Executive Search Catalyst for Change: Insights From a Transformation Focused Talent Recruiter

Given that I focus on Transformation Leadership Talent as a core part of my executive search work, it may be time to shed some light on why my career has been so focused on this space.

Several years ago, a long-time client exposed me to a candidate assessment tool called Predicative Index (PI). He was using it to improve the success of his talent engagement and hiring process as the CEO and the third-generation owner of a fast-growing consumer products company. Hiring was always a very personal endeavor for him as a candidate's fit in his key leadership roles had an outsized impact on his small company's overall performance. Initially skeptical, but as a data-driven person, I was drawn to the assessment and how it might correlate to successful placement outcomes. When I first took the PI assessment, I was blown away by how accurately it captured my work and professional personality. The insights provided by PI have been instrumental in helping me understand my strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, as well as the roles that would best suit my unique skillset.

As a point of disclosure, I don't offer the Predictive Index assessments as a part of my service offering as an executive recruiter. It is a tool that many of my clients are using as part of their assessment process, so naturally, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the tool. I wrote this article to give potential clients and candidates more insight into my personality and how it translates into my everyday work as an executive recruiter.

About Predictive Index (PI)

Predictive Index (PI) is a talent optimization platform that helps organizations understand their employees' unique behavioral drives, cognitive abilities, and workplace preferences. By leveraging advanced psychometric assessments, data-driven insights, and expert guidance, PI enables companies to build high-performing teams, develop effective leadership, and optimize overall workforce productivity. With a focus on aligning people strategy with business strategy, Predictive Index empowers organizations to make informed decisions about hiring, talent management, and employee engagement, ultimately leading to improved business outcomes and a thriving company culture. The PI platform is designed to create self-awareness, drive employee engagement, and ultimately improve overall organizational performance.

About the Predictive Index Strategist Profile

My PI assessment pegged me as a Strategist, one of the 17 PI Reference Profiles, each representing a distinct combination of behavioral characteristics. Strategist profiles are natural leaders. They’re known to be analytical, results-oriented, and authoritative. They thrive in and help contribute to a culture that drives innovation, change, and results. As a leadership profile, Strategists possess a unique ability to envision long-term goals and devise strategies to achieve them, making them invaluable assets to any organization.

The Strategist is a big-picture person who looks ahead and considers how decisions will benefit the entire organization. Strategists are fact-based and less concerned with schmoozing colleagues than they are with getting to the bottom of important issues. They're decisive, no-nonsense people who like close control of their work.

Strategists are the second rarest PI profile type, which further highlights their distinctiveness in the talent pool... making up only 2.6% of the professional workforce. They are characterized by high dominance, low patience, and a balanced blend of extraversion and formality, enabling them to excel in challenging, fast-paced environments. Their ability to pivot between analytical and social tasks makes them versatile leaders who effectively communicate their vision and drive transformational change.

As a PI Strategist... What Makes Me Tick

As a Strategist, I have found that I have a passion for transformational talent recruitment. My PI assessment results have helped me to understand why I have always gravitated toward roles that draw upon my change management and transformation leadership skills throughout my career. My experience at GE and Stanley Black & Decker provided valuable opportunities to develop these leadership abilities, shaping me into the transformation-focused leader I am today. Now, as an executive recruiter specializing in transformation talent, I continue to utilize these skills to impact the lives of my clients and candidates.

My PI profile assessment correctly pointed out that I am an intensely driven individual. The assessment revealed that my dominance tendency, represented by the "A" factor, is very high at the two-sigma mark (95th percentile). This suggests that I am intensely inclined to influence and shape my environment.... and perhaps this is why I always like to be in the car's driver seat, much to my wife's dismay. Or perhaps why I felt the need to take the entrepreneurial plunge to start my own executive search firm 20 years ago versus continuing to work for someone else for the rest of my career.

With a high dominance score, PI indicates that I possess traits such as independence, assertiveness, and self-confidence. These characteristics drive me to take charge in various situations, work towards my goals with determination, and make well-informed decisions that contribute to both my professional and personal growth. This is why I have always displayed a keen sense of urgency in reaching my goals, not being afraid to proactively challenge the world around me in pursuit of excellence.

At the same time, I have to be careful this doesn't slip into a need for perfection, but my focus on results helps to mitigate that tendency according to my PI assessment. Fueled by my need for independence, this tenacity has allowed me to develop innovative ideas and drive change within various organizational settings, making me well-suited for any transformational leadership change agent role. However, my impatience for results and high expectations for myself and others makes me less productive in routine and repetitive work settings. This is why I love the variety of the search projects, clients, and candidates I engage with regularly in my role as a recruiter.

As a strategist, my PI assessment notes that I possess strong analytical and critical thinking skills, which have proven crucial to my ability to assess client strategic needs and determine the essential qualifications, skills, and traits required for candidates to succeed in particular roles. This meticulous nature and ability to spot trends in data help me effectively review and evaluate candidate profiles, ensuring they meet specific client requirements.

My capacity for developing new ideas, systems, and plans as a strategist allows me to create innovative recruitment strategies and processes tailored to the unique critical needs of my clients. My strong drive for results and impatience for progress ensure a sense of urgency in filling client vacancies with the right talent. At the same time, my determination to meet high standards and expectations keeps me focused on delivering quality candidates in a timely manner.

Although my PI profile notes that my communication style can be authoritative, abrupt, and overly direct at times, I have learned to leverage these traits as a strategist to establish credibility and trust with clients and candidates over time in a straightforward way with busy executives. By honing my soft skills and adopting a more consultative approach, I have learned to effectively engage with clients, listen to their needs, and provide valuable insights into the talent market in my focus areas. My desire for continuous learning and to be seen as a trusted advisor keeps me at the forefront of industry trends, allowing me to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, tools, and technologies.

In summary, my strategist PI profile notes that my strengths in analysis, innovation, strategic mindset, and a results-driven approach make me a stronger recruiter for transformational talent. As a strategist, I focus on understanding clients critical needs and adopting a consultative approach. As a result, I have become very successful at matching the right talent with the right opportunities, ultimately driving growth and success for both the clients and the candidates I represent.

The Predictive Index assessment has been a game changer in my professional journey, providing me with a deeper understanding of my strengths, weaknesses, and workplace preferences. As I continue to grow and evolve in my career, I remain committed to leveraging my transformational leadership skills to create a lasting impact for the clients and candidates I serve.

Share Your Insights and Comments:

I invite you to share your insights, experiences, and thoughts on the following questions with regard to candidate assessment tools like Predictive Index (PI).

1. Have you ever utilized assessments like the Predictive Index (PI) in your talent engagement and hiring process? How have these assessments contributed to successful placements within your organization?
2. What are some key qualities you look for when recruiting transformation focused leaders? How do these qualities align with the traits of a PI Strategist, such as being analytical, results-oriented, and strategic-minded?
3. What strategies or approaches do you employ to match the right talent with the right opportunities?
4. If you have taken the Predictive Index (PI) assessment, what were your results, and how accurately did it reflect your personality profile?

I value your insights and experiences and look forward to reading your comments!

Copyright ? 2023 - The Avery Point Group, Inc.?

About the Author: Tim Noble

Tim Noble ?is an industry leader in executive search, with over 30 years of experience in business transformation, manufacturing operations, supply chain management, distribution, and executive search. As the President and Managing Partner of?The Avery Point Group , an Atlanta based nationally focused executive search firm, Mr. Noble specializes in recruiting top talent in Lean, Six Sigma, Industry 4.0, operations, supply chain, and private equity transformation deployment leadership. With his extensive hands-on executive experience in business transformation, operations, and supply chain management, he brings a wealth of practical knowledge and expertise to his role.

Throughout his career, Mr. Noble has held senior-level executive positions in major Fortune 500 companies, including General Electric (GE) and The Stanley Works. Trained as a GE Master Black Belt and a Shingijutsu-trained Lean executive, he has successfully applied Lean, Six Sigma, and digital transformation principles globally. His deep understanding of these methodologies and his expertise in digital transformation have enabled him to drive significant organizational improvements and deliver exceptional results throughout his career.

As an experienced practitioner and subject matter expert in Lean, Six Sigma, and digital transformation, Mr. Noble has a proven track record of helping organizations achieve excellence and sustain success in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. His knowledge and insights have been invaluable in assisting companies in their talent acquisition efforts, ensuring they find the right leaders to drive transformative change and achieve their strategic goals. With his commitment to excellence and passion for developing high-performing teams, Mr. Noble has been a trusted advisor and partner to over 100 leading organizations across a wide spectrum of industry segments seeking to build a culture of continuous improvement and achieve world-class performance.

Contact him directly at?678-585-9804 x101

The Avery Point Group's Transformation Recruitment & Headhunting Focus Areas:

• Lean and Six Sigma Executive Search and Recruitment
• Private Equity Executive Search and Recruitment
• Supply Chain Executive Search and Recruitment
• Operations and Manufacturing Executive Search and Recruitment
• Industry 4.0 Executive Search and Recruitment
• Business Intelligence (BI) Executive Search and Recruitment

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