How do you assess leadership ability when hiring?

Identifying leadership potential in a candidate is a critical step in the hiring process. While leadership is often associated with senior roles, it’s a valuable quality at all levels of an organisation. This article will delve into the methods and strategies for assessing leadership ability when hiring.  

How to Assess for Leadership Ability When Hiring

Understanding Leadership

Before discussing assessment methods, it is essential to clarify what constitutes leadership. Leadership is not merely about authority or position; it’s about influencing and inspiring others to achieve common goals. It involves a complex interplay of skills, behaviours, and attitudes.  

Key Leadership Qualities 

• Vision and Strategy: The ability to articulate a compelling vision and develop effective strategies to achieve it.  
• Communication: Clear and effective communication skills, both verbal and written.  
• Decision Making: The ability to make sound decisions under pressure and with limited information.
• Problem Solving: A systematic approach to problem-solving and finding innovative solutions.
• Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and managing one’s emotions and those of others.  
• Team Building: The ability to foster collaboration, build trust, and create a positive team culture.
• Adaptability: The capacity to adapt to change and thrive in dynamic environments.  
• Integrity: Demonstrating honesty, ethics, and reliability.

Types of Leadership

There are various leadership styles, including:

• Autocratic: A leader makes decisions independently and exercises complete control.
• Democratic: A leader involves team members in decision-making and encourages participation.  
• Laissez-faire: A leader provides minimal guidance and allows team members to make decisions independently.
• Transformational: A leader inspires and motivates employees to achieve extraordinary outcomes.  
• Servant Leadership: A leader focuses on serving the needs of others and helping them grow.  

Behavioural Interviews

Focus on past behaviour: The most effective way to predict future behaviour is to examine past performance. Ask candidates to describe specific situations where they demonstrated leadership skills.  

Use the STAR method: Encourage candidates to structure their responses using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).  

Probing questions: Dig deeper into the candidate’s responses to understand their thought process and decision-making.

What is a Behavioural Interview?

A behavioural interview is a job interview technique focusing on a candidate’s past experiences to predict their future performance. The assumption is that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour.

How it works:

• Questions: Interviewers ask specific questions about situations the candidate has faced.
• Examples: Candidates must provide concrete examples of handling specific challenges or tasks.
• Assessment: The interviewer evaluates the candidate’s responses based on the desired skills and competencies for the job.

Typical behavioural interview questions start with:

• Tell me about a time when…
• Describe a situation where…
• Give me an example of…

Using this method, interviewers can gain valuable insights into a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, teamwork skills, decision-making abilities, and other essential qualities.

Situational Interviews

• Present hypothetical scenarios: Describe challenging leadership situations and ask candidates how they would handle them.
• Assess problem-solving and decision-making: Evaluate the candidate’s ability to analyse the situation, develop a plan, and implement solutions.
• Observe critical thinking: Look for evidence of logical reasoning and creativity in their responses.

What are Situational Interviews?

A situational interview is a job interview where candidates are presented with hypothetical work-related scenarios.

The goal is to assess how they would respond to potential challenges or situations that might arise on the job.  

Key characteristics of situational interviews:

• Hypothetical scenarios: Questions are based on real-world situations that could occur in the role.  
• Problem-solving skills: Evaluate a candidate’s ability to think critically and find solutions.  
• Decision-making: Assesses how the candidate would make choices under pressure.  
• Future-oriented: Focuses on how the candidate would handle situations rather than past experiences.  

Example questions:

• How would you handle a demanding customer who is upset about a product?
• What would you do if a team member was consistently underperforming?
• How would you prioritise tasks when faced with multiple deadlines?

Interviewers can gain insights into a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, decision-making skills, and overall suitability for the position by asking these questions.

Different Types of Assessment Methods

• Multiple assessment methods: Combine various assessment tools, such as group exercises, simulations, and individual assessments.
• Real-world simulations: Create scenarios that mimic real-world challenges to observe leadership behaviour in action.
• Comprehensive evaluation: Gather feedback from multiple assessors to get a well-rounded view of the candidate’s potential.

Personality Assessments for Leadership Skills

• Identify leadership traits: Use validated personality assessments to identify characteristics associated with leadership, such as extroversion, conscientiousness, and openness.
• Complement other assessments: Combine personality assessments with different methods for a more comprehensive evaluation.
• Caution: Personality assessments should be used as one tool among many, not as a sole determinant of leadership potential.  

Personality assessments can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s leadership potential. While they shouldn’t be the sole determinant, they can complement other assessment methods to create a comprehensive evaluation.

Common Personality Assessments for Leadership

• Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN):
  • Openness to experience: Related to creativity and innovation.
  • Conscientiousness: Linked to organisation, responsibility, and persistence.
  • Extraversion: Associated with social skills, assertiveness, and energy.
  • Agreeableness: Relates to empathy, cooperation, and trust.
  • Neuroticism: Indicates emotional stability and resilience.
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI):
  • Categorizes individuals into 16 personality types based on four dimensions: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving.  
• DISC Assessment:
  • It measures four behavioural styles: Dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness.
• StrengthsFinder:
  • Focuses on identifying individual strengths rather than weaknesses.

How do Personality Assessments inform Leadership Potential?

These assessments can help identify:

• Leadership style: How a candidate approaches leadership (e.g., democratic, autocratic, laissez-faire).
• Interpersonal skills: Ability to build relationships, communicate effectively, and collaborate.
• Decision-making style: How a candidate makes decisions (e.g., analytical, intuitive, collaborative).
• Adaptability: How a candidate responds to change and uncertainty.
• Motivation: Understanding what drives and inspires the candidate.

Important Considerations

• Validity and reliability: Ensure the assessment is scientifically validated and reliable.
• Cultural bias: Be aware of potential cultural biases in the assessment.
• Combination with other methods: Use personality assessments with other assessment tools for a more accurate picture.
• Interpretation: The results should be interpreted by a qualified professional.

Reference Checks for Leadership Skills

Reference checks are a crucial component of assessing leadership potential. They offer firsthand insights into candidates’ performance and behaviour in previous roles.

Key Areas to Focus on:

• Leadership Style:
  • How would you describe the candidate’s leadership style?
  • Can you provide examples of their decision-making process?
  • How did the candidate handle conflict resolution within the team?
• Team Building and Collaboration:
  • How effective was the candidate at building and motivating teams?
  • Can you share examples of the candidate’s ability to foster collaboration?
  • How did the candidate handle diversity and inclusion within the team?
• Problem-Solving and Decision Making:
  • Can you describe a challenging situation the candidate faced and how they handled it?
  • How did the candidate prioritise tasks and manage time effectively?
  • Can you provide examples of the candidate’s ability to think strategically?
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills:
  • How effective is the candidate at communicating with different levels of the organisation?
  • Can you describe the candidate’s ability to build relationships with stakeholders?
  • How did the candidate handle feedback and criticism?
• Personality Assessments for Leadership Skills
  • What were the candidate’s critical accomplishments in their previous role?
  • How did the candidate contribute to the team’s or organisation’s success?
  • Can you assess the candidate’s overall performance?

Additional Tips:

• Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage detailed and specific responses.
• Verify Information: Cross-reference information from multiple references.
• Listen Actively: Pay attention to the reference’s tone and body language.
• Focus on Behavioural Examples: Ask for specific instances of the candidate’s behaviour.
• Consider the Reference’s Relationship: Evaluate the reference’s proximity to the candidate.

By carefully conducting reference checks, you can gain valuable insights into a candidate’s leadership potential and make informed hiring decisions.

• Gather insights from previous employers: Seek information about the candidate’s leadership experiences and accomplishments.
• Focus on specific behaviours: Consider concrete examples of the candidate’s leadership impact.
• Verify information: Cross-reference information from multiple references to ensure accuracy.

Additional Considerations

• Define leadership for your organisation: Clearly articulate the specific leadership competencies and behaviours required for success in your company.
• Develop a leadership assessment rubric: Create a scoring system to evaluate candidates consistently across different assessment methods.
• Involve multiple stakeholders: Collaborate with team members and managers to provide diverse perspectives on leadership potential.
• Consider cultural fit: Assess how the candidate’s leadership style aligns with the organisation’s culture and values.
• Provide feedback: Offer constructive feedback to candidates who don’t meet the leadership criteria to help them develop their skills.

By carefully selecting and combining these assessment methods, organisations can significantly improve their ability to identify and hire individuals with strong leadership potential. Remember that leadership is a complex trait; no single assessment method can provide a complete picture. A comprehensive approach considering multiple factors is essential for making informed hiring decisions.

Unlocking the Ideal Employee with Serand

Comprehensive Candidate Profiling

 “Serand doesn’t simply check skills off a list. Our assessments generate in-depth personality profiles, measuring integrity, attention to detail, and adaptability. This provides insights no traditional interview can match.”

Situational Judgement for Real-world Success

“Technical knowledge is only part of the equation. Serand’s job-specific situational judgement questions put candidates into realistic accounting scenarios. Their responses reveal how they think, prioritise, and handle challenges – critical for long-term success.”

Cutting Through Social Desirability Bias

“Serand’s assessments incorporate subtle social desirability measures, helping pinpoint trustworthy and ethical candidates. This adds a layer of security to your hiring process, vital when handling sensitive financial data.”

Identifying Hidden Potential

Serand’s personality profiling might uncover high-potential candidates whose resumes must reflect their full capabilities.

Beyond the Resume

Assessments reveal how candidates think under pressure, their communication style, and their ethical compass. These intangibles are impossible to gauge from a resume alone.

Ready to find employees with not just the right skills but the right mindset? Discover how Serand’s assessments unlock a deeper understanding of candidates. Ask us a question.