Leadership assessments fuel smarter hiring decisions

No matter what industry you’re in, you’re likely feeling the effects of the talent shortage. According to our research, 71% of U.S. employers are having difficulty finding skilled talent. This number has more than doubled since 2015. 

Traditional Remedies Are Falling Short 

Relying on tried-and-true hiring and retention strategies isn’t cutting it for most employers. Here’s why: 

• Too much emphasis on resumes and skills-based interviews 

• Mismatch between job descriptions and actual skills needed  

• Internal talent is overlooked 

• Lack of data-driven decision making 

• Hires made to solve today’s pain points may not be ideal for long-term impact  

When you’re understaffed, things can start to spiral quickly. In a recent Gartner survey, 57% of HR leaders say skills shortages are undermining their ability to sustain corporate performance. 

In this climate, every hiring decision matters. But just as important is ensuring your current employees are engaged, fulfilled, and in roles where they can thrive.  

Leadership assessments can address both of these issues. 

Assessments for Smarter Hiring 

There’s plenty of evidence that assessments can improve hiring outcomes. Here are some of the ways in which talent assessments are frequently used: 

• Pre-screening candidates 

• Assessing cultural fit and team compatibility 

• Supporting final decision-making 

Assessments for Development 

Assessment for the purpose of developing internal talent can support internal mobility, identify potential leaders, and align employee strengths with business needs.  

Assessments can identify: 

• Untapped potential  

• Skills gaps  

• Leadership potential 

• Career aspirations 

For a quick primer on how assessments accomplish these tasks, see our blog, Leadership Assessment Test: Uncover Potential and Skill Gaps. 

The Art and Science of Assessments 

Assessments can provide you with a mountain of data, but it’s what you do with that data that’s crucial. The art of assessment comes from collecting, organizing and creating a narrative that you can use—and the real art comes from tailoring that assessment to your specific needs. 

And that’s not easy to do. 

Customizing an Assessment Program 

To drive real business outcomes, assessments must reflect the unique dynamics, pressures, and success factors of your industry vertical. Tailoring assessments to industry context elevates relevance, credibility, and impact. 

For example, consider how key leadership needs vary across industries: 

• Healthcare: Emphasis on navigating regulatory complexity and fostering a patient-centered mindset. 

• Financial Services: Strong focus on risk management, regulatory compliance, and building client trust. 

• Manufacturing: Prioritization of operational efficiency, safety protocols, and managing workforce dynamics. 

Assessments that ignore context miss the mark and may surface the wrong insights. 

Our Partnership Process  

We design assessments that align closely with each client’s business goals, industry context and talent strategy. Here’s how we do it: 

• Business Alignment 
  We begin with a strategic conversation — whether it’s with hiring managers for talent acquisition or senior leaders for development planning. This step ensures we understand both current role requirements and future leadership needs, turning aspirational goals into actionable talent strategies. 

• Customized Competency Models 
  We build or refine competency models that reflect the unique success factors of the client’s industry or sector, ensuring relevance and precision in what we measure. 

• Industry-Specific Benchmarking 
  We benchmark talent against peer groups within the same vertical, using data and expertise to provide meaningful context and guide decisions. 

• Real-World Simulations 
  Our case-based scenarios mirror the actual challenges and decision-making environments of the client’s industry — whether it’s the risk tolerance of private equity or the regulatory rigor of nuclear power. 

• Voice of the Business 
  We incorporate insights from key stakeholders to define what effective leadership looks like in their specific organizational and cultural context. 

What Right Management Brings to the Table 

• World-Class Assessors: Our consultants have an average of 12 years’ tenure in the industry. 75% are Industrial/Organizational (I/O) psychologists, and 95% have advanced degrees.  

• Best-in-Class Methodology: Our multi-method approach is steeped in decades of science while maintaining positive experience and enhancing insight-driven outcomes. Validated psychometrics (e.g., personality, cognitive ability), structured behavioral interviews, and 360s customized to the industry lens offer the predictive power needed to support leaders to make informed decisions that have positive, long-term impact. 

Benefits of Industry-Specific Assessment 

• Relevance: Tailoring assessments to the language, challenges and realities of a specific industry increases buy-in from stakeholders and participants. 

• Accuracy: Zeroing in on the traits and skills that truly matter in that industry helps uncover strengths (and risks) that generic tools might miss. 

• Actionability: Whether you're hiring, developing future leaders, succession planning, or driving transformation, industry-aligned data makes it easier to take meaningful action. 

• Strategic Impact: Unlike generic assessments, you’ll realize better alignment with business goals and transformation agendas. 

Case Studies 

Here are two real-world examples of industry-specific assessments we conducted. 

Enhancing Fairness and Fit in Hiring at a Major Energy Provider 

A leading energy company sought to improve fairness and objectivity in hiring for managerial and executive roles. They partnered with Right Management to implement tailored selection assessments aligned with their leadership model and unique business challenges. 

Over 6,000 hiring decisions—from supervisors to C-suite—were supported by a dedicated team. Assessors provided timely feedback and development planning for internal and successful external candidates, reinforcing the company’s commitment to growth and talent development. As a result, leadership was more focused on talent retention, and hired candidates with stronger assessment scores, which led to stronger performance.  

Building Future-Ready Leadership in a UK Insurance Firm 

Facing rapid market change, global competition and the need for digital transformation, a UK-based insurance company sought to align its talent strategy with evolving business demands. Their goal: attract, retain and mobilize talent while preparing leaders for an uncertain future. 

Right Management partnered with the organization to design a leadership assessment process tailored to their needs. A custom senior leadership profile was developed to define what great leadership looked like and was used for talent identification, development and succession planning. 

Sixty-four senior leaders were assessed against the profile, revealing strengths, gaps and future potential. Insights were delivered through a dynamic talent dashboard, enabling data-driven workforce planning. A streamlined version of the assessment is now used for external hires and internal promotions, embedding leadership alignment across the organization. 

For more about leadership assessments and leadership coaching, read our blog, How to Develop Leaders. 

Professional Leadership Assessments Make Business Sense 

When assessments are aligned with industry trends and business strategy, they become a lever for transformation. Better hires lead to stronger teams, clearing the way for you to reach your strategic goals.