligning talent with strategic business objectives?Forty-six percent of leaders fail to meet business objectives in a new role.5
Our research shows that only four out of every 10 high peformers may also be considered high potential
The five imperatives of executive assessment in a complex world
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Embrace the paradoxes of leadership.
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Collaborate with leadership experts.
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Seek clarity and alignment on the success profile.
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Eliminate bias and noise in the process.
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Set the executive up for success.
Each of these imperatives serves as a guidepost for a calculated strategy that enhances the likelihood of successful executive hiring, onboarding and, ultimately, positive change.
For a detailed understanding of our approach, read our position paper, Cracking the Code: Five Imperatives for Executive Assessment Success.
Mercer’s proprietary approach to succession planning
Our proprietary approach to succession planning includes independent and objective assessments:
- Assessment of potential on key behavioral and leadership attributes
- Assessment of readiness on critical experiences and leadership impact
