Cardiff Council
Providing seamless and coordinated high-quality executive assessment services.
Background
Psychonnaissance has partnered with Cardiff Council since 2015, providing assessment services for Executive and Senior Management positions.
Services We Provide:
- Leadership Profiling
- Assessment Centre Design
- Psychometric Testing (NEO, Hogan, GMA)
- Candidate Feedback
- Role Play Actors
- Written Exercises
- Staff, Stakeholder and Partner Engagement Exercises
- Experienced Assessors
What We Do
We design and facilitate assessment centres for all Executive appointments, working closely with HR and the Chief Executive’s Senior Management Team. We also conduct individual leadership profiling interviews for the operational leadership team cadre.
Each assessment centre is designed to measure the key leadership attributes required for the role as set out in the Council’s Behavioural Competency Framework. The exercises that comprise the assessment centre are tailored on each occasion whilst retaining core elements, such as role-plays, psychometric profiling and feedback, and competency based interviews. Work on the design begins before a post is advertised; the recruiting manager is involved alongside the HR Business Partner.
Key to Cardiff Council’s approach to working with an expert provider of executive assessment services is ensuring cost-effectiveness and value-for-money. By providing seasoned assessors and efficient administrative support throughout the whole process, Psychonnaissance is able to maintain quality without stretching the public purse. Where appropriate, interviews and feedbacks are delivered via telephone for cost- and time-effectiveness purposes.
There is a consistent team of Psychonnaissance assessors who work with Cardiff Council, all of whom are either chartered HR practitioners or occupational psychologists. They uphold best practice standards in all aspects of the selection process, importantly including confidentiality, keeping notes and providing feedback to internal and external candidates alike in a helpful, objective and supportive manner.
As well as assessing on the day itself, Psychonnaissance assist Cardiff Council with designing interview questions and panel presentation topics, giving feedback to successful and unsuccessful candidates, and being available for Member appointment committees.
Outcomes
Cardiff Council derive confidence from the assessment centre findings to make recommendations to Members regarding the most senior and statutory Chief Officer appointments in the Council.
The assessment centre outcomes are presented in a clear and accessible report format for Members to digest prior to appointment committee meetings. The reports include both scores and narrative for the behaviours being measured, which support Members in deciding which candidates to shortlist.
In addition, the lead assessor from the assessment centre will usually attend the appointments committee in order to answer questions if they arise. This is helpful for ensuring that Members have a comprehensive picture of a candidate’s fit to the essential and desirable criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.
Psychonnaissance has built an enduring relationship with Cardiff Council, extending our support to the appointment of leaders below the Executive tier. The knowledge and expertise we bring in making public sector appointments across Wales and England provide assessment expertise in an integrated way for the Council and the objectivity necessary to appoint leaders for the future.
