Pre-Employment Tests For Chief Executives
Top Skills and Abilities:
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Top 3 Tasks:
- Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency
- Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.
- Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change.
Overview
One of the most monumental decisions that a company can make is hiring a chief executive. Responsible for making the company’s plans on paper a reality, enforcing corporate policy, and coordinating with the higher levels of the company's administration, chief executives often take on the role of being the public face behind a brand. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to perform a thorough search when selecting a chief executive.
Requirements
As companies range widely in size and purpose, there is not necessarily a gold standard for hiring chief executives. There are, however, some vital components to making a good hire. Chief executives need to possess a high level of understanding of their industry, as well as a track record of proven success in their field. Their personality must also mesh well with the company's culture. Thus, personality and aptitude tests are very useful when attempting to decide if certain chief executive candidates are the right fit for the company. Criteria Corp offers tests that measure an individual's cognitive abilities and personality strengths.
Assessments for Chief Executives
Many companies decide to promote one of their current employees to chief executive. Doing so is a perfectly viable option and can eliminate many potential concerns since someone from within the company is much more likely to be accustomed to the culture and responsibilities of the job. However, there are many other factors to consider, dealing mainly with the ability to thrive in that new role. Aptitude tests such as the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) assess capabilities crucial for chief executives — problem-solving, critical thinking, the ability to process and apply new information, and verbal skills, making them good predictors of performance for higher-level managers. The Employee Personality Profile (EPP) is a personality test that can also reveal valuable information about a candidate’s likely work style and suitability for a managerial role from a behavioral perspective.
If you're an employer interested in previewing these tests, start a 14-day free trial or book a consultation to learn more.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor