Delivering a capability assessment pilot program to strengthen senior leadership readiness within a national financial services organisation
The Brief
A national financial‑services organisation operating in regulated markets engaged Future Leadership™ to design and deliver a Senior Leader Capability Assessment program.
The organisation was implementing a multi‑year performance and transformation strategy focused on simplifying operations, technology enablement, data‑led decision making and preparing leaders for future enterprise demands. The organisation sought an evidence‑based assessment approach to clarify strengths, identify targeted development areas, and improve transparency of leadership readiness for lateral or stretch opportunities. The assessment was to provide individual insights as well as a cohort view of capability patterns to inform succession planning and targeted investment in leadership uplift.
Two assessment streams were piloted. The first was an individual, high‑touch diagnostic assessment for a small group of senior leaders. The second involved a one‑day group assessment centre for a cohort of leaders, combining live behavioural observation with psychometric diagnostics. The pilot aimed to compare participant experience, cost effectiveness and scalability across the two models.
True Cost of Turnover
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) estimates that replacing an employee can cost between 30% and 150% of their annual salary, highlighting the financial benefits of using structured assessments to improve retention. (SHRM, 2019)
Capability Assessment
Research from the University of Queensland found that skills tests combined with structured interviews significantly improve the predictive power of hiring decisions compared to traditional methods.
Well Matched Roles, Lower Turnover
Studies suggest that employees who are well-matched with their roles are less likely to leave, even in high-stress industries.
(Barrick & Mount, The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis, 1991)
Structured Interviews Enhance Diversity
Structured interviews and scorecards significantly reduce bias and improve diversity outcomes by ensuring consistent evaluation criteria across all candidates.
(Source: Diversity Australia)
The Process
Future Leadership™ designed a tailored capability assessment program drawing on diagnostic insights, organisational strategy and the enterprise’s capability framework.
Key steps included:
Discovery and diagnostics
Conducted stakeholder consultations to understand leadership expectations, organisational priorities and success criteria. Mapped assessments to the capability framework and the organisation’s transformation agenda.
Program co‑design
Developed two assessment streams. The individual stream combined personality and derailer measures, cognitive agility assessments, 360 feedback and a simulation task. The group stream comprised a structured assessment centre including a written strategy task, facilitated group problem solving, paired discussions and a senior presentation. Personality assessments were consistent across both streams.
Assessment delivery
Stream 1: Delivered individual assessments with one‑to‑one debriefs, executive simulation, development planning and supported triad sessions involving each participant, their manager and a coach.
Stream 2: Delivered a one‑day group assessment centre for four participants, followed by individual debriefs and development plans.
Data analysis and theming
Synthesised results for Context, Capability and Capacity leadership insights across both streams. Identified cross‑participant strengths in operational excellence, values alignment and collaborative intent, as well as shared development needs such as strategic storytelling, external market orientation, assertive influence and leveraging AI and automation.
Reporting and evaluation
Provided individual reports, cohort insights and recommendations on future program design. Compared participant experience, depth of behavioural evidence, scalability and cost efficiency across the two assessment models.
The Outcome
The combined pilot provided a rich capability baseline for senior leaders and generated actionable insights for both the individual leaders and the organisation.
Leaders gained clarity on their strengths, development priorities and readiness for broader mandates. Individual development plans focused on key capabilities. Managers benefited from shared understanding through triad sessions, improving the quality and consistency of development conversations.
The organisation gained visibility of cohort‑level capability patterns and future‑ready leadership attributes. The individual stream delivered deeper diagnostic granularity, while the group stream provided scalable behavioural evidence and strong cohort insights.
Early signs of impact included improved alignment between leaders and managers on capability expectations, clearer pathways for stretch and lateral opportunities and increased precision in development planning. The pilot also informed future investment in capability uplift.
